 There's no doubt the iPod has revolutionized the way we to listen music. People take their iPods everywhere with them and the smaller, lighter
iPod Mini
makes music even more portable. On the run, in the car, or at the gym, our iPods have gone with us to the ends of the earth... except places near water.
 Until recently, a short fall or a splash of water meant certain death for an iPod, but not anymore. Thanks to a company called OtterBox, makers of watertight storage cases for electronic equipment like PDAs, and GPS units, you can now safely take your
iPod Mini
near or even underwater. OtterBox has created a waterproof hard shell case they call the OtterBox for iPod Mini.
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WATERPROOF TESTING
Sure the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
claims to be waterproof, but there was no way we were going to blindly trust this case without doing a few preliminary tests. Personally, I just have a regular old white 3G iPod which won't fit inside the OtterBox Mini case. My wife is the one in the family who has the Mini and the last thing I want to do is to turn her pink
iPod Mini
into a waterlogged $300 bathtub toy. Before trusting anything expensive inside the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case I suggest you do some preliminary tests like the ones I conducted below.
| TEST #1: Overnight
Soaking
For our
the primary endurance waterproof test, we filled
the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
with cotton pads and soaked it in water overnight. I figured that if there
were any problems with the waterproof seal, why not ruin a few cotton balls
and not a perfectly good iPod.
The next
morning everything was bone dry. Not a drop of water
got inside the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
and I didn't see one air bubble when it was submerged. The
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
passed its first test with flying colors. |
 |
|
| TEST #2: The
Shower
The next
test took some sweet talking with my wife. It involved
me taking pictures of her in the shower (yeah baby!)
with her
iPod Mini
sealed up in the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
. I'm not sure if she was more worried about the pictures of her in the showering
on the internet or the safety of her iPod.
We knew
the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
was waterproof from the first test, but we wanted to take this shower test
slow. My wife first took the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
in the shower and let the steam have shot at it. After a few minutes, good
news, no moisture got inside. Next she gradually let some water run on the
case and in no time she was listening to tunes while the conditioner on her
hair soaked in. With a cheap pair of waterproof earbuds, the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
allows for 100% care-free iPod listening in the shower.
|
 |
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| TEST #3: An
Encounter with my Bulldog
Sure the
OtterBox Mini kept its seal while staying relatively
motionless in my first two tests, but chances are
if you are buying a waterproof case for your iPod,
you plan on being active with it.
For my
next test, I let our English Bulldog, Kate,
run around with the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
on her collar. The
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
stayed fastened securely to her collar even after a few romps around the
apartment and trips outside. We were a little worried when she came running
up a flight of wooden stairs outside and we could hear the case hitting almost
every step along the way, but the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
kept our iPod safe and sound. Kate didn't really seam to mind the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
until it got in her way while she was trying to take a drink of water. After
a few aggressive shakes it bounced off the wall and plopped into her bowl. How
fitting? For dramatic effect I propped the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
up in her water bowl and took another picture.
Dog tested...
Kate approved.
|   |
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| TEST #4: Nine
Holes of Golf
And finally,
to just test the general protection and functionality
of the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
, we took some swings on the golf course with
it. The clip stayed fastened securely to my wife's
pants and with the earbuds going down her back,
the wire stayed completely out of the way.
If the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
can survive an encounter with my Bulldog and nine holes of golf, it will
certainly provide good protection for almost any type of physical activity.
|  |
|
 ACCESSING THE CONTROLS
So what happens when my wife wants to access the controls of her
iPod Mini
while she's in the shower? The
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
has a waterproof interactive membrane that keeps your iPod Mini safe and accessible. Once you seal up the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case, you can still access the iPod's click-wheel functions through a clear soft plastic membrane. Even though you can't directly touch your iPod Mini, its controls will remain completely accessible through the clear plastic case. A very helpful feature if you don't want to get dog drool or shampoo all over your iPod.
Non iPod Mini owners will be happy to know that OtterBox also makes a protective case for the original iPod [read review]
that
features this brilliant interactive membrane. This single feature provides a distinct advantage over all of OtterBox's competitors.
| "Not only is the OtterBox case completely waterproof, it is extremely rugged. If you plan on taking your iPod Mini anywhere near water... then protecting your iPod Mini with an OtterBox Mini
is basically a no brainer." |
THE CASE
The
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
is a one-size fits-all case for any iPod in the Mini family. Because every
iPod Mini
is the same size and thickness, there is no need for internal foam spacers to keep your iPod from rattling around inside the case. This is not only to prevent your iPod from shifting position during use but to keep your click-wheel centered over the interactive membrane.
The most impressive thing about the
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
is they somehow managed to mold the waterproof headphone connector directly into the case. Several of OtterBox's competitors use a bulky external headphone plug that sticks out of the case like a stray nail that needs to be hammered down. OtterBox's integrated waterproof headphone connector is not only innovative but cleanly executed. Kudos to the OtterBox design team.
FINAL
THOUGHTS
Let's face it, your iPod is more than just an MP3 player. For most people, there's
music on there that's not backed-up, contacts, schedules, work files…etc.
This can all be wiped out with just a few splashes of water or a short fall.
Protecting your investment with an
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
is just plain smart. Not only is the OtterBox case completely waterproof, it
is extremely rugged. If you plan on taking your iPod Mini anywhere near water,
like skiing (melting snow), the gym (sweat) or to the beach (sand and water),
then protecting your
iPod Mini
with an
OtterBox for iPod Mini case
is basically a no brainer.
OtterBox makes protective
cases for the original iPod, iPod
Nano, iPod Video as well as the iPod
Mini.
|
news, reviews and how to's
A
company called Otterbox manufactures the OtterBox for iPod Mini case.
They make all types of water and crush proof cases for everything
from cigars to PDA's. A quick glance through their catalog and you
might think you've seen one of their products before in a movie (probably
carrying diamonds, chemical weapons or plutonium). For more information,
check out: 
Radius Atomic Bass Earbuds
JBL
Encounter Speakers
Otterbox
for iPod Video
On
the run, in the car, or at the gym, our iPods have gone with
us to the ends of the earth... except places near water. But
thanks to the OtterBox Mini you can now safely take your
iPod Mini near or even underwater.
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