Accessories

Meet the Philips M1X-DJ sound system: it’s the ghettoblaster reinvented for today

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Philips, the Dutch multinational engineering and electronics conglomerate, today at Berlin's IFA show introduced a novel DJ controller which doubles as a powerful portable speaker dock. Designed in partnership with Armin van Buuren, a Dutch trance music producer and DJ, the M1X-DJ system has a built-in Lightning port and a place to easily dock your iPhone, iPod or iPad device for hassle-free mixing or music playback.

Oh, it also happens to combine best of both worlds by augmenting a mixer and onboard turntables with 80-Watt speakers and a handy shoulder strap so you can lug this thing around with ease. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

IK Multimedia unveils compact audio interface for Macs and iOS devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 5, 2013

IK Multimedia is behind some of the best apps for musicians carried on Apple's App Store, like the excellent AmpliTube Slash which has a digital effects processor based on the former Guns ‘N Roses guitarist’s favorite amps.

The company is however primarily known for its nice gear that includes a whole bunch of different effects processors, amps, mics, controllers and other gadgets tailored to musicians and music studios.

The Modena, Italy-based firm today announced a new portable audio interface, the iRig Pro, appealing to aspiring musicians who want to connect microphones, guitars or MIDI devices to their Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch devices...

Kordl 2 prevents tangled earbud frustration

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

In a post earlier this year, I highlighted the original Kordl, which promised to tangle-proof earbuds. After my initial review, I found, quite surprisingly, the little thumbnail size of plastic works very well. One of the largest setbacks for the original Kordl was the attachment mechanism and how the earbud wires were held.

To enhance an already impressive design, J2 Product Development set out to make a better version and reinvent the proverbial wheel. Back in action and fresh off a 250% funding spree on Kickstarter, Kordl 2 is the new way to keep tangles to a minimum. Take a look below for a snapshot of the enhancements and a brief on the simple design...

Jawbone introduces new ‘Mini Jambox’ Bluetooth speaker for $179

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

First there was the Jambox. Then there was the larger, aptly-named Big Jambox. And today Jawbone announced the Mini Jambox. The mini is the company's third entry into the portable Bluetooth space, helping round out the Jambox line.

But don't let the 'Mini' name fool you. It's actually not that much smaller than the original Jambox, with virtually the same height and width. In fact, the only dimension you'll notice a difference in is depth—they've shaved about 1/3 of it off...

Is this Samsung’s new smartwatch?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

It appears that Samsung is going to beat Apple to the wearable tech space this week. The company has an 'Unpacked' media event scheduled for Wednesday, September 4, where it's widely presumed to unveil a new smartwatch.

Now, this category is still fairly new, so we really don't know what to expect to see on Wednesday. But if these images from VentureBeat are legitimate, Samsung's Galaxy watch will feature a 3-inch display and a chunky design...

Galileo is a multipurpose remote motion stand for iPhone

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a review of the photography app Sphere (formerly TourWrist). After reading the review, the app’s developer sent me Motrr’s new photography mount, Galileo, which is a perfect accessory to the 360-photography app.

Motrr’s new spherical recording device made the front pages when its Kickstarter campaign went supernova and made seven times its original goal. The Galileo is currently shipping to Kickstarter pledgers and Motrr is taking preorders for the device for a mid-October launch.

In addition to being a spherical recording device that fits perfectly with Sphere, Motrr’s Galileo is an iOS-controlled remote motion stand for the iPhone and iPod touch. The device features 360-degree spherical rotation capability and lets users take pictures or view streaming video using pan-and-tilt speeds of up to 200 degrees per second. Set up your iPhone with Galileo and use another iOS device to control it by swiping your finger on the screen to move the angle in any direction you like. This multipurpose stand lets you use your iPhone for video conferencing, baby monitoring, and more...

Mophie’s battery cases get playful color options

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Mophie's Helium series of battery-extending cases for Apple's iPhone 5 are a no-brainer for power users who can't get through their day on a single charge. The California-based accessory maker offers the Helium cases in three flavors: the 13 percent thinner standard-edition Juice Pack Helium with a 1,500mAh battery, the even thinner Juice Pack Air (just 0.63-inches thick) with a bigger 1,700mAh built-in battery and the latest Juice Pack Plus which rocks a 2,100 mAh battery, good for an additional ten hours of 3G/LTE talk time/web use.

And now, in time for Apple's September 10 big reveal of the colorful iPhone 5S/5C, Mophie has introduced a burst of color options...

Pioneer launches DDJ-WEGO2, cool DJ mixing console for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

The App Store offers some of the finest apps for DJing on any mobile platform and makers of specialized accessories have taken notice and been adding support for Apple's iPhone, iPod and iPad devices. Take Pioneer, for example, and its brand new DJ controller for iOS devices that got announced today.

The DDJ-WEGO2 console is very cool: it's portable (has handles), compatible with your fav apps, and appeases to aspiring DJs by providing all the hardware mixing sliders plus the Jog FX/Pulse control and lets you access and mix tracks on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices...

HiRise: iPhone’s new throne pedestal by Twelve South

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

A couple weeks ago, we highlighted the launch of Twelve South's newest accessory, the HiRise for iPhone 5 and iPad mini. I was able to finally get my hands on one and can report the excitement is worth the hype. For those new to the Twelve South scene, the company is a premium and Apple exclusive accessory maker, made famous for simple and elegant products like the iPhone SurfacePad, BookBook case, and BookArc.

Humbly setting a company goal to launch 12 Mac accessories each year, each new item is focused on design and function. Often, the elegance and intricacies of Twelve South products are found in the smallest of details, which often make the user experience even more enjoyable.

The HiRise for iPhone is no exception to the quality build and functional design of the product line. The HiRise for iMac or for MacBook Pro are popular items and the ported design easily conforms to iPhone 5 and iPad mini. With a small footprint, the newest HiRise is an excellent desktop companion...

Patent struggles may keep this MagSafe-like headphone adapter from being made

Cody Lee ∙ August 25, 2013

I've always thought Apple's magnetic MagSafe power connector was an ingenious piece of tech. In fact, I was hoping to see them include it in the iPhone 5 and other iOS products. But obviously, that wish never materialized.

Designer Jon Patterson is still trying to make it happen, though, with the Pogo, a MagSafe-like magnetic connector for your iPhone. He's only using it for headphones right now, but he says it'll likely work for power cords too...

Bloomberg: Apple’s slowing growth now worries case makers

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 23, 2013

People love to accessorize their mobile devices. Indeed, the multi-billion dollar industry for gadget accessories has been thriving for years now on the seemingly unstoppable popularity of Apple's mobile devices. The accessory industry had really started to take off a decade ago, after the iPod came out.

It boomed following the iPhone and iPod touch introduction in 2007, with tablets such as the iPad having become the latest lucrative market for case vendors out there. So, what do you do if you're an established case maker in Asia at a time when Apple's growth has been slowing?

As you fortunes are most certainly closely tied to Apple's, priorities change as you start giving more attention to non-Apple gadget makers, namely to Samsung but also to a bunch of local vendors who produce inexpensive smartphones and tablets...

Ten One Design introduces new magnetic stand for iPad mini

Cody Lee ∙ August 21, 2013

I'm not what you would call a 'stand kind of person.' I don't have a dock for my iPhone 5, and I'm not sure where the chintzy little tripod thing is that I bought for my iPad a few years back. I just never used it.

If I was in the market for something like that, though, I'd consider this new Magnus Mini stand from Ten One Design. It sports a very minimalistic design, and it uses magnets to hold your iPad mini into place...