LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – I tried a Lightning-equipped battery case out today, and it was great. If you were doubting Apple’s decision to swap out its hideous 30-pin connector for the svelte new Lightning, then one smooth-sliding click of UNU’s case will put you straight.
The iMusic Body Rhythm Lets You Feel The Beat As You Rock Out To Justin Bieber [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 –
If you’ve ever wanted to feel your music while you listen to it, look no further than CES iMusic Body Rhythm, a new product being shown off at CES. Cult Of Mac’s Buster Heine went hands on with the product to rock out to some Justin Bieber tunes and see how it works.
Bluetooth Stickers Of Power Make Lost Gadgets A Thing Of The Past [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – There’s nothing that isn’t Bluetooth-powered at CES. We saw a Bluetooth-enabled fork the other day, and today, we saw a pack of Bluetooth-enabled stickers. Really.
Unlike the stickers of Hello Kitty and She-Ra: The Princess Of Power that Buster and I shrewishly compete to collect, however, the Stick ‘N’ Find Bluetooth stickers are actually pretty useful, although worth every penny as much to collect.
Olloclip Shows Off Super-Clever iPhone Camera Case [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – I, like many of you, love my Olloclip. And while I don’t often use an iPhone case, when I do, I hate having to peel it off just to pop on the super-convenient accessory lens.
Thankfully, Olloclip has weathered the ordeal that was the iPhone 5 launch, and is now back to making cool new stuff. The latest is a case with a slide-open corner for use with the Olloclip. But it packs some really clever extra gimmicks.
If You’re Prone to Yelling And Stomping on Things, These Jabra Revo ‘Phones Might Be OK For You [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Jabra makes some nice stuff, but the last time I played with a pair of Jabra’s headphones I really felt like doing this to them. If I had, they would have broken; the new Jabra are probably better, and they have a nigh-indestructible headband to boot.
Ballistic’s Aspira Is The Sarah Connor Of iPhone Cases [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – I cringe every single time I drop my iPhone 5, but still I refuse to add a bulky protective case to its slim body. If I wanted a fat ugly phone that I could toss around the room, I’d buy some piece of crap Android handset.
But Ballistic’s new Aspira case manages to be not only tough, but also thin and good looking. It’s like the Sarah Connor of iPhone cases.
The Aspira aspires (ahem) to be an everyday, always-on case. It’s a smooth rubbery cover with edges and corners which are subtly flared to make them thicker without looking bulky. I tried on and it is surprisingly thin and light, and slides in and out of a front jeans pocket easily.
There are patterned versions and multicolored ones, and the patterns look a lot nicer in the flesh than in the website’s photos.
I’d seriously consider using one of these as an everyday case, it’s that slim. And when I bashed my iPhone (my own, personal iPhone, paid for by me) up against the Ballistic booth’s table, I didn’t cringe. High praise indeed.
Source: Ballistic
FitBit Flex Counts Calories From Your Wrist [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – FitBit – the OG fitness-tracking dongle – has gone toe-to-toe with the Nike Fuelband and Jawbone’s Up. Or maybe that should be “wrist-to-wrist,” as the new FitBit Flex is a tracker which wraps around your arm.
Matias Tenkeyless Bluetooth Keyboard For Mac And iPad [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Are you ready to have your mind blown? Three words: Bluetooth Clackety Keyboard. More words: without the clack.
That’s right. Matias, maker of the non-clicky Quiet Pro, has released a tenkeyless version of the mechanical-switched keyboard, and it has Bluetooth, which means it works with the iPad.
We Finally Find Sony’s New Xperia Z, Soaking in a Fishbowl [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – It’s pretty unusual to see a major headset manufacturer’s brand-spanking new flagship phone soaking in a goldfish bowl. Then again, if that phone is the new waterproof Sony Xperia Z, maybe a fishbowl is exactly where one would expect to find it.
MakerBot Releases Badass Replicator 2X 3D-Printer; Expect iPad Software Soon
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – MakerBot just announced the Replicator 2X, an advanced 3D printer that’s can print complex 2-color models and is optimized for ABS plastic.
In addition, MakerBot released a printer API and expects third-party software makers to create software for the iPhone and iPad to run its printers.
“I expect we’ll be building the moon base with them,” said Bre Pettis, MakerBot CEO after introducing the Replicator 2X to a scrum of press. “That’s where it’s going.”
Give Your iPhone A 3D Display Thanks To This Cheap iPhone Screen Protector [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – The odds of Apple coming out with an iPhone with a 3D display is fairly negligible. Jony Ive’s not going to let it happen. But just because Cupertino doesn’t want to embrace 3D doesn’t mean you can’t watch 3D videos on your iPhone.
Thanks to a clever iPhone screen protector from Nanoveu, you can give your iPhone a 3D display for cheap. Plus, you don’t have to download any special apps or anything like that. Nanoveu’s lens will do all the work for you.
Marware’s MicroShell Folio Has a Hard Body, Soft Face [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Poor Ronnie Khadaran.
It’s the first day of CES, and already visitors are destroying his booth. They keep ripping the display items from their stands. Instead of talking up his company’s new products, Marware’s director of marketing is busy trying to stop CES showgoers from destroying his booth.
One of the new items on display is Marware’s MicroShell Folio, a $35 hard plastic shell with a magnetic cover that doubles as a stand.
It shares the same name as an earlier product, but is a better design. I got a chance to play around with one on the show floor, and thought it was a nice, relatively inexpensive case for the iPad mini.
The Justin Case Bundles A Battery & Lightning Cable Into An iPad Folio [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Sometimes you find something that catches your eye in the back alleys of CES, and the Justin Case by Innovative Technologies is exactly like that. It’s a very compact, slim and stylish folio case for your iPad or iPad mini with built-in slim line battery connected to elegantly sreamlined 30-pin and Lightning chargers.
Polaroid Wants To Be The Lens (And Case) Through Which You View iOS Photography [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – The truth of the matter is that there’s just no way to have a telescopic lens phallically jutting out of the back of your iPad in a way that Jony Ive’s sense of dignity in design would approve of. Props to Polaroid, then, for not even trying, instead going a more playful route with their brand new line-up of iPad, iPhone and iPad mini cases that support snap-on external lenses.
Stream Video From Any Computer To Your TV With This $99 Dongle [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Wanna stream video from your Mac but don’t have an Apple TV? No problem. This dongle by Plair will let you stream any video you want to your TV’s HDMI port over WiFi.
Why not just use an Apple TV? Maybe you don’t have Mountain Lion on your Mac and can’t share your display over AirPlay with your TV. Maybe you got a PC in the house too and want to stream video from that as well. There are lots of reasons, but basically, Plair is more universal than a lot of options out there.
Your iPhone Can Now Fix Your Crappy Golf Swing [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Don’t leave sports out of CES. There’s lots of fitness accessories here that want to turn nerds into phenomenal athletes. If you’re in the camp that believes golfing is a sport, then the SwingTIP is best new accessory here.
SwingTIP is a bluetooth-enabled 3D motion sensor that attaches to your golf club to capture the motion of your golf swing, analyze it, and then tell you how to fix your game.
A Gallery Of Gadget Gems At The CES’s Pepcom [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Last night, the Cult of Mac staff attended a CES event called Pepcom. It’s a heavily sponsored event with hundreds of companies showing off their latest products to members of the press. Some products are not available for retail and a few don’t even have prices yet. Pepcom goes all out on themes. The more elaborate, the better. This year the theme was “tailgating,” so there was a lot of deep fried food and people dressed as football players and cheerleaders.
Here’s some of the fun stuff and people we saw:
Apps Wanted: Ford Opens Its Cars’ Doors To Developers Everywhere [CES 2013]
Just over 100 years ago, Ford, one of America’s oldest car companies, was selling the model T; my, how far we’ve come.
Back to 2013, Ford has announced they’re opening up their AppLink service to all the iOS and Android app developers of the world, essentially creating an ecosystem full of apps that will make their cars even better. They’re calling their new initiative the Ford Developer Program, and I think it’s pretty cool.
Scosche BoomBOTTLE Speaker For Bikes [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – There are many ways that you can annoy pedestrians and motorists with your bike: riding on the sidewalk; ringing the bell constantly as if you were a five-year-old child; running red lights without looking first.
And my favorite: riding a municipal bike-share bike the wrong way down a one-way street, whilst texting (not talking – texting) on a cellphone.
Now, Scosche adds to the long list with a speaker that sits in a bike’s bottle-cage.
Add A Splash Of Color To Your iPad Mini With Speck’s New CandyShell Cases [CES 2013]
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, Speck expanded its family of CandyShell accessories with two brand new cases for the iPad mini. The CandyShell and CandyShell Grip both sport Speck’s patented dual-layer design, which combines a rubbery, shock-resistant interior with a hard plastic exterior to protect your iPad mini from accidental dings and drops. The cases are also available in an array of “on-trend” colors for 2013.
Seidio’s OBEX Case For iPhone 5 Is Waterproof, Dust-Proof & Military Approved [CES 2013]
Seidio, a leading manufacturer of mobile accessories, has today announced the OBEX, the latest addition to its lineup of iPhone 5 accessories. In addition to offering unbeatable impact protection, the OBEX is completely waterproof and dust-tight, protecting your delicate device from liquids, snow, and even mud.
PowerSkin Unveils Next-Generation Battery Cases For iPhone 5 [CES 2013]
PowerSkin has used CES 2013 to introduce its next generation of battery cases for the iPhone 5. There are three in total, all of which are equipped with Lightning connectors and designed to provide your smartphone with portable power while you’re on the go, ensuring you never run out of battery life before you get home to your charger. Meet the PowerSkin Pro, the PowerSkin Hybrid, and the PowerSkin Battery Case below.
The Nectar Mobile Power System Can Charge Your Devices For Up To Two Weeks [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 –
We’ve seen quite a few mobile power solutions already at CES, but the Nectar Mobile Power System is different. Instead of lasting for only a few charges like traditional external power packs, the Nectar charger promises to charge all of your mobile devices for up to two weeks.
Powerocks’ Magic Cubes, Sleek Power Bricks For All Your Gadgets [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – One thing is guaranteed for visitors to CES this year – your phone will never run out of power, because there will be stands demonstrating portable power supplies roughly every seven steps.
One of them will be these tidy looking Magic Cubes, a new idea from the people at Powerocks.
Braven’s Huge 850 Portable Bluetooth Boombox [CES 2013]
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Braven, the maker of some of the best Bluetooth portable speakers we have used, has just announced its new Big Jambox competitor – the 850.
Like the 650, the new speaker comes in a drilled aluminum case which is both stylish and light. Unlike the 650, it is huge, with a sound to match.