Accessories

AirPods now available to buy from Apple.com

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 13, 2016

Following an unexpected delay over manufacturing issues, AirPods are now finally available to purchase from Apple's online store, with delivery before Christmas. Apple's first Bluetooth earphones, AirPods feature an in-house designed wireless chip, dubbed W1, which provides reliable wireless connection, extended battery life and a few smart features, such as one-tap Siri integration, seamless zero-configuration pairing via iCloud, the ability for AirPods to automatically turn on when you put them in your ear and more. When used with non-Apple devices, the $159 earphones act as any standard Bluetooth device.

Bring your padlocks up to the 21st century with the Dog & Bone LockSmart Mini

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 30, 2023

Chances are you have a thing or two that you like to keep locked away with a padlock of some sort.

Whether you need it for a locker at school or work, or to keep a gate or shed closed at home, you can bring your padlocks up to the 21st century with the Dog and Bone LockSmart Mini, which utilizes wireless Bluetooth connectivity so you can unlock the padlock with your smartphone.

10 great gift ideas for fitness geeks

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Welcome to the latest edition of iDB’s ongoing Gift Ideas series, where we provide curated roundups of some of our favorite products. Throughout the year we cover and test a number of devices and accessories, so we decided to use that experience to help those searching for the perfect present. Today’s roundup is focused on fitness geeks.

New BeatsX earphones with Apple W1 chip may not ship for at least 2-3 months

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 12, 2016

It's not just AirPods—according to an alleged email Apple sent to an authorized reseller, the new $149.95 BeatsX earphones rocking an in-house designed Apple W1 wireless chip may not start shipping for at least 2-3 months. As reported on by MacRumors, authorized reseller B&H Photo Video told a customer Apple's informed them that the new earphones will miss the company's self-proclaimed fall 2016 launch and are unlikely to start shipping before February or March 2017.

10 great gift ideas for iPhone photographers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

10 great gift ideas for iMac users

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

10 great gift ideas for MacBook users

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Twelve South’s HiRise Duet keeps your iPhone and Apple Watch charged simultaneously

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 7, 2016

When you’re a proud owner of both an iPhone and an Apple Watch, you might feel reluctant to have two separate charging docks, each with their own separate wires running across your desk to keep them charged.

Fortunately, Twelve South has you covered with their all new HiRise Duet charging platform, which not only gives you a place to charge your iPhone upright, but also provides an integrated charging disc for your Apple Watch.

10 great gift ideas for Apple Watch owners

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

OWC’s ThunderBay 4 mini is now available with up to 40TB SSD storage

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Other World Computing (OWC) expanded its ThunderBay lineup of storage devices with the introduction of the speedy ThunderBay mini 4 portable SSD storage with RAID 5 two years ago. Recently, OWC introduced its highest capacity and fastest desktop SSD configurations yet by adding 10, 20, 30 and 40TB SSDs to the ThunerBay mini 4.

Fitbit said to be buying Pebble for around $40 million

Cody Lee ∙ November 30, 2016

Fitbit is set to acquire troubled smartwatch-maker Pebble, according to a report from The Information. The deal is said to be mainly about the company's intellectual property and software, and will likely result in the end of Pebble hardware.

In a subsequent report, TechCrunch says a source close to the startup pegged the deal in the neighborhood of $34 to $40 million, and it will just barely cover its debts. In the past, it was rumored Pebble received offers as high as $740 million.

Some great USB-C hubs for your new MacBook Pro

Cody Lee ∙ November 30, 2016

If you recently picked up one of Apple's new MacBook Pros, you're probably suffering from port shock. The laptop only includes 4 USB-C connections—the non-Touch Bar model only has 2—and chances are your current accessories and peripherals don't support them.

An easy way to remedy this is to buy a hub. This will connect to a single USB-C port on your MacBook Pro, and provide you with various useful connections like USB 3.0, HDMI, and even an SD card reader. Below we've listed some great hub options for your new Mac.