Some people are persnickety about maintaining the pristine appearance of their portable devices (now say that fast 10 times), mourning every little scratch and dent as a little loss of innocence, and dressing them up in protective armor as if they're being sent off to war. So what if the case covers up the very thing that attracted them to their favorite gadget -- it's lovely, sleek, come-hither design.

But for those who like a more minimalist approach, ShieldZone makes shields that are invisible, using material originally "designed to protect the leading edges of military helicopter blades from wear and tear while traveling at hundreds of miles per hour." Though it won't cushion the fall if you drop your gadget onto concrete, it promises high quality, scratch-free protection that doesn't change the original appearance of your device. Each shield is specifically fitted for your particular PDA, cell phone, iPod, GPS, gaming system, watch, laptop, etc. (see full list of product categories on the site), and sells for $10 to $40.

Take a look at the customer-made demo video in which an iPod is viciously attacked by a metal key 12 hours after application of the shield.