Kanex adds 3 USB ports and Gigabit Ethernet to your MacBook with pocket-sized DualRole

We have played with and enjoyed a few products from Kanex in the past, and today the company showed off its latest USB 3.0 charging solution at Macworld with the DualRole. The product is a super lightweight and very portable bus-powered USB3 hub that packs three extra USB 3 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet adapter. That means you’ll be able to add a Gigabit Ethernet adapter to your Retina MacBook Pro or MacBook Air and have an extra three USB ports on hand.

9to5Mac went hands-on with the DualRole today during Macworld, and we definitely want one for ourselves. Anyone who travels knows how nice it is to connect via Ethernet when hotel Wi-Fi gets sketchy, and it’s certainly nice to be able to carry around an additional three USB 3.0 ports in your pocket at the same time. DualRole also provided an optional 5V power adapter to offer a little extra power to the USB ports, and the built-in cable tucks away nicely when not in use. DualRole is selling for $69 through the Kanex website, but it should also land next to the company’s lineup of other solid products on Amazon shortly.

Read more

iOS accessories at CES 2012: Multi-docks for iDevices, wireless HDMI, infrared keyboards, and more

There are tons of accessories on the show floor at CES 2012 this year, many of which were designed specifically for our iOS devices. Earlier we brought you some of the best audio devices and accessories announced at the show, and now we have compiled all the other interesting docks, cases, and peripherals being unveiled for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Displayed below are a couple multi-docks that provide various methods of charging multiple iOS devices simultaneously, a new “wireless HDMI” solution for beaming content to the big screen, and a couple iPhone cases that do much more than simply protect your device.

Read more