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CES 2014: iPhone/iPad Bluetooth accessories for the home & body dominate the show

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While it’s been years since Apple made an appearance at CES in any official capacity, accessories that pair with its iOS devices have for several years dominated the show floor. This year was no different with most of the big trends–  fitness and health tracking wearables, Bluetooth controllers, and home automation products–  all designed and developed with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac in mind.  Below we’ve put together a roundup of the most interesting wearables, cases, controllers and more that we found for iOS devices. 
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CES 2014: CableCore Hub puts your iMac’s USB ports within arm’s reach

iCoreGear-CableHub-iMac

During the ShowStoppers press event this week at CES, iCoreGear, a small team of designers and engineers currently raising funds on Indiegogo, showed off a new product called the CableCore Hub for iMac. The idea is simple enough: rather than having to climb on top of your desk and awkwardly fumble with plugging cables into the back of your iMac, the CableCore hub attaches to the base of iMac and brings 3 USB 3.0 ports and an SDXC card slot within arm’s reach. A slightly more expensive version will also include a Bluetooth connected 3.5mm audio jack. It’s powered from one of the USB ports on the back of your iMac, but can also provide high speed charging to all its ports by using a separate power adapter. While a regular standalone USB would get the job done, the CableCore Hub’s bead blasted aluminium base and black polymer top match the iMac perfectly and the design does away with extra desk clutter you get with your average USB hub.

Preorders for the base model are currently at $99 on Indiegogo, while the model with the Bluetooth audio jack will cost you can extra $30. The company expects to ship by May if it can raise the $20,000 it needs through the crowd funding campaign.

CES coverage brought to you by Belkin

CES 2014: Haier announces first smart appliance with Apple’s MFi certification

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HAIER APPLE MFI

Announced at CES this week in Las Vegas, Chinese electronic and appliance manufacturer Haier is notably the first in its industry to pick up Apple’s MFi certification for one of its products. Haier’s Tianzun air conditioner (press release) is the first smart appliance to pick up Apple’s Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad seal which notes Apple’s standards for ease-of-use, quality, and functionality were met. Haier, which manufactures other appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators, plans to implement the same connected technology found in its MFi air conditioner in other products as well potentially leading a move toward more user-friendly smart home appliances…
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Yahoo announces News Digest, a new iOS app that provides only essential news stories

During its CES keynote, Yahoo announced a new iOS app that it hopes will help people stay informed on the big news of the day. Dubbed News Digest, the app will send out updates twice a day with the big news. The information comes from several different sources and Yahoo calls each individual story an “atom.” The app focuses on all news categories, not just technology.

Each story is created from multiple sources to present the essential bits and pieces of information, known as “Atoms”. Atoms are key quotes, images, videos, stock tickers, maps, infographs, and Wikipedia excerpts among others. These atomic units provide a unique context to the news. Our stories are both algorithmically and hand curated to ensure high quality, and come with a textual summary.


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CES 2014: First look at Resound Linx, the world’s first MFi Bluetooth LE hearing aid launching this quarter

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CES coverage brought to you by Belkin

Back in June we reported that Apple was getting ready to introduce new Bluetooth Low Energy hearing aid technology it developed to significantly improve the current crop of products on the market. Apple expected partners in its MFi program to introduce hearing aid and cochlear implant products using the technology this year, and last night we got a look at the first MFi hearing aid about to launch globally this quarter during the Bluetooth SIG event at CES 2014. GN’s Resound Linx is trickling out in select markets as we speak but a full global launch is about to happen sometime this quarter.

Not only is Resound Linx the world’s smallest hearing aid and the first Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod through Apple’s official program, the connection to an iPhone over the 2.4GHz frequency and Apple’s advancements in low powered Bluetooth tech for hearing aid products will also provide some other first of their kind features for the Linx. The hearing aid will essentially also function as a high-quality headset, allowing users to answer calls, listen to turn-by-turn directions, and much more on their iOS device. The most notable advancement, however, is the ability to fine tune the hearing aid experience through a dedicated iOS app:
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CES 2014: New era of inexpensive 4K monitors from Asus, Dell, Lenovo and Seiki ushered in

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With the new Mac Pro capable of powering three 4k displays, new MacBook Pros with Thunderbolt 2 and 4K HDMI 1.4 in many hands and Apple taking its sweet time to release its own monitor, an affordable 4k display is something many people are searching out right now. ASUS, at the Consumer Electronics Show, has just unveiled a new 28-inch 4k monitor that will retail for just $799. Currently, ASUS’ 31.5-inch 4k offering comes in at over $3,000, and while the price difference between the two is major, there doesn’t appear to be a gap in features (via Engadget).

ASUS’s 28-inch 4k monitor will pack a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, just like its larger sibling. As far as ports go, we’re looking at one DisplayPort and one MHL-capable HDMI port. The monitor has a fully rotatable design, as well as a quick 1ms response time.


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CES 2014: Griffin unveils new iOS & Mac accessories- StudioConnect HD, PowerMate Bluetooth, & GuitarSidekick for iPhone

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Ahead of the official International CES 2014 show taking place next week in Las Vegas, tonight Griffin, alongside a number of other companies, debuted new products at the official CES Unveiled press event. We told you earlier about the company’s new Square card reader case (the first of Square’s partners for a new program that will see similar products released in the future), but Griffin also had other Apple related products on show tonight including new audio accessories, a bluetooth controller for Mac, and more.


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LaCie unveils ultra-fast Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2, new portable 1TB ‘Fuel’ drive

Ahead of showing the devices off at CES, LaCie has just announced a pair of new storage accessories for Apple users. First off, the company will be showing off the Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 drive. As the name implies, this drive will take advantage of Intel’s latest Thunderbolt 2 technology and deliver speeds up to “ten times faster” than any USB 3.0 drive. LaCie touts transfer speeds of 1,375 MB/s. Inside the shell are two 500GB PCIe Gen 2 SSDs in RAID 0. LaCie says the Little Big Disk 2 will be capable of handling 4k and 3D video edits.


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Griffin debuts new ‘Merchant’ iPhone 5/5s case with Square reader integration

griffin-merchant-square-caseGriffin and Square have teamed up to offer the first official iPhone case designed to protect your iPhone while accepting payments with the popular credit card reader.

The Merchant case features non-slip sides making it easier to keep a secure grip on your iPhone when swiping cards and accepting signatures. If your iPhone should happen to fall the silicone case will absorb some of the impact hopefully keeping your iPhone safe and sound. It also protects your phone’s internal components by “eliminating swivel and excess strain on your iPhone’s headphone jack” thanks to its custom-molded design. An integrated slot located on the back of the case conveniently stores your Square reader when the work day ends. A Square reader is included to help jumpstart new businesses and expand current ones.

The Merchant case is compatible with the iPhone 5/5s and is scheduled to ship in 1-2 weeks. It’s available for preorder starting today with a list price of $19.99. For a more permanent POS solution be sure to checkout the Square iPad Stand.

Features:

  • Protective silicone case keeps your iPhone safe; included Square Reader allows you to accept credit card payments on the go.
  • Molded silicone case protects your iPhone from bumps and drops
  • Easy-grip, non-slip texture
  • Card guide aligns the credit card and your Square Reader for easy, consistent card swipes every time
  • Stores your Square Reader when not in use
  • A Works with Square™ product
  • App requires iOS 6.0 or later
  • Download Square Register app and learn more about Square at www.squareup.com.

CES coverage brought to you by Belkin

CES 2014 to host iBeacon scavenger hunt w/ official mobile apps

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Radius-Networks-iBeacons

Today, the Consumer Electronics Association announced that it will be using Apple’s new iBeacon technology to host a unique scavenger hunt of sorts at its International CES event scheduled for next week. Using the official CES mobile apps for iOS or Android, attendees will be able to collect badges for encountering the location-aware Bluetooth iBeacons placed throughout the CES showfloor. CEA is using a Bluetooth iBeacon development kit from  Radius Networks (pictured above) and Texas Instruments’ SensorTag technology. It hopes the scavenger hunt will encourage attendees to explore more areas of the show.
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