Technabob » ipod touch

CordLite Illuminated iOS Cable: A Simple Solution for a Very Simple Problem

Lambert Varias — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:30:07 +0000

This is how much technology can coddle us: someone’s come up with a charge and sync device for iOS devices that has built-in LEDs to make it easier to plug it in in the dark. I usually just use my iPhone’s own light or feel which end is which, but why go through such arduous processes when you can buy a solution right?

But even though I think the CordLite is overkill for its intended purpose, I see its value if I treat it as a Swiss Army cable. It’s a cable and a flashlight!

Pledge at least $30 (USD) to CordLite’s Kickstarter fund and you’ll be one of the first to own one if it goes into production. I suggest you order a backup CordLite for when you can’t find the first one.

[via Zagg]

Une Bobine for iOS: the Gorillapod of Charging Cables

Lambert Varias — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:00:22 +0000

There are a million docks, stands and cables for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but Une Bobine can replace them all. It’s a charge and sync cable that’s flexible yet also stiff, much like Gorillapods. Une Bobine is French for “a coil”, and it literally is a coil. Or “une bobine” if you already speak French.

Thanks to a “very specific metal gooseneck material”, the cable can be bent or coiled, nay, bobined into a variety of positions. It’s also strong enough to hold an iPhone or iPod Touch upright (but probably not an iPad). This lets you use the cable as a stand or a dock. Use it to mount your iPhone on your arm for easy access. Or on your forehead, for an improvised POV camera. Or on your face, just to be weird.

Slither to Kickstarter and pledge at least $25 (USD) to be one of the first owners of Une Bobine.

Custom Fallout Vault Dweller Sneakers Have a Pip-Boy in Each Tongue

Conner Flynn — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:00:45 +0000

You need an accessory if you are going to wear your Pip-Boy 3000 and I can’t think of anything better than these sneakers. Whether you are traveling to New Vegas or just one of the many vaults, they should get you across the American wastelands safely and still have some nice tread on them. These are a one-of-a-kind custom job by shoe-artists Jacob Patterson and Emmanuelabor. They are more than just sneakers, they each have a jailbroken iPod Touch in place of the tongues, with a Pip-Boy theme of course, that feature sounds, themes, apps, music, and other Fallout goodies.

On the sides there’s a soldier in Power Armor from Fallout 3 and a Ranger from New Vegas.

These sneakers are way too awesome to wear, but I would wear them anyway just to see the look on peoples faces.

[Custom Sneaker Forum via Albotas]

Plug iPhone/iPod Charger Needs a USB Port, Not a Socket

Lambert Varias — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:30:31 +0000

An external battery pack that looks like a battery icon makes a lot of sense. But what about one that looks like a power plug? That’s exactly what the Plug is. It looks like a plug but actually docks directly to an iPhone or iPod to transfer its charge. Don’t bother looking for a socket to juice it up either, because what it actually needs is a USB port.

The prongs on the Plug are actually just parts of a plastic cap that conceals a male iOS dock connector. The wire or cable end on the other hand conceals a female mini-USB connector. It would’ve been better if it had a male USB connector instead so you can just plug it in a USB port without the need for a cable. The Plug only has an 800mAh battery inside so it won’t be able to fully charge an iPhone or iPod Touch. But it is quite small and can be attached to a key ring so you can always bring it with you.

You can pre-order the Plug external battery from Gessato for $28(USD). I wonder if there’s an actual power plug that has a female USB connector on the other end. Now that would be really useful.

[via Materialicious]

Belkin LiveAction iOS Camera Remote Makes Sure You’re Always in the Shot

Lambert Varias — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:30:18 +0000

The iPhone’s camera hardware and array of photo-enhancing and photo-sharing apps has made it a very popular pocket camera. But no app or iPhone photography course can help you when it comes to taking group shots without asking people to take turns as photographer. Either ask strangers for help or use Belkin’s LiveAction Camera Remote.

The LiveAction Camera Remote uses Bluetooth and a complementary app, enabling users to wirelessly activate the shutter button on a paired iOS device. It works from up to 30ft. away and will also let you switch between taking photos or videos. You can even use the remote’s cap as a stand to prop up your iPhone or iPod Touch.

You can order the Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote from Photojojo for $40 (USD).

DockXtender iOS Cable: Dock Without Docking

Lambert Varias — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:00:41 +0000

The inclusion of docks for iOS devices in many media players and other gadgets is great, but it’s hard to use your gadget while it’s docked. What will happen to your tiny tower’s bitizens then? CableJive provides a solution to that problem the only way it knows how: with a cable.

While you could just go wireless with an AirPlay-compatible dock, you can’t exactly charge up that way. The dockXtender is just a cable with a male 30-pin connector on one end and a female connector on the other end, but this simple tool will give you better access to your device, so you can keep multitasking, you impatient consumer you. The video below also shows other possible uses for the dockXtender:

The dockXtender comes in two variants. The $16(USD) basic cable is 19″ long and will pass audio, enable remote control and sync and charge iOS devices, while the premium cable comes in two sizes – 2′ for for $26 and 6′ for $31, although as of this writing it’s discounted to $27 – and will also let you play videos. Neither of the cables are compatible with Apple’s VGA and digital AV adapters though.

Plugication iOS App Restarts Music When You Plug Your Headphones Back In

Lambert Varias — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:00:01 +0000

Here’s a first-world problem that has bugged the hell out of me. If you’re listening to music on an iOS device using a pair of headphones and for some reason you unplug them from your device, the music player will pause the playback. That’s a thoughtful gesture, but when you plug your headphones back in, the music player isn’t thoughtful enough to start playing again. The stock earphones that come with the iPhone and iPod Touch have built-in remotes that make it easier to restart the player, but I’m not going to use them just for that. So I was very intrigued by this jailbreak app.

Despite its awkward name, the Plugication app seems like a good fit for my needs, and perhaps for yours as well. All it does is allow you to command your iOS device to automatically resume music playback when it detects that headphones are plugged in. Here’s a demo of the app by YouTuber myjailbreakmovies:

Plugication is a free download from the Modmyi repository, but you do have to have a jailbroken device to get it. YouTuber rarestname also pointed out another alternative for iOS users with jailbroken iOS devices. The beta 1 of Activator 1.6.2 has a new field called “Headset Connected & Disconnected”, so you can trigger playback using that as well. Lifehacker commenters have suggested a few alternatives for Android users, including Just Shake and Tasker. I just hope Apple will be kind enough to include this feature in the vanilla iOS someday.

[via Lifehacker]

TOAST! Dock Won’t Burn Your iPhone

Technabob — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:00:23 +0000

Don’t tell your kids this, but for some reason, I always thought that smartphones looked sort of like something that would fit neatly into the slot of a toaster. Not that I’ve ever thought about trying to turn my iPhone into a Pop Tart, it’s just their size and shape seemed about right. Now, you can get a dock which actually looks like a toaster.

Gavio’s TOAST! speaker dock looks like one of those shiny metal toasters you might find in your kitchen. Just don’t expect to toast up any bread in this thing. For starters, it’s only got a single slot. It also doesn’t have a heating element – instead, it’s got a speaker and a 3 watt amplifier inside. It’s also got a built-in Li-Ion battery so you don’t even need to plug it in.

The dial on the front changes volume instead of the darkness of your toast, while I’m not sure what the toast plunger does. I’m hoping that it changes tracks, and doesn’t just sit there looking cool. All I know is that is should have a bagel mode for cramming in older, thicker phones.

Gavio hasn’t announced the pricing or release date yet for the TOAST! dock, but I’m hoping we’ll see it pop up sometime early in 2012.

60beat GamePad for iOS Devices: Aaaand We’re Back to Where We Started

Lambert Varias — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:09 +0000

Even though many popular games on smartphones and tablets have great touch controls, there are still lots of games that would be easier to play with good old buttons and joysticks. Hence the popularity of products like stick-on buttons or joysticks. But as mobile platforms become even more lucrative, we’re seeing console games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Chrono Trigger being released on them, but not with touch-friendly controls. So, as hilarious as all this is, I still am not surprised that someone’s come up with a full gamepad for iOS devices.

The simply-named GamePad by 60beat looks a lot like a PS3 controller – down to the button layout– except with odd smudges on the case. It works with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and requires no battery because it’s plugged into the headphone jack.

I’m sorry sir, but this is a classic controller. Now, the GamePad seems like a decent peripheral for the dedicated iOS gamer right? Not really. Or not yet, at least. The video didn’t mention two of the GamePad’s weaknesses. First of all, it’s currently only compatible with two games. TWO. If you’re not into Aftermath or Bugdom 2, the GamePad is not for you. That’s a niche of a niche of a niche market right there. And even if you were into those two games, you still have to justify the controller’s price – 60beat is selling it for $50 (USD). It’s a great idea but I think we should all pass on this one until more games support it.

[via Joystiq]

Action Movie FX iOS App: Get Your Freddie Wong On

Lambert Varias — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:00:52 +0000

Do you want to launch a missile on your cat or crash a car in your bedroom? Really? Why would you want to do that? Go to your room and think about what you thought of while the rest of us have fun with the Action Movie FX iOS app.

Action Movie FX comes to us from none other than J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Interactive, and lets you add explosive special effects to a clip with just a few taps on your iOS device. Choose an effect, record the scene where you want the effect to take place and then cue when to launch the effect. After a couple of seconds – and a Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol ad – your video is done. Here’s a quick sample from the guys at Slash Gear:

Take that, table! The app comes with two effects – missile attack and car crash. The other effects – tornado and chopper crash and fire fight and airstrike – are available as in-app purchases for $0.99 (USD) per pair. Still not impressed? Here’s Mad Ass Gamers‘ demo of all the effects:

Attack the iTunes Store with your mouse (or finger) to get Action Movie FX. Your videos won’t be as sweet as the ones made by Freddie Wong or as overwhelming as Michael Bay’s effects vomits, but then again it’s a free app. I tried it on my iPad and it’s really easy to use. The Mission Impossible ads are not that annoying since they only pop up when the app is “processing”, although I don’t know if the ads will still be there even if you purchase the additional effects.

[via Slash Gear]

AOC Monitor Gets Built-in iOS Dock, Enlarges iPhones Instantly

Range — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:00:21 +0000

Do you ever wish you could stream stuff from your iPhone or iPod Touch to your computer display? Then this AOC display could be the one for you. It features a 30-pin dock that outputs audio and video directly from your iOS device to the screen.

The 23-inch AOC e2343Fi monitor has a somewhat awkward name, but it seems like a functional device. The simple plug-and-play dock is easy to use, letting you view video content from your iOS device on your monitor, while at the same time charging it. The dock saves you the burden of using Apple TV, AirPlay or an HDMI adapter cable to view content on a bigger screen, though it’s likely that much of the content on your mobile device already exists somewhere on your computer (like in iTunes). The dock also includes SRS Premium Sound and built-in speakers, so you can actually hear what you’re watching.

Pricing and the exact release date will be announced at CES 2012. Should Apple integrate something like this into their own screens? I don’t think so, but if this is something that you absolutely need, then you should look for the e2343Fi early next year.

[via SlashGear]

Behringer iNuke Boom iOS Dock Goes to 10,000

Lambert Varias — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:00:12 +0000

…10,000 Watts, that is. To promote their new Eurosound consumer product line, Behringer will be releasing the iNuke Boom, a limited-edition dock for Apple’s portable devices that will probably dwarf your home theater setup. Just look at this thing:

The iNuke Boom measures 8ft x 4 ft, which is why the docked iPhone looks like a shirt tag in the pictures. The speaker weighs all of 700lbs, and is rated at 10,000W. Price? $30,000 (USD). iNuke Boom indeed.

For those who want to see and hear the iNuke Boom in action, Behringer will have a unit on display at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Something tells me you won’t have trouble finding their booth.

[via Digital Trends & Behringer]

JTT Adapter for iOS Devices Adds the Ports that Apple Won’t

Lambert Varias — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:00:23 +0000

Japanese manufacturer JTT has released an adapter that adds a variety of connectivity options to your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. It has both an HDMI out and analog AV out, a USB port and a mini-USB port that you can use to charge your iOS device. Unfortunately they forgot to give it a memorable name, so I’ll just stick to its product code, IPHDAVAD.

The IPHDAVAD essentially combines Apple’s Camera Connection Kit and digital AV out, except it doesn’t have an SD slot and has an analog AV out, cables included. Speaking of cables, the adapter also comes with a mini-USB-to-USB cable, so you can charge and sync your iOS device while you’re playing video or transferring media.

The IPHDAVAD seems to be limited to Japan as of now; JTT is selling it on their website (JP) for ¥4930 (~$63 USD). That’s not a bad price considering its features. Hopefully it’ll be available internationally, and with a better name.

[via Akihabara News]

Curly Cable for iOS Devices Effortlessly Extends, Tames Tangles

Lambert Varias — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:18 +0000

Here’s another one of those “Why didn’t I think of this?” ideas. Luca Mainini, Manuel Marino and Davide di Malta of Dev Design 2.0 had a multo buona idea: emulate the coiled form of telephone cords to make a charge and sync cable for iOS devices. The Curly Cable can be stretched from its original 8″ to an amazing 70″.

Here are the inventors with their uhm, indie Kickstarter video:

Ride a slinky to Kickstarter and pledge at least $15 (USD) to order a Curly Cable (wig not included). It’s already raised almost four times its target funds, so you’re basically pre-ordering it at this point. Check out the xlSync if you’re looking for an even longer – albeit not tangle-proof – cable.

[via TechCrunch]

Speakal iKurv iPhone Dock: Looks Like A Futuristic Noodle

Range — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:15:12 +0000

The iKurv is Speakal‘s new dock for iPods and iPhones. It definitely looks like it’s from the future, and it comes with two large speakers that are connected with a tube. There’s a glowing blue stripe along its edge, which gives it even a more futuristic look.

The iKurv delivers 20 watts of power, and it also has all of the inputs for regular audio devices. It can even be connected to your TV. It comes with a remote and will even dock some older iPods. There aren’t many buttons on it, but the included remote should be fine to control your music player.

You can get the iKurv directly from Speakal for $79.99 (USD). It’s available in white, yellow, green, pink and blue. It’s definitely an interesting dock to have in your pad, if you life futuristic gear.

Griffin Faces Case Gives Your iPod Touch Extra FaceTime

Conner Flynn — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:00:19 +0000

This cute case from Griffin is called the Faces case. The name says it all. It allows you to mix and match eyes and mouth tiles in the case to create your own unique face.

This iPod Touch case is made from silicone and in addition to being cute and adorable, protects your device quite nicely. The Griffin Faces case comes with six different eyes and three mouths. So you can configure the face on your case however and whenever you like.

You can buy the Faces case right now from the Griffin website for $25(USD), and it comes in pink or blue for the iPod Touch. Hopefully they will release one for our iPhones down the road. Very cute!

[via Chip Chick]

3-in-1 Retractable Cable: More Universal than a Universal Serial Bus Cable

Lambert Varias — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:30:24 +0000

Many third-party portable batteries or chargers come with adapters or detachable tips so that they can be used for different devices. But if you only need a cable to sync and charge your diverse array of gadgets by plugging them to your computer, check out this clever and elegant solution from USB Fever.

As you can see, instead of using detachable tips, this charge and sync cable uses a centipede-like configuration – a micro-USB connector attached to a mini-USB connector attached to an Apple 30-pin connector. You just have to pop up the connector you need, while keeping the connector(s) behind it plugged in to keep the cable complete.

The cable measures about 30″ when fully extended and about 4″ when fully retracted. You can order it from USB Fever for $12 (USD).

[via Get USB]

Lion Ultimatum Dreamboard Theme: iOSX

Lambert Varias — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:00:31 +0000

With OS X Lion, Apple did one thing that absolutely no one in the world asked for: make OS X look, feel and act a bit more like iOS. These changes and additions are minor and are all optional or revertible, but still. Clearly Apple will be introducing something in the next few years and are easing us users into it. Meanwhile, they’ve neglected what some iOS users are asking for: make iOS act a bit more like OS X. For instance, a built-in file manager would be nice. Well, if you want something that Apple won’t give you, there’s the jailbreaking community for that. Behold: the Lion Ultimatum theme.

Made by college freshman and ModMyi forum member Timothy Elliot, Lion Ultimatum is indeed a theme, but it goes beyond skins and icons. For better or for worse, it overhauls the iPhone and iPod Touch interface, making it look like OS X. It has a working Menu Bar, working Finder windows – with the ability to drag windows and have multiple windows open – a scrollable dock, the Dashboard and its widgets (which ironically are really only useful in a portable device like the iPhone and iPod Touch), a lock screen with phone, mail and SMS notifications and more.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Check out Timothy’s thread on ModMyi for more screenshots as well as information on how to download Lion Ultimatum (of course it requires a jailbroken iPhone to install.) I know what you’re thinking – why didn’t he show it working on the iPad? Because it’s not compatible with the iPad. Timothy is a busy man and right now he just doesn’t have the time to make an additional theme for the tablet’s landscape mode. Sorry iPad users.

[via Lifehacker]

Vocre App Makes the Universal Translator Get Closer to Reality

Lambert Varias — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:00:58 +0000

One of the things that breaks my immersion when watching sci-fi shows is when everyone speaks the same language, from people of different nationalities to aliens (not to mention the dog and pig people in Dragonball). But many sci-fi franchises also address this real world convenience with a fictional explanation – the “universal translator.” A new app called Vocre (pronounced vo-cray) is trying to turn iOS devices into this mythical device.

A company called myLanguage made Vocre using their own technology, as well as magical bits from voice recognition company Nuance. Like most iOS apps, using Vocre is simple. Or at least it’s supposed to be simple – first, select the language and gender of the person you’re talking to. Then, while your iOS device is vertical, speak into the phone. Finally, tilt your device into a horizontal position to cue Vocre to translate what you just said, both verbally and orally.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Vocre is currently available on the iTunes App Store and can handle English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Mandarin. It seems like a great idea, one fit to be in a United Colors of Benetton commercial, but right now it has a couple of major drawbacks. First is the flip to translate gimmick, which is the only way to order Vocre to translate what’s been said. The problem is, reviews on the iTunes App Store have said that it’s faulty and doesn’t work all the time. Besides, I think it’s a totally unnecessary feature. What’s wrong with a virtual button? Or, if we insist on being flashy, why not have the speaker say a magic word at the end of his message to cue the app to translate instead?

This faultiness may be forgiven since it’s in its only been released recently, but the problem is compounded by myLanguage’s current pricing scheme – you get 10 free translations when you download the app, after which you’ll have to pay $0.99 (USD) per 10 translations, or $8.99 for 100 translations. You can see why that’s a disaster right? The wonky activation can lead to inadvertent translations, and each time that happens means that’s 10 cents gone. Hopefully myLanguage can improve the app and come up with a more forgiving pricing scheme. And add a Klingon language pack for kicks.

[via TechCrunch]

TableDrum: the World is Your Drum Set

Lambert Varias — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:00:39 +0000

Compared to air drumming, making decent beats by tapping real objects is a lot of fun and a lot closer to the actual thing, but even if you’re insanely good at it doesn’t mean you’ll be great with an actual drum set. But a new iOS app called TableDrum can make you sound like a real drummer.

TableDrum’s function is so simple yet magical. It allows you to map a real world object to a drum sample, so that when you hit that object instead of just making a sound with that object you’ll also here a drum sample. For example, you can map your desk to a snare, a teacup to cymbals, and a box to bass so that when you hit the desk, TableDrum will emit a snare sound in real time, making it sound like you’re playing a snare drum and so on.

To map an object to a sample, all you have to do is pick that sample and then hit the object several times so that TableDrum knows the sounds that will trigger that sample. Here’s a demo of the app:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

And another…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Of course it won’t actually teach you how to play the drums, plus nothing beats the sound of a real drum set, but you have to admit this is a clever piece of software. Fortunately Dohi Entertainment, the developer of TableDrum, has currently discounted the app’s price from $3.99 (USD) to $0.99, so grab it now from the iTunes App Store before the sale ends and start drumming.

[via Geeky Gadgets]