Accessories

Twelve South Compass 2 review: this ultra-portable stand takes your iPad places

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 5, 2014

In my final preparations for moving to the seacoast this coming weekend, it's dawned on me how my workflow will be a lot different, whether I like it or not.

For the next six months, I'll be living and working in a myriad of places, spending most of my blogging time at the picturesque beaches at the beautiful Mediterranean city of Rovinj, situated on the north Adriatic Sea in Croatia.

Thanks to its all-day battery, a 13-inch 2013 MacBook Air will be the cornerstone of my mobile office, with a little help from my 128GB iPad Air doubling as a cellular hotspot and a second screen device for social media interactions.

I'm also adamant to have a flexible iPad stand wherever I go, one that would prop up my device for easier reading and at the same time provide the flexibility of prolonged typing at slightly slanted angles.

Desktop iPad stands such as the recently reviewed Slope by Dekke are out of the question - they're bulky and too impractical for outdoor use. Luckily, there's no shortage of mobile stands that are a joy to carry around.

The second-generation Compass for iPad by premium accessory maker Twelve South is a dream come true for all you road warriors out there who strive as much for portable nirvana solutions as yours truly.

After spending nearly a month with the Compass 2, I'm happy to report that it's one of the best portable tablets stands around. It's so compact it fits in your pocket (or a purse/handbag) and versatile enough to support slanted typing or prop up the device...

Apogee MiC review: the mic for people serious about audio on the go

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Have you ever tried to record audio from your MacBook on your iPhone or iPad's built-in microphone? The result is audio that's serviceable—you can hear it—but the sound is pitiful. Built-in microphones on pretty much every hardware device, whether it be computers, tablets, or even cameras, are sorely lacking from a sound quality perspective. With a minimal investment, you can significantly upgrade the quality of your sound with a decent external microphone.

There are some awesome external microphones for a variety of applications out there, but if you're primarily concerned with recording on your Mac or iOS device while on the go, there is one mic that should be squarely at the top of your consideration list.

The Apogee MiC is an extremely minuscule external microphone that can make your recordings sound great while traveling. Have a look at our Apogee MiC review and video walkthrough + sound test.

Quickdraw is a sturdy, magnetic Lightning cable alternative

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated May 19, 2014

I recently went on a road trip to Montréal, only realizing upon arrival that I had forgotten my official Lightning cable back home. With my iPhone running out of battery and no Apple Store within a short distance, I reluctantly purchased a third-party knockoff cable from a local electronics shop. In hindsight, it was a terrible decision. The cable barely worked and my iPhone constantly prompted me with compatibility warnings. It was a waste of both $20 and my time.

For that reason, I am enthusiastic about a new Kickstarter campaign for an upcoming product called the Quickdraw Cable by Woodford Design. It is hard to get excited over a simple cable accessory, but the Quickdraw has several advantages over a traditional Lightning connector and most third-party knockoffs. For starters, the one-meter cable is crafted with anodized aluminum plugs that are high quality and sturdy. That includes both strong cable strain relief and a waterproof design…

Lunecase for iPhone uses electromagnetic energy to display LED alerts

Cody Lee ∙ April 30, 2014

An interesting new iPhone case is garnering some attention in the tech world right now. It's called the Lunecase, and it features a built-in LED alert system that can let you know when you are receiving a phone call or text message via a glowing icon.

That may not sound like a big deal, but the real trick is that it's able to do this completely wirelessly, without the need for any batteries or a connection to your iPhone. And it pulls this off by utilizing the electromagnetic energy emitted by the device...

iWatch said to be entering production ahead of fall launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

According to a new report from the China Times, Apple's manufacturing partners have begun producing the iWatch. Citing supply chain sources, the outlet says that the company's highly anticipated smartwatch has entered production in small quantities ahead of an expected fall launch.

The report echoes previous chatter, which has mostly pointed to a fall iWatch release up to this point. It also lines up with predictions from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this month, claiming that the wearable will be built using system-in-package modules, instead of PCBs...

Case maker’s iPhone 6 renderings show thin design, rear antenna cutouts

Cody Lee ∙ April 26, 2014

A new set of alleged 'iPhone 6' renderings surfaced online yesterday. The images come from Ukrainian website UkrainianiPhone, and the device depicted in them matches up with most everything we've seen thus far on the handset, including its relocated Sleep/Week button and circular iSight flash.

There is one noticeable difference, though, between this iPhone 6 model and the ones that we've seen in the past, and it has to do with the rear shell. Up until now, all of the renderings we've seen have shown a solid back cover. But these new shots suggest that Apple is leaving breaks for the antenna...

Nike CEO talks new focus on software for wearables, excited about future with Apple

Cody Lee ∙ April 25, 2014

Following the news last week that Nike is gearing up to shutter its wearable hardware efforts, CEO Mark Parker appeared on CNBC today to talk about the new direction. Parker says the company's goal is to expand the FuelBand system, and that software and strategic partnerships will help them with that.

Obviously, he couldn't say anything directly about the rumors that Nike is teaming up with Apple on a product, but Parker did note that the two companies have been working together for a long time. And when pressed about the speculation, he said that [Nike] is 'excited' about the future of the relationship...

Alleged iPhone 6 case compared to Nexus 5, Galaxy Note 3 in new video

Cody Lee ∙ April 24, 2014

We don't know if they're real or not, but a number of cases supposedly made for the next iPhone have surfaced online in the past few weeks. It seems like they are all based on the 'iPhone 6' schematic drawing published last month, depicting a thin handset with rounded corners and a large display.

Today we get a better idea of the purported device's size thanks to a new comparison video by Unbox Therapy. The clip shows how one of these iPhone 6 cases stacks up against other popular smartphones—including the iPhone 5s, Nexus 5 and the Galaxy Note 3—in terms of various measurements...

Logitech announces new, slimmer version of its Ultrathin iPad keyboard case

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

In response to the recent release of Office for iPad, Logitech yesterday announced a new version of its wildly popular Ultrathin iPad keyboard case. The new version improves on the design of its predecessor, with a thinner, lighter and more flexible design.

If you haven't seen an Ultrathin before, it's a Bluetooth keyboard for your iPad that doubles as a protective cover. It's designed from aluminum to match the rear casing of Apple’s tablet, and the keyboard offers comfortable key spacing and iOS shortcuts...

Bluelounge Jimi solves an iMac USB problem you might have encountered

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Loads of Apple accessories debuted at CES 2014, but one of my favorites was the Jimi by Bluelounge. Simply, "putting your iMac USB port within reach, Jimi is a j-shaped, USB port extension for your iMac to bring your USB port forward, allowing easy access." It is fairly straight forward and, after a pause, genius.

It is rare to so strategically pinpoint little nuances to everyday uses of Apple devices. Bluelounge specializes in these minute details, solving issues we gradually came to accept over time. I resorted to spinning my iMac around each time I wanted to access the USB ports. With an additional monitor on each side of my iMac, adding anything to the port required me to carefully pull my iMac forward and gently turn it to one side. Sometimes, I resorted to reach over the monitor, blindly cramming my cables into the aluminum back. My reckless behavior is no more, thanks to the Jimi...

G-PAD silicone sleeve throws your iPhone back to Game Boy days

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

A new IndieGoGo campaign created by Aws Jan wants to throw you back to the 1990s by turning your iPhone into a Game Boy using a silicone rubber game pad sleeve.

The G-PAD sleeve is intended for the GBA4iOS emulator that has been making its rounds in high schools across the world, as teenagers and young adults want to relive their childhoods by playing Game Boy games. What's more convenient than playing from their iPhone?

Alpine’s upcoming $500-$700 CarPlay aftermarket kits arriving this Fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 14, 2014

CarPlay, Apple's in-car system formerly known as iOS in the Car, launched last month requiring an iPhone running iOS 7.1 and one of the compatible 2014 cars from Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and Volvo. A bunch of other car vendors have promised to bring support for CarPlay to their vehicles throughout 2014, but not everyone is rich enough to buy a brand new car just to enjoy CarPlay.

Pioneer Electronics is reportedly considering rolling out CarPlay aftermarket kits for older vehicles and Mercedes-Benz has similar plans of its own. And now, car electronics manufacturer Alpine is said to offer CarPlay aftermarket kits in the United States and Europe this Fall, with a cost of around $500 to $700...