With the end of the holiday shopping pressure, it's time to think about getting better use and enjoyment from your own devices.
For example, shooting photos with your smartphone can be a bit of a pain, since you have to hold it up high in order to see the display. Even worse, holding up a big tablet in that kind of vertical position is just not natural, and is rather clumsy in public spaces.
The MirrorCase from RHP Multimedia for the iPhone and iPad is a clever response -- a slip-on case that uses a mirror to allow you to position your device horizontally, so you can hold your smartphone unobtrusively down by your waist, or simply sit your tablet on a table to shoot an event.
The case is designed as a plastic shell with soft touch finish. It extends out along one end of your device, with a mirror to reflect the scene into the back mounted camera. You then need to use the free MirrorCase app for shooting photos and videos in order to correct the flipped image, which may involve some cropping of the full frame.
The extrusion for the mirror housing also serves as a mount to tilt up your device when using on a flat surface, but can get in the way if you like to carry your iPhone in a pocket.
The MirrorCase for iPhone 4 / 4S is $49.95. It also can be used as a shoulder rest when talking on the phone, plus the mirror can reflect the flash in the other direction to serve as a better flashlight.
The MirrorCase for the iPad 2 and new iPad is coming soon for $79.95. It has an integrated kickstand to position the screen angle, an Acoustic Port to redirect sound from the back speaker towards the user, and a pen / stylus storage compartment.
Just a simple mirror can make shooting phones and videos a more natural, comfortable, and less obtrusive experience.
See my Holiday Gadgets 2012 coverage of Portable Accessories for more on cases and other useful and fun ideas.
Find the MirrorCase for iPhone on Amazon.com