Accessories

Incipio’s DualPro case with silicone core will protect your iPhone 5

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Spanning three continents, like the old British empire, the Sun never sets on Incipio, allowing them to operate 24 hours per day. Their tireless approach makes them a world-wide leader in fresh and innovative designs that protect and enhance our mobile devices.

Incipio pushed an iPhone 5 accessory line concurrently with the release of the iPhone last Friday, and I was thankful to not only get a FedEx box with my shiny new iPhone, but also received a care package from my friend at Incipio with a DualPro inside. I am pumped about this new case and plan on using it frequently...

Jorno may be the pocketable Bluetooth keyboard you’ve been waiting for

Jim Gresham ∙ September 19, 2012

If you are in the market for a Bluetooth keyboard, there are plenty to keep you guessing. However, I am yet to find a model that collapses into a small portable unit for grab-and-go solutions. Today, Jorno utilizes the small, compact design you may be looking to discover and is launching on Kickstarter.

At 3.5"x3.5"x1.2" folded, the Jorno promises to fit in any travel bag or even a back pocket. With a 2011 Design and Engineering Showcase Honors from International CES, it should raise a few eyebrows as it makes its way around the net...

SVP Phil Schiller says Apple has no plans for an iPhone 5 dock

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Starting with the new iPhone, Apple will be replacing the decade-old 30-pin dock connectors in all of its future iOS devices. This means that, sans an adapter, all of your old dock accessories will become obsolete.

This includes Apple's white 30-pin dock — a signature accessory that's been around since the early iPod days. Most folks figured Apple would update it this fall with the new Lightning plug, but apparently that's not the case...

Toast’s wooden skins add life to your iPhone [review and giveaway]

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated November 28, 2016

Over my time blogging, I have only spotted a few wood or faux wood skins for iDevices, but have never had the opportunity to review one. Thanks to my new friends at Toast, I have been using their real bamboo iPhone skin for a little over a week and my completely custom skin is getting even better everyday I use it. With the iDownloadBlog logo darkly emblazoned on the pale wooden backdrop, my iPhone skin is the talk of the town...

HoverBar floats your iPad anywhere

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Twelve South prides itself by making items for Apple products and only Apple products. With popular accessories such as the BookBook for iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, Twelve South is not a new contender to the accessory scene, but is certainly one of the best. Limiting their new accessories to a mere handful each year, the South Carolina based company ensures each product is crafted to quality standards. The HoverBar now touts iPad 3rd generation compatibility and I take it for a spin, in the kitchen...

Wirelessly streaming files to your iPhone with Wi-Drive

Jim Gresham ∙ September 16, 2012

You just preordered the new iPhone 5, but did not want to splurge on the 32GB or 64GB model. While you wait for Friday to arrive, you are growing more and more concerned about the lack of storage space on your shiny new iPhone. After all, you are going to want to watch widescreen movies in their 16:9 glory, but alas, you need all 16GBs to store family vacation photos to show Grandma on your Thanksgiving trip home.

Critically, you scoff that she doesn't have WiFi at the assisted living center, so you can't pull them from iCloud or Dropbox. This Thanksgiving, be thankful for Kingston's Wi-Drive, which will store everything needed in a compact design and wirelessly broadcast the files without an existing network. Even the nagging kids in the backseat can simultaneously enjoy different movies...

This bejeweled iPhone 5 case can be yours for $100,000

Cody Lee ∙ September 16, 2012

Looking for a ridiculously extravagant case to go with your newly-ordered iPhone 5? You might be interested in this new jewel-encrusted iPhone 5 cover from the Natural Sapphire Company.

Made up of white gold, rubies and thousands of sapphires, the case is one of the most lavish we've ever seen for Apple's handset. And, at $100,000, it's probably one of the most expensive...

iControlPad 2: an open source gamepad with built-in keyboard

Cody Lee ∙ September 16, 2012

The iControlPad was one of the first iPhone-compatible game controllers to hit the market. It was a bit bulky, and didn't garner much developer support. But nevertheless, it was a pioneer.

Well it looks like the folks behind the accessory, Product 3 LLC, haven't been resting on their laurels. They just announced the new iControlPad 2, and it comes with a host of new features...

VonCase cages your iPhone in aircraft grade aluminum

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

At vonCase Designs, the team aspires to create an "exceptional iPhone case that is as unique as it is durable." Utilizing American-made aircraft grade aluminum to craft complex designs with a hand-finished touch, vonCase enters with four eccentric iPhone cases that catch attention. Anodized for a permanent finish, the Variants, pop with vivid color and protect your precious device from drops and dings...

Apple posts full iPhone 5 schematics

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

This is pretty interesting. It looks like Apple has posted up the full schematics for the iPhone 5 on its developer website. Even if you're not a dev, you can find them in the Resources section.

Essentially, these are the blueprints for Apple's new smartphone. And they give accessory and case makers dimensions for everything from the ringer switch to the home button...

How the EarPods enable richer bass and crisper highs

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 13, 2012

Apple yesterday alongside the iPhone 5, new iPods and several other announcements also took the wraps off the EarPods, a new headset. Cupertino has finally refreshed its crappy in-ear headset with higher sound quality. Hopefully, the headphone is now shaped to prevent it from falling out of your ear.

The company spent three years designing the new headset and tested a total of 124 different prototypes of the EarPods on over six hundred people. You may have noticed three little holes poked in the EarPods, here's what these do to improve sound quality...

Here’s Apple’s EarPods video

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 13, 2012

Apple yesterday introduced the new in-ear headphones called EarPods that ship with every iPod touch, iPod nano and iPhone 5 (also available as a standalone accessory). The promotional video was published on Apple's web site, explaining how the company went about re-engineering its previous crappy in-ear headset and why it spent three years redesigning it.

Not everyone was aware of the clip and you needed QuickTime to stream it from Apple's web site. Not anymore, as Apple uploaded the EarPods video to its YouTube channel. Let us know what you think in the comments...