A couple of readers have asked me about the super slim wood case I’ve had on my iPhone in photos accompanying recent reviews. The case is Minnesota-based Pad & Quill’s latest, and it’s a wood and Kevlar mix that makes for one of the thinnest and strongest natural wood cases around.
Apple’s June announcement of watchOS 2.0 created a new challenge for top Apple Watch stand and dock makers: an upcoming software feature called Nightstand Mode turns the Watch into a small-screened alarm clock when it’s taken off for charging, but only if the Watch is laying on its long edge. If the Watch is in any other position, Nightstand Mode won’t work, a limitation that many people won’t care about, but some people might accessorize to accommodate.
Like most other Apple Watch stand makers, Portland-based SchuttenWorks designed its earlier Wave Apple Watch Charging Stand before anyone had heard about Nightstand Mode, and Wave’s mounting position doesn’t support the new software feature. So SchuttenWorks has developed a smaller and more affordable option called Ripple ($50) that’s built specifically for Nightstand Mode (and any future watchOS features that may require the same charging orientation). Offered in mahogany, walnut, and cherry, it preserves Wave’s genuine wood construction and novel magnetic assembly, but requires a little less space and lets you see the Apple Watch’s screen…
Wood has historically been a tricky material for Apple accessories: it can be challenging to precision-fit to Apple devices, and isn’t always a good visual match for metal and glass. But wood accessories are beginning to enjoy a renaissance thanks to the Apple Watch. Since nightstands are almost invariably made from wood, and Apple Watches need to be left on nightstands for overnight charging, matching wooden Apple Watch stands can blend in to an extent that plastic or metal stands cannot.
Oregon-based SchuttenWorks’ new Wave Apple Watch Charging Stand ($75) arrives on the heels of well-regarded wood stands from Pad & Quill and DodoCase, and is actually a little less expensive — there are cheaper wood options, but they don’t look great and are getting bad reviews. Thankfully, SchuttenWorks hasn’t skimped on Wave’s design. Available in your choice of seven different woods, the C-shaped holder can hold open- or closed-band Apple Watches, and uses internally hidden magnets to make assembly a snap. Is there one that’s right for your nightstand?…
It might seem a bit crazy to pair fine wood with aluminum for an iPhone 6 accessory, but that’s definitely not true in this case. Vessel’s Wood Series for iPhone 6 is a very interesting approach to a bumper, or case if you’d like to call it that. I’m usually a case-less kind of guy, but there’s something about the Wood Series that seems to be a happy medium…
While most accessory makers do their best to get a bead blasted aluminium finish to match the design of the Apple products they are made for, the Woodster stand and USB hub for iMac clearly takes a different approach. The dock will be available in three different types of wood— Birch, Oak, and Beech tree multiplex— and comes in three heights with or without two USB 3.0 ports. The creators plan to ship the stand by March if they can raise €6,000 in funding through an Indiegogo campaign. You can preorder the Woodster through the funding campaign starting at €99 and companies might be interested in customized, branded packs of 6 starting at €450.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadH0I_0Ve0
As regular readers may have noted, I’m a great fan of wood as a material. The ifrogz case I reviewed earlier in the year was wonderful in terms of aesthetics and build quality, but was essentially designed as a semi-permanent enclosure, which isn’t always convenient.
Others, like the iWood cases reviewed in the same piece, are more convenient but don’t feel as special. The Kerf Case is designed to bridge the gap: a genuine, all-wood case with the convenience of slipping it on and off in a second or two. Cases are available for the iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5/5s …
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