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Crapgadget CES, round four: iBallz is the ultimate, intimate gadget protector
Grab your iPad by the iBallz. It's safer that way. Trust us.
MMT Monitor2Go hands-on (video)
MMT is back at CES this year, with a revamped version of the Monitor2Go. This time around, the company has bumped up the portable display's screen size to a full 15.6 inches, while expanding its resolution to 1600 x 900 (compared with the 1280 x 800 seen on last year's rendition). A descendant of the Field Monitor Pro, this refreshed Monitor2Go comes with an iPad 2 or Android tablet slot and rotatable display that can turn up, down, clockwise and counterclockwise, allowing users to share their slate's screen with virtually anyone around them. The device can rest in either landscape or portrait mode, and comes equipped with HDMI and USB outputs, enabling owners to daisy chain up to six devices on a single port. The Monitor2Go is up for pre-order now, with the first shipments slated to head out within the next three months. No word yet on price, though we're told that it should be "under $300." Video after the break.
CushPad: A goofy-looking but very useful iPad accessory
One of the oddest-looking iPad accessories that I've ever reviewed showed up last month, and if wasn't so doggone useful, I would have written this review sooner. The CushPad (US$34.99) looks and feels like a pillow, but it's actually a soft, washable stand for the iPad 2. Design The shape and size of the CushPad probably limits it to use around the house. I just can't see taking this with me on trips, even if I do need a pillow to prop my head on when I'm flying somewhere. I have enough stuff that I have to lug through security checks, and a truncated pyramid roughly the size of three loaves of bread isn't my idea of portable. The CushPad currently comes in one color -- blue -- although the website shows green, gray, black and red as possible colors for the near future. Three sides are emblazoned with the word "CushPad" in bumper sticker-sized lettering, so I don't think anyone will be asking you what the name of the product is. The foam insert can be removed and the outside material is machine washable, which is helpful if you do use it as a pillow and wish to remove the drool stains from the outside. %Gallery-143687% Now, how does a blob of foam covered with a washable exterior turn into an iPad accessory? Easy -- it's an iPad stand! And that's why I had issues getting this thing reviewed. Viewers of the weekly TUAW TV Live show know that Mrs. Steve (AKA Bionic Barb) had a total knee replacement back in late October and has been on the mend ever since. During that time, she kept herself busy by using her iPad for countless hours during the days. For part of the recovery, she was plagued by having to prop up the iPad on pillows in order to keep her arms and hands from aching after holding the device for hours. When the CushPad showed up, it was immediately placed into duty as a comfortable iPad stand that could sit in her lap while she was sitting with her leg raised in a recliner. Now that she's back at work, I was able to steal the CushPad from Barb long enough to review it. Functionality To make it short, the CushPad makes a very comfortable stand for propping up the iPad 2 (it doesn't work with the original iPad). It's perfect for holding your iPad 2 in your lap while sitting, and it works equally as well lying down. The beveled sides make it possible to position the iPad 2 in either landscape or portrait orientation. Yeah, it's goofy-looking, but the CushPad works and it's comfortable when you're trying to hold an iPad 2 in your lap for hours on end. For that specific use case, the CushPad works like a champ. I won't vouch for its usefulness as a pillow. Conclusion This American-made product isn't as nearly as cheesy as the Forever Lazy adult sleepwear, and it actually serves a useful purpose without making the owner look too idiotic. The price is a bit steep at $35, but you can get five bucks off the price by Liking the CushPad on Facebook. And just think -- it won't leave a dent in the head of one of your children if they decide to whack each other with your iPad stand. Goofy-looking? Yeah. Useful? Hell, yeah.
Bracketron unveils its iRoom iDock Touchcode in-wall iPad mount at CES 2012
Remember the iRoom iDock motorized in-wall iPad dock announced back in September? It's okay if you don't, because it's CES time, people, and Bracketron's back with a new version called the Touchcode. This fresh model still securely mounts your Apple tablet in any wall like its elder, but adds an LED-lit keypad on the side that lets you designate a four digit code to deny access to any ne'er-do-wells around. The new model can still be mounted in landscape or portrait mode like the old, but it's got power over Ethernet and USB connections for further connectivity. It's only available from Bracketron direct, but the company's not saying how much it'll set you back, nor do we know when the Touchcode will be available for purchase. What we can offer is full PR after the break.
Former Marine marches from battlefield to Apple accessory market
Devon Read spent five years in the Marines, serving in both Iraq and Africa. Now, the Golden, Colorado resident is a successful Apple accessory maker. He's a self-admitted Apple fan who wanted a protective case for his Apple devices, but couldn't find products that were fashionable, functional and affordable. Instead of waiting for that perfect product to hit the market, he and two of his friends decided to make their own. Read and his friends came up with the idea for Happy Owl Studios, after the iPad announcement and quickly designed their signature Wallet and Clutch bag. The Wallet is a slim bag that has room for your pocket change, credit cards, and mobile phone. The Clutch is a slightly bigger bag, designed primarily for the ladies. It'll replace your purse and has a larger pocket that'll hold lip gloss, sunglasses, keys and more. Read was recently interviewed by the Denver Post and shared his company's biggest advantage over their larger rivals like Griffin which makes a variety of cases for the iPhone and iPad. Read says, "To compete in that same world as the huge accessory makers, we need to take advantage of what we have but they don't have: the ability to turn on a dime."
Switched On: The 2011 Switchies
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. It's that special time of year between the post-holiday sales and the pre-CES hype that presents an opportunity to consider some of the most innovative devices of the year. Switched On is proud to present the Saluting Wares Improving Technology's Contribution to Humanity awards, also known as The Switchies. This year marks the sixth annual Switchies, which are decided based on a rigorous examination of the opinion of me, and do not reflect the opinion of Engadget or its editors. For that latter honor, nominees will need to win an Engadget Award. Let's roll out the red carpet then.
TUAW Best of 2011: Vote for the best iPad case
The nominations are in, and the poll is ready to go! The TUAW Best of 2011 awards are all about you -- the readers -- and what you think is the cream of the crop of Apple or third-party products and software. To vote, select one entry from the top nominations made by readers. We'll be announcing the winner in just a few days. Vote early and often! TUAW is asking for your votes for the best iPad case of 2011. Very few iPad owners seem to keep their devices "naked," instead choosing to wrap them in a case of some sort. Much to my surprise, all of the cases were folio type cases, with the "book style" case being the most popular. Our nominees for this are the Twelve South BookBook for iPad (US$69.99), the Portenzo cases (Customized, Composition, Italian Bonded Leather and Premium Genuine Leather -- $59.95 to $124.95 depending on model, options not included), San Francisco's own DODOcase ($59.95), the Bear Motion folio ($59.95 MSRP), and the Zaggfolio keyboard case ($99.99). And now, let the voting begin! The results will be announced on December 29, 2011. %Poll-72320%
Engadget's Holiday Blues-buster 2011: win an iPad 2 16GB WiFi, courtesy of Broadcom!
This is it, folks: the last day of a memorable week. We laughed, we cried, four fantastic gizmos have been given out as holiday momentos. Now it's time for the final round, so get your commenting faces on. Today Broadcom is once again "connecting everything" by offering up the iPad 2 16GB WiFi version! As usual, you have until 11:59PM ET to leave your comment and get entered to win. If you haven't had any luck winning a free iPad 2 from Twitter spambots yet, maybe your fortune will improve with us. Good luck!
Mega Man X blasts onto iOS, Reploids still struggling with free will
It's a story as old as, well, 8-bit video gaming itself: man creates robots, 99 percent go rogue, the other 1 percent valiantly fights back and future world order is (temporarily) restored. Sound familiar? It should if you've logged any time with Mega Man X, Capcom's mega-popular series from console gaming's halcyon days. That SNES classic has just been ported over to iOS and is now available on the App Store for your thumb-smashing amusement. At $5 it's certainly cheaper than that other recent 16-bit retread, though nowhere near as awesomely epic.
NYPD makes many arrests in iPhone/iPad sting operation
The New York Police Department ran an undercover sting operation recently on vendors and businesses accused of selling stolen iPads and iPhones, and came up with a whopping 141 arrests. That's a pretty crazy bust -- apparently undercover officers actually went out to businesses with iPhone 4s and iPad 2s that they claim were stolen, and when the business owners agreed to buy them, they swooped in for the arrests. The businesses were previously suspected of selling stolen merchandise, however -- I am not a lawyer, but just sending cops in to try and sell stolen goods seems like entrapment to me. Not all of the arrests were necessarily of the businesses' owners; it's possible that the cops used information given to make other arrests as well. But that's a nice swath of (alleged) criminals to pick up. Apple's devices make for quite a gray and black market around the world, and it's good to see that the NYPD is cracking down on these stolen items.
Explosion at Apple supplier injures 57 workers
The welfare of Chinese workers is back in the spotlight after an explosion at Shanghai-based Riteng Computer Accessory Company left 23 people in hospital with burns and another 34 with more minor injuries. Local government officials said the explosion happened on Saturday afternoon at a workshop on the fourth floor of the facility. Riteng is a subsidiary supplier to Pegatron Corp and the Chinese newspaper Yi Cai Daily reported it was in the middle of trial production of aluminum iPad 2 back panels. A separate explosion at a Foxconn factory back in Spring was attributed to poor extraction of combustible aluminum dust.
IDC: iPad maintains tablet dominance, HP's TouchPad fire sale burned brightly
While the Android tablets continue to roll in, Apple can still lay claim to the lion's share of the tablet market according to IDC's latest report. Its research suggests that the iPad holds onto 61.5 percent of the worldwide market share, down from 63.3 percent last quarter. Android devices in total also saw a slight contraction, down from 33.2 percent to 32.4 percent. This is partly explained by the HP TouchPad's final hurrah, which rocketed the ill-fated webOS tablet up to third place with a 5 percent of share of tablet sales and an estimated 903,354 devices sold. Samsung maintained its Honeycomb tablet crown, nabbing 5.6 percent of all tablet sales. The Korean manufacturer was closely tailed by Barnes and Noble's Nook Color with 4.5 percent and Asus, arriving at fifth place with a four percent share. Tablets in total sold less than the analysts had predicted, although growth has still exploded 264 percent compared to this time last year. Meanwhile, E-readers outperformed estimates, with 6.5 million E-readers sold in the third quarter, up 165.9 percent from last year. IDC expects some disruptive new tablets will spice up the fourth quarter results and you can take a look at its findings and predictions at the full press release below.
iPhone 5, Steve Jobs and iPad 2 among Google's top searches of 2011
Apple is a common topic in the proliferation of 2011 retrospectives that are inevitably being published this month. The latest comes from Google's Zeitgeist 2011, a look at the 2011's fastest-rising worldwide searches. The iPhone 5 (AKA the iPhone 4S), Steve Jobs, and the iPad 2 all jumped up in Google queries at some point during the year to capture the attention of the world. For the iPhone 5, speculation was rampant throughout the year and rose 1,658 percent between 2010 and 2011. There was a huge jump in interest the week of October 2 - 8, 2011, the week that Apple finally announced the iPhone 4S (Google mistakenly shows the week before as the peak time on their summary page). Interest in late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs grew an astounding 982 percent between 2010 and 2011, giving him the posthumous honor of being 9th fastest rising search of the year. As you'd expect, Google searches for Steve Jobs peaked the week of October 2, 2011, the week of his death. The number 10 spot on the Zeitgeist 2011 list was filled by the iPad 2. Searches for the device reached a frenzy the week of February 27, 2011, two weeks before sales of the tablet began. Searches for the device rose 939 percent from 2010 to 2011, and it will be fascinating to see if the iPad 3 takes the honors for 2012.
Google Zeitgeist goes live, reminds the world of Rebecca Black's existence
How will people remember 2011? As the year of Rebecca Black, if the results of Google's Zeitgeist list are to be believed. The momentarily famous "Friday" singer topped Google's annual year-end list of hot search terms, followed by the software giant's own Google+ social network and deceased Jackass star, Ryan Dunn. The top five is rounded out by the acquitted Casey Anthony and the ultra-hot FPS, Battlefield 3. Apple made three appearances in the top ten, courtesy of the iPad 2, the no-show iPhone 5 and its late founder, Steve Jobs. On the other side of the coin, social networks Myspace and hi5 topped the fastest falling lists. Celebrate the year that was with a video after the break.
Reports: American Airlines wins FAA approval for in-cockpit iPads, will launch Friday
If you fly as an American Airlines premium passenger, you'll get to play with a Galaxy Tab. If you actually fly the plane, though, you'll have to make do with an iPad. According to ZDNet, the carrier has already won FAA approval to use iPads "as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers," making it the world's first airline to be totally tablet friendly. A source close to the situation tells ZDNet that AA "will begin iPad operations on B-777 aircraft" before expanding to other planes, and that both first and second generation devices have been cleared for cockpit use. An AA pilot, meanwhile, tells TechCrunch that the company's tablets will feature JeppTC (a flight chart app available in the App Store), and that all onboard slates will be required to fly with an extra battery. The program, slated to kick off this Friday, could also offer substantial savings in paper and fuel costs. According to Seattle Pi's estimates, a single iPad would replace some 35 pounds of paper per year, translating to approximately $1.2 million in saved fuel costs. Insiders say United and Delta are pursuing similar initiatives, with the latter reportedly looking for an Android-specific solution, though at the moment, only American Airlines has won the FAA's seal of approval.
Logitech's Fold-Up Keyboard brings comfortable typing to the iPad 2
If there's a complaint I have about the many keyboard folio cases for the iPad, it's that the keyboard is sized to match the long dimension of the device. What that means is that the keyboard is usually quite cramped, and a fast touch-typist like me finds that he or she is constantly making errors. Up to this point, I haven't found a keyboard, other than Apple's Wireless Keyboard, that's even remotely usable with the iPad. Now Logitech has introduced the US$129.99 Fold-Up Keyboard, a full-sized comfortable Bluetooth keyboard that protects your iPad 2 as well. Design Think of the Fold-Up Keyboard as a Smart Cover-compatible back shell for the iPad 2 and you're halfway there. Now add a full-sized keyboard that magically pops out of the back of this device and swivels into place in front of the device as a prop holds it up, and you have the Fold-Up Keyboard. The keyboard features pretty much all of the keys in the places that you'd expect to find them on the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Rather than a separate row of function keys, however, the fn key works with the number row of the Fold-Up Keyboard to provide iPad-specific functions. Those functions are home, search, slideshow, toggle onscreen keyboard on/off, rewind, play/pause, fast-forward, three volume buttons (mute, middle, loud), and enable lock screen. There's only one button on the keyboard that is used to put it into discoverable mode for Bluetooth pairing. Three tiny LEDs near that button indicate that the keyboard is charging or has a low battery, that the keyboard is pairing with an iPad, and that the keyboard is in caps lock mode. Logitech includes a standard USB to micro-USB cable for charging. The keyboard takes about three hours to charge, but lasts for about 500 hours of typing. No AC adapter is included, which means that you either need to use your iPad's adapter or another USB adapter for charging. Functionality Putting the iPad 2 into the Fold-Up Keyboard is a cinch. Unlike most back shells that I've used, the Fold-Up Keyboard actually has a mechanical latch that locks the device into place. Once it's in there, all you need to do is press another little button that unlocks the keyboard and start unfolding the "stand." As you do that, the keyboard halves swing into place and form a wide and comfortable keyboard. Opening the keyboard also powers it up; closing the device turns off the keyboard. Be sure to check out the gallery below for images of the keyboard folding into place. %Gallery-141575% Closing the device is just a matter of grabbing the ends of the keyboard and pushing them towards the iPad. As the keyboard folds back, the stand slides down and the entire thing folds into a somewhat thick (.75 inch) package. If you already have an Apple Smart Cover for your iPad 2, you can use it for full protection of your device. As for the keyboard itself, it has about the same amount of key travel as the Apple Wireless Keyboard and a similar feel. The keys are about the same size as those on the Apple keyboard and as mentioned earlier, they're in pretty much identical locations. That means that you don't have to think about what keyboard you're using, as the keys are where you'd expect them to be. When the iPad is in the "locked and upright position" in the Fold-Up Keyboard case, the entire assembly is surprisingly rigid. That makes it quite easy to use the Fold-Up Keyboard and an iPad 2 as a pseudo-laptop without a desk. Logitech always does a pretty good job of including well-written documentation, and the Fold-Up Keyboard comes with a small booklet that describes exactly how to set up and use the device. Note that if you use the rear-facing iPad 2 camera often, you will need to remove the Fold-Up Keyboard to use it as there is no hole in the case for the camera. Conclusion While it's quite expensive -- you could almost purchase two of Apple's Wireless Keyboards (US$69.99) for the cost of the Logitech Fold-Up Keyboard -- this is the most comfortable iPad-specific keyboard I've had the pleasure to use. Making a full-width keyboard fold into the dimensions of an iPad was an engineering feat, and Logitech did it perfectly.
iOS 5.1 beta 2 out of the oven, ready for developer consumption
Ready to kick off Monday with some iOS flashing? Excellent, because Apple's just released the second beta of iOS 5.1, lovingly christened 9B5127c. No Cupertino devices at Engadget HQ have taken the plunge, but as noted by MacRumors, the beta enables individual picture deletion from Photo Stream -- which differs from the existing delete all or nothing implementation. Too early to tell if it'll finally squash any lingering battery bugs once and for all, but you can hit Apple's developer website to get your download on -- just be ready for the next one in two weeks, cool? [Thanks, Haseeb]
App review: Infinity Blade 2 (iOS)
The 3D duel-fest is back, and attempting to answer some of the questions left over from its first installment (and a few major updates). Infinity Blade has had a huge effect on promoting the iPad and iPhone as valid gaming options, with high quality visuals and intuitive touchscreen controls. Well, Epic hasn't tampered with the formula too much, but has tried to instill some considered expansions and pour even more eye-honey all over it. Will it stretch gamers beyond the original? We've now spent a fair bit of time slashing away at those pesky immortals and their underlings -- see what we thought of this little big adventure after the break. %Gallery-141444%
Motorola wins injunction against Apple Sales International in German patent dispute (update: Apple appeals)
After issuing a default judgment against Apple last month, Germany's Mannheim Regional Court has now granted a "preliminarily enforceable" injunction against Ireland-based Apple Sales International, on the grounds that its products may violate some of Motorola Mobility's patents. At issue is Motorola's European Patent 1010336 (B1), which covers a "method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system." According to Foss Patents, the court's injunction encompasses the iPhone (3G, 3GS and 4), iPad 3G and iPad2 3G. The ruling also states that Apple can avoid the injunction if it removes the patent-infringing elements from its devices, though it's more likely that Cupertino will appeal to the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court, in the hopes of obtaining a stay. We've already reached out to Apple for comment, and will update this post as soon as we get more information. Update: And as expected, Apple intends to appeal the ruling which, if enforced, would only apply to future shipments. So grab that existing stock while you can.
Daily iPad App: Fuego's River Adventure
Unfortunately, Fuego's River Adventure isn't actually that great of a game. It's extremely simple, the controls aren't precise enough to really make it fun, and while there are about 20 stages to float through where you need to go down a river dodging obstacles and picking up bonus items. I was done after about the second stage. Fuego's River Adventure works much better as a tech demo, but it uses some really interesting code. The game runs on your iPad 2, and it needs that camera to serve as a controller. To play, you move your body back and forth in front of the camera, and that will guide Fuego down the river. The effect is very similar to Microsoft's Kinect, though obviously not nearly as complicated. The app is basically just scanning the camera input for action, not actually calculating where and how your body is moving. But it is interesting to see in action and works pretty well for what it is. It's just too bad there's not a better game attached to it. For $1.99, it's hard to recommend Fuego's River Adventure for the fun. There is a lot more bang for your buck available elsewhere on the App Store. But paying two bucks is more or less worth it just to see this Kinect-like technology in action, and heck, supporting this app might lead to better games like this down the line. If you're interested in playing with the camera input for yourself, definitely give it a try.
