Armed with an adjustable, articulated back stand, the Zero Chroma allows for multiple hands-free viewing angles whether the Apple iPad is in landscape or portrait mode.

The Zero Chroma Vario Apple iPad case allows for:

• 16-Angle Rotating Theater-Stand – Pick almost any desired angle for hands-free movies, reading, typing, gaming, surfing, etc.
• Landscape & Portrait Modes – Rotate the stand until it clicks into place in landscape or portrait, then pick an angle.
• Unlimited Handle-Modes – Effortlessly hold the stand in any number of handle-modes.
• Anti-Slip Rubber Bumpers & Stand Tip – Bang away on the keyboard – no worries.
• Slim, Fold-Flat Features – When the show’s over, the slim, fold-flat stand hides itself within the case.
• Interior Rubber Shock Absorbtion – Cushions and protects, like a helmet.
• Reversible Screen-Shield Mode – Pop the case off, flip it, and snap it on the screen – then throw it in your bag and relax.
• Wrist Strap Ready

Despite having an articulated back and rugged looks, it still doesn’t seem to add a lot to the Apple iPad – it still looks like an iPad, not something else – and comes in Black, White (pictured) and Pink. Retails for $69.95, Zero Chroma also has cases for the Apple iPhone 4, iPod Touch and Amazon Kindle.

I seriously could have used this on my last trip!

[ Links: Zero Chroma ]

If you’ve traveled via plane in the last almost decade, you know that you cannot travel with liquids above 2 ounces on the plane. And last I checked, the best beers and wines came in much bigger bottles than 2 ounces, so that means you’ll have to check those fragile bottles. VinniBag is a fully reusable and 100% recyclable inflatable bag that will allow wine and other fragile items safe travel in your checked-in luggage.

VinniBag is a reusable travel bag with inflatable air chambers that protect and insulate wine bottles, other liquids, and fragile items. It’s designed to provide superior protection against impact and leakage, is easy to use, and stores flat, rolled or folded when not in use.

The VinniBag has an inflatable pouch that secures and protects by conforming to its contents, safeguarding your fragile items against breakage and safeguarding the rest of your luggage from spills. Specifically designed to withstand high altitude and cushion impact, this clever reusable travel tote packs flat or folded when empty so it’s easy to stow in your suitcase.

Made from recyclable materials, the VinniBag’s open architecture accommodates breakables of all shapes and size, and can even protect multiple items at once. Carry home your favorite vintage, a potent Parisian perfume, a delectable Italian olive oil, or heavily hit up Duty Free—this bag will safely secure your stock.

I’ll bet that even the TSA or UPS gorillas people will be hard pressed to cause your safely tucked items inside the VinniBag to break or bust. Great timing too… with an upcoming overseas trip, I definitely will be investing in a couple of these to bring back some more fragile items without fear of breakage.

Buy one for $28, or two or more for $25 each from VinniBag.com or other online retailers.

[ Links: VinniBag ]

For once… I’m speechless. The B.O.N.D. (Built of Notorious Deterrents) bicycle has a bulldozer type track, an ejector seat and a flamethrower. Yep… a flamethrower.

Bicycle designed to combat the things that most annoy the urban cyclist. Handlebar-mounted flamethrower to stop motorists overtaking too close, ejection seat to deal with bike thieves and a caterpillar track to tackle potholes and snow. The B.O.N.D (Built of Notorious Deterrents) bike will be on show at Cycle 2010 on the ilovemybike.co.uk stand

Forget a fixie. I’ll take one of these bad boys.

[ Links: Gadget Review ]

Land Rover will be showcasing their most eco-friendly sport utility vehicle, the Land Rover Evoque during the Paris 2010 Motor Show on September 30th. However, some early information has already leaked out.

• Luxurious coupe design with a compact and more efficient footprint than other Range Rover models
• Targeting a new group of customers for the Range Rover brand
• Bold exterior is an evolution of Range Rover design language
• Strong, clean interior architecture with a contemporary and sporting feel
• Premium cabin with the high quality materials expected from a Range Rover.
• Available with full sized glass panoramic roof flooding the interior with natural light
• Use of efficient powertrain and advanced lightweight materials
• Smaller – at a 171 inches (434cm) it is 17 inches (432mm) shorter and 7 inches (178mm) lower than Range Rover Sport models
• Permanent all-wheel drive combined with turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an updated six-speed auto transmission deliver excellent perforrmance and fuel economy
• All-new 240 bhp 2.0-litre Si4 turbocharged engine combining six-cylinder refinement and performance with four-cylinder fuel economy
• All-new chassis specification delivers dynamic and agile handling across varied terrain, with optional Adaptive Dynamics featuring MagneRide™
• All-weather, all-surface capability with Land Rover Terrain Response®
• An extensive suite of Range Rover technologies including Bluetooth® audio streaming and optional Surround camera system
• To be sold in 160 countries worldwide, with deliveries from Fall 2011

With their new EcoBoost Si4 engine, the Evoque promises to be as fuel efficient as a 4-cylinder on the highway or in the city. With a release set for next Fall… I know what I’ll be saving for! No word on price yet though.

[ Links: Hello Evoque, Land Rover Evoque ]

Seems like I’m not the only person excited and wanting to share the news about the upcoming GM Volt. GM is showing off the first drivable Chevrolet Volt at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai currently going on in China too.

General Motors celebrated the arrival of the first drivable Chevrolet Volt in China today. China is one of the initial markets outside the United States to receive the Volt. GM’s landmark electric vehicle with extended-range capability will go on sale locally next year.

“GM has made a long-term commitment to bringing our industry-leading technology to China,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “This is enabling us to provide the best mobility solutions for addressing the transportation challenges associated with the growth in demand for personal mobility. With GM taking the lead, the development of electric vehicles is opening up entirely new industries.”

During today’s celebration, GM delivered two Chevrolet Volts to the Shanghai Expo Bureau for use as part of its VIP transportation fleet at World Expo 2010 Shanghai. The Volt will shuttle special guests to and from Shanghai’s Expo Park and demonstrate GM’s pathway to its vision of sustainable urban transportation.

Outside of the US, China will be one of the first places to also receive the GM Volt in 2011.

Despite those ever-present AT&T complaints of wireless network congestion, the company (well, all wireless carriers) are continually looking for new ways to connect people their 3G networks, be they e-readers or electric cars. AT&T has announced that they’ve struck a deal with Nissan to bring HSDPA 3G connectivity to the new electric Nissan Leaf.

The 3G connectivity not only allows users to access in-car media, but it’s closely tied to the car’s recharging systems, informing you of the nearest recharging stations and allowing users to monitor their battery levels remotely. Given Nissan plans to sell the LEAF worldwide, they chose AT&T because of their support of the GSM standard.

Link to the original article…

Chevrolet finally announced the pricing for the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt. And guess what, it’s nowhere near half as bad as some folks were guessing. The pricing details are:

• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price starts at $41,000 ($33,500 net of full federal income tax credit, which ranges from $0 to $7,500); Lease payment on a 36-month lease at MSRP as low as $350 per month with $2,500 due at lease signing including security deposit
• OnStar provides unprecedented connectivity through Volt mobile app; five years of OnStar (Directions and Connections) service standard
• Volt’s eight-year/100,000-mile battery pack warranty provides added peace of mind
• Volt can be your primary car; approximately 340 miles of total range provides freedom to drive wherever, whenever

Starting today, participating Chevrolet dealers in launch markets will begin taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the industry’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability. List this under my DOWANT category.

[ Links: Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Volt Pricing ]

GM/Chevrolet is putting their best effort to make autos like the Chevrolet Volt part of the American future by trying to make it affordable, attractive and now… dependable. With their 8 year, 100,000 mile battery warranty, the Chevrolet Volt just leap-frogged every single battery dependent item from the cellphone to even the Tesla Roadster.

The Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range will provide customers with an unprecedented, standard, eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on its advanced, lithium-ion battery. It is the automotive industry’s longest, most comprehensive battery warranty for an electric vehicle, and is transferable at no cost to other vehicle owners.

“The Chevrolet Volt’s batteries have exceeded our performance targets and are ready to hit the road,” said Micky Bly, GM executive director, global electrical systems. “Our customers are making a commitment to technology that will help reduce our dependence on petroleum. In turn, we are making a commitment to our customers to deliver the highest standards for value, safety, quality, performance and reliability for an unprecedented eight years/100,000 miles.”

The Volt’s comprehensive battery warranty covers all 161 battery components, 95 percent of which are designed and engineered by GM, in addition to the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components.

I want one now, don’t want to wait until later this year.

[ Links: GM Volt Battery Press Release, Chevrolet Volt ]

LaCie has introduced a water-tight, waterproof to 100 meters, drop resistant from 5 meters, weatherproof USB flashdrive that seems like it’s more at home outside than inside a server room or small office:

LaCie, originator of the flat, award-winning key-shaped USB flash drives, shields the XtremKey’s premium flash memory modules inside a 2mm metal pipe casing. Sealed with wear-resistant screw threads and a rubber O-ring, it is watertight up to 100 meters. The LaCie XtremKey is also resistant to 5-meter drops, fierce heat and bitter cold – it holds up in any environment, no matter where you take it (+200°C / -50°C).

XtremKey is constructed with zamac, a metal alloy composed of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper that’s so strong, it can withstand the pressure of a 10-ton truck. Less than three inches tall, this flash memory drive puts strength, security and storage right on your keyring.

Due out in August, priced to sell at $49.99 and higher with capacity starting at 8gb going all the way up to 64gb in a 3-inch form, I truly recommend this for the clumsy adventurous computer users out there.

[ Links: LaCie, LaCie YouTube Channel ]

After years of waiting and collapsed business models (like Boeing’s Connexion), we finally started to see in-flight broadband services materialize last year. Unfortunately for carriers, fewer than 10% of air travelers seem willing to pay for the service, at least at the current price point. Companies keep tinkering with pricing in the hopes of finding their sweet spot but free Wi-Fi promotions from the likes of Google and others appear to have ruined flyers’ appetites for Wi-Fi bills. A new report by In Stat says in-flight broadband should see $95 million in 2010 revenues (up from $7 million in 2009), while “fee per connect is expected to deteriorate” due to lower negotiated roaming and other costs.

Link to the original article…

It’s rather sad that when I travel, I have to carry enough chargers to raise TSA’s eyebrows. I know it looks bad, but what can I do? I have to carry all of those chargers for all of my gadgets. Well, Callpod released the Chargepod, an universal 6-1 device charger that accepts different types of tips into its hexagonal design that’s sure to save you space when you travel… and now, it’s available nationwide in the Verizon stores.

The Chargepod, the most versatile charger for cell phones and mobile devices, is now available in over 2,500 Verizon stores in the United States. Verizon is offering a specially designed and customized value-pack for only $49.95. The value pack includes a base unit, wall charger, carrying pouch, micro-USB adapter plus a voucher which allows consumers to get Three Free device adapters of their choice.

I wonder if I’ll get nasty looks if I ask for an Apple iPhone adapter in a Verizon store… hmm. Not bad for $49.95 though.

[ Links: Callpod Chargepod ]

If you’re the “go anywhere” type, then you know that every now-and-then you will run into some rain or snow. As a person, you can throw on a jacket, a hat, some gloves and you’re protected from the elements. But if you happen to have some gadgets along with you, they might not fair any better against the elements unless you protect them as well.

Well, Shinnorie has your back. They just introduced their GO! Sleeve, a water resistant sleeve for the Apple iPad.

Designed for outdoor usage, the GO! Sleeve is an easy-to-use iPad sleeve with a velcro flap cover. Beneath the hood, is the dual-track ZipSeal™ closure system; the first of its kind used on a fabric protection sleeve. Improvised from industrial ziplock, the ZipSeal uses custom made, industrial strength tracks to give added protection against moisture and dust.

The GO! Sleeve introduces the all new CrossClimate™ fabric, which makes water droplets roll off the bag without wetting the surface nor contents.

Now available at the Shinnorie website for $49.95 in Red Stripe, Grey Stripe, Red Arrows and Grey Arrows and for a limited time there’s an 20% off introductory offer with gift code: gosleeve

[ Links: Shinnorie, Apple iPad ]