As we increasingly untether our computing tasks from the desktop we start to rely more and more on battery power, and that in turn means chargers and cable spaghetti hell. Any solution that helps tidy things up even a bit is always welcome. The PlugBug elegantly attaches to your MacBook charger and introduces an additional USB outlet; you can then charge both the MacBook and any iDevice simultaneously. It’s rated at 10W which means your iPhone or iPad will charge much faster than if it’s charging from the MacBook USB port. Plus, at $35, it sure beats using a $2,400 laptop to juice back up.
It’s a little sad that we live in a world where we constantly worry about someone stealing our possessions. After all, it’s a hassle to lock up your bike every time you need to park it somewhere. I mean, you could risk it and just not bother, but if it does get stolen, you won’t be happy at all. Wouldn’t it be better to just deal with having a lock? Heck, you could even get an inconspicuous one like this Bottle Lock.
The bottle lock looks much like an ordinary water bottle, and fits in the appropriate holder found on most bikes. Just pull out the 5′ cable, loop it around something sturdy (don’t forget to loop it around the bike frame) and then lock the end back into the “bottle.” If you’re wearing a pair of those tight bike shorts and don’t have room for your keys or cash, there’s even a place in the bottom to store small items such as those. At $34, it isn’t going to cost much more than an ordinary lock, and looks a lot better when not in use.
What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you? If you answered “my cell phone could die and I don’t have my charging cable on me”, then you might want to rethink your priorities in life. You also might want to look into this clipSYNC from Scosche.
This carabiner does more than just clip your keys to your belt loop. Two piece flip out to expose a standard USB plug and either an iPhonedock connector or both a miniUSB and microUSB plug. This allows you to use any nearby computer to charge your phone (or other device that uses these connectors) in a pinch. The nice thing is that due to the small size, you can carry it around all the time. You can get either version for just $20.
“I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” These are words that almost every geek knows, and hopes that they never hear from a computer system. If they don’t ring a bell, they were the ones uttered by HAL 9000 to Dave Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey. HAL was an intelligent computer that was capable of making decisions, as well as (usually) following commands. Naturally, since Siri was introduced earlier this month, there have been a lot of HAL references. In fact, if you ask her about him, she will refuse to discuss the matter.
Well thanks to the bright minds at ThinkGeek, you’ll soon be able to transform Siri into HAL. This IRIS 9000 docking station features a remote with a single button that activates Siri. The station’s built-in microphone will pick up your voice commands, and Siri will respond as usual. The only difference is that the light in IRIS’s eye will flicker while she speaks. I don’t know about you, but I find that both creepy and awesome. For $60, this will also act as a normal docking station, a speakerphone and music player.
You might be tempted to wonder why you’d ever need a radiation detector, let alone one that works with your iPhone. But that probably means you don’t live in Japan where it would seem normal to be worried over radiation poisoning following this year’s terrifying Fukushima meltdown. Big name iPhone accessory maker Scosche is releasing the RDTX, a portable Geiger counter that works with the iPhone or iPod Touch. It’s already calibrated and has a ton of features:
Displays detailed measurements for the advanced user.
Place map markers to report radiation levels.
Deliver precise radiation reports to keep you and your family safe
The Pro version of the RDTX has already been released in Japan for $330, though this version promises to be much less expensive. Initial availability will go entirely to Japan, though we have no information for the rest of the world at the moment.
Not only am I an avid gamer, but I am also a musician. I have been playing guitar for about 13 years now, and it helps when I can keep all of my equipment in one place. That’s why when I got the chance to try out IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube iRig for the iPhone, I was really excited. The iRig is a device that allows you to connect your guitar to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and listen, record, and tune your guitar to all of your needs. After toying around with it for a bit, here are my thoughts on the product.
What You Get
In the box, you will get the actual iRig connector piece, and the instruction booklet.The device utilizes an application that you can download through the App Store called AmpliTube. The app comes in a free version, as well as an extended version that includes a ton of plug-ins. For this, I found all I needed was the free version.
The device has a sleek design, and it plugs right in to the i-device you’re using. There’s no issue with long cords or tangling thanks to the iRig’s design. I found this especially useful when I would move from place to place around the house, and when I was packing my gear up to travel.
When I’m gaming on my PC, I not only want to have the gear that will perform the best, but also that’s going to be comfortable. After all, it doesn’t matter how well you perform, if you’re uncomfortable the whole time, it will eventually catch up with you and drag you down. Well, that’s exactly the idea that XFX had when they designed the War Pad.
The War Pad is a unique mousepad that doesn’t just sit on your desk like others. Instead of sitting at the edge of your desk, it actually curls underneath and clips on. This design does two things. First, the fact that there is no harsh edge means that it is going to be more comfortable. Your wrist isn’t going to be sitting on a hard desk corner for hours on end, instead, the pad is rounded downward and provides a more comfortable surface. Second, the clip is going to make sure that the pad doesn’t move at all while you’re playing.
The pad measures roughly 17” by 14”, so as to provide a nice big surface for mousing. It also rolls up nicely for taking to your favorite LAN. You’re going to pay a bit extra for the convenience and comfort, as it will currently set you back $50 (regular price is $55). However, I think that the extra features are worth it.
The great thing about smartphones these days is that they can effectively eliminate the need to carry around a bunch of extra devices. Calculators, PDAs, MP3 players and even personal recorders are all obsolete when you have the latest technology. I personally use my iPhone for all of the above, and then some. I never thought that I had a need to record voice memos, but now that I have a phone that can do it, I use the feature quite often. The audio quality isn’t bad, but it’s not the best in the world. Thus, having an external microphone to attach could prove rather useful.
I’ve had a chance to take a look at the i-Microphone, which is a tiny mic designed specifically for Apple devices. If you own an iPhone, you’ll quickly find out that just plugging in an ordinary mic won’t work. This is because it uses the same jack for audio input and output. So how well does this little device perform?
Owning an arcade cabinet is one of those dreams that most every gamer has. Unfortunately there are some major hurdles involved with owning such a thing. First, if you want one with a good game (or multiple good games) you’re going to have to shell out a few hundred bucks. Then there’s the issue of space, and weight. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to move one, but arcade machines are really heavy. Well, if you already own an iPad, you can turn it into a miniature arcade cabinet.
That’s right, you can finally head over to ThinkGeek and pre-order your very own iCade. The April Fool’s gadget from last year is going to be shipping on May 11th. The price hasn’t changed from the earlier $100, so no worries about having to pay more. What’s even better is that Atari has already released their collection of 100 classic games, so there will be no shortage of games to play when yours arrives.
Related Tags: accessories, Apple, chargers
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