Accessories

Photojojo introduces iPad telephoto lens

Admit it: Whenever you see someone using their iPad as a camera, you giggle. Maybe even snicker. That two-handed grip and big ol' viewfinder screen, that's just comedy. Especially when something like this happens.

On the other hand, the iPad 3, iPad 4, and iPad Mini all have a respectable 5-megapixel sensor, an IR filter, face detection, and some other solid digital-photography features. All that's missing is a zoom lens. (The iPads do offer digital zoom, of course, but that's to be avoided at all costs. It ruins photos.)

Enter Photojojo, the outfit known for making smartphone … Read more

Best iPhone 5 cases

The iPhone has been out a while, but new cases for it keep arriving.

Update, April 11, 2013: Added Skech Lisso Book and Otterbox Armor Series cases.

What's the best one? Very hard to say. The problem is that everybody has different tastes in cases. And, of course, some folks choose not to bother with them at all.

In doing this roundup, I've tried to present a good selection of products, highlighting some of the better cases that have hit the market -- or are about to. But this is by no means a "best of" … Read more

Speck goes glam with new iPhone 5 cases

While Apple is rumored to be just a few months away from releasing a new iPhone -- or iPhones, depending on what you believe -- accessory makers are still busy releasing new cases for Apple's existing products.

Speck reps stopped by our offices in New York to show off some of their new products, which also included iPod Touch cases and early samples of Samsung Galaxy S4 cases.

The company is highlighting the SmartFlex Shine, a shimmering "fashion-forward" case that's more flexible than Speck's CandyShell cases and easier to get on and off your phone. … Read more

What's smart (and dumb) about the latest smartwatches

Why wear a smartwatch? You might have said the same thing about carrying a smartphone before those got smart enough to be truly useful. Smartwatches are a sort of mini tech trend of the moment, but here's the brutal truth: we wouldn't recommend that our friends buy any of these, unless they're early-adopter watch fetishists. The smartwatches of today have a muddy mix of good, bad, and flat-out ugly features. At best, they're quirky and stylish. At worst, they're hobbled with short battery life or don't work at all.

None of the smartwatches we'… Read more

Samsung takes smartphone battle to the storefront

DALLAS -- Samsung has opened a new front in its battle for smartphone supremacy: the storefront.

The Korean electronics giant plans to set up mini Samsung stores inside all U.S. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile venues within the next couple of months -- just in time for the Galaxy S4 launch. The "Samsung Experience Shops," which start rolling out Monday, will be in 500 big-box Best Buy stores and all 410 Best Buy Mobile locations by early May. Best Buy's remaining 550 large-format Best Buy stores will feature the shops by early June.

A larger … Read more

Jawbone offers 2.0 software update for Big Jambox

In the past, Jawbone has provided firmware updates for its Jambox mini portable Bluetooth speaker to improve performance and add new features. Now its larger wireless speaker, the Big Jambox, gets its own 2.0 software update today.

The 2.0 update is a free download that's available on Jawbone's MyTalk platform (you have to register and install software on your computer to receive the update). According to Jawbone, here's an overview of the new features:

Better audio experience: New AAC support for iOS 6.1 delivers improved audio streaming with fewer dropouts and interruptions at greater … Read more

Save 20 percent on a ChargeCard sync cable

Remember the ChargeCard? It debuted at this year's CES and made my list of the three things I saw at CES I'd actually buy.

As I noted then, it's a mostly rubber card that's thin enough to fit in your wallet, but able to charge and sync your smartphone, e-reader, digital camera, Bluetooth headset, and the like.

The ChargeCard comes in three versions: iPhone 4/4S (meaning Apple 30-pin connector), iPhone 5 (Apple Lightning connector), and Micro-USB. All three have the same rubber arm that folds out to plug into a USB port, but a different … Read more

Hands-on with the Une Bobine charging stand for iPhone

When the Une Bobine made its Kickstarter debut about a year ago, I had the same reaction as a lot of people: What the heck does "Une Bobine" mean?

One look at the product and I definitely wanted to find out. Alas, I've forgotten too much of my high-school French (sorry, Mrs. Herman), but Google knows all: Bobine means "coil," and that's exactly what this thing is: a coiled, goose-neck sync/charge cable for the iPhone. (There's also a microUSB version for Android and other phones.)

What does a coil get you that … Read more

ManiGlove literally puts iPhone control at your fingers

While we're waiting for Google Glass to reach the masses, there are plenty of other wearable technology options to keep us busy. One newcomer is the ManiGlove, an iPod and iPhone control glove raising funds on Kickstarter.

The Version 1 ManiGlove looks a lot like a golfing glove, but it contains a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth for hooking up to your iPhone or iPod. Touch your thumb and different fingers together to change the volume, navigate songs, activate Siri, or control a PowerPoint presentation. Conductive pressure points trigger the commands.… Read more

Koala iPad mount lets you stick it to your bathroom

I confess. I sometimes set my iPad on the bathroom counter and watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes with closed captions turned on while I take a shower. No, it's not an elegant solution. There's a danger of shower splashing, or knocking it over while toweling off. I should probably be looking into acquiring a Koala Mount instead.

The $20 Koala Mount from Dockem is advertised as "damage-free," meaning you could potentially stick them all over your apartment and still have a good shot at recovering your security deposit when you move out. The Koala works with all iPad generations, even the iPad Mini, as well as several popular Android tablets.… Read more