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iHub 2 cease and desist notice issued: We called it
Well, color me unsurprised. Remember the TUAW post from Tuesday about M.I.C Gadget's iHub 2, which is a small 4-port USB hub that features a cool glowing Apple logo? In that post, M.I.C Gadget's iHub 2 looks like Apple lawsuit bait, I conjectured that it wouldn't take too long for Apple's legal team to mail out the cease and desist notice. This morning, we received a number of emails from people who had ordered the iHub 2. The manufacturer has contacted them with the news that Apple has "warned" M.I.C Gadget to stop selling the device: Shocking! Astounding! Completely predictable! My feeling is that "working hard to rectify this" means that "we're trying to send out everything we've sold while making promises to Apple that we'll never make Apple-logoed products again to avoid getting sued." After making the iHub 2 and the Steve Jobs action figure, M.I.C Gadget will probably be the focus of the Eye of Sauron Apple Legal for a long, long time. By the way, the video that accompanied the iHub post has been pulled as well. Thanks to all of the iHub buyers who sent us this tip.
USB iHub is the perfect knockoff accessory for your Apple-centric existence
So, you waited in line for an iPad 2, snatched up an iPhone 4, and even bought one of those unofficial white conversion kits. You work all day on a MacBook Air with a Steve Jobs figurine sitting next to it on your desk -- you're exactly the person that the $9.99 iHub was created for. It's not an official Apple product but, as far as knockoffs go, this is one of the more accurate facsimiles we've ever seen. This four-port USB hub looks quite a bit like an Apple TV, has a glowing logo up top, and comes in your choice of white or black. Even the packaging is convincingly Apple thanks to the clear plastic lid that lets you peek the wares within. Glimpse the glamor shots and the video below -- we promise they're 100-percent authentic, even if the iHub is not. %Gallery-121579%
M.I.C Gadget's iHub 2 looks like Apple lawsuit bait
M.I.C Gadget, the same website that brought the world the Steve Jobs action figure that was quickly given a cease and desist notice, is back for more potential legal fun. This time, they've come up with a very cool 4-port USB 2.0 hub. It doesn't matter how many USB ports you have on your Mac -- it always seems like you can use a few more. So the M.I.C Gadget guys decided that a small black or white 4-port hub that features a glowing white Apple logo would be a popular product. They're calling it the iHub 2 (US$9.90), which of course sounds suspiciously close to any number of Apple products. Yep, they're probably right about the iHub being a potentially popular product. Heck, if I could get one before the next cease and desist notice is delivered to M.I.C Gadget, I'd probably buy one. However, Apple's lawyers have probably already downloaded the legal boilerplate for their C&D notice and are feverishly filling it out at this point. Considering that the Apple logo is one of the most recognizable trademarks in the world, and the company protects its trademarks with the same enthusiasm as a mother grizzly bear protecting her cubs, the iHub will be shut down faster than the Steve Jobs action figure was. This product supersedes the previous iHub, which apparently didn't catch Apple's attention. That was most likely before they made the Steve Jobs mini-me. M.I.C Gadget has even made a nice promo video, which you can watch on the next page. Enjoy it while it lasts. [via 9to5Mac]
