Gasket from id America (http://www.id-case.com) is a funky looking, brushed aluminum case for the iPhone 4. But it's funky looking in a manly sort of way.

Gasket -- inspired by the shape of a head gasket on an engine -- is great for guys (or gals) who don't want to dress their iPhone in a frou-frou case. It looks like no other iPhone case I've ever seen. I mean that in a good way, though you'll either love the unique look or hate it. I love it.

The US$29.95 case is constructed from real brushed aluminum and has a suede inner liner to protect the back of your Apple smartphone. It snaps on easily and offers decent protection in a slim design that showcases the iPhone design.

There are cutouts for the dock connector, volume buttons, mute switch, headphone jack, camera and power/sleep button. Plus, the Apple logo is allowed to peek through. The case is sleek enough that there's no problem accessing any of these features or connecting your Gasket-wearing iPhone to an Apple dock, charger cables or headphones. (Note that the Gasket doesn't come with any sort of belt-clip.)

The Gasket Brushed Aluminum case is available in Titanium Gray, Modern Bronze, Aluminum Silver and Vintage Gold. I prefer the Modern Bronze flavor.

The Gasket comes with clear front and back protective films, as well as a cleaning cloth and squeegee. As always, I had trouble applying the films without air bubble trouble -- but maybe that's just me.

Rating: 9 out of 10

-- Dennis Sellers