I'm an admitted technology junkie!  I just HAVE to own the latest gadgets with all of the bells and whistles.  I'm so amazed at everything that can be achieved with all of these devices and, they're all so PORTABLE, too!  Therein lies my problem.

For as much as I love technology and its recent portability, I'm also petrified at damaging these very expensive gadgets when I tote them around with me.  For instance, I have a 64 GB iPod Touch that I won't even take on trips with me because I'm terrified I will break it or damage it in some way.  So of course, I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Speck Products asked if I'd like to review one of their protective cases for my iPod Touch.

First and foremost, I must say that I loved the many cool designs and variations of the CandyShell cases from Speck.  Choosing just one case was definitely difficult, but in the end, I decided to go with the classic BatWing black for the 2nd/3rd generation iPod Touch.  When I opened up the packaging, I was thrilled to find that a clear screen protector and special cleaning cloth were also included with the CandyShell case.

You may be wondering at this point, why these particular cases are called CandyShell?  That's because these cases resemble one of my favorite candies, M&Ms.  The Speck CandyShell cases have a hard outer covering, which protects your electronic device from dents, dings and scratches, while the inside lining of the case is soft, protecting your handheld device from the jarring effects of being dropped and banged around.

I found it a tad difficult at first to get my iPod inside the case, for it is definitely a tight squeeze.  In the end though, this is what you're looking for...a protective case which securely hangs on to your device and actually protects it!  I loved the way my iPod Touch looked with the BatWing black CandyShell case and I was really liking this product until...

The CandyShell iPod case WOULD NOT work with the iPod docks of any of my home entertainment systems!  This was such a bummer.  I have three home entertainment systems, a Sony, which is located in the living room, and two Samsungs, which are located in our bedroom and game room.  All of these speaker systems also come with an iPod dock so that we can listen to our iPod Touch anywhere in the house.

The CandyShell case comes down just a little too far so that my iPod Touch couldn't make a complete connection with the dock's connector.  So alas, I can't use the CandyShell case after all, since 80% of the time, I am listening to music at home with either my Sony or Samsung sound systems.

I really liked the overall design and functionality of the CandyShell iPod case from Speck Products and highly recommend buying one if you don't use your iPod with a dock of any kind.  But if you are planning on using your iPod with a home entertainment system dock, I would make sure that the CandyShell case is going to be compatible first.