Apple recently launched their new Lightning connector for with their latest iOS products like the iPhone 5, iPad Mini and iPod Touch (5th generation), which is the first time they changed the dock connector in 9 years. Before, it used to be the universal 30-pin connector, but now that new products will feature Lightning, many users will have to get new docks, cables and adapters to charge their new Apple products. Here’s a rundown of what’s available on the market right now. But expect other third-party manufacturers to come out with loads of more Lightning compatible products.

Docks

21. ElevationLab Elevation Dock

The recently modded to accommodate a Lightning cable, the popular solid aluminum Elevation Dock is now available for the iPhone 5 and comes in a variety of polished and matte finishes. Prices go from $89 to $109 depending on the finish you want.

20. iPhone5mod Flash Lightning Dock and Dock Pro

The third-party manufacturer has its iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock for $40 with the cable (half that without) and its iPhone Dock Pro that comes with a Lightning or Micro USB port and work pretty good considering the low price.

19. Braeburn Acoustics iPhone 5 Dock

For $24.95, you can get the Braeburn Acoustics iPhone 5 Dock in a variety of finished and it includes a a built-in acoustic amplifier that provides an 8dB boost without using power. It also is designed to work with any case and includes a 1/4-20 threaded fitting for mounting to tripods. Family packs of three to five docks go for $69.95 or $99.95, respectively.

18. The Lightning Dock

With a couple of finishes sold out (like the hardwood and brushed ones, the The Lightning Dock is actually still shipping their aluminum bead and black aluminum bead finishes of its streamlined aluminum dock for $34.95 without a cable. The others should be restocked soon after the rush for iPhone 5 users subsides.

17. Belkin Charge + Sync Dock with Audio Port for iPhone 5

The Belkin Charge + Sync Dock with Audio Port for iPhone 5 for $29.99 allows your to charge and sync your iPhone 5 or iPod Touch (5th generation) with the compact and stylish Belkin Charge and Sync Dock. If you want to listen to music while your iPhone is docked, just connect headphones to the audio port on the back, or connect to your stereo system with an AUX cable, then the Audio jack folds down back into the base if you just want to Charge and Sync.

16. Philips Speaker Docks with Lightning Connector

Philips released a number of new docs that feature a Lightning Connector, such as their bedroom DS1155, Room-to-Room DS3205, Portable DS7580 and a high-end Lifestyle Music System DMC2067. These Lightning-equipped iDevice companions will be available this month starting at $90 for the DS1155 and $130 each for both DS3205 and DS7580, while the more powerful DMC2067 is yet to receive a price tag of its own.

15. JBL OnBeat Lightning Venue iPhone 5 Speaker Dock

JBL was actually the first company to boast a lightning speaker dock for the iPhone 5, with the flagship model being the OnBeat Lightning Venue. The speaker system features a tray that slides out and displays the Lightning dock so you can charge and playback music from your iPad Mini, iPhone 5, 7th generation iPod Nano and 5th generation iPod Touch, with four speakers inside. Now available at retailers for $199.99.

14. Bose SoundDock Series III Lightning Compatible

Bose’s SoundDock Series III has a Lightning dock that replaces the now old generation 30-pin connector, and keeps features from Series II. It has the same remote control size, proprietary acoustic design and “a unique combo of small size and proven performance.” It retails for $250.

Charging Cables

13. iLuv EnergySeal Micro-Car Charger with Lightning Connector

The iLuv EnergySeal Micro-Car Charger with Lightning Connector retails for $44.99 and is a car charger for your Lightning-connector-equipped iPhone, iPad, or iPod. They also have their Premium Coiled Charge/Sync Cable for $30.

12. iPhone5Mod Retractable Lightning to USB Cable

$10 gets you the iPhone5Mod Lightning to USB Cable which isn’t bad for the price!

11. Ionic USB Car Charger/Home Charger with Lightning USB Cable

For only $34.95, you get a bundle that includes a USB wall charge and car charger with the Lightning cable from Ionic (the car charger by itself sells for $24.95).

10. Belkin Car Charger with Lightning Connector for iPhone 5

The Belkin Car Charger with Lightning Connector for iPhone 5 sells for $29.99 and is small but powerful. You get unlimited play and standby time with the low-profile design that sits flush in your dash. It’s reversible, which makes plugging it in easier than ever.

9. Belkin Car Charger + Lightning Charge Sync Cable for iPhone 5

For $39.99, the Belkin Car Charger + Lightning ChargeSync Cable for iPhone 5 with the included 4-foot Lightning to USB cable can charge your iPhone 5, iPad with Retina Display (4th generation), or iPad mini at the fastest possible speed. The smaller, more durable Lightning connector is also reversible, which makes plugging it in easier than ever. Yet the USB Port is universal, so you can still charge your legacy Apple devices with a 30-pin cable or other devices that use a Micro-USB cable. And the included 4-foot Lightning to USB cable can be used anywhere—plug it into your laptop to charge and sync, or use your own wall charger to charge from the wall.

8. Scosche iPhone 5 Lightning Accessories

Five new iPhone 5 compatible devices have been announced by Scosche that are all geared at charging the phone with Lightning compatibility. They are all capable of juicing up your iOS device and all deliver up to 12W of power. There’s the strikeDRIVE car chargers: strikeDRIVE 12w for $29.99 and the strikeDRIVE 12W+12W for $39.99 and the strikeDRIVE 12W Pro 12W+12W for $49.99. For home there’s the wall plug-ins: strikeBASE 12W for $34.99 and the strikeBASE Pro 12w+12w for $49.99. Finally, there’s the strikeLINE Pro, which features the same microUSB to Lightning plug, and a retractable cord that extends up to 3-feet.

7. Griffin Lightning Connector Cables

Griffin’s new made for iPhone-certified charge/sync cables for your new iPhone, iPod touch or iPad are now available in these popular configurations. There are a variety of connector cables including: 2′ straight USB-to-Lightning cable for charging on the road; 3′ straight USB-to-Lightning cable; 4′ coiled USB-to-Lightning cable for charging in your car; and 9.8′ (3 meter) straight USB-to-Lightning cable that’s great for home, dorm or office use. You can choose from coiled or straight options and price starts at $16.99 and goes up to $18.99.

6. Apple Lightning to USB Cable

Apple’s Lightning to USB Cable  connects your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to your computer’s USB port for syncing and charging or to the Apple USB Power Adapter for convenient charging from a wall outlet for $19.

Adapters

5. Apple Lightning to 30-pin Adapter

The Apple Lightning to 30-pin Adapter retails for $29 and lets you connect devices with a Lightning connector to many of your 30-pin accessories.

4. Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter

Use the Lightning Digital AV Adapter with your iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, iPhone 5, and iPod touch (5th generation) with Lightning connector, which supports mirroring of what is displayed on your device screen — including apps, presentations, websites, slide shows, and more — to your HDMI-equipped TV, display, projector, or other compatible display in up to 1080p HD. The Adapter is $49 at the Apple store.

3. Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader

The Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader allows for easy use when downloading photos and videos from your digital camera to your iPad or iPad mini so you can view them on the gorgeous iPad display and share them with family and friends. It’s sold for $29 at the Apple store. After you insert the SD card into the reader, your iPad automatically opens the Photos app, which lets you choose which photos and videos to import, then organizes them into albums.

2. Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter

With the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter, it’s easy to download photos and videos from your digital camera to your iPad with Retina display or iPad mini. It’s at the Apple store for $29.

1. Apple Lightning to Micro USB Adapter

You can use the this adapter to connect an iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to a micro USB cable to sync and charge, or to a compatible micro USB charger to charge your device and it’s only $19 at the Apple store.

A video camera that can be used for surveillance needs to be designated for that purpose: trying to adapt a webcam or other camera can be an exercise in futility. That’s especially true today where mobile devices like smartphones and tablets can use a surveillance app tied into a specific camera. For that reason, and more which will become evident shortly, I prefer using Swann’s ADS-440 SwannEye Camera.

To start, looking at the camera, it won’t win any design awards. It’s a fair-sized hunk of plastic with a dome-like lens on a rotating plate. The box it comes in also has mounting equipment — should you wish to place it on a wall or other vertical surface — along with instructions on disc, a manual and an Ethernet cable. The only part that must be attached by hand is the short antenna, which screws on the back. It’s here that inputs are found for audio, along with a power port and Ethernet port.

First find the location to place the Swann ADS-440 SwannEye Camera. Obviously it needs to be within the range of the wireless home network. However it first needs to be installed/configured and for that it needs to be placed next to a computer/laptop.

There are two methods for installing the SwannEye. The first involves using the included software disc that is designed for PC use, with the second being a bit less hand-holding for Mac users (a stand-alone program). In the case of PCs, the program takes the user through the installation and then provides the needed “hooks” so it can be used with the users’s home network, be it wired or wireless. For Mac users, the stand-alone program brings up the camera’s IP address which, when clicked on, brings up a web browser page with the varying choices for installing for wired or wireless. In either case, the single most important thing to do is change the default user name and password from the default.

The camera is assigned a unique IP (Internet Protocol) number — this remains constant even when it is unplugged and plugged back in (or loses power and reboots). Because of this, it’s possible to use a standard web browser on a computer/laptop to access a set of commands that can be used — these include viewing from the browser or viewing the image as if from a mobile phone (useful if using such instead of an app for viewing). Making a note of the IP address will be helpful, as will remembering the user’s name and password, since this will be asked for each time the browser is accessing the camera.

The use of the Swann ADS-440 SwannEye Camera is intuitive and simple; providing you have properly configured the mobile application if it’s being used. Most will find, as I did, a mobile phone (iPhone — but there is also an Android app that behaves in the same manner) the best “screen” for viewing the camera in action. This is party due to the app not  being configured for an iPad (and so having to be used in 2X mode) and also since the phone’s screen is more than big enough to show the view. The camera can be remotely tilted and panned — or allowed to do both continuously in a 180 degree arc — with individual photos “taken” when a touch-screen button is pressed. The basic controls for remote viewing work through a compass-like direction pad that responds to being pressed: turning the camera left or right and up or down in minute increments. Additionally,  the built-in motion detector can be activated for sending an email message (or recording to a computer) when something crosses its path.

As noted above, the initial setup requires the camera to be physically connected to the home network through an Ethernet cable (directly to a computer or through a router). Once done, the camera can now be disconnected and then relocated at a new location and used wirelessly.

The setup that I used involved having the SwannEye placed next to a window overlooking my balcony (the camera is not water resistant and it’s rainy season here in SoCal). From this vantage point the fixed focus lens of the camera could take in most of the balcony. The only really useful setting I found on the app was that of changing the size of the image being displayed — there was no reason not to go with the highest (640) since primarily what was seen was static. But since viewing over the Internet can cause delays in the image being presented (depending on many factors outside the user’s control), it might be best to work with lesser settings when there is to be action. Either way, from the web browser’s initial setup, adjusting the frame rate of the idea will play a more significant part in how the image is viewed – going with real time video is fine if you’re in the local network, but can result in a jerky image if you’re viewing it outside the local network.

The infrared illumination kicks in when the light level drops at the front of the camera’s sensor. It takes a bit of getting used to when seeing the IR image — it’s very “X-files” ish but as long as the image being broadcasted is fairly close to the camera and the resolution of the image itself is not a the lowest setting, you can quickly determine whether the object is a person, a prowling cat or otherwise.

A more revealing test had me place the camera so that it could watch my two dogs while I was out — they tend to hang out on the kitchen floor’s linoleum so I placed the camera on the counter at one end.  If I had used another camera I would have needed to be more precise in aiming the lens, but here I was counting on the remote pan and tilt capabilities. These worked while I viewed the kitchen remotely through Wi-Fi: pressing the pan/tilt controls required a bit of patience as the response was not immediate, although the video was, if a bit choppy at times. This remote control over where the lens is aimed really makes the camera useful when out and about.

Editor’s Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Great

Bottom line: The Swann ADS-440 SwannEye Camera performs surveillance in a straightforward manner.  Considering its physical capabilities, and as long as only one area needs to be covered, the retail cost of $129 is more than a bargain.

Pros

• Remote viewing not dependent on third-party server
• Microphone and speaker capabilities

Cons

• Does not work with cellular connections

Like every other New Year, resolution posts are most likely clogging up your Facebook homepage or Twitter feeds. And at the top of practically everyone’s 2013 resolution list is a proclamation to lose weight and get fit. As gyms across the globe are jam-packed with New Year fitness enthusiasts, health store shelves are wiped clean and all your friends are out buying workout equipment, we thought we’d save you some time (and even money) by compiling a list of cool iPhone fitness apps to aide in your New Year’s workout regime (that is if you keep it up past January).

20. Hundred PushUps

For those who are serious about getting in shape, Hundred PushUps is a six-week training program that will help you complete 100 consecutive push ups! The app provides a detailed plan, while all you have to provide is plenty of discipline and about 30 minutes a week to achieve this goal. Get the training app for $0.99.

19. Endomondo

Endomondo is a feature-loaded app for outdoor exercise that tracks what you’re doing – whether it’s running and cycling to swimming and windsurfing You can find popular routes near you, challenge your friends, or join their teams. It can also connect to heart rate monitors or cycling cadence devices, and it can import stats from the RunKeeper app, among many others. Another great thing is that it’s free with the option to upgrade to the pro version for a fee.

18. Jefit

The free app was designed for bodybuilders and has some pre-designed routines you can follow and edit, or you can make your own from the list of more than 500 exercises. Each exercise in Jetfit as an animation and some procedure tips, and they’re searchable by what specific muscle you want to work and what equipment you have access to. You can log what you did, rest between sets and sync your data with JEFIT.com. The pro version costs about $5.

17.  Workout Trainer

Get  hundreds of workouts that are guided by dynamic audio and visuals aimed at giving health nuts an easy way to exercise, regardless of how much time they have, or what equipment they have with the Workout Trainer. The free app looks great, and if you upgrade to its  premium service (there’s several packages that are about $9), bland voice-overs are replaced by actual coaches and instructional videos. Users can create their own workouts, adding it to the startup’s sizable multimedia exercise library, get reminders on your phone, via email, Facebook and Twitter, and share progress with friends.

16. iFitness

iFitness offers more than 230 exercises sorted by body regions or muscle group plus 100 instructional videos. Users can add and edit custom exercises of their own. It also features 12 routines created by fitness experts, workout and weight logs, graphing technology, the ability to e-mail said workout logs to yourself, stop-watch timers and more for $0.99.

15. Zombies, Run!

This app provides a fun way to exercise. Zombies, Run! is an ultra-immersive running game and audio adventure, co-created with award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman. The app delivers the story straight to your headphones through orders and voice recordings – and when you get back home, you use the supplies you’ve collected while running to build and grow your base. Get it for $3.99.

14. GymGoal 2

GymGoal 2 is a premium workout helper. From an extensive animated exercise database, workout scheduling, progress tracking, tracking measurements – this app has it all. This is the most powerful, expandable and adjustable fitness/bodybuilding app. Despite the long list of features, it is easy to use and intuitive and costs $4.99.

13. iTreadmill

With the iTreadmill app, you can track your steps, distance and average speed. one is. You can even set the Pacer Dial, which ticks off beats to keep you marching up to speed. The counter automatically pauses when you stop and restarts when you move again. Get it for $1.99.

12. Fleetly

Fleetly puts a bit of competition into your workout regime. Earn points, join virtual teams and compete in challenges, all while tracking your progress.It’s one of the best apps for social workouts and now features better data trackers. Download it for free.

11. Remix Workouts

With Remix Workouts, you get more than 0,000 different exercise combinations featuring real-time video and audio instructions. It’s like an ever-changing exercise DVD. Maximize your workout time, while you also increase your endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Unlock new moves as you progress to provide even more variety in your workouts (up to 25,200 combinations). The app also includes exercise modifications to adapt to your fitness level. The 3 circuit workouts are complete, always different, intense, short, portable, ideal for small spaces, and do not require a gym or specialized equipment. You get 2 free workouts to try out this app, then will have to pay $9.99 to keep it.

10. Gym Ball Workouts!

Most gym-goers know how to do a basic crunch on a Swiss ball, but Gym Ball Workouts! allows you to get more ideas of what you could do with your ball, like yoga, Pilates, sports conditioning and more for only $2.99.

9. Vitogo

Input your fitness level and goals and Vitogo will generate a series of workouts for you to try. You get to track of your goals on their native program, or sync it up with another app, like RunKeeper.

8. fitID

fitID is like the virtual version of your Crossfit gym or Zumba class.  The free app doesn’t  just track your progress, but also compares your workouts to what you should be doing, according to the workout system you’ve selected.

7. Cardiio

Cardiio provides your heart beat numbers without having to be wired up. It can interpret your heart rate simply from the way light is refracted on your face in photos taken on your iPhone 4S camera. Just hold your phone and look straight into the camera to get your reading, then check out the dashboard to see how it changes over time. Get it now for $2.99.

6. Pocket Yoga

For $2.99, the Pocket Yoga guide features an extensive dictionary of yoga poses and terms and exceptional yoga instructors that lead you through three different variations of yoga, three difficulty levels and three durations.

5. Couch to 5K

Couch To 5K pledges to help even the most devoted potato coach to get moving with enough consistency to run a 5K race in just nine weeks. Those who already run 5Ks can bump up their racing to 10K in the same time frame. The app features virtual coaches, recorded mantras, a native music player and graphs to not only record workouts, but track progress.

4. RunKeeper

For those who just can’t stand the gym, tracking your workouts is easy with RunKeeper since it uses your phone’s GPS system to help track anything you can do outside — walk, run, bike or hike. The free app allows you to see detailed stats around your pace, distance and time, as well as listen and control music while you work out. It also has in-app purchases for those wanting more from the app.

3. Nike Training Club

Professional athletes and Nike’s top trainers have created hundreds of workouts for women, all in a well-designed database with the Nike Training Club app. Plug in your current fitness level info and get moving. Get lean, toned and strong with more than 114 custom-built workouts. Unlock exclusive workouts from Rihanna’s personal trainer Ary Nuñez and professional athletes like Paula Radcliffe and Hope Solo.

2. All-in Fitness Pro

Get the All-in Fitness Pro for $9.99, which combines all the tools you may need for working out and tracking your progress – at home, in a gym or wherever you want. You can  log your body shape measurements and track changes on graphs; plan workouts in advance with the help of the calendar and read up on fitness articles. It also has in-app purchases that range from $2.99 to $49.99.

1.  Fitness Builder

The app is free to download for now (you get a month free trail), but FitnessBuilder has in-app purchases that range from $9.99 all the way to $299.99. The price may seem steep but this is the mother of all fitness apps with more than 200 workouts (that an be picked automatically by the app’s technology to create the best session for you), 2,0000 images and videos, five fitness timers, complete tracking capabilities, an arsenal of calculators and the ability to ask their exercise physiologist a personal question.

Talk about “using the good sense God gave you.” Looky-here look-i-here…! The forward thinking folks at Canopy have cooked up some sumptuous fondle-friendly innovation. It’s a touch-sensitive iPhone case! It’s so simple, it’s genius.

The Sensus Smartphone case grants added touch sensitive interfacing with your mobile device by gesturing right there on the case itself (Remind anyone else of the PS Vita?). The touch inputs are on the back of the case and the right side. This opens the door to endless new ways to utilize and interface with your iPhone. Use your thumb to move up and down the right side of the case and produce a familiar scrolling effect. Stirs fond memories of the old RIM and Blackberry days.

Currently in this pre-release stage, there are several dozen supported apps and Canopy promises more apps are being added to support Sensus everyday. From the video above we see Sensus lending touch functions to maps, adventure and driving style games, basic scrolling and navigation functions and more. Hopefully more developers and software engineers will get behind this cool new interface that also acts as a nice attractive protective case for iPhone or iPad.

And here’s a morsel of media for the those interested developers!

Sensus will be available for consumer purchase this Summer 2013 and currently supports iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5. iPad Mini and iPod Touch (5th gen) versions are also in the works. An iPad Retina model is also under consideration.. We will keep our eyes out for the Canopy folks this week at CES.

You know what your smartphone needs? It needs a new way to push your all-important notifications. Notifications are, in a way, an app’s bread and butter. The more efficiently they can push your crucial notifications the more efficient that app, depending.

Enter Endliss and their disco-themed, LED-laden protective case for iPhone 5. The Endliss Smartcase is stylish, yet familiar from the front. Turn it around and it’s platform shoes and strobe light time. The LED lights on the back make for a completely new way to receive those notifications. The LED lights can even form shapes and images, further expanding the way you get your alerts and “dings”. Endliss promises the Smartcase will play patty-cake with Facebook, Twitter, text messages, incoming calls and emails, with different notification options for each.

The secret tech is not so much so. The Smartcase speaks to your iPhone 5 via Bluetooth 4.0 and can even patch into your phone’s time-keeping app to display the time in LED-illuminated sorcery. The Smartcase is also supplied with its own 12500 mAh battery, which even extends the battery life of  your iPhone.

Pricing TBD

iBattz introduces a rugged way for your mobile devices to stay powered-up. The iBattz Battlestation Tough Pro 12000 is a portable 12000 mAH portable battery that can charge an iPhone up to 8 times before needing its own recharge. It can also simultaneously charge two USB devices and is housed in a rugged drop and water-resistant silicone shell made especially for outdoor and emergency use.

iBattz had this to say about the Battlestation Tough Pro 12000:

“Whether you’re headed on a long plane ride, going on a camping trip or weathering an electrical outage, the BattStation Tough Pro 12000 will get your devices through it with a full battery,” said Richard Martin, President, iBattz North American operations. “We listened to the needs of our customers and created a power source that could keep their devices charged at all times, regardless of the circumstances.”

The BattStation Tough Pro 12000 provides quick charging capability for power-hungry phones and tablets by providing 2.1A and 1A USB power ports. It is available in 7200mAh, 8400mAh and now the 12000mAh configuration. They are available at Amazon.com and iBattz.com for a MSRP of $29.90, $39.90 and $49.90, respectively.

iBattz is currently showcasing the scrappy little buggers from their booth at CES in Vegas. For more information visit http://www.ibattz.com/

More companies are embracing the camera found on everyday mobile devices, in quite literal ways. G-Form, savants of sport protection in a myriad of forms, is very much one of these companies. They make protective padding, sleeves for laptops, and premium rugged mobile device cases for iOS and Android devices. The company is heralded for their protecting cases’ Reactive Protection Technology. This tech has preserved iPhones dropped from 1000s of feet. Impressive stuff!

But today the company has pulled back the veil on their new G-Form G90 case. Consulting with “extreme” athletes for a year, the company has toiled to produce the very first protective case that transforms a smartphone or iPod into a sports action camera. The product wields a number of patent pending technologies to maintain aerodynamics and a diminished form factor so all devices can be flat mounted. It can snap images at a 90 degree angle. But more impressive, the G90 sports tech that can increase the field of view on a device lens and capture your favorite fast-paced action in a 140 degree wide format.

The case can attach to virtually any surface, even the underside of a skateboard deck or a helmet. The impact technology maintains the company’s rugged and resilient standards. It’s also waterproof with the enclosure or remove it for a free-er skeletal back.

G-Form had this to say on the G90 Sports Camera Case:

“Many people have tried to use smartphone or iPods as sports cameras with cases and mounting systems, and it just doesn’t work due to the very awkward non-aerodynamic shape of the devices in normal video orientation and the narrow field of view – not to mention the risk of breakage.  The G90 case solves all those problems.”

Working and playing on the go, over competent mobile devices is real fun stuff-until you hit the ceiling for your storage capacity. When purchasing phones, tablets and laptops we try to aim as high as our wallets will fire. But often our ambition out distances our range. A wizened man would scoff at our storage dilemma, probably calling it “entropy” or something enlightened and equally annoying. I just say, “sh*t happens! So wear a raincoat.” Or in this case, be ready with some sort of extra storage solution.

In this arena Seagate has something special–the Seagate Wireless Plus 1tb WiFi/USB external hard drive. This badboy, on which we spilled the beans, is fresh out of last week’s CES show. It’s a standard external USB 3.0 HDD with a built-in WiFi adapter for multiple WiFi-enabled device connections, sans the need for any sort of internet connectivity. The end result is wireless data streaming of movies, photos, files and music. At a 1Tb capacity, the Seagate Wireless Plus is a closed loop wireless repository granting remote access to a pirate’s chest worth of booty–500 mp4 movies and thousands more songs and documents can be stored. Ha, and I have a working model in my grubby hands.

In a brushed grey look, the unit is about 50% larger than the Seagate Plus 1Tb we reviewed and selected for gift guide prime time. It ships with the core Seagate Wireless Plus storage drive, USB 3.0-toSATA adapter with detachable USB 3.0 cable, small compact USB wall charger that plugs into the USB-to-DC cable, quick start fold-out sheet and a 3yr warranty pamphlet.

The Wireless plus is the veritable “negotiator” with a primary focus on cohesion of your various forms of data. Keeping the peace between Android, Windows, MAC and iOS devices, your OS allegiances are of absolutely no concern to the Seagate Wireless Plus. It even works with game consoles and Kindle Fire. When wireless, it acts as an OS-agnostic conduit for file streaming–up to 10 full hours on a full charge.

Connecting over USB is a plug-n play affair. But when connecting wirelessly, there are a few considerations. To tap into the Wireless Plus from an iOS or Android device, a companion app is required. The app is free of cost on both the Android Play Store and the Apple AppStore. A press of the of a button on the Seagate drive enables WiFi pairing. NOTE: It does take a full 60sec for the blue light to go from blinking to solid, signifying WiFi connections are possible. Then connect your mobile device to the Seagate Wireless Plus like you would any other WiFi network.

The app on both iOS and Android look virtually identical. It features media players for Mp4 movies and music files. As long as you have your files in this format, things are golden. Fighting me tooth and nail, the player would not run my .avi, divx ot .mkv files. The settings options are also limited. But in truth few adjustment–if any–are needed within the allowed format. Mp4 is super solid. However, the omission and lack of native support for other file formats is unfortunate, though not a deal breaker. Again, Mp4 is great! Plus you can download 3rd party applications that can handle multiple codecs. GoodPlayer for MAC and PC is one of these and offers secondary support for VI, Xvid, Divx, DAT, VOB, FLV, WMV , MKV, MP4, RM,RMVB, HTTP,HTTPS, FTP, RTSP, MMS, SFTP, SMB, MMSH, MMST ,RTP, UPnP and UDP. Codecs galore for your consumption!

I should mention, WiFi is NOT only for streaming content. You can also copy data wirelessly by selecting save from the pull-down menu when viewing a file or media. There are also secondary streaming options. All of the higher end 3rd party software media players such as VLC, DaumPot Player and even WMP can stream content via a URL address.  This is exactly how content streams from the Wireless Plus to your PC or laptop–over an internet browser directly via URL.

Everyday use is simple and pretty bad-ass! This thing rocks! That 60sec. transfer time it takes to enable WiFi is more than annoying at the onset. But you get used to it and learn to walk away…it helps. But this past weekend brought a work-filled picnic in the park with good food, a little tech editing and some Open Season movie viewing, all at the same time, across 2-different generations of iPads and an Android Smartphone. Playback was flawless, super smooth and went completely uninterrupted. The Seagate Wireless Plus drive is an amazing tool that allows a nature lover like myself to be among it, while still toiling away like I never left the office. In my exuberance it’s easy to forget the Wireless Plus is also a great external USB 3.0 high speed storage drive with the ability to juggle multiple system backups.

UPDATE: After speaking with a Seagate rep we now know, you can save your movies and data wirelessly. Plus 3rd party players are supported which can greatly increase the number of supported codecs, depending on the player. Thanks, Nathan and Bboy!

Editor Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Bottom Line: Read the review. There are a few niggling negatives. But this is a great device that could only get better. It’s a fantastic external High Speed USB 3.0 drive and a terrific wireless access storage solution with ample capacity.

Pros

• Wireless stream and save data w/ out internet
• Portable and easy to use
• Windows, Android, iOS, MAC OS and Kindle supported
• Multiple simultaneous connections
• Support for 3rd party video players for expanded codec support

Cons

• Few nativley supported video codecs
• Few playback settings
• 60sec. WiFi startup time

The Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB Mobile Storage drive is available at Amazon for $199.

I ditched my iPhone about 3 months ago and have no plans to turn back.  But in the event that you’re still championing Apple’s smartphone, you might want to know that the company released iOS 6.1.

By no accounts is this a massive update or one that will really have an impact on your day-to-day iPhone life.  Nevertheless, if you live in an area that didn’t previously support LTE on the iPhone 5, good news, because odds are now it does.  To quote Apple, “LTE support for more carriers (Apple previously announced that it would add more LTE carriers this week). 36 additional iPhone carriers. 23 additional iPad carriers.”  Additional updates include the ability to buy tickets through Fandango via Siri (US only), download individual songs from your iTunes Match account, and some “New button to reset the Advertising Identifier”.  Lastly, Apple has now made Bluetooth keyboards compatible with Apple TV.

The update, for those on the iPad or iPhone, should be available over the air.  Just head to Settings>General>Software Update.  If it hasn’t appeared yet, be patient, it will arrive probably before end of the day.

I don’t know about you, but I like to keep my iPad lean. I don’t feed its paltry storage capacity can handle a diet of artificial preservative data or partially hydrogenated apps. The iPad can only hold a max of 64GB. That’s not a lot to meet the needs of many expert professional level users. Teachers, service workers, business development professionals and so many more high level enthusiasts are using their favorite squared discus to complete premium tasks, which often require premium storage capacity.

This why we champion aftermarket wireless and WiFi companion storage solutions like the Seagate Plus Wireless storage drive. Yet still, in an ideal world, all we really want is more capacity on our lovely iPads. Well Apple has heard the call, recognized the ever-increasing size of data stored and has answered with the new 128GB version of the new iPad 4.

The new iPad will launch from Sprint for sure with Verizon and AT&T sure to follow (though no official word on that yet). It will fetch $799 for the WiFi-only low-end with no service and $929 for the serviced edition.

The iPad has sold 120 million units. It’s surprising we are just now fattening the capacity. Well not quite yet: the new 128GB iPad 4 will be available in white and black on Tuesday February 5th.

The new Office is coming to iOS. It’s true, although to its credit, it’s been stated already. Office 365 Home Premium will take up residence in a few new places. But when?

I grabbed the first iPad about a week after if initially launched. At the time I had returned to school for some very specific courses. These were online courses, which allowed me to be anywhere at any time and still attend class and submit homework remotely. The online schooling systems around the nation are varied but definitely a cool way for busy adults to get or refine their education. But I opted for an iPad for my mobile classroom, not a laptop.

My biggest hurdle was file management and file reading. So I downloaded and installed Documents to Go for iOS devices. This is a handy application that allows iPad users to open, edit and save an amazing amount of file formats including PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel, Jpegs, PDF, MS Access and so much more. Apps like iWork and Quickoffice Pro HD offer similar functionality. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Microsoft was swallowing its pride and planning to support Android phones, Windows phones, and iOS.

The launch is TBD and nothing has been said about how revenue will be shared between Microsoft and Apple since Msoft does use a subscription model and is very miserly about sharing with Apple.

Microsoft today, officially released the desktop version of Office 365 Home Premium. Lets hope some form of this hits other mobile devices soon.

The rumor mill is a churning again and in its muddle intrigue ferments like fine wine begging to be supped. This time what plummets down the grapevine are whispers from the house that Steve built. It seems Cupertino is gaining a new resident–but not a big one. Ye’ olde Apple TV is about to have a little brother…again. We already have a couple of Apple TV models running around the play yard. So what’s up with this new upstart?

Mac Rumors has caught wind of a FCC filing stating there is an AppleTV in the works with an even further reduced stature. The is model no. A1469. This version of the media streaming, iCloud-loving device is said to be 93.78 square millimeters. That’s not much smaller than the current smallest at 98 square mm. That’s from the 3rd generation which launched in March of 2012.

It’s all interesting stuff. Wake us when Apple coughs ups some software details. Apple TV is cool and all but it’s pretty limited in functionality. The closed and unfriendly to 3rd party-applications stance bars it from being a true mini home media center. It’s not like Apple doesn’t have the clout and the deep pockets to muscle in on the TV market in a more profound way.

There’s two distinct problems with mobile devices. The first is storage — solid-state memory is a useful addition but it never reaches the bulk found in even a small hard drive. The second problem deals with the built-in wireless technology: it requires a strong signal if streaming video is not to be interrupted during playback. Both of these issues rise to the surface when staying at a hotel (for business or personal reasons) as sometimes only a wired Internet connection is offered or the WiFi being generated is too puny to work throughout the entire space (the bathroom for example). And since whatever content is to be viewed must have been loaded in beforehand on the mobile device, just a couple of high-resolution video files can significantly downgrade the amount of space available.

For such times D-Link’s DIR-506L Shareport Go Mobile Companion is a proven success story. The Shareport addresses both of these issues in a small form-factor that can be tossed in a briefcase, bag or knapsack without fear of damage. Its use is predicated on bringing the content desired with you on a flash drive: since up to many gigabytes can be used, the mobile device itself no longer has to act as the storage space. Placing the content on the card is done in the conventional manner of using a USB port attached to a computer and dragging the contents into it.

As to the actual use of the Shareport Go Mobile Companion, the best demonstration is that of my having attended the recent CES show and staying in a hotel that only had a wired Internet connection. I had brought the flash drive with me, as noted earlier, and needed to configure the Shareport to work with the Ethernet port in the hotel room. This doesn’t require the use of a laptop, which is good since I didn’t bring one, and instead uses the mobile device. The one necessity is to have charged its built-in battery first (up to 4  hours) using a USB cable. Besides running free of any AC socket, the Shareport can share its power with a smartphone or tablet if the mobile device needs a power boost.

To gain the wireless signal from the Shareport initially, you can work with a laptop and use a web browser or use mobile apps provided by D-Link. Go into the mobile device (an iPhone in this case) and select the Shareport’s name from the wireless networks available, along with entering the password (both of these are provided). Once completed, you go to the web browser and enter http://dlinkrouter.local. Now return to the wireless network selection menu in the mobile device and choose the network that’s been created (altering network names/passwords can be done also). Accessing the Internet now follows in the normal fashion — I found that I even had a good signal when going into the bathroom (an area often interfered with due to metal pipes and other construction). I was even able to get a signal when a few feet out in the hallway. But the most important part is that the wireless signal in the room proper was full-on strong.

When in use the Shareport Go Mobile Companion provides status reports through LEDs on its front — green icons mean you have running power and working WiFi.

As noted above, the Shareport takes a flash drive for use as a streaming storage device (always plug the drive into the Shareport prior to turning it on). To access the drive’s content, a free app (Shareport Mobile) available for both iOS/Android is first loaded into the mobile device. The app syncs with the Shareport and provides a number of content-related screens: a music screen accesses music; a movie screen brings up films; a photo screen displays still images. The images displayed at full resolution and at no time did I encounter any “glitches” in the video playback. The wireless technology in the Shareport pretty much blankets the area of any hotel room, but to make it work a bit harder I had a friend lend me his 3G iPhone (which uses “G”). With the app in place, I had no difficulty in acquiring a strong and stable signal for online access and content acquisition as had been the case before with my own iPhone.

Editor’s Rating:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Very Good

Bottom line: What the Shareport Go Mobile Companion does is simple to understand, but more important is that it’s simple to use. The $89 retail price (much less “street”) is quite acceptable for a product that provides the equivalent of a portable WiFi hotspot along with that of a direct wireless transmission system and router capabilities. True its usefulness can be considered highly compartmentalized, but if you’re a “mobile warrior” then the Shareport can be an important addition to your electronic travel necessitates.

Pros

• Advanced router and media server functions are built-in
• Replaceable rechargeable battery

Cons

• Flash drive more accident prone than an SD card would be when seated

Barcelona, Spain — Displayed at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, Eyeprint is a new application currently in development by EyeVerify. The mobile application uses a device’s front or rear facing camera to capture a unique image of eye veins to verify user authenticity.

According to EyeVerify, “eye vein biometrics can deliver fingerprint-level accuracy [to mobile devices].” The company hopes to sell its application to mobile developers and manufacturers that are looking to provide a higher level of security features on their devices.

“The EyeVerify module captures as series of images, then leverages sophisticated image processing and neural network algorithms to pattern match the veins in the whites of the eyes with the templates for the subject,” according to the developer’s website. “EyeVerify then responds to the calling application with a pass/fail and a confidence interval. The calling application will decide what appropriate actions should be taken based on these results.”

The application hasn’t been finished just yet, but the company is very close to finalizing Eyeprint for its market release.

Toby Rush, CEO of EyeVerify, said in an interview with the Huffington Post, “It takes about two to three seconds for image capture (scan both eyes) and another second for local processing on a mobile phone to verify or reject a user … In total it’s about three to four seconds. As smartphone technology improves, those times will become less and less.”

Veins in our eyes grow individually and are completely unrelated to DNA-driven processes, so no two eye vein patterns are alike.

Here’s a demo of the application at MWC:

Looks like we’re getting closer to true 007 tech. Would you use Eyeprint on your device, or do you think this is something better suited for corporate use? Where else could we potentially see this technology utilized? Leave your comments below and let’s discuss it.

It’s been a few weeks, if not months since rumors of an Apple watched emerged.  Honestly, I try to avoid posting on such things since it’s largely speculation.  Nevertheless, it seems like a somewhat logical evolution when it comes to portability, though color me skeptical when and if it ever comes to me actually buying one.

Adding fuel to the proverbial fire, Bloomberg today published a report saying that the iOS watch is targeted for a 2013 release.  The Verge says that their sources are claiming the same, but unfortunately they don’t have any evidence to back it up.

Supposedly the project is being led by Jonathan Ive, Apple’s lead designer, with up to 100 engineers under him supporting the rumored Apple product.  And despite Apple’s previous iPad Nano sporting a watch like form factor and compatible UI, Apple is apparently working to retool their iOS platform specifically for the watch – makes sense since its screen will be a fraction of the iPhone 5′s.  Moreover, Apple is aiming for a 4-5 day battery life, though according to sources the current prototype is besting at 2-days.

It’s more than likely that the Apple Watch will play a supporting role to the iPhone and not include an integrated SIM chip into its body. Features would likely include email, text, and call notification, as well as a proximity sensor that notifies you when your phone is out of range.  It’s not clear how the iPhone and Apple Watch would connect, but Bluetooth is a more than likely assumption.

I still believe that an Apple watch is a wildly speculative product, and that an Apple TV, which has long been rumored, is more likely.

Still trying to decide on which smartphone OS is right for you?  Good news.  The folks at MyPhoneDeals have compiled all you need to know about the four major mobile operating systems: Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Windows.  It’s a pretty “healthy” read, so I wish you all the luck.  Full chart below.

Hint: Android and iOS are the front-runners in terms of market share, apps, and longevity. 

The scanner business may not turn heads like fondle-friendly mobile devices, but it still surprises me to see the leaps and strides made. There seems to be no limit to things you can do with lasers, lenses and a little inspiration from James Bond films. We’ve seen scanners in computer mice, the Direct to iPhone/iPod scanner and now in this gizmo.

Check out the Hammacher Schlemmer Pen Sized Scanner. By day, it’s a mild-mannered ballpoint pen. By night it’s a champion of laser-powered duplication. The Pen Sized Scanner uses  an auto-focus lens and 5-megapixel sensor to scan all sorts of things. The size is limited to what can be captured within the visible red frame, which is projected onto an object for alignment and focus. This is done by pressing the pen’s shutter button half way. It can also hold up to 1,000 pictures in (.jpeg) on its 1GB of built-in flash memory.

But you may want to save some space for possible voice recording with the pen scanner’s integrated microphone. The unit also charges and transfer pics to PC via USB. It’s made from anodized aluminum for durability and dapper looks. Compatibility extends to Mac OSX, Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP and the device comes complete with leather case and a single ink cartridge.

You’ve heard about this jailbreaking thing from your friends and the internets, but no one has really pointed out the benefits of doing so. Sure, you know it allows installation of free software, but so what; there are tons of free apps in Apple’s AppStore, right? Not to mention the common misconception of, “if I jailbreak my iPhone, won’t that invalidate the warranty” issue. Well worry not; GadgetReview has the answers you need to help guide you through the jailbreak process.

Now there are several guides online instructing you on how to jailbreak your iPhone. Unfortunately, few of them provide a complete and detailed guide on the entire process. We’re going to attempt to solve that issue with a full step by step guide including preparation requirements and explanation on why these steps should be made.

1. iTunes Navigation

Now before we begin the process of jailbreaking we need to make sure that everything on your iPhone and computer are setup to make this procedure as easy as possible. So let’s start off with opening up iTunes on your computer.

iTunes has gone through several GUI changes recently. Some like it, others don’t. I personally find it much easier to navigate through via the sidebar and that’s how I’ll be guiding you so let’s go ahead and enable that nifty feature.

In iTunes, click view and select, “enable sidebar”

iTunes should now look like this.

Now we want to make sure that your apps are updated to their most current versions. As iOS updates and allows more features, the developers of apps update to utilize these features. Since we’re going to be upgrading and jailbreaking iOS 6.1.2, let’s make sure your apps can run at their best potential. You can do this either through iTunes or on your iPhone/Pad. For the sake of keeping this guide relatively simple, we’ll be performing the updates on the iTunes end on your computer.

2. Update your apps

In the sidebar, navigate to “Apps” filed under “Library”
At the bottom right of the iTunes window, you will notice a button stating how many Apps are available for update.

Click the button and you will be taken to the “My App Updates” page displaying the apps that need to be updated. On the top right of the screen is a blue button with a downward pointing arrow labeled “Download All Free Updates”, click that and let the bandwidth flow.

If at all possible, plug in your iPhone to either your computer or to the power cube. When jailbreaking your iPhone, you’ll want your battery at a minimum of 90% charge.

3. Transfer purchases

Now that your Apps are updated and your iPhone is charged, if you haven’t already, plug your iPhone into your computer. Once you do, iTunes will take a moment to recognize your device. When it has, the name of your iPhone will be displayed in the sidebar between “Store” and “Shared”. Right click your device and select “Transfer Purchases”. This will allow any apps/music/etc. purchased on your iPhone to be moved into iTunes.

4. Backup your data

After this process completes, right click your iPhone in the sidebar again and select “Back Up”.

The Backup process creates a small file cataloging the file structure of your iPhone. It is what lets iTunes know what Apps, Songs, Ringtones, Books, etc. to load back onto your iPhone after we update to the newest iOS version.

Ok, now that we’ve got all our Apps updated and backed up, we can proceed to the actual process of jailbreaking.

5. Disable passcode lock

Pick up your iPhone and open the Settings App. We want to make sure that the auto lock and passcode options are disabled for the jailbreak.
In Settings, select “General” and then scroll down to “Auto-Lock”, set that to “Never”
Hit “General” again and select “Passcode Lock”.
At the top of the menu click “Turn Passcode Off”, once that’s done close the settings app by clicking on the home button.

Your iPhone should still be plugged in, if you unplugged it, please reconnect it before proceeding.

6. Update to iOS 6.1.2

Left click on your iPhone in the sidebar of iTunes. This will take you to the “Summary” page in the main panel of iTunes. The current version of your device will be displayed along with its capacity, phone and serial numbers. If it tells you that “Your iPhone software is up to date” and has iOS 6.1.2 displayed in bold, you can skip this step. If not, click the “check for updates” button.

If the update is available, iTunes will provide three choices, “Cancel”, “Download Only” and “Download and Update”. Click the “Download and Update” button and make sure not to unplug the device until the update has finished.

7. Download Jailbreak tool

While your iPhone is being updated, we should utilize this time to download the actual Jailbreak tool.
Open your browser of choice and navigate to evasi0n.com.

Near the top of the page and beneath the iDevice images are three buttons.

Click the button listing the Operating System you’re running on your computer to access the download page.
You’ll be directed to a page with a cloud and some moving gears before your browser reloads to Mega.co.nz.

There will be a popup asking if you want to install an extension this is not necessary. Select “No, thanks” and the popup runs away.

Now click the “I agree…” checkbox and then “Download”

Now that the iPhone has been updated to the newest iOS version, pick up the iPhone (without disconnecting it) and Select “Set up as a new device” on the device itself. Do not select “Set up as a new device” or “Restore from this backup” on iTunes yet.

8. Jailbreak your iPhone

Once your iPhone has restarted, close iTunes and open the evasi0n tool you just downloaded.

Click “jailbreak” in the evasi0n tool and sit back for a few moments.

9. Prepare iPhone file system with Cydia

Your phone will respring and be sitting on the lock screen. Slide your finger along the unlock bar and look for the “Evasion Jailbreak” icon.

Click it and wait a bit more. Your iPhone will reboot again and when you unlock it, your iPhone will be almost jailbroken.
Look for a brown App icon called Cydia and open it for the first time. Cydia will need to “prepare the file system” for a moment or two and respring again.

At this point your iPhone is Jailbroken. However, you do not have any of your apps or music installed. This is no good to anyone, now is it? Let’s get started on correcting that.

10. Restore your data

Once your iPhone has gone through its respring, reopen iTunes and right click on your iPhone again.
Select “Restore from Backup”.

In the dropdown bar displayed in the popup, select the most recent backup file. iTunes will display the date and time the Backup file was created, you want the one that says “Last backed up today…” Click it and wait…again. (I know, I know)

Once iTunes reloads everything onto your iPhone, you’re done. That’s it. You now have the power of Master Control on your iPhone. You can now install and run apps, themes and other tweaks not approved by Apple on your iPhone. You’re still able to use all your existing apps and buy new ones from the App Store, but what about all the cool stuff? In all likelihood you’re wondering what to do next. What cool jailbreak stuff do you install and more importantly, where do you get these awesome new apps.

Check out our follow up guide on our favorite Cydia Apps where I’ll be guiding you through my most used tweaks and how to use them.

“Hated it!” “Haters gonna hate!” “Drinking Hater-ade out of a Big Gulp…” The doubting-mustafas of the world are in no short supply of battle cries and catch phrases. So Apple AppStore why must you fan the flames of virtual “flaming” by accepting such a submission? It’s the Hater app by–wait for it–Hater App Inc. I wonder if they hate their jobs? At any rate “Hater” the app, is now available for download on the AppStore.

With it you can express your detest for all things — celebrities, politicians, musicians, bad service, companies, traffic, Twitter tweeters, classmates and a lot more.  I’m a pretty positive fellow. But I like this thing. It highlights the fact there is large void when it comes to how you can express yourself negatively in social media. It’s almost as if it’s mostly geared toward product marketing of some sort *GASP*. For shame! “Like” this please. “Like” that please. What about fear and loathing? As usual they’re getting pretty lonely. At least we still have Hater.

Regardless, the Hater app lets you share your hated items with people whose hatred you respect. Here’s a list of features.

• Live streaming feed of Hates from people you follow.
• Take a photo with the Hater camera, add a filter then write a comment and share what you Hate!
• Write a Hate rant and share it with the people who follow you.
• Explore the most popular Hates!
• Share Hates anonymously under an Alter Ego.
• Instant sharing to Facebook and Twitter.
• Interact with friends by exchanging comments and Hates.
• Push notifications
• Geotag and Hashtag where and what you Hate.
• And much, much more.

Apple today issued a new iOS update for iPhone users that stops would be thieves from bypassing your phone’s lock screen.  It’s not the first time Apple has slipped up and left the equivalent of a gaping hole hidden in the lock screen.  Hopefully, it’s the last.

That said, iOS 6.1.3 is available now as an OTA (over the air) update.  It also includes some minor updates for Apple maps in Japan only.

If you’re wondering what the lock screen vulnerability looked like, and how to access it (on your device), checkout the video below.