Accessories

Loathe iPhone cases? Twelve South’s SurfacePad will change your mind

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 31, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qZYBVJOKslc

I generally dislike cases because they add bulk to my Apple devices and hide their beautiful design. Twelve South hears your pain: today, the premium accessory maker launched the SurfacePad, a cover for the iPhone 5/4/4S that's less than 1/10th of an inch thick. It’s made from premium Napa leather and attaches with the same special adhesive used on our SurfacePad for MacBook.

It has the microfiber lining which helps protect your devices' glass from scratches and dings, a built-in stand so you can prop up your device for FaceTime, to enjoy videos or to simply turn your iPhone into an alarm clock. The clever design gives you access to all buttons and ports - and you can charge the device with the case on.

The ultra-thin leather shields your device from dings and scratches and comes in a variety of colors and weighs less than one ounce. Go past the fold for more tidbits and a few nice PR shots...

Daylight Viewfinder: a hardware/software combo for taking photos in bright light

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Have you ever tried to take a photo with your iPhone on a bright and sunny day and were not even able to see what's on your screen because of high glare? If like me you live in a sunny area, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Comes the Daylight Viewfinder, an eyepiece and app combo for taking iPhone pictures in bright or high glare areas. I had heard about it a week or so ago, but I got to go hands-on with the hardware/software combo during a preview at MacWorld today in San Francisco...

Designer celeb iPhone cases support charity

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated October 21, 2017

We all love a nice iPhone case. We all love to help charity, at least I hope you do. Now, why not get a slick new tech gadget and help support charity at the same time? Thanks to the 21st Century Leaders Foundation, technology meets charity through the Whatever It Takes merchandise line. I stumbled into Whatever It Takes at CES earlier this month and am inspired by their story...

Archos unveils new ultra-slim Bluetooth keyboard for iPad

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2013

Archos, a long-time producer of tablets and media players, announced this week that it's getting into the iPad accessory space with a new keyboard called the G10XS. It's the first product of a new division in the company dedicated to sharing its technology with other platforms.

The keyboard uses Bluetooth to connect the iPad, and is largely based on the keyboard found in the company's Gen10 XS tablet. It features Smart Cover-like magnets, a built-in kickstand, and with just a 0.2-inch depth, it's one of the thinnest iPad keyboards available...

iPen 2: a pressure-sensitive stylus for your iPad and Mac

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2013

Despite Steve Jobs' public disdain for styli—who can forget the infamous 'who wants a stylus?' line—the accessory has proven to be quite popular among Apple users. And if you've ever shopped around for one, you know the market is quite crowded.

But the folks at Cregle are hoping there's room for one more: the iPen 2. That's right, the team that brought you the original iPen for iPad are back with a much-improved stylus that works on a number of devices, including your iMac and Apple Display...

TwelveSouth’s PlugBug goes on a world tour

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

TwelveSouth makes wonderful accessories for Apple devices and their charging add-on called PlugBug is the perfect epitome of their design approach: not only is the accessory useful, it's damn cute, too. For the uninitiated, the PlugBug will charge your MacBook and iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) at the same time. The charming little red thingie piggy-backs onto your MacBook's power adapter and has a 10W USB port to connect and charge your iDevice as the MacBook adapter simultaneously juices up your notebook.

How cool is that? Today, a year and half following its debut, TwelveSouth has announced the PlugBug World, an international version with five swappable prong adapters supporting power sockets in the United Kingdom and rest of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Hong Kong, China and a bunch of other markets...

Apple offering popular hipKey proximity sensor online

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

How many times have you misplaced your keys in the last few years? Ok, how about your iPhone? Children? Well the good news is that there are actually iOS accessories that can help you with your forgetfulness, like the hipKey.

The hipKey is a simple proximity sensor, powered by Bluetooth, built to help you keep track of your valuables. It has a key ring, allowing you to attach it to your keys, purse, etc., and a companion iPhone app for easy tracking...

Bear Motion offers a premium iPad mini folio case at a great price

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Since the mini was released, I scoured the internet looking for new cases, sleeves, and folios for my favorite new Apple device. If you keep up with my reviews, you know I prefer minimalism and always look for premium products. You may also know, I hate paying big bucks for the nice stuff. The epitome of champagne taste and a beer budget, I stumbled upon Bear Motion and found the intersection of my preferences. If you visit Bear Motion's unsuspecting website, you may be surprised at my excitement about their iPad folio case.

On my recent quest for a new mini folio, I was looking for something professional, minimalistic, black, leather, and it could not add too much bulk. A reasonable price is obviously always an important factor as well. Meeting all of these requirements, the Bear Motion folio case comes in black or red and is adorned in 100% genuine Brazilian Buffalo leather...

Petite Square: an elegant, powerful wooden bluetooth speaker

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

If you're in the market for a wireless Bluetooth speaker, you won't have to look far to see some good options. There's the Jawbone Jambox and the Beats Pill, and countless other offerings from the likes of Logitech, JBL and Bose.

But what if you want something more elegant-looking? Like maybe perhaps with a vintage wooden enclosure? Then your options become a lot more limited. Luckily, we're adding another one to that list today with the Petite Square...

CES 2013: the iOS accessories that impressed us the most

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated May 1, 2017

As you all know, CES came to a close Friday afternoon at the Las Vegas Convention Center, but only after an exciting week of new product announcements and unveilings. Sebastien and I made the Vegas trek to see the action first hand and we scoured the floor looking for the hot new iOS compatible products that will be hitting it big in 2013. Step inside for a run down of what we really liked and what could be making a splash over the next 12 months...

AL13: a slim aluminium bumper for your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ January 12, 2013

Here at iDB, most of us have adopted the "no-case" policy for our iPhones. Cases are typically bulky, ugly, and although they are made to protect our handsets, they cover up the beautiful design Apple has worked so hard to achieve.

But the folks at the design firm 'm' think they have a cure for the common case. Their new AL13 is an ultra-thin bumper for the iPhone 4/5 that protects the device with lightweight aerospace aluminum without altering its look...

CES 2013: $150 Pebble smart watch starts shipping January 23

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 31, 2016

The Pebble project has gone a long way since its early Kickstarter days. In fact, last April it became Kickstarter's most highly funded project to date. Nine months later, the customizable electronic-paper watch gets its release date as the company just confirmed in a media conference that the E-Paper Watch will be shipping to its backers on January 23...