Accessories

This Catalyst case protects your Apple Watch from water and debris for under $60

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

In August of last year, Catalyst unveiled the first (to my knowledge) fully waterproof case for the Apple Watch. Where other cases merely provide drop protection or, at most, water resistance, the Catalyst Case is fully IP-68 spec waterproof for up to 5 meters.

Given Catalyst’s reputation for making well-designed products, I jumped at the chance to give their Apple Watch case a try. I’ve been using it every day on my own sport model Watch for the past several weeks, and I’m finally prepared to share my thoughts.

First impressions: Bulbae xylum Apple Watch Charging Stand

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

The xylum from Bulbae is an Apple Watch charging stand machined out of a single piece of aluminum. It's a strikingly good-looking stand that compliments both the aluminum Apple Watch Sport and the stainless steel Apple Watch.

The stand features a circular design with chamfered edges. To accommodate the magnetic inductive Apple Watch charger, a conduit runs along the inside of the stand with a large opening for housing the charging pad.

The xylum isn't without flaw, but it's one of the better looking Apple Watch stands that I've seen thus far. Have a look inside for more pictures and thoughts.

Several House of Marley Bluetooth speakers and headphones are on sale right now

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2016

We are big fans of House of Marley gear here at iDB. I recently reviewed the Chant Mini Bluetooth speaker, praising it for its sound and portability, and we have highlighted several of their other products over the years. So naturally, when we found out that many of their Bluetooth speakers and headphones were on sale, we just had to share it with you.

In my Chant Mini review, I noted that House of Marley products are unique in that they are built using earth-friendly materials like Hemp, bamboo and recycled plastic, and thus look very different than other consumer electronics. But, if you can get past the unorthodox aesthetics, my experience with HoM gear is that it sounds great and is very well made.

Apple working on magnetic Watch band that doubles as stand, protective case

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple is working on a new magnetic band for its Apple Watch that could transform into a stand, or protective case. The project, first spotted by AppleInsider, was brought to light in a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday.

Aptly-named the "Magnetic Wristband," the invention calls for a Milanese-style band consisting of two straps made from malleable material. These straps feature a series of magnets embedded in various polarity patterns that allow them to interact in unusual, but useful ways.

House of Marley Chant Mini review: the little speaker that could

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

House of Marley has built up a solid reputation among consumers and reviewers for delivering products with unique, eco-friendly designs, great-sounding audio and affordable prices. So of course I jumped at the chance to check out their Chant Mini Bluetooth speaker.

I’ve been playing with the Chant Mini for a few weeks now, and I have to say that I've been impressed. The speaker sounds great for its size—at just 4.25"x5.5"x4.35" this thing is incredibly portable—and I have to admit that the unconventional design has kind of grown on me.

Apple is reportedly building wireless earphones that will fit inside your ear and come with charging case

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2016

Apple is reportedly building brand new, completely wireless earphones that will fit inside of a user’s ear, along with a charging case, as per 9to5Mac.

The in-house designed hardware is similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset and Bragi’s new Dash and said to include a noise-cancelling microphone system. The accessory will be “a premium alternative” to a Lightning-enabled version of the EarPods headset that's also in the works (EarPods are the wired in-ear headphones that came with your iPhone).

Three days ago, Japanese blog Macotakara first reported on Apple's plans to bundle the iPhone 7 with a wireless headset. The following day, Fast Company said Apple is working with a supplier on a new noise-canceling technology to be used both in the iPhone 7 and the new earphones to help remove background noise in music playback and in phone calls.

Check out Pavilion, a high-performance, gorgeously designed wireless speaker

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 7, 2016

If you're in the market for a great-looking wireless speaker for your desktop that packs some rather advanced audio technology in a sleek frame, look no further than the Pavilion, a new project that recently launched on Kickstarter and has already raised almost $50,000 funding out of the $70,000 target.

The Pavilion is a high-performance wireless speaker that looks gorgeous. It has a unique D-spiral acoustic system and definitely feels luxurious thanks to the clever use of different materials.

iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case: One month later

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

It's been about a month since I purchased Apple's highly-polarizing Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 6s. During this period of time, I've been using the case almost non-stop. I did remove the Smart Battery Case for a few days during the past month to see what life was like without the extra battery life, but I was happy to return to it not long after my experiment.

Most, if not all, of my initial impressions still hold up a month later. The Smart Battery Case might not be the best looking design to come out of Cupertino, but in real world usage, this thing is a winner.

Apple website leaks gorgeous new Space Black color option for Apple Watch’s Milanese Loop band

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

You will soon be able to buy a Milanese Loop band in gorgeous Space Black finish to complement your Space Black stainless steel Apple Watch case. As spotted by 9to5Mac, the company's Czech Online Store briefly published a new page for the Space Black Milanese Loop band, but it's since been pulled indicating the company probably leaked this band option for Apple Watch buyers prematurely.

Misfit debuts stylish new activity tracker and its first wireless in-ear headphones

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 3, 2016

Wearable devices maker Misfit at CES 2016 announced new products that build on its expertise in health and fitness tracking. A new activity tracker from the company, called the Ray, tracks your movement and sleep and resembles a bracelet with a cylindrical aluminum body.

Another new product from Misfit, a first for the company: the Specter in-ear wireless headphones with dual driver technology and a built-in accelerometer sensor for tracking your activity and sleep when worn.

Samsung says its Gear S2 smartwatch will support iPhone later this year

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

During its CES keynote on Tuesday, Samsung announced that iOS compatibility is coming soon to its Gear S2 smartwatch. On stage at the Las Vegas event, the company's VP Alanna Cotton said that the popular Tizen-powered accessory is getting iPhone support later this year.

Cotton didn't offer up specific dates or details, but expect S2 functionality to be far more limited on iOS than it is on Android. Apple does not give developers the kind of low-level access its own Watch enjoys—something that has long-hampered Pebble and Android Wear devices.

Apple allegedly plans to bundle iPhone 7 with wireless EarPods

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 5, 2016

Following a November 2015 claim by the Japanese blog Macotakara which asserted that Apple will ditch the standard 3.5mm headphone port on an 'iPhone 7' to focus exclusively on supporting Lightning-enabled headsets and wireless headphones, a new supply chain rumor published Tuesday by Chinese websites Anzhuo.cn and Feng claims that the Cupertino firm will actually bundle the next iPhone with a wireless version of its EarPods headphones to make up for the missing headphone jack.