Speck Mobile Tech Travel Products hit the right nerve By Kathy Chin Leong I never thought I would be gushing about a technology product, but now I am. A company called Speck Products based in Mountain View sells a boatload of secure covers and cases for the iPad, iPod, MacBook, and a variety of cell phone covers from manufacturers such as Samsung and Nokia. Over the past two months, I took on the iPad Handy Shell which is a rubber shell that comes with a handy stand attached to the back. Upon opening it from the package, I easily slipped the rubber frame over my brand new iPad 4.  It was snug, and I felt good about it.  The colors it comes in are limited.  I have the version with the  gray shell with a lavender stand.  However, the design is excellent, for it is simple and easy to use.  Who wants a complicated iPad accessory that is complicated to maneuver? Not me. Then I opened the back stand that adjusts well for both landscape and portrait mode.  The stand also opens up flat, and you can also carry it. Another bonus is that it fits well into a an iPad sleeve when you open up the stand because it is too thick to fit in the the sleeve  otherwise. I am happy to report that two months of using the cover, opening and closing the stand has resulted in an extremely happy experience. I don't have to prop the iPad on a book anymore.  It stands on its own!  I view my email and photos and browse websites this way.  The $54.95 is well worth the price for something as handy as this. You can also carry the ipad by the loop handle that is the stand.  It is practical in more ways than one. I recommend you look at the videos and also check out the other covers for Apple mobile products such as the iPad Mini, the iPod, iPhone, and Macbook.  I found that the iGuy is the most fun of the products as the iPad or iPad mini fits into a plastic creature and stands up on two legs. Very cute and fun to look at.  The company also sells covers for Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and HTC smart phones.  Also work a look are covers for tablets such as Nook and Kindle, Nexus.  Also in inventory are bags, sleeves, and screen protectors.  Each product has a top notch design that obviously shows that the team care both about looks as well as function.  The designs come in the guise of skins, hard cases, funny cases, and adjustable stand folios with different sizes, colors, and textures for various levels of "grippiness."   BOTTOM LINE So far so good. Other reviewers complained that four to six months of ownership later, the screws would get loose on the handle. After two months,  I have had an excellent experience.  We will see what happens after four!  Good thing the Speck's products are guaranteed for a year and offer free shipping.  As a consumer, you will enjoy, enjoy. Do make sure you keep your receipts if you need to return anything.   **** DETAILS: HandyShell for the iPad 4 www.speckproducts.com $54.95  [Back to Top]    [Back to Index]