There were plenty of reported sightings of Samsung galaxy S4 cases before its launch last Thursday, but many were just mock-ups based mainly on conjecture than fact.
Now at last we know exactly what the S4 will look like and the deluge of cases and accessories has begun.
All the big names have been quick off the mark to produce cases and our selection ranges from budget number to a few luxury models that are creeping out.
Most will go one sale at the end of April when the S4 itself arrives
It is up there with the iPhone 5 as the most popular handset onthe planet - well until they launch the S4 anyhow.
So it is not suprising that there is a huge collection of high-end/luxury cases for the Samsung Galaxy SIII.
Here is our pick of the bunch. Prices start at around £40 and go up to very very expensive.
Now this has useful written all over it. On one level the Dual Power Bank is a basic, but portable power supply for you to use should your run out of juice on your phone or tablet. But according to the maker Thumbs Up it can fully charge a smartphone three times over or even charge your iPad while you're out and about.
And its party piece is that it can charge more than one device at a time.
The key is its massive power capacity of 6600mAh which is way more than I have seen on any rival portable power charger.
You initially power it up via USB and then connect your devices - it will work with tablets, smart phones, mp3 players and eBook readers and it comes with an adapter for Apple products. It also has an LCD screen which displays the percentage of power remaining in the unit.
Its is on sale now here with an RRP of £39.99.
It is the year's hottest phone so far. A real gem with a five inch screen, plenty of processing power, possibly the best sound from a phone ever, and oooh, you can spray it with water and it still works.
And sensing this is going to be a real cult phone there are already plenty of striking looking cases for the Xperia Z.
Here are a few of our favourites.
There's no denying that the BlackBerry XZ10 has split opinion in the tech world. Some pundits love its Swiftlkey created text input method and split screen credentials. Others are less convinced.
If you are reading this though chances are you have taken the plunge.
With this being a BlackBerry product though the Z10 accessories followed shortly after. We have already run one case round up here. Over the last few weeks a few others have emerged and here are a few nore to peruse.
Bought yourself a shiny new iPad mini? You are going to need a case for it. Here then is a round up of iPad mini housing which is targeted more at blokes than it is women.
There's a selection of stuff - from classy woollen cases through to fashion ones and ultra toughies - if your iPad gets a knock or two.
The Macallan is a high-end luxury Whisky brand. Oakley makes very cool sports gear. And on their days off they do this...
They create indestructible whisky flasks and drop them from helicopters.
Check the video - it looks like a huge amount of fun. The resulting product is called The flask, is available in very limited quantities and sells for a whopping £600.
Then again it does boast an inner flask which is apparently made 'laser welded and made of food grade steel and is wrapped in carbon fibre composite as well as treated to an intensive passivation and electro-polishing procedure.'
And don't forget an outer casing which sports 'black anodized 5-axis machined aerospace grade Aluminium.'
Anyhow watch the video and dream of the day you'll be able to afford one.
It is sunny again today, which is great news for everyone, apart from the team at Firebox that is. For the gadgets retailer has chosen today to unveil a very clever new product that may even have you pining for colder days again.
It is basically a liquid that you can apply to any pair of gloves which then turns them into touchscreen-friendly gloves enabling you to operate your smartphone or tablet and not have to remove your favourite pair of mittens.
Firebox is pretty skinny on the science, but does say that the bottle comes with more than enough liquid to apply to all the gloves in your collection.
The liquid, which is called Anyglove, is apparently easy to administer yet, and if your gloves stop working simple to re-apply too. You can buy it here for £19.99.
Well this was always going to happen, The trend for putting Kindles in classic book jacket style cases has now crept over to the iPad and you can now house your Apple tablet in a suitably retro 1984 by George Orwell cover.
And if wrapping your iPad in Doublespeak doesn't appeal then there's also Origin of the Species, Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz.
The covers are designed to fit gen 3 and 4 iPads, sport spongy material to further protect your iPad and retail for £19.99 from Firebox.
Now this is bizarre. Tier One Electronics have just released a product in the UK that delivers both sound and light from the same device. The system includes a pair of bulbs that acts as speakers, as well as delivering light, so you can have sound coming from your favourite lamp.
The Lightbulb Speaker kit includes a docking station for an iPhone which has a pair of bulbs that screw into lightbulb sockets. Each then works as a 5W LED lightbulb and a 10W speaker with the dock wirelessly streaming music (which can comes from any musical device and not just the iPhone) to the bulbs.
The bulbs don't have to be screwed into a lamp though, they can also work as speaker on their own if required.
The company claims that the 5W LEDs that make up the bulbs are extremely long life and energy saving.
I am note sure what happens when they finally die though. You may have to upgrade replace the bulbs which are £119.99 each.
So what do you think? Nice idea, or just a gimmick?
If you fancy them a pair of Lightbulb Speakers and the docking station cost £299.99. A matching floorstanding subwoofer to beef up the bass costs a further £139.99. You can buy them here. More info here.
Some interesting use of Bluetooth technology here from a Danish company called hippih. It has just hit the Apple Store with hipkey, a Bluetooth device designed to make sure that you are never parted from your iPhone, iPad or even your kids.
Basically it is a small accessory that you keep on a key ring. You then pair with a device like an iPhone or an iPad and if that device goes beyond a specified distance from the hipkey it sounds an alarm.
I guess the idea is that if you are constantly leaving your iPhone in coffee shops then this could be your saviour.
It also works with kids too. If you attach the hipkey to your child (or place it in their pocket) your iPhone/iPad will let you know if they have gone outside of the area.
You can set the distance triggered alarm system up to a range of 50 metres. There is also a 'Safe Zone' setting that switches the alarm off in areas where your valuables or loved ones are not vulnerable, such as home, a relative's house or the office.
Danny van der Poel, CEO of hippih says, "hipKey™ offers peace of mind to users, keeping track of their expensive items and loved ones when life gets in the way. Everyone has, at one time, left an iPhone or iPad in a bar or coffee shop and returned too late to find it gone. And who has not left the house in a hurry and forgotten their phone. Carrying a hipKey™ with you means this will never happen again."
It costs £69.95 and is available now from Apple Stores.
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Good news for Samsung Galaxy S3 owners. The first PowerCase for the handset is just about to go on sale in the UK via retailer Firebox.
The case clips on to the back of the handset and boots its power by eleven hours talk time, or six hours of web surfing.
It provides protection for ports and plugs, weigs80-odd grams and charges lithium-polymer backup battery charges up in five hours. You charge it up at the same time you charge the phone's internal battery.
Like the S3 itself it comes in both black and white.
It is on sale here for £39.99. There's also a model for the iPhone 5 for £44.99 here
We might be big fans of Apple's iPad range here at Shiny Shiny, but during a cool Amazon showcase last week we had some hands-on time with the new Kindle Fire HD tablet and needless to say we were pretty damn impressed with the online retailer's offering.
Tech Digest editor Gerald Lynch wrote up his top 10 free Kindle Fire HD apps and today we're here to bring you some of our favourite cases and accessories for a few of our favourite Kindles, all of which are bright and happy, just in time for spring (we hope).
Our collection of Samsung Galaxy S3 cases last year proved to be really popular, so we're back again with some simple favourites and bright tough options for your new handset.
Even though the iPad Mini was released late last year, there's been no shortage in cool cases and handy accessories to keep your teeny tiny tablet as safe, stylish and multifunctional as possible. However, our favourite iPad Mini accessory to date has to be Logitech's brand new Ultrathin Keyboard Case, a super slim, super protective keyboard and cover designed specially to compliment the new Apple tablet's slim exterior.
The accessory is the same as Logitech's regular Ultrathin Keyboard Case, but has a solid base, meaning it's much easier to watch things from your favourite gadget. The keyboard/case hybrid is built from aluminium, meaning it's as light and slim as possible while also keeping your tablet safe from knocks and scrapes. The keyboard also boasts a three month battery life and a bluetooth range of up to 10 metres, making it ideal for those lucky enough to have got their hands on an iPad Mini who want to use it for more than just browsing their social media accounts and wasting time with apps.
From the Logitech website for £69.99.
BlackBerry launched two brand new handsets this week, the Z10 and the Q10 and already some of our favourite brands are designing cases and accessories to ensure your sparkly new handsets are safe and stylish.
Here's our pick of the first few good-looking Z10 cases, expect more to come over the next few weeks...
Related: REVIEW: BlackBerry Z10 smartphone with BB10 operating system (Tech Digest)
There are plenty of cheap and cheerful cases available to keep your Apple tablet warm, safe and cosy, but if you're looking for something a little more high-end then check out our collection of designer and luxury cases. They don't necessarily protect your gadgets more than a regular accessory and you may need to pop out and find a money tree to afford them, but wow do they look damn good.
More iPad mini cases
Ones for blokes
Ones for women
The new iPhone 5 was released last September and we wrote up a list of our favourite cases and accessories, but now we're well into 2013 we've decided to take a fresh look at the ways you can wrap up your new smartphone in style.
Many tech lovers get all hot and bothered about the big announcements that'll be coming from the CES 2013 this week, whether it's a cool new smart phone or twisty, bendy laptop thing. However, we've noticed that sometimes it's actually the much smaller and less hyped products that impress us the most and iPhone cases and accessories are no exception this year.
So far we've come across cases that are bullet proof, special coatings that are waterproof, accessories with double screens and dongles that allow you to control your laptop with gestures over your phone. We expect there'll be more weird and wonderful iPhone-related tech from the show floor throughout the week, but for now here's our pick of the top 10 iPhone cases and accessories that have got us talking at Shiny Shiny HQ.
If you've got a geeky guy to buy for this year but you're struggling for present ideas then take a look at our list for Christmas 2012, complete with tech DIY kits, Herschel accessories, Marshall speakers and the iPad Mini.
Let us know in the comments below what you've got on your Christmas list this year...
Check out some of our other Christmas 2012 gift guides: Top UK high street cameras for beginners, retro geeks & social media addicts and The 10 best fitness gadgets, apps & accessories
Shiny Shiny guide to luxury Samsung Galaxy S4 Cases
Shiny Shiny guide to Luxury iPad Mini Cases
This year's top Festival gadgets - from portable showers to retro tents
Top 10 Festival apps - virtual Zippo lighter and Swiss Army knife
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