The Dairy Custom Phone Case review

REVIEW – Looking for something unique in your next phone case? The Dairy may have you covered. They offer a whole range of unique case designs from artists around the world. And if you want to bring your own design like I did here, they’ll print it for you with a proprietary 3D printing process that embeds the design in the shell. It’s pretty neat. To the review!

What is it?

It’s a snap-on phone case that can be purchased with different unique designs, or you can bring your own.

Hardware specs

The Dairy has two styles of case, called Snap and Armored. The Snap case is a simple polycarbonate shell. Mine is the Armored case, which adds a TPU sleeve beneath the shell for extra protection.

Whether you choose a design from the site or bring your own, The Dairy uses a patented 3D printing technology to embed the design in the layers of polycarbonate for high resolution image quality and long-lasting endurance.

Design and features

I’m an artist and designer, so the products from The Dairy intrigued me right off the bat. They contract with artists and graphic designers around the world to create all kinds of interesting designs that you just don’t see on the street. Browse their web site and you’ll find everything from unique floral prints to graphic patterns and statement pieces.

Now if you prefer to create your own design, they offer a customization option that allows you to do your own thing. A set of pre-designed colors and backgrounds are available, to which you can add customized text. A preview mode and easy-to-use interface allows you to quickly tweak the design to your specifications.

But the thing that really intrigued me here was I could take one of my own designs and have it printed. So I uploaded one of my illustrations for testing using that “upload image” option to make it the background on the phone. I could have added text if I wanted, but I did the design to stand on it’s own. Check it out:

Here’s the really interesting thing about their printing process: this isn’t a sticker, or some sort of laser-printed top layer. It’s printed with a proprietary photo-quality 3D technology that embeds the artwork in the polycarbonate case. That means it won’t fade or scratch away over time. The result was truly stunning. You’ll see in the pictures below how the process captured every nuance and detail of my original illustration.

Now, all of this artsy goodness wouldn’t do without a phone case that actually works well, and The Dairy delivers here. Mine is the Armored case, which incorporates a TPU jacket with the polycarbonate sleeve for extra impact protection. Here’s a shot of that internal jacket:

The finished case is machined precisely for my iPhone XS Max. Here’s a shot showing the bottom ports:

The phone itself snaps snugly into place with a bit of an edge to protect the phone’s perimeter.

You’ll see that every port has that extra TPU jacketing too. Here’s the camera port:

The volume buttons are accommodated with TPU overlays that are integrated into the case, while the sound on/off switch is exposed. Functionality is crisp and precise right out of the box.

Here’s a super close-up of the printed work. I do my stuff in Procreate with a lot of digital painting & airbrushing effects. Check out how every shade and brush stroke is captured! You’ll get the same quality from the pre made designs or custom pieces. It’s really well finished.

Here’s the other cool bit: my finished custom phone case came in at a final price of $55. That’s pretty crazy given the quality of the finished piece!

What I like

  • Excellent quality and finishing.
  • Great selection of designs by artists worldwide.
  • Ability to customize with a simple online interface, including your own images or artwork.

What I’d change

  • Nothing that I see so far.

Final thoughts

I’ve been beating this case mercilessly for a month now, and I’m not seeing any obvious mars or scars. There are some scratches here and there (I did take it to the beach for a week), but nothing has negatively impacted the glossy finish. It’s really impressive for a simple iPhone case, especially one that you can rock with a unique design that represents your personal style. Highly recommended.

Price: Prices start at about $30 USD depending on phone style. My iPhone XS Max Armored case retails for about $55 USD.
Where to buy: Visit The Dairy Web Site.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by The Dairy.

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The Dairy Custom Phone Case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Kanex Docking Station for iPad Pro review


REVIEW – Over the years as the iPad has evolved, it has become a competent tool for many professionals in various industries. As a photographer and videographer, I now use my iPad for much of my editing. I also use it for daily routine tasks. The ability to add ports and thus additional functionality is very necessary. Recently, several companies have introduced docking stations for the iPad. the Kanex Docking Station for the iPad Pro is one of the newest additions. Let’s see how it works!!

What is it?

The Kanex Docking Station for the iPad Pro is a USB-C plug and play docking station that adds external ports to the iPad Pro for additional functionality and connectivity.

What’s in the box


1 x Kanex Docking Station 6-in-1 Multiport USB-C Docking Station for iPad Pro® 11-in. and 12.9-in. (3rd gen)

Design and features

Specifications
Ports:
USB-C Female: USB-C 3.1 (Gen 1) – 3.0 data and PD 3.0 charging (60W)
USB 3.0: Type-A port delivers up to 5Gbps transfer speeds
SD/MicroSD: Supports up to 2TB SD and MicroSD cards
HDMI: 2K/60Hz on iPad Pro; 4K/30Hz on MacBooks
Supported Systems: Windows 10, Google Chrome OS, macOS Mohave, and above, IOS

As shown in the photo below, the device has several ports. From left to right they are the headphone jack, the USB-C charging port, the micro SD and SD slots, the HDMI port and above the ports, there is a speaker grille.

On the side of the device, there is a USB 3.0 port.

The Docking Station also comes with a magnetic insert that can be removed to fit some of the thicker cases.

Performance

Using the dock is very simple. It is plug and play. Since it is primarily designed for the iPad Pro, I spent most of my time testing it on my 3rd Gen iPad Pro 12.9″ (2018). I first tested it with my iPad without any case on it. In terms of function, the photo app sees the media as expected and the HDMI option to an external monitor works as expected. The USB-C Power Delivery port also allows you to connect your power supply to keep charging the iPad.
Here are some pictures of the dock on my bare iPad:



The major issue for me was that once my iPad was installed into my Zagg Slim Book Keyboard Case, the Kanex Dock did not fit even with the insert removed. And, because of the right angle USB-C connector on the dock, it was also unable to be plugged in with my case installed.

Windows 10:
This dock works very well with my Windows 10 Asus Zendesk Laptop. It is immediately recognized and all 0f the ports work including the HDMI port for a second display. Note: The USB-C port works for connectivity but not for power delivery since the USB-C port on my laptop is not a PD port.

MAC OS:
This dock also works very well with my MacBook Pro. It is immediately recognized and all 0f the ports work including the HDMI port for a second display and the USB-C PD port.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The included ports
  • The USB-C Power Delivery port
  • It also works with Windows 10 and MAC

What I’d change

  • The clip-on capability so that it can expand to accommodate a larger variety of iPad cases
  • Better design of the USB-C connector to accommodate larger cases. (Maybe include an extension?)

Final thoughts

The Kanex Docking Station for the iPad Pro is a small and compact device that fits the Ipad pro perfectly if it is being used without a case, and I do suspect that it will also fit some of the thinner cases. It works well as a dock for multiple Operating Systems much like many of the USB-C standard docks that I have tested. I say standard because some docks are built with 2 USB-C ports side by side and are specifically designed for the MacBook Pro. This dock is light and easy to travel with as a part of your daily gear, but its inability to clamp on to a larger variety of cases and the right-angle USB-C plug limit how it can be used. This is another device that I think is going to require some additional thought prior to purchasing it and the decision should include considerations of versatility versus cost.

Price: $99.95
Where to buy: The Kanex website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kanex.

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Kanex Docking Station for iPad Pro review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2019 at 9:06 am.

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