Hasta La Gadget!

Looking to build up a collection of accessories for that newfangled Lightning connector on your iPhone 5? Well, Gear4 is hoping that you’ll start off with an alarm clock (and in the process, forget about iHome’s duo of bedside companions, which will soon hit the market). Vying for your attention is the AlarmDock Halo 3, which retails for $129.99 and is on sale as of today. The system includes a companion app called SmartLink that lets users choose from a variety of music sources — iTunes, Spotify and networked tunes all qualify — and the app also ensures that any alarms you set on the Halo 3 will be synced to the iPhone, and vice versa. The AlarmDock Halo 3 also offers FM radio, line-in audio, a dimming LCD display, customizable alarm sounds (for when your iPhone is lost in the couch cushions) and, thankfully, a snooze button.

Also shipping from Gear4 today is the StreetParty 5, a portable, Lightning-loving speaker dock that’s powered by four AA batteries. Sadly, there’s no line-in audio support here, but if you’re properly equipped, the $79.99 system will have you disturbing the peace in no time. Hop the break for a peek, won’tcha?

Filed under: Peripherals

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Adafruit’s just outed a new Internet of Things Printer kit that’s traded in its ethernet connection for WiFi. Instead of using an Arduino Uno like its wired sibling, the new DIY hardware is built with a Raspberry Pi Model B running Raspbian Linux. Programmed in Python, the software on the box wields the Python Imaging Library, which gives folks flexibility when it comes to typography and graphics, and can leverage the language’s raft of libraries. If you’re not in the mood for coding, however, the contraption brings a few sample applications that’ll print out daily weather reports, sudoku puzzles, tweets and images on 2.25-inch wide receipt paper. The project rings up at $189 — $100 above its predecessor — but it isn’t up for sale quite yet.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

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Source: Adafruit Blog, Adafruit

The developers at Panic didn’t start their days with the intention of ripping open a Lightning Digital AV Adapter, but that’s exactly what happened once they suspected it held some secrets. At first, the group hooked the cable up to various iOS devices expecting 1080p mirroring, but were greeted with 1,600 x 900 as the highest possible resolution. A bit bewildered, they noticed MPEG artifacts, which led them to believe the dongle was acting as a small AirPlay-like receiver that supports streaming and decoding. Now entirely suspicious, the team tore the cable asunder and exposed an ARM SoC apparently packing 256MB of RAM. According to the devs, it’s possible that the Lightning connector’s small number of pins prevented Cupertino from delivering raw HDMI output, so they were forced to improvise with the added silicon. We’ve reached out to Apple to nail down just how the cable works.

Filed under: Peripherals, Apple

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Via: Apple Insider, The Next Web

Source: Panic Blog

Looking for an “upscale fashion shopping experience” in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan or Belarus? Solidoodle’s got your back. The company is set to launch 3D printing stores in those areas, featuring its low cost 3D printers and “lifestyle” items created on said devices. The Russian store is set to be the first to open this summer. The company also used its press conference today to announce plans to sell printers in Brazil, Canada, Korea and Japan, as well as a join initiative with Georgia Institute of Technology’s Mars Society to test the devices in “harsh environments like Mars” (places like Utah, apparently). More info on the announcements can be found in an exceedingly enthusiastic press release after the break.

Filed under: Peripherals

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A recently published Apple patent reveals the design for a “magnetic tablet configured to rigidly hold a portion of the tablet device in place.” You can bet that “tablet device” is the iPad, and judging from the many photos associated with the patent, the stand is meant to mount the slate more securely than your average dock, not to mention the Smart Cover. One scenario, for instance, shows the iPad secured on top of a treadmill, while another depicts the device hanging from the roof of the car. By far the most intriguing example is two iPads connected to each other magnetically, creating a hinge between the two displays. Click through to the source link for a look at Cupertino’s other envisioned use cases for this super-strength stand — though don’t get your hopes up on seeing this design hit stores any time soon; the original patent was filed in late 2011.

Filed under: Peripherals, Tablets, Apple

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Source: USPTO, Free Patents Online