iLounge

Over a year after its debut at the 2011 International CES, Withings has announced that it is now shipping its Smart Baby Monitor for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in the U.S. The Smart Baby Monitor is outfitted with a three megapixel camera featuring an extra wide view lens, night vision with infrared LEDs, and a 4x zoom, a two-way microphone, a motion detector, a thermometer, and a humidistat. Using either a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Ethernet connection, the monitor allows parents to monitor and talk to the child, control playback of lullabies, and be alerted via alarms triggered by activity, audio levels, and temperature/humidity, either locally or over the Internet. Withings’ Smart Baby Monitor for iOS is available now and sells for $300.

Parrot has announced that its AR.Drone 2.0 Wi-Fi-enabled quadricopter will start shipping in the U.S. in May, with pre-orders opening soon. Debuted at the 2012 International CES, the AR.Drone 2.0 features a new 720p HD camera, a new piloting application that features the ability to record and share flight videos and a new piloting mode, a “Flip” feature, LEDs on the landing gear, two included hulls—one each for outdoor and indoor flight—and a number of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), including a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis magnetometer, two ultrasound sensors, and a pressure sensor. The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is priced at $299 and will be available for pre-order exclusively through Brookstone beginning March 1 with shipments beginning in May.

Pyle has rolled out its new iOS Sound Bar Docking System for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Carrying the model number PSBM60I, the system offers 300 Watts of total output, dual 3-inch full range speakers, two 1-inch tweeters, and a 5.25-inch woofer, a top-mounted dock with a special iPad stand to securely hold the larger device, the ability to charge any of the devices while playing, front panel controls for volume, input, mute, and standby, an included remote control, a blue LED backlit display, a 3.5mm and multiple RCA audio inputs, a composite video output, and a FM stereo radio. Pyle’s new iOS Sound Bar Docking System is available now and sells for $156.

Fanny Wang Headphone Co. is wrestling with major fulfillment issues with its custom headphones, iLounge has learned. After ordering a pair of custom Fanny Wang 3001 headphones late last year with a quoted shipment time of 2-3 weeks, we received e-mails indicating first a brief delay, then an additional month of delay. Fanny Wang blamed its manufacturing partner in an e-mail, citing “numerous unforeseen problems and delays with our factory.”

Unfortunately, those problems do not seem to have been resolved. The custom headphones arrived this past week, beset by several obvious quality control issues: first, Fanny Wang shipped the wrong headphones, specifically the company’s cheaper 2001 model. Additionally, the headphones arrived in a case with AOL branding on one side, and with an authenticity card that lacked a proper serial number for our headphones. We’ve reached out to Fanny Wang for comment and will update this story if/when we hear back.

Update: iLounge has received a response from Tim Hickman, Fanny Wang’s CEO. Hickman suggested that while the issue with the headphone case was a mix-up involving a large order for AOL, the delays were due to demand that Hickman claims “has exceeded our expectations and has overwhelmed our factory”. He assured us that this is the first case of someone getting the wrong model number, and said that the company was planning to expand its efforts to offer further customization options in the future.

Apple is preparing to move its portable devices away from the traditional Dock Connector to a new “micro dock” that would make more room inside its devices for components, according to a new report. Rene Ritchie of iMore claims that Apple could potentially make the change as soon as the release of the iPad 3 or iPhone 5, but hasn’t yet heard a firm timeline. Reasons for the switch are said to be the need to open up more space on the interior of the devices for ever larger batteries, camera modules, and other components. The report also notes that with the advent of PC free setup, iCloud, AirPlay and Bluetooth 4.0, the traditional 30-pin connector plays a far less prominent role than it once did. No word was given on if Apple would offer an adapter if it were to make such a move, although it would seem likely, given the huge number of Dock Connector-dependent accessories on the market.

Altec Lansing has announced that it will ship its inAir 5000 AirPlay Speaker later this month. Originally previewed at IFA last September, the inAir 5000 offers built-in Wi-Fi for AirPlay, dual 3-inch mid-range drivers, neodymium tweeters, and a 4-inch subwoofer, an included remote, an Ethernet port, a USB port for directly connecting an iPhone, iPad, or iPod, an auxiliary input, and a headphone port. Altec Lansing’s inAir 5000 AirPlay Speaker will sell for $500.

Australian designer Edwin Conan has created the iPocketWatch for the sixth-generation iPod nano. As the name suggests, the iPocketWatch aims to repurpose the nano as a pocket watch—as opposed to more common cases that serve as wrist watches. It is made from aircraft grade aluminum, and features either a square or round hole on the face, open access to all buttons, ports, and the rear clip, and a 30cm chain with a belt hook for securing the case to a belt. Those interested in ordering the iPocketWatch need to make a pledge of AU $39—roughly $41—or more, and will only receive the product should it reach its funding goal of AU $6,000.

ThinkGeek has introduced its new iCade 8-bitty game controller for iOS. Designed to resemble classic console controllers, the 8-bitty connects to the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch via Bluetooth, offering a fully-functional d-pad and eight buttons, just like the larger iCade. The controller is powered by two AAA batteries and is fully compatible with all iCade games, including the Atari Greatest Hits app for iPad. ThinkGeek’s iCade 8-bitty game controller for iOS will be available later this year and will sell for $25.

DigiTech has introduced its new iStomp stompbox for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Working in conjunction with a dedicated app, the iStomp connects to the device via the 30-pin port, and offers four knobs to control effects parameters, a large dedicated pedal, dual 1/4” inputs and outputs, and two included virtual effects pedals, with the ability to buy additional pedals through the app at a price of $5 each. DigiTech’s iStomp stompbox for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is available now and sells for $230.

Hex has debuted its new Vision Classic Leather Watch Bands for the sixth-generation iPod nano. Made from high-quality genuine leather, the Vision Classic offers topstitched embroidered edges, a patented clip-in, clip-out stainless steel plate for attaching the nano, and a traditional buckle closure. Hex’ Vision Classic Leather Watch Bands for the iPod nano 6G are available now in black, white, British tan, and grey, and sell for $50 each.

Flos is now offering its new D’E-Light lamp for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Designed by Philippe Starck and made from chrome-plated aluminum, the lamp features a striking design, a 2700K flat panel LED light capable of producing 299 Lumens, and a top-mounted dock capable of recharging an iPhone, iPad, or iPod. Flos’ D’E-Light is available now and sells for $396.

iBattz has rolled out Mojo Removable Power Card battery pack for the iPhone, iPod, and other USB-charging devices. Roughly the size of a credit card and 12mm thick, the Mojo Removable Power Card features a removable 2500 mAh battery pack, a full-size USB port for charging and recharging, and 1.0 Amp output for fast charging of the iPhone. iBattz’ Mojo Removable Power Card battery pack will be available soon and will sell for $60.

Gear4 has announced that it will soon launch its Renew SleepClock system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod in the United States. Sporting a top-mounted dock, the SleepClock uses an advanced no-contact sensor to sense the users’ breathing rate, when they’re in light or deep sleep, if they leave their bed at night, and when they’re trying to go to sleep—adjusting their sleep soundtrack appropriately in the latter case, and waking them at the most appropriate time within a pre-set wake-up range. Other features include integration with the free Renew app for tracking sleep patterns over time, built-in speakers, an FM radio, and the ability to charge the docked device. Gear4’s Renew SleepClock will be available in the U.S. beginning in March and will sell for $200.

Matias has unveiled three new keyboards for the PC, Mac, and iOS devices. The One Keyboard, Slim One Keyboard, and Tactile One Keyboard all offer a Bluetooth connection to allow for use with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, with a single dedicated button to switch between the PC/Mac and iOS device, black keys set against a silver background, and an integrated USB cable. The Slim One Keyboard features a slim, Apple-like body and includes a MiniRizer iPhone stand for $80, while the One Keyboard features a more traditional body, with arrow keys, a number pad, and a space for the iPhone to sit between the keys. It sells for $100 and will begin shipping soon.

Finally, the Tactile One Keyboard also offers a full layout—with space for the iPhone, arrow keys, and a number pad—but uses an Alps Mechanical Switch for each individual key, offering an experience similar to Apple’s Extended and Extended II keyboards for $200; it is expected to ship in May. Each keyboard is available for order now in separate Mac- or PC-specific versions for shipment no later than May.

Qmadix has introduced a pair of new battery packs for the iPhone and iPad, as well as several new cases for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Dubbed the Boostpac Eclipse and Boostpac Quick Shot, both battery packs offer integrated Dock Connectors for charging iPhones and iPods, Micro USB recharging, and LED battery indicator lights. The Eclipse offers a 1500 mAh cell and a built-in stand, while the Quick Shot offers a more compact design and a 1200 mAh battery. Qmadix’ Boostpac Eclipse and Boostpac Quick Shot batteries for the iPhone and iPod will sell for $60 and $50, respectively, and are listed as “coming soon”.

Ten One Design has debuted its new Pogo Sketch Plus stylus for iOS devices. The Pogo Sketch Plus features an anodized aluminum body, a built-in black pocket clip, and an all-new tip boasting Pro Tip technology. According to the company, the Pro Tip technology consists of patterned structures within the tip itself for greater sensitivity, combined with a smaller tip diameter for added precision. Ten One Design’s Pogo Sketch Plus for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch is available now in a variety of colors and sells for $15; existing Pogo Sketch owners can receive 50 percent off the Plus by emailing a photo of their current stylus to info (at) tenonedesign (dot) com.

Among the usual plethora of cases, speakers, earphones and other accessories, we also occasionally see a few products that are a bit unique in their design or approach. Below we’ve highlighted some of the most interesting of these products that we’ve seen.

Sound Egg Chair: Designed with an eclectic look that may remind some of Mork from the classic seventies sitcom, the Sound Egg Chair provides a 5.1 channel surround sound system built into an enclosed, egg-shaped chair.  A swivel arm provides a mounting point for a TV screen and ports on the back provide for audio input from an external amp. A variety of colors and interiors are available, and the Sound Egg Chair price ranges from $1,400 for a base model to $3,000 for a fully-loaded model with leather interior and included HDTV.

i-Dice Speakers: Vaguely reminiscent of the fuzzy dice you might find in a car windshield, the i-Dice speakers provide a dock for an iPhone, iPod or iPad and are available in black, white and red versions.

3DLuxe’s Cases go beyond the usual 2D designs, incorporating raised relief 3D embossed artwork.

The Crystal Pirate optical mouse from Pat Says Now is joined by a variety of other unique and eclectic optical mouse designs.

TekChick Designs turns computer parts into jewelry and fashion accessories, recycling old Mac keyboard keys, RAM chips, and other appropriate into earrings. While the designs may not be for everyone, it’s an interesting idea and a good use for components that might otherwise end up in a landfill somewhere.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has just confirmed a staggering statistic: after selling out its entire original footprint last year in two hours—eventually leading to an even larger, 85,000-square foot space—the 2013 iLounge Pavilion just sold over 95,000 square feet of exhibit space in three hours. According to CEA, demand for additional space is at an all-time high.

This year’s Pavilion, which featured over 350 exhibitors, reportedly benefitted from exceedingly strong CES attendance of more than 153,000 people—conservatively measured prior to an official final number—which, if accurate, would represent an all-time attendance high for the world’s largest consumer technology trade show. Designed as a dedicated area for Apple’s iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Mac products, the iLounge Pavilion has been receiving rave reports from exhibitors. Thousands of new products were shown inside the Pavilion, top picks from which were spotlighted in iLounge’s 2012 Best of Show Awards.

We have to give Portable Sound Labs credit as the “most improved” developer we spotted at CES: after some stale past products, the new design direction it was showing off at this year’s International CES has us genuinely excited. On display were some unique speakers, many of which are still in the prototype phase but are slated to be released later this year. The first is Aire SideKick, an iPad 2 speaker that doubles as a cover for the tablet. It attaches with magnets much like Apple’s Smart Cover, and the final version will be made out of aluminum. This will make the flat speaker thin and light.

Next up are Pipeline and Base, both portable wireless speaker systems. Each is modular and works in sets, or as individual pieces. Pipeline’s central unit is a long horizontal tube, and it comes with two satellite speakers called Drops that attach to either side with magnets. Base, on the other hand, is a large dish-sized cylindrical shape, with detachable speaker units called Slices.

What’s unique is the satellites are also Bluetooth-enabled, which means they can serve as standalone units on the go. Both Pipeline and Base come with two of the smaller speakers, but more will be able to be added if purchased individually.

We also saw AllSpark, which has a very different design from anything we saw on the show floor. The set is made up of two pyramid-shaped speakers that attach to one another with magnets in their bases, creating a cube that can be held at an angle in the included stand. AllSpark supports a Bluetooth connection, with one speaker acting as the receiver and carrying the audio to the other over a cable. Each of the items is being targeted for very aggressive pricing; AllSpark for instance is slated for a $100 selling price.

One of the Apple accessory areas of particular interest to iLounge’s editors are products for kids—speakers, cases, and headphones if they’ve been designed to be safe for little ears. Here are a few of the more noteworthy items we saw at this year’s CES, which is just now winding down in Las Vegas.

Case-Mate: Showed off a huge collection of kids’ cases, including many made from multi-layered rubber with different cool artwork—ice cream, animals, and the like. Some of the cases are abstract versions of animals, others are obviously so. Case-Mate also showed Marvel/Disney-licensed hard shells that had great iconic art from the comic company’s biggest-named series.

Electric Friends: This division of Noetic showed four different animal speaker systems targeted at a sub-$60 price point, and they were seriously cute—like Chew Chew the Dog, each has its own name and backstory, with two big speaker grilles protecting eye-shaped audio drivers. The price is right, the design is right, and the sound is respectable.

More images and details are below.