LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 –
The Cult of Mac staff invaded Show Stoppers last night at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. Along with some free buffet food and an endless supply of booze, there were products galore. Some were neat. A lot were horrible. But the event was a lot of fun.
Here is a small sampling of the sights of CES Showstoppers last night:
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – The CES iLounge is jam packed with a cornucopia of iPhone headphones, all with their own little trick or gimmick to make them standout. A lot of them try to solve the problem of tangled headphone wires, and then best one I’ve seen so far are Zipbuds.
Like almost every other headphone manufacturer at CES, Zipbuds makes headphones with big puffy earpieces that can pump out some loud bass. Zipbuds also has a lot of celebrity endorsements and all that jazz. But what sets Zipbuds’ product apart, is that you can zip your headphone wires together to make everything tangle free. It’s simple, and clever, and works really well.
I have an admiration for very simple solutions, and while the CardNinja — a new iPhone accessory that was on display last night at Showstoppers! — isn’t going to light anyone’s world on fire, it’s a “why didn’t I think of that?” kind of product that makes it a lot easier to treat your iPhone like a real wallet.
We’ve been itching to get our hands on the Pebble smartwatch since it first hit Kickstarter, but that wait will be over later this month. At CES in Las Vegas today, Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky announced that the device has now entered mass production, and that shipping will begin on January 23.
No one really likes slapping a case on their iPhone — no matter how pretty or how protective that case may be. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll try to find the thinnest, lightest iPhone case on the market in an effort to preserve Apple’s sleek and sexy design. Mod-3 feels exactly the same way, and they’ve designed the Radius, a new iPhone 5 case that’s so minimalistic you’ll hardly notice it.
Rumors surrounding an upcoming low-cost iPhone have really taken off this week, with The Wall Street Journal reporting on Tuesday that the device could make its debut before the end of 2013. Now Bloomberg is corroborating that with information from its own sources, who say Apple is already discussing the device with at least one of the major U.S. carriers. They also claim that the handset will cost between $99 and $149 when it launches.
If you’re a former BlackBerry user who’s just bought your first iPhone, and you’re struggling to adapt to its virtual on-screen keyboard, then check out the Spike SmartType from SoloMatrix. On show at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, and coming to iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5, the Spike is a new case that slaps a physical QWERTY keyboard right across your handset’s display. You can fold it away when it’s not in use, and you never need to worry about charging it.
A day after AT&T announced its “best-ever” quarter for smartphone sales, rival operator Verizon Wireless is doing exactly the same thing. The carrier has announced that it expects to have reached a record 9.8 million sales during the fourth quarter of 2012, and it’s attributing that success to the popularity of the iPhone.
T-Mobile USA will finally start selling the iPhone and enforce its plan to eliminate subsidies in “three to four months,” according to the company’s chief executive, John Legere. It will be the first time T-Mobile has offered in the iPhone in the United States since the handset was first released launched in 2007.
If you’re into iOS but don’t know how to turn that passion into revenue, then the latest Cult of Mac Deals offer will be just what the doctor ordered. With The Master iOS Programming Course, you’ll be able to turn your iOS passion into a new lucrative hobby – and for just $47 to boot!
T-Mobile recently announced that it has finally entered a partnership with Apple, meaning the iPhone should be sold on T-Mobile sometime later this year. While the iPhone isn’t officially sold on T-Mobile quite yet, that hasn’t kept iPhone owners from joining T-Mobile’s ranks. The nation’s fourth largest carrier says that it has been adding 100,000 iPhone activations each month, and T-Mobile now serves 1.9 million iPhones total.
Since you can’t yet buy an iPhone with a contract when you walk in a T-Mobile store, these numbers mean that a signifiant number of customers are bringing over unlocked iPhones from other carriers.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – I have an unhealthy love affair with LEGOs. They’re beautiful and fun, but also expensive. Have you seen how much it costs to build a replicate R2D2 and B-Wing fighter to put in your bedroom.
Smallworks isn’t helping me any either. They’re making iPhone cases that let you play with LEGOs right on your iPhone and morph it into any creation you can dream up.
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.
This morning we told you about the Digitimes report that said Apple is planning to release a low-cost iPhone for emerging markets later this year. Now The Wall Street Journal is corroborating by saying “the device could come as soon as late 2013.”
Wouldn’t it be cool if your Mac locked and unlocked itself based on the proximity of your iPhone? A new menubar app called Keycard uses the Bluetooth sensors to detect when you walk away from your Mac. If you need to get up and, for example, take a call on your iPhone, Keycard will lock your Mac for you until you return.
OS X lets you automatically log out when your Mac is left unattended for a certain amount of time, but Keycard is all about location. The nearness of your iPhone is the key to unlocking your Mac, so you don’t need to manually enter your login password.
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.
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.
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.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Roaming the halls of CES like a ghoul is a hard work. So when someone jumped out from their booth and offered me a free massage, I took it. The kind gentleman then tossed a weird vest over my head and ask me which pop artist I want to have massage me. I originally requested Lionel Ritchie, but had to settle with Carly Rae Jepsen – naturally.
The contraption hanging around my shoulders is called the iMusic BodyRhythm. It’s like one of those fancy massage machines you can buy at Brookstone, except the iMusic BodyRhythm hooks up to your iPhone and will massage you to the beat of your music. And let me tell you, Carly Rae Jepsen is a great masseuse. She should probably switch careers, because as much as I love singing-along to Call Me Maybe, I like it even more when it’s massaging the kinks out of my back.
Digitimes has today published one of its more questionable rumors regarding Apple’s upcoming low-cost iPhone. Citing sources in the Cupertino company’s supply chain, it claims the cheaper device — believed to be called the “iPhone mini” by one analyst — will make its debut later this year, aimed at China and other emerging markets.
But it won’t be smaller to cut costs. Instead it’ll boast a larger screen to meet the “prevailing trend for the adoption of 5-inch displays.”
Tim Cook has kicked off 2013 with a second visit to China. The Apple CEO met with Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, to discuss the development of China’s information technology industry, mobile communications, and Apple’s expansion in China.
The Cupertino company has doubled its number of retail outlets in the nation, and its iOS devices are becoming increasingly popular there. Cook’s last visit to China came in March 2010 before he pledged “greater investment” in the world’s largest market for consumer technology.
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.
AT&T will announce its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012 later this month, but the carrier has today confirmed that the quarter saw its “best-ever” sales of both Android and iOS devices. More than 10 million smartphones were sold during the three-month period, with an average of more than 110,000 smartphone sales a day.
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.
eBay has issued updates to its iOS apps this week to introduce a number of features that promise to make selling from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch a much more pleasant process. When listing a new item, the apps will now help you choose a category for your item — just like the website does — and they’ll help you select the right shipping charges. What’s more, you can now start listings on your iOS devices and finish them off on your desktop — or vice versa.