An iPad Case for X-Men The G-Form Extreme Sleeve 2 for the iPad looks like something budding X-Men carry homework in, as it's made from a polymer that could have come from the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. The sleeve, like other G-Form products, is made of "rate dependent material," which is a kind of soft foam that hardens temporarily under impact, creating an instant protective shell. The G-Form people like to put a phone or tablet in a case and then demonstrate the effectiveness by dropping it 100,000 feet from a weather balloon, using it as a hockey puck or throwing it from a speeding car. Central to the protection is a polymer called Poron XRD, a foam generically classified as a rate-dependent material. That means the material behaves differently depending on how quickly it is compressed. "Everything is at some level rate-dependent," said Tom Cafaro, one of the founders of G-Form. Take water, for instance: Jump into a pool from the coping and it's a soft landing. But change the rate of impact - say, with a belly flop from the high dive - and that water feels pretty hard. Similarly, Poron foam is a collection of fluid molecules - until it is struck. Then the energy of the impact causes the molecules to freeze into a hard, protective shell that radiates across the surface of the foam. The act of hardening eats up energy, so the impact isn't transferred to what is inside the foam. Often that is a body part, because rate-dependent foams are used in protective knee and elbow pads for motorcyclists, mountain bikers, skateboarders, skiers and such. Once the impact has dissipated, the foam returns to its original squishy state. G-Form's innovation has been to bond the Poron to an outer layer of scuff-resistant material and a inner layer of soft material that will not scratch screens and cases. The Extreme Sleeve 2 for the iPad is $70 and available in black or yellow. There are also covers for other electronics and a coming iPhone case for $40. The foam is tough, but not impervious. It is better with blunt force than penetration. While an iPad could survive a rap with a hammer, put a nail under that hammer (or let Wolverine have at it) and the iPad will certainly take a beating.