IPEVO
Latest
IPEVO Typi folio case and Chopstakes styli for iPad
IPEVO is an innovative computer peripheral manufacturer that has produced some rather impressive products -- the P2V USB Document Cam and Tubular Wireless Speakers, to name two -- and is now making a leap into the iPad market with two new products. The Typi (US$79) is a folio case for iPad with a removable Bluetooth keyboard, while Chopstakes ($34.95 - $45.95 per pair) are a pair of styli for your favorite tablet. IPEVO Typi folio case and Bluetooth keyboard TUAW has reviewed a number of folio cases for the iPad and iPad 2. These cases all have one thing in common -- they look somewhat book-like, and totally encase the iPad. For the most part, the cases are made of either a plastic material or a more natural material like leather. We've also reviewed a lot of keyboard cases for iPad -- these are usually designed like a folio, but include a stationary or removable Bluetooth keyboard so that users can type on a real keyboard rather than the virtual keyboard on the iPad. The Typi is a folio keyboard case that comes in either black or tan felt with a brown leather strap. That strap serves several purposes -- when the Typi is closed, it wraps around to the front of the case and holds everything in place with a strong magnet. When the Typi is opened, there is a snap on the strap that plugs into one of three receptacles to prop up the iPad's screen. I have to admit that the Typi is one of the better-looking folio cases I've had a chance to review. The review case has the tan exterior, and it looks very classy with the leather strap. The keyboard is encased is similar leather and is as easy on the eyes as it is on the hands. Like many of the keyboard cases, the Typi has a removable keyboard that is held in place with magnets. If you don't like where the keyboard is, it's no problem to just move it to a more comfortable position. The keyboard comes with a standard micro-USB to USB cable for charging -- there's no AC adapter included, but considering that most of us have either an iPad "brick" or a handful of other USB charging adapters, it's a nice touch that they didn't include another one. At $79 MSRP, the Typi is much less expensive than other keyboard folios I've reviewed. By comparison, the MSRP for the Qmadix Portfolio for iPad 2 is $149, and the two folio cases are almost identical. I could write about the various and sundry positions that the Typi folds into, how the keyboard works with its 13 hotkeys and more, but I'll let you take a look at the very descriptive Typi page to get the details. Be sure to look at the photos in the gallery, though. %Gallery-137334% Chopstakes iPad styli The first time IPEVO told me about the Chopstakes styli (yes, that is the plural of stylus), I wondered why anyone would need two styluses. The Chopstakes come in two models -- Long ($45.95) and Short ($34.95) -- and are made of aluminum that tapers from a square top down to a circular bottom covered ending in a soft hemispherical capacitive tip. A lot of us don't use styluses, so what the heck are you going to do with two? I kind of got the idea about these things when I was experiencing some pain in my right fingertip this weekend. Any time I tried to use a trackpad or my iPad, it hurt. So, being a fan of chopsticks for eating Asian food, I decided to give the Chopstakes a try. I have small hands, so I used the short Chopstakes. First, I used one of the Chopstakes as a regular old stylus. It works very well -- the short model balanced in my hand very well, and the tip provides a lot of pinpoint detail when you use a light tough, or a wider footprint when you push a little bit. The thin cylindrical bottom of the Chopstakes makes it very easy and comfortable to hold -- it's about the same diameter as a stick pen at that point, but the extra heft of the aluminum body makes it feel like a fancy pen. I was very dubious about using two Chopstakes, but I can see several situations where it would be useful. First, if you like to use two-finger gestures like rotate or zoom-in/zoom-out, they're impossible to do with traditional single fixed point styluses. Holding a pair of styluses as if they were a pair of chopsticks makes it possible to do two-finger multitouch gestures while using the Chopstakes. In this case, your hands are further up on the Chopstakes, near the wider and square tops. This part of the design makes is comfortable to hold the styluses like a pair of chopsticks. By the way, if you've never used chopsticks, there's a three-step tutorial inside the cardboard liner in which the Chopstakes are packed. The Chopstakes are packed in a lockable plastic carrying case, perfect for carrying the pair in a backpack or bag. I can think of other uses for the Chopstakes. If you're using a music app, they're quite useful as drumsticks -- I used 'em, one in each hand, on some of the drum kits in Garage Band for iPad, and did a reasonable job drumming (although that's really Dave Caolo's forté). I also played around with the two styli in the fun Bebot app, although I can't really say that it was an improvement over just using two fingers. How did the Chopstakes work instead of a finger on the surface of the iPad? Just fine. And I plan on continuing to use one of the pair as a iPad stylus until my finger decides to stop hurting. Conclusion IPEVO seems to understand the Apple market. They're doing a great job of making well-designed, well-made, and reasonably-priced products that fill specific needs. Sure, there are other folio keyboard cases for the iPad 2 out there, but the Typi is nicely constructed, attractive, and less expensive than similar cases. The Chopstakes are unique, and might find a place in the iPad bag of musicians, painters, and photographers who want to try out a well-balanced and high quality pair of styluses.
More giveaway goodness: Icon Power Pack, essential TPE Puff Sleeve from IPEVO
If you missed out on some of our "Trick or Treat with TUAW" giveaways over the last few days, you're not out of luck. We have a number of other giveaways we're going to continue over the next few days. Today's goodies are from IPEVO, the makers of the P2V USB video camera that I use to capture iPad and iPhone screens for TUAW TV Live. They've expanded their offerings, and now make a carrying case for the P2V (US$39.99), cool Bluetooth speakers called Tubular WIreless Speakers ($79.00) that I'll review soon, the essential TPE Puff Sleeve for iPad ($39.95), and The Icon Power Pack for iPod and iPhone ($53.68). We have samples of the latter two items to give away. First, there's the essential TPE Puff Sleeve for iPad, which I like to call an "LL Bean down vest for an iPad." It's not down-filled, but it looks like it can keep an iPad toasty in chilly weather, or at least keep it protected from bumps and drops thanks to neoprene padding. We have one in maroon to give away, and it looks great. Hit the link below to find out how to win both that and an Icon Power Pack.
Frustrated by no universal video out for iPad? IPEVO P2V can help
One of the things that was a bit frustrating for me after purchasing the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter was finding out that it doesn't work with every iPad app. It works great with apps that are written to take advantage of the adapter, but at the present time there are only a handful of apps that will pump video out to your projector or monitor. So what if you want to teach an iPad class and show your students everything that's going on your iPad? If you have a camcorder pointing at the screen, you can even demonstrate to people how you do certain things with the iPad. There's a less expensive and pretty cool little camera that seems like it was designed just for doing iPad demos. The IPEVO Point 2 View (P2V) USB camera is inexpensive (about US$70), has remarkably good resolution, and comes with a stand that is perfect for doing demos. Read along for a quick review of this sweet little tool for putting your iPad (or iPhone) on the big screen.
IPEVO Tubular wireless speakers aren't quite totally tubular, still slightly rad
IPEVO's products may not always push the envelope in terms of design, but the company definitely seems to have stepped things up for its new Tubular wireless speakers, which we can only hope sound as good as they look. Intended primarily as a portable solution, the speakers are Bluetooth-based, can be charged via USB (for up to 8 hours of playback time), and they can even be locked together to form a tube (hence the name). At $79, however, they are far from the cheapest option around, but you can at least get a closer look at them in the video after the break courtesy of IPEVO itself.
IPEVO TR-10i gives iChat and Skype a speakerphone boost, now for less
Even if it's not explicitly stated with every post about an app or discussion of a peripheral, there's one basic criterion for reviews that I try to stick to as much as I can: "Would I spend my own money on this thing?" Sometimes an otherwise-excellent product gets priced out of the value equation, or there are competitors and free offerings that deliver most of the functionality for a fraction of the cost. When you can get the same chore done with the built-in capabilities of your Mac, the decision about spending additional money on a gadget to do the same thing "but better" can get even harder. When the IPEVO TR-10i speakerphone for iChat first shipped last year, I was eager to give it a try, and it didn't disappoint. Having a USB microphone sensitive enough to pick up voice chatter from a roomful of people is a definite advantage -- the MacBook Pro's built-in mic doesn't usually work well with more than one or two. Likewise, a built-in speaker with volume, recording and call answer controls proved to be a big plus, especially for those times where I didn't remember I needed to start recording until after the start of the call. The unit works perfectly with iChat (including support for all the on-device controls), but also delivers good results with Skype and other softphone apps like EyeBeam and Zoiper; the microphone and speaker work with any Mac app, in fact, so you could use it as a voice mic for GarageBand if you wanted to. Call quality was very good, once I got the input volume settings sorted out via the IPEVO device FAQ. Like any good speakerphone, it's got a hardware mute button to take a brief break from your call. Still, I think the killer feature of the TR-10i (as long as you don't mind looking a little ridiculous) is that you can easily switch it from speakerphone to handset mode and use it like you would a conventional phone. For private conversations before or after a conference call, it's very handy, and to tell the truth it doesn't look any goofier than a USB or Bluetooth headset. With all this in mind, I would have loved to write a glowing review of the TR-10i a while ago. The only problem was the price: for quite a bit less than the $79.90US cost of the TR-10i, you could get a pretty nice USB mic and just use your Mac's speakers for conference calling. I couldn't fault the product, but I couldn't stomach the price... so I stalled and stalled on reviewing it, trying to figure out if I truly would lay down the better part of a C-note for this particular gadget. Fortunately, I think someone at IPEVO had the same sense about the TR-10i that I did: even though Mac users don't mind paying extra for quality, they still can tell when a product's features and its price don't match up. The TR-10i is now available direct from IPEVO for a more reasonable $49.99, and at that price point I can say without reservation that I would buy one myself. The company also has a free shipping deal in force through this Wednesday (9/9), so the timing is right. The difference between the original price and the new price may be only one Snow Leopard's worth, but it makes the TR-10i much more attractive.
IPEVO's Kaleido R7 wireless digital photo frame now available
IPEVO's Kaleido R7 wireless digital photo frame -- which we first caught sight of at CES -- is now officially available, for all those out there who were waiting expectantly. If you've already forgotten, the 7-inch frames (800 x 480 resolution) has 512MB of memory plus an SD card slot, and it's just dying to sync up with your PC, Mac, or your cell phone to obtain your precious, precious memories for display. It can be yours this instant for $199. Check another photo of the frame after the break.
IPEVO's WiFi handset lets you Skype like it's 1999
Now, this might not seem as futuristic as a videophone, or your own USB powered Star Trek communicator, but if you're in the mood for some VOIP (feeling frisky, are we?) IPEVO's newest is definitely worth a second look. The S0-20 is a stand-alone Skype handset that boasts a 4 hour talk time, backlit keys, a 1.8-inch color LCD, support for both G711 and G729AB codes, and both WEP and WPA/WPA2-PSK encryption -- all in a package that would look at home next to a ten year old pre-pay cell phone. Available now for $129.[Via TMC]
Macworld 2009: IPEVO shows off photo frames and more
Peripheral vendor IPEVO may have just dipped a toe in the Mac market last year with compatible iChat and Skype speakerphone devices, but it looks like a full-court press coming from them in 2009. At Macworld Expo, IPEVO is showing a full suite of audio (conference phones, handsets and more for VoIP services and iChat), video (a slimline camera) and especially photos -- the upcoming Kaleida digital frames, showing here and at CES, look remarkably good. The wired and wireless frames, expected to ship in March under the $200 price point, allow for photo offloads from memory cards or from the Mac, subscription to Flickr or RSS feeds, and selected Google widgets (weather, calendar, news or financial data), all on a bright 7" screen. You can control the displayed content from your computer, or via a handy iPhone app. We took a brief photo and video tour of the new products in the Dr. Bott vendor pavilion. Enjoy! %Gallery-41185%
IPEVO's Kaleido R7 wireless digital photo frame
Yeah, we know, we're kinda tired of the whole digital photo frame thing too. Usually their styling is a little too classical, too modern, or just too cheap. So, while perusing the halls at the Digital Experience on the eve of CES, we were happy to see something with a fresh, clean design that also offers plenty of functionality: IPEVO's upcoming Kaleido R7. It's a 7-inch, 800 x 480 TFT LCD with 512MB of memory, plus an SD card slot if you're into physically moving your pictures around. The idea, though, is to connect wirelessly, and the frame seems able to sync with any tool you like, whether it's Flickr, Picasa, iPhoto, or just a vanilla RSS feed on a PC or Mac. You can even send pics straight from your iPhone. The frame also can be rotated vertically or horizontally and sports a simple array of controls for navigation. It's a little bulky, and a little funky, but we like it, and though its $199 asking price is a bit steep if you have tons of photos in tons of places and are looking for a solid way to get them all displayed, this could be a good option when it drops in March.
IPEVO TR-10 designed for iChat, GarageBand
While most VoIP devices are made for Skype, IPEVO has made a version of its TR-10 conference phone with the Mac in mind: It can be used with both iChat and GarageBand. For iChat conversations, the device can be used either as a speakerphone or traditional handset with full-duplex audio and echo cancellation. The buttons on the front of the device can be programmed to start iChat or record calls. For GarageBand, the TR-10 can be used as an audio input device to record podcasts. The device only works with a Mac. IPEVO sells the TR-10 for $79.90 in its online store. [Via Engadget.]
IPEVO's TR-10 speakerphone makes nice with iChat
Seems like there's a VoIP device for every temperament -- you can go supa classy, or you can try to be as bland as possible, but most of them are intended for Skype. Not IPEVO's TR-10, though; it's designed for iChat, and it does VoIP with support for four-way conferencing as both a speakerphone and a handset. If geeky rebel radio is your thing, it records podcasts in tandem with GarageBand, too -- all IPEVO asks is that you fork over $79.90 before you start living the iLife with Bruce Willis.
IPEVO reveals PoV handheld webcam
IPEVO, better known for its Skype-related offerings, is gearing up to unveil its PoV handheld webcam at the Taipei Computer Show, but thankfully, it went ahead and uploaded most all of the nitty gritty onto its website for us to pore over. Apparently, the device is designed to enable users to easily show others "what they see," and it features a VGA (640 x 480) resolution, adjustable focus, automatic white balance, a built-in microphone and USB 2.0 connectivity. You can also perch this bugger on your desk or desktop monitor, but c'mon, where's the fun in that? No word on a price or release date just yet, but those tidbits should be readily available next month.[Thanks, Roy C.]
