The Case-Mate Blog: Make A Statement

Things get crazy at case-mate over the weekends…

I sent an email (as a joke) to the staff here on Friday, asking for celebrity look a-like nominations to post on the blog (not intending to actually post anything) with this doctored-up picture of my boss, Andrew Knight (below) sparking a wave of responses and submissions.

Well apparently I missed the memo, as I was shortly informed by other co-workers that Andrew’s celebrity twin is actually Danny from Full House.

The tidal wave of emails I got in response to my original request for nominations was so hilarious that I just have to post some of them here.

Industrial Designer Alex Marshall and our very own author of The PD Slice, Fairbanks

Product Coordinator, Hugh Eaton as Neil Patrick Harris, Steve McQueen or Daniel Craig?

Project Manager, Product Development, Josh Bannister aka Jesse Metcalfe

We already knew we had loads of star talent here, maybe it’s time for us to open an LA office?

How long have you been working for case-mate?
Just about a year.

Tell us about what you do here.
Creative Director: I oversee the creative team to help develop case-mate’s creative production for marketing, packaging, sales, and the web. This team includes designers and photographers. I also work to make sure that case-mate’s needs are being met and the creative goals are on track.

What/where was your first job?
Herpetologist, look it up…

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
iPhone 3G. Love is a strong word. Let’s just say we are close.

What was your first cell phone?
Motorola Flip Phone. Saved by the Bell style.

What features do you look for in a case?
Strong, sensitive, good communication, honest, knows what she wants… Oh, you were asking about what I look for in a case?

What’s your favorite case?
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

Where is the craziest place your phone has ever been?
What happens in Vegas… well you know the rest.

Favorite case-mate story?
Anything involving Shashi (our CEO) getting laughed at (he picks on us all the time!).

Favorite website or news-source?
www.collectible-glass.com

Favorite phone app?
Hold The Button by Mi Mundo iPhone SL

Guilty pleasures?
Bacon: bacon is by far the greatest food on the planet. On a sandwich I like it nice and crispy, but if you cook some up with eggs for breakfast I like it nice and floppy. Hell, yesterday I just made myself a few slices as a snack. Yes, I had smoky, delicious bacon just because I could and it was fantastic.

What can’t you live without?
Um hello! BACON!

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
I plead the 5th.

WebProNews stopped by the case-mate booth at CES a few weeks ago to get the low-down our latest and greatest products from Vice President of Supply Chain, Marty Gareau.

As previously mentioned, the Product Development room holds top-secret case-mate information.

What if the information inside the four walls of the PD department wasn’t so secret anymore?

That’s right, this is a LEAK and I, Fairbanks, am not ashamed. What are those fools going do to me anyway? I mean as it stands I have to threaten to go to the bathroom on the carpet because these so called designers are so busy sketching they sometimes forget to take a break to take me outside. So, if this is how they’re going to treat me… I will continue to LEAK.

Apple iPad: What? You don’t honestly think they haven’t mastered protection for the new iPad? News Flash: They have!

Picture this: You live in the city. You don’t have a car because you ride the train to and from work. The average case isn’t good enough for this situation. We’re talking clean, comfortable and convenient is a must. For the user on the go, case-mate’s got you covered.

Picture this: You’re in class and everyone has the same case on their iPad. You don’t want to conform, but boy, you sure could use some protection – that tall kid who sits in front of you is always knocking things off your desk. What if you could customize the designs and colors of your case? If you want the best of both worlds: customization and protection, they got you covered again!

Picture this: It’s Monday, you don’t want to wake up. You’re late and rushing out the door for work. Coffee spills all over the brand new Hugo Boss shirt your wife just bought you. To top it all off you have a 9:00 a.m. meeting with the VP. Where is your iPad? Oh there it is, in the executive inspired chiche folio. For the user that wants business executive style and convenience, case-mate still has you covered.

Picture this: You are on a plane, no you’re at the coffee table, no wait you’re at your desk. Forget it. Who cares where you are? When you want to use your new iPad but don’t feel like holding it, don’t! Foldable, slim and contemporary designs, for the user that wants the perfect stand, case-mate will have you covered.

I hope you’re starting to get the point. Colors, privacy, comfort, style, they’ve got you covered. The ability to open the back door in a timely manner, they just can’t seem to figure that one out…

Until my next accident,

Fairbanks

So, here is my second post for Niche Society, and I have another movie trailer to share, but I promise I wont be doing movies every week! When I saw this trailer on Hypebeast I knew I had to blog about it.

Chasing Legends (http://chasinglegends.com/trailers/) is an intense behind the scenes look at the Tour de France. The movie looks like it features last year’s Tour de France, when Astana rider Alberto Contador took the coveted victory.

I’m particularly excited about this film because I’ve been following the Tour and cycling since I was 14 and there hasn’t ever been an in-depth look quite like this before. Just watching the trailer you get a feel of how heavy the burden this race creates for the competitors, and how grueling it actually is. I think this going to be great for cycling and exposing it to the masses, and help open the eyes of people who know nothing about the Tour or the sport in general.

I’m sure it wont disappoint.

Springtime is steadily approaching and, like most people caught up in the jet stream of New Year’s Resolutions and the approach of warm weather, I’ve been on a live healthy / workout fix. Part of my “live healthy” regiment has been to drink more water and eliminate carbonated drinks from my diet. Seems reasonable, sure, but I noticed that I’ve been thrown into the center of a conspiracy, and area restaurants are severely hindering my H20 needs.

The “Golden Standard” I’m proposing this week is a minimum capacity of 10 oz. for water cups at all restaurants.

I don’t need to be punished for ordering a water with my lunch. Just because I didn’t pony up the $2.00 for a fountain drink doesn’t mean you get back at me by serving me a thimble full of warm water. Macy’s doesn’t cut the sleeves off your shirt if you don’t by a scarf with a sweater. Nike doesn’t repo your shoe laces if you don’t buy socks with your new shoes. So, why is it okay for restaurants to give you a shot glass to drink from when you don’t purchase a carbonated drink? Sure, I know what you’re probably thinking out there, “David, you good looking son-of-a-gun you, restaurants need to focus on making money.” My response? Well they are making money, I just paid $8.50 for a BLT. If I have to pay $8.55 to get a cup for water to go with it that’s bigger than salt shaker then so be it. I’m a very optimistic person but in this case, the drinking cup is half empty.

Editor’s Note: David is still single, has a full-time job (with benefits) and accepts date requests. Please email dates4david@case-mate.com for further information

How long have you been working for case-mate? Tell us about what you do here.
Going on month 9. I’m the E-Commerce Site Manager — basically the operations manager for case-mate.com: order fulfillment, merchandising, inventory management, site quality assurance, fraud prevention, and many other things (that Andrew doesn’t have time to do

What do you like best about working at case-mate?
Obviously, that i can bring my dogs with me to work. That is huge! I also love the fact that when the CEO starts his rounds, everyone stops working and starts playing. There’s a culture and environment of creativity and entrepreneurship which cultivates fresh innovative thinking. Everyone here knows their voice will be heard and ideas considered. And…I can wear shorts to work when it’s warm. I love that.

What/where was your first job?
Lifeguard/golf course maintenance at a country club in FL.

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
iPhone 3G. Love it. Although I’m frustrated with the recent “controls” Apple has exercised in the iTunes interface. And no flash? Hopefully that will change soon.

What was your first cell phone?
Nokia 5110. My sister was working for Nokia at the time and gave it to me for Xmas ‘99. I was one of those people who sort of fought cellphones as a necessity. It sat in the box for 6 months. But when I finally initialized it … that was it.

What features do you look for in a case?
Oddly enough, it didn’t matter much to me until I started working for case-mate. I had the CM Naked when I joined. Now, I really pay attention to form, function, style and everything else.

What’s your favorite case?
Hands down, the ID case. I have a hard time letting go of it to use anything else. Second would be the Hybrid Tough. If we ever make a Tough case with an ID slot, I think it will be the perfect case.

Where is the craziest place or situation your phone has ever been in?
Long story, but the top case on my motorcycle flew off (unbeknownst to me) on the interstate in St. Louis. After scouring I-64 for about 3 hours, I decided to call my phone (which was in the top case with every other valuable item I’d taken on the trip). A recovering meth addict had seen it fly off and pulled over to pick it up on his way to an NA meeting. He broke the case open to see if he could figure out who it belonged to, and thankfully answered my Palm Treo 700 when I called it. We met at a gas station. I gave him $50 reward and hoped he wouldn’t use it for his addiction. I would have paid $1000 to get that case back.

Favorite case-mate story?
Last October, Muse & U2 were coming to town. A friend who had tickets and needed to get rid of them because he couldn’t go contacted me to see if I could help him dump them. I’d seen Muse a few years back and U2 like 5 times in the 80s. I would like to have gone, but was not about to pay CHER prices. Anyway, I posted my friend’s tickets on Facebook. Within minutes of my post, our CEO responded, “We have suite at the dome for this show, would you like to join us?” Um, hellz yeah. It was great fun. case-mate is cool like that.

Favorite website or news-source?
Allmusic.com. I use it to research new bands I’ve discovered and to find new ones. Pandora actually uses the Allmusic descriptions for albums and artists. It’s fantastic. I probably look at it every day.

Favorite you-tube video?
That’s ’safe’ to publish? Total Eclipse of the Heart — Literal Version. I laugh every time I show it to someone.

Favorite phone app?
Of course I love Pandora, Facebook and LinkedIn. But a couple of other cool apps I’ve found are AccuTerra and Skee-ball.

What can’t you live without?
Music is as essential as water and air. I also can’t imagine life devoid of motorcycling. It’s an awesome liberating and therapeutic experience.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
I’m sure I spend an inordinate amount of time researching and acquiring cutting-edge indie/alternative music. Check out my podcast, nmhbear.podomatic.com (shameless plug) to experience the fruits of my labors. All my vacations are motorcycle excursions. I’ve been from the highest pass in the French Alps to Meat Cove, Nova Scotia on motorcycles. My partner and I have a place in the mountains we go most weekends and enjoy motorcycling and hiking with our amazing Boxer wonder dogs Jake and Bridget (pictured here).

Well, it was a close one. We (the girls) fought hard but didn’t pull it off in the end… At least we had matching T-shirts and ninja assasin sweatbands, unlike the boys, who looked like ragamuffins. We’ll get ‘em next time!

FINAL SCORE: BOYS – 29 GIRLS – 22

Welcome to your first taste of the PD Slice, served weekly. PD (Product Development) is a mysterious department within case-mate. Therefore I will make it a point to cook you up just a little bit less than top-secret toppings. Otherwise, I’d have to kill you.

PD is so top secret that we are equipped with our own guard dog, Fairbanks. Standing 9 inches tall and weighing a beefy 9 lbs., Fairbanks is the leader of the PD pack.

Like Fairbanks, the rest of us animals in PD make it a point to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks to use the bathroom outside and of course, beg for food.

In an attempt to not over cook this first entry, consider your first PD slice served.

Wow! Author of “Gadget Nation,” Steve  Greenberg appeared on the TODAY Show this morning during the Tech spot to demonstrate case-mate’s e-Coupled Wireless Power charging technology, the Hug! Check out the video: