iPad

The Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater ($199.99) is a rechargeable case for the iPad 2 and 3rd Generation that packs enough sonic punch to knock you out of your seat. Admittedly pricey, this audio accessory from Belkin offers quality and intense portable sound through Audifi digital signal processing, making movies and games immersive fun. This product can also solve the dilemma of buying a separate case, stand, battery and speaker.

Growing up, I was a pretty good math student. And while my oldest daughter is holding her own, my youngest, the artist, doesn't really get why math is so important. Since she loves playing with apps on the iPad, I thought a math app could be just the thing.

I bought iMathGenius ($2.99), hoping she wouldn't object simply in principle; fortunately she gave it a good try. And guess what? She liked it!

After many hours (and quite a few dollars) spent racing in the world of Real Racing 3 (Free), I can confindently say it is a legitimate contender for the coveted award of Best iOS Game of 2013. This game is so visceral, especially the way I race it using the first-person, helmet cam/cockpit perspective.

Between the visual eye candy and the realistic sound effects, I'd say this game blurs the lines between iOS gaming, console gaming, and real life more effectively than any iOS game I've encountered. Where’s a good Virtual Reality headset when you need one?

This year's Consumer Electronics Show had its share of wireless audio components, several of which I included in iPhone Life's coverage of the event. I found several new Wi-Fi AirPlay compatible speakers. Of the lot, I finally received a Wren V5AP ($399) review unit last week. Of all the Wi-Fi speakers I’ve had the chance to review in recent years, I must say this one truly gives the Sonos Play line a run for its money.

Urban Dictionary defines epic fail as, "Complete and total failure when success should have been reasonably easy to attain." So I find it ironic that Epic Games' sure-fire hit, Infinity Blade: Dungeons has been beset with delay after delay. After all, it's not often one of the most successful iOS game franchises has such an eagerly-anticipated game waiting in the wings that they just can't seem to get to market. Now, we have word from Epic Games we shouldn't hold our breath for the release of what certainly looked like another great chapter in the Infinity Blade saga.

 

If you want to support a company with the most forward-thinking, sustainable, and Eco-friendly business practices in the audio equipment industry, then I have great news for you! Likewise, if investing in audio gear that’s well made, has a level of quality that comes from attention to little details, and reflects a passion for accurate sound reproduction, then look no further. Let me introduce you to The House of Marley's Rise Up headphones, available now in the Apple Store.

In my mind, it's not a given that the next iPad mini will have a retina display, but certainly the rumor persists. And today a Chinese website purports to have all the juice on the forthcoming device. According to Tapscape, it will likely be called "iPad mini with retina display." The screen resolution will be 2048x1536 pixels, giving it a 324ppi pixel density. The resolution is rumored to be the same as the current fourth-generation iPad.

The annual Macworld/iWorld trade show is underway in San Francisco, and Macworld magazine already has named its Best of Show winners. They include some gotta-see gadgets for the iPad and iPhone, such as an iPad robot, an iPad case that doubles as a speaker, and a 1TB external hard drive for the iPhone and iPad.

When it came to PC gaming I think adventure games were what I grew up on, and I’m happy to see more developers bringing this great genre of game play to the iOS platform.  In late November of 2012 we were treated to a cool time travelling piece called Tesla’s Electric Mist, and since I’m now getting back into it to try and finish it up I thought I’d share my experiences with the game.  There’s no question that the developer has a deep fondness for this style of game play, and there are plenty of puzzles to solve and mini-games to conquer.  I think it would have been nice to have a little golf cart with all the walking I had to do, though.

 
Top stories from CES 2013: 
 
*Lifeproof steals the show at CES 2013, winning multiple awards with their booth, and with their top quality product. 
 
*Introducing the Oculus Rift VR game goggles, the latest gaming gadget that is poised to change the face of gaming. 
 
*Meet Robbie Maddison, motorcycle stuntsman, champion athlete, and one of Mophie's celebrity endorsers. 

iHome had great products on display this year at CES. Too many to cover in one shot really, but will do my level best to round up the ones that shine. Many won't be released until later this year (some maybe not at all). I skipped most of the AirPlay capable models, as we have covered several on our blogs already. They were showing a new wireless speaker that is basically the iW3 (see my review here), but with Bluetooth, which is the better option in my opinion, unless you really must rely on AirPlay. Another interesting product is a speaker accessory that turns any analog audio player into a bluetooth-capable stereo, and an on-ear BT headphone that folds up and fits in your pocket (almost). Much more iHome CES gear coverage follows...

 

The House of Marley: Not just a brand, not just high quality gear, but a revolutionary lifestyle choice.

 

 

If you follow my articles, then you already know I am a big fan of House of Marley. Aside from the fact that House of Marley is spearheaded by Rohan Marley, son of one of the most influential artist of all time, Bob Marley, House of Marley is also a brand and company that is so enthusiastically focused on the quality and integrity of their product that it was an entirely refreshing experience for me to be able to visit with them at CES 2013 today here in Las Vegas.

 

My visit to the House of Marley station today at CES was an absolute joy. The House of Marley staff was both completely welcoming and extremely knowledgeable about their products and also, so enthusiastic about the latest additions to an already amazing line of gear. Theirs has been one of the most enjoyable booths I’ve had the pleasure of visiting at this year’s CES.

 

Back in 2011, I reviewed the iW1 when it first came out; an awesomely portable/rechargeable wireless speaker from iHome--portable, as in literally no wires--with an internal 2600 mAh Li-ion battery. The Wi-Fi setup was a bit sketchy, but I finally figured out a compromise by setting up a second Wi-Fi access point. Been looking forward to trying out one of the new iW3 models and got my hands on a review unit. The iW3 is like the iW1, but taller, lighter and easier to haul around the house. The sound quality is pretty close to what I remember from the iW1, and though it won't blow out a window, it will let you easily push quality music to any room in your home.

Infinite runners are to action games like Match 3 games are to the puzzle genre: there are a lot of options on the App Store, and so many of them start to feel the same after a while.  Thankfully I like the infinite runner style of game play enough that I’m pretty much willing to try any one I can get my hands on, and occasionally I’m still surprised to find one that doesn’t feel just like the rest.  Now I’m not suggesting that Ronin does anything revolutionary for the genre, or quite frankly even really evolutionary, but there’s something about it that keeps drawing me back.

I've seen a number of lists of apps recommended for those lucky individuals who got a new iPhone or iPad from Santa, but CNET's listing strikes me as being the most useful. They include a number of free apps that are my favorites and that I use every day. Let's take a look at some of their recommended apps. 

Flipboard — This is likely the most popular aggregator of news and content ever developed for iOS devices. Its interface is gorgeous and intuitive, and very easy to customize to your interests. Many people find it to be their favorite window onto Facebook or news or entertainment or sports, or whatever your interest is. 

 

Google Maps — When Apple dumped Google Maps in favor of its own maps solution, many were disappointed that Apple's effort was missing some of their favorite features, such as transit directions and Google Street View. Fortunately, Google eventually came out with a full-featured version of their app for iOS devices that has almost all the functionality of their highly popular maps app for Android devices. 

Christmas has come and gone, and the first hints are coming in that the iPad was the dominant tablet this holiday season. According to Barron's, a market analyst who called Best Buy and Staples stores found that the iPad was the most popular device among tablet buyers. Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Samsung Galaxy tab also had some sales, but apparently there wasn't much demand for Microsoft's Surface tablet. Even more interesting is a clever search of Twitter posts for the 24-hour period over Christmas.

 

Every weekend we will be raffling off tons of great apps and accessories for FREE. Here's how it works: Every Friday we will announce the prizes being given away through iPhoneLife.com, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. To enter the giveaway, go to iPhoneLife.com/giveaways. On Monday morning we will randomly select the winners. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code to redeem the app for free. If you win an accessory, we will mail it to you.

 

 

Those of you who follow my articles know that I'm both an outdoor enthusiast as well as a person who likes to bring my mobile devices into the field with me. So I get to test the reliability, durability and ruggedness of many products that claim to be just that; reliable, durable and rugged. I'm always keeping my eyes open for any new accessories that can help keep our iDevices safe in potentially unfavorable circumstances, whether they occur in the urban jungle or in the great outdoors.

 

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