The PurePort is a hygienic cleaning tool for your smartphone’s crevasses

You’ve got clippers for your nails, earbuds for your ears, pluckers for your eyebrows, and charcoal masks for your pores… but what about your phone? What about when you need to clean and maintain those ridiculously tiny speaker and microphone holes, or that charging port that is surely getting filled with lint from your pockets? Yeah, you use a safety pin or a paper clip, don’t you, you savage!

I’ll confess, I’ve dug out lint from my charging port with a safety pin too. That’s probably because I had no idea something as specific as the PurePort existed in the first place. Built explicitly for cleaning your ports, jacks, and cables to prolong their life, PurePort is a multitool (and also a fidget spinner) that comes with all the tools you need to keep your device… um, well groomed, shall I say.

Any dust, dirt, or lint in your ports can make effectively connecting your charging cable rather difficult, but more than that, it can damage your cables as well as your phone. Lint can cause electric arcing which can damage your phone’s or cable’s connector pins by causing them to blacken through oxidation. PurePort’s set of tools helps clean out your port without damaging any circuitry the way a sharp metal object like a safety pin would. It comes with a set of brushes designed to scrub any dirt or lint out of the port, while smaller tools make it effective to reach those difficult spots too, helping you clean your speaker grill, microphone, and even earpiece. PurePort even helps you maintain cables by scrubbing the black oxide layer off your lightning connector. An abrasive head allows you to buff the oxide right off, making those cables last longer than they would have, because nobody’s got time to buy a new $999 phone or shell out 20 bucks every time your cable stops working properly… right?

Designer: Kate Swinnerton

Lightning Cable with Reversible USB Connector: Stolen Thunder

One of the many rumors about the latest iPhone – or iPhones – is that it will come with a more convenient Lightning cable. AppleInsider shared Apple’s recent patent application for a reversible USB connector, which seemed to be corroborated by an image shared on Twitter by known Apple leaker Sonny Dickson. However, it seems like Apple has been beaten to the punch.

apple ios lightning cable with reversible usb by truffol 620x245magnify

A mobile device accessory maker called Truffol claims that it already has Lightning cables with reversible USB connectors in stock. Truffol’s use of stolen gifs and memes in the cable’s product page (and lack of MFi certification) doesn’t exactly inspire confidence about the cable’s quality if not its existence, but if you’re willing to take the plunge you can order the cable right now for $10 (USD).

[via Ubergizmo]

Bluelounge Kii and Saidoka Lightning Accessories: Weird Names, Still Useful

Up until recently, there haven’t been all that many accessories with Apple’s tiny Lightning connector available. Today, Bluelounge released two new accessories to complement your latest-gen iOS devices. First up is the Kii, a handy USB to lightning adapter that is small enough to fit on your keychain.

bluelounge kii lightning

Like you might have gleaned from its name, the Kii looks like a key. It even hangs neatly on your keychain. However, the large end of the Kii is a USB connector, and if you snap the top of the Kii off, you’ll find a Lightning connector. This makes for easy docking and charging of the latest iOS devices to the side of laptops, without need to carry around a cable. The center part of the Kii is flexible, which allows for a certain amount of variance in heights of laptops, desks, and iPhone cases. It’s a very handy device, though I wonder how well the exterior finish of the exposed USB connector will hold up over time – especially banging around on a key ring.

bluelounge kii lightning 2

The second accessory out today is the Saidokā. It’s a unique take on the desktop iPhone dock. Instead of standing your iPhone vertically, the Saidokā keeps your iPhone at just about the same angle as your keyboard. This allows you to not only see the screen easily while typing, but to actually use your iPhone’s touchscreen while docked. This is especially handy for apps which let you use the iPhone as a trackpad or external screen for your computer.

bluelounge saidoka 1

That said, it’s pretty nice to be able to have your iPhone in such a convenient position alongside your computer. It’s a pretty neat design, and even features a removable rubber liner so you can fit your iPhone in the dock “naked” or in its case. It also comes with special “microsuction” rails which help grip the dock to a smooth desk surface without adhesive. The dock also includes the micro-USB to USB cable needed to connect it to your computer.

bluelounge saidoka 2

Both the Kii and Saidokā are available for order from Bluelounge today. The Lightning Kii sells for $39.95(USD) and the Saidoka goes for $49.95(USD). Both are available in either black or white. 30-pin versions are also available for older iOS devices, with the added bonus that each they sell for $20 less.

Scosche Chargers Let You Leave Your iPhone Lightning Cable at Home

If you’re like me and tend to leave things in the car as you’re going about your day’s busy agenda, you probably hate carrying your only charging cable for your iPhone with you on the road. It’s nice to be able to keep the smartphone charged, but inevitably I end up having to run out to the car, in the cold at two o’clock in the morning when I realize I need to charge my phone. This is particularly bad now that I use an iPhone 5 since I only have a single Lightning-compatible charging cable.

Sure, I could buy an extra charging cable from Apple, but I would have to keep a USB to 12V adapter for the car as well. Scosche has unveiled a new line of products designed specifically for charging Apple Lightning devices in the car or at home.

scosche lightning chargers

The chargers are available in 12W or 5W versions with the higher power versions aimed at people using tablets. The strikeDRIVE car chargers have integrated DC adapters, while the strikeBASE home versions have flat folding prongs and are designed to not block outlets around them..

All four charging cables are available right now, and are priced between $24.99 and $34.99(USD).

Zoom iQ5 professional stereo microphone hands-on

Zoom iQ5 professional stereo microphone for Apple lightning devices handson

Earlier at CES, we got our hands on the Rode iXY 30-pin stereo microphone iPhone add-on that left our Lightning users a bit sad. Cheer up! The folks over at Zoom got us over to their booth to take a peek at the company's new iQ5 professional stereo microphone. The iQ5 is a different beast than its aforementioned competition in that it works in conjunction with native iOS applications. What this means is that you can use it while recording video on your iOS device. The microphone itself rotates for this specific purpose, allowing for both horizontal and vertical audio recording in raw, 90- and 120-degree field positions. The recording resolution is capped at a respectable 16-bit/44.1kHz -- though slightly less than we were hoping.

We didn't get a chance to actually hear an audio sample from the iQ5, but we're pretty confident it'll sound better than the standard mic equipped on any of the supported devices. The Zoom iQ5 lacks a bit in customization department as well as build quality -- we're generally not fans of the cheap plastic construction, which is unlike most other Zoom products. The spec sheet certainly leaves us wanting, but it's a start in the right direction for current-gen iOS devices. The iQ5 will set you back $100 and will start shipping Q2 of this year -- until then check out the gallery to hold you over.

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Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go hands-on (video)

Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go handson video

Remember Romo, the adorable iPhone-faced track-equipped robot? We met up with Romotive in Vegas at CES 2013 to play with the 3rd generation model that was recently launched on Kickstarter. The company also gave us an exclusive first look at a 3rd generation prototype with Lightning connector. We sat down with CEO Keller Rinaudo to discuss the new robot and catch up on what the team's achieved over the past year.

As a refresher, we first encountered Romo when we covered it for our Insert Coin feature in October 2011. Back then, the robot used rudimentary analog electronics and plugged into the iPhone's headphone jack. After a successful initial Kickstarter campaign, Romotive moved from Seattle to Las Vegas where we caught up the team on our stage during CES 2012. The 2nd generation model was available both pre-assembled and it kit form with support for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It was upgraded to digital electronics but still used the audio interface to control its tracks and featured hacker-friendly auxiliary ports. Hit the break for more.

Continue reading Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go hands-on (video)

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Philips outs new speaker docks with Lightning connector, prices start from $90

Philips outs new speaker docks with Lightning connector, prices start from $90

Docking speakers that are friendly with Cupertino's shiny new Lightning connector are far from being a dime a dozen just yet, which is to be expected given the small amount of time it's been around. Staring today, though, we can add Philips to the small list of companies who are now offering a solution for those of you who would like to turn your iPhone 5 into a modern day alarm clock (among other things, of course). Thankfully, Philips brought plenty to choose from, with the outfit outing the Bedroom DS1155, Room-to-Room DS3205, Portable DS7580 and a high-end Lifestyle Music System DMC2067. These Lightning-equipped iDevice companions will be available this month starting at $90 for the DS1155 and $130 each for both DS3205 and DS7580, while the more powerful DMC2067 is yet to receive a price tag of its own.

Continue reading Philips outs new speaker docks with Lightning connector, prices start from $90

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Source: Philips

Apple snagged partial rights for ‘Lightning’ trademark from Harley Davidson

DNP Apple Lightning trademark

Who says big companies can't be bros when it comes to trademarks? Since Apple had no need for its Lightning connector to appear on "motorcycle parts, slot machines or tachometers," it buddied up with Harley Davidson to secure partial use of the cycle maker's IP for its new iDevice interface, according to recent info from the European trademark office. That allowed it to use a name that's sympatico with its Thunderbolt moniker, while presumably letting Harley retain the rights for its heavier metal accessories. Also, should Cook & co. run up against a mid-life crisis, at least they'll have quick relief on speed-dial.

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: OHIM (European trademark office)

Nomad Lightning Cable Puts an Apple Lightning Connector on Your Keychain

When I upgraded to the iPhone 5, I didn’t really think about  how much of a pain it would be to find charging cables that fit Apple’s new Lightning connector. Sure, there are more and more products hitting the market these days, and I carry around the Lightning-to-30-pin-adapter in my bag, but I really like the idea of the Nomad Cable, a tiny Lightning-to-USB cable you can carry around on your keychain.

nomad connector 1

Invented by Chicago product designers Kegan & Roberto, the idea is simple but brilliant. The Nomad is a stubby little cable that’s got a USB connector on one end and an 8-pin Lightning connector on the other. The USB end has a special cap that slips onto your keychain. Given the size of the original iPod 30-pin dock connector, it might not have been too practical to carry one on your keychain at all times, but the new connector is small enough that such a cable is not much bigger than a key.

nomad connector 2

The 3″ long Nomad Cable is just long enough that you can plug your iPhone 5, iPad Mini, 4th gen iPad, 5th gen iPod Touch, or 7th gen iPod nano directly into your computer for charging or syncing. Plus. the cable has enough flex in it to deal with USB ports at just about any angle.

Overall, I think the Nomad Cable is a really convenient and inexpensive way to make sure you can juice up your latest Apple gadgets anywhere you go. While a small number of very early backers were able to grab one for as little as $5(USD), the current wave that’s up for pre-order is going for $15 – which I still think is reasonable. If you think it’ll come in handy, head on over to Kickstarter and place your pre-order for February 2013 delivery. I already did.


JBL Unveils Speaker Docks for iPhone 5 Lightning Connector

One of the most irritating things about Apple moving from its tried-and-true 30-pin connector to the new Lightning connector is that people are being forced to buy new accessories. Accessories that use the tiny new 8-pin connector have been slow to hit the market, but JBL has announced two new audio products that are aimed at the iPhone 5, 5th-gen iPod Touch and other Apple gadgets that use the new Lightning connector.

jbl on beat micro

The OnBeat Micro and the OnBeat Venue LT speaker docks are the first on the market to use the new Lightning connector interface. The Micro is a battery-powered mobile speaker dock that also has a USB port for connecting older Apple devices as well as a 3.5mm audio input. The internal battery is good for up to five hours of playback and charges via an included AC adapter. Its two small full-range drivers are powered by a 2W-per-channel amp.

jbl onbeat venue

The Venue LT is a larger dock designed to be used in the home or office that connects to iPhones using Bluetooth and has its own Lightning connector for charging the iPhone 5, and the latest iPod nano and touch as well. It has a 15W x 2 amplifier, and a pair of full-range speakers.

Both devices work with the JBL MusicFlow app for viewing album art, changing tracks, and adjusting volume. The Micro retails for $99(USD) and the Venue LT sells for $199.