iLounge

One of the products Altec Lansing has announced at the 2012 International CES is its LIVE 5000 Wi-Fi Music Speaker, which will sell for $500. The speaker uses existing 802.11 b/g/n wireless networks to stream and control content from the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or computers. Inside the unit are dual three-inch mid-range drivers, two tweeters, and a four-inch subwoofer. 

We’ve confirmed with the company that it is not leveraging AirPlay, but rather its own system that also allows access to Internet radio stations and relies on your computer as the media server for everything else. A free LIVE Controller iOS app will give you control over the content. Alten Lansing has not yet announced a release date for this speaker.

Withings is known for its lineup of iOS-compatible health products, and its new Smart Baby Scale—just introduced at CES—is no exception. Coming out in the second quarter of this year and costing $179, the device does exactly what the name would imply: weighs babies, and toddlers too, up to age eight.

For the smaller ones, there’s a removable basket. The free app that accompanies it tracks weight, height, and other information over time, allowing the user to keep track of progress.

Modular iPhone 4/4S cases seem to be a trend at this year’s International CES, and Nuu’s ClickMate Power Plus is among them. Shipping in March for $70, the battery is part of the company’s ClickMate Series based around a standard Foundation Case—one of the shells is included with Power Plus.

It has a 1600mAh capacity, which is right around the average for battery cases, and allow simultaneous charge and sync via the passthrough port. The twist here is that additional pieces, including a card holder, a belt clip, and eventually a Bluetooth keyboard, will be offered as alternative plug-ins relative to the battery.

Our official Twitter account has been sharing all the Apple-related news from #CES Unveiled. Here are some of the highlights:

Belkin showed the Thunderbolt Express Dock for Mac, which for $299 gives MacBooks desktop-class connectivity.

Belkin also announced a new Dyle Mobile TV receiver for iPad / iOS, giving these devices access to over the air digital TV. No price or final release date, but second half 2012.

Case-Mate showed cases, largely for the iPhone, including a new color block lineup of female-friendly cases and clutches for iPhone, iPad, and iPod, plus Creature & Snap cases for iPhone 4, the latter with super cool snap-out stand. You press a button and a stand curls right out.

Cobra showed the new Cobra Tag G5, the Bluetooth Smart version of its prior Cobra Tag device locator keychain. Bluetooth 4/Smart takes Tag from a weekly recharge to 1 charge every 6 months!

Dexim debuted the Click Stick, a Bluetooth remote shutter control and companion camera app, which was launching in Feb. for $40.

Griffin had one more thing to show off at CES Unveiled. The AirCurve Window mount combines two older products. Neat.

Hex debuted its new Fleet Collection of bags, backpacks, and sleeves, including several with play-through iPad pockets.

House of Marley debuted 2 new bag-like Bluetooth speakers, Nomad and Block Party, and One Foundation, a $600 system.

LaCie debuts two new Thunderbolt external hard drives - 2big and 5big Office+ for Mac - with up to 8TB capacities.

Parrot’s new AR.Drone 2.0 offers better cameras, new control system.

Powerbag’s redesigned cable system was shown off on the Crosstown Messenger.

Pure showed the Contour 200i Air speaker, which handles AirPlay streaming at $329 price, challenging Zeppelin Air.

Withings debuted Baby Scale iOS, which can track a child’s weight from birth to toddling age 8 with an app-aided scale.

ZOMM showed Lifestyle Connect, a $199 device that lets you communicate with a person who needs to be monitored.

Well-known for its innovative accessories, Griffin is taking a more iterative approach at the 2012 International CES, debuting many logical extensions of existing product lines alongside at least one genuinely awesome idea. The company previewed several new kid-focused products from its collaboration with Crayola, including two new entries in the MyPhones line of volume-limiting headphones. Crayola MyPhones Earbuds ($15) are available in a variety of colors, and come in a crayon-shaped case that also houses additional silicone tips. For those looking for an on-ear solution, there’s Crayola MyPhones Headphones ($25). Coming in either pink/purple or blue/green combinations, each set comes with stickers and markers, allowing children to customize the design. They’re both volume-limited so as to avoid damage to young ears.

Also part of the collaboration are two new cases. Crayola Crayon Classics for iPod touch 4G ($25) are simple hard shells that feature one Crayola crayon color a piece—purple pizzazz, cotton candy, caribbean green, and blue berry. There’s also Crayola Color Clickers for iPod touch 4G ($25), a polycarbonate shell that’s recessed in the middle, allowing users to customize the design with 28 included color strips.

Griffin also showed off three new apps. Crayola Lights, Camera, Color! HD ($2) allows users to take a picture or use one already on the device, drain all the color from it, and then color it in with Crayola’s color pallet. Crayola Silly Face Swaps HD is also a coloring pages type app, but this one allows you to insert your own face photos into coloring pages. It will cost $2 when it’s released in the Spring. Finally, there’s Crayola Case Creator. The app itself is free, but it’s made to work with a case and inserts sold by Griffin. Users will be able to design their own cases, print them onto the inserts, and slide them into an iPod touch case akin to the previously-released Reveal. The set will retail for $30 in the Spring.

Travel accessories are also a big part of the new lineup, including PowerBlock Reserve. Now with a larger, 2,000mAh battery and a complete redesign, the unit maintains its flip-out charging blades. An Apple-specific version shipped with a Dock Connector cable will cost $60, while a cordless version is priced at $50. They’ll be available in Spring. The company also showed off two new mounting solutions: WindowSeat 3 HandsFree ($40) is the newest iteration of the car phone holder, now redesigned to accommodate pretty much any smartphone with a three-point adjustable security bracket, and also now featuring a levered suction cup for added security. That accessory is becoming available now, while Tray Table Latch Mount will be coming at some point later in the quarter. It allows for an iPhone, iPod touch, or e-reader to be mounted on the latch of an airplane’s tray table. The idea is genuinely cool and much needed, we can’t wait to see it in action. No price has been announced yet.

We also saw some new iOS music accessories from the company. MIDIConnect ($80), available this Spring, simply provides MIDI input and output ports to an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. StudioConnect ($150) takes that a few steps further, adding an iPad resting and charging dock, wall power, and audio in through a mono 1/4” plug or the stereo 3.5mm input. It has RCA ports for output, and there’s a very nice glowing-rimmed volume control on the top. StudioConnect will be available very soon.

Our favorite new product from Griffin at this year’s show is one that looks like it’ll be genuinely awesome. Twenty is a digital amplifier for Apple’s AirPort Express, and it’s really a first of its kind accessory. On the top of the device is a dock for the router; simply plug it in, hook up a pair of speakers, and you have an AirPlay system ready to go. As a neat touch, there’s a brushed aluminum volume dial on the top of the unit. Without pricing or date information, however, Twenty is being shown only as a “sneak peek” to CES attendees, and it’s really unclear as to when it will be out.

With the 2012 International CES starting next week, you can be sure there’s going to be a ton of Apple-related news to report from the show floor, and we’re bringing out our entire editorial team to help get you all the big news, photos, and more. We’ll be on a special publishing schedule, starting with some weekend updates and continuing actively throughout the pre-show and show events.

Three of our six team members have Twitter accounts that you can follow for individual observations: Jeremy Horwitz (@horwitz), Jesse Hollington (@jhollington), and Nick Guy (@thenickguy) will all be tweeting about Apple- and non-Apple-related topics before and during the show. To stick solely to the key news from CES, our official @iLounge Twitter feed is available.

Our CES mini-site is already in the process of being updated with new maps, photos, and more. Show attendees will soon find the latest maps of the iLounge Pavilion, the 75,000+ square foot area dedicated to Apple-related products, as well as a list of exhibitors.

Visit us before and during the show for plenty of great updates—we look forward to sharing them with you!

As we prepare to join the growing iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Mac accessory and app industry at the 2012 International CES next week, iLounge’s Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz (follow @horwitz on Twitter) will be taking pre-CES questions on Twitter this morning from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET. Topics will include anything that interests readers, including further discussion of yesterday’s next-generation iPad tweets, big things we’re expecting to see at CES, and more.

iLounge began its partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association three years ago with the creation of the iLounge Pavilion, a unified area for all iPod, iPhone, iPad and Mac related products. This year’s Pavilion is bigger than ever, and home to approximately 350 vendors—based on what we’ve heard thus far, we’ll be seeing and showing you some very cool things. Additionally, iLounge expanded its partnership with CEA to become the premier place for Apple-related coverage at CES, the official iPartner of the 2012 International CES.

Tweet your questions to @horwitz and be sure to keep an eye on our @iLounge Twitter feed throughout the coming week. We’ll be posting tons of news on all of the latest and greatest products directly from the 2012 International CES.

We have some great news to share with you today!

Three years ago, iLounge partnered with the Consumer Electronics Association to create the iLounge Pavilion—a unified area for iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Mac related products at the world’s largest consumer technology trade show. Today, we’re excited to announce that iLounge has expanded its partnership with CEA, and is now the official iPartner of the 2012 International CES: your prime destination for Apple-related news, pictures, and more, direct from the floors of CES!

In the past, iLounge was a coordinator and centrally-located exhibitor for the Pavilion, helping to bring hundreds of companies together from across the world to show off new products at CES. Our CES booth has featured History of iPod and iPhone displays, iDevice charging stations, and comfy chairs to accommodate Apple users at the show. This year, our booth is evolving to embrace our media partnership with CEA, and will help guide visitors directly to the best Apple-related products of both 2011 and 2012, independently selected by our editors after covering thousands of new releases. We welcome you to visit us in the center of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall, booth 3810.

Our editors will be very busy on the show floor. We’ve spent the last two months preparing behind the scenes for this show, which promises to host the year’s largest collection of new Apple-related product announcements. Approximately 350 vendors will be showing off iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Mac products in the massive iLounge Pavilion exhibition area, and based on the early announcements we’ve seen, some very cool things are coming for each of Apple’s devices. iLounge will focus on the best of them—with frequent news updates, hands-on details and photos, and our prestigious Best of Show Awards. The updates will start before the show’s official kickoff on January 10, 2012, and continue through its end on January 13.

“CEA is pleased to expand its collaboration with iLounge to include this media partnership for the 2012 International CES,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president of events and conferences for CEA, the producer of the International CES. “iLounge has experienced exponential growth at CES over the past three years and we look forward to seeing iLounge’s editorial coverage of all the amazing news announcements coming out of this dynamic exhibit area at the 2012 CES.” 

We created the iLounge Pavilion with CEA to help keep the Apple ecosystems strong, and we’re thrilled with the incredible success of the collaboration, which has grown bigger and better every year. Moreover, our editors are extremely proud of our continued pull-no-punches editorial independence, through which we promise to deliver unvarnished, honest coverage of this important event. Please join us here for all of the updates!

The Consumer Electronics Association today announced that the iLounge Pavilion at the 2012 International CES has grown to 75,000 square feet, making it the largest dedicated exhibition of iPod, iPhone, and iPad related products and services in the world. “The success of the iLounge Pavilion is unparalleled, featuring the largest number of i-related product launches at any event, any time of year,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. “With strong industry demand for a showcase of these popular products, the iLounge Pavilion at the 2012 International CES is the place where key business is done for this space.”

The 2012 iLounge Pavilion will feature products from more than 250 companies spread across its space—compared to 200 companies across 50,000 square feet in 2011. Notably, the 2011 International CES’s independently audited attendance of over 149,000 people was up 18 percent from the year prior; it is the largest consumer electronics trade show in the world. The 2012 International CES will be held January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In an announcement that amazed even us, the Consumer Electronics Association revealed today that it sold out of its allotted 50,000 net square feet for the 2012 iLounge Pavilion in less than two hours during CES exhibitor space selection, a record time, and will add additional space to meet demand. “The iLounge Pavilion is experiencing unparalleled success and has undoubtedly established itself as the center of the ‘i’ Universe,” said Karen Chupka, CEA senior vice president, events and conferences. “Exhibitors made their intentions loud and clear in purchasing more iLounge space in two hours of space selection than ever before. It’s evident that there is strong industry demand for a showcase of these popular products at the International CES, and space for the iLounge Pavilion will increase as a result.” The 2011 iLounge Pavilion featured over 200 companies across 50,000 net square feet, more than an acre of space, and launched thousands of new iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Mac related products.

“Our CES experience was amazing. We couldn’t have dreamt of a better place to release our new product, and I do not mean just CES, I mean in the iLounge Pavilion,” said Michael Shumski, CEO, of start-up KIOKY. “We were swarmed with American distributors, but took the company global the day we launched! Look for us there next year because we made sure to reserve our space again.” The 2012 iLounge Pavilion, sponsored by iLounge.com, will be included in the 2012 International CES running from January 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada; companies interested in exhibiting in the growing Pavilion should contact Tira Gordon, senior account executive for CES, at tgordon@CE.org.

The Consumer Electronics Association has announced impressive attendance numbers for the 2011 International CES, as well as dates for next year’s show. According to CEA, preliminary numbers indicate that over 140,000 industry professionals attended the 2011 CES, including a record-breaking 30,000 attendees from outside the United States. In addition, it has announced that the 2012 International CES will be held on January 10-13, 2012, moving the show from its traditional Thursday-Sunday slot to a mid-week Tuesday to Friday timeframe.

A number of companies have launched new products at the 2011 International CES. While we’ve covered the cream of the crop in our 2011 Best of Show and subsequent articles, here’s a brief overview of some other major product introductions from the show.

Monster: Monster introduced a number of new automotive accessories for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad at the show, including the iMotion CarPlay Direct Connect. The iMotion CarPlay Direct Connect functions as a traditional car charger and audio-out accessory but adds the ability to control basic music playback functions with gesture controls. It features a charger bulb-mounted sensor to track movement, and also features a black and silver body, red, black, and chrome cords similar to those found on the company’s Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, and a built-in hinge for adjusting the direction of the sensor. Monster’s iMotion CarPlay Direct Connect will sell for $120; other new items include the iCable USB to Dock Connector Cable ($25), the iCarPlay Direct Connect AI 900 ($60), the iCarPlay Direct Connect AI 2000 ($70), the PowerPlug Dual USB 700 Car Charger ($40), the PowerPlug USB 600 Car Charger ($30), the iCar Dual USB 700 Car Charger ($45), the iCar USB 600 Car Charger ($40), and the AirTalk Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit ($80). 

Bluetrek is showing a number of new items at its booth inside the iLounge Pavilion at the 2011 International CES. Among them is the new LostDog series of cases inspired by the work of French artist Aurele. The snap-style cases for the iPhone 4 feature glossy rear surfaces covered in artwork, open access to all ports and controls—including the micro SIM slot—and frosted side coverings; a screen protector is also included. Notably, each article in the lineup is made from natural, recycled, or recyclable materials, and most of the cases carry a unique ID that can be used to identify a device should it be lost. Bluetrek’s LostDog cases for the iPhone 4 are available now and sell for $27; the folio-style iPad cases sell for $60 and $90.

Also being shown at the booth but yet to receive a price or release date are the company’s new Speaky Bluetooth handsfree car kit and the Carbon Bluetooth headset. The Speaky is a cartoon character-like car kit that is designed to hang from a car’s rearview mirror, with volume controls on its arms and a central control button on its torso, audible voice alerts, a 3.5mm input for non-Bluetooth use, and a unique auto-off sensor system that shuts the Speaky down after five minutes of no motion. The Carbon is a very small Bluetooth headset, featuring a slim carbon fiber microphone stem, a 4.5 hour battery built into the stem, and an iPhone-like power button.

Incipio is showing a Game Boy-inspired iPhone 4 case at its booth in the iLounge Pavilion at the 2011 International CES, as well as a number of other cases demonstrating innovative design techniques. The Game Boy case features button color, texture, and placement that’s nearly identical to Nintendo’s original Game Boy, with raised button surfaces, recesses around the buttons and to represent the original device’s speaker holes, and an opening to represent the screen that also allows for visibility of the iPhone 4’s Apple logo. Due to obvious legal concerns, the company has no current plans to mass produce or sell the case, but is instead showing it as a demonstration of its production capabilities.

Other highlights from the booth include an impressively thin battery case for the iPhone 4, sporting a 1450mAh rechargeable cell, a front mounted power button and LED charging status lights, a bottom mounted micro USB charging port and microphone pass through, and overall body dimensions that shave millimeters off of competing designs, particularly in height and depth, adding little bulk to the handset. A new range of cases is also on display, including a variety of both single- and two-piece multi-material designs and the company’s new Alpine Stars-branded cases, all showing a commendable level of fine detail. Details include beveled edges between the hard and soft pieces of some designs, small ridges milled into a black plastic camera surround that are meant to improve flash photography, and interior details like graphics and padding strips.

Outside of the company’s traditional cases, Incipio is also showing a new line of fashionably-colored headphones and a new range of bags, featuring details like ballistic nylon exteriors, TSA-compliant laptop carriers, and soft, padded compartments for the iPod and iPhone with headphone cable pass-throughs, and removable inserts for repurposing general-purpose bags into compartmentalized camera cases.

At its booth in the iLounge Pavilion at the 2011 International CES, Mobee has given iLounge an exclusive preview of its upcoming charging solutions for Apple’s Magic Trackpad, Wireless Keyboard, and portable devices. The Magic Trackpad and Wireless Keyboard solution consists of rechargeable battery tubes that slip into the devices’ battery compartments, with a small external nub that slides into a receptacle on the charger. The charger itself is a stylish metal piece with a curved tray designed to hold the curved rear surfaces of the trackpad and keyboard. For either device, users can expect to recharge the battery pack every 3-4 weeks; the battery pack recharges in roughly eight-hours. A second charger will be offered that is similar to the first but features a large rear surface for charging a Magic Mouse and second device, as well as an integrated four-port USB hub.

Mobee’s portable solution consists of a 5,000mAh battery inside an iPhone 4-inspired case. The portable battery pack charges via induction on either the company’s Magic Charger base or on the upcoming keyboard charger, with a USB port for charging an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or other portable device. Interestingly, the battery pack itself also doubles as an inductive charger for the company’s Magic Mouse battery pack or other future inductive charging solutions for the company, switching between the two modes with the flip of a switch. Pricing and availability for Mobee’s new products have yet to be announced.

OrigAudio has rolled out its new iLevel Raptor and iLevel Viewer mounts for the iPod/iPhone and iPad. The mounts consist of a large, clip-style clamp, a flexible, adjustable, eight-inch plastic and metal arm, and an iPad or iPod/iPhone device mount. The Raptor mount for iPod and iPhone notably uses a case-compatible mount from Arkon, while the Viewer mount for iPad uses a ProClip mount designed to hold unencased iPads only. OrigAudio’s iLevel Raptor and iLevel Viewer mounts for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad are expected to sell for $30 and up; release details have yet to be announced. For more information on the iLevel Raptor and iLevel Viewer, see our First Look article.

MEElectronics has introduced its new LifePower Battery for iPad. The LifePower Battery is a hybrid battery/case, and features an integrated 8000mAh battery, a built-in swiveling stand, leather accents on the rear with a leather hand grip, integrated stereo speakers, a pop-out top piece for easy insertion and removal of the iPad, separate on/off switches for the battery and speakers, open access to all ports and controls, save for the Dock Connector, a padded inner frame, and an included charging cable and neoprene carrying bag. MEElectronics’ LifePower Battery for iPad will sell for $200; availability has yet to be announced. For more information on the MEElectronics LifePower Battery, see our First Look article.

Oyama has introduced its new OY450 Protect, Power + Sync case for the iPhone 4. The OY450 is a hybrid battery + case, featuring an integrated 1500mAh rechargeable cell, a built-in USB cable for charging and syncing the iPhone, a metal flip-out vertical stand, an external charge level indicator, speaker and microphone pass-through openings, and open access to all ports, controls, and cameras, save for the Dock Connector. Oyama’s OY450 Protect, Power + Sync case for the iPhone 4 will be available in four glossy color schemes; pricing and release information has yet to be revealed.

Keystone has rolled out its new ECO AmigoCase for the iPhone 4. Designed like a portable phone charging station, the AmigoCase consists of a protective cover for the iPhone and a battery pack, which features a built-in clip to let users attach it to clothing or a bag, slipping the phone back into the pack when not in use, while keeping it protected when it is in use. Features include an on/off switch for the battery pack, protection for the iPhone 4’s case when it is inside the battery pack, a 5500mAh rechargeable battery with a four LED charging indicator and micro-USB charging port, and open access to all ports and controls when the protective cover is used alone. Keystone’s new ECO AmigoCase for the iPhone 4 will be available in several different colors this Spring and will sell for $80.

BlueLounge has outed its new Nest Stand + Tray for the Apple iPad. Designed to hold an iPad either with or without a case and in horizontal or vertical orientation, the Nest doubles as a catch-all tray for items such as USB drives, cables, adapters, keys, and more. Nest is available in a wide range of colors, including pink, chartreuse, orange, blue, black, and white, and sells for $16.