Two of the biggest companies in smartphone cases OtterBox and LifeProof are now one big happy family. OtterBox today announced that it has acquired LifeProof and it’s 250 employees and is now merging the brands together with it’s 650 employees worldwide. Details of the acquisition have not been disclosed as OtterBox is a privately owned company. For the time being LifeProof employees will stay put in their San Diego facility .

OtterBox was founded in 1998 and LifeProof in 2005 and is a DBA of TreeFrog Developments, Inc.

“The joining of OtterBox and LifeProof is a way to combine two great brands and provide customers with even more great products, services and choices for smartphone accessories,” OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas said. “Both companies are successful because we foster an environment where everyone takes pride in being part of a culture that knows how to identify opportunities and grow them quickly. Our goal in this acquisition is to create more value for our customers than we ever could have generated while operating individually.”

There is not many people left on the planet that don’t know about the power of smartphones these days and gamers are taking notice with devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S 3 and soon to be released 4th edition. These devices pack tons of processor power and large 5 inch HD screens. Why not take advantage of some gaming right? Well for me at least, I am not very good with the on screen controls on smartphones. So I tend to look more towards tablets for gaming because of the screen size real estate advantage they have. Android owners now have a pretty nice alternative to on screen game control thanks to the MOGA Pro Controller.

This full size controller for Android devices will make use of your smartphone and give you superb controllability over your gaming experience. Pictured with a Samsung Galaxy S 3 the MOGA Pro Controller looks like it would be a blast to use with the SGS3! The MOGA Pro Controller costs $50 bucks and you can get them from  Wally World, Target, Best Buy, and Game Stop. The MOGA Pro comes with a free download of Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance game for a limited time only so take advantage of that deal while it lasts.

Thanks Kristofer!

OtterBox has just announced that they are educating their Defender Series Cases for the iPhone 4/4S (What about the 5?) with a new feature called iON Intelligence. The iON Intelligence Defender Series Case features a built in 1450mAh battery that will double your battery life.  It’s not just the extra mAh power that makes this case last longer for the iPhone power user. OtterBox has also built in software that will manage the power consumption as well as charging of the iPhone to maximize the life cycle of your iPhone while on battery power. The iON Intelligence App that comes included will monitor the battery life while predicting the amount of time you have left on battery charge. It knows when to charge your phone.

The iON Intelligence Series Defender Cases are built with the same 3 piece construction that has made the Defender Case so popular, so you can expect outstanding protection for your device as well as longer battery life.

The iON Intelligent Defender Case for the iPhone 4/4S costs $129.95 and is in stock at OtterBox. Currently Graphite (Black) is the only color offered.

I can hear Simmons already hacking on his keyboard sending me another “why did you post a cheesy accessory article” when you should be concentrating on writing articles that are engaging to our readers!” Well that’s because these are some really cool cases that’s why! Most serious geeks have a passion for the Hobbit and LOTR and if you have an iPhone then you can have some serious bling for your device! There are 27 cases for the iPhone 4 and 4S and 13 available for the iPhone 5 which is sort of a bummer because I have an iPhone 5 and they don’t have the Balrog  case that is easily my favorite.

In the iPhone 5 selection I think my favorite is Gandalf image from The Hobbit:

The cases all cost $34.95 plus shipping and are available now at HobbitShop.com

Pssst: if you do some searches I found them on Amazon for $9 bucks.

If you have been looking to extend the battery life of your iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S III then here is a good deal for you heading into your weekend. 1SaleADay.com has a 2200 mAh extended battery case that will help keep you charged up when no power outlet is available. The case has LED lights to let you know how much charge is left in the extended battery and also features a kickstand built in for viewing media or placing next to your bed and using the device as an alarm clock. This is a new condition case and has a one year warranty. As the domain name for the website suggests, you only have one day to take advantage of this savings. They normally are $99.99 full retail, or 50-60 dollars online, but this deal is for $24.95 with free shipping.

iPhone 5 Rechargeable Battery Case Features Include:

iPhone case with a built-in battery
Doubles your battery life
Protects your phone from dents and scratches
Gives you six additional hours of talk-time, 40 hours of music time, and 10 hours of video playback
Features a concealable kick-out stand that allows you to watch movies with ease and convenience
Rechargeable with any micro-USB cable or adapter
Lightweight, easy to use
2200 mAH battery capacity
LED Indicators
Choice of black or white

Samsung Galaxy S III Power Bank Case Features Include:

Samsung Galaxy S III case with a built-in battery
Doubles your battery life
Protects your phone from dents and scratches
Kick stand perfect for watching movies with ease and convenience
Micro USB Charging Cable
Charge/Sync During Battery Charge
Lightweight, easy to use
2200 mAH battery capacity
LED Indicators
Charging time: About 5 Hours
Choice of black or white

Xbox has been a subject that we have not covered a lot here on Mobility Digest. In the past, we left it to our other site called Xbox360Digest.com run by our good friend Patrick K. Well, unfortunately he has moved on to bigger and better things in the mobile industry and has very little time to maintain it. So we are kicking around the idea of picking up where Xbox360Digest left off.

So kicking things off we have some pretty impressive numbers being revealed by Microsoft executive who leads the interactive entertainment business Yusuf Mehdi. So today talking to AllThingsD disclosed that Xbox 360 sales have exceeded 76 million in the seven years since it has been released. More surprising was his revelation that Xbox 360 is not just the ultimate geek mantle piece, but has a massive appeal to women as well. As a matter of fact 38% of Xbox units have been by women and more than 51% percent are by people who have kids. I’m actually in that parent group with kids as my son bought one with his own money that he saved. So could a claim be made that the Xbox also teaches kids responsibility? That might be a stretch but the fact remains the Xbox is a powerful demographic gaming console that has mass appeal.

Yusuf also said that Kinect has sold over 24 millions units and 46 million Xbox Live accounts. How many hours does the average US Xbox owner spend per month? 87 hours! Another huge fact is the growing entertainment segment that Microsoft is carving out with its partners like Netflix and HBO that is up 57% year over year.

Some very exciting things are happening with Microsoft and I can’t wait to see the further integration of gaming across all platforms. Coming from the early days if Windows Mobile, Xbox Live on a smartphone is huge! So as we consider going forward covering more console gaming, let us know what you think. Drop us a comment or send me an email using the contact us page. We would love to hear your suggestions. Also, we would need some writers to spread the word. If you have any interest, contact us and let us know, we would love to get some gamers on the team.

The Surface is pretty well protected by the Touch Cover but that’s still not full body protection and if you want to throw your Surface into a bag you’ll want the back and edges to have some coverage. After scouring the net I ended up buying the KaysCase Leather Sleeve from Amazon for $18 shipped. I wanted something that would give me protection but it would still allow the Surface to easily slide out and it would be out of my way. And this one fits the bill. The Surface fits well even with the Touch Cover on and there’s an external pocket that’s nice to drop a hotspot into.   The only con is that it leaves one edge slightly exposed with the edge of the Touch Cover aligned with the edge of the case and the actual Surface edge just covered (I sort of wish it were a top down envelope style like this but this isn’t fitted for the Surface).

Overall I like it. It’s sized for the Surface, is relatively inexpensive and looks nice. And they’ve added colors so it now comes in black, cyan and magenta.

Nice deal over at http://1saleaday.com/wireless/ for $12.99 (shipping included) for a 6 pack of 10’ HDMI cables. I don’t need 6 of them but at that price I’m tempted…for some reason I never have one when I need one and having a few extras won’t hurt.

I’m not sure if this is brilliant or just plain goofy ?!?! RentaCase.com let’s you rent a case for your phone for as cheap as 11 cents per day. There are three different yearly plans, Standard, Premium and Deluxe, which each cost differently and they offer different cases. I can understand this being great for someone for changes phone a lot or someone who might like to change the case on their phone, but really renting a case for you phone? Below is the full PR, read it and visit the site then you tell me what you think….

RentaCase.com, a radical new company emerging in the cell phone case industry, allows smartphone users to rent and change the latest and most fashionable new phone cases online. Available at http://www.RentaCase.com, the company is now promoting its affordable yearly plans. With a wide array of options for both iPhone and Samsung devices, the company allows customers to constantly update the look of their phone without spending an excessive amount of money on new cases.

“At RentaCase.com, we are proud to offer the most affordable and efficient way to own cell phone cases; customers will never have to buy a new phone case again with our unique yearly plans. Our newly launched site currently features hundreds of designs for the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5, in addition to the Samsung Galaxy S III, and new products are added every week. Our plans are ideal for smartphone users who don’t want to spend money on fashionable cases that they’ll only use for a few months. When they sign up with us, customers can try out the newest designs and styles without paying retail prices,” said Kirill Chumenko, CEO of RentaCase.com.

The site is currently showcasing its three yearly plan options: Standard, Premium, and Deluxe. Under the Standard and Premium plans, customers can change as many cases as they want from a wide selection of silicone, plastic, leather and 3D cases, starting at just $39.99 per year, or 11 cents per day. The Deluxe plan is available for only $99.99 a year — that’s just 28 cents a day — and offers Swarovski crystal and natural wood cases as well as all the options available with the other plans. Customers can rent up to two cases per month under the Deluxe plan.

Individuals who sign up for RentaCase.com services can select two phone cases from the site’s large selection, and the chosen items will be delivered right to their door. When individuals are ready for a new phone case, they can simply return the one that they’re no longer using by sending it back in the provided prepaid envelope. The customers can also choose another case online and expect to receive it within a week.

Those who wish to own some of the cases they are renting can pay an additional low price of $14.99 per year under the Own’Em plan. Instead of renting cases, customers simply order and then own two high-quality cases per month. These no-hassle yearly plans are also easy to manage and feature a 30-day money back guarantee. 

To learn more about the wide array of Galaxy S III and iPhone5 cases in the company’s inventory, visit its website at http://www.RentaCase.com or live chat with a customer service representative.

Like many families these days there are a lot of cell phones and tablets in our house and it seems the original sync charge cables lays seem to disappear or get tore up. They are carried in and out of the house to the office, in the car, and even outside. My kids are especially brutal on them. So we have been short two iOS cables in our house and having to (cough) share ours. There are 4 iPhones and 4 iPads in our house. Oops I forgot about one remaining iPod too. We need some more cables. So today while cranking up the ole’ iPad I noticed that there was a sale on owns 1SaleADay.com.com on a 12pk of iOS cords. I know I didn’t need 12 but it reminded me to look to buy a few more. That’s when I noticed the price. $7.99 with free shipping!
These are not Apple branded sync data cables but for 8 bucks and 12 of them I am willing to give them a try. The sale only lasts today so go and grab some wile you can.

12-Pack: iPhone/iPod 3 Foot USB Data Sync Cable Compatible with Most Apple Mobile Devices!

Product Info

It’s not your fault that you’ve lost your iPod’s cable, but the battery is draining and you don’t have any backup cords lying around. Or maybe you still have yours but need another for at work and on the go. Try these 3-foot long data transfer, sync and charging cable that’s compatible with any Apple mobile device.

Specs

Condition: New
Warranty: 1 Year
Manufacturer: Ace Electronics

Features Include:

Transfer data
Sync and charge your Apple mobile device
3 foot long white cable
USB connector
12-pack
Package Includes:
12-Pack: Ace Electronics iPod/iPhone Cable