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Native Union made a USB hub that blends into your home
If you're reading this, chances are you're a gadget freak and may need to recharge multiple devices on a daily basis. That's when you're greeted by a pile of messy cables plugged into a dull-looking and maybe under-powered USB hub. Cable boxes may hide the ugliness, but they're bulky and don't actually solve the issue. Not one to admit defeat, Native Union -- the mad folks behind the marble iPhone case -- came up with the ultimate solution: a stylish, cylindrical USB hub dubbed Eclipse. On the outside, it looks like a piece of home decor thanks to its wooden top, but it's really the inside that got our attention: as you touch the top gently, the main body slowly rises up to let you uncoil the cables tucked inside, while the base emits a subtle halo for night-time usage. It's rather mesmerizing to watch.
At some point in life, you'll want a marble iPhone case
Wood and leather are so yesterday. What you really want is some genuine marble on your precious gadgets. At least that's the pitch from Native Union, which recently announced its Clic Marble iPhone 6 case, available in matte black or glossy white -- the latter consisting of the nice Carrara white marble from Italy. Don't be fooled by its simple look, as the company took a year and a half to figure out how to carefully slice marble at just 0.8mm thick, and then reinforce it with fiberglass to keep it flexible and shatter-resistant. The case does add 2mm of bulk onto your device, and it does ask for $80 in the US or £70 in the UK, but these are the kinds of sacrifices that some are willing to make in return for that cold luxurious feel.
Native Union's Jump charging cable can juice up your devices on the go
It only took a little over 24 hours for Native Union's Jump, a charging cable with a built-in battery pack for juicing up on the go, to reach its funding on Kickstarter. Still, the company hasn't abandoned its booth here at CES to go out and celebrate, so we dropped in and laid some paws on the accessory. In case you need a recap, Jump consists of a central hub which contains an 800mAh battery, one braided cable with a Lightning adapter (or micro-USB) at the end, and another with a USB plug. The hardware is lightweight, easily pocketable and feels quite sturdy. Even the cords themselves feel like they can withstand a significant amount of wear and tear. While at first sight, the cables might appear as if they retract, they simply wrap around the central box and fit into small grooves. stretched from end to end, the contraption measures up at roughly 18 inches in length. On the face of the gadget sit a trio of lights that indicate the built-in battery level when a button on its rear is pressed. Not only does the device feel solid, but it's also quite smart. When plugged in, it'll make sure the gear you've connected will be charged up before topping off its own battery. While Jump will be available for $50 when it launches in May, you can snag it now through its already-successful Kickstarter campaign for $40.
Native Union's Jump is a charging cable with a little built-in battery
We've covered a few cool Native Union accessories before, but this one easily beats them all in terms of thoughtfulness. The Jump, which is debuting at CES, appears to be a Lightning or micro-USB cable that goes through a little cable wrapper, which is intentionally designed to fit into your trousers' tiny coin pocket. The fun part is that this gray pebble also packs 800mAh of battery juice (with 1A current output), so it's good for emergency use. But that's not all! You can use the Jump as a normal cable to charge up your phone, and when the latter is full, the intelligent circuitry -- which had been a tough challenge for Native Union -- diverts the power to the Jump's own battery. To put it simply: you're hitting two birds with one stone here. No need to remind yourself to plug in your portable battery separately at night. The Jump has just been launched as a Kickstarter project, and you can grab one now for as low as $30 (it's a limited offer, of course). Want more? Just add $35 for every additional Jump. Expect this handy little gadget to ship some time in May.
Native Union gets Victorian with Monocle, a hybrid handset for the hipster crowd
Native Union is known for finding inspiration in retro form factors -- as we saw with the Pop Phone -- and the company is going even more old school with its latest offering: Monocle. The epitome of faux-vintage hipster chic, Monocle is equal parts speaker, handset and speakerphone. If, for some reason, you ever come across another intrepid soul carrying a Monocle, the devices can be linked together in a daisy chain, letting you listen in on each other's calls and boost your speaker power. This triple threat launches tomorrow on Native Union's website (linked below), with a starting price of £40 (roughly $62). If you're so inclined to add this curious accessory to your collection, may we suggest pairing it with an actual monocle? After all, nothing says street cred like a monocle overdose.
IRL: Scanner Pro, Mophie Juice Pack Helium and the Native Union Pop Phone
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It's safe to say we're a little picky around here: Darren's trying out yet another scanner app, and Edgar has settled on a smartphone battery pack (because everyone knows we can't agree on which is the best one). And Philip's been playing with a retro-styled "handset" because, well, why not?
Native Union introduces Bluetooth handset and speakerphone for iPhones at CES
Native Union was at CES offering an intriguing lineup of handsets that'll turn your iPhone, iPad or even iPod touch into a more traditional handset-style phone. One model even morphs into a speaker for music or speakerphone. Unfortunately, audio quality was tough to gauge at the noisy show floor, so we'll try to test these in a more controlled setting later. Here's a quick rundown of the Native Union lineup. POP Phone These were announced back in September 2010, but I took a few pics in the gallery for you to check out. They are simply handsets that use a 3.5 mm jack for plugging into your iPhone, converting it into a sort of old-style phone with a handset and stretchy cord. Remember those? You can also use it with Skype or any VoIP app on your iPod touch, iPad or even your Mac. The POP Phones come in a wide variety of colors (which "pop" as the name suggests) and have a nice soft, rubber finish as opposed to the old shiny gloss finish of Ma Bell's phones. I find the form factor quite handy for cradling the phone on your shoulder while doing other stuff as opposed to the precarious placement of a slender iPhone between ear and shoulder. As I said, these are pretty basic. They sell for around US$29.99. There are two models with bases, which sell for around $64. Debuted at CES: MM03i Bluetooth handset This one is pretty snazzy -- a wireless handset with built-in iPhone charging stand. If you want the best of both worlds, a desk phone and your mobile, it's a good design. The iPhone docks at the far end of the base, with the handset in front. They only come in black or white and use a glossy finish, but I get the feeling they are meant to cater to business users. The MM03i has a 6-hour talk-time charge, and 120 hours of standby according to Native Union. The sync base has a 3.5 mm output, so you can plug your iPhone into a speaker system, and my guess is (as normal) any music would be muted when the handset takes a call. You can answer a call just by picking the phone up off the base, or use the buttons on the phone, which include volume. The MM03i retails for $149.99. Introduced at CES: MM04i Bluetooth stereo handset Available later this month, the MM04i adds to the 03i feature set with a set of built-in speakers to your handset and a design that allows you to use the thing as a set of small speakers (via Bluetooth, even though your iPhone docks) and pick up and use the phone as a phone or speakerphone at any time. It's a clever design, although I can't say I was a huge fan of the angular nature of the phone handset itself. All of Native's phones are designed by "award-winning" designers, so what do I know? The MM04i will retail for $199.99. Check the gallery to see a close up of the handset and its buttons plus the dock for your iPhone. %Gallery-113478%
Native Union MM03i Bluetooth handset / charging cradle for iPhone hits the Vegas strip
If you prefer the feel of an old-fashioned handsets against your ear or you just want best your fellow cubicle dwellers in a game of gadgety one-upmanship, Native Union's new MM03i Bluetooth Handset might be just what the doctor ordered (the gadget doctor, that is). Featuring an integrated iPhone charger / dock and a 3.5mm audio line out for plugging into speakers, this bad boy is available in both colors: black and white. But that ain't all! There are dedicated answer and end call buttons, volume control, and a connection status visual indicator. You love those! Available now for $150. PR after the break.
