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Engadget's back to school guide 2011: fun stuff!
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Since the weekend is finally upon us, we figured now's as good a time as any to sit back, relax, and have some fun. Play along with our fun stuff picks -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! It's Friday, and that can only mean one thing: two days of parties, sleeping in, and seeing your campus transform from a vehicle of intense education to a spring break-like haven of drunken delight. We've rounded up a few toys to help you relax before you head back to class -- a memory card reader that doubles as a pocket mirror, an Arduino-powered car that can stream video from the dorm hall, and an electric-powered sports car that can drive you and a friend far from campus for a pricey weekend getaway -- so kick off the shoes and prepare to embrace these 48 hours of freedom. And when it's time to get back to the books, we have the gear for that too -- and we're giving it away! Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and check out our giveaway page for more details.
Griffin Stompbox -- a pedalboard for your virtual effects pedals
You wouldn't necessarily associate Griffin Technology with the latest and greatest in music technology, but having teamed up with Frontier Design Group -- developers of the iShred LIVE virtual guitar effects app -- Griffin has released one of the first accessory pedalboards to complete your virtual guitar effects setup. With the advent of virtual guitar effects on mobile devices, it was only a matter of time before a foot controller pedalboard arrived (logically imitating the traditional setup), allowing your feet to do the effects switching and leaving your hands on the guitar to get on with the business of playing. Before I jump into the review of the Griffin Stompbox (US$99.99), allow me to briefly explain how a traditional electric guitar setup works for those of you who aren't guitarists. First, you have your electric guitar. This guitar is plugged into an amplifier. However, many guitarists enjoy, love, desire and lust after guitar effects that improve and alter the tone and sound of their guitar. These effects come in the shape of digital and analogue pedal effects, or more effectionately referred to as pedals or stomp boxes. They are called pedals because they are turned on and off using your feet -- naturally, your hands are too busy playing the guitar. Traditionally, these pedals are expensive, and when many are used together, they are placed on a "pedalboard." Because many guitarists love to have as many pedals as they can get their hands on, these pedalboards are heavy and rather large. That's where devices like the iPad and iPhone come in. Virtual guitar pedal effects apps have been developed to mimic these traditional pedals, at a fraction of the cost and physical space and weight of traditional pedal effects. However, one problem with these virtual pedals has been that they are, well ... virtual. You've had to use your fingers to turn on and off these effects when traditionally you'd use your feet. You can't stomp your iPad with your feet! As a result, users of virtual effects have had to stop playing their guitars to change their virtual pedal effects -- this is a bad thing for guitarists. That's where Griffin's Stompbox comes in. Design The Stompbox itself feels sturdy and well constructed. It rests solidly on the floor and is easily pushed around, but it stays in place when you're using it as intended. It's plastic feel doesn't imbue a sense of high quality, but neither does it feel cheap or like it's about to fall apart. I have no doubt that it will be able to handle its fair share of knocks, drops and bumps. The four foot switches are metal and pleasing enough to push, but they don't click in or out. It's just a downward compression that pops straight back up again. Four accompanying LEDs light up brightly and clearly to indicate when a switch is activated. A 1-meter cable leads from the Stompbox to connect to your iPad's dock connector (I used an iPad for my review, but of course you can use a compatible iPhone or iPod touch). The cable is durable and strong. On the back of the Stompbox is 1/4'' input socket for a volume or expression pedal. Accompanying the Stompbox is Griffin's GuitarConnect cable ($29.99), used to connect your guitar to your iPad's headphone socket. A nice touch on the GuitarConnect cable is that the output socket, for an amp or headphones, is at the guitar end, not the iPad end. Meaning you have less wires crossing over your guitar, particularly if you're using headphones. Performance Connecting the Stompbox and GuitarConnect cable to my iPad and guitar was easy enough. However, straight away I noticed two problems. First, while the GuitarConnect cable solidly plugged into my iPad, if I knocked it or moved it just a bit it produced an unsavory crack and pop in my speakers, suggesting that perhaps something wasn't as tightly wired as it could be. However, this could be a one-off problem that just happened to be in my review unit. That aside, I didn't notice any undue hum or buzz. Overall, everything sounded very clear and full-sounding. The second problem I encountered is that you can only use iShred Live (the app designed to work with the Stompbox) in portrait mode. It doesn't work in landscape mode. Thinking of using the Stompbox in a musical setting, I immediately went to place my iPad on a music stand in landscape mode. You can imagine my disappointment when I realised it didn't work. And obviously, the iPad won't rest upright in portrait mode with a rather large dock connector cable plugged into the bottom of it. So that leaves two options, place the iPad on a flat surface like a table or the floor (not ideal) or buy the Griffin (or other brand) iPad mic stand mount. (Editor's note -- the IKMultimedia iKlip for iPad/iPad 2 ($39.99) attaches the iPad securely to a mic or music stand.) It's not a huge problem, but surely when most other apps work in both portrait and landscape mode -- including other virtual guitar effects apps -- you'd expect iShred Live to be able to do the same. That aside, the StompBox performed well in conjunction with the iShred Live app. With four banks each containing four channels, totalling 16 fully customizable presets, I had no difficulty working my way round iShred Live's selection of effects, metronome, tuner, recorder and song selector using my feet. There was a short learning curve involved. To activate a bank, simply hold down the respective foot switch. To turn on or off a channel, simply tap the respective foot switch. To exit a bank, hold down the foot switch for the bank you wish to enter next. Just make sure you tap that foot switch dead on and with a consistant pressure. I found that the Stompbox was quite particular about activating a foot switch. A light tap won't do it; you need to be firm and precise, which is probably a good thing. One thing that I wasn't expecting was the intelligent use of the Stompbox's LEDs, which was a pleasant surprise. Of course, they light up when you activate a channel or bank, but enter something like the tuner and those lights become a whole lot more significant. With the tuner turned on, the LEDs indicate if a string is flat or sharp by only lighting up on the left or right side of the Stompbox, and the two center LEDs shine consistantly together to indicate that you've hit the right pitch. Once I got my head around the Stompbox, I'm pleased to say my attention focused on playing the guitar, with the Stompbox simply getting the job done with no distractions. While the Stompbox draws its power from the iPad's battery, I'm happy to say I noticed no dramatic increase in the loss of battery charge. However, with the Stompbox plugged into the iPad, there is no way to charge the iPad. If you're planning a day long rehearsal, it goes without saying that you should make sure your device is fully charged. Other Applications Griffin's website says that the Stompbox will work with other Stompbox compatible apps. However, it doesn't say what these apps are. I know that the Stompbox is compatible with QScript, a text prompter app, but aside from that, I've not seen anything else. I'd love to see the Stompbox working with other virtual guitar effects apps, but whether that will happen is anyone's guess. It would be disappointing to see each major music software developer introduce their own unique pedalboard accessory, tying the users pedalboard to a specific app. Conclusion At $99,99, the Griffin Stompbox isn't particularly expensive -- in fact, it's one of the cheapest virtual effects foot controllers out there -- but when users are paying less than a dollar to buy a pedal effect on their iDevice, it's a big jump to fork out a hundred bucks for an accessory. But then again, the Stompbox does complete the guitar setup circle, bringing pedal effects back to your feet where they should be. Is the Stompbox worth getting? I think if you're a guitarist who has invested in the virtual effects setup on your iDevice, you'll be extremely pleased with what the Stompbox has to offer. If you're a guitarist running a traditional setup and have been holding off getting involved with the mobile device effects scene while waiting for a pedalboard like the Stompbox, I think you'll be intrigued by the Stompbox. You might want to hold off and investigate the next generation of pedalboards to come. For more information on Griffin"s StompBox, visit the Griffin website here. For more information on iShred Live app, click here.
EVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate
In last week's EVE Evolved, I encouraged new players to grab a few friends and charge head-first into PvP with guns blazing from day one. Whether you join a faction warfare militia, form a corp to declare war on other corporations or head out to lowsec or nullsec, starting your PvP journey is an important part of enjoying EVE. Several readers requested help with picking a ship, putting together a viable ship fitting and finding the funding for it. So many players asked for help that this week's column is entirely dedicated to the messy business of putting together your first PvP frigate and learning to fly it. Although the ship of choice for most newbies is the agile Minmatar Rifter, each race has a range of frigates that can perform well in PvP groups with minimal skills. In this article, I'll suggest fittings for two frigates from each race that new players with as little as one day of trained skills will be able to fly. One of the core concepts of EVE Online's PvP that often discourages new players is the idea that your ship is irreversibly destroyed when you die. While this may seem like an extremely harsh death penalty, deciding how much you risk in PvP is part of the game's tactical gameplay and even the best active PvP enthusiasts lose at least one ship per week. Death in EVE is essentially a financial loss followed by the inconvenience of having to buy and fit a new ship. Most of the financial penalty can be countered by using cheap and effective tech 1 equipment and insuring your ship, and the inconvenience of death can by bypassed by building up a stockpile of disposable PvP ships. With that in mind, this week's absolutely massive EVE Evolved is dedicated to getting you and a few friends into your first PvP frigates after as little as one day in the game and helping you mitigate the financial loss of death.
Griffin's AppPowered Helo TC is a $50 iOS helicopter for your home's air zone
Get to the chopper! Er, micro-copter. Say hello to Griffin's latest AppPowered gadget, the Helo TC. This indoor-heli lets users play pilot via an iOS app offering onscreen "Touch-to-Fly" or accelerometer based "Tilt-to-Fly" controls. After a half-hour's charge over USB, you'll be airborne for about eight minutes and can initiate one of three programmable flight paths if you want to go hands-off. Bummer though, you'll need to hook up a four-AAA packing IR sled to your iDevice for signal. Thankfully, this little guy's equipped for night flights with five LEDs, and you'll find extra rotors if you ever need to ditch into the linoleum. Expect to see these popping up during the holiday season for about $50 (£34.99), but for now you'll find details by flying past the break.
Griffin's Beacon for iOS devices now shipping, post-remote living for just $80
Sure, you could get a Peel Fruit to turn your iPhone into a universal remote, but if you want a totally wire-free solution Griffin's Beacon is finally available as an alternative. If you'll recall, the battery powered base -- controlled by Dijit's remote control app -- takes your iPhone or iPad's Bluetooth signal, converts it to IR, and blasts commands to your A/V gear. We spent some time with the device at CES and found the package to be quite nice thanks to the versatile base and relatively seamless app. If you're feeling the urge to switch up how you've been flipping through channels, $80 will get you one from Griffin's website or an Apple Store starting today.
Review: Crayola ColorStudio HD and Griffin iMarker pair up for coloring time
When Griffin and Crayola announced their collaboration back at CES in January, the idea of a combined stylus and drawing/painting iPad app for kids -- with the power to distinguish between finger touches and the tip of the stylus -- sounded fantastic. The flexibility of the iPad for keeping kids engaged and entertained, especially on long trips, is remarkable; something like the iMarker could supercharge it substantially. We were curious, though: how (and how well) would it actually work? Now shipping in both the App Store and at Best Buy, the iMarker and ColorStudio HD combine a well-designed, kid-friendly app with an innovative stylus technology, but is the bundle US$30 worth of fun? And does it meet the demands of both parents and kids? There are plenty of painting and coloring apps already out for iPad, so let's talk about what sets this package apart: the hardware. Griffin's iMarker stylus -- a black and silver unit labeled as "Assembled in China; Designed in Nashville" -- is different from other capacitive pen-like accessories, because it's powered (by a single AA battery) and because the free ColorStudio HD app can differentiate between finger-touches and the stylus tip. The trick, apparently, is all about speed. A small electric motor in the iMarker 'buzzes' the electrostatic tip, making and breaking contact extremely rapidly; you can hear this vibration in action if you hold the stylus close to your ear, although it's not particularly audible at arm's length. There's also a lighted oval on the side of the stylus to let you know it's on. Since the app is watching for a vibrating touch, it can tell when you're using your finger to operate in-app controls like crayon color selection or brush size and when you're using the pen to actually draw. It sounds technically complex, but like all good iPad-related products, in practice it "just works" -- even for small kids. I found initially that it took a somewhat firm press of the stylus to get it to register on the screen, but a check of the Griffin FAQ for the product suggested that I'd get better results by removing my iPad from its case. That worked well, and the pen became somewhat more responsive when I was holding the back of my iPad in my hand. (Back-case skins or front screen protectors will also decrease the pen sensitivity.) With the distinction between pentip and fingertip being handled in software, it feels very natural to switch back and forth from app controls (color/brush selection, undo, email/save, etc.) to drawing with the stylus. If you leave the stylus at home, however, the activated version of the app (you unlock the full feature set by drawing a pattern with the purchased stylus) lets you switch into fingers-only mode at will. Annoyingly, the iMarker comes with a protective cap that doesn't fit on the back end of the stylus, so you have to tuck it away somewhere else or risk losing it.
Deals hot off the grill: Memorial Day sales roundup
This weekend is the unofficial start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and as to be expected, there are many deals to be had. We'll be updating this list throughout the weekend as news of more sales emerge, so be sure to check back between your BBQs! • Aspyr is offering $10 off some of their most popular Mac games over the holiday weekend. From the Mac App Store the games include Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Civilization IV. Aspyr is also offering many other games for sale at its GameAgent website. • The MacGameStore is offering Sally's Spa for free over the weekend. • iPhone battery pack maker Mophie is offering up to 60% off select items plus free shipping on orders greater than US$100. • Griffin is offering 25% off almost everything in their store with the exception of Col. Littleton products and GriffinDeal products. Use code "MEMORIAL12" in their store. • Drobo is offering dramatically lowered prices on their most popular Drobo simplified RAID arrays. Use the code "DOUBLEDROBO" in the Drobo store to get the following prices on these Drobo products: Drobo (4-bay USB / Firewire): $298, Drobo FS (5-bay Gigabit Ethernet File Sharing): $598, Drobo S (5-bay eSATA / USB / Firewire): $698, Drobo Pro (8-bay iSCSI / USB / Firewire): $1398.
Griffin adapter attaches iPad to mic stand, calls it Mic Stand Mount for iPad
A few weeks ago we mentioned IK Multimedia's iKlip -- an adapter that attaches your iPad to almost any mic stand. Around that same time, Griffin announced its own version of a similar apparatus at CES 2011: the aptly if not bluntly named Griffin Mic Stand Mount for iPad. Griffin describes Mic Stand Mount for iPad as follows. Mount your iPad on a mic stand Screws onto industry standard (5/8" 27-thread-per-inch) microphone stands Fully adjustable tilt and swivel; locks safely and positively into landscape or portrait orientation Rubber inserts securely grip your iPad on its four corners Full access to volume controls, dock connector and audio jack From the pictures we've seen, these two mounts look very similar in form and function, but -- unless our eyes deceive us -- we're inclined to say the Griffin mount looks slightly more sturdy than the iKlip (but we can't say for sure until we get to try them out for ourselves in the real world). However, there appears to be one significant difference between the two. The iKlip attaches to the neck of a mic stand -- leaving the actual head of the stand free to hold something else (like a mic). The Griffin Mic Stand Mount for iPad, on the other hand, is secured to the head of a mic stand alone. This basically means, if you're a singer / instrumentalist, you'll need a separate mic stand if you go for the Griffin mount. The Griffin Mic Stand Mount for iPad is priced at US$39.99 and will be available later this month. [Via Pocket-lint]
Griffin StompBox brings guitar effects app to your feet, lets your hands play
With the arrival of virtual guitar effects on portable devices like the iPhone and iPad, many guitarists are re-thinking the way they set up and play their electric guitars. For the average player, an almost endless array of varied tones and effects are now available in high-quality virtual form at a fraction of the cost and weight of their real-world counterparts. It's not surprising that many guitarists are turning to virtual pedal boards for practicing, band rehearsals and the occasional gig, too. One of the biggest problems with virtual effects pedal boards is that they are, well, ... virtual. They're on a screen near your eyes and hands instead of being within reach of your feet as they should be, keeping your hands free to play while your feet manage effects. Thankfully, with four assignable foot switches, a 1/4" effects pedal input jack and a meter long dock connector cable, Griffin (in conjunction with Frontier Design Group) has taken the bold step (no pun intended) of bringing the pedal board back to where it should be with the StompBox pedal controller for iPad / iPhone and iPod touch. The Griffin StompBox will work seamlessly with Frontier Design Group's iShred Live virtual guitar effects app (sold separately), but (from what we understand) the StompBox "... can act as an assignable controller for other foot-switch-compatible applications," according to Griffin's website. However, we doubt the StompBox will have seamless compatibility with other virtual guitar effects apps at this stage. There's no doubt in our minds, though, that some of the other big players will follow suit shortly with their own version of a foot-switch controller. The StompBox is priced at US$99.99 on the Griffin StompBox website and will be available February / March. [Via Engadget, Pocket-lint]
Griffin Beacon universal remote control system hands-on
We visited Griffin's CES booth to check out the Beacon universal remote control expecting yet another Redeye clone, but instead wound up walking away impressed. Two notable features of the prototype Bluetooth to IR converter device are that it's battery powered and includes a 360 degree IR blaster. These are key since they give users the freedom to place the transmitter almost anywhere around an entertainment center. The free iPhone remote app built by Dijit was the real highlight though. The UI and functionality was incredibly intuitive, and we especially liked that the setup process doesn't require inputting device model numbers. Instead, users just pick the brand and then test a series of code cycles to see if their components respond. The TV guide and Netflix integration are also points of distinction over competitors -- since you can select shows or movies to watch directly from the app. Last but not least, your remote settings can be saved and downloaded to as many devices as you like. To give you a feel for the system, we've included plenty of shots of the app's UI in the gallery below along with more photos the device. %Gallery-113456% %Gallery-113458%
Griffin's Beacon Universal Remote Control System brings dongle-free control to your smartphone
Ditch those dongles and throw out those cases, the next level of smartphone-as-universal-remote technology is here. Beacon Universal Remote Control System from Griffin Technology and Dijits turns your iPhone and other iOS devices into omnipotent remote controls, by converting Bluetooth signals into infrared commands that your stereo, TV, and other devices can recognize. Paired with Dijit's Universal Remote App, Beacon, which looks something akin to a game show buzzer, converts your touchscreen to a remote, making all the added cases, dongles, and even cords unnecessary -- it can run up to two months on four AA batteries. Beacon hits the market in May 2011 for $79.99, but if you're lucky enough to be at CES this week, you can check out a demo at Griffin's booth.
Griffin gets an iPhone all up in your car's OBD-II port with the CarTrip Bluetooth adapter
If you're not a car person there's a good chance you don't know much about the OBD-II lurking mysteriously beneath your dash. It's there -- if your car was built since the first Bush administration, anyway. Usually its needs go unfulfilled until your check-engine light pops on and some mechanic with greasy paws clumsily stuffs a code checker in there, but more and more tools are coming out to change that. The Autobot Mavia is one, and now Griffin is doing similar with the CarTrip. It's an OBD-II adapter that connects wirelessly to an iOS device or writes directly to SD card, storing information on information related to car mileage, even giving you a real-time efficiency readout on your display with the CleanDrive app. And, yes, it'll even pull warning codes and the like if things aren't quite running how they should. All that for $89.99, a fair bit less than the Mavia will potentially be and available sooner -- sometime before the first quarter is through.
Crayola and Griffin unite for ColorStudio HD on iPad, custom iMarker stylus
Guess what just popped up to the top of our "must-see at CES" list? Chances are, if you're an iPad owner with small kids, you too will be enthralled by the promise and the premise of Crayola's collaboration with peripheral maker Griffin Technologies: ColorStudio HD for iPad, including the Crayola iMarker stylus. Coming in "Spring 2011" for the iPad, the US$29.95 hardware and software combo will put the wax-based experience of crayon drawing into a new digital realm. Once the free-with-purchase app is downloaded to the iPad (and I'm curious how exactly that's going to work -- a gift code that you get once you register the product? Or a free app that simply doesn't work without the stylus?), the would-be artist can draw away on more than 50 interactive coloring pages, games, musical environments and the like. The app will be able to differentiate the iMarker's touch point from a fingertip swipe, so coloring and controlling the UI will be distinct operations. This capability would be fascinating if Crayola and Griffin chose to license it for grown-up painting apps like ArtRage, but I imagine that kids will simply grok the difference between a marker and their fingers the same way they understand that distinction in the real world. Good luck getting the iPad out of the back seat during car trips now. One drawback, as Kelly H pointed out today: this increases the chances of other, non-iPad-safe markers being used inappropriately on other flat glowing surfaces. Deep breath and count to 10, parents.
Griffin announces iPod nano Slap wristband
Sure, you want people to notice your cool new iPod nano, especially when you wear it as a watch. But what if you also want them to think you're a time traveler from 1988? According to Cult of Mac, Griffin Technology has brought back the famed "slap bracelet" in blindingly bright colors for your Quantum Leap(ing), iPod nano-owning self. For use with the newly designed 6th-gen iPod nano, the Slap is a flexible wristband made from silicone and metal which slaps shut around your wrist while holding your iPod securely in place. Coming soon in a dizzying rainbow of colors, the Slap wristband/watchband is priced at US$24.99. Hopefully this version won't get banned in schools like in they did in 1990.
Griffin gets in the iPod nano watch game with colorful, protective Slap wristband
Find some of the current iPod nano watch options a bit too subdued for your style? Then you might want to consider Griffin's new Slap wristband, which looks to be among the most protective and colorful options to date. Made entirely of a soft silicone, the Slap is available in no less than eight different colors, and it completely encloses your iPod nano (save for the headphone jack) but promises to still let you control the volume and sleep / wake buttons through the case. Still no word on a release date, but you can expect this one to set you back the same $25 that most other similar wristbands seem to be going for.
Griffin's Woogie turns iPhone into a plush
When I was a kid, we just played with regular stuffed animals, and then Teddy Ruxpin came along and blew us all away. But kids these days, they get all kinds of cool stuff. Like look at this thing: they can stick an iPod touch in a "huggable plush accessory" called the Woogie, and run around with it to their heart's content, watching videos, playing with apps, and, I don't know, checking the weather, or whatever else it is that kids want to do on an iPod touch. I especially like Griffin's selling point on this one -- this case is a bonus for the kids, who get a piece of technology that's a little more fluffy and friendly than Apple's sleek designs. It's a bonus for parents too, as it's much harder to lose or seriously break the iPod when it's wrapped in the big mass of furry green tentacles. The $20 accessory even comes with its own app, where kids can preview Sesame Street books and, oh I don't know, check the weather or something. If I sound a little bitter, it's probably because I am: Teddy Ruxpin never ran Pocket Frogs for me. [via Super Punch]
Review: Griffin Loop for the iPad
Griffin Technology is known for making handy accessories for the Mac and iPod/iPhones. The MacBook Pro that I am using to write this article is currently supported by the Griffin iCurve (which was later replaced with the Elevator), which I've been using for about 6 years now. When I saw the Loop for the iPad, I knew it was going to be something that I wanted to use. As shown above, it will hold your iPad in either "portrait" or "landscape" orientation, but if you look at the very front of the Loop, you will see a slight edge there as well. You can rest the iPad at a lower angle, which is more comfortable for typing (see image here). What is harder to see in the pictures is that the notches to hold the iPad in the upright position (as shown above) are cut a little wider than necessary. This turns out to be a big benefit if you use a case for your iPad, since you can use the Loop without taking it out of the case. Another nice touch is that, when held in portrait mode with the dock connector on the bottom, there is enough clearance to keep the iPad plugged in. The same is not true for the SD card reader and USB camera connector kit accessories for the iPad, but I use those far less often than the sync cable. The Loop is heavy enough that it won't move around, even if you are tapping on the touchscreen. It has some non-slip material on the bottom of it as well. My only (relatively minor) complaint is that the material doesn't cover the entire bottom of the base, which seems like a strange decision to make; it means there are several edges that can get caught and pulled off, making the Loop uneven. I haven't actually had this happen, it just seems like a risk that could have been easily avoided. At US$30, the Loop is on the more expensive side of the various iPad stands out there, but it's versatile enough to give you different ways of using it. If my experience with the iCurve is any indicator, you should be able to use this for many years to come. The ability to keep the case on the iPad is a big "win" for me. Given that the Loop's notch is open, I suspect that whenever Apple announces the second version of the iPad, the Loop will be able to hold it securely, too (even if Apple "tweaks" the design, as they have shown they like to do with the iPhone). Of course, only time will tell.
Griffin confirms PartyDock iPad/iPhone peripheral is on the way
If you're familiar with the Scene It? franchise for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, you've probably never thought of having a similar model work on an iPhone or an iPad. If you're like me, you may have an "of course" moment when you first see the Griffin PartyDock. Thanks to the FCC posting the PartyDock filing from Griffin earlier this week we're now getting our first look at a very cool new product. The PartyDock will let up to four people play a game together with four individual remotes on a single iPhone 4 or iPad connected to your TV. Griffin has confirmed that party, family and casual games will be available via the App Store, but they will need to be designed or adapted specifically to work with the PartyDock. Griffin will be shipping three mini-games and one full game along with the device. The photos on Griffin's product site show what appears to be a Battle of the Sexes port from Imagination Games, but it may or may not be one of the games included in the bundle.
Griffin's PartyDock does four-player iPhone/iPad gaming with just one device
Huddling around the iPhone, squinting at a tiny LCD is no way to spend your game nights. Even with an iPad the idea of multiplayer, single-device, cheek-to-cheek gaming doesn't sound much more appealing... unless it's one of those parties, perhaps. Anyhow, Griffin is apparently looking to make four-way iDevice gaming a little more palatable with the PartyDock, just spotted crossing the great FCC. It has a dock connector for your iPhone, iPod, or iPad and four simple wireless controllers for interacting with four-player games, pumped to your TV over composite and component. It basically creates a simple gaming console out of your portable device, an interesting idea, but what will make or break it will naturally be the software. Griffin has a few four-player games it will release for the thing, but short of a flood of titles hitting the App Store we have a hard time believing this will be a hit -- whenever it ships, and for whatever it sells for.
CES Watch: Apple accessories from the show floor
CES 2010 is in full swing in Las Vegas, and while we aren't there, we have been able to scour the webs and bring you the latest, the greatest, and the weirdest new Apple-related peripherals and accessories from the show floor. Griffin has announced a few new devices, including a Display Converter ($40) to send your display out to HDMI or DVI video, a car charger ($30) that opens up another charging spot, and something called the TuneFlex Aux ($60), a cradle that sends iPhone audio out to an AUX port in your car. They've also got new versions of the RoadTrip and iTrip FM transmitters/cradles coming out later this year for the iPhone . IvySkin sent word of their Zappack unit, a battery backup for the iPhone available for $50, the SmartCase, a case with an integrated battery pack for $80, and the CardClip, a case for the iPhone with a money/wallet clip attachment for $20. Engadget posted a hands-on with Parrot's AR.Drone, which we mentioned yesterday. Short take: it's awesome. Geneva Labs has the most beautiful set of iPhone/iPod speaker docks we've seen yet. They're still useless, but they do look good. On the other hand there's the Trik / Triq iPod dock (above), a speaker dock so wild that Sony named it twice. Yeah, that is... wow. Pioneer announced a car nav unit that will stream Pandora via the cell connection on your iPhone. I'm sure there are induction power charging pads aplenty on the show floor, but this is the only one we're bothering to link to. Macally has announced another round of accessories, from earbuds to chargers. The most interesting is probably the PowerGo charger, which will use an AC adapter, a car lighter, or a USB plug, so no matter where you are, you can recharge your iPod. iPod accessories, everywhere! CES continues through the weekend -- we'll keep an eye on anything else Mac or iPod-related that shows up in Vegas.
