What is the point of making something out of "aircraft aluminum" if it won't protect your iPod from a little abuse by an SUV?  The A-1 Quality Product folks made the claim that their case will protect its content from crushing injuries... we are taking some liberties with their claims...go here for their exact statement.

Anyway, we wanted to see how the case would hold up to a little run in with our truck.  So we set up our StickyPod camera rig, did some preliminary tests, and ran over the iKeychain with the iPod nano inside.  Click on the videos to see what happened.

BTW... we could not have shot the videos without the StickyPod rig.  This rig is just AMAZING.  It enabled us to setup, shoot, and be back in the editing room in less than 20 minutes.  We had both videos completed and on the web in less than an hour!

When we first got the iPod nano, we noticed scratches showing up almost right away.  We got the InvisibleShield on the iPod nano and it's been scratch-free ever since.

However, some of the folks at RainyDay Magazine were still a little timid about carrying the iPod around in their pockets and passing it to all who wanted to try it out.  To solve that problem, we started looking at "hard" cases to give the iPod nano a little more protection.

We had looked at a lot of different cases on the market.  Most of them will probably do a fine job of protecting the iPod, but none was designed as elegantly as the iKeychain.

We first saw the iKeychain at the Boston MacWorld 2005.  The A-1 Quality Product folks were demonstrating this cleverly designed case with the iPod Shuffle.

With all the noise in the press about the nano being a "scratch magnet", the A-1 folks went into high gear and got one designed for the new iPod.

We will take a look at this new case, check the fit and finish, and see if it will stand out amongst the ever growing collection of iPod nano gear we are accumulating at the office.

Reviews:

1. FirstLook

2. FirstUse

Review Summary:

Initial Impression- Precisely milled

Usability- No fingerprints design

Durability- Crush proof?

Price- $40

iPod Related Reviews:

1. iPod nano FirstLook

2. iPod nano FirstUse

3. InvisibleShield Install

4. InvisibleShield Removal

5. InvisibleShield v.2 Install