Uncommon

Personalization can make something ordinary really stand out, from monogrammed cuff links, to vanity license plates, to alarming insults -- how'd that guy even know you had an elf wang? Oh right, the ELFWANG vanity plate. Personalizing ubiquitous iPhone protection, Uncommon.Started in Chi by a former Nike creative director tired of the corporate structure, Uncommon's a one-stop, uber-quick-turnaround source for fully customizable iPhone cases that'll smarten up your smartphone into a better representation of your personality, though how does one represent "easily threatened"? Pick a scratch- and crash-resistant polymer case, upload an image, and within hours they'll begin inking it up with proprietary Thermo-Active Transdermal Technology, which they call 3D-TATT, which -- taking Avatar as a model -- could make even a tribal band eye-catching. For those completely devoid of imagination there're also hundreds of ready-to-go designs from actual creative people, including a set of paint-dripping bright red lips; a cartoonish black-and-white gaping grizzly bear maw; and a silhouette of a bird (using the camera lens for its eye) perched atop a hand that's extending its middle finger, which would probably look even better on a Flip.Speaking of expansion, iPod Touch cases are already avail for pre-order, and soon thereafter they're heading to the iPad, a device that doesn't need to be plastered with ELFWANG for people to know you have one.