This week’s roundup includes a number of great new ways to power up your iOS device—and some cool new ways to play music, as well.
We’re not sure what else to say about the $27.50 Power Tap USB Charger except that it’s adorable. It looks like a water tap, and works similarly: “Twisting the spout’s knob to the on position for charging produces a blue LED light; turning it off produces a red light in standby mode.”
The $20 2-in-1 Lightning and Micro USB iDroid Cable is exactly what it sounds like—a charging and syncing cable designed for those odd, confused households that feature a mix of iPhones and Android smartphones. One cable serves everybody!
The 2-in-1 Mobile Power Bank with Wall Charger is a 3000mAh backup battery for your iPhone and iPad billed as “the first portable charging and power backup solution that combines a wall charger and a backup battery.” We’re not sure if it’s the first, but it sure is handy to be able to power up your backup wherever an electrical socket is within reach.
Still wish you could swap out batteries on your iPhone? The $100 Mojo Refuel Invictus Battery Case is a slim case for iPhone 6 that has a removable backup battery in it—you can purchase separate battery modules, letting you swap out power to your heart’s content.
The $35 BeatStreet is a Bluetooth-enabled portable speaker for your iOS device. “The volume and track control button on top allows users to scroll through their music library without having to access their device. The Play/Pause button and microphone, also located at the top of the speaker, allows users to answer and take phone calls.”
The QardioCore Wearable EKG Monitor was one of the most-praised iOS accessories of the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The monitor goes on under your shirt and stays there all day, constantly transmitting heart rate, body temperature, stress levels and activity information back to your iPhone. The monitor ships in Spring 2015.
The $55 Ring Light fits around the lens of your iPhone to create “constant light … perfect for evenly-lit portraits, videos and even macro shots” or can pop off for handheld spot lighting for your photos. It runs on a AAA battery, so it won’t drain your iPhone.
The SOMA Sound Wall Bluetooth Speaker was also on display at CES—it’s a Bluetooth wall speaker “that plugs directly into an AC outlet for amazing sound with it’s three active-drivers including its built-in subwoofer” with music streamed wirelessly from your iPhone or iPad. No word on pricing or shipping availability.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.