MacRumors

Following on the heels of popular protective smartphone case manufacturer Otterbox announcing its new battery power case for the iPhone 6, both Mophie and Incipio have revealed new iterations of their popular cases for Apple's newest smartphones as well.

Starting with Mophie, the company announced the Juice Pack Air and Juice Pack Plus for the iPhone 6 and the Juice Pack for the iPhone 6 Plus. Building on Mophie's history of battery cases, the new Juice Pack line provides thinner, more advanced protection in all versions, with the iPhone 6 Plus seeing more than 60 percent extra battery life using the Juice Pack, and the iPhone 6 receiving 100 percent extra for the Juice Pack Air or 120 percent extra for the Juice Pack Plus.

Mophie says the new batteries yield up to an extra 17 hours of talk time, 12 hours of web browsing, 13 hours of video, and 60 hours of music.

“Our journey to bring the juice pack to consumers for every generation of iPhone continues with our latest solutions for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,” said Daniel Huang, mophie CEO and Co-Founder. “Since release of the original juice pack for the first iPhone, mophie battery cases have become a necessity to legions of smartphone users. Because we understand how vital these solutions are, our team remains intensely focused on quality and the level of innovative design needed to drive the direction of this industry.”

Incipio also revealed new versions of its offGRID battery case line at the Consumer Electronics Show yesterday. The company introduced four charging cases for the iPhone 6 from the offGRID line, but the announcement did not include any versions for the iPhone 6 Plus.

The first was the offGRID Express with a 3,000 mAh battery available only in black and the only case available for purchase today. The offGRID, offGRID SHINE, and offGRID EXO were also announced, sporting more detailed protective "co-mold design" for sudden drops, varying color options, and external charging pins that allow compatibility with the also-announced offGRID Dock. The company says that "2015 marks the year of the offGRID,” said Andy Fathollahi, Chief Executive of Incipio, hoping the dramatic range of product options will satiate old fans and bring in new users.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus versions of the Mophie Juice Pack line are all available for pre-order from the company's official website with prices starting at $99.95 and shipping in 3-4 weeks. Incipio's offGRID Express case is available for purchase today for $79.99 at the company's online store. The three other announced Incipit battery cases, along with the offGRID Dock, will be available in the first quarter of 2015 with prices ranging from $89.99 to $109.99 for the cases and $39.99 for the dock.

As a followup to its Swarovski Shine fitness tracker, Misfit today announced its new Bolt wirelessly-connected light bulb. Similar to the Philips Hue, the $50 Bolt light bulb allows users to adjust the light intensity and color of the bulb using an iOS device.

The Bolt light bulb is powered by CREE LED technology, providing the equivalent of a standard 60-watt light bulb. It connects directly to a smartphone via the Misfit and Misfit Home app or even a Misfit Flash activity tracker without the need for a hub or additional configuration. It also integrates with the Shine fitness wearable and Beddit sleep tracker to provide a simulated sunrise automatically during the morning wake-up hours.

The Bolt connected light bulb is available for pre-order from Misfit's website, with pricing set at $50 for a single bulb or $130 for a three-pack. Shipping is expected in mid-February.

Apple's HomeKit technology is being featured heavily at CES this year, with the introduction of home automation products from Schlage, iDevices and Elgato previously making news. Joining that group with their own new HomeKit products are mobile accessory maker Incipio and home automation company Insteon.

Moving beyond cases and chargers, Incipio has introduced its first home automation solutions that support Apple's HomeKit technology. The company's new DIRECT Wireless product line includes the Smart Outlet ($25), Light Bulb Adapter ($25), and Power Strip ($60) with one integrated Smart Outlet and three additional outlets.

Incipio DIRECT Wireless Smart solutions and Incipio DIRECT App integrate with a variety of home appliances and existing lamp fixtures, such as recessed lighting, giving users the ability to wirelessly control outlet powered devices at home or when away. [...]

Additional features of the Incipio DIRECT Wireless Smart Outlet, Light Bulb Adapter and Power Strip include:

- Integration with Siri voice commands, allowing hands-free control of home appliances and devices
- Wireless creation and configuration of home, rooms, and zones, to control power to devices at home or on-the-go
- Complimentary Incipio DIRECT Wireless Smart App allows users to create customized action sets and scenes such as “Lights Out” for a unique home automation experience
- Proximity awareness enables users to power specific devices and rooms, on or off

All three DIRECT Wireless Smart home automation solutions will debut in Q2 2015 at select retailers throughout the United States.

Instead of an array of individual hardware products, Insteon instead used CES to unveil two products designed to connect HomeKit devices. The company's new Insteon Hub Pro allows users to connect outlets, switches, thermostats and light bulbs into Insteon's HomeKit system. Hub users then can create and schedule "scenes" for rooms, zones and even houses. The Insteon Hub is available now for pre-order with a suggested retail price of $149.

Insteon also announced a new app that supports HomeKit-enabled devices from a variety of manufacturers. Through this single app, users can control multiple connected HomeKit devices regardless of their origin. Details on the availability and pricing of the Insteon App are not yet available.

Fitbit today announced it has started selling the Surge and Charge HR, the company's latest activity trackers. Unveiled in October, the two wearables join the Charge and Flex in Fitbit's popular fitness band lineup.

Advertised as a Fitness "Super Watch", the Surge includes a continuous heart rate monitor and an onboard GPS module for distance, route, and elevation tracking. Similar to other Fitbit wearables, the Surge also offers sleep monitoring, silent alarms, and all-day multi-sport activity tracking. Besides activity tracking, the Surge displays iOS notifications and provides music playback control via the touchscreen LCD display.

Alongside the Surge, Fitbit is also shipping the Charge HR, a version of the Charge fitness band that adds a continuous heart rate monitor. The Charge HR supports the standard all-day activity and sleep tracking available in Fitbit's line of fitness bands. It also supports Caller ID on its monochrome OLED display.

Both the Surge and the Charge HR are available to order today on Fitbit's online storefront for $249 and $149, respectively. Fitbit has so far opted not to support Apple's Health ecosystem introduced with iOS 8, but there are several intermediary solutions to allow users to move Fitbit data into the Health app.

Setting up a "future home environment" at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino during this year's Consumer Electronics Show, technology company Energous Corporation demoed its newest product WattUp, a Bluetooth and radio frequency-enabled transmitter that uses the same radio bands as a Wi-Fi router to deliver "intelligent, scalable power" to charge everything from smartphones and tablets to wireless keyboards and children's toys.

The patent and trademark-pending charging solution differs from most wireless charging technologies due to its lack of need for a pad or other near-field peripheral to communicate between the device needing charge and the device giving the charge. The company promises "meaningful, useful power" will be used to charge a device, not only providing the equivalent charge of a traditional wall outlet, but allowing ease-of-use in letting consumers roam up to 15 feet away from the transmitter.

"As a leading company in the development of true wire-free, uncoupled power with complete mobility, Energous is proud to be demonstrating our technology in model homes of the future. This event at CES 2015 marks a significant achievement for Energous and the industry in showing how wire-free charging can be deployed in everyday living environments.” said Stephen R. Rizzone, CEO of Energous Corporation. “We believe we are the only CES exhibitor to be demonstrating true wire-free charging technology that lets users roam while their devices charge.”

Energous promises WattUp will charge "in essence any battery-powered device in your home or office," but the device itself must require 10 watts or less to function with the transmitter. One WattUp transmitter can handle 12 receiver devices at any given time.

The company also detailed a mobile and web-based app that will be used to control the order and preference of charge by customers. Users can opt for manual control, only receiving charge to devices when they specifically call for it. Those needing a constant top-off can set prioritized schedules inside the app, causing heavily-used phones and tablets to receive charges once the user walks through the door, and less time-sensitive items like remote controls and keyboards to charge on their own during the day.

Energous says it will begin licensing WattUp to both wearable and smartphone accessory markets, hoping the future brings expansive partnerships with Wi-Fi routers and smartphones themselves.

Biometric shirt manufacturer Hexoskin today announced its new line of smart shirts for kids and teenagers at CES 2015, allowing coaches and parents to track physical metrics in real-time through an iOS app.

The Hexoskin Junior features built-in sensors inside of a lightweight, water-resistant shirt, with an optimized fit for regulation of moisture and heat. The sensors themselves can track a number of metrics including heart rate, step count, sleep duration, and calories burned, along with advanced statistics like heart rate recovery, acceleration, breathing volume, and sleep.

All of the metrics can be analyzed on Hexoskin's free mobile app for iOS, which can provide a look at aspects like a user's heartbeat in real-time, or a running session with GPS data to measure distance. The app and the Hexoskin shirt can also be used to measure an individual's VO2max level, which is the maximum volume of oxygen that can be used.

The Hexoskin Junior is available by itself for $149.99 or in a starter kit for $379.99 that contains a Bluetooth recording device and USB cable. The Hexoskin recording device is not required to track metrics with the Hexoskin shirt, but it does allow users to store 150 hours of data with low power consumption and is Apple Made for iPhone (MFi) certified. On its own, Hexoskin's Bluetooth recording device sells for $230.00.

Today at CES, Otterbox announced the iPhone 6 version of its Resurgence Power Case series. The case comes with 2,600 mAh of battery power and military-grade drop protection. The previous version of the Resurgence case featured a 2,000 mAh battery.

Resurgence boasts 2,600 milliamp hours (mAh) of battery power, providing more than two-times the battery life of the iPhone 6. The two-piece snap design simplifies case assembly and removal. Resurgence is made up of a specially formulated polycarbonate to improve impact resistance and absorb energy from drops and bumps. The case is rigorously tested to meet MIL STD 810G-516.6, a third-party test that drops the case on all faces, edges and corners from four feet.² The new design incorporates compact advanced circuitry, resulting in a smaller profile.

The case also has auto-stop technology, which shuts off the case when the phone is fully charged, allowing users to save battery power from the case for when it's needed. It also supports wireless and wired syncing without removing the case and a headphone jack extender, as the case adds length to the bottom of the phone.

The pricing and availability of the Resurgence Power Case for iPhone 6 is currently unclear, though Otterbox says its website will have further information in due time. Pricing may mirror the cost of the iPhone 5 and 5s version of the case, which retails for $99.95. However, Otterbox has not yet revealed plans for an iPhone 6 Plus version of the case.

Audio electronics company Shure today announced its new line of MOTIV digital microphones, which are intended to make it easy for users to record audio both at home on their computer and on their iOS devices.

Portable plug-and-play no longer means sacrificing sound quality. From the brand trusted with music history’s greatest moments, MOTIV™ features intuitive controls, smart technology and retro design. Capture your music, podcasts, videos and stories at the level of sound quality that honors your vision.

The MV88 is a digital stereo condenser microphone that connects to any iOS device with a Lightning connector. The microphone is mounted to a 90-degree hinge that rotates and allows for users to put the microphone in multiple positions for both audio and video applications. The ShurePlus Motive Mobile Recording App allows the microphone to record with five preset modes for voice and instruments.

The MV51, a digital large-diaphragm condenser microphone, comes with headphone output and a kickstand that's compatible with any mic stand. A touch panel on the front allows users to access gain, mute and headphone monitoring volume adjustments. The MV51 also features seamless 24-bit / 48 kHz digital recording that Shure says delivers "unmatched" audio results. It includes cables that can connect it to PCs, Macs, Android and iOS devices.

The MV5 digital condenser microphone is more of a standard microphone that comes with a detachable stand and in two different colors that are regionally dependent. This microphone also has headphone output for realtime monitoring and is available with either cables for PCs and Macs or iOS devices.

The MVi digital audio interface allows users to connect any XLR microphone or 1/4-inch for guitars, bass or keyboards into any iOS device, Mac or PC. The device comes with a touch panel that allows "easy, real-time access" to volume, gain and mode selection. It also has five preset modes and Shure says it offers the convenience of a professional studio in a portable package. Like the MV5, it's available with either cables for PC and Macs or iOS devices.

Finally, Shure unveiled the free ShurePlus Motiv Mobile Recording App, which allows users to select between five preset modes, adjust microphone gain, compression, equalization and stereo width control. The app also allows users to share audio files via email and text.

The MOTIV Digital Recorders will launch in summer 2015. However, it's currently unknown how much the devices will cost.

Car manufacturer Volkswagen today revealed that it would add support for CarPlay and Android Auto to its vehicles at the end of the year, bringing Apple's in-car experience to the popular car brand. It'll debut alongside VW's new in-car infotainment system, referred to as MIB II.

Later this year, VW will introduce the second generation "modular infotainment platform" (MIB II) in the United States. Along with the new infotainment system, MirrorLink™ will also be made available for the first time, integrating the apps and operating layout of numerous smartphones (including Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony) into cars. When MirrorLink™ is introduced, two other interfaces will also be launched under the App-Connect label: CarPlay™ (Apple®) and Android Auto™ (Google®). Simultaneously, VW will also launch CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ in the European market.

When CarPlay was first announced, Volkswagen was one of the few major car brands not involved. The company isn't listed on Apple's CarPlay partners page on its website either. However, the CarPlay integration debuting alongside VW's new infotainment system indicates the German manufacturer may have been waiting until it sorted out the future of its in-car technology before committing to Apple's.

While VW cars in both Europe and North America will get CarPlay support in late 2015, it's unknown how much VW's new infotainment system will cost.

Adonit today unveiled its new Jot Pro and Jot Mini styluses at CES 2015, which feature grip enhancements and new color options while carrying the same "Precision Disc" ball point design that allows for more precise writing and sketching as opposed to rubber tipped styluses.

The new Jot Pro comes with a carrying clip and and an etched grip for enhanced comfort, along with an improved cushion tip for quiet writing. Meanwhile, the new Jot Mini also comes with a carrying clip and features the same aluminum and steel body that weighs 13 grams. Both styluses are now offered in in black or silver.

The new Jot Pro and Jot Mini are available today from Adonit's website for $29.99 and $19.99, respectively.