Rokform's RokShield V3 for iPhone 5 offers rugged protection without getting in the way

Sarah Mitroff, 10 May 13 Rokform's $39 RokShield V3 case has rough and tough outsides that guard your iPhone 5 against bumps, falls, and scratches, thanks to its two-piece design and screen protectors. The case comes in seven two-toned color varieties; I reviewed the black-on-gunmetal model.

Virtual Piggy makes e-commerce child's play

Liane Cassavoy, 10 May 13 The idea behind Virtual Piggy is solid: This cloud-based service, which is designed to help children shop online safely and securely, allows for communication between parents and children, and protects children from many of the dangers lurking online without zapping their sense of independence. But right now it suffers from a few glitches that may make it hard for some kids--especially those on the younger end--to use without frustration.

Write better-formatted messages with Markdown Here

Erez Zukerman, 10 May 13 Gmail doesn't offer you much in the way of formatting to make your emails look more attractive. That's fine for most emails, but sometimes you need a bit more pizzazz--like, say, a headline. Then again, maybe you often email code snippets, and could use some automatic syntax coloring. Markdown Here is an unobtrusive extension that can help convert your text into well-formed HTML.

Kindle for iOS remains a compelling iBooks alternative

Lex Friedman, 09 May 13 The iPad is a great device for reading. And there are a variety of apps focused solely on reading ebooks with the device--almost all of which work on the iPhone, too. So how do you judge a reading app? What are the criteria?

Wappwolf automatically converts and syncs your files

Mark O'Neill, 09 May 13 Automation is the name of the game these days for web apps, and Wappwolf aims to combine automation with the power of cloud computing. Available for Dropbox, Google Drive and Box, Wappwolf offers on-the-fly file conversion, as well as automatically moving the files to other folders, email notifications, tweets, FTP uploading and more. And once you've set the rule, everything gets done behind the scenes.

Master Gmail's Keyboard Shortcuts with KeyRocket

Erez Zukerman, 08 May 13 Engineers love keyboard shortcuts. So, like most Google products, Gmail offers you the ability to do pretty much anything with a keypress, from composing a new message (c for compose) to going back to the main list of emails (u for up). These keyboard shortcuts are one of Gmail's best features: they let you compose, archive, forward, and reply to messages, move between labels, search, and more, all without reaching for your mouse.

Annex's Quad Lock is an outstanding iPhone case/mount system

Dan Frakes, 08 May 13 Thanks to an ever-growing, and increasingly diverse, array of apps for using your iPhone on the go--think GPS apps, cycling apps, and travel apps--one of the biggest questions iPhone owners have is, "How do I mount my iPhone [in my car/on my bike/wherever]?" The answer has generally been to buy a bike mount, and a car mount, and maybe even a separate dock or stand for your desk. Annex aims to fill all these needs with a single mounting system, and in my testing, it fits the bill.

Take notes the old-fashioned way with Penultimate for iPad

Cassandra Khaw, 08 May 13 While I can't remember the last time I did any amount of pen-to-paper long-form writing (do signatures count?), it's hard to refute that Evernote's free Penultimate for the iPad is a rather attractive concoction.

FatBatt keeps you off the grid longer, for a fee

Jim Norris, 08 May 13 Most replacement battery meter utilities take the information overload approach. Details run to multiple decimal places, and reports lay hidden behind obscure menu items, harboring deep secrets that require mouse-click symphonies to extract. Since laptops are factory-equipped with basic battery monitoring software, third-party toolmakers compensate with a checklist of features designed to justify forking over the dough for something you already have for free.

Jas Pro and L-Stand stylishly hold your MacBook Pro

Roman Loyola, 08 May 13 Cooler Master is known for its PC-cooling devices, but the company also makes laptop stands designed especially for the MacBook Pro. I've been using two of Cooler Master's stands, the $70 Jas Pro and the $60 L-Stand.