Protecting better than conventional cases or edge bumpers, this “active dampening” unit acts like an airbag for your portable handheld gadget, springing to action as it heads toward the concrete sidewalk or hardwood floor below.

Award-winning German mechatronics design student Philip Frenzel designed the ADcase with four “legs” that auto-detect a phone’s fast motion, flipping out to slow it down upon impact. The protrusions can then be tucked back in for repeated use.

Currently a prototype, its popularity has already leant the innovation success in crowdfunding leading toward commercial production — the extra depth added by the attachment will also optionally house additional battery and a charger.

“Our vision with ADcase is a smartphone case that combines maximum protection with elegant design,” said Frenzel + Mayer Solutions, “a case that is so smart that it even makes a difference whether it’s in your hand, in your pocket, or in free fall.”

“While the case briefly takes on an alien, octopedal appearance when in active protection mode, it is designed to be slim and unobtrusive during regular phone use. It adds 0.6 millimetres to the rim of the phone and 4.6 millimetres in a card-sized protrusion on the back.” All in all, a pretty small price to pay for something that could save you the cost of a replacement device.

The Nolli Map of Rome is one of history’s most famous works of cartography, and now a new iPhone and iPad app lets you use it to navigate in realtime, helping you both lose and find yourself in one of Europe’s most marvelous ancient cities.

Finished in 1748 after 12 years of research  by Italian architect and surveyor Giambattista Nolli, this innovative map represented a novel approach to figure-ground representation. Streets and open public spaces were, for instance, predictably depicted as voids against a backdrop of solid hashes, but so to were enclosed civic spaces like the Pantheon.

The original engraved city map consisted of 12 copper plates spanning 40 square feet, and, at the time, was the most accurate representation of the city to date. Honoring that tradition, this digital experience replicates many original features and details from the vintage original.

So why would you want to tour modern Rome with a centuries-old map? Its creator, Martin Koppenhöfer, explains that “despite its age, this map is still very valid for most parts of the Roman center.” He also notes that “it is quite entertaining to find your way with this app. Pedestrian navigation is very different … you don’t have to know every street or turn, just go into the right direction.”

Think of it as part walking tour, part adventure and part historical education. Using an old map to navigate a city lets you find things that might have otherwise escaped your attention. It also allows you to distinguish between more permanent fixtures of the historic built environment and more contemporary changes and additions. If you lack a compatible device for the app, you can also check out an online interactive (but less mobile) version of this iconic map.

“In designing the present edition,” Koppenhöfer elaborated in and interview with WebUrbanist, “we have spent great care with the aim to be as close to the original as possible regarding the labeling and the structure of the directories. Therefore the app reproduces in the indices on the left side of the map exactly those types in the exact order and (to the contemporary reader occasionally appearing outmoded) notation as provided by Giambattista Nolli in his indices. By selecting an entry you will be led to the corresponding location on the map. You can also browse by tapping on one of the numbers on the map to see what it is about.”

The original version is meticulously adhered to, providing an updated digital experience while maintaining original notes and styles. “The explanations of the signatures and line styles,” says Koppenhöfer, and “hatches and selected abbreviations are reproduced in their original form (see “Legend”). You can access Nolli’s original spelling of the indices, legend, and other signs at the bottom of the English version in Italian language.”

We may as well admit that our smartphones have become permanent extensions of our hands, and accessorize them as such. While these indispensable palm-sized gadgets can already do everything from planning our trips to monitoring our pulses, a world of add-ons make them even more useful. These 13 companion gadgets including instant photo printers, rugged keychain chargers, grip-all tripods and $5 stocking stuffer speakers make great “I don’t know you that well” gifts.

Instant Mobile Photo Printer

Missing the instant gratification of Polaroid cameras, but don’t want to give up the convenience and compact profile of your smartphone? The Polaroid Zip Instant Mobile Printer is roughly the same size as most smart phones, and wirelessly prints photos in less than a minute using a special dye paper that requires no ink or toners. Packages of the printer and photo paper start at $129.99 at PhotoJoJo.

Universal Retro-Style Device Holder

Designed to mimic the look of classic swing arm desk lamps, the STAN positions your phone, tablet or eReader for hands-free use. Place it on your headboard to hang a tablet over your head for the laziest Netflix marathon of your life. Get it for $89.99-$109.99 at The Design Industry.

Luma Tiny Lampshade Night Light & Travelamp

Clip this tiny acrylic lampshade onto your phone, turn on your flashlight and you’ve got an instant night light requiring no extra power. The ‘Luma’ version is available for $9, or get the larger and more classic lantern-style Travelamp for $8.

Hobie Time-Lapse Photo Tool

The Hobie is a little spinning tripod that takes panoramic photos or record moving videos from a 360 degree point of view. It’s portable, adjustable and clips onto a basic kitchen timer at the base. Pre-order the basic version for roughly $36.

Gekkopod Adaptable iPhone Tripod

Wrapping its legs around objects so it can grip as well as a gecko, the Gekkopod makes it easy to mount a smartphone or compact camera to tree branches, bike handles, fences or any other convenient vantage points you may find along your travels. it can also be used on its own as a mini tripod. It comes in a variety of colors for $19.90.

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Gadget Gifts 15 Slick Smartphone Add Ons Accessories

Tiny phone chargers that you slide onto your keyring, store on your belt buckle or snap onto the spokes of your bike can help feed your addiction to technology when wall chargers aren’t available. Since most of us can’t go ten minutes without using our phones, staying juiced up is crucial. These 12 offbeat and innovative portable cell phone chargers use everything from kinetic energy to boiling water to make sure you’re never cut off from your emergency contacts and all of your favorite apps.

World’s Smallest Emergency Phone Charger

Shaped like a gasoline can, the tiniest cell phone charger yet fits easily onto your key ring and provides an extra 20-30 minutes of talk time or a few hours of standby time per charge. It plugs directly into your phone and can hold its own charge for 1-3 months between uses.

Siva Cycle: Pedal Power Charger

A compact gadget snaps onto any bicycle within minutes to harness the kinetic energy you create while you ride. You can either plug your phone or any other USB-powered device directly into it, or store the energy in a detachable battery pack. The creators envision it as the perfect solution for bike commuters who miss out on the phone-charging time that other commuters get in the car.

Belt Buckle Phone Charger

An ordinary-looking belt buckle pops off and plugs into the wall to charge your cell phone. The Volt Buckle eliminates the problem of being unable to carry a charger without a purse or bag of some sort, keeping it as compact as possible. A hook on the belt ensures that your pants stay up while your phone is charging.

Flame Stower: Charging with Fire

Going a step beyond solar power, the Flame Stower is a portable phone charger designed with campers and hikers in mind. One end of the charger is placed in a campfire, and the other connected to your cell phone. Any flame source will do, so you can also use BBQ grills or candles.

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Juice To Go 13 Ultra Portable Phone Charger Designs

Taking photos on our mobile phones has become a daily activity for a lot of us, but getting really high-quality pictures usually requires some kind of clunky add-on lens and a special app. Taking macro pics on your mobile device is made super-simple by the Easy-Macro Smartphone Lens.

Created by Adam Hicks, the Easy-Macro is a macro lens that fits right over the built-in lens of your device. It fits any phone or tablet thanks to its super-stretchy band. The small lens provides 4X magnification and requires nothing more than just stretching onto your device.

The device is composed of a simple lens and a band that holds it onto your device. It fits everything from a thin 4th generation iPod Touch to a big iPad. No software is needed to make the lens magnify your target subject, so it can be used with any device an any operating system.

The results are surprisingly high-quality, especially for such a simple device. The lens can capture the tiniest details and create some very impressive ultra-close-ups. The company had been producing the lenses for several years before turning to Kickstarter for help bringing the production back to the US from China.