iLounge

Bluelounge announced its new Milo Aluminum ($30) stand, an updated, weightier, high-grade aluminum version of its original Milo stand. It holds an iPhone or iPod in place without adhesives, using a micro-suction pad — another micro-suction pad on the foot of the Milo Aluminum secures the stand to a surface. The Milo Aluminum is available in black or white.

Case maker Otterbox announced the acquisition of Wrapsol, noted maker of protective films. “Wrapsol is a promising company with similar values and similar culture whose product aligns with the OtterBox mission of complete, premium device protection,” OtterBox President and CEO Brian Thomas said in a press release. “Adding Wrapsol to the OtterBox portfolio of world-class protection significantly enhances our ability to provide our customers and consumers an expanded variety of high-quality products.” Otterbox is based in Fort Collins, Colo.; Wrapsol is a Boston-based company.

Soundfreaq announced Sound Kick Chromatics ($99), limited color editions of its award-winning portable Sound Kick speaker. The Chromatics Collection includes Sound Kick Sunset, a mix of yellow, orange and pink; Ocean, a blue and yellow blend; Twilight, a blue and purple mix; and GHOST, an all-white edition.

A Bluetooth speaker, the original Sound Kick won iLounge’s Overall Best of Show Award at 2012 CES. Chromatics are available for pre-order now, and the speakers will ship “in time for the holidays.”

Blue Microphones released Spark Digital ($200), an iOS-compatible digital studio microphone that can also connect via USB or Lightning adapter, with an emphasis on iPad use. Spark Digital features Focus Control, which allows for low frequency sensitivity or a focus on greater clarity and detail in recording. The microphone’s components allow for high-fidelity recording of vocals, drums, piano, speech, location recording, and more. A headphone jack is also present on the mic to allow for zero-latency signal monitoring.

Marshall has announced the Major 50 FX ($170), a new set of special edition headphones to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary. The on-ear headphones feature 40mm moving coil dynamic speakers and are adorned with gold accents and the same fret detailing found in Marshall’s 50th anniversary line of amplifiers. An inscription of the company’s founding year and location is found on the headband, which is constructed from the same vinyl used for Marshall amps. The Major 50 FX also includes an in-line Apple-certified mic and remote with volume control and a canvas carrying case. Major 50 FX Headphones are now available.

iHealth Labs has announced three new iOS-compatible devices — a new scale and two new blood pressure monitors. The Wireless Body Analysis Scale ($110) is an updated version of the company’s iHealth Scale, which can now track weight, body fat, lean mass, muscle mass, bone mass, body water, visceral fat rating, and daily calorie intake, while automatically detecting which user is standing on the scale. Results are shown through the new, free iHealth MyVitals app or on the scale itself.

iHealth’s Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor ($100) tests, tracks, and shares blood pressure information using a Bluetooth-connected upper-arm cuff. It’s an updated wireless version of the company’s previous blood pressure monitor. The Wireless Blood Pressure Wrist Monitor ($80) is similar, but fits around the wrist instead of the upper arm. Both devices also use the IHealth MyVitals app.

Belkin announced the first official third-party Lightning accessories to hit the market, the Car Charger ($30) and Charge + Sync Dock ($30). The Car Charger is a 10W charger that fits any car power outlet, while the Charge + Sync Dock uses a Lightning cable to charge a docked iPhone 5, fifth-generation iPod touch, or seventh-generation iPod nano. An extra auxiliary port is also included on the Charge + Sync Dock for audio purposes.

Both products are currently available for pre-order and ship Nov. 15.

JBL announced a new line of headphones — the J Series — and a new bedside speaker, the OnBeat aWake. Eight new headphones are featured in the J Series, and all “i” editions in the J Series include a three-button remote and microphone. The on-ear J55 ($80) and J55i ($100) feature 1 5/8” drivers, leather ear cushions, and a locking mechanism for the detachable cable. Both come in black, white, or orange and white. Over-ear headphones, the J88 ($130) and J88i ($150), feature 2” drivers and come in the same colors as the on-ear headphones. Four in-ear headphones — the J22 ($40), J22i ($60), J33 ($60), and J331 ($80) — ship with three sizes of silicone sleeves, and the J33 and J33i include Comply foam tips, in addition to featuring nickel-plated drivers and a strain-relief grip to reduce cable wear. All in-ear headphones come in black and white.

JBL’s OnBeat aWake ($139) is a tabletop wireless Bluetooth speaker that includes a dock for Dock Connector devices. The aWake was designed to fit a pre-Lightning iPad in its dock, in addition to other iOS devices. Two full-range drivers are included in the speaker, which up to eight users can connect to at once using Bluetooth. Its alarm function can use music from an iTunes library, and an auxiliary input allows other devices to use the aWake as a speaker. JBL’s free downloadable app, AmpUp, features customized music settings for waking or falling asleep, on-screen calendar access, AccuWeather weather reports, more than 20 wallpaper styles with clock settings, analog or digital clock styles, and a nighttime mode.

Apple has released its Lightning to Micro USB Adapter (seen in our First Look here) in North America. Priced at $19, the adapter was originally available only in Europe due to a European Union directive requiring Micro USB compatibility for smartphone charging. The new Adapter allows users to connect a Lightning connector-equipped iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to a computer or power source using a standard Micro USB connection, however it is worth noting that the adapter sells for the same price as Apple’s Lightning to USB Cable, making it a practical option only for those with a specific need to use a Micro USB connection.

uNu announced the Ecopak ($80), a battery case for the iPhone 5. The Ecopak features a 2500 mAh battery, which uNu claims will increase the iPhone 5’s battery life by roughly two times. When additional battery power isn’t required, the battery pack can be detached. A USB output is included for power sharing with any other mobile device.

Ecopak will include an LED power indicator to prevent unnecessary recharging, and will come in eight different snap case colors, with three different detachable battery styles. The Ecopak is currently available for pre-order.

JBL introduced the SoundFly Air ($199), a plug-in speaker that streams music via Apple AirPlay using any iOS device and a Wi-Fi connection. The compact 20 watt speaker is white with a black grille, and it plugs directly into any AC wall outlet. It uses a free downloadable app to connect to your music library, browse cover art, adjust volume and tone, and customize the speaker’s digital signal processing.

Up to four SoundFly Air speakers can be synced together to listen to iTunes anywhere in your home. The SoundFly Air is currently available for pre-order.

Accessory maker Targus is acquiring Sena Cases, a long-time iPod, iPhone, and iPad case maker best known for high-end leather products. Sena will continue to operate under its own brand, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Targus; both are based in Southern California. Sena’s new leather iPad mini cases were noted in a recent iPad mini case roundup. [via OCBJ]

FreedomPop has announced the Freedom Sleeve Rocket ($99), a case that turns the fourth-generation iPod touch into a device that can use 4G wireless data, in addition to acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices. The Freedom Sleeve Rocket allows for a minimum of 500 MB of free wireless data per month — the device uses Clearwire’s 4G network and is scheduled to expand on Sprint’s 4G LTE network next year.

While using data on FreedomPop’s network, the Freedom Sleeve Rocket allows the iPod touch to stream video and make VOIP calls without a contract. FreedomPop claims the sleeve can deliver speeds up to 10x faster than current 3G speeds available on the iPhone4/4S. The Freedom Sleeve Rocket is only available for the fourth-generation iPod touch, as no other devices are mentioned. It ships today.

Philips announced that Hue, its web-enabled LED smart lighting system, will be exclusively available in Apple Stores Tuesday, Oct. 30. Hue allows a new generation of color-shifting, Wi-Fi-enabled lightbulbs to be controlled wirelessly using an app. An expensive $199 starter pack includes three 50W bulbs that fit in existing light fixtures, plus a bridge for a Wi-Fi router. Each additional individual bulb sells for a staggering $59. Users can set timers, change shades and colors, and save settings so certain “light scenes” can be recalled at any time; the app also enables users to sample colors from their favorite images, and watch as the bulbs match those colors. The bulbs can switch between various white tones and colors — Hue’s website claims the bulbs can “recreate any color in the spectrum.”

Philips claims Hue is “upgradeable and future-proof” and more features could be available for download in the future. These features could come from other developers; Philips has created an open source platform for the system, available on the Hue website.

iLounge has learned that Jawbone is on the cusp of re-releasing its UP bracelet, which was released last year only to be withdrawn from the market following user complaints. Originally sold for $100, UP debuted as a wearable, battery-powered motion sensor with an iOS app for tracking “activity, sleep and meals 24/7.” Acknowledging that “some people have experienced issues” with UP bands, Jawbone notably offered a full refund to customers who weren’t satisfied with the product. The new model will cost $130, and will come in black, blue, mint green, and red, each in small, medium, and large sizes. It’s unclear what improvements have been made to the new model, however, Bluetooth support was a glaring omission from the original band, which used a 3.5mm headphone plug to share data with iOS devices. We’ve reached out to Jawbone for more information and will update this article when we receive it.

Updated Nov. 13: Jawbone officially announced the re-release of UP ($130) today. UP will come in onyx, mint green, light grey, blue, navy blue, red, orange, and hunter green in small, medium, and large sizes. The re-release includes a new Power Nap feature, mood tracking, and delivers “highly personalized insights.” Notably, the device still syncs through the headphone jack, rather than Bluetooth.

All but lost in the shuffle of major new Apple product releases this week was the new 12W USB Power Adapter, which as noted in our earlier story is designed to work with iPads and a number of other recent iPod and iPhone models. The 12W Adapter is an updated version of the 10W USB Power Adapter shipped with all previous iPads, and will be bundled with the fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini, as well as purchased separately for $19. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has confirmed that the adapter will charge previous iPads faster than the older 10W adapter, stating that “[w]e don’t have an exact percentage of how much faster it would charge but you should see an increase in speed.”

Calculations run by iLounge suggest that the 12W Adapter could shave off up to two hours of charging time for the third-generation iPad, which notably took 7 or more hours to refuel. It’s unclear how much of an improvement will be seen by older iPads, as well as the iPad mini, which has roughly one-third the battery capacity of current full-sized models.

USBFever.com has released four new detachable camera lenses for the iPhone 5. The 12x Telescope with Hard Case ($40) features 12x optical zooming and micro manual focus adjust — it also comes with a tripod. Slightly smaller is the 9x Telescope with Hard Case ($26), which features 9x optical zooming with manual focus adjustment.

The 4x Telephoto Lens with Back Cover ($30) is a shorter 4x optical zoom aluminum lens. For wide-angle shots, there’s the 0.5x Super Wide Angle Lens Back Cover ($25). Each of the four lenses screws into an included back cover or case, and all are available now.

Soundfreaq has teamed up with notable husband-and-wife design team Robert and Cortney Novogratz for a special upcoming line of wireless Bluetooth speakers, which it’s calling The Novogratz Collection. The collection features six new designs for three existing speakers: The Sound Stack features the “Chiq Freaq” and “Flower Freaq” designs (both $450), the compact Sound Step features “Freaq of Nature” and “Freaq’n Fabulous” ($150), and the bedroom alarm clock Sound Rise gets “Freaq in the Bed” and “Novo Freaq” ($125) designs. All of the new speakers use interesting patterns and textures, replacing the one-color looks of Soundfreaq’s original designs.

All of the speakers will be available in time for the holiday season.

Expanding its earlier line of WeMo-branded home automation products, Belkin has announced WeMo Baby ($90), a product that turns any iOS device into a baby monitor. WeMo Baby uses 3G/4G or Wi-Fi to stream interference-free audio from a baby’s room to a mobile device without an additional receiver, via the free WeMo Baby app. The monitor works with multiple devices, enabling up to six people to listen simultaneously. As odd as this may sound, users can also upgrade to the Evoz premium service to receive advanced monitoring, cry notifications via text or email, cry history information, and analysis of baby’s crying and sleep patterns, for $10/month or $60/year. WeMo Baby will be available in early November.

Beats Electronics has announced two new products, the Pill speaker ($200), and Executive headphones ($300). Pill is a portable, wireless Bluetooth speaker with four speakers inside, as well as a microphone for speakerphone functionality, and a rechargeable battery that offers seven hours of continuous play. It comes in three colors — black, white, and red — and is designed as another peer-priced competitor to Jawbone’s Jambox.

Beats Executive over-ear headphones are made from aluminum alloy, stainless steel and leather. The silver, noise-canceling Executive headphones come with an iOS-compatible microphone cable and offer full phone functionality, relying on batteries to keep their active noise-canceling hardware running. They’re a significant aesthetic evolution from earlier Beats Studio and Pro headphones, and will be available this month along with Pill.