Hasta La Gadget!

Ever since Apple unveiled their new Lightning connector with the release of the iPhone 5, users have been waiting patiently (some more than others) for third-party Lightning accessories to make the rounds. However, after almost a month and a half since the Lightning connector’s public debut, they’re finally here. Belkin is the first official company to be signed off by Apple to make third-party Lightning accessories.

Today, Belkin announced two new accessories that utilize Apple’s new Lightning connector. The Charge + Sync Dock is an iPhone 5 dock that offers a foldaway auxiliary jack and a hidden cable channel that hides your Lightning cable and feeds it to the back of the dock. It also has a removable magnetic base and an audio-out port for headphones or speakers.

Belkin also announced an updated hard-wired car charger for Lightning devices that churns out 10 watts/2.1 amps, which means it can also be used to charge up your new 4th-gen iPad while you’re on your way to work. It has a 4-foot long cable and the charger includes over-voltage protection. It’s compatible with all Apple devices that use the new Lightning connector.

Both of these accessories are available for pre-order right now for $29.99 each, and will begin shipping on November 15. However, these aren’t the only two Lightning accessories you’ll see from Belkin. The company has committed to releasing more Lightning accessories in the future, including several more later this year.

[via The Next Web]

Belkin unveils first third-party Lightning accessories is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Just in case you thought the Lightning to micro-USB connector was Europe-only (to stave off that pesky European Commission), Apple has decided to sell it stateside as well. The tiny choking hazard recently made its way to the company’s online store in the US for $19 each (over in Europe, it’s £15 / €19), and brick-and-mortar locations will probably get them too — if they’re not in stock already. We’re not sure if there’s a huge demand for this, but if you’re a recent iPod, iPhone, or iPad (Mini or 4th gen) owner with a plethora of existing micro-USB cables, an adapter like this could help lighten your nest of wires.

Filed under: Misc

Apple’s Lightning to micro-USB adapter now available in US, not just Europe anymore originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW  |  Apple Store  | Email this | Comments

Apple doesn’t make a standup dock for the iPhone 5, which sucks. Normally we’d turn to our friends in China to do what Apple can’t (or won’t), but in this case, no: purported Lightning docks are complete broken fakery. More »

If you have an Apple TV, sharing content on your iOS device to your television is super easy using AirPlay, but if you’re at friend’s house or at your parents’, AirPlay may not be available. That’s where adapters come into play, and Apple officially released a couple of Lightning adapters today for use on all the newest iOS devices.

Currently available on Apple’s website is a “Lightning Digital AV Adapter,” which is essentially Lightning-to-HDMI, and also a “Lightning to VGA Adapter.” Both come with a secondary Lightning port next to the HDMI or VGA port, that way you can still use your Lightning port even with the adapter plugged in.

As with any Apple accessory, these things aren’t cheap, and are more expensive than their Thunderbolt adapter cousins. Both Lightning adapters will be priced at $49 each. That’s a steep price to pay, but you travel a lot and enjoy playing your mobile content on a bigger display, they might be a good investment.

Then again, if you stay at home most of the time, but don’t have an Apple TV, we’d highly suggest getting one if you were thinking about getting a Lightning adapter. An Apple TV would only be $50 more, or only $35 more if you went with a refurbished unit. Either way, the adapters are available to purchase, but won’t ship for another 2-3 weeks.

Apple launches new Lightning adapters, will cost you $49 each is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple just showed off it’s newest-generation iPad, and no, it’s not the iPad mini (that’s still to come). It’s the fourth-generation 9.7-inch iPad. One of the big new features in this new iPad is better performance with the A6X chip, which doubles CPU and graphics power, and the Lightning connector is also present on the model.

The fourth-generation iPad also has the new image signal processor that’s found in the iPhone 5, and Apple says battery life won’t suffer — it’s still the same 10 hours as with the previous iPad model. The front-facing FaceTime camera has also been upgraded to 720p HD, just like on the MacBook Pros.

4G LTE capabilities in the new fourth-generation iPad has also received an update, bringing in support for the Now Network in the US and KDDI in Japan. It also has the 802.11a/b/g/n dual-band WiFi for your out-of-4G-range shenanigans. The display will also be the same Retina display on the third-generation iPad, with a 2048×1536 resolution.

Black and white versions will be available, and pricing will start at $499 for the 16GB WiFi-only model. The 16GB WiFi+4G model will start at $629. Pre-orders start on October 26 and will begin shipping on November 2.

iPad 4th generation detailed with Lightning and A6X chip is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.