Accessories

Meet KOLOS, the world’s first iPad gaming wheel

We've seen a number of gamepads built for iOS devices over the years, but this has to be the first time we've ever seen an iPad gaming wheel. In fact, the developers of the KOLOS say it's the first of its kind.

The KOLOS is a tabletop steering wheel that cradles your iPad and uses its built-in accelerometer to give you a more realistic gaming experience when playing titles like Real Racing and Need for Speed...

Philips Hue personal wireless lighting review

$199 for a lightbulb? Are you crazy?

Well, first of all, there are three lightbulbs included with the package, not just one.

Secondly, these aren’t your parent’s lightbulbs.

Lastly, yes, I'm a little crazy when it comes to tech.

Indeed, the Hue personal wireless lighting starter kit from Philips is expensive; we’ve established that both here and here already. But disregard the price for a minute, and check out our full video review inside to see exactly how these bulbs work...

Incipio’s NGP case hugs the iPad mini

Incipio, as one of the largest world-wide accessory retailers, continues its line with fresh offerings for the iPad mini. Concurrently with the launch of the mini, Incipio hit the ground running with a few of their staple cases specifically tailored for Apple's newest iPad addition.

Today, I take a look at the Next Generation Polymer (NGP) impact protective shell. One of my biggest fears is scratching that beautiful black anodized shell and the NGP may be the ticket...

Urbanears bring the party straight to your ears [review and giveaway]

Having admired Urbanears from afar, on the shelves of local retailers, I was blown away when I finally got my hands on a pair of the new Zinken over-the-ear headphones. Urbanears is clearly a company priding itself by paying attention to the little things and even places a 63 page booklet in their headphones' box to prove it.

As a reviewer, I come across a lot of products for iOS devices on a regular basis and I can count, on one hand, how many times I have been impressed with product packaging (excluding actual Apple products). I must say, when it comes to accessories, often, a book should be judged by its cover and Urbanears spares no expense. Let's open the box on this pair of Zinkens my friends at Urbanears sent over and you too have a chance to grab a pair of your own...

Apple’s Lightning to Micro USB Adapter hits US online store

Apple's been an avid supported of USB for years. With USB 3.0, not so much - at least not until first Mac notebooks with USB 3.0 support began rolling out of assembly lines last year. The company, however, never adopted the industry-standard Micro USB connector. Instead, and much to the horror of the multi-billion dollar accessory biz, it chose to replace its own bulky, decade-old proprietary 30-pin dock connector with Lightning, another proprietary connector similar in size to micro USB (there's a reasonable explanation for that).

So, if you fancy connecting your Lightning-enabled mobile devices to micro USB cables and chargers to sync and charge, Apple comes to the rescue with its official Lightning to Micro USB Adapter. Originally released in Europe in September due to regulations mandating that all mobile phones be charged via commonplace micro USB adapters, it's now finally available to U.S. customers. How much? Just $20. I know, don't start...

Unofficial Lightning docks arrive

As Apple prepares to convene with accessory makers next month in order to lay out new rules pertaining to third-party Lightning gear, companies like iPhone5mod continue to exploit the supply-demand imbalance in order to produce unofficial accessories like cables and adapters that all use cracked Lightning chips.

iPhone5mod already has a few of these in its offering and they've just announced another accessory which could easily strike a chord with long-time Apple fans: a Lightning dock. Just like it removed the optical drive from the new iMac, Apple with the iPhone 5 stopped making docks for Lightning devices. Therefore, this opportunity has basically presented itself...

The iCade 8-Bitty Unboxing

I recently got my hands on an iCade 8-Bitty Bluetooth controller from Think Geek. The controller harkens back to the 8-Bit days with its boxy design, hence its name.

The 8-Bitty plays nice with all iOS devices, and even works with Android phones and tablets as well. Take a look inside as I unbox the controller, and check back soon for a more in-depth review...

First look at the new iPad mini Smart Cover

Although the iPad mini won't start hitting shelves and doorsteps until this Friday, it appears the Cupertino company has decided to go ahead and start shipping the tablet's accessories. Earlier this afternoon, my local FedEx driver dropped off this little guy: a Dark Grey polyurethane iPad mini Smart Cover.

At first glance, the smaller Cover may seem like an exact replica of its larger sibling. But there's one significant difference between the two, and that's the hinges. Instead of using a bare metal hinge, like it does in the full-sized Smart Cover, Apple used a covered hinge in the mini version. So there's no metal on metal...

BooKase stitches Italian quality into its iPad sleeves

I always keep an eye open for professional grade products, when scouring the internet for review materials and products. The BooKase website is a simplistic and unsuspecting front page advertisement for what amounted to an excellent iPad sleeve. Offering several options for both iPad and iPhone, I chose to review the Colorado collection designed for iPad and quickly fell for the simplicity and quality.

BooKase products are designed in California and produced in Italy. Placing importance on design-build, the materials are eco-friendly and washable to ensure a minimal footprint while offering easy-to-use protection...

Apple posts iPad mini Smart Cover video to YouTube

During its iPad mini event today, Apple introduced a new accessory: the iPad mini Smart Cover. It's essentially the same thing as the larger version, except there's no more metal hinge.

Alongside the announcement, Apple also showed off a rather well done TV commercial starring the new Covers. And a few moments ago, they published the spot to YouTube...

Meet the $39 iPad mini Smart Cover

As you probably know by now, the iPad mini finally materialized this morning. Apple's SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller unveiled the long-rumored tablet at the company's San Jose media event.

Pre-orders begin this Friday, October 26th, and Wi-Fi models will start shipping on November 2nd. And if you're looking for a way to protect your $300 investment, Apple has you covered...

iMpulse: an iOS gamepad that fits on your keychain

It seems like iOS game controllers are a dime a dozen these days. There's the iControlPad 2, the iCade 8-Bitty and the Bladepad, to name a few. But we still haven't seen a single controller pull ahead of the pack.

And that's a good thing — at least for accessory-makers anyway. It means that the controller market is still anyone's game. That being said, we've got another one to show you today, and it's called the iMpulse...