iHome has today announced two new speaker products with built-in Alexa support. The new vanity mirror includes 10x magnification, Bluetooth speaker, and a USB charging port. The new bedside alarm clock comes with a dimmable LED, programmable smart buttons, and more.
iHome today has released several new smart home products including the affordable Outdoor SmartPlug with HomeKit compatibility just in time for the holidays as well as three new Wi-Fi based home security sensors.
iHome today has unveiled a handful of new accessories at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The well-known accessory maker has unveiled a new version of its popular SmartPlug, a handful of Bluetooth accessories, and a pair of new docking stations.
Smart plugs aren’t exactly new. Belkin has its WeMo platform of connected home devices including its Wi-Fi-enabled ‘Insight Switch’, an iPhone app-controlled outlet, and others have similar competing products. But iHome’s new SmartPlug is one of the first arriving for Apple’s recently launched Siri-controlled HomeKit platform. I’ve been testing out the product in recent weeks to see exactly what HomeKit adds to the experience and to get a real world taste of Apple’s home automation platform in general for the first time with an actual product. Now that it’s officially available for purchase, here’s what you need to know…
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iHome has spent years building a reputation for thoughtfully designed, value-packed Apple audio accessories. Beyond its annual releases of ever-improving speaker systems, it was the very first company to release an iPod alarm clock, and a day-one supporter of Apple’s AirPlay speaker standard. No audio company has focused as much on the practical needs of iPod, iPhone, and iPad users as iHome. And when it innovates, it always comes up with something cool.
Kineta K1 ($150) and Kineta K2 ($100) are iHome’s latest innovations: Bluetooth speakers with beautiful built-in battery charging docks and detachable USB battery packs. K2 is a nightstand- or desktop-friendly alarm clock radio with a large screen, stereo speakers, and speakerphone support for the iPhone. K1 is a completely portable stereo speaker with 13 hours of play time and speakerphone support. Each comes with iHome’s new K-CELL, a tube-shaped 2,600mAh battery that locks in place until you’re ready to go, then easily hides in your pocket or bag to refuel your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Apple Watch anywhere.
Both Kinetas efficiently address two simple facts: Apple’s devices sound better through speakers and need extra power on-the-go. Read on for details on how they each combine two useful accessories into a single great package; you’ll also find a special discount inside!…
Announced at CES in January, the iSP5 SmartPlug ($40) — iHome’s first smart home accessory, and first Apple HomeKit accessory — is now officially available for purchase. The SmartPlug installs easily in an existing wall outlet, enabling users to enjoy iOS-based remote control of a connected lamp, fan, air conditioner or other electronic device. Two SmartPlugs can be stacked atop one another on a standard wall plate, and multiple SmartPlugs can be grouped as “scenes” for simultaneous iOS control within a home. Interestingly, the new accessory’s compatibility isn’t limited to iOS and HomeKit…
Yesterday we kicked off our running list of the best iPhone cases on show at CES 2015, and today we’ve started collecting the new and interesting iPad cases we’ve run into at the show. Some of the notables include a new case from AT&T that gives Wi-Fi only iPads access to LTE data in addition to a battery pack and microSD slot, and a new folio case from Incipio that adds a small display for smartwatch-like notifications without opening the cover.
Head below for the full list of the new iPad cases, most of which are scheduled to arrive sometime in the weeks and months to come.
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Just ahead of Disney’s release of Cinderella, the highly anticipated live action movie version of the classic 1950 animated film, Apple accessory maker iHome today took the wraps off of a collection of elaborate new iPad and iPhone accessories.
(Photo credit: Benjamin Hendel)
The star of the collection is this model replica of the new Cinderella Golden Coach, which is currently on display at DisneyWorld in Orlando, FL. iHome’s upcoming version is called the Carriage Bluetooth Speaker, a highly intricate, sub-$70 version with a mesh, globe-shaped speaker in the center. As our photos show, the level of detail in the Golden Coach is really impressive, including faceted gold that almost looks bejeweled.
iHome has also developed a pair of Cinderella headphones, complete with a jeweled blue butterfly on the side – key to the movie – and noise isolating earbuds with blue jeweled sides and fabric cabling. Both feature in-line microphones and remote controls.
Finally, there are also some bespoke iPad and iPhone cases, including a quilted iPhone flip case with golden accents and a hand strap, a butterfly-laden iPhone 6 hard shell, and a quilted purse-like case for the iPad with a golden strap.
Disney’s Cinderella will be released in theaters on March 13, with the new lineup of iHome Cinderella accessories to follow.
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At WWDC 2014, Apple first announced HomeKit which it describes as a “framework in iOS 8 for communicating with and controlling connected accessories” around your home, and we’re starting to see the first HomeKit-enabled accessories announced. HomeKit is especially interesting as smart devices that use it can be controlled by Siri commands like “turn off the lights” or “lock the front door” and actions can even be grouped together. Below you’ll find our running list of the latest gadgets from CES 2015 to bring HomeKit automation and Siri integration to your home:
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Every year, top-ranked Apple speaker maker iHome comes to CES with an impressive array of new products — including something to show off Apple’s latest technology — and it isn’t disappointing at the 2015 CES. In an advance briefing before the show officially opened, iHome revealed its first Apple HomeKit product, SmartPlug ($40), as well as some daring new speaker and headphone designs…
…like the first speaker we’ve seen hidden inside a beautiful drinking flask. It’s called SoundFlask, and comes in coat pocket- ($50) and home bar-sized ($100) versions. Even the smaller version sounds really good given its size, and the flask cap twists to adjust the volume. All that’s missing is the ability to actually hold fluids. Read on for more.
iPhone and iPad users have eagerly awaited news in the HomeKit-connected product space since Apple announced the feature at WWDC 2014, and CES 2015 means we’re seeing a flood of new consumer electronics coming to market including the very first devices compatible with Apple’s smart home feature. The new iDevices Switch is described as “the world’s first HomeKit-enabled plug,” which allows you to control connected appliances using Siri.
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I’ve reviewed a lot of iHome clock radios over the past nine years. They weren’t all formulaic, but there was a very clear evolutionary line from the original 2005-vintage, iPod-only iH5 to the iPad-ready iDL95 released last year: take two speakers, stick a clock in the middle, center a dock on the top, then make the enclosure sort of flat but pleasantly curvy. iHome had a winning general concept and look, which it updated annually with small feature, color, and shape tweaks. But its new $120 model iBN10 breaks the mold in several ways.
The dock’s gone, the clock has been glammed up and shifted to the right, and there are four speakers inside, rather than the standard two. iBN10 is also atypically handsome, built and billed as an “executive music system” by discarding the faux metals that iHome’s midrange speakers have become known for, and adding speakerphone functionality. This isn’t iHome’s first Kleenex box-sized speaker, but it’s definitely the most sophisticated.
If you haven’t heard of iHome products before now, they manufacture a wide variety of home audio accessories for iOS and Android devices. If you’re into Bluetooth speakers, they’ve got you covered. You’ll find Bluetooth speakers in just about every shape and size on the company’s website.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been testing out iHome’s awkwardly named iBN26 Bluetooth speaker with built-in speakerphone. Yes, that is both the model number and product name. I know, it’s weird. Either way, if you’re in the market for a new speaker setup, you may want to give this one a closer look…
According to a report from The Financial Times, Apple is working on a new software platform that would “turn the iPhone into a remote control for lights, security systems and other household appliances.” Apple’s iOS ecosystem is of course already home to an increasing number of connected products for the home like the Philips Hue WiFi connected light bulbs, the Nest thermostat and a number of iPhone controlled appliances, but the report claims that Apple will soon unveil a new central platform that will make for a more seamless experience:
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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.
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More news from Apple’s AirPlay partner, BridgeCo, the company which manufactures the silicon used in AirPlay devices.
AirPlay devices weren’t so apparent at CES this year, though iHome, B&W and Klipsch all showed solutions implementing the standard, which enables users to stream audio from an iOS 4 device to an enabled speaker system.
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