Late last week we heard news that Belkin has entered an agreement to buy Cisco’s Home Networking Business Unit. This means they will take over all of their proven brands including Cisco’s Linksys business and the talented employees. According to Chet Pipkin, CEO of Belkin, the two organizations share similar beliefs with the passion to meet the real needs of their customers, therefore they aim is to make Belkin a leader in the connected home and wireless networking space.

This is another step to add to their vision as they intend to maintain and build on the strong Linksys brand and continue to show support for their products after the transaction closes. In an article on Belkin.com they highlight how the company account for around 30% of the U.S. retail home and small business networking market, and they aim to keep Linksys’ market a growing presence.

With Linksys being one of the leading home networking providers Hilton Romanski, VP Corporate Business Development at Cisco, feels this strategic relationship with Belkin will assist the growth of Linksys’ current position creating new opportunities for consumers, distribution partners and resellers making it the strongest retail presence in the U.S. networking marketplace.

In addition, Pipin also said, Belkin will have access to a large install base taking full advantage of the new technologies that will come with the likes of smartphones, tablets, notebooks and other home automation arenas. Do you feel the acquisition of Cisco’s Linksys business will give Belkin the opportunity to become an even bigger name in the world of home networking technology?

The speakers on the iPad are pretty decent, but they are not going to blow anyone away with their depth or awesome bass levels. This is when so many consumers opt for a speaker dock, but what if you could enhance the sound of your iPad without the need for a bulky dock? Well Belkin believes that they have the answer with their Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater Dock, which is effetely a new iPad case with built-in speakers.

This case will help to enhance the sound of your iPad so that you can better enjoy watching TV shows, movies and also playing games, and you’ll be pleased to know that Belkin will not only support the new iPad with the Lighting connector, but also the standard 30-pin version as well.

We’re told that Belkin is to also offer a free app to accompany the case, which will allow for customized sound profiles, which comes in handy for the different medias that are played on Apple’s tablet devices. While the idea of a case with built-in speakers for the iPad does sound like an interesting accessory to help enhance the sound, there’s still a fear that the sound range will be limited and that bass levels will be below what you and I would find acceptable.

The speakers face the front of the case to offer a greater sound and the case can be folded to also act as a stand. You can still use the camera and both ports and switch and volume buttons are easily accessible. You’ll be able to get your hands on the case later this month and the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater is a shocking $199.99, which will certainly make a few people think before they part with that kind of money. Visit Belkin for more details.

While the video we have embedded for you below does not allow you to experience the sound quality of the new iPad speaker dock from Belkin, it does show you what the device looks like, along with how much more bulk it adds to the iPad – which kind of defeats the object.

The tablet market is wide ranging and has seen many improvements with new models this year, and the Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9-inch models are certainly going to prove a popular present at Christmas. You may well be wondering how best to protect your Kindle Fire so we thought we would take a look at a few robust cases that are available right now. The three cases we will be taking a look at are the BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber, the OtterBox Defender, and the Belkin Quilted cover.

The first thing you notice about the Kindle Fire HD cover from Belkin is the luxurious design that’s quilted and spongy. This cover is available in 3 colors and gives the tablet a majestic and bureaucratic look, as though it has just been removed from the shelves of your personal library. This Belkin case for the Kindle Fire HD allows for different viewing angles and stands positively in the chosen position for easy working, reading and viewing. The Kindle itself is held in place with a gripping corner design and the case features a soft interior lining.

Belkin keep this case closed by a magnetic tab that snaps positively and satisfyingly tight, the tab is also held out of the way by the magnet when the stand is in use making sure it doesn’t obscure the screen. Belkin’s Quilted Cover is designed for the 7-inch Kindle Fire and is available in red, black and cream with a price point of just under $40. The Belkin Quilted case is a smart looking product, and although perfect for everyday knocks and bumps we wonder how it would stand up to a serious mishap. The Belkin official page can be seen here.

If your Kindle Fire HD (8.9) is unlikely to ever leave the home or you use a separate sleeve then you may want to consider the BodyGuardz Carbon Fiber, although more of a skin than a full blown case. The BodyGuardz Armor is certainly eye catching and looks as hard as nails, which the official video shows the casing material being put through its paces in an intriguing test. You can see the Kindle Fire HD and BodyGuardz Armor in the video below this article.

The fact it is more of a skin, means it’s ultra-thin and barely noticeable to the Kindles overall size, and although excellent at protecting your device from everyday scratches and scrapes it does very little to protect it from a serious and clumsy fall. Also included with the Carbon Fiber is a ScreenGuardz screen protector allowing you to protect the screen as well as the back of your tablet. Available in Black and White and at just under $30 the BodyGuardz Carbon Fiber can be seen at the BodyGuardz site here.

If you are planning on putting your Kindle Fire through its paces during a daily commute, letting the kids loose with it or are just plain clumsy, then the OtterBox Defender may be the cover for you. Although bulkier than the cases above the Defender is built to resist even the harshest of drops and falls and designed to keep your Kindle safe. The case is constructed from 2 pieces of polycarbonate that snap together and a silicone outer layer that then fits tightly around the outside. There is also a built in screen protector, which saves the Kindle Fire screen from scratches and sticky fingerprints.

The OtterBox Defender case also has a screen shield that covers and protects the Kindle Fire HD screen when not in use, or is being transported, and the screen shield also has an inbuilt stand that allows the Kindle to stand-alone for hands free use when the shield is clipped to the rear of the case. This extra piece of mind knowing your Kindle is about as safe as can be obviously comes at a premium, and the OtterBox Defender is available from the OtterBox website for $69.99. Unfortunately at this moment in time the defender is only available in black.

OtterBox’s official video demo can be seen below, although it’s worth pointing out that the Amazon Kindle Fire HD (8.9) Defender Series case is also available for $10 more, which can be seen in the image below and on their website here.

So if you are hoping for a Kindle Fire HD 7-inch or 8.9-inch this Christmas, which type of case do you prefer? Do you like something that really protects your tablet as seen with OtterBox series, or are lighter options just fine for your needs? Let us know if you currently use any of the above cases, we would love to hear your thoughts.

One of the first things you’d do as a new Apple iPad mini owner would be to look for accessories, which would certainly include an iPad mini case if you care about protecting your new gadget. Belkin know this and are ready for the iPad mini release date with a nice collection of accessories, and these include covers with stands, cases, Aux cables, charger kits, and a lot more.

We reported minutes after the iPad mini worldwide launch how easy the pre-orders were going through, which is something that doesn’t always happen thanks to demand causing servers to max out. Shortly after we placed our iPad mini pre-order, to get hands-on with a full review, we noticed shipping dates slipped very fast for certain colors and sizes.

Belkin iPad mini accessories – we’ve included a few photos below of the add-ons currently available from Belkin, although it is worth pointing out some of these were already available to buy but now claim to be compatible with the new iPad mini. The cases were made for the new tablet, although we think a few of the others were tested since the reveal, or are expected to be supported based on official sizing considering most brands are yet to be hands-on.

If you have pre-ordered the iPad mini, what will the first accessory you purchase be? The images above include a MIXIT Aux cable that is supported by iPad mini, a striped cover with stand, and FlipBlade stand that is also supported by iPad mini. You can see the full range of Belkin accessories for the 7.9-inch iPad on this page. You can also see how the Apple iPad mini and Google Nexus 7 compare thanks to a few review videos in this article. The UK and US iPad mini release date is November 2.