iLounge

While our focus tends to be on mainstream consumer products, there are several companies here at the iLounge Pavilion that are aiming at the higher end of the market, including the ones we’re spotlighting below.

Known for their carbon fiber cases, Moncarbone is taking the material to the next level with its Art Collection, which features graphics that are subtly integrated into the material using dye injection methods. A nice change of pace from standard carbon fiber cases, which have become a bit stale recently. The cases are priced at $60 each.

We’ve seen loads of leather cases for the iPhone over the years, but few as simple or elegant as Eblouir’s slim pouch. Made from high-quality leather, it features two interior slots—one for the iPhone and one that’s cash-sized—as well as a simple closure that uses a long strip of leather to hold the entire thing closed. It sells for $45.

Continuing an ongoing trend, there are a number of exhibitors here focusing on female users—and among them is Tyla Rae. This fashion-focused brand offers a wide range of bags for the iPhone , iPod, and iPad. The bags are made primarily from leatherette, and range in price from $60 to $220.

Lethal Protection’s Life-Phorm is certainly one of the standout accessories we saw at this year’s International CES, and accordingly, it was a finalist for our Best of Show award. The stand and holder works with all of Apple’s handheld devices and with its six articulating plastic legs, can stand on or wrap around pretty much any surface. When it launches in March 2012, Life-Phorm will be available in black, gunmetal grey, or army green, and sell for $60.

U.K.-based DBEST has introduced two new speakers at the 2012 International CES, although no price or release date has been announced for either. The first is Transformative Bluetooth Hi-Fi System (a.k.a. PS4007BT). Packed with two 3W loudspeakers, a microSD slot, an auxiliary port, and Bluetooth connectivity, the speaker can be used for music playback or as a speakerphone. It has rechargeable batteries that last for up to 50 hours of continuous playback per charge. Eiffel (PS4501), on the other hand, is a much smaller speaker but has the same input options. Nicknamed by DBEST as “The Terminator of Mini-Speaker,” Eiffel has an 800mAh battery inside and allows you to customize the colors based on your preferences.

Although it’s not nearly as large as the comically oversized iNuke Boom, Haier’s Evoke Soundbar with 3D Sound is still one of the biggest speaker systems we’ve seen at the 2012 International CES. Measuring in at 40” long, it’s certainly the widest practical docking station we’ve come across, and it supports not only iPhones and iPods, but iPads as well. It’ll retail for $400 when it’s released in early 2012.

IDAPT has previously been in the business of making multi-device chargers, but now has added a speaker system to its lineup with the introduction of S1, which will launch this February for about $150. Not only is the device a Bluetooth 2.0 speaker capable of working with pretty much any gadget you may have lying around, but it also has two docking chargers with interchangeable tips and a USB port too. On top of that, there is FM radio and alarm clock functionality built-in. The design seems to fall somewhere in between classic and modern; some of our editors see allusions to famous Dieter Rams Braun pieces.

Adding to its lineup of solar accessories for Apple products at this year’s International CES, Eton has introduced the Rukus Bluetooth speaker system. The lithium ion battery can be charged through a standard wall adapter, but there’s also a monocrystal solar panel on top to gather energy from the sun. On the front of the unit are an e-ink display and playback controls.

Today is the first day of the 2012 International CES, and the iLounge Pavilion is full of activity! Here are just a few of the new products that caught our eye.

AirStash is showing off the newest version of its Wi-Fi flash drive device. It uses an SD card for storage—packages are available with either 8GB or 16GB cards—and can stream files to iOS devices. This includes, photos, music,  iTunes-protected videos, and more. Up to three devices can connect at a time, and battery life is specced at seven hours of continuous SD video playback. The smaller capacity version is priced at $150, and the larger costs $180.

We wrote about BulletTrain’s Express a few weeks ago on iLounge+Mac, but the company has updated the accessory in time for a March release. Now, instead of aluminum, the Magic Trackpad and Wireless Keyboard holder is made of plastic. This allows for a better clip system and new colors too. The silver version will cost $80 when it’s released, while the colored versions will retail for $100. BulletTrain also announced a partnership with MusicSkins, who while be offering all of its designs for the Express. 

Serious runners are going to be excited to see 4iiii’s 2012 International CES introduction of Sportiiiis, a heads up display and audio feedback system that hooks on to any pair of sunglasses. It presents custom LEDs to relay information such as power, cadence, speed, heart rate or pace, and can be programmed from Macs, PCs, and iOS devices. Sportiiiis will cost $199 when it is available.

We were really wowed by Yantouch’s showings at last year’s International CES, at least in terms of originality. This year the company is taking the same ideas and slightly altering them with the introduction of Black Diamond Lamp. Set to be released in March for $59, this iteration removes the iPhone docking capability; instead, there’s a USB port on the back to which it can be attached. The lamp can be controlled by either the included remote or by blowing into an opening on the top. We’ll definitely have more details on this once we get our hands on it.

Onanoff is betting that its customers are in the market for earbuds that do a lot more than just play music. The Magnum Platinum earbuds it introduced at the 2012 International CES—price and release date to be determined—have a few unique features built-in, including an audio splitter on the 3.5mm plug. The flat cables help to prevent tangling, and there’s also a magnetic cable solution that keeps the cords at the right length. To top it off, Magnum Platinum comes equipped with a three button remote and mic for use with Apple’s portable devices. 

FaceTime on the iPhone 4 and 4S is great, of course, but what to actually do with your phone during calls has been an issue since day one. Native Union is using the 2012 International CES to unveil its solution, Facedock. Using an adjustable vise-style arm, it can attach to pretty much any desk or table. A fully flexible arm allows for pretty much infinite positioning of the holder, and the generic phone holder at the end secures pretty much any handset, including iPhones and iPod touches. The price is yet to be announced on this one.

It looks like aluminum is just important this year as last to Just Mobile, who introduced some evolutionary designs at the 2012 International CES, all of which are now available for sale. First up is AluPen Pro, a $40 version of the company’s stylus adds in a ballpoint pen on the other end. Highway Pro is an update to the previously released Highway car charger. Now instead of just one USB port, there are two: one has 2.1A for your iPad, and the other 1A for everything else. There’s also a built-in fuse to avoid power surges. Highway Pro retails for $40. Finally there’s AluCube Mini, a small, sleek cord holder that comes bundled as a pair for $20. The company has also updated Gum Plus its charger with a 5200 mAh battery—up from 4400—micro USB support, a new titanium color option, and a slightly higher price ($79).

Case maker Incipio had no shortage of new cases to show off at this year’s International CES, with release dates peppered throughout the year. LGND Kickstand and Hive Response, both for the iPhone 4 and 4S, will launch between January and March of this year with a price tag of $35 each. The first is a rare folio-style case for Apple’s phone. It’s composed of a polycarbonate shell attached to a leather cover that can be positioned for use as a landscape orientation stand. Incipio will be offering the case in black. Hive Response is a take on the company’s Hive gaming case. This new one continues to utilize the honeycomb pattern we’ve seen in the past, but adds a polycarbonate shell for further protection. Coming between April and June are Bentley for iPad 2 ($70) and The Specialist for iPhone 4/4S ($35). Bentley combines polycarbonate, leather, and aluminum to make one unique looking case. It can transform into a stand, and utilizes magnets to activate the tablet’s automatic sleep/wake feature. Finally there’s The Specialist. Although it’s the simplest looking of the cases, it combines plastic and rubber to offer superior protection against drops and scratches; we’re usually big fans of this style case. We’ve also posted additional coverage of some of the company’s more striking designs in the linked article.

Canadian company Helium Digital is showcasing four new products at the 2012 International CES. First up is KeyCover Folio for iPad ($80), a Bluetooth keyboard case that works with both generations of Apple’s tablet computer. The keyboard is only 4mm thick, and the entire case is just 7mm thick when closed. It will be available in the spring. Next is SlimJacket for iPad 2. A protective sleeve, it can also fold into a stand for landscape or portrait viewing. Also shipping in the spring, it will cost $20. ViewPoint Headrest Mount for iPad 2 does just what it sounds like; it attaches to a carseat’s headrest with metal brackets to hold an iPad 2 in place. The accessory can rotate 360°, allowing for video viewing, gaming, and more. Coming at the same time as the other two pieces, it’ll cost $25. Finally, there’s PureView Screen Cleaner for Touchscreen Devices, which will be available February 1. A 120ml bottle of the alcohol and ammonia free solution will cost $17.

If wireless is the unofficial theme of the 2012 International CES, Soundfreaq is certainly on board. The company has unveiled its Sound Kick (SFQ-04) Bluetooth speaker, set to be available in March for $99. Designed for travel, the speaker has a compact design that opens up to boost the sound. It has a built-in rechargeable battery for up to seven hours of playback that can also be used to charge your iOS device, a metal grille, an auxiliary input, and a matte finish. It will also be available in a case model, details of which have yet to be announced.

We’re live from the floor at the 2012 CES, and there’s an overwhelmingly huge collection of new Apple accessories and apps on display. Rather than saturating you with thousands of new products, we’re going to focus on the big new debuts: things that are catching our Editors’ attention and really making a dent in the Apple ecosystems.

One of the most striking booths we’ve seen thus far is the Ferrari + Logic3 partnership, which has launched a large collection of gorgeous-looking headphones and speakers with Ferrari branding and styling. Half of the collection is devoted to Ferrari’s pro racing vehicles, and the other half to consumer cars, each with distinctive design touches including metal grilles and logos, leather accents, and other premium finishes. The headphones start at around $125 and climb from there, with speakers ranging up to a 250-watt $750 model with AirPlay, Bluetooth, and promised power in the multiples of Bowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin Series. Lower-end speakers drop the wireless features and wattage, with $400-$500 prices.

FiberShell is showing both its iPhone 3-D printed cases and handsome new MacBook versions.

iDevices is showing a shower-mounted Bluetooth speaker system called iShower that promises to allow users to hear iPod, iPhone, or iPad music—safely—while washing off.

Incipio is previewing the world’s first active suspension case, here made for the fragile glass iPhone 4/4S. The case uses a special compressing and expanding foam to provide anti-shock, anti-drop protection for the iPhone; different styles and colors will emphasize the foam element inside the case’s core.

LightSpeed is demonstrating a complete point of sale system for businesses, featuring Mac and iOS-powered apps that let a store manage inventory and transactions with Apple-like design sensibilities.

MacLocks has a large collection of different iPad security kiosk systems in different styles, enabling the iPad and iPad 2 to be used safely in businesses without fear of theft.

Our growing photo gallery from the show is available here. Much larger photographs are available there!

It looks like IK Multimedia has been pretty busy leading up to the 2012 International CES; it had three brand new iOS-compatible audio products to introduce at this year’s show. iRig Mic Cast ($40) and iRig Mix ($100) are both scheduled to be released this month. The former is a monaural condenser mic specifically made to record speech, and is designed to be especially useful for interviews and podcasts, somewhat unusual given the quality of the microphones in Apple’s devices these days. It connects to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch’s headphone port and comes with a stand. iRig Mix, on the other hand, is a DJ mixer made for use with two iOS devices. The accessory gives you full mixing control, allowing for complete turntable replication. It works with IK’s free iRig DJ application, as well as many of the other popular DJ-related apps in the App Store.

Finally, there’s iRig Stomp; the company’s billing it as the first stomp box guitar interface for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. It’s a pedal version of the iRig and interfaces with the AmpliTube apps. It’s designed for live performances, and will ship in April at a cost of $70.

Our official Twitter account has been sharing all the Apple-related news from the Pepcom Digital Experience event at the 2012 International CES. Here are some of the highlights:

iRobot at #CES is showing its AVA prototype robot, which uses an iPad as its “head”. Controlled via iOS app. twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Some really cool Disney book apps, including Marvel titles narrated by Stan Lee #CES twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Belkin at #CES is showing its new Wemo home automation module. Works with a free app over Wi-Fi. $50, summer. twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Monster’s Power Control app and hardware help you monitor and control electricity use in your home. #CES twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Savvy, a cool new iOS app for saving money on recent purchases: Snap a photo of a receipt, get notified of reduce drops twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Contour wearable video camera for sports enthusiasts, full HD recording to SD card, iOS app for preview and control. twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Intuit just unveiled the new version of its free credit card swiper. Offers hardware encryption and more. #CES twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

Energizer inductive charging. Prices are stupidly high for these $60 pads (& $35 cases). All they do is charge phones. twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

New Monster diamond headphones. Very unique design alongside other female-focused options. twitter.com/iLounge/status…

— iLounge (@iLounge) January 10, 2012

As usual, iHome is making a major splash at CES, expanding its traditional lineup of speakers and clock radios to include a major new Bluetooth keyboard, new AirPlay models, and additions to its ColorTunes family of glowing speakers. Most striking are new introductions to the iW AirPlay series: beautiful white with silver chrome versions of the previously announced iW1, iW2, iW3, and iW4, as well as a totally new model called iW5.

While iW2 and iW3 were originally shown at last year’s show, both have undergone significant internal improvements, with the iW2 now clearly serving as a $179 miniature version of the iW1 without a battery, and the $199 iW3 re-engineered to add a rechargeable battery pack like the iW1’s. iHome also is showing multiple beautiful fabric color options for the new models, which could conceivably let users swap off the fabric speaker grilles for different decor-matching looks. Each unit is now being shown with an optional iPod/iPhone charging dock. A new version called iW5 is being previewed as well, smaller than the rest and simpler with swappable front speaker grilles.

The iDM5 Executive Workstation is an all-in-one iPad-focused Bluetooth keyboard with speakers, a microphone, and charging ports built in, capable of playing music, handling FaceTime/VoIP calls, and letting you type on an Apple-style chiclet keyboard. It’s expected to debut in March for $130. Additionally, a low-end portable speaker extension to the ColorTunes family of color-shifting LED units caught our attention: tiny pocket-sized speakers that glow in their centers, at a very low price point.