Mood Wrapz: Groovy, Dudez.

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Sometimes the best definition of a gadget is something cool that you never knew existed. But once you find out about it, you have to have it. Even though you don’t need it at all.

Mood Wrapz are that kind if product. Known as “a mood ring for your iPod, MP3 player, or cell phone,” Mood Wrapz are a great flashback to the 70’s for those of us caught between the LP and iPod generations. Besides a some minimal scratch protection, they are just the sort of fun accessory that serve absolutely no purpose other than to draw attention to your tech. And that’s what we gear heads are all about, right?

Mood Wrapz packaging are simple and understated.

Inside the envelope is an alcohol pad to clean the surface of the iPod, MP3 player or phone to prepare it for the application of the Mood Wrapz stickers as well as die-cut stickers designed to fit many electronic devices.

Mood Wrapz apply easily and remove cleanly as long as you do a good job cleaning your device before use. Otherwise, the adhesive can tend to stick to any irregularities in the surface, so consider yourself forewarned.

At room temperature (and come to think of it, aren’t all rooms room temperature?), Mood Wrapz remain glossy black. This was just like the regular surface of my iPod anyway, so it wasn’t much of a change. But when you pick up a Mood Wrapz-enhanced device, that’s when the fun begins.

The decals are made of a thermotropic material. Yes, I know that’s a pretty big word for a liberal arts graduate like me, but what it basically means is that it changes color when exposed to heat, just like the Mood Rings of my youth.

The resulting psychadelic effect is definitely a hip throwback way to pimp your iPod or phone. Everyone I showed my player to immediately wanted to touch it to see how they would affect the color. Unfortunately, we’ve been going through a bit of a warm spell here in my GearDiary.com satellite office and I’m too cheap to turn the air conditioning down (up?) yet, so just about everyone made the Mood Wrapz turn turquoise.

But it still looked cool; and at only $5.99 for my video iPod, they’re an inexpensive way to protect the surface of your investment.

My only complaint is that unlike the Mood Rings of yore, Mood Wrapz didn’t include a guide to what the different colors were supposed to imply about your temperature and temperament. For a traditional listing of what the colors mean and an explanation of how the thermotropic liquid crystals work, Mood Wrapz points to http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question443.htm.

Since Mood Wrapz didn’t include this sort of guide with their product, I made up one for myself:

Dark blue: Happy as a pig in slop.
Blue: Peaceful, easy feelin’.
Blue-green: Deserves a raise and a trip to a major league ball park.
Green: Depressed by the onset of summer network reruns.
Amber: In desperate need of pizza.
Gray: Needs a beer. Help this man immediately.
Black: Stay clear of this person or you might pull back a nub.

Hey, it works for me.

Mood Wrapz are available from the manufacturer’s website at http://www.moodwrapz.com/.
MSRP: $5.99
What I Like: Fun, inexpensive way to trick out your gadgets. Easy application and removal.
What Needs Improvement: Could stand to include a better explanation of the product in the package.

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About the Author

Chris Chamberlain
Chris is a native of Nashville, TN and an honors graduate from Stanford University (where it should have occurred to him in the late `80's that maybe this computer business thing was gonna take off.) After 25 years in the business of selling flattened dead trees to printers who used them to make something which the ancients called "books," somebody finally slapped Chris over the head with an iPad whereupon he became the Director of Business Development for an internet services company that works with US retailers to help them sell their products overseas. His other day gig is as a food and drink writer for several regional newspapers, magazines and blogs. Chris has a travel/restaurant guide/cookbook coming out next fall which he is sure your mother would just love as a holiday present.

2 Comments on "Mood Wrapz: Groovy, Dudez."

  1. OMG, I think your mood explanation is the one that they need to license and print! 😉

  2. It actually kind of makes it look like (dare I say it….) a Zune!

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