(Utilities) Hammer-Proof Smartphone Screen is Thinner and Cheaper Than Gorilla Glass

As long as we’ve had smartphones, we’ve been afraid of dropping them. With price tags of $500 and above, smartphones are delicate technological flowers that can be killed by a single drop of water or a collision with the ground. That’s why we’re excited about a new screen protecting material called Rhino Shield. Made from a custom-formulated polymer, the material is able to withstand full-on strikes with a hammer, and it’s poised to make Gorilla Glass look like flimsy wrapping paper.

Developed by Cambridge-based Evolutive Labs, Rhino Shield has a shock-damping layer that is “able to take at least 5 times the impact energy of Gorilla Glass 2.”

To prove their point, the makers of Rhino Shield videotaped an impact test in which they struck the screen of a iPhone 5 with a hammer. If you’re an Apple lover, it might be hard to watch – but don’t worry, the poor little phone lives to tell the tale. Even a 9 ounce steel ball dropped from a height of over 19 inches failed to scratch the screen and left the phone ‘fully usable,’ reports The Daily Mail.

The protective polymer sheet can be fitted to the iPhone 5, 5S and 5C, and it does not affect the touchscreen’s sensitivity, according to the designers. “The screen comes with a self-adhesive silicone back and as the user wipes a cloth along the front of the film, it clings to the phone’s screen, but can be removed if necessary.”

Watch a 'drop test' on hammer glass - watch

Best part? It’s retailing for less than $30.

Via The Daily Mail

(Utilities) E-Tip Gloves By The Northface

Spending a day on the mountain is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of today’s technology-centered society and just enjoy nature. But wait- you hate the song that’s playing on your iPod. You need to tweet about your friend crashing into a tree (the coworkers will love this one). And your Farmville crops need harvesting. Oh god. Panic sets in. But The North Face Etip Glove has a gripper palm and click-wheel compatible thumb and forefinger so you can access your devices without leaving your delicate fingers open to cold air. Crisis averted. Imagine how much imaginary money you would have lost if those crops had rottedThe silicone grip pattern on the palm of these gloves will prevent you from dropping your precious phone from atop a ski lift or any other precarious position you get yourself into.

(Utilities) Sticky Notes for the Back of your iPhone

You’re the type of person that constantly sticks little Post-Its on the back of your iPhone, this is the notepad you’ve been looking for (but never knew you were). The Paperback Notes are simply sticky notes sized perfectly to fit on the back of your iPhone 5. There’s a cutout for the camera (but not the flash). Stick on a single or a small stack and have a handy notepad with you at all times. You say, “there’s an app for that”? Well, why not “think different”? 80 sheets per pad.