The Twelve South HiRise, which was announced last week, is an aluminum stand and docking/charging station for Apple devices that include a Lightning dock connector. The HiRise supports the iPhone 5, fifth-generation iPod touch, seventh-generation iPod nano, and the iPad mini (the 4th-generation iPad is too large). Unlike the typical iOS Device dock, the HiRise, as the product name implies, raises your device a few inches high in the air. Twelve South also ships versions of the HiRise for the MacBook (review) and iMac (review)…
The AluDisc is a high-quality, seemingly well-built pedestal that allows you to easily and quickly rotate your display. During my daily workflow, I need to consistently pull USB and Thunderbolt cables out and in of the back of my Thunderbolt Display. Usually, to accomplish this task, I need to manually rotate my display. This is not a truly complex task, but the AluDisc actually makes this process extremely quick and easy. The disc can spins 360 degrees, making it simple to rotate my display.
Every now and again, someone comes up with an idea which is deliciously simple yet rather useful. Meet Cord Tacos: a folded piece of leather with a rivet through it.
Yep, that’s it. The rivet acts as a kind of button, so you can unfold the leather, insert your cable and then clip it in place. No more cables getting tangled at the bottom of your bag, and much more elegant than the rubber bands we OCD types use to keep things tidy.
The review bit: they work. The cables are held securely, and the rivets don’t come undone.
My only complaint is that the standard 5-pack comprises two large (suitable for USB leads and the like) and three small. The small ones are really only useful for earphones, and who carries more than one set around? Which gets you three usable Tacos for $30 with shipping. A little steep, but a lot prettier than an elastic band. Available on Etsy.
It’s Thursday and you have four days to get the perfect Christmas gift, but have no fear…9to5Mac is here. O.K., enough with the cheese, let’s talk app-enabled accessories. Oh, man, I need to stop.
But, seriously, app-enabled accessories are the perfect gifts: they come in a variety of price ranges and work with a variety of iOS apps. So, we looked at a few popular, unknown, pricey, and not-so pricey ones and rounded them up below. Hopefully, this guide will give you a few ideas and inspire you to go shopping A.S.A.P.
Note: If you buy through Amazon, and are an Amazon Prime member, you could get many of these products shipped overnight for just $3.99 each.
Ion launched this nifty toy in the fall, and it is really, really cool. Think Guitar Hero…but for jammers and free-stylers. Like Ion’s popular iCade line, it charges with AA batteries. So, no wires and no fuss. It also fits any iOS device. A padded storage compartment adjusts to fit the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch, and there is room to plug in a Lightening adapter (not included).
The built-in speakers pump out great volume, but there is also a headphone output for silent practice, and it has electric, acoustic, and bass guitar effects. The guitar, which is useable by both left-handed and right-handed folks, works best with the All-Star Guitar app that comes with 10 free songs pre-loaded, with access to additional songs for download, but it also works well with Garage Band and WI Guitar.
It’s packed with features, feels sturdy, and is definitely a cool gift for the musically inclined. Oh, and it seems like a neat way to learn guitar.
We told you last week that musician Will.i.am would soon launch an iPhone accessory, called “i.am+”, and now the world has its first look at the product line that transforms the smartphone’s camera into a 14-megapixel powerhouse.
According to the Telegraph, the four models, respectively called “C.4”, “V.4”, “C.5”, and “V.5”, feature interchangeable lenses, such as standard, fish-eye, wide, and zoom, with a built-in flash. An iOS app further enables the hardware to have an Instagram-like experience, with photo editing, filters, and sharing options built-in. Folks will also have access to individual online profiles at www.i.am.
The Black-Eyed Peas frontman said his accessories enhance both the clarity and definition of photographs: “We have our own sensor and a better flash. You dock you phone into our device and it turns you smartphone into a genius-phone. We take over the camera.”
The i.am+ accessories basically fit over the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 in contemporary and vintage flavors, as seen in the picture gallery below, but they also come with a hefty price tag. The line ranges from £199 (roughly $318 USD) for the modern black model to £299 (roughly $477 USD) for the gold model. The i.am+ V.4 unit with gold trim and a “Vintage Look” are the most expensive but boast a slide-out keyboard.
The iPhone 4 versions will launch Dec. 6, while an iPhone 5 version, which bulks the iPhone’s camera with a new sensor and flash, will not ship until 2013.
