This week’s roundup of new iOS gear includes several new ways of powering up your iOS device when a power plug isn’t nearby.
The $130 BRV-Bank is a 6000-mAh backup battery for your iOS devices. It has a rubberized exterior, making it perfect for an extra bit of power in the great outdoors. It can recharge two devices at once, and it comes in two colors, gray or black.
First noticed by our friends at Touch Arcade, the Gamevice is an MFi (Apple-certified) game controller made for your iPad mini. The hardware controller features dual analog sticks, twin triggers, a classic D-pad and the “button configuration your fingers have known and loved for years,” says the vendor. Gamevice hasn’t released pricing or shipping information, saying only that the device will launch sometime this year; you can sign up for updates at the company’s website.
The $40 iRig Voice is the latest contraption to help you make beautiful music. It’s a handheld microphone, available in an array of colors, that plugs into your iOS device. It works with the EZ Voice app, as well as many other music- and audio-editing applications, to turn any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a “mobile vocal studio.”
Apple has already brought Beats headphones into Cupertino’s fold. The $40 Beats Headphone Stand brings the two companies together on your desktop, as well: The wooden iPhone stand features a hanging arm for your Beats—or any other over-the-head headphones.
Just Mobile has announced the AluPen Digital, a stylus with a capacitance-enhanced, 1.8mm polyacetal tip with an ultra-fine ballpoint feel. The stylus requires one AAA battery, and it has a retractable head to protect the tip. The device automatically sleeps after three minutes on idle. The company hasn’t yet released pricing information.
The $60 iPhone and iPod wall mount is a clear-acrylic mount that lets you display your iOS device without risk of theft. It’s designed for use in “exhibits, museums, trade-shows, conferences and presentations, hotel lobbies, waiting rooms, professional offices, home and” other settings.
The £40 Jump Cable is a syncing and charging cable for your iPhone, with just a teeny bit of backup battery—800-mAh worth—thrown in. The Jump Cable charges its own battery while you sync or charge. When you need power on the go, it can add up to three hours of battery life to your phone.
The $35 SmartBox is a 2-in-1 retractable syncing and charging cable—the cable can extend up to 3 feet, then retract inside its case. The “2-in-1” comes from a sliding adapter that lets you charge and sync with either a Lightning or Micro-USB connector.
The $70 Innocell Plus case adds 125 percent of life to your iPhone 5 or 5s battery. The 2,000-mAh battery case also has a scratch-proof exterior, so your can keep your phone powered up and looking good.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.