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124 'Lightning' stories September 2012 - January 2015
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Review: RAVPower’s Savior delivers 9000mAh of Apple-certified Lightning battery power at a great price

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Jan 20 2015 - 7:15 am PT
3 Comments

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RAVPower has done a great job of changing the traditional price-to-performance equation for Apple device chargers. Its two-, four-, and six-port wall chargers (reviewed here) are the best options I’ve seen at their price points, so it’s no shock that its Savior 9000mAh External Battery Pack (MSRP $100, street price $50) delivers great value, as well.

Equipped with wall blades for easy recharging, Savior combines a high-capacity 9000mAh battery with an Apple-certified Lightning cable, competing with similar accessories such as myCharge’s Hub 9000 — but for half the street price. Read on for why Savior is so easy to recommend, as well as details on the compromises it makes to keep its size and price down.


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Review: Duet, the app that turns your iPad into a Lightning-connected Mac monitor

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jan 16 2015 - 7:08 am PT
58 Comments
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I’m a big-screen fan. It’s the reason my primary Mac is still a 17-inch MacBook Pro, and why I have that hooked up to a 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display when I’m in my home office. When travelling, though, I have fewer pixels to play with. Sure, I could get a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, but I favor physical screen space over smaller screen elements.

There are existing apps out there, like Air Display, that let you use an iPad as a second monitor for a Mac, but they work via WiFi, which poses two problems. First, they often don’t work on WiFi hotspots, which you’re likely to be using when away from home. Second, even when they do work, there is an annoying amount of lag.

Which is where Duet comes in. Instead of using WiFi, it feeds the video signal from your Mac to iPad using a standard Lightning or 30-pin cable. Built by ex-Apple engineers, I figured it ought to be work well, so put it to the test … 
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Details on Apple’s upcoming Lightning port specs for third-party accessories

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 12 2015 - 12:55 pm PT
15 Comments
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We previously told you that Apple will be licensing its female Lightning port to third-party accessories, following an announcement to Made for iPhone licensees late last year. Since then, the company has released specs for the Lightning port that details exactly what Apple hopes to achieve by opening it up to third-parties, including how it could improve accessories.
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9to5Toys Last Call: VIZIO 4K 50″ $800, JBL Lightning speaker/dock $109, 2,400 classic DOS games free, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Jan 6 2015 - 2:32 pm PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the brand new 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Update:

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VIZIO 50-inch 240Hz Smart LED 4K UHDTV $800 shipped (Reg. $1,000)

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JBL OnBeat Venue LT Bluetooth speaker w/ Lightning dock $109 shipped (orig. $240)

The Internet Archive steps up its game by offering nearly 2,400 MS-DOS classic titles for free

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CES 2015:

Samsung portable SSD T1: smaller than a business card + 100 times faster than a traditional HDD
DISH brings Sling TV with ESPN, TNT, TBS and more to a myriad of streaming devices for just $20

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Review: SmartThings offers an open and flexible home automation experience with a few caveats

More new deals:

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More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info:

Shot from SKU: 1294029

Review: Incipio’s offGRID Express is the most affordable Apple-authorized iPhone 6 battery case

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Jan 4 2015 - 11:00 am PT
16 Comments

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If I had to choose one word to describe how Incipio’s past iPhone offGRID battery cases felt, it would probably be “svelte,” as they were all impressively thin and gently curved. Starting today, Incipio is shipping its first offGRID case for the iPhone 6, and it notably trades “svelte” for “edgy” design. Offered only in matte black, it’s called offGRID Express ($80), and Incipio claims it’s the first Apple-certified iPhone 6 battery case that’s actually available for consumers to purchase. This time, the back is somewhat angular, due in part to a larger battery pack than prior models, and the sides are equipped with the fancy metallic button protectors rival Mophie has only offered in its most expensive Juice Packs.

Incipio’s message is clear: by offering 3000mAh of power at an $80 price point, offGRID Express is practically daring Mophie – and any other Apple MFi-licensed manufacturer – to step up and take a swing at its value proposition. Yes, comparatively unknown vendors are selling cheaper options, and Tylt offers a 3200mAh, Apple-licensed alternative called Energi for $100, but offGRID Express actually matches it in recharging performance for a lower price. It’s positioned directly at consumers who care about both quality and cost, not just one or the other.
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Review: Moshi’s uber-strong USB Cable with Lightning connector

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Dec 9 2014 - 1:54 pm PT
4 Comments

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Every Lightning cable starts with the same three parts: a Lightning plug, a USB plug, and a wire to connect them together. The thickness and materials differ, and there may be questions about the reliability of the parts, but the general rule is: if you’ve seen one Lightning cable, you’ve seen them all. Yet Moshi’s USB Cable with Lightning Connector ($25 retail, $22 Amazon Black and White) doesn’t look like any other cable you’ve seen. Although it’s functionally nearly identical to Apple’s standard Lightning to USB Cable, it’s also unique in three ways…


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Holiday gift guide: Making music with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Dec 1 2014 - 10:51 am PT
2 Comments
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Holiday Gift Guide 2014 Jordan

It doesn’t take much to get up and running recording music on your Mac, iPad, or even your iPhone. With a few pieces of additional hardware and the right software, it’s easier than ever to have a home recording setup that, thanks to iOS and some great third-party apps, is as simple and as intuitive to use as iOS itself.

Head below for our latest guide to the essentials for making music with your iPad, iPhone, and Mac, many of which are currently discounted for Cyber Monday:
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Apple will soon let third-party products use its Lightning port, opening up new possibilities for accessories

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 18 2014 - 6:09 am PT
20 Comments
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Last week at Apple’s yearly briefing for accessory makers in its Made-for-iPhone/iPad (MFi) licensing program, the company unveiled new Lightning connectors and specs for Lightning receptacles that will soon be available for implementation in MFi accessories. The new Lightning receptacle, scheduled to start shipping next year, will allow accessory makers to build new types of accessories that include a port for Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector previously reserved for its own iOS devices (pictured above).
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Apple will brief MFi accessory makers on HomeKit, Lightning headphones, iBeacon & game controllers next week

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 4 2014 - 7:04 am PT
1 Comment
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Apple’s annual MFi summit, an event for accessory manufacturers in its Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod licensing program, will focus on getting accessory makers ready for new technologies including HomeKit hardware, iBeacon, Apple’s new Lightning headphones spec, and game controllers, according to Apple’s official event schedule.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Seagate 2TB portable HDD $75, Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank $19, Apple TV $84, more

Avatar for Oct 10 2014 - 8:56 am PT
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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

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Bowers & Wilkins Z2 AirPlay speaker w/ Lightning dock $100 shipped (orig. $400)

seagate-2tb-expansion-stbx2000401Seagate 2TB Expansion Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive: $75 shipped (Reg. $110)

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Power up: Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank $19, Bolse Lightning (MFi)/Micro USB car charger $24

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Belkin 20% off sitewide: Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD for Mac $240, WeMo LED starter set $80, much more

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11-inch Apple MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB refurbished w/ 90-day warranty: $599 shipped

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Small States: Carved wraps your phone w/ wood from sunken ships & skateboards, multiple giveaways


Other new deals:

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More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos:

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Review combo: Inateck Bluetooth Audio Receiver and Micro USB Cable with Lightning Adapter

Avatar for Michael Steeber Oct 5 2014 - 7:49 am PT
2 Comments

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Today we’re taking a look at two iOS device accessories from Inateck- the Bluetooth Audio Receiver and 1.2m Micro USB Cable with Apple Lightning Adapter.

Bluetooth Audio Receiver 

Upon initial inspection, the Bluetooth Audio Receiver might not look like it’s capable of much. The entire unit measures only 40x40x11.5mm. However, this device is capable of driving Bluetooth 3.0 audio through any speaker system with a standard 3.5mm connection.


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Review: Hyper’s iStick, the first USB drive w/ integrated Lightning connector

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Oct 3 2014 - 2:36 pm PT
32 Comments
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While most of my content goes straight to the cloud these days and is usually easily accessible to move around, download or stream from any of my devices, I still found myself getting a lot of use out of Hyper’s new iStick. It’s one of the first made-for-iPhone USB flash drives that also includes an integrated Lightning connector to easily transfer content to and from the device to others. Hyper’s companion app is what makes the experience more than just storage, however…
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iPhone 6: Will it bend?

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 23 2014 - 8:53 am PT
117 Comments
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Screenshot 2014-09-23 11.50.34

Some iPhone 6 owners have found that Apple’s latest and greatest phone comes with an unexpected (but patented!) new feature: flexibility. According to reports, the iPhone 6 is slightly bending beyond repair while in pockets. Some users say that the bending occurred after normal sitting, while other people have had more active lifestyles. Unfortunately, it does not appear that Apple will replace these more fragile-than-expected units at no cost. Some users are reporting that replacement costs are in the hundreds of dollars range. Additional bending pictures below:


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Gold is best – the combined jewelry box & charger you get with the Apple Watch Edition

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 10 2014 - 4:22 am PT
52 Comments
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We don’t yet know the price of the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition, but it doesn’t require psychic powers to know that it isn’t going to be cheap. KGH analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s prediction of the most expensive model costing “several thousand dollars” is probably exaggerated, but may not be quite as far-fetched as it seemed.

David Pogue shared one of the things Apple didn’t mention on stage but did reveal during press demonstrations afterwards … 
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Analyst says not to expect reversible USB Lightning connector to ship with iPhone 6

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Sep 1 2014 - 4:32 am PT
4 Comments

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In a new report, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said not to expect the redesigned Lightning connector or power adaptor to feature as part of the iPhone 6’s package, quoting cost reasons. The new Lightning connector was intriguing in that it was reversible on both ends, including a specially-designed USB connector so that it could be inserted both ways up.


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Opinion: It’s time for Apple to deliver on its Lightning cable’s ‘improved durability’

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 22 2014 - 10:05 am PT
143 Comments
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Phil Schiller iPhone 5 event Lightning cable Improved durability

When you think about easily damaged Apple products, a smashed iPhone display with a screen like a spider web probably first comes to mind. While I’ve never cracked my own iPhone screen in my four years of carrying one virtually everywhere and mostly without a case, I have had to replace the charging cable required to keep the iPhone juiced up more than enough times.

The classic 30-pin cable used on the iPhone 4s and prior certainly wasn’t the most durable cable I’ve ever owned, but the Lightning cable introduced alongside the iPhone 5 in 2012 has proved one of the least forgiving accessories I’ve ever needed to use, and that’s despite Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller touting Lightning’s “improved durability” when he introduced it.

You may not have the same experience, but there’s even a Tumblr dedicated to venting over broken Lightning cables, and that just shouldn’t be the case.


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New videos and photo of purported reversible Apple USB to Lightning iPhone 6 cable

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 18 2014 - 9:27 pm PT
17 Comments
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We raised the possibility yesterday of the iPhone 6 including a redesigned USB to Lightning cable that allows the USB end of the cord to be inserted into a USB port in either direction. In other words, like the Lightning connector, the next Apple USB cable could be reversible. Leaks of the purported cables have been flowing quickly out of Asia-based areas surrounding the Apple supply chain, and now Sonny Dickson has shared a video of the cable in action. While the video does not show the iPhone actually syncing with the new USB cord, the video does show the cable being inserted in both directions into a standard USB port. This lines up with a recent Apple patent, which is for a USB connector that can be inserted in either direction into currently existing USB hubs.

You can watch the videos and see the new photo below:


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Will the iPhone 6 include a reversible USB cable? Recent Apple patent makes it possible.

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 17 2014 - 7:34 pm PT
22 Comments
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Reversible USB

The iPhone 6’s packaging might not only include a redesigned smartphone, but a redesigned USB to Lightning cable. While it’s unlikely that Apple will yet-again change the Lightning port introduced with the 2012 iPhone 5 anytime in the near future, a redesigned version of the USB plug could be ready for this fall. Sketchy photos of a reversible USB cable first surfaced on the web last week, and Sonny Dickson yesterday shared another shot of the cables via Twitter.

Like the Lightning connector, the benefit of a reversible USB connector is that it can be inserted into a USB port in either direction. This makes it easier to insert the connector in darkly lit or hard to reach places (like behind a desk). Due to uncertain sourcing, the first batch of photos did not seem completely believable, but digging a little deeper into the situation reveals that Apple readying a reversible USB iPhone cable is a real possibility…


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Review: Blue’s Mikey Digital now has Lightning support, but is it worth the money? (Video)

Avatar for Dom Esposito Aug 6 2014 - 6:55 am PT
6 Comments

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Blue Microphones is known for its high-end studio mics and, in recent years, iOS recording accessories. Not too long ago, I had a chance to check out Blue’s Spark Digital which is a USB/Lightning/30-pin microphone compatible with a wide range of devices. Today we’re looking at something a bit more portable.

Blue’s Mikey Digital is a stereo condenser microphone. It’s now available with a Lightning connection and will provide on-the-go high quality audio for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. So what makes Mikey Digital so special? Well, let’s find out…


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Review: uNu’s UltraPak portable batteries can be recharged up to 8X faster than the competition (Video)

Avatar for Dom Esposito Jul 29 2014 - 8:55 am PT
1 Comment

Screen Shot 2014-07-29 at 4.27.29 AM

In my opinion, the worst part about having a portable battery pack to charge up your devices is making sure it actually has juice. I have a few battery packs around the house, but whenever I go to use them, they’re always dead. Sure, that’s my fault, but most of them take quite a while to charge. Thankfully, uNu has come up with a better solution…


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As iPhone 6 enters production, even more internal components leak

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jul 24 2014 - 9:34 am PT
21 Comments

Both NowhereElse.fr and Apple.club.tw have published images of a myriad of alleged iPhone 6 components. This includes pictures of home buttons, ribbon cables and other elements of the device. Yet another photo of the iPhone 6 design is also included, this time shown off in the gold styling. The hole for the Apple logo is also visible, as discussed a few days ago.

The two home buttons, pictured above, differ slightly different in their construction, clearly meant for two different form factors of device — if any more evidence for both 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch phones was needed.

These disparate photos don’t reveal anything particularly outstanding about the upcoming phones, but it’s just the last bit of a very long timeline of leaks. With the phones entering production, these leaks will only continue.

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Kensington Lightning dock $20, Incase backpacks 50% off, Sony 4K AV receiver $220, more

Avatar for Apr 4 2014 - 10:02 am PT
2 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

kensington-absolutepower-iphone-stand

Kensington AbsolutePower iPhone dock with built-in Lightning port and AC adapter $20 shipped (Reg. $50)

incase-best-buy-saleSelect Incase MacBook backpacks and cases 50% off at Best Buy

sony-str-dh740-4k-receiverSony 7.2-Channel 4K AV Receiver $220 shipped (Reg. $300)

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

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9to5Toys Last Call: 2 Nest Protect alarms $200 ($60 off), Seagate 4TB internal HD $150, Jawbone Big Jambox $214, more

Avatar for Mar 21 2014 - 9:57 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

nestLast Call updates:

tanga-incase-saleIncase Mac Accessories: 70% off and higher today and tomorrow only


Daily Deals: Beats by Dre Tour $59, JBL Lightning speaker dock $40, Otterbox Armor Series $25, more

xbox-one-titanfall-console-bundle-dealGames/Apps: Xbox One Titanfall bundle $450 (Reg. $500), Earth Defense Force 2025 $40, Osmos $1, iOS freebies, more


Other great deals from today:


More great deals still alive:

New products/info: