Accessories

Good deal: 25% off NES-style Bluetooth controller

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 6, 2016

If you're an iOS gamer, or have one on your holiday shopping list, you might want to check out this deal on this NES-style Bluetooth controller. It's called the NES30, and for a limited time, Stack Social is offering it at 25% off of its regular retail price.

The controller features two additional action buttons, and two shoulder buttons, but other than that it's nearly identical to Nintendo's classic gamepad. It works via both Bluetooth and USB, supports multiplayer, and has a 20+ hour rechargeable battery.

SanDisk unveils Lightning-enabled flash drive for iOS devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

SanDisk, an American maker of flash memory storage solutions, on Thursday announced an external flash drive that connects to iPhones and iPads via Apple's proprietary Lightning port. The iXpand Flash Drive along with an accompanying iOS app makes it easy to transfer media and documents between an iOS device and a computer through a USB port.

Available in 16 and 64-gigabyte varieties for $59.99 and $119.99, respectively, the accessory is now available through the SanDisk webstore. The $79.99 32-gigabyte edition will be offered exclusively at Best Buy starting Sunday, November 16.

Sony readying interchangeable E-Mount lenses for pro mobile photography

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 2, 2014

The Japanese giant Sony is gearing up to unveil a number of new gadgets at the IFA press conference which kicks off tomorrow in Berlin. And with 24 hours until the presser, an ILCE-QX1 E-mount camera has conveniently leaked out.

The latest addition to its QX-branded smartphone and tablet camera accessory lineup, the forthcoming ILCE-QX1 E-mount camera reportedly won’t have a fixed lens and instead will let you use any of Sony's E-Mount lenses, the oft-reliable SonyAlphaRumors blog reported Tuesday.

As if that wasn't enough, the ILCE-QX1 is said to feature a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor and a built-in flash. That being said, compatibility with the E-Mount lenses is bound to strike a chord with iPhone photography fans.

The SmartStyle case gives a notebook feel to your iPad Air

Jim Gresham ∙ September 1, 2014

X-Doria is a relatively new comer to the Apple accessory arena. While they have been around for a couple years, they are still making a name for themselves. One of their key product features is a puffing ink that raises as it is heated in the production process. Almost any design you see in their product lineup, utilizes the 3D puffing ink, making it standout among other simply screen-printed competitors. The ink provides tactile feedback, offering an easier to handle case and a good looking stark color pattern.

The SmartStyle Patterns for iPad Air gets its name from the stylized printed patter and the Smart Cover technology. Using exactly placed magnets, SmartStyle behaves similarly to an Apple Smart Cover, waking or sleeping iPad as the cover is either opened or closed.

The Tylt Ruggd case is built for style and damage protection

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

If you are prone to dropping, abusing, and misusing your iPad Air, hopefully you are shopping around for a solid case. You are going to need something with a shockproof design, corner protection, rubberized absorbing base layer, and a little bit of flexibility. All of those features are built neatly into the TYLT RUGGD iPad Air case.

Making no bones about design, the RUGGD forgoes any eye candy design and goes straight for protection. With bulky corner cushioning and what appear to be four leg-like bumpers on the back, RUGGD should have you safe and sound, unless you drop it face down.

Incipio Lexington folio gives professional flare to your iPad Air

Jim Gresham ∙ August 28, 2014

iPad Air cases abound, as is expected with any Apple product. Flooded markets of parts, pieces, cases, and accessories define the smart device realm. Incipio being a standard in the Apple accessory market is always quick to offer several solutions for all devices. Today, we take a closer look at the Lexington hard shell folio case. The Lexington is a rigid case that will keep you protected just about anywhere, but still look classy in the office. The rigid Plextonium back offers necessary support, but keeps things minimal and crisp.

Amazon unveils iOS-compatible Local Register card reader

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2018

Taking the likes of PayPal Here and Square head on, the online retail giant Amazon today unveiled an iOS-connected credit card reader. Dubbed the Local Register, the accessory allows iPhone and iPad owners to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit and debit cards on their device.

The tiny dongle connects to an iOS device via the headphone jack and has a magnetic stripe that reads data from your credit card and transfers it securely to the device as an audio waveform.

A free mobile app then verifies payment information and completes the transaction using Amazon's processing backend. Amazon is savagely undercutting both Square and PayPal with lower transaction fees, starting at just 1.75 percent per swipe...

NomadPlus turns your iPhone charger into a 1,500 mAh backup battery

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Boy, that new anti-iPhone Samsung ad titled "Wall Huggers" really struck a nerve, didn't it? Blame it on Apple: the iPhone is frequently criticized for its battery life which isn't abysmal at all though you'd be hard-pressed to argue that its ~1,560 mAh battery is a match for high-end Android devices that go beyond 3,000 mAh, such as LG's G3 or Samsung's Galaxy Note 3.

Feeling your pain, lo and behold, Nomad has created a nice solution to your battery woes. Their new NomadPlus accessory transforms your iPhone's charger into a portable 1,500 mAh battery for backup power...

Wikipad introduces new ‘Gamevice’ controller for iPad mini

Cody Lee ∙ June 18, 2014

Wikipad, the company behind last year's interesting-but-not-very-successful Android gaming tablet, has announced a new accessory for iOS devices today. It's called the Gamevice, and it's a decked out MFi game controller made specifically for the iPad mini.

The Gamevice was actually announced earlier this year for Android and Windows 8 tablets, but it appears to now be an iOS exclusive. As you can see it features a 2-piece cradle design, with the iPad mini in the middle, and slightly resembles a Wii U gamepad...

Apple said to be working on master list of games that support MFi controllers

Cody Lee ∙ June 5, 2014

Apple is reportedly working on a way for its users to view a master list of games that support MFi (made for iPhone) controllers in the App Store. The feature works a lot like App Match, which can point users to compatible apps of recently attached accessories.

The company first introduced the MFi controller specification in iOS 7 last summer, and a number of third-party accessory makers have since created gamepads. The new platform, however, has been hobbled by the lack of user knowledge of compatible iOS titles...

ZAGG taking up to 50% off everything site-wide for Memorial Day

Cody Lee ∙ May 26, 2014

As it does every year, ZAGG is hosting a huge sale on its mobile device accessories this weekend. On Monday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 27 the company will be taking up to 50% off of everything site-wide for Memorial Day.

For those not familiar with ZAGG products, they make a wide range of add-ons for both Apple and non-Apple products including iPad keyboards, iPhone cases and invisibleSHIELD screen protectors for over 6,500 devices...

Case-Mate offering 40% off site-wide in Memorial Day sale

Cody Lee ∙ May 25, 2014

Mobile device case-maker Case-Mate has joined in on the flurry of Memorial Day sales this weekend. Through Monday, May 26, the company will be taking 40% off of all of its products site-wide in celebration of the US holiday.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, Case-Mate makes premium cases for a wide range of smartphones and tablets including Samsung's Galaxy S and Note 3 lines, HTC's One, and of course several iPhone and iPad models...