This week’s roundup of gear for your iOS devices includes a Bluetooth speaker that’s also an LED lightbulb for your lamp. We’ve also got new ways to sync, and ways to bring your iPad into the workplace.
This company has announced yet another Bluetooth speaker…but with a twist: It’s also an LED light bulb that can fit into any standard lamp, so it provides light and music while staying nicely hidden. AwoX plans to unveil the $99 StriimLight next month at January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Is it a hot-air popcorn machine or a wireless home speaker system? The $400 Aura looks a little bit like the former, but it’s definitely the latter: a Bluetooth audio system with six midrange and high-frequency 1.5-inch transducers for omni-directional sound, and a 4.5-inch subwoofer for the low end. The system will ship in February.
The iPad Flip Turn Case is now available in a $100 version for the iPad mini; a $129 version for iPad Air will ship in the first quarter of 2014. The hardshell case is really more than a case, as it includes a backlit-keys Bluetooth keyboard. A pivoting hinge lets you view your screen as a tablet or prop it up for hands-free viewing, forward or backward.
The $70 Type Slim Bluetooth keyboard case is designed to fit all full-size iPad models from the iPad 2 forward. The keyboard’s battery provides up to 100 hours of working use, and the included dual-USB cable charges both your iPad and the Bluetooth keyboard simultaneously.
The $20 Mik iPhone amplifying case uses passive-acoustic technology to amplify the speakers on your iPhone by 10 to 15 decibels. The case is also stylish, available in an array of neon colors. Versions are available for all iPhone 4-series and 5-series models.
The $250 Mocet Communicator puts your iPad at the center of a VoIP phone system—the kind of gadget you’ll be using in the office. You can listen to iTunes audio or watch video between calls. The phone’s handset offers reliable voice quality and, of course, the whole setup doubles as a charging dock that gives you a fresh iPad when you’re ready to go.
This company’s line of Parasync products—docks for charging and syncing multiple iPhones, iPads, or iPod touch models—will get an update in early 2014 to add Lightning-connector editions of each product. The docks are designed for institutions like businesses and schools that deploy fleets of iOS devices.
The $35 Pro Phone Filter Stack is a set of 37mm professional gradient color filters, in glass and aluminum, for your iPhone—the kinds of accessories you’d use with a DSLR camera. The blue, red, and yellow filters let you create Instagram-style effects in your pictures, except using hardware instead of software.
The LifeLink is the latest in a trend of ultra-thin, ultra-portable USB cables to sync or charge your iOS device. Thinner than two credit cards stacked together, the LifeLink can be carried on your keychain or in your wallet. The LifeLink is $19 for the 30-pin version, or $21 for the Lightning-connector version.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.