March 16, 2010

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First Non-Apple Mini DisplayPort-Compatible Displays Announced

April 14, 2009 By Alex Jordan Leave a Comment

The CinemaView LCD displays from Collins America come in three sizes. First a 19-inch at 1440×900 pixels, then a 20.1-inch at 1650×1050 pixels, and lastly a 24-inch at 1920×1080 pixels. They also include include a powered three-port USB hub, a push-button on/off switch, and one 3.5mm stereo audio jack. They’re expected to be priced at $299, $399, and $499, respectively, and to be available sometime before September.

These displays are deliberatly built to closely resemble Apple’s new 24-inch Cinema Display, to incorperate into the current look of the Mac lineup. Connectivity has also been thought out. The displays come with a 1.2 meter long cable, with the final 200mm of splits into three separate connectors. One, for the Mini Displayport jack, another for plugging into a USB jack, and the third plugs into the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.

Collins did go on to say that it won’t be making the displays available through major retailors surch as Apple, Best Buy, Fry’s, because these companies “demand an extremely high profit margin from manufacturers, which forces the retail price to be artificially raised to the consumer.”

Perfect. I’m picky, and don’t like cobbling together a system with a mishmash of parts. Say, for instance I bought a Mac Pro, I wouldn’t like having a Dell monitor with it. It’s just not uniform enough for me. This fills that gap for me and people like me. These displays fit the Mac look and feel and are a fraction of the cost of Apple’s displays.

That brings me to another point. Apple’s displays are top notch, but if there ever was an argument for the “Apple Tax” that’s it. Apple’s displays, in my oppinion are overpriced.

Filed Under Accessories Tagged With cinemaview, collins america, Displays

Bye Bye Bluetooth

March 23, 2009 By Mat Pancha 1 Comment

It looks like Apple has discontinued their Bluetooth Headset.

I can’t say I’m disappointed, aside from the “cool” factor of having the charging icon for the headset showing up on your iPhone if you charged both in a cradle – I never saw any reason to buy the Apple BlueTooth Headset.

With the iPhone OS 3.0, and rumors of a new iPhone whirlwinding through the internet – could this mean a new BlueTooth Headset? Maybe Apple is finally bringing out an A2DP headset?

[Source]

Filed Under Accessories, iPhone Tagged With Apple, bluetooth, Headset, iPhone

Mystery Chip Found Inside of New iPod Shuffle Headphones

March 16, 2009 By Justin Rhodes Leave a Comment

With the release of the new iPod Shuffle came a lot of speculation of the new headphones and how can you use third-party headphones, etc. Well rumor has it that Apple is including this chip inside of the iPod Shuffle headphones to turn them into a proprietary licensing scheme. This means that third-party manufactures who wanted to make headphones for the iPod shuffle would have to pay fees to Apple to create them.

In case you haven’t heard, normal headphones are useless on the iPod Shuffle. If you were looking to use your new $300 Beats by Dre with your $79 Shuffle you will be out of luck. There are no controls in the Shuffle itself, shedding some real estate made the controls jump to the headphone cord. If this chip is part of a proprietary move by Apple, they are very intelligent. Apple’s headphones that include the controls will run you $29, but that’s almost half the price of a new iPod Shuffle!!!

Read the full article in the Source link to see what this mystery ship could actually be and how reverse-engineering it could mean prosecution under the DMCA.

[ Source ]

Filed Under Accessories, All News, Hardware, Rumors Tagged With chip, Headphones, iPod, Mystery, Shuffle

Dexim Announces USB Adapter for iPod Shuffle

March 13, 2009 By Carlos Yanez Leave a Comment

Dexim just announced a USB adapter for the iPod Shuffle named Shu-Lip, it’s made from aluminum and its designed to plug into the end of the iPod to make it a cool looking, fully functional thumb drive for just $10.00, this way you don’t have to carry the cable it includes.

So far, this is still work in progress. Would you buy one?

[ Source ]

Filed Under Accessories, Hardware Tagged With Dexim, iPod, iPod Shuffle, usb adapter

New iPod Shuffle Exclusive Headphones Controls, What Do You Think?

March 11, 2009 By Carlos Yanez 2 Comments

Apple has released the new iPod Shuffle having as major features VoiceOver technology and included headphone controls, both nice but the last one is something to think about.

To make your iPod Shuffle play you will need headphones with integrated remote, you can’t use your $450.00 ultra high quality earphones that you already have, you have to use the included good quality earphones but, what if you break them or lose them?, right now the only compatible headphones are the Apple’s originals so let’s take a look at the Apple Store, the basic earphones with remote and mic are $29.00, a reasonable price, but almost half the price of the Shuffle.

If we want more sound quality we have the Apple In-Ear headphones with integrated remote and mic wich are just $79.00, wait a minute, that’s the price of the Shuffle!.

Buying this iPod means you have to be careful with your earphones.

Filed Under Accessories, Hardware Tagged With Earphones, iPod, iPod Shuffle

Apple Quietly Introduces Wired Compact Keyboard,

March 3, 2009 By Alex Jordan 2 Comments

With the flurry of updates to Apple’s desktop lineup today, several things were overlooked. One of which is a new Apple Keyboard, bringing the tally of Apple Keyboards to three.  The new keyboard looks like the compact keyboard Apple’s had been offering for a while now, yet has two USB 2.0 ports like the other wired Apple Keyboard. You can find the new keyboard here.

UPDATE: In this Engadget gallery it appears the new iMac ships with the compact wired keyboard.

Filed Under Accessories, Hardware Tagged With Accessories, Apple, compact, keyboard, wired, wireless

Apple’s In-Ear Headphones Now Available

December 3, 2008 By Killian Bell 1 Comment

Apple have started selling their new in-ear headphones via the Apple Online Store. Estimated shipment times are 7-10 days for the US and the same for the UK. The new headphones will cost US customers $79.00 and UK customers £53.83, which to me seems a little pricey.

The in-ear headphones boast a remote & mic, plus pro audio performance and sound isolation. Each earpiece contains two drivers — a woofer and a tweeter — providing “rich, detailed, and accurate sound reproduction and amazing bass response for all types of music” state Apple on their Online Store page.

The current headphones that come with the iPods are good, but they’re not the best headphones I’ve had. They’re also not the most lasting. Far from it actually. I’ve had many pairs of standard iPhone headphones, two of which started to come apart near the jack and on another set an earpeice removed itself from the wire. You may think I’m not looking after them, however on every occasion Apple has replaced them without charge. I’m quite sure they wouldn’t do this if they had believed the damage was caused by the user.

Although I like the look of the new headphones, and they certainly look more comfortable than the standard headphones, which after a long period of time really start to hurt my ears, I just don’t think they’re worth the hefty price tag.

The in-ear headphones require software versions 1.0.3 for iPod Nano (4th gen), 2.0.1 for iPod Classic and 2.2 for iPod Touch. If you decide to purchase a pair of in-ear headphones from Apple, please let us know what you think and whether you’d recommend them.

Filed Under Accessories Tagged With Apple, in-ear headphones, iPod

Review: Marware Game Grip

November 27, 2008 By Killian Bell Leave a Comment

You may remember a few weeks ago I did a post on the Marware Game Grip. Well I liked the idea of the Game Grip so much that I decided I’d try it out, and today it arrived.

First impressions of the Marware Game Grip upon opening is its quality — the unit feels strong and well made and I think if you were to throw it up the wall after conceding a goal in Real Football, it would probably survive. However I didn’t try it. This certainly isn’t a cheap gaming accessory you would find on eBay, this is built to last. Even the silicon grips on the side of the device and the silicon enclosures for the iPhone/iPod Touch are very strong. The enclosures can also be used as a stand-alone iPhone/iPod Touch case

I’ve had many silicon cases for my iPhone that haven’t been cheap but have certainly felt it. The silicon cases I’ve had felt thin, looked terrible and have all torn over time. However the Marware cases feel very tough and durable. They’re thick, but not too thick that they make your iPhone feel like a house-brick. This is high-grade silicon that I really don’t see tearing easily, and they look great.

The design is impressive too. The Game Grip is incredibly comfortable to hold and the grips on each side are soft and smooth. As I described in my previous post, after a long period of gaming on the iPhone, I find my hands become stiff and cramp up. However the Game Grip is so comfortable you can play for hours without any problems. It feels just like holding a controller for a games console. The silicon grips on the side also reduce the risk of dropping the Game Grip with your beloved gadget inside.

There’s no worry of your device slipping out of the Game Grip either. The iPhone fits snuggly inside when enclosed in the silicon case, and the iPod Touch will fit just as nice with the included spacer. I’ve shook it, smacked it and dropped it and my iPhone wouldn’t budge.

The unique cable management on the Game Grip really shows a lot of thought has gone in to this. You can plug the USB cord in to your device to stop your battery dying during play, and your headphones for better sound quality, and the Game Grip keeps them tidy and out of your way. The blue grips on the side can be pulled away and your wires are thread neatly underneath.

The Game Grip is also a fantastic accessory for simply watching a movie. I found the Game Grip can be stood up to act as a stand for your device or is comfortable enough to hold for the length of a movie. It also stops your fingers from getting in the way whilst you watch your favourite videos.

The Game Grip really is a great idea and it’s just what you need if you want to play games on your iPhone/iPod Touch without any discomfort. The only change I would make to the Game Grip would be to have some way to rotate your device and provide easier gaming for games that use a vertical screen. Just as I thought, Marware have really produced a great accessory here and it doesn’t disappoint. I give the Marware Game Grip 9 stars out of 10!

You can get the Game Grip from here for $44.99.

Filed Under Accessories, Hardware Reviews Tagged With Game Grip, gaming, iPhone accessory, iPod Touch accessory, Marware

Johnny Cupcakes iPhone Cases

November 19, 2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Hey, all. I haven’t posted in a while but I thought I should get back on the band wagon.

Today, I’ve got some iPhone cases from one of my favorite clothing designers, Johnny Cupcakes. Those of you that don’t know anything about Johnny Cupcakes, you soon will. He runs a Boston based clothing company with the main design theme being the cupcake. They stock everything from T-shirts, to jumpers, to belts and now iPhone cases. The whole brand itself has got a cult kind of following and is known for its kooky and usual way of doing things.  Check out the website and you’ll know exactly what i mean.

The new Johnny Cupcakes iPhone cases fit both regular iPhones and the new 3G iPhones. They are available online and in both the Boston & LA stores.

Filed Under Accessories, Fun Stuff, iPhone Tagged With iphone cases, johnny Cupcakes

Better iPhone Gaming with the Marware Game Grip

November 14, 2008 By Killian Bell Leave a Comment

Remember the little joystick you could buy for the old ‘house-brick’ Nokia phones that meant playing Snake was that little bit easier? Well now there’s a similar device for the iPhone and iPod Touch — the Marware Game Grip.

The Game Grip is made from high grade silicone and fits around the iPhone/iPod Touch to give a similar feel to a console controller. The grip has a unique cord management system (pictured below) that allows you to have your device connected to your computer/charger and also use your headphones whilst playing. The silicone sleeve can also be used as standalone protection for your device when not gaming.

This will be a great aid to many iPhone gamers who stuggle to play for long periods of time because of the size of the device. I know from spending too long on Cro-Mag Rally that after a while, your hands can start to cramp and go stiff. The Game Grip certainly looks as if it will relieve those problems and provide comfortable gaming.

The Marware Game Grip costs $49.99 and is compatible with iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch 2G with a special spacer insert. If you’re purchasing direct from Marware, it’s available in the US only.

Filed Under Accessories Tagged With controller, Cro-Mag Rally, Game Grip, gaming, iPhone, iPod Touch, Marware, Nokia, Snake
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