Hasta La Gadget!

It wouldn’t be a CES without accessory mavens Griffin launching a small armada of products. This year, the company is launching a revised version of the StudioConnect that’s compatible with Apple’s Lightning connector. It’ll go on sale in the Spring, and 4th Generation iPad and iPad Mini owners will have to stump up $150. It’s also pushing out MicConnect (similar to MIDIConnect), an XLR-to-3.5mm connector that lets you hook studio-level microphones into mobile devices and can even supply phantom power. While it’s not due to make it onto store shelves until June, it will only cost $40, which might soften the blow for impatient musos everywhere.

Continue reading Griffin launches MicConnect XLR microphone adapter, updates StudioConnect with Lightning connector

Filed under: Peripherals

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Okay, I made that part about gorillas up, but it’s easy to forget the usefulness of Gorilla Glass. A lot of the smartphones and tablet people use everyday are covered in this durable material. That’s one of the reasons that the screen on your phone won’t break if you drop inadvertently. Granted, it won’t protect your phone from any drops, but I’ve been quite happy at how scratch-resistant it is.

And while it’s not actually shatterproof, Gorilla Glass is far more durable than ordinary glass. Now, Corning has revealed that a new version, simply called Gorilla Glass 3. The new glass will be unveiled at CES 2013 and it’s supposed to be even more durable than the previous generation.

There are already many devices covered in Gorilla Glass 2, and I’m hopeful that most of the ones I use next year will be covered in Gorilla Glass 3, assuming that it really does make them less likely to crack and shatter.

Samsung might be a name one thinks of when it comes to smartphones or displays, but this does not mean that the company only manufactures those and if you’re in the market for a new of speakers, or maybe a sound system for your home theater setup, Samsung has taken the wraps off several new audio products that could be worth checking out. These products range from soundbars to portable speakers to an entire home theater setup, so depending on your needs, Samsung might have something for you. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iHome iDL100G Stereo FM Clock Radio Features Triple Charging Docks, Griffin’s WoodTones Audio Accessories Receive New Styles, Colors And Functionality In 2013,

The Consumer Electronics Show 2013 is upon us, and the bacchanalian excesses of the holidays give way to big TVs, tablets galore, and marketing hyperbole aplenty as SlashGear heads to Las Vegas to see what’s umissable in consumer electronics. CES not only opens the year with a bang, it sets the tone for the next twelve months in tech; some of the gadgets we’ll be seeing won’t be on sale until the summer or even the 2013 holidays, and the buzzwords are likely to be peppering marketing copy until we’re all convinced we need Ultra HD.

Still, there’s a cloud of sorts hanging above CES in 2013. More and more of the big names are bypassing enormous, communal trade shows for their flagship announcements, with firms like Samsung and others instead preferring to hold independent launches where they can be guaranteed everyone’s full attention. Just as Apple decided with MacWorld, sometimes it’s best to set your own launch timescales rather than fitting into somebody else’s keynote schedule.

Nonetheless, there’s more to an electronics range than a single product, and even those firms pulling their punches until they can have the whole spotlight will still have plenty more to show to bulk out the rest of their 2013 line-up. CES always features big TVs, and – although they still haven’t quite convinced everyone that 3D is a mandatory upgrade – the major news will be Ultra HD, with four-times the resolution of Full HD (and price tags to match).

That’s not to say eye-catching screens will be the only news. Mobile is a huge growth area, and while cellphone-specific events like CTIA and Mobile World Congress appear later on the calendar, CES should have its fair share of smartphones and tablets. Android continues to be the go-to OS for most OEMs hoping to take on the iPad – and our sibling-site, Android Community, will be sifting through the best candidates – while Android on phones has already conquered the top spot by sales, even if not every manufacturer is shining.

Samsung will likely save its Galaxy S 4 thunder until a standalone event later in the year, but ambitious upstarts like ZTE and Huawei are likely to come out of the gate at full steam, hoping to grab a slice of the lucrative US mobile pie. Expect a fair share of celebrity endorsements – however tenuous – as firms attempt to convince us.

In computing, meanwhile, Windows 8 will be the biggest news, as companies like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others show off their newest models. As ever, innovative designs like folding/flipping tablets and racing-fast performance PCs will earn the most column-inches, while the more mainstream notebooks and desktops go on to be the better sellers.

Here at SlashGear, we’ll be wading through the almighty gush of announcements (that in fact started several weeks back) to pick out the news you really need to know about, take the temperature of the year in tech, and figure out whether Snooki really knows her USB 3.0 from her Thunderbolt. You can find all our show coverage at our CES hub – slashgear.com/ces – and follow along with the team at Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. It’s an exciting week ahead!

CES 2013 is here: SlashGear heads to the tech torrent is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Behringer made a bit of a splash as CES last year with its oversized iPhone dock, this year it’s keeping things a little more front-room friendly. Launching its new OMNI system, the audio maker hopes to bring a little AirPlay magic to your house, without excluding some of your legacy hardware. The system consists of modular elements that let you add your passive speakers into the mix, as well as work together as a whole. More specifically, the OMNI SP3 and SP5i units are all-in-one 2.1 systems, and there’s a dedicated subwoofer too. But, if you don’t have or want their own breed, you can bring in your own. The OMNI Amp is a 2 x 40W stereo amplifier and AirPlay receiver that lets you play your music with your existing passive bookshelf or floor-mounted gear, and active speakers can be looped into the AirPlay party with the OMNI link box. The speakers are provisionally set to cost $249 (for the SP3i) and $349 (for the SP5i and sub), while the amp and link boxes will likely set you back $199 and $129 respectively. No word on the official launch date, but head on over to the press release for more info.

Continue reading Behringer announces OMNI series AirPlay speakers and connecting receiver amps

Filed under: Home Entertainment

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