dock
Latest
Orbitsound announces T9 iPhone-friendly soundbar, we go ears on
You may remember seeing Orbitsound's T12 iPod dock / soundbar pop up in our summer buyer's guide. Today, the firm's just unveiled the latest in its product family: the Orbitsound T9. As you'll see, it's a very similar deal, but with an obvious difference -- its size. At 300mm (about 12") across, it's almost exactly half the length of its bigger brother (605mm) -- but not everything is a straight cut down the middle. Power-wise, this diminutive dock has a power output of 140W RMS (split 80 on the subwoofer, 35 on the front speakers and 25 on the sides,) and carries the same in- and output options. That means optical, line (phono and 3.5mm) and an iDevice connector going in, and a composite video (for piping those movies on your iPhone to your telly) in the other direction. The included subwoofer helps the device perform the dual roles of iPod dock, and TV soundbar. It's launching in mid-July in UK retailers, and internationally online for £200 / $249. Luckily, we managed to get our hands on one of the first production models, and took it for a spin, so boogie on past the break for our impressions.%Gallery-158189%
Samsung Galaxy S III accessories shown on video, that C-Pen never felt closer (video)
If you rushed out to buy a Galaxy S III (or are waiting to buy one) but got skittish over decking it out with extras, it's time to relax. MobileFun has volunteered to show a quintet of the Android 4.0 phone's official accessories on-camera to get a feel for how they work. Samsung's desktop dock, battery charger and flip cover all get the video treatment, but the highlights are the WiFi Display Hub and C-Pen. The wireless hub sadly isn't shown with a live Galaxy S III to demo, but gives a feel for just how minuscule it is next to a TV. However, the C-Pen is mostly notable for working only with Samsung's latest: there's no way to wield it as an upscale Galaxy Note stylus. All of the accessories are already on sale, although it might be wise for Americans to just watch the videos below until they have real phones in their hands later this month.
ASUS PadFone, tablet Station get imported stateside courtesy of Negri Electronics, yours for $860
Having to fiddle with a separate Android tablet and smartphone and a laptop just won't cut it? You might be eager to get your mitts the ASUS PadFone if that's your sentiment, but folks in the US won't exactly find these at their local Best Buy. Still, despite having no official carrier support or definitive launch plans within the states, you'll now be able to snag the smartphone bundled with its tablet dock if you're willing to hit the gray market. As discovered by Phone Arena, our friends at Negri Electronics are now stocking the international edition of the über-hybrid; $860 gets you one to call your own, but tactile-typists should note that it doesn't include the keyboard dock. To refresh your memory, the fone itself is runs Ice Cream Sandwich atop a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU, and features a 4.3-inch AMOLED display, 16GB of expandable storage, HSPA+ connectivity and a 1,520mAh battery. Additionally, the 10-inch PadFone Station (tablet dock) scores you more screen real estate (naturally) and a nine-fold increase in battery life. Feel free to refresh your knowledge of the device (and its accessories) with our previous hands-on posts, then check out the source link below if you decide to pick one up with your hard-earned dough.
Clamcase's Clambook gives Android phones and iPhones a laptop shell, feels decidedly Airy
The idea of creating a full-fledged laptop companion to a smartphone isn't new -- just ask the former Palm team -- but rarely has it come across as so pretty. Clamcase's upcoming Clambook, while it has more than a slight hint of MacBook Air about it, is really meant as a large canvas of sight and sound for an Android phone or iPhone. Although the Clambook can at least be used as a big, 16:9 ratio display for an iPhone, the emphasis is clearly on more Google-inclined users that can use an MHL port: the one cable provides audio, video, power, an Android 4.0-native keyboard and a multi-touch trackpad. More recent Motorola phone owners might get the most out of it, since Webtop's full-size Firefox browser and windowed interface will kick in without needing one of Motorola's proprietary docks. We're still waiting on many basic details, like exact device support and the all-important matter of pricing, but the Clamcase should be ready for supersized Real Racing sessions by the holidays.
Belkin promises spec upgrade for Thunderbolt Express Dock with USB 3.0, eSATA
Belkin has added some upgrades to its soon-to-be-shipped Thunderbolt Express Dock, and a new Thunderbolt cable for Mac and PC users. The Thunderbolt Express Dock is a first-of-its-kind docking solution for both PC and Mac users that enables instant access to up to nine desktop peripherals with one cable, and provides an easy transition from a desktop workstation to a mobile device. Upgrades to the latest version of the dock include the addition of three USB 3.0 ports, instead of USB 2.0 ports, as well as an eSata port. Thunderbolt hasn't really caught fire yet in the market place, if you'll pardon the pun, but it holds great promise as file sizes get larger, especially media files. Apple includes Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook Air, The MacBook Pro, the iMac and the Mac mini. The Express Dock will retail for US $399.00 and the Thunderbolt cable will list at $44.99. There are already Thunderbolt storage products from Pegasus, LaCie and Sonnet. The newest Apple displays can also connect via Thunderbolt.
Belkin upgrades its Thunderbolt Express Dock before it's even available
At $399, this is a lot pricier than the $249 Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt dock we saw yesterday. That said, it'll bring superior connectivity when it arrives in September -- not least because Belkin has improved on the design it previously showed off at CES. There's Thunderbolt in and out to allow full 10Gbps daisy-chaining of further peripherals, alongside FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort (with included HDMI adapter) and audio in and out. As of the update, eSATA and three USB 3.0 ports have also been added to that healthy list.
Matrox DS1 docking station: $249 buys you Thunderbolt but no daisy-chaining
Thunderbolt has leant its air of celebrity to yet another device: the Matrox DS1 docking station, due out this fall for $249. The laptop dock has room for pretty much everything you'd want to plug in when you reach your desk, including DVI, gigabit Ethernet, audio in and out, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0. All those connections are then funneled into a single Thunderbolt output to your MacBook or Ultrabook. This provides "one cable convenience," but the lack of an extra port means there's no scope for daisy-chaining Thunderbolt storage or other components you might pick up at some point before 2015. If that seems like an important omission, look out for Belkin's alternative expected this Summer, which finds room not only for Thunderbolt in and out, but also for FireWire -- though likely at a higher price.
Tower iPhone dock discourages late-night iPhone use
夜間night* is a bed stand dock for your iPhone with a twist. The iPhone sits inside the dock and lulls you sleep with its soothing music and relaxing mood light. Just when you are sleeping peacefully, this dreamy environment is harshly disrupted when the dock begins to flash and vibrate in response to an incoming message. This isn't a design flaw; it's done deliberately to encourage you to turn off your phone at night. 夜間night* was designed by Douglas Wood, a product designer from Scotland. You can read more about his dock on his website and get insight into how it works from the video below. [Via Gizmodo]
Pure releases AirPlay compatible Contour 200i Air
Consumer electronics firm Pure has just released the Contour 200i Air wireless digital music system. Not only does the Contour 200i Air act as a dock for your favorite iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, but it also provides AirPlay compatibility so that you can beam your favorite sounds from any iOS (and soon OS X) device on your network. The US$249.00 Contour 200i Air delivers 36W of digital quality sound to any room; Pure notes that you can install multiple Contours throughout your house and stream music to all of them from your iOS device for a house- or office-wide sound solution. The Contour works not only with Wi-Fi, but also features an Ethernet port for a wired solution. Pure provides a free "Pure Lounge" app to users of several of its devices, including the Contour 200i Air. The app gives owners access to over 16,000 internet radio stations and over 5,000 podcasts, as well as a library of ambient sounds for relaxation. There's no word on when the Contour 200i Air will ship, other than it is "coming soon."
Google starts selling accessories for HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus on Google Play, has you all docked up
If you liked the idea of buying an unlocked Galaxy Nexus straight from Google but were put off by the absence of the official accessories, have no fear. A swing by Google Play now gives US shoppers the chance to buy the regular Desktop Dock, the HDMI Portrait Dock or the Vehicle Dock, whether it's packed in with your Android 4.0 flagship or after the fact. All three require the HSPA+ edition -- sorry, no attempts to shoehorn the Verizon model here -- and cost between $49 to $54. The accessories reinforce the notion that Google is a little more in it to win it than the last time it sold hardware directly, although we have yet to see whether or not the store section will carry any hardware that isn't fully blessed by Google as part of the Nexus ecosystem.
OG iPad prototype with dual dock connectors hits eBay, teases us with convenience we never had
We're very used to Apple prototypes showing up on eBay. It's not often that we see unreleased iPads get the auction treatment, however, which makes a new listing that much more interesting. A 16GB WiFi version of the original iPad has popped up sporting a second dock connector on its side, a feature that we'd previously only spotted in Apple design patents. The advantage, of course, would be to keep the iPad powered and synced while it's playing a favorite movie in landscape mode. While we don't know how one aaps69 managed to get hands on the tablet, there's some clear signs that the seller didn't just carve an extra hole in the aluminum for kicks: the slate is running the familiar SwitchBoard tool that Apple uses for in-house diagnostics, and there's a raft of old and incomplete part details that suggest this particular iPad was never meant for store shelves. We'll likely never know why Apple left us in a land of solo dock connectors, but we'd take a peek at the source link before it's gone, as more recent Apple prototypes at auction tend to return to the source quickly.
Satechi BT Media Remote steers your iOS media habits, summons Siri via Bluetooth
Sometimes you just don't feel like getting up to flip through that Yacht Rock playlist on Spotify while your Apple slate rests comfortably in its dock. Satechi is looking to prolong your relaxation with its BT Media Remote for your iPhone, iPad or Mac. The accessory does exactly what you'd expect -- it allows you to peruse your audio and video libraries on a Bluetooth-enabled iOS device while connected to a TV, docking station or your car's stereo. On top of the usual remote functions, the accessory can be used as a remote camera shutter control for those all-important group shots and the home button can summon your smartphone's personal assistant. Interested? You can snag yours now for a mere $40 via the source link below.
Clarion Next Gate hands-on (video)
CTIA, while focused on mobile technology, often gives us the chance to peek at other devices that bridge into our beloved mobile world. Clarion's Next Gate is one such device, running on a 7-inch WVGA display and interfacing with your iPhone via the dock connector. Once you're hooked up -- which should be straightforward as it only needs plugging in -- the Next Gate allows control of apps on your device. First off, we like the idea that your iPhone is controlled by the Next Gate -- in fact when firing up an app in the demo you can see it cycle open on the iPhone display -- but its lower resolution screen, hung adjacent to an iPad, made us immediately yearn for an upgraded panel. The selection of usable apps includes such niceties as Twitter, Facebook, streaming radio and of course navigation. All the apps we saw seemed to perform quite well, though we weren't on the open road in bright sunlight with the top down and the quadruplets screaming bloody murder in the back seat, thankfully. If you're jonesing for one of these distraction-inducing gizmos, it can be all yours beginning June 1st for $270. Have a peek at the video and gallery below for a tour of the interface and some of its functionality.
$129 Swivl-it is a cheaper motion-tracking dock for your smartphone, ditches built-in mic
If you're aching to bring some motion-tracking video action to your smartphone but can't stomach the Swivl's $179 price tag, you might find the new Swivl-it more palatable. For $129, you get the same automatic panning, horizontal follow and remote control features of the original product, but you'll miss out on the built-in microphone and automatic tilt (there's manual tilt instead). The Swivl-it is available for pre-order now and will start shipping in late May. Click through to the Swivl site for a closer look.
LIL KIKR iPhone dock has both looks and functionality
I'm probably opening the floodgates to thousands of emails by talking about another Kickstarter project, but this one caught my eye today. The LIL KIKR dock for iPhone is a project by Seattle designer Mike Kemery that not only looks good, but provides a stable and non-slip speakerphone dock for your favorite Apple phone. The project currently has less than half the backing it needs with just 17 days to go, but I've seen plenty of projects jump into fully-funded mode after a tickle from TUAW. The LIL KIKR can be yours for a US$50 pledge, is available in anodized red, black, or natural finish aluminum, and comes with a charging cable and AC adapter. If you really want something unique and cool, there's a limited edition LIL KIKR in ceramic white with laser etching -- your pledge will go up to $60, and there are about 184 of these special docks (see below) left. For a closer look and designer's description of the LIL KIKR, be sure to check out the video below.
New Sony iOS docks promise clearer sound thanks to magnetic fluid
You can only skim through so many iPad/iPod/iPhone docks before things start to get predictable, and when a speaker dock stands out, it's usually for a retro design or a little mood lighting. Sony's two newest iOS docks, the CMT-V50iP and the CMT-V75BTiP, may look like your standard options, but they aim to break the mold by using magnetic fluid instead of speaker dampers to move sound. Sony says this technology provides clearer audio with less distortion, and no dampers means a slimmer design. If your music collection extends beyond your iDevice, you can take advantage of the CD player and built-in DAB and DAB+ radio, or -- if you've migrated to the digital age -- stream over Bluetooth on the CMT-V75BTiP or connect via USB on the CMT-V50iP. Sony just announced these yesterday, and pricing info remains MIA, though The Verge reports that both models will drop in the next few months.
A pair o' docks: Edifier Tick Tock Dock and XtremeMac Luna Voyager II
Alarm docks are one of the most popular genres of charging docs for iOS devices. They not only charge your device while you sleep, but help to wake you up to tunes from your device, FM radio, or auxiliary sources such as chimes. I received a couple of docks over the past month that caught my attention, and here's a full review of both the Edifier Tock Tock Dock and XtremeMac Luna Voyager II -- two very different products that do the same thing. %Gallery-153166% Edifier Tick Tock Dock I'm old enough to remember the good old wind-up alarm clocks. They had several really annoying habits, like ticking way too loud and scaring the crap out of me when they went off, but in a lot of ways they had some charm. They always had two bells on the top sticking out like ears, and a round face with a dial clock. Now Edifier has come up with a fun retro-styled dock for the iPhone and iPod touch called the Tick Tock Dock (US$79.99) that brings the old round alarm clock into the future. Edifier is all about design, and this clever product is not only fun to look at, but works well as a alarm clock, as a charging speaker dock for your iPhone or iPod touch, and as an FM radio. The round face of the clock (which, alas, is digital) hides a big speaker as well as the dock for your iOS device. With a touch, a secret door pivots around to show the dock -- once you grab your iPhone, you can close the dock to make the Tick Tock Dock look more like a clock. Those two "bells" that stick up from the top appear to hide two smaller speaker ports. On the top of the unit is a navigation pad for your Music app, and a toggle button to switch between functions and inputs (you can hook in an external input). On the back of the Tick Tock Dock are a 9V DC IN port, the AUX IN port, and four more buttons -- mode, set, down and up. Setting the time and date on the clock is easy; you just dock your iPhone or iPod touch and it's done. But here's where the design begins to get a bit wonky. If you're like me, you like to be able to check the time at night, and with your iOS device plugged into the dock to charge, you can't see the clock face. Sure, you could hit the Home button on your device and check the time, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a large time display on the clock, doesn't it? Once you've set the alarm -- on the dock, not on the iOS device, it will start up the music at the appointed time, with the volume gradually getting louder. That navigation pad serves as a snooze button, which gives you a brief respite (10 minutes) before you have to wake up and face the day. The sound of the Tick Tock Dock is pretty good as "clock radios" go, providing amazingly good stereo separation. It can definitely get loud enough to wake almost anyone -- with the possible exception of one of my college roommates who could sleep through a direct hit by a meteor. XtremeMac Luna Voyager II The next dock I looked at was the XtremeMac Luna Voyager II ($69.99), a larger dock that can accommodate the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad -- although not simultaneously. The Luna Voyager II has a nice demarcation of device and clock, so you can actually see the clock when your iOS device is docked. In case you were wondering, that was a not-so-subtle jab at the design of the Tick Tock Dock. XtremeMac refers to this as an "app-enhanced" accessory, meaning that when you dock your iOS device, you'll get a request to download and install an app. The app is the self-named "Luna Voyager II" app, and it's what you use to set up and use the alarms. For setting dual alarms (one at 7:00 AM and the other at 8:30 AM, for instance), you just use the app. Tuning the radio? Use the app. Selecting a song to listen to when you wake up? The app. The Luna Voyager II app is, however, quite flawed -- especially when used with an iPad. The dock works well with an iPhone or iPod touch, with the phone sliding right onto the Dock Connector and working with the app to synchronize alarms you have set with the actual dock. With the iPad, the app doesn't provide controls for setting the time of the alarm -- a major issue. I even tried XtremeMac's other app -- Alarm Clock -- but it's not designed to work with the dock. So while you can recharge your iPad with the Luna Voyager II and play tunes through the speaker, it doesn't work well as an alarm clock with an iPad. The Luna Voyager II works well with the iPhone and iPod touch, but not so well with the iPad due to the lack of full app integration. I also found the iPad a bit difficult to dock on the Luna Voyager II. Some positives for the dock are that the company includes an FM radio antenna for better reception, and there's a small plastic stand for holding up your iOS device, especially important with the iPad. I felt that the sound quality of the Tick Tock Dock was actually better than that of the Luna Voyager II, but if you're looking at buying the dock primarily for the purpose of using it as an alarm clock, it's going to do the job. Conclusion and Giveaway Both the Edifier Tick Tock Dock and XtremeMac Luna Voyager II are nice-looking products with some subtle flaws. The Tick Tock Dock is one of the happiest-looking iPhone docks I've ever seen, although the design makes it impossible to see the time on the clock when an iPhone is docked. I found the lack of an integrated app to be somewhat odd, but the superior sound quality of the Tick Tock Dock more than made up for that. The XtremeMac Luna Voyager II is more traditional looking and includes an integrated app that works quite well with the iPhone and iPod touch. The dual alarm capability is wonderful for couples with different wake-up times, and since all settings are made through the app, there's no complicated dance to do with a bunch of buttons to get things to work. Here's your chance to win one of these two docks and make sure that you wake up on time every morning. To enter, just fill out the form below completely and press the submit button. Follow the rules, get your entry in early, and you can be the happy owner of one of these two docks. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before April 15, 2012, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected. One will receive an Edifier Tick Tock Dock valued at $79.99, while the other receives an XtremeMac Luna Voyager II valued at $69.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Insert Coin: Berlin Boombox recyclable cardboard stereo (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. It's been years since we've spotted a proper handle-sporting boombox on this side of the equator (in public, at least), but we're decidedly impressed with this unique Kickstarter creation, dubbed the Berlin Boombox. Constructed nearly entirely of cardboard, save for some metal- and plastic-based essentials, the speaker rig ships disassembled in a flat cardboard box. Getting the Boombox up and running shouldn't require much effort, however -- the designer states that you won't need any tools during the quick assembly process. After you're done, you can connect the setup to any source with a 3.5mm headphone jack, then control volume with the large aluminum power/volume knob. The Berlin Boombox also ships with four AA batteries, though it's not clear how many hours of music you'll be able to pipe through the speakers with that initial set of cells. We also can't speak to sound quality, though there is a free custom sound profile available for iOS devices -- audio "will be remastered in real-time to use the full potential of the Berlin Boombox." You can pre-order your own with a $50 pledge, saving you 9 bucks off the estimated retail price. There's also a "limited edition" two-tone box, available with a $100 pledge, while $250 will net you a custom-designed model, which can also be paired with a dinner and tour of Berlin with the inventor if you're willing to fork over $500 or more. There's just shy of two weeks left during the funding period -- you'll need to provide that financial support before noon on April 25th. The project is on track to meet its $14,000 funding goal, however, so it's fairly safe to say that you'll be able to snag one of these cardboard contraptions even if you aren't ready to take the plunge just yet. Jump past the break to see the Berlin Boombox in action, and to catch up with our last Insert Coin project: The PowerPot.
ASUS PadFone priced and ready for pre-order in Taiwan tomorrow, launches mid-April
We were promised that the phone-that-goes-tablet would ship in April, and it looks like ASUS is keeping its word. The PadFone and its corresponding tablet shell and keyboard dock, will be up for pre-order in Taiwan starting tomorrow, going on sale April 20th. On its own, the Snapdragon S4-powered 1.5GHz dual-core phone is priced at NT$17,990 (US$610), while the tablet set -- including that curious Bluetooth headset / stylus -- will set you back NT$24,980 (around US$850). If you're thinking keyboard add-ons are all the rage, expect to pay around NT$28,901 (US$980). Need more of an excuse to step into pre-order territory? Well, ASUS is offering up an extra battery for those that do. While we wait for some global roll-out details, you can remind yourself of what to expect in our hands-on from MWC.
Grace Digital's FireDock is a speaker dock for your Kindle Fire
Own a Kindle Fire? Can't find an audio dock made specifically for your gizmo, and not an iThing or Android device? Say hello to Grace Digital's FireDock, the $130 solution to your quandary. While we've seen Kindle-compatible docks before, this stereo system is actually made to seamlessly connect with the Fire's bottom ports and power button, allowing it to charge while docked. What's more, there's a turn-and-tilt feature that'll let you switch between landscape and portrait orientations -- perfect for going from books to movies. If that wasn't enough, an optional rechargeable battery can also be attached to the mini-rig for listening sans cords while you're out and about (though, this route disables the ability to charge the Kindle itself). If you're burning with desire for the FireDock, the bad news is that it won't be available for purchase until July. In the meantime, you'll find more info in the press release after the break to help you cool down.
