Dock It
This is one of the handiest accessories I’ve seen for the PSP, especially considering the low price. The Dock-It is a folding stand that holds the PSP at a great angle for watching movies, and it also serves as a PDA-like cradle for your desk. You can even use it when you’re playing games, in case your hands get tired of holding up the PSP during a marathon session of Lumines. The accessory is made of black plastic, with a small Intec logo in the same color on the front. The PSP is secured in the cradle by the silver lanyard attachment hole on the bottom left side of the device, which slips into a groove on the Dock-It cradle. A cut out on the bottom right side allows you to plug in the AC adapter and charge the PSP while it is in the cradle.
It’s obvious that quite a bit of thought went into this design, as it is very compact, easy to use, and perfectly fits the style of the PSP. Even better, the easel stand that holds the PSP at an angle can be folded in for storage, making this an ideal accessory for both home and travel purposes. The headphone jack is still accessible too, so this would work well on an airplane tray table if you like watching movies when you’re in the air. I’ve seen several cradle accessories for the PSP, but the Intec Dock It is by far my favorite. You can pick it up for $9.99 at retailers nationwide.
Game Cases for UMD
I’ve seen quite a few UMD storage solutions, but these Game Cases from Intec are just about my favorite. Each case is made of black plastic, and is just barely big enough to hold two UMDs without adding a lot of bulk to your gear bag. They’re very light and fairly strong, though not indestructible. They’re designed to hold your movies and games and keep them organized, not protect them from extreme type of damage you can think up. I was pleasantly surprised by the closure though, as the small tab keeps the case closed until you want to open it–but it doesn’t frustrate you either.
I do wish that these cases snapped together somehow, so that I could stack up several cases on my desk to hold my movies and games when I’m not on the go. That feature would have added just a bit of bulk though, so I can understand why these cases are designed as they are. You certainly can’t beat the price either, just $5.99 for a set of two, which holds for UMD disks. The Intec Game Cases for PSP are available at retailers nationwide, and J&R Computer currently has them on sale for only $4.99.
Leather Case
The Intec Leather Case for the Sony PSP strikes a nice balance between designer looks and a designer price tag. The workmanship is quite nice, and I like the contrasting leather and styling on the front of the case. The intec logo is relatively small and nicely done. Even better, the snap closure on the flap at the top of the case is magnetic– no more fumbling! The interior of the case is lined with a very soft, velvety material that will protect the PSP and hopefully wipe off a few fingerprints now and then, since the PSP is so prone to that sort of thing.
The sides of the case are made out of elastic, which I think makes the case look a little cheaper than it should. Since this case is designed to hold only the PSP, it really doesn’t need to expand, and the elastic just invites you to try and cram in two or three UMDs along the back of the PSP.
On each side of the case there is a small metal ring that serves as an attachment for the leather carrying strap, which is included with the case. There’s a belt loop on the back, though the case is big enough that I wouldn’t want to wear it on my belt. Some people might though, and it’s nice to have the option. Since there isn’t a belt clip, it really doesn’t add any bulk to the case at all.
Overall the Intec Leather Case for the Sony PSP is well made, and it’s a very nice case for the price. Some of the other options out there might be more protective, such as an aluminum case or the PlayGear Pocket from Logitech, but for those looking for something a little nicer/grown-up/professional, this offering from Intec is a great choice. The retail price is $19.99, but J&R is currently offering the Intec Leather Case for the Sony PSP for $14.88.
Neckband Headphones
This accessory may take a little more thought than most, because of the innovative design. In essence, the Neckband Headphones are a pair of earbuds with some extra features, such as a lanyard attachment and an extra band that runs between the two earbuds. Starting at the bottom, you’ll see a small silver loop of cord that is designed to work with the lanyard attachment on the bottom left corner of the PSP. It is detachable, so you can remove the headphones from your PSP without having to remove the lanyard attachment. The headphone plug is attached to a small black plastic housing with the Intec logo. On the other end of that you can see two silver cords which lead to the ear buds. At the point where the earbud cords attach to the headphone “wire” there’s a black plastic housing that also holds the extra band that runs between the two earbuds. That’s what you put around your neck before putting the earbuds into each ear.
Due to this design you can play games and listen to music as with any other pair of headphones or earbuds, but you can also carry the PSP around your neck as if this were a regular lanyard. Even if you don’t want to use this accessory as a lanyard, that extra attachment does prevent the earbud plug from being yanked unceremoniously out of the headphone jack. That way music or sound effects won’t start blaring out accidentally, embarrassing yourself and annoying the people around you if you’re using your PSP on public transit such as a bus or subway. And while I would have preferred black instead of silver cords, the overall effect is kinda cool looking in an uber-geeky kind of way.
The sound quality is quite good for earbud headphones, and the price is quite reasonable at just $9.99 at J&R Computer. Please note though that the cord is NOT retractable, as mentioned in the J&R product listing.
