Accessories

iType Physical Keyboard for iPhone Gets the Ultimate Test -- TiPb @ CES 2010

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 a 11:59 am

Ion's iType is a full sized -- full. sized. -- keyboard for the iPhone or iPod touch that comes bundled with an App Store app for easy text input. Output is another story -- given the iPhone's app sandboxing, you have to email or copy and paste the text into other apps. Ion is open to letting other apps use their hardware, however, so if Apple doesn't get it together and offer standardized keyboard dock and BT protocols, and something like a Finger App to share document content, we're hoping third parties can get at least part of it done themselves.

They also make a piano/synthesizer style iDiscover keyboard as well.

But enough philosophy, let's get physical with the keyboard. And who better to try perform the ultimate typing test than our best frenemy CrackBerry Kevin. He puts it through its paces in the video below. Check it out after the break, and let us know what you think.

Motorola Endeavor HX1 Bone-conduction Bluetooth Headset Hands-on -- TiPb @ CES 2010 [Updated, Sponsored-ish]

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Jan 11, 2010 a 10:53 am

The Motorola Endeavor HX1 is the latest salvo in the Bluetooth noise-reduction arms race, and it takes it to another level -- reading the bone vibrations in your inner ear and digitally converting those vibrations into recognizable speech. That's right, when regular microphones fail, when even noise-reduction won't work, Motorola is actually turning off the microphone entirely and reproducing what you say based on sound waves in your skull. It won't sound as good as a mic, however, but in a crowded place like the floor of CES 2010, rather than a dull, indistinguishable crowd roar, you can actually be heard.

Video after the break!

[UPDATE: And the iMore Store folks told me they just got the Motorola Endeavor HX1 in stock, and it's on sale 31% off, if the video entices...]

Blue Microphone Mikey for iPhone Hands-on -- TiPb @ CES 2010

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Jan 8, 2010 a 3:16 pm

As iPhone Live! regulars know, I use a Blue Microphone Snowball for our podcast, so when they announced their 2nd generation, iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS compatible Mikey, I was gravitationally pulled towards their booth for a quick look.

It's small, it plugs into the iPhone dock, and they also offer a free Blue Fire field-recorder app in the iTunes App Store [Free - iTunes link]

The 2nd gen Mikey should ship this spring. Check out the video after the break, and note: this was recorded using a pre-production unit of that very mic!

Case-Mate iMakeMyCase iPhone Case Customizations -- TiPb @ CES 2010

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Jan 8, 2010 a 10:59 am

With iMakeMyCase, Case-Mate is taking their popular case model and not only offering you hot, artist-based designs, but breaking apart those designs to their core elements and letting you customize and collage them to create your own unique variation.

There are lots of on-line tools provided, included spays, mirror effects, and if you're not feeling particularly creative, reference designs by each artist.

Check out our walkthrough after the break!

Digital Experiences iPhone Gallery -- TiPb @ CES 2010

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 a 10:48 am

Digital Experiences is an event held the eve before CES 2010 officially kicks off, and as we've come to expect -- there was a lot of iPhone in the room. From EA showing off their latest games to Sonos showing how completely they've gone in on iPhone, from Speck to Griffin to XtremeMac giving us sneak peaks at their upcoming gear from Powermat's inductive charging solutions, all the way to Google's massive Nexus One booth (okay, everything except that maybe!) the iPhone was in full force.

Check it out, after the jump!

Mophie's Enters iPhone Credit Card Transaction Arena

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Jan 2, 2010 a 8:46 am

Looks like Mophie, makers of the Juice Pack Air, are going to be offering their own take on the iPhone credit card reader accessory, and software app. We should hear more at CES, but with rumors of Apple offering their EasyPay system beyond the Apple Retail Stores, and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Square coming to market, next year could be big for mobile money-taking.

Case-Mate Barely There Chrome Case for the iPhone 3G

By Georgia, Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 a 11:00 am

Say hello to the Case-Mate Barely There Chrome Case for the iPhone [$19.95 iMore Store Link]. It's a streamlined case with a chrome outer shell and a mirrored screen protector. And it's the hottest iPhone case to come around in a while.

If you haven’t already bought a gift for that special man/woman in your life, then just pick this one up. The perfectly mirrored surface is beautifully complimented by the gleaming chrome case. Yes, if Hercules had had this case he would have been able to defeat Medusa and make sure his hair still looked good. The back of the case also has a “beauty spot” for your apple icon (a hole in the case so you can see the apple logo). This case is such a stunner that it got a gasp of approval from one of my more difficult to please male friends.

Get a New iPhone or iPod touch for Christmas? Here's What You Need to Know!

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Dec 25, 2009 a 12:05 am

So you were nice enough for Santa to leave a shiny new iPhone 3GS or iPod touch G3 in your stocking, and it's unwrapped and charged and... you need to know what to do next?! Relax, TiPb's got you covered. Here are some helpful tips and tricks, apps and accessories, and reviews and overviews to get new users on their way. (Or, if you're already a pro, to send to those new users who would otherwise be bugging you all morning for help).

Dock Accessory to Turn iPhone Into Universal IR Remote

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 a 9:52 am

Rē Remote Control is a a new plug-in accessory for the iPhone (and iPod touch?) dock port that aims to turn Apple's mobile platform into the holy grail of living room devices -- a full programmable, multitouch universal RI remote.

Word has it the unveiling will be at CES in January, and TiPb will try to check it out and see if it impresses. However, given how slick WiFi-based remote apps have been for Apple TV, Keynote, VLC, Boxee, etc. it's safe to say we're the tiniest bit excited at the possibilities.

TiPb Top 5 iPhone Bluetooth Headsets

By Jeremy, Thursday, Dec 17, 2009 a 12:41 pm

The following Top 5 iPhone Bluetooth Headsets guide is sponsored by the TiPb iPhone Accessory Store

The holidays are fast approaching and what a better last minute gift to give than a fancy new Bluetooth headset! With so many choices out there we figured many of you could use some help choosing the right headset. Today we'd like to give you our top five headsets available within TiPb's iPhone Accessory store! Our picks are as follows: