Accessories

CES 2014: how about MFi air conditioner?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2014

This year's Consumer Electronics Show is currently underway in Las Vegas and even though Apple isn't an exhibitor, its influence can be felt in so many ways. If anything, the show appears to have ushered in an era of iPhone-controlled everything, from Parrot's latest drones (and other iOS-enabled toys) and the world’s first app-connected toothbrush to a smart sleep tracking system by Withings, to name a few.

A Chinese manufacturer called Haier has now announced it's become the world's first appliance vendor to have been labeled with Apple's Made for iPhone (MFi) certification logo, which ensures its accessories meet Apple's exacting standards in terms of quality and performance.

Haier's first product to bear the MFi logo is a smart air conditioner dubbed Tianzun controllable from an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad device...

iRing lets you control music and apps with air gestures

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

IK Multimedia, the maker of iOS apps and accessories for musicians, has announced a Kinect-like controller which promises to bring air gestures to your music creation applications. Dubbed the iRing (not to be confused with a rumored Apple TV motion controller), it rests in your hands and uses an iOS device's front camera to detect mid-air gestures.

Hand movements are then translated into commands which get passed to supported apps. There's something inherently fun and sci-fi about creating music just by moving your hands in front of your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and we have a video of iRing in action right after the break...

CES 2014: Flir One case brings true thermal imaging to your iPhone 5/5s

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

Avid iPhone photography fans are always on the lookout for new ways of improving their snaps and photography skills to give their work an added edge.

Pitched as the world's first private thermal imager, the Flir One case slides right onto your iPhone 5 and lets you "see the heat wherever you go".

It slides onto your iPhone like an ordinary protective case and displays the infrared world on its screen.

We're talking true thermal imaging here, not the kinds of fake infrared effects you see in many photography apps on the App Store...

OtterBox shows off new Symmetry Series case for iPhone 5, 5s and 5c

Cody Lee ∙ January 8, 2014

Yesterday afternoon, OtterBox showed off a brand new series of iPhone cases it's calling 'Symmetry.' The new cases are surprisingly minimal, compared to the accessory-maker's other offerings, and consists of just one solid piece.

OtterBox says that the new case is the culmination of over a year of design, testing and innovation. It's one of the slimmest, most protective cases in its class, and will be available in a number of different colors and graphic designs...

CES 2014: Signal unveils ‘RP One’ wireless gaming controller for iOS 7

Cody Lee ∙ January 7, 2014

We were hoping that this year's CES would see the introduction of new iOS 7 gaming controllers, given how dismal the options are right now, and so far it hasn't disappointed. Yesterday, SteelSeries introduced its new Stratus controller, and today we're adding another option to the list.

What you see above is the 'RP One,' a Bluetooth gamepad with a traditional console-style layout made by Signal. As you can see, the controller is wireless—meaning you'll be able to use it with your iPad and any other compatible iOS devices—and it looks a lot like the popular Xbox controller...

Mophie introduces new ‘Space Pack’ iPhone case with built-in battery and storage

Cody Lee ∙ January 7, 2014

Mophie added a new edition to its family of popular Juice Pack iPhone cases today. It's called the Space Pack, and just like Mophie's other cases, it features a built-in battery that can essentially double your iPhone's battery life.

But what really stands out about this new accessory is that it also features built-in storage. That's right, the Space Pack supports a number of different file types and can increase the capacity of your iPhone 5/5s by 16 or 32 GB...

CES 2014: Pebble announces next-generation ‘Pebble Steel’ smartwatch

Cody Lee ∙ January 6, 2014

For weeks, Pebble has been hinting that it had a big announcement coming up at CES, and today it finally let the cat out of the bag. The smartwatch-maker unveiled its next generation wearable, the Pebble Steel, with an all-new band and face design.

The Steel features a stainless steel body with a leather or steel band—a huge upgrade from the plastic used in the previous model— and a face covered with Gorilla Glass. The new Pebble is lighter, and has a thinner profile thanks to slimmer bezels...

CES 2014: Parrot unveils new iOS-controlled toys: MiniDrone and Jumping Sumo

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 6, 2014

There's a flurry of app-enabled toys being announced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show that's currently underway in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cody already told you about Orbotix's second-generation Sphero 2B and I myself did a quick post on a smart electric toothbrush that wants to game-fy your dental care.

That's just scratching the surface as Parrot, the maker of the famous app-controled AR.Drone, has announced an expansion of its product lineup with two new gadgets, the MiniDrone and Jumping Sumo. Read on for the full reveal...

CES 2014: Kolibree unveils world’s first app-enabled wireless toothbrush

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Last year's CES brought us the Hapifork smart fork from Hapilabs and this time around the French startup Kolibree is bringing what appears to be the world's first app-connected sonic electric toothbrush. Yup, you read that right.

The eyebrow-raising announcement aims for better dental care by game-fying your daily tooth-brushing habits with scores, leaderboards and more.

Designed to “outsmart your dentist,” co-founder Loic Cessot promises his company's product will “reinvent oral care”. Read on for additional tidbits and a video...

CES 2014: Griffin unveils wireless PowerMate, new KaZoo gadgets, StudioConnect HD and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Our coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show 2014 continues with a slew of new product announcements by the accessory maker Griffin. The company has shown off a wireless variant of its iconic PowerMate knob, the first-ever iPhone protective case with storage for Square's credit card reader, a multitrack version of the StudioConnect iPad music box and a brand new line of iPad protective cases, including a Papernomad iPad Air case, to name a few.

The Nashville, Tennessee based company has expanded its Kazoo-branded lineup with a matching iPad mini case, a stylus and a wall charger featuring fun animal graphics. There are also new app-controlled car and helicopter toys to check out, along with a range of iDevice cases in a variety of bold prints and colors to accent any style.

The monster breakdown is right below the fold...

CES 2014: Withings unveils new ‘Aura’ smart sleep tracking system

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Continuing on with our day one coverage of CES, we have Withings. The France-based consumer electronics company, which made a name for itself with its Wi-Fi body scale, announced a new connected device today called the Aura.

Withings calls the Aura a 'smart sleep system,' and says it's designed to both monitor and positively impact your sleep experience. It does this by leveraging a combination of sensors, ambient lighting, a little science and a mobile app...

CES 2014: Orbotix announces new ‘Sphero 2B’ connected toy

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

I hope you're ready to see a flurry of new products and accessories this week. The PR train known as the Consumer Electronics Show is now in full swing, and a number of companies have already made some big announcements.

The Colorado-based Orbotix got in on the early action. The makers of the popular Sphero ball unveiled its latest connected toy: the 'Sphero 2B.' This time it's a cylinder, instead of a ball, and it's twice as fast as the current Sphero...