Steampunk Styling iPad Accessories
May 11, 2012
Enough about the future of technology! What about the past? We snagged a ride on our good pal H.G. Wells’ time machine and went back to the (OK, slightly fictionalized) Steampunk Past that should’ve been. Check out the awesome iPad accessories that we discovered on our trip.
iCog Hades for iPad 3 ($424) – Two elaborate, hand-made iPad accessories in one, the iCog Hades is both a wooden bumper-case that will wrap your tablet in tubes and dials, as well as a detachable bluetooth keyboard with round retro keys. When only the utmost in fancy Victorian styling will do, the interior portion of the case is lined with patterned felt, for the protection of your fragile modern computer hardware. The exterior, on the other hand, is coated in enough polished metal to double as emergency spare parts should you find your private zeppelin in need of repair. And to keep everything properly themed, the keyboard’s covering is comprised of hand-rubbed English Walnut, with weathered brass bezels that make these keys fit for even the most gentlemanly fingertips.
iDockit iPad Workstation ($89) – Sometimes a simple idea can be a genius one. Olde timey electronics accessories maker iDockit have a number of sleek, sophisticated phone and tablet docks in their store for those of us who prefer custom finished hardwood and shiny brass fixtures to space-age plastics and polymers. Their iPad Workstation includes a slim Apple bluetooth keyboard fit snugly into a gold-finished casing, with a slot to stand up your iPad while you work. And thanks to its small size, it shouldn’t be hard to squeeze it into your cramped cabin on the Nautilus when you set sail on that next journey to the bottom of the sea.
Clockwork Tablet Case ($89) – A steam powered workbench is fun, but perhaps not as practical for crafting iPad accessories as–oh, I don’t know–LASERS! That’s why the Steampunk stylists at Brute Force Studios have chosen to take advantage of such a modern contraption to help them achieve the layered gearwork imagery etched onto the front of their Hard Leather Clockwork Tablet Case. Held together at the seams by metal rivets and closed with a brass buckle, this bifold case for your iPad or similarly sized device thankfully manages to keep the mechanical, cog-covered look without weighing as much as a full bag of bolts. Besides, you’ll have enough metal in your outfit if you choose to pick up the separate bluetooth typewriter/armguard to go with it.
Elegant Lace iPad Case ($95) – Less in-your-face than some other Steampunk-inspired iPad accessories, the selection of lace-patterned leather iPad cases from Beautiful Skin take their anachronistic style just as seriously, without requiring goggles or an engineering degree to own and use. While no more complicated than any other snap-shut tablet slip-case, the front side of this (appropriately named) Elegant Lace iPad Case is printed with a dizzyingly complex pattern that calls out to the beautiful and sorely missed decadence of the past. Sure, we like Apple’s clean, stark aesthetic too; but sometimes it’s OK to get a little fancy.
Gelaskins “Underworld” iPad Skin ($29.95) – If it’s an alternate history you crave, but without the cost of all that pricey smelting and hand-machining, perhaps Gelaskins can help. They have a number of Steampunk-inspired stick-on iPad skins to give your modern tablet a more fun look than the stock black or white and silver you’re currently sporting. Our favorites both come from Australian artist Colin Thompson, whose Underworld and Steampunk sets bring an especially rusty beauty to both the back and front bezel of your iPad. And to further the illusion, matching wallpapers are downloadable that, when matched to their Gelaskin counterparts, make the inside of your computer as unique as the outside by blending the OS right in. You can’t have too many gears, right?
Alexei Bochenek is a lifelong tech nerd & film buff based in Los Angeles. When he’s not playing with his phone, it’s because the movie has started. Shhhhh!
