GadgetMadness: We find the coolest gadgets first

Here at GadgetMadness we've reviewed more gadget cases than we actually remember reviewing. (A quick count of the search terms "case review" using the search box above claims 69 case reviews!) One thing that has always troubled us about case reviews is that no single case ever seems to get the job done. That's why this time we thought we'd hunt down the perfect case combo for our newest pretty shiny thing, our 16GB iPod Touch 2G.

Best Screen Protection: ZAGG invisibleSHIELD

The new iPod Touch 2G has one issue that will irk the OCD Type-A personality in all of us - an easily scratchable smooth reflective body. As a matter of fact, there are some protective cases out there that will actually scratch the reflective body of the Touch 2G! This is where the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD system comes in. Advertised as a military grade, scratch-proof skin that covers the entire surface of the iPod Touch, invisibleSHIELD is our choice for screen & body protection for the iTouch 2G. Installation of this skin requires some patience but is fairly simple.

ZAGG invisibleSHIELD Installation Video:

A few things we learned while installing our invisibleSHIELD: always keep your fingers wet with the included spray, use a hair dryer on cool setting to dry corner pieces more quickly, and remember that "perfect is the enemy of good." You will want to set aside 15 minutes to install properly, and don't rush. You can always keep wetting the shields and your fingers with the included spray until your shield is lined up correctly. If you have bubbles under your shield that won't squeegee out, simple lift the shield with wetted fingers and start again.

Best Protective Case: Speck PixelSkin

Now that your iPod Touch is properly shielded head-to-toe from scratches, you will want something to provide some extra cushion protection. This is where we chose the Speck PixelSkin for iPod touch 2G. Speck has a long history of making oversized rubber cases with extra cushion protection and we feel they really hit the mark with their PixelSkin line. Prior Speck cases we've used with the iPod Nano and Zune 30GB were hard to install and remove, however their new PixelSkin line is super simple to install and remove and adds just the right amount of bumper without adding significant bulk or weight. (They also come in other colors than black, like blue and red and "clear" - if clear's a color.)

iPod Touch 2G with invisibleSHIELD and Speck PixelSkin Case

There you have it - what we feel is the best case & screen protection combo available for the iPod Touch 2G. As a final disclaimer, neither Speck nor ZAGG invisibleSHIELD nor Apple provided us with any of the products listed in this review. We bought 'em all ourselves. So what do you use to keep your favorite pretty shiny thing free from scratches and damage? Let us know in the comments!

invisibleSHIELD for iPod Touch 2nd Generation

Speck PixelSkin for iPod touch 2G (Black)

Apple iPod Touch 2G on Amazon