Oh gentle reader, I’ll admit it. I’ve been struck by a wee case of reviewer’s block of late. I am in the midst of testing several new gadgets which I am excited to share with you all, but I also have some products that are real dogs. And like my Charm School teacher always said, “If you can’t say something nice about somebody…”

But in the interest of fair and impartial reporting, GearDiary readers deserve the straight scoop. Heck, we’ve even shared the trials and travails of a potentially devastating server crash. We all came out stronger on the other side of the crisis, but it was the big UGH.

So it’s time to jump start my idling cranium. I figured it would be best to start with a product that doesn’t promise to do much but that perfectly accomplishes what it does promise. And it looks pretty darned cool doing it.

Behold, the Bevy from www.mophie.com.


Quite simply, the Mophie is the only case I’ve ever considered getting for my iPod Shuffle. After all, the Shuffle is a pretty self-contained unit that doesn’t require much in the way of protection. The whole idea of the Shuffle is that you shouldn’t have to even look at the controls while you’re jogging/working/resting/eating/pretending to listen to your girlfriend talk about window treatments. The hinged clip is the only real moving part and it is flexible enough to attach just about anywhere you need to access your iPod.

However, the Bevy adds functionality to your Shuffle that you never knew you needed. Constructed from a crystal-clear polycarbonate with a stainless steel insert, the Bevy acts as a method to avoid headphone dangle knots with grooves to wrap your headphones. It can also act as a key chain, and most importantly will open a bottle of your favorite beverage, in my case a nice cold bottle of IBC root beer. (There’s not a lie detector hooked up to my laptop, is there?)

They make root beer in green bottles, don’t they?

Ironically, if you’re old enough to know what a “church key” is, you’re probably too old to want an iPod. Luckily there are still a few of us in both demographics and I’ll bet you GearDiary.com readers are cooler than your average fogey.

The Bevy comes in five colors which complement the hues of the shuffle. Even the retail packaging is cool, with a nicely designed clear box that has a slot cut in it so you can use it as a bank to save your change for your next Mophie product. Personally, I gave up jogging with my Shuffle a while ago because the clip always popped open when my admittedly awkward running style kicked into high gear. Now with the Bevy I can attach my keys to the Shuffle and the added weight keeps everything snugly safe in the pocket of my running shorts.

Plus I can open my (root) beer after my run is done. Pretty neat if you ask me!

The Bevy Bottle Opener and Keychain for iPod Shuffle

What I liked: Stylish design and packaging. Delivers on its promises to untangle my headphones, hold my keys and open my beer.

What Needs Improvement: I was slightly nervous to really torque a bottle cap open, although it never felt close to breaking.

Price: $15.00

Where to Purchase: Available at the Mophie website

Product photos courtesy of Mophie

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