Rolling Avenue’s iCircle for the iPad 2 and New iPad Review

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Doug recently pointed out in a news post that his family has moved away from using a home theater setup to watching their own content on their own devices because of their individual tastes. That got me thinking about how much of that goes on in my family. Sure, we have 55″ LCD TV in the living room, where we watch movies, sports events and other TV shows together as a family, but we all watch streaming or stored content on our iPads, too.

When watching a short YouTube video, it’s second nature just to hold the iPad, watch, and then move on to the next activity. But what if you are watching a full length movie? After a while, it’s a bit uncomfortable to hold the iPad, and if you are trying to share the movie with someone, doubly so.

Well, here’s one of the better solutions that I’ve seen; it’s Rolling Avenue’s iCircle, which is basically a hard shell case that offers back and corner protection for the iPad — along with something more.

The hard plastic shell is precision cut to fit either the iPad 2 or the New iPad, and it adds very little bulk or weight to the device, other than a bit of a bulge in the center area where the aluminum circle-ring sits. The shell is sturdy and protective, and it has cutouts so that all buttons, ports and features are available.

The tradeoff for that little bit of extra bulk is that the aluminum circle ring can be rotated and opened as a stand to give stable and solid footing in both the landscape and portrait viewing positions.

Landscape is perfect for movies, games, music videos, presentations, and most other uses. Being able to also use the iPad in portrait orientation makes this the perfect video-conferencing tool, because Facetime or Skype chats can now be hands-free.

I especially like the fact that my Miniot cover works with the iCircle; it also works just fine with a BodyGuardz back skin.

If you use your iPad for movies, presentations, Facetime, Skype, or any other activity that would benefit from handsfree propping in the orientation of your choosing, then the Rolling Avenue iCircle may be your perfect cover!

The iCircle is available from Rolling Avenue and on Amazon [affiliate link]; They are available in black or white for the New iPad and the iPad 2.

MSRP: $69.99.

What I Like: Allows you to prop the iPad in landscape or portrait orientation for watching movies or Facetime chat; allows the use of Apple’s SmartCover or other aftermarket covers that use the same fastening system; metal ring adds substance and stability without a lot of extra weight

What Needs Improvement: Nothing

 

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.