Accessories

Check out the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 for iPhone and iPad

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 10, 2012

If you're a gadget freak, then the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is going to blow your socks off, just like the first version did twelve months ago.

Shown off at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the AR.Drone 2.0 takes what was already a super cool and easy to fly iPhone-controlled quadricopter, and somehow manages to make it even more amazing. Featuring a new 720p HD camera and new flying aids, the 2.0 release of our favorite flying machine just took iPhone-related toys to the next level while keeping it just one step ahead of the competition.

Oh, and it now works with the iPad, too...

New iCade Models Shown Off at CES 2012

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 9, 2012

We're big fans of the Ion Audio iCade here at iDB, so when we heard that the company had announced three new models, we took notice!

Building on the huge popularity of the original iPad-supporting iCade, these three new models build on what has already been done, while bringing the magic of iCade to the iPhone and iPod touch at the same time.

If you're a fan of arcade games and own an iOS device, then Ion Audio has you covered with an arcade stick solution...

Blue Debuts New Microphones for iOS Devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 4, 2016

With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking over Las Vegas this week, we're expecting to see an onslaught of new iOS-aimed hardware and accessories. A lot of manufacturers use the convention to show off their latest creations.

And it looks like one of those manufacturers will be Blue Microphones, the popular USB Microphone-maker. The company is looking to step outside its scope of professional desktop equipment and venture into iOS gear....

Gametel Gamepad Now Compatible With iOS Devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Considering how popular iOS has become as a mobile gaming platform, you would think that the market for iOS gaming accessories would be huge, but it's really not. The iOS gaming peripheral space is actually quite small.

But it is slowly growing, thanks to notable accessories like the iCade, the iControlPad, and now the Gametel Gamepad. The once Android-only wireless controller is all set to make its iOS debut at the Consumer Electronics Show next week...

iPad Survives 100,000 Foot Fall With G-Form Case

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Until last year, G-Form was known for its extreme sports protective gear (elbow/knee pads). Then it introduced the Extreme Sleeve case for iPad, and it is now known for making one of the most durable tablet cases around.

The company has gone through great lengths to demonstrate the Sleeve's toughness, dropping a bowling ball on an iPad wrapped in the case, and even hurling one from an airplane. And now it's taken things to a whole new level...

60beat’s $50 iOS GamePad Controller Brings the Console Experience to Mobile

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 29, 2011

iOS is growing to be a major player in the gaming space. When you are selling as many iPhones and iPads as Apple is, not to mention iPod touches, then it is almost an inevitability that your own App Store is going to become a mecca for all manner of games.

With its touch-based interface and huge screen, the iPad in particular has become something of a giant in the mobile gaming world, but the same touch screen that is is biggest strength can also be its biggest weakness. That's why this new accessory really caught our eye.

Coming from accessory company 60beat, this new controller gives gamers a more familiar way of controlling their games. If iOS gaming is to truly take over, then there needs to be a natural way to play traditional games, and that natural way involves a couple of thumbsticks and some hardware buttons.

Griffin HeloTC iOS-Controlled Helicopter Review

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 12, 2018

The market for iOS-controlled vehicles has become rather crowded over the last 12 months. We've seen everything from robots to helicopters and everything in between. But most of these remote control devices are usually too pricey to go mainstream.

Griffin's Helo TC breaks that mold by being one of the first iOS RC vehicles under $50. And although it has been available for a few months now, I just recently got my hands on one.

Cregle iPen is the Only iPad Stylus You’ll Ever Want

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 28, 2011

The humble stylus is something of a polarising accessory for iPad fans. With Steve Jobs famously being very anti-stylus, many Apple devotees look down on the pen-like writing device. But should they?

With the iPad proving so popular in many business situations, being able to write – and draw – precisely is a feature that many of us would love. Yes, there are styluses (or is it styli?) already out for for iPad owners, but if you've ever used one you will know that they have two major drawbacks: an unusually large nib, and their inability to work when your hand is resting on the screen.

Now a Kickstarter project is aiming to fix both problems, and if the videos are anything to go by, Cregle's iPen may well be the solution we have been looking for...

Improve Your 3G iPad’s Battery Life With This New Case

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated September 17, 2017

Interesting news from Ars Technica tells us that the iPad has a proximity sensor, just like the iPhone. The 36-equipped iPad's sensor is there to tell the tablet when to dial back its cellular radio. Why, you ask? According to the report, Apple doesn't want the radio running full tilt when it is close to a human.

This sensor is also triggered by some iPad cases, meaning that 3G iPads may spend most of their time with their 3G radios running for no good reason. That's where a new iPad case comes into play...

iLaunch Thunder: Launch Nerf Darts Via Your iPhone’s Bluetooth Connection [Updated]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

In need of a great conversation piece for your desk? Look no further than the iLaunch Thunder from Dream Cheeky.

The iLaunch Thunder allows you to launch Nerf-styled darts via a rotatable base using nothing more than your iDevice, its Bluetooth connection, and the free iLaunch Controller app downloadable from the App Store.

In our tests, the iLaunch Thunder worked just as advertised, though it is pretty pricey at around $100. But that's okay, we're giving this one away...

Microsoft Joins the iPad Accessory Game With a $50 Keyboard

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 16, 2011

Microsoft is on something of an Apple jaunt at the moment. The Windows and Office king has already been releasing iOS apps quicker than anyone else over the last few days, and it has now decided to join the lucrative iOS device accessory market with the Mobile Keyboard 5000.

Despite pushing its upcoming Windows 8 as the true tablet operating system, Microsoft has announced a new Bluetooth mobile keyboard for use with the iPad. It will also in theory worth with Android tablets and presumably future Windows 8 devices (it will not work with the Kindle Fire, by the way).

As far as hardware keyboards go, this offering from Microsoft doesn't look bad at all, assuming you can overlook those Windows keys.

Estylo is a Magentic iPad Stylus Made From Wood

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 11, 2011

Steve Jobs and Apple famously said that if you needed a stylus to operate a tablet then you had already failed, and while we would agree with that sentiment, sometimes you still need a stylus for the iPad. Those that annotate documents or draw on their Apple tablets can tend to prefer a more tactile experience.

A Kickstarter project by the name of Estylo 1.1 from Plai wants to offer a stylus experience for iPad users. While we have seen plenty of similar products pop up over the years, this one has two particularly interesting traits: it's made of wood, and it's magnetic.