If you’re using the latest Apple devices and all your software is up to date, then your iPhone will now use Bluetooth to search for nearby AppleTVs as well as just searching on the network using Bonjour. The end result is the same – streaming over the local Wi-Fi network – but if you have an odd or non-standard Wi-Fi setup, this might help[,your devices talk to one another.
Let’s be honest with ourselves here: When we’re in the air, we don’t give a second thought to our luggage traveling in the belly of the plane just a meter or so below us. We don’t really start thinking about our checked bags until we’re standing at the carousel, as we’re wondering if it would look more suspicious to the customs officials if we visited the bathroom before or after picking up our suitcases.
So the Calypso Tag, which lets you know that your bag is about to exit the luggage conveyor, is probably a better option than a GPS tracking tag that you can’t follow when you’re in the air anyway.
Compact Bluetooth speakers are one of the most useful electronic inventions since the MP3 player. Though smaller, more portable speakers are great on the go, but they lack the power often needed around the house or in the backyard. Cult of Mac Deals has a special edition Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t just sound great…it looks great, too.
Freaq n’ Fabulous is a re-envisioned version of Soundfreaq’s highly-praised, compact Bluetooth speaker, the Sound Step. This hi-fi speaker delivers crystal clear audio with its signature sound profile, crafted for natural bass response and vocal clarity. And you can get it for only $99 – 34% off the regular price – during this limited time offer from Cult of Mac Deals.
Well, The Bluetooth Shower Speaker syncs up with your iPhone, Android device, iPad, or home computer – and can be played up to 10 meters away from your device. And Cult of Mac Deals has it for only $39!
At this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the themes were – as we expected – waterproof phones, smart-watches and NFC (again). Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 was a high-profile example of the waterproof trend, and the company also showed its new Galaxy Gear watch, which looks pretty neat for a giant wrist-screen. And NFC is in every Android handset these days.
But how do these themes relate to the iPhone and iPad? Let’s think about that.
We’ve all experienced the unreliable Bluetooth connection or finicky car radio where you have to dial a new station every time you get static, all your problems are solved with this high quality auxiliary cable.
You can’t argue with the reliability of an auxiliary cable, especially when there’s six (6) feet of cord that allows you to change songs without getting up from the couch. Reliability is key and the Griffin Audio Cable is exactly that – unlock a new music experience. And Cult of Mac Deals has it for just $6.99!
Tivoli has long made great-looking, full-toned radios and speakers with a distinctly classic style, and the new Model Three doesn’t change any of that. But there’s one addition which is distinctly modern. The nine-year old design now comes with Bluetooth.
Stratus by SteelSeries Category: Game Controllers Works With: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch Price: $79.99
The joy of most iOS titles is the ability to play using the touchscreen. The gaming world has benefitted greatly from iOS game developers learning how to best control their games without a physical controller.
However, there are a few games — especially versions of old-school console games — that just cry out for an actual button-filled controlling device that you can use while staring intently at the screen.
The Stratus, and other controllers like it, aims to fill that need with a smaller, super-portable and highly accurate controller that takes advantage Apple’s own iOS game controller code that’s built right into iOS 7.
Whether you’ll find this a successful or not depends a lot on your device, the games you want to play, and how your hands fit on the Stratus itself.
Tempo by Blue Maestro Category: Weather Works With:iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Price: around $50
For the last few weeks, I have had a little pebble-shaped gadget sat out on the wall of my balcony. It’s the Tempo, a Bluetooth thermometer which keeps the last 24 hour’s temperatures in memory, and passes them to your iDevice on demand. It’s also pretty tough, as we’ll see…
Odds are your wallet or purse cost $50–100 alone (not counting the cash and invaluable items inside) so why wouldn’t you insure it with a $25 investment?
The Find’Em Tracking Card contains a Bluetooth-connected tracking device that syncs to your phone (via free iOS or Android app) and shows you its exact location as long as you’re within 150 feet of it. And now you can get it for only $24.99 – a savings of 37% – courtesty of Cult of Mac Deals.
For the musician on the go, in the studio, or on the stage, this Cult of Mac Deals offer is designed to meet all your mobile sound needs.
iLoud is the first portable Bluetooth speaker designed with musicians and audiophiles in mind. It allows you to reproduce your music – in every possible mobile situation – as accurately as you would in the comfort of your studio. Plus, it offers a ¼” microphone/guitar input for use with iOS music creation apps, so you can record, edit, and perform all on-the-go. And Cult of Mac Deals has the iLoud for just $239 during this limited time offer.
Last week we saw Command-C, a super-useful app that uses Wi-Fi, iOS 7 multitasking and push notifications to easily send your clipboard between devices. Now, there’s Scribe, which goes one better by ditching the Wi-Fi sending the clipboard between devices using low energy Bluetooth.
The Earjax® Echo is a Bluetooth speaker that truly embodies simplicity and functionality. About the size of an 8oz can of soda, you can pair it with your phone, tablet, or MP3 player and take music with you wherever you go.
I love wireless gadgets, but sometimes they’re more trouble than they’re worth. For instance, I’m forever getting dropped connections on my AirPlay speakers, making them more annoying to use than wired speakers, despite the promised convenience. And wireless earbuds seem like an exercise in frustration. I regularly lose even my white Apple EarPods, so imagine how bad it’d be with two separate (and tiny) buds.
Jabra’s new Rox wireless earbuds at least address the last question. How? By adding a wire.
If you’re an iPhone convert and have ever complained about your iPhone’s touchscreen keyboard not being “user-friendly” enough, are tired of fighting with autocorrect, or simply think the lack of physical keys are seriously hindering your cellular typing skills – then this Cult of Mac Deals offer is going to be right up your alley.
This sleek iPhone 5 Keyboard Case is available for a limited time for just $39 – a savings of 43%!
If you made a New Year’s resolution to start hitting the gym, eat better, or improve your overall health, this Bluetooth-capable body scale is the perfect way to track your progress.
This sleek, futuristic-looking scale does more than just tell you how many holiday pounds you’ve packed on (or lost!), it also measures and records weight, fat, BMI, water, muscle, and bone indexes, giving you a detailed picture of your body composition. And Cult of Mac Deals has it for only $99.95 for a limited time.
The aerodynamic Rukus Xtreme on the left, Rukus II on the right. Photo: Eli Milchman.
LAS VEGAS — Eton has improved the wedge-shaped, solar-powered Rukus Bluetooth speaker it introduced just over six months ago, and are now calling it the Rukus II; they’ve also built a second, bigger, badder (and more expensive) version they’ve naturally dubbed the Rukus Xtreme.
The Babolat Play is a tennis racquet for those of us who want to improve our game without having to hire a real coach. Those folks cost a lot of money!
For $399, though, you can purchase this new app-enabled, Bluetooth-connected, motion-sensing tennis racquet for your very own. The company has stuffed a ton of sensors into the handle of this thing without even affecting the balance or weight.
You can connect the racquet to your iPhone or iPad and get real-time feedback, or just let the Babolat Play record your performance information and sync it up later for analysis.
The Babolat Play is available now in the US, and should release worldwide very soon.
There’s nothing better than a good coach for any sport. When learning how to be good at something like basketball, you need good feedback and suggestions based on how you perform. It’s a dynamic process for sure.
94Fifty thinks so, too, and decided to create a smart basketball that pairs with a free app for your iPhone and iPad. The ball is loaded with sensors and bluetooth and gets you instant, quality feedback on how you’re tossing the rock to the hoop.
The 94Fifty Smart Sensor Basketball will run you $295 at Apple retail stores or online, while the app is free for anyone to download, though it won’t do you a whole lot of good without the ball.
Arcam, the UK high-end audio company, has a little nugget to tempt audiophiles. It’s called the miniBlink, and it’s a “hi-def” Bluetooth audio adapter with a proper built-in DAC. What? Don’t fret. It just means you can beam Bluetooth audio to your stereo without it sounding crappy.
The little dots on the sensor's face are lights that tell you whether the sensor is connected, or if the battery is low. Photo: Eli Milchman
LAS VEGAS — Rather than come out with a more casual-oriented wearable fitness tracker like everyone (and we mean everyone) else, Wahoo stuck to its athletic roots and took the more serious route of improving the heart-rate monitor strap and accompanying training software the company introduced a few years ago.
In fact, Wahoo has created three new versions of its Bluetooth HR strap. The company even tried to restructure the way athletes think about training with the new “burn or burst” approach for the Wahoo iOS app.
What if you could control the color of your jewelry (provided you wear some, that is) using your iPhone?
This thought is behind the development of a new line of Bluetooth smart jewelry from UK-based chip maker CRS — able to connect to mobile devices so that wearers that customize the color and brightness to suit their mood, or match a particular outfit.
Worried about what the sun’s harmful rays are doing to your skin? With June, a new smart bracelet from Netatmo that’s aimed at women, you can find out exactly how much exposure your skin is getting, then decide what kind of sunscreen you need to stay safe.