MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Aiming to compete with waterproof but usable iPhone cases like the Lifeproof, Otterbox has announced its Armor Series of cases. The case is designed to protect the phone from submersion for up to 30 minutes as well as 10 foot drops. Innovative design elements make the OtterBox Armor Series best in class when it comes to protection. Watertight latches, an o-ring seal, port covers and mesh...

We've closely covered the emerging class of Bluetooth Smart (4.0) low energy devices that have been slowly coming to market. Hippih was showing off Hipkey at CES 2013. Hipkey is their version of the digital leash application that allows you to keep your iPhone from getting left behind. The device was already put on sale in the European Online Apple Store in December and quickly sold out. ...

Scosche today unveiled its weatherproof boomBOTTLE, an omnidirectional outdoor speaker that is designed to fit in standard bicycle bottle cages, providing streaming music while biking, hiking, camping, and participating in other outdoor activities. The boomBOTTLE incorporates 40mm drivers along with a passive subwoofer, and a built-in lithium-ion battery offers 10 hours of playback per charge. ...

iPhone5mod continues to launch both unofficial Lightning accessories and other interesting products for iPhone owners, and the company today has announced its Translucent Mod Kit for the iPhone 5. The kit includes an entire set of parts to turn an iPhone 5 translucent on the rear and sides, offering users willing to disassemble their devices a rather unique look. Due to high cost and...

Panasonic yesterday announced a new line of Smart Viera plasma HDTVs at CES. The company's 2013 lineup ranges from 42 to 65 inches and includes 16 models in five separate series of TVs. The TVs are compatible with iOS devices that let users share content between their iPhones or iPads and their TVs.Swipe & Share 2.0 – a  connectivity enhancement that transforms the TV into a hub for...

Canopy's Sensus iPhone case (via Engadget) is touch-enabled, with 10 different touch input points across the back and the right side of the case. The touch input allows for users to interact with apps without blocking the screen with a finger, a useful function for iOS gaming. It is similar in design to the rear trackpad of Sony's PlayStation Vita. The Sensus, which resembles a slightly...

Health monitoring products have recently seen a huge surge in popularity, with offerings like the Jawbone UP and the Nike Fuelband bringing consumer awareness to the connected devices. Several different companies debuted new wearable fitness tracking devices at CES this year, including Fitbit, Fitbug, Withings, and BodyMedia. Fitbit Flex Fitbit, known for its tiny clip-on Fitbit One,...

Griffin and ShopKeep POS have partnered up on a new iPad stand with integrated credit card reader, designed to be a physical point of sale terminal for retail stores.The stand will be available only to ShopKeep POS customers beginning this quarter.Durability and secure credit card transactions are often the main concerns merchants have for their POS system. Griffin's Kiosk Retail addresses...

Griffin yesterday announced (via Engadget) the forthcoming launch of its PowerDock 5, a $99.99 charging station that organizes up to five iOS devices in the space otherwise taken up by one iPad laid flat.PowerDock 5 is the ultimate space-saving, countertop charging and storage solution for up to 5 iPads. Designed for convenience and efficiency, PowerDock 5 contains five charging bays large enough ...

Adding to its extensive line of iOS device docks and accessories, Philips today announced a slew of new devices that take advantage of iOS apps. The first set of accessories includes security monitors that allow users to control their cameras via their iOS device. Philips In.Sight Available for both Apple and Android, Philips In.Sight (M100D) is designed to give you added security. The...

As noted by Engadget, Lego has announced Mindstorms EV3, a new line of kid-friendly robotics designed to introduce children to building and programming robots while also attracting hobbyists and other robot enthusiasts. The new Mindstorms system is powered by the EV3 Intelligent Brick, which features an ARM9 processor, 16MB of flash memory, 64MB of RAM, and the ability to function without...

HAPILABS HAPIfork (via The Verge) is an electronic fork that is designed to monitor eating habits with built-in Bluetooth, a capacitive sensor, and a vibration motor. HAPIfork provides information about eating schedules and alerts users when they are eating too fast, a leading cause of weight gain, according to the manufacturer. The fork measures each movement from fork to plate, which is ...

Parrot, the company behind the iPhone-controlled AR Drone quadricoptor, has debuted its new Flower Power project at CES 2013. The system consists of a two-pronged Bluetooth monitoring device that sticks in the soil, and an iPad app. The Verge has a rundown on how it works: Simply place the Flower Power device — which looks like a colorful leek — in the soil near any of your plants, pair...

Withings today announced its new Smart Activity Tracker, which is designed to measure heart rate, monitor sleep quality and food intake, and track movement. Health monitoring devices have seen a surge in popularity of late, with offerings like the Jawbone Up, the Nike Fuelband, and the Fitbit One. The Smart Activity Tracker, which is designed to clip to clothing or fit into a pocket much...

We expect many Lightning-enabled accessories to be coming from companies at CES 2013. Griffin today announced an update to their StudioConnect Audio/MIDI dock which adds a Lightning connector. They claim it to be the first music creation accessory that supports the Lightning connector.StudioConnect gives your iPad: audio in and out, MIDI in and out, and a stereo headphone jack with its own...

Mobee, best known for its chargers for Apple’s peripherals, has three new products that will debut at CES 2013, including a compact battery, a speaker, and a universal charging cable. Magic Juice ($79.99), Mobee’s compact battery solution, is designed to provide a full charge for an iPad or two charges for an iPhone. The battery is the first charging solution that can be recharged...

A bug in Google's text-to-speech engine is causing Google Now and Google Translate to interject the phrase "he now praises the iPad" into sentences that end using phrases such as "end with," "enraged with," and "filled with." The mysterious phrasing, which first came about in October 2012 on the Android support page, was publicized by Hacker News last night, resulting in some hilarious...

More than $600,000 worth of counterfeit Lighting cables were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a routine customs search in Anchorage, Alaska (via 9to5Mac). The cables had arrived from China via plane and were designed to look like Apple's $19 Lightning to USB cables, complete with fake Apple logos and UL icons.But the knock-off logos weren't enough of a disguise. The items stood...