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Review: Griffin’s BreakSafe is the magnetic USB-C connection the 12-inch MacBook needs

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One of the most interesting accessories that came out of the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year was Griffin’s BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable. As a 12-inch MacBook owner (and lover), one of the things I’ve missed the most with the machine is the MagSafe connection. Apple introduced the MagSafe technology 10 years ago, but thanks to the switch to a single USB-C connection, it is nowhere to be found on the ultra-slim MacBook.

That’s where Griffin’s BreakSafe comes in the. Retailing for $39.99, the BreakSafe is a six-foot-long magnetic USB-C cable. The BreakSafe brings the laptop-saving MagSafe technology that Apple users have to love to the 12-inch MacBook. And it does it surprisingly well, but it’s not perfect…


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Roundup: The best new 9.7-inch iPad Pro cases & accessories

Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the same dimensions as the iPad Air 2 on paper, but the device’s new 12-megapixel camera means your old iPad case probably won’t cut it. That is unless you cut it yourself to accommodate the new larger camera and flash that will make a larger opening on cases necessary for the new device. So your iPad Air 2 case won’t be a perfect fit, but there is already a long list of notable case makers with products available to order.  The only exceptions to that maybe are sleeve style cases that don’t have any camera openings.

But if you want a case that was truly made to fit your new 9.7-inch iPad Pro without any compromises, below we’ve put together a running list of the best new cases available now and coming soon. 


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Roundup: The best cases for the new iPhone SE

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Apple earlier today officially took the wraps off of the oft-rumored iPhone SE. While the device is set to go up for pre-order on Thursday, March 24th and ship a week later, a handful of cases are already available for the device. While the device is largely identical to the iPhone 5/5s in terms of design, many companies are announcing new cases specifically for the latest 4-inch smartphone.

We’ve put together a roundup of some of the best choices to protect your iPhone SE below…


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CES 2016 Roundup: The best iPhone, iPad, Mac, & Apple Watch accessories on show this week

While Apple doesn’t make a public appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, most of the companies building products for Macs and iOS devices do. That’s why we have most of the team at CES 2016 this year covering the new and notable for Apple related products as the show officially kicks off tomorrow.

It can be a little much to go through day by day with announcements already happening by the hour, so we’re compiling the best of the best here to give you one quick and easy place to check out all of the best new iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch accessories on show this week.
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Griffin’s BreakSafe is the MagSafe USB-C adapter that Apple’s MacBook needs

One of the biggest complaints regarding the 12-inch MacBook has been the ports, or lack thereof, that the device offers. The MacBook features just as single USB-C port that you use for everything, including charging. This means that the MagSafe technology that Apple introduced 10 years ago and that we’ve all come to love is nowhere to be found. A new accessory introduced by Griffin today, however, aims to fix that problem.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone car mount $13, iPad Air 2 LTE 64GB $600, Retina MacBook Pro 256GB $1,350, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Headphones $99 shipped (Reg. $169)

Amazon Gold Box: 40% or more off iOttie car mounts – One Touch 2 Holder $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30), more deals from as low as $12.99

iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular 64GB in Space Gray or Silver: $600 shipped (Reg. $729)

iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB in Silver: $449 shipped (Orig. $929)

Best Buy 4-Day Sale: 13″ Retina MacBook Pro 256GB $1,350 & 21″ iMac 1TB $1,150 + extra $100 off w/ .edu

App Store Free App of the Week: Star Walk 2 goes free for the first time ($3 value)

Bloons Tower Defense 5 for iPhone/iPad goes free (Reg. $3/$5)

The first chapter in the epic Infinity Blade trilogy is now available for free (Reg. $6)

App Store promo – Great Games 50% off: Halo Spartan Strike $3 (Reg. $6)more

Readdle launches Scanner Pro 6 for iOS w/ release day pricing: $3 (Reg. $6)

Amazon is now treating its Prime members to extra savings on new/upcoming video games

Score a 3-pack of discounted Monoprice MFi Lightning Cables for $16 shipped (Reg. $25)

USB-C cables $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $11), Anker 16,000mAh + Anker 3,200mAh Power Banks $37 shipped ($20 off)

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 w/ email delivery from PayPal (20% savings)

LAST CHANCE! Giveaway: Owen & Fred’s Desk Essentials collection ups your work game while looking good, $250+ value

Review: Logitech’s Anywhere 2 Bluetooth mouse shines w/ adaptive scrolling

Review: MPOW’s pocketable iStick is the best Bluetooth selfie stick you can buy today

More new gear from today:

Logitech Master MX Wireless Mouse $87 shipped (Reg. $100)

Games/Apps: Wii U bundle w/ Power A Gamer Kit $275, Car Club Tuning Storm free, more iOS freebies

Get access to every Nintendo 3DS game for only $65 shipped w/ this refurbished 2DS deal

Daily Deals: Seagate 8TB Backup Plus USB 3.0 External Hard Drive $230, HP Chromebook 14 $249, more

More deals still alive:

Griffin 30% off sitewide: Survivor Slim Case for iPad Air 2 $56 (Reg. $80)more

Apple is giving away free downloads of iOS cooking app Green Kitchen ($5 value)

New products & more:

Sony’s three new Bluetooth/AirPlay compatible speakers with price tags to match

Olloclip’s Kickstarter project delivers a customized photography setup for your iPhone 6/Plus

Review: Griffin iTrip AUX is the 3-in-1 car audio, power, and remote control for Lightning devices

Given the widespread adoption of Bluetooth wireless for in-car telephone calling and music streaming, it would be easy to write off Lightning connector-equipped car accessories as… decreasingly important. Any recent car with Bluetooth audio probably also has a USB port built in for Apple device charging and audio output, letting many people integrate iPhones, iPods, or iPads with cars using nothing more than a budget Lightning-to-USB cable.

But that’s not true for everyone. At CES in January, Griffin showed two new car accessories designed to help Apple users whose cars lack USB ports and Bluetooth. iTrip Bluetooth (aka iTrip Bluetooth Aux) hit stores a couple of months ago, turning any aux-only car stereo into a Bluetooth music receiver. This week, it was joined by iTrip AUX ($50, aka iTrip AUX with AutoPilot), which provides a one-connection charging, audio, and remote control solution for any Lightning-connector iPad, iPhone, or iPod. It has 2.4-Amp power output, capable of refueling any of these devices at peak speed, plus a line-out audio port, and an integrated three-button remote control. If Bluetooth sound quality isn’t good enough for you, or you value a single-connection charging and audio solution, this could be a viable car accessory…


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Review: Griffin’s WatchStand is a tall, cheap way to dual-dock your Apple Watch and iPhone

I respect any accessory developer who attempts to solve a legitimate problem, and admire developers who find smart ways to solve multiple problems simultaneously. Unlike many competing Apple Watch stands, Griffin Technology’s new WatchStand ($30 via Amazon) thinks past the initial challenge of mounting your watch, and also includes a place for your iPhone to rest on your nightstand. As you’ll see in my guide to the best Apple Watch stands and docks, it’s hard to find a decent-looking combination Watch and iPhone stand at a lower price.

As that low price suggests, however, WatchStand makes compromises in both materials and functionality. Built primarily from plastic with a rubber core, it’s certain not to scratch a stainless steel or gold Apple Watch. But would you actually want to use it with one of Apple’s more expensive timepieces? That’s another question…


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Review: Griffin’s iTrip Bluetooth adds wireless iPhone music streaming to your car’s stereo

Twelve years have passed since Griffin released its first iTrip, a breakthrough FM transmitter that enabled iPods to send music wirelessly to car and home stereos. The original model, a glossy white housing that sat atop early iPods like a tube of Chapstick, effectively defined iPod accessories for an entire generation of early adopters. And it was fun, too: using an radio antenna and brilliant software, iTrip could flood an empty FM radio channel with iPod music, acting like a pocket-sized pirate radio station.

Everything changed when the FCC cracked down on FM transmitters, forcing reductions in broadcasting power that made iTrips (and numerous competitors) sound staticky, reducing their appeal. Around the same time, Apple and car companies transitioned to better-sounding solutions — Bluetooth and aux-in audio ports, respectively — leaving FM transmitters with fewer customers. But Griffin is rejuvenating the iTrip family with iTrip Bluetooth, aka iTrip Aux Bluetooth, which provides a different type of dead-simple wireless solution for cars. Priced at $50 but available online for $38, it has one purpose: to receive Bluetooth audio sent by your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, conveying it through an included 3.5mm audio cable to your car’s aux-in port…


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Wired video abuses ultra-protective iPhone cases, two withstand slams, one even survives falling safe

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n6eNURznxk?rel=0&showinfo=0&w=704&h=396]

Most cases will protect your iPhone during regular use, and many can handle accidental drops and a little abuse, but very few can withstand deliberate punishment. An amusing new Battle Damage video from Wired uses abusive tests to crown the “toughest iPhone case ever” from four different ultra-protective models: Griffin’s $50 Survivor,* LifeProof’s $80 Fre, Lunatik’s $125 Taktik Extreme, and Otterbox’s $50 Defender. The iPhone 5 units inside the Griffin Survivor and LifeProof Fre don’t make it through the first test, a hard smash of the encased iPhone on a hard floor, but Lunatik’s Extreme and Otterbox’s Defender go onto a second test: attempting to withstand a 50-pound safe while standing in a completely vertical position.

Unless you’re planning to drop a safe on your upright iPhone, the smaller and more affordable Defender seems like a smarter choice. But only Lunatik’s metal-reinforced Extreme survived the safe-dropping test; an iPhone 6 version hasn’t yet been released. Most people will do just fine with regular iPhone cases (or great iPhone battery cases), but if you want something that can protect against Looney Tunes-like antics, check out the video for some nice camera work and screen-shattering fun.

[* Note: Wired claims that the Griffin Survivor case shown in the video is Survivor Slim, but it looks more likely to be Survivor + Catalyst, a now-discontinued $80 model that was marketed as waterproof. Thanks, Nick!]

Griffin debuts iTrip Aux Bluetooth, updated Twenty digitial audio amp, new wearable accessories, and more at CES

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Griffin unveiled a series of new accessories for mobile devices today during the Consumer Electronics Show. The first of these accessories is the iTrip Aux Bluetooth, which combines a standard 3.5mm audio cable with a Bluetooth reciever powered by the cigarette lighter in your car, allowing you to stream your music wirelessly to your car’s stereo, even if you don’t have a Bluetooth equipped car.

The iTrip Aux AutoPilot, a sister device, works using a Lightning cable to charge your iOS device while using the data connection to access your music library, which is then played through the same 3.5mm jack as the Bluetooth model.

Both accessories retail for $49.99 and are available from Griffin’s website starting today.

The company also announced…

Review: Griffin’s Reveal, STM’s Dux, Verus’s Damda Slide show value of slimmer iPhone 6 Plus cases

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The first time I picked up Spigen’s overly-bulky Tough Armor case for the iPhone 6 Plus, I knew there was going to be a major new consideration when reviewing iPhone 6 Plus cases: the quantity and shape of case materials added to the already large device’s back and sides. Apple’s designers succeeded in crafting a really big iPhone that somehow still felt thin, smooth and comfortable enough in large hands — when bare — but Tough Armor’s hard edges and chunky frame made the 6 Plus feel awkward in even a large adult male’s hands and pockets.

Slimmer solutions were needed for the iPhone 6 Plus, and today, we’re looking at three of them: Griffin’s Reveal ($20, available here for $13), STM’s Dux ($30, available for $30), and Verus’s Damda Slide ($40, available here for $24). Reveal and Dux are highly similar to one another, differing mostly in texturing and corner protection, while Damda Slide is like Tough Armor, only more thoughtfully constructed and useful. It’s somewhat rare in that it offers “playthrough” or full-time access to the iPhone’s screen and side controls, while also including a wallet that can store three cards behind the iPhone. Most iPhone wallets require a large front flap that adds thickness and makes instant screen access inconvenient.


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Jeremy’s holiday gift guide: Mac, iPhone & iPad gear you can trust

My first post for 9to5Mac is on a topic near and dear to my heart: best-of-breed Apple products and accessories. Why should you trust me? I’ve been a professional product reviewer for 23 years and an Apple user for 28 years. Last week, I finished an 11-year stint running the editorial side of iLounge, the leading Apple product review site, where I tested literally thousands of Apple accessories from every major company on the planet. Readers have praised my reviews as accurate and insightful, and I always put my readers’ needs first when testing new products.


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Cyber Monday: The best iPhone, iPad, & Mac accessories on sale today

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A ton of great deals on accessories for iPhone, iPad and Macs have gone live today for Cyber Monday in addition to the many Black Friday deals still running from the weekend. Today is your last chance to get in on most of these discounts and in some cases might be your last chance to get your hands on these products before the holidays.

Head below for our roundup of the best deals available today on cases and accessories for your Apple device. 
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The best iPad Air 2 cases already available to buy online (Running list)

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Now that Apple’s new iPad Air 2 is officially up for preorder today through Apple’s online store, AT&T and others, you’re going to need a new case to accommodate the 18% thinner design. Not only will case makers have to make tweaks for the thinner design, removed side switch and other design tweaks, they will also have to make sure the home button is exposed for the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Below we’ve put together a list of cases that are already available to order and we’ll be updating as more cases get announced ahead of the new iPad Air 2 shipping to customers next week.
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iPhone 6/Plus case roundup: Best cases at the best price

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With iPhone 6 and 6 Plus officially going on sale today through Apple retail and partners, a lot of you on the hunt for a new case. We’ve been keeping track of announcements from the notable case makers and below put together our updated list of the nicest cases we’ve seen yet.

As we always do, we’ve stuck to the case manufacturers we know and trust (like Apple, Griffin, Otterbox, Grovemade, & Cygnett) and also included a wide selection of different products from hard to soft, plastic to aluminum, and wallets to gun-style holster cases. We’ll add more to the list below as we find more iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases.

Head below for the full list:


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The best iPhone 6 & 6 Plus cases already available to buy online

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As we always do, we’ve compiled a list of the best iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases already available to order. With preorders for the device kicking off this Friday through most carriers and major retailers in launch countries, a number of great case makers have already started selling accessories. We’ve stuck to reputable case makers and cases that you can order today. A few might not ship until the end of the month or early next, but Apple isn’t expected to ship the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus until September 19th. We’ll add more to the list as we find them.
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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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Quick Review: Griffin Powerdock 5 Port USB charger: Expensive but effective

I’ve been using the Griffin Powerdock 5 to charge my devices for over a month now and I don’t have anything terribly profound to say about it.  It works.  It works well.  It charges 5 devices including iPads and tablets as quickly as possible. The output for each USB port is 10 watts (5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps) for each charging bay.

You can even charge portable speakers like the Logitech Boom or JBL Charge as fast as their native chargers will. It also looks nice (when you get short wires pictured above, not my set up below).

The problem? The retail price is $100, and we’re seeing low prices around $75. That’s a little bit nuts for a 5-port charger even if it is well designed and effective.

There are nice items at Amazon including this Anker 5-port USB charger (which can also quick-charge 2 iPads) for $16-20 and gets great reviews. It is hard to justify paying 4 times the price for a nice plastic stand.  But it you think it is pretty, have at it:

Not me:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyppUIP7Odk]

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air $479, uNu iPhone 5/5s MFi battery case $45, Nintendo 3DS XL $170, Canon T3 DSLR, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

16GB iPad Air $479 shipped, iPad 2 64GB Wifi + 3G unlocked: $400 shipped

uNu iPhone 5/5s MFi 2,300mAh battery case $45, iPhone 4/4s $30

Game/App Deals: Nintendo 3DS XL $170, Paper Mario $8, iOS freebiesmore


Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

Mac software bundles:

  • The SuperStacked Mac Bundle: Over $3,000 Worth Of Premium Developer & Designer Tools – $49 today, but price increases everyday it’s on sale.

New product announcements & reviews:

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