TORRANCE, USA - Pelican is a combination of two companies that make cases to protect valuable items from weather and rough handling. Hardigg Industries and Pelican have merged to one entity producing a wide range of products that include hard cases for shipment of delicate items and toughened flashlights for rough use.

Pelican sent along one of its newest products for us to test, the i1015, a hard case for the iPhone/iPod touch. It is a box with a clear cover that encases the device, with a firm rubbery cradle inside to keep it in place and avoid damage.

There is a sealed connector that connects the 3.5mm headset jack on the device to the outside world. This allows the user to take the device to the beach or, in our case to an icy fountain in the back yard, and listen to tunes or watch videos in an environment that would normally destroy the device.

The case is very rugged and protects the device well. It is easy to view a video through the clear top, and the connection inside is as easy as plugging in ear-buds. The latch is robust with very little probability of it opening on its own.

The ensemble does float, and the outside 3.5mm jack swivels to accommodate different listening positions. There is no way to control the iPod once the lid is sealed, so changes to content are accomplished by opening the lid and touching the screen.

Viewing a video in an icy fountain