Summer Proof Your Gadgets
By GalTime .com. Posted on .
By Andrea Eldridge for GalTime
That lounge chair next to the pool is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the latest summer romance on your eReader, or take out some Angry Birds’ pigs on your iPad. With Pina Colada in hand and toes in the pool or sand, there’s surely no better way to spend a lazy summer afternoon… until the kids decide to practice their cannonballs, leaving you and your gadgets soaked. Perhaps you want to use your snazzy GPS program on the boat or hiking, but are worried about your Smartphone taking a permanent nap in the depths of the lake or ending up crushed at the bottom of the cliff you just climbed. Nerd Chicks have found some easy ways to summer-proof your tech from the fun you’d like to have together.
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Keepin' it Dry...
The first line of defense is to get a good case for your gadget. There are solutions for various perils: water, sand, or impact. If water sports are your favorite way to beat the heat, the DryCase is a versatile solution to protect your phone or portable electronics from splashes to submersion. Their watertight, vacuum sealed, clear plastic bags come in sizes to accommodate just about anything you’d consider taking to the pool, beach or lake. There is a built-in jack for your headphones that doesn’t let in water; they even sell waterproof headphones. The smaller size comes with an armband to allow you to take your phone or iPod on your next kayaking adventure. The thin plastic won’t interfere with touch screen use, reading, or taking photos. Protecting a phone or Mp3 player will set you back $39.99, a larger bag to protect eReaders or tablets is $59.99.
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Things That Go Bump...
Hikers and bikers, or those of us that are just plain clumsy, are likely more concerned with protecting devices from bumps, scratches, or being smashed to pieces while plummeting down a hill. Otterbox carries an extensive selection of cases for just about any portable electronic device, from phones to iPads. Their “Defender” line is the most rugged, protecting devices from drops, impact, even offering a bit of water resistance. However, they offer different versions to accommodate anyone, even those whose most dangerous part of the day is their commute. Most Smartphone cases are less than $50, which is a bargain compared to having to deliver the pieces of your shattered phone to your cell phone store and beg them to retrieve your data off it, before you shell out the dough to replace it.
