This week’s roundup includes several new speakers for your iOS device—a couple of Bluetooth units, to be sure, but also a “natural induction” device that amplifies your iPhone’s natural sound.
The $100 Sound Blaster Free is another portable Bluetooth speaker—this one fits comfortably into the water bottle holder on your bike, and contains two passive radiators to create a deep bass sound.
The $150 Lumenati CS1 looks like an old-school film camera—the kind of thing you’d tote around in 1960s Italy while riding a Vespa and saying “Ciao” to everyone while wearing great sunglasses and a slim suit. All you have to do is pop your iPhone 6 in like older auteurs would’ve popped in a film cartridge, and you’re ready to go. Yes, this is still in the Kickstarter campaign stage, but as of this writing the developers have nearly made their $75,000 goal with 27 days to go.
One thing about the Apple Watch: It seems to have provided a new line of work to America’s woodworkers. Who knew? The $40 Navitech Apple Watch Wood Oak Charging Dock is made of, well, oak wood and includes a slot to keep the watch’s charging cable discretely out of the way.
The Nyne Mini is a portable Bluetooth speaker that offers up to ten hours of music playback on a single charge. It includes a carabiner to attach to your backpack—the product is explicitly aimed to teens—and includes a built-in microphone for hands-free calling.
The $52 Bento Close Contact Induction Speakers require “no cable, no Bluetooth, no infrared, no Wi-Fi. Just simply put your mobile phone on the speaker, the sound will be magically amplified.” Actually, there’s no magic involved, just a “near field induction pad” and a 10,000-mAh lithium battery that can keep the music going for up to six hours on a single charge.
The $299 Air A01 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Lens-Style Digital Camera Body clips to your iPhone and connects to it wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, turning your device into a high-quality camera that offers shutter speeds up to 1/16000 second and full HD 1080p video. It works with the OA.Central app on iOS.
The UnlimitED for iPad Air 2 is a rugged OtterBox case (and they’re the ruggedest!) built specifically for the rough-and-tumble hazards of … a K-12 classroom. It’s engineered for drop protection, and includes a screen protector and an integrated stand to display the tablet at the best typing and viewing angles. It’s tough enough for an 8-year-old.
The $799 PS Audio SPROUT-US Complete Hifi Home Audio Amp/DAC creates a “pure, live-like sound” in converting your iPhone’s digital MP3s to something that sounds a bit warmer and much more old-school. Simplicity is the key here, the makers say: “Rather than a display screen and endless menus, Sprout’s user interface is a direct hand-to-Sprout connection through two precision rotary switches.” The result? Direct, intuitive control of the device.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.