Accessories

Perfectly cradle iPhone in leather with Nodus Access case

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It is rare to find a case I adore. Most of my hesitation stems from being an iPhone nudist, which I mention in most of my articles. Further complicating matters is my disdain for overly complicated designs or cases that interfere with the look and feel of iOS devices.

Many case companies get most things right. The protection level is perfect or the look and feel is spot on. Everyone does their thing. However, running into my third year of accessory reviews, most of the marketed cases are boring to me. In fact, my hardware review articles are quite infrequent due to the lack of truly new cases. Many companies are in their third or fourth iteration of the exact same case, merely updated for the newest iPhone form factor.

Standing in stark contrast to the mundane daily cases, Nodus introduced me to their Access collection. Even before holding the product, I thought to myself, here is a company that is doing it all exactly right. Shortly thereafter, I pillaged my mailbox looking for the iPhone 6 Plus Access case.

Declutter your life with the NeatConnect cloud scanner

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

In a recent attempt to go paperless, inspired by our own Jeff Benjamin, I began the search for a solid document scanner about this time last year. Thankfully, December is the month before CES and I hunted for a solution at the world's largest end-user computer conference.

Finding the right scanner was not particularly important, because I had no idea what should accompany a scanner purchase. What features does one need when it comes to scanning? Other than using primitive scanners back in college or a full blown office scanner, there is no personal benchmark for home-use that I could rely upon. In my quest through confusion, I stumbled upon the Neat team members, who promised a scanning option that did not require tethering to a computer. The NeatConnect is a powerful desktop tool without the requirement of annoying USB cables.

Twelve South’s Cyber Monday: 25 percent off BookBook cases for iPhones, iPads and Macs

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Twelve South, a premium accessory maker that designs and builds cases, stands, chargers and other Apple-exclusive accessories, is having a Cyber Monday sale today.

Calling it the biggest BookBook sale ever, they're taking 25% off all BookBook cases for iPhones, iPads and Macs and more, except for the Rutledge Edition finish.

Specifically, Twelve South's iconic genuine leather BookBook cases for iPads, MacBooks and iPhones and the BookBook Travel Journal are all included in the promotion. The sale lasts today only and quantities are limited, so it's good to move quickly on this.

Good deal: 41% off this remote control mini drone

Cody Lee ∙ November 26, 2014

Folks looking to pick up something different this holiday season for that special someone, or even themselves, may want to check out the SKEYE Nano Drone. The remote control quadcopter is small enough that it can be flown almost anywhere, and right now deal site StackSocial is offering it at a steep discount.

UPDATE: You can get this mini drone for even cheaper from Amazon.

Drones have become increasingly popular in recent years, and are guaranteed to be a hot-ticket item this holiday season. The SKEYE differs itself from the rest of the pack with its size and agility. It measures just 1.57×1.57 inches and utilizes a 6-axis flight control System, making it perfect for performing stunts.

OneCue adds motion gestures to your Apple TV and lets you control other smart home devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

EyeSight Technologies, a startup which specializes in machine vision, user awareness and gesture based interfaces, launched a very interesting home accessory yesterday, one that highlights a world of possibilities for a next-generation Apple TV.

They're calling it the OneCue and it aims to connect and control your Apple TV, or other media streamers and smart home devices for that matter, using hand gestures akin to Microsoft's Kinect with the Xbox One.

Supporting a plethora of TV sets, cable and satellite boxes, media streamers and AV receiver, the OneCue can turn on multiple smart home devices (i.e. TV, cable box and stere receiver) at the same time with the swipe of a hand or point of a finger.

Good deal: 25% off NES-style Bluetooth controller

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 6, 2016

If you're an iOS gamer, or have one on your holiday shopping list, you might want to check out this deal on this NES-style Bluetooth controller. It's called the NES30, and for a limited time, Stack Social is offering it at 25% off of its regular retail price.

The controller features two additional action buttons, and two shoulder buttons, but other than that it's nearly identical to Nintendo's classic gamepad. It works via both Bluetooth and USB, supports multiplayer, and has a 20+ hour rechargeable battery.

$99 iPhone 6 case with VR headset announced

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 16, 2016

Toronto-based Cordon Development Labs is making rounds Monday with the Pinć, a $99 iPhone case which doubles as a Minority Report style virtual headset with spatial interaction, multi-touch hand gestures via a pair of finger tacks and more, effectively expanding your device into an immersive computing experience.

Data from the wireless rings on each hand is combined with camera input from your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus to track hand motion. Cordon Development Labs is working on a software development kit built on the Unity engine so third-party developers will be able to customize and create various types of experiences for the Pinć.

What's it like to interact with the Pinć? Check out promo vids included after the break.

The iDownloadBlog + Sphero bonanza giveaway

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Christmas might still be a month away but we want to beat Santa Claus to the punch and offer you a chance to get something fun without you having to wait until December 25th. That is why we teamed up with the folks at Orbotix, the company behind the famous Sphero, to offer you a chance to win one of the three connected gadgets we're putting up for grabs.

Zagg offers 40% off their Sparq portable battery pack

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

For the next 48 hours, Zagg is having a sale on its line of portable battery packs, offering 40% off the Sparq, an iPhone backup battery that I've actually reviewed a while ago. The Sparq comes in two different flavor. The ZAGGsparq 1220 will give you one extra charge and comes will only one USB port, while the ZAGGsparq 3100 will give you no less than two extra charges for your iPhone and comes with two USB ports allowing you to charge two devices at the same time.

Both variations have been heavily discounted by 40%, significantly reducing the price to only $23.99 for the Spar 1220 and $41.99 for the Sparq 3100.

New ‘Sync Solver’ app sends Fitbit data to Apple’s Health app

Cody Lee ∙ November 19, 2014

In October, Fitbit announced that it had no plans of integrating its activity trackers or software with Apple's Health app. This means that if you have a Fitbit Flex or other device, the data it gathers will not be shared with Health, crippling its attempt to be your fitness data dashboard.

But a new app launched this week in the App Store that aims to change this. It's called Sync Solver, and it allows Fitbit wearers to track all of the important data collected by their wearables within the Health app, without ever having to use the standalone, dedicated Fitbit application.

Twelve South launches Deluxe edition of HiRise stand for latest iPhones and iPads with gold finish

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 18, 2014

Premium accessory vendor Twelve South today took the wraps off a Deluxe edition of its famed iPhone and iPad dock for charging and hands-free use.

The high-end HiRise Deluxe versatile stand ships with color-matched 'Made for iPhone' Lightning and micro-USB cables to charge iPads and iPhones.

The stand can dock your devices in battery cases, such as the Mophie Juice Pack, thanks to its height-adjustable clips, with one-handed adjustment for cases. The HiRise Deluxe is available in three color options, including an all-new gold finish to complement your gold iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3.

Apple to let vendors outfit ‘Made for iPhone’ gear with Lightning port starting early 2015

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 18, 2014

Apple during its MFi Summit that took place last week over the course of three days in Shenzhen, China told its 'Made for iPhone' (MFi) accessory vendors that it will be relaxing rules of the game.

Specifically, makers will be permitted to outfit their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad accessories with Apple's proprietary Lightning port beginning early next year, Jordan Kahn reported Tuesday morning over at 9to5Mac.

Accessories such as iPhone docks and battery cases with a built-in Lightning port would benefit from using Apple's proprietary I/O technology to provide power to both an accessory and the iOS device. The current implementation requires such accessories to provide an additional USB cable for charging.