This week’s roundup of accessories for your iPhone and iPad offers several ways to ensure that your device never loses power—along with the usual array of other gear.
The $18, surge-protected Twist & Charge USB Charger lets you charge your iOS devices on a wall outlet by sharing that outlet instead of stealing electricity from another device.
The $40 MotoR Mount attaches to the handlebars of your mountain bike or ATV, enabling you to use your iPhone as a GPS device—or to shoot amazing photos and videos as you head down the side of a hill.
The $800 MultiCharger-X is built for businesses, schools, and other institutions that have a lot of iPads in circulation. This device lets you store, secure, charge, and sync up to ten tablets at once. You can daisy-chain up to three MultiCharger-X units to keep up to 30 tablet rotating into service at all times.
The $500 AppRadio 3 is an in-dash, touchscreen, stereo receiver for your car. You can use it to play tunes from recent iPhone and iPod touch models, as you’d expect; but the AppRadio 3 also lets you access your phone’s calendar, maps, and photos—and even activate Siri—from the touchsceen, all without fiddling with your actual phone.
The USB Triple Travel Charging Hub has three USB ports, so you can charge up to three iOS devices from a single wall plug. Two of those USB-power ports supply 1A for charging smartphones, while the third provides 2.4A for an iPad or other tablet. There’s no word on pricing and availability; Qmadix says only that the hub is “coming soon.”
Scosche has unveiled a trio of new charging-and-syncing accessories for iOS: The $25 SmartStrike is a USB cable with an interchangeable plug that lets you charge both Lightning-connector and Micro-USB devices. The $30 SmartStrike Pro (pictured) is a retractable version of the same. The $50 StrikeDrive Pro 12W + 12W is a car charger with two USB ports, designed to handle powering up your iPhone and iPad on the go.
The $47 Magnetic Attaching Power Pack for iPhone 5 combines a thin, hardshell iPhone case and an external battery. You can attach the battery magnetically to the back of the case when your phone needs some extra juice; the included short cable plugs into your iPhone 5’s Lightning-connector port.
This accessory maker has announced two new iPad mini keyboards, each to be released this summer, and each priced at $100. (The company’s website doesn’t yet provide information on the products.) The ZaggKeys Cover (pictured) protects the tablet’s screen during transport, but opens to reveal a backlit Bluetooth keyboard. The ZaggKeys Folio offers full-body protection, along with the Bluetooth keyboard, in a folio-style design.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.