USB

• Amazon
• Tips and Tricks
• Gold Box
• Sony
• Hardware

68% off Sony storage at Amazon: 32GB SD card: $17, 1TB USB3 portable HD: $70, more

9to5 Staff Jul 12 2013 - 3:06 am PT

0 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

Click to enlarge

Amazon’s Gold Box today is up to 68% off Sony storage products. Standouts include:

• 1TB USB3-powered portable Hard Drive: $69.99 shipped
• 1.5TB USB3-powered portable Hard Drive: $99.99 shipped
• 64GB SDHC 40MB/S SD Card :$37.99
• 32GB SDHC 40MB/S SD Card :$17.49
• 16GB SDHC 40MB/S SD Card :$9.99
• Speedy 40MB/s MicroSD cards: 32GB: $21.99, 16GB: $11.99
• More as pictured above.

• iPad
• iPhone
• Reviews
• Amazon
• USB

Review: NewTrent Travelpak Dual USB Port 5V/2A travel charger

Seth Weintraub Jun 25 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

0 Comments

The New Trent Travelpak 4000mAh plug in adapter makes a handy replacement to your iOS device AC USB adapter. I’ve been using the Travelpak 4000mAhfor about 3 months now and find it to be the perfect travelling companion for my phones, tablets and other USB-charged devices. At 4000mAh, you’ll get about 2 full iPhone charges. At 5V/2A, you’ll also get a speedy charge on your iPad, though not as fast as possible. For those focusing on iPad charging, there are bigger versions that come in the 7000mAh and 11200mAh sizes. In fact, the bigger 6000mAh has more ports, a more convenient form factor, and costs less ($39.99). Need more than that? Time for some Hyperjuice.

What’s nice here is that the portable Travelpak can charge two USB devices at the same time while plugged in. It has a nice bright 5 bar light system telling you if it is charging or how much charge it has left (making it a night-light as well). What’s even nicer and contrasts from other plug/batteries is that it turns off when unplugged and only starts charging again when you hit the power button on the side.  Where typical generic AC USB batteries will drain unless they are powered down, these will automatically turn off.

On the down side, when the plug is extended, the 4000mAh version can cover up the other plugs in a wall outlet or surge protector making this aspect of the design puzzling. Still, the other plusses far outweigh this technical oversight. It appears that the new high end 6000mAh and 11200mAh form factor fixes this issue and at a cheaper price, it is hard not to recommend this version.

The Travelpak  is currently $41.54 at Amazon off the List Price of $79.95 for the 4000mAh version that I tried, but it would appear that the larger 6000mAh version at $39.99 might be the better deal, especially since it adds a MicroUSB port and doesn’t cover up an additional plug.

• iOS Devices
• iPhone
• Apple News
• USB
• Lightning Cable

Plastic iPhone back plate spotted in China or just iPhone 5 in a case?

Seth Weintraub Jun 3 2013 - 5:20 am PT

0 Comments

Numerous global sites are running images this morning with what the posters claim are plastic backings of upcoming ‘value’ iPhones. Because of the lack of any evidence that these are real we’re running these only for discussion. As Mark said last night, these could be anything.

https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/341290891761303554

The above image appears to have a Lightning cable inserted but no markings on the back while the below image seems to show another look at the back.

Nowhereelse.fr applied filters to the top image and from that it appears that the plastic iPhone shell is just a case…

In other unlikely iPhone 5S news, Apple.hdblog.it thinks it has found a bunch of the iPhone 5S parts we’ve been seeing for the past few months:

• Amazon
• Tips and Tricks
• Hardware
• USB
• Solid-state drive

60% off SanDisk USB Sticks, SD Cards and SSD products at Amazon: 64GB as low as $33

9to5 Staff Jun 3 2013 - 3:37 am PT

0 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

.

Amazon is having a 1 day SanDisk Storage sale across its lineup of products including: USB Sticks, Micro/SD Cards and SSDs. These are the lowest prices we’ve seen on many of these products.

Standouts include:
Expand
Expanding
Close

• iPad
• iOS Devices
• iPhone
• Apple News
• iPod touch

Giveaway: 3 newly launched Scosche Lightning cable accessories

Feb 14 2013 - 8:02 pm PT

0 Comments

The iPhone 5 debuted last October and along with it so did the Lightning port. Since its launch there have been few third party accessories created due to Apple’s tight control over the the new technology. Today, the popular consumer electronics and car audio company, Scosche, officially launched their line of Apple approved Lightning accessories. While other companies are already offering official Lightning cables, this launch by Scosche is of particular interest because they are the first to offer both car chargers and wall chargers (5W and 10W) as well as a retractable cable.

Some Apple users have been quick to jump on generic Lightning cables to save a couple bucks, but given what we learned today it seems that the best route is to buy an Apple approved Lightning cable. Supported devices include the iPhone 5, iPad mini, iPad 4, and 5th Gen. iPod Touch. Schosche’s Lightning accessories are available online from Schosche (10% coupon here) and from major retailers such as AT&T, Wal-Mart, Staples, and Fry’s. Skip below if you’d prefer to just win some cables…

Giveaway

If you haven’t stepped out and bought any Lightning accessories you’re in luck because we are giving away 3 of Scosche’s brand new products. First up is the strikeDRIVE 12W car charger ($30 value) which features “… a 3 foot coiled cable that provides the freedom to use a device as it charges without tangles and clutter.” The second giveaway is a strikeBASE ($30-$35 value), “wall charger [that] features a 3 foot long cable and flush folding wall prongs for added portability.” Lastly, we will be giving away the retractable strikeLINE PRO ($25 value), which extends up to 3 ft. To be entered to win any of these items all you need to do is comment (helps if you follow 9to5Mac on Facebook and Twitter – 9to5Toys too ;) on this post and we will select 3 random winners this Sunday evening. All winners will be contacted via a private message and Scosche will handle the deliveries..

• AAPL Company
• iOS
• iPad
• iOS Devices
• iPhone

Could Apple unleash an update that breaks third-party unauthorized Lightning cables?

Jordan Kahn Feb 14 2013 - 2:13 pm PT

0 Comments

When Apple first announced that it would replace its old 30-pin connectors with the new, smaller Lightning standard, it took quite sometime for accessory makers to get on board. Accessory manufacturers had trouble producing Lightning-compatible products until cracking a unique authentication chip Apple is using in the new standard. Apple wouldn’t authorize official Lightning products until months later, when Apple briefed accessory makers at its MFi summit in November. Today, in a story from The New York Times, major Apple accessory maker Mophie outlined how Apple is keeping tighter control over companies making products for iOS devices with Lightning. It also warned Apple could potentially disable unauthorized Lightning products with a software update:

When a hardware maker signs up with Apple’s MFi Program, for companies that make accessories for Apple products, it orders a Lightning connector component from Apple to use in designing the accessory. The connectors have serial numbers for each accessory maker, and they contain authentication chips that communicate with the phones. When the company submits its accessory to Apple for testing, Apple can recognize the serial number.

The chip inside the Lightning connector can be reverse engineered — copied by another company — but it probably would not work as well as one that came from Apple, Mr. Howe said. Apple could also theoretically issue software updates that would disable Lightning products that did not use its chips, he said.“That’s one thing Apple is good at: controlling the user experience from end to end,” Mr. Howe said. “If you’re buying something in an Apple store, it’s gone through all this rigorous testing.”

• AAPL Company
• iOS
• iPad
• Apple TV
• iPhone

evasi0n Jailbreakers reveal the incredibly complicated methods they used to Jailbreak every Apple iOS device

Jordan Kahn Feb 5 2013 - 1:04 pm PT

0 Comments

Forbes posted an article on Tuesday that gave some updates on the highly successful launch of the evasi0n jailbreak tool straight from its creators. After having officially released the jailbreak yesterday at noon, according to stats from Cydia’s Jay Freeman, around 1.7 million people have decided to jailbreak their iOS device. Perhaps more interesting is a description of how exactly the four members of the evad3rds team were able to get the job done. Team member David Wang, aka @planetbeing, walked through the process with Forbes:

Evasi0n alters the socket that allows programs to communicate with a program called Launch Daemon, abbreviated launchd, a master process that loads first whenever an iOS device boots up and can launch applications that require “root” privileges, a step beyond the control of the OS than users are granted by default. That means that whenever an iPhone or iPad’s mobile backup runs, it automatically grants all programs access to the time zone file and, thanks to the symbolic link trick, access to launchd.

Wang described the entire process from finding the initial exploit in the iOS mobile backup system to accessing Launch Daemon and getting around code signing and restrictions at the kernel layer:

Once it’s beaten ASLR, the jailbreak uses one final bug in iOS’s USB interface that passes an address in the kernel’s memory to a program and “naively expects the user to pass it back unmolested,” according to Wang. That allows evasi0n to write to any part of the kernel it wants. The first place it writes is to the part of the kernel that restricts changes to its code–the hacker equivalent of wishing for more wishes.  ”Once you get into the kernel, no security matters any more,” says Wang. “Then we win.”

Go to Forbes to read Wang’s entire step-by-step description of the jailbreak process for evasi0n.

Here’s another third-party analysis. The verdict is the same: incredible work.

• AAPL Company
• iPad
• Apple News
• Microsoft
• Retina

The 64GB version of Surface Pro has 23GB of free storage out of the box?!

Jordan Kahn Jan 29 2013 - 11:17 am PT

0 Comments

Imagine if the 32GB iPad only had that much free space?

When we posted a comparison of the iPad 4 and Microsoft’s new $999 128GB Surface Pro, Apple was yet to introduce its new 128GB iPad with Retina display. Apple announced this morning that the new iPad model would début Feb. 5 starting at $799, and that’s an attractive offer for those considering a Surface Pro when it goes on sale Feb. 9. Making the new 128GB iPad an even more attractive option for pros looking at more storage, Microsoft confirmed today that 45GB of space would be dedicated to Windows 8 and preloaded apps. This leaves customers of the 128GB Surface Pro with 83GB of free storage (via Engadget):

“The 128 GB version of Surface Pro has 83 GB of free storage out of the box. The 64GB version of Surface Pro has 23GB of free storage out of the box. Of course, Surface Pro has a USB 3.0 port for connectivity with almost limitless storage options, including external hard drives and USB flash drives. Surface also comes pre-loaded with SkyDrive, allowing you to store up to 7GB of content in the cloud for free. The device also includes a microSDXC card slot that lets you store up to 64GB of additional content to your device. Customers can also free up additional storage space by creating a backup bootable USB and deleting the recovery partition.”

• iOS
• iPad
• iOS Devices
• iPhone
• Tech Industry

NAMM: Apogee updates USB interfaces with iPad support, Mackie launches 8-channel iPad mixer

Jordan Kahn Jan 24 2013 - 11:02 am PT

0 Comments

Today is the first official day of NAMM in Anaheim, and we are already started to see a few Apple-related products pop up. The most interesting is the new lineup of interfaces from Apogee, including updated One, Duet, and Quartet models that all include new features, specs, and iPad compatibility with support for any Core Audio app. iPad compatibility comes thanks to Apogee’s new Maestro app:

Apogee’s new free Maestro app for iOS brings total hardware control to iPad. Designed to create a seamless transition between Mac and iOS, Maestro’s design was customized for each device; iPhone, iPad and Mac, ensuring an intuitive user interface across every platform. The app includes all the same essential functions available on the Mac including low latency monitoring. Maestro can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store on your iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad.

Starting with the One, the refreshed USB interface now features two inputs, the ability charge your iOS device, Apogee’s Maestro control iOS app, optional battery power, and updated mic preamps and AD/DA converters. It also includes a built-in mic and breakout cable to connect a 1/4-inch cable or XLR. One will be available in March for $349.

The new Duet, a four output, two-input USB interface has been given a refresh, and, like the One, it now includes a USB port for device charging and iOS connectivity. It also works with Apogee’s new Maestro iOS app, and it includes a full-color OLED display like previous versions. It will be available in February for $595. It also includes a breakout cable for XLR and 1/4-inch connections.

Lastly, Apogee is updating its 4 IN x 8 Out USB Quartet interface to take advantage of Maestro control software for iOS and Mac and offer full iPad compatibility. The refreshed Quartet will be available in February for $1,295, and a firmware update will bring iOS support to existing users at the same time.

The One, like the other updated Apogee interfaces, comes with a 30-pin cable, so you’ll need an adapter for Lightning devices.

Another iOS-related highlight from NAMM: Mackie’s new DL806 8-channel digital mixer for iPad (pictured below). It is available now for $799:

(Apogee via mi-pro.co.uk)

• AAPL Company
• iPad
• iPhone
• Reviews
• MacBook

TYLT’s Energi backpack charges up to three iOS devices at once, we go hands-on (Video)

Jordan Kahn Jan 11 2013 - 1:28 pm PT

0 Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v9AxkNFqm6I

We went hands-on with the new ENERGI Backpack from Tylt, a company with products we’ve enjoyed in the past, in the video above. There are many power bags on the market that include built-in batteries to recharge your mobile devices while on the go, but we were quite impressed with these new backpacks from Tylt. They are hitting the market for between $150 and $200 at the end of March. They include a 10,400-mAh-lithium ion battery with the ability to charge up to three devices at once and dedicated pockets for your iPad, iPhone, iPod, and MacBook.

• iPad
• iOS Devices
• iPhone
• AirPlay
• Lightning

iHome teases new Lightning-enabled docks ahead of CES 2013

Jake Smith Jan 3 2013 - 12:51 pm PT

0 Comments

Ahead of CES 2013 taking place in Las Vegas next week, popular dock/speaker manufacturer iHome has teased its first Lightning-enabled line. The iPhone 5, iPad mini, and fourth-generation iPad enabled speakers are set to be shown off in-depth at the company’s booth next week, something many speaker manufacturers will look to do to highlight their Lightning-enabled products. The first is the iDL100 Triple Charging Stereo that will ship for $149.99 and be able to charge two devices through Lightning docks, and it features a USB dock for other devices and a 3.5MM headphone jack. Secondly, iHome will unveil another one of its retro boomboxes for $199 (as seen below). The iBT44 features wireless capabilities with Airplay, which uses Bluetooth to stream audio, and it sports USB charging. You bet we’ll take a closer look at CES next week, as the iDL100 with its triple charging looks especially interesting.
Expand
Expanding
Close

• AAPL Company
• Mac
• Thunderbolt
• USB
• Solid-state drive

LaCie refreshes its best-selling hard drive, the d2, with Thunderbolt & USB 3.0

Jordan Kahn Dec 4 2012 - 6:48 am PT

0 Comments

LaCie announced today that it is releasing a refreshed version of its best-selling hard drive with USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity. Known as the LaCie d2 USB 3 Thunderbolt series, LaCie is offering a 3TB model for $299.95 and latest 4TB 7200rpm hard drive option for $399.95.

According to LaCie, the new d2 offers speeds up to 180MB/s:

Get the fastest speeds available on Mac and PC thanks to the USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports. The LaCie d2 performs at speeds up to 180MB/s, twice as fast as FireWire 800 and nearly four times faster than USB 2.0. These speeds allow the user to transfer a 10GB project in less than one minute, back up a computer in record time, easily edit video in demanding applications and browse through photo libraries without delay. Plus with 256-bit AES encryption the data is always secure.