Calm yourself, you have a 50-50 shot at this, you’re only plugging your USB cable into a 12V charging socket. DANG, got it backwards again. If this is your frustration, Bracketron has your salvation. The new EZCharge USB charger features new Anyway USB outlets eliminating the chance of plugging the cable in backwards or upside down.
Finally, an iPhone 6 Plus bumper case I’m impressed with! The Seidio TETRA Pro Pro is a two-part bumper, with the inner layer made of a flexible TPU plastic and the exterior made of aluminum. The TETRA Pro snaps on or off with no tools, making this case stylish and easy to use. The Seidio TETRA Pro retails for $39.95.
With warm weather allegedly on the horizon, it is time to start getting out and getting into shape. Pear Sports has developed a $99.95 kit turning your iPhone or Android phone into a training station. With heart rate monitoring and knowing your fitness goals, the app will use real-time coaching to help you meet your goals. Let’s take a look.
When I see something cool in an email or RSS feed, I check to see if it was covered by Gear Diary and I just missed it! Today I got a pre-order email for the Zagg Pocket Keyboard, a great mobile physical keyboard without the usual compromises, I was interested and saw we had done a YouTube preview!
Today, Prong revealed their PWR Case is now available for the iPhone 6 through pre-orders on IndieGoGo, and will also begin shipping the iPhone 5/5S PWR Case to fulfill pre-orders.
My main work devices are my iPhone 6 Plus, my iPad Air 2 and my 15″ MacBook Pro. At any given moment I might be working on any one of them. Having a keyboard that lets me quickly and easily switch between devices is something I have long wanted. Thanks to the Logitech K480 keyboard I now have exactly that keyboard.
The Henge Docks Gravitas for iOS devices is, by far, my favorite phone and tablet dock. The problem is that the review unit came wasn’t designed for the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. Fortunately Henge Docks has the Life After Device program and is rolling out new inserts that work with current devices. That means you are covered.
Judie wrote about the Leef iBRIDGE late last year, and at CES they provided us with a review sample to check out. I love the Leef Bridge USB 3.0 storage solution for Android, and was excited to check out the new iOS external solution. With an odd shape and requiring a special app, it still impresses and has become essential!
Enjoying music while you splash in the pool is a summer luxury; making it happen so that you done have to deal with sand in your ports, dunking your device, or overheating your phone can be tricky. One great solution is leaving your phone in your beach bag, and using the submersible NYNE Aqua; you’ll get great sound without caveats.
One thing I love about using IK Multimedia gear is how it enhances my ability to make music anywhere by drawing power from the 30-pin or Lightning port of my iPhone or iPad. The obvious problem is the power used by an accessory such as iRig Keys Pro comes from your phone, lowering already precious battery life. Enter iRig PowerBridge.
Late in 2013 Zivix announced PUC, wireless MIDI interface that allowed use of traditional music gear with iOS devices. The original PUC created a local WiFi network to handle the MIDI interface, now they’re back with PUC+ using Bluetooth Low Energy to more efficiently communicate while allowing simultaneous WiFi connections. They also announced jamstik+, bringing BTLE to their smart guitar!
Dan and Judie wrote about how the iRig Mic Field from IK Multimedia helped them cover NAIAS in Detroit as well as CES, and it illustrated another step in how far IK has evolved in their microphone offerings. Now IK Multimedia is announcing their next step with the iRig Mic Studio, an ultra-portable large-diaphragm mic for every platform.
One of the great things about being around the tech world is watching the way in which companies and product lines evolve. The TwelveSouth BookBook for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is a perfect example. The original BookBook was nice but flawed; a few product generations later, and the new BookBook is nothing short of a home run.
Judie and I went straight from CES in Las Vegas to NAIAS in Detroit (Judie with GM and me with Ford) last week. By that point I was dog tired. I wanted to cover all of Ford’s news — and all the rest of course — but do so in the lightest way possible.
Dan and I have tried so many headphones that it is easy for us to seem skeptical when something new comes along. That attitude flew out the window when we had some ears-on time with the new Blue Mo-Fi Headphones. Throw what you think you know about traditional over-the-ear headphones out the window, and take a look at these beauties.
Dan and I had a “moment” on the CES floor yesterday when we realized that we had left the camera mount in the cab on our ride over to the LVCC. Obviously, if you are going to need a specialized piece of equipment, there is no better place to find a replacement than CES 2015, and that’s how we discovered iBolt.
Watching my son deal with audio recording issues as he completed his portfolio film project for film school applications (in at NYU, yay!), I got a new appreciation of the value of a quality microphone for even the most seemingly simple applications. The iPhone is great for capturing video, but the addition of the iRig Mic Field makes it better!
Now that you have had some time to get familiar with your new smart device, you may be starting to wish for some accessories to expand its functionality. A good place to start is with photography attachments and USBFever.com is a great place to begin your journey towards expanding your smart device photography portfolio.
Back in 2010 IK Multimedia introduced the first guitar/bass interface for iOS, iRig. Paired with Amplitube, the first amplifier & effects simulator for iOS, iRig provided a portable solution that turned iOS into a portable solution for all musicians. Since then they released the iRig HD, and now they’re back with the iRig 2, filled with improvements and new capabilities!
Last night Dan and I had the chance to check out Urbanears new Plattan Wireless Headphones, No cord, 8 hour battery life, and they come in 12 different colors. They retail for $100, and you can swipe to adjust music and its volume. These are pretty freaking cool, and they will be out in June; take a look!
Henge Docks has been making Gravitas docks for some time; we’ve reviewed them, and Dan won’t part with his, no matter how much I beg. Today we got an exclusive Pre-CES look at their entire Gravitas line, their Clique Apple keyboard and Magic touchpad holder, as well as their amazing new Horizontal Dock for the 15″ MacBook Pro retina.