CES 2015: Griffin Unveils Line of New Charging Accessories Optimized for iOS Devices [iOS Blog]

Accessory maker Griffin Technology today unveiled four new products at CES 2015, including its five-slot PowerDock Pro charging station, its three-port PowerBlock 3 wall charger, its PowerBlock Wall Dock for holding a device up on the wall during charging, and its 12-volt PowerJolt Premium car charger.





Griffin's PowerBlock 3 wall charger allows users to charge up to three devices at one time with 10 watt ports, and features a space-saving design with ChargeSensor technology that can detect and optimize charging for smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and more. The PowerBlock 3 will be available in Summer 2015 for $39.99.





The PowerDock Pro charging station contains five slots and ports for users to store and charge their devices from one power source, and offers 12 watts of charging power with ChargeSensor circuitry that optimizes charging for every device. Each charging bay is designed to accommodate devices without having to remove them from a case, and the PowerDock Pro contains a built-in cord management system and a hidden compartment for cable storage. The PowerDock Pro will be available in Fall 2015 for $129.99.





Next up, Griffin's PowerBlock Wall Dock is a charging accessory for propping up and holding a device when it's charging on a wall, leaving the touchscreen fully visible for information. The dock features 12 watts of charging power and a four foot long Lightning cable that detaches. The PowerBlock Wall Dock will be available in Fall 2015 for $34.99.





Finally, Griffin's PowerJolt Premium is a 12 volt car charger that features a four foot long cable covered in a braided nylon jacket to prevent tangles. The Lightning connector itself is also reinforced with a durable aluminum housing to ensure durability, and the PowerJolt Premium also comes in a detachable power cable version. Both versions of the PowerJolt Premium will be $34.99 when they are released in Fall 2015.

CES 2015: Withings Reveals 'Activité Pop' Watch with Activity and Sleep Tracking Capabilities [iOS Blog]

Withings today revealed its new Activité Pop wearable at CES 2015, which is an analog watch that contains advanced activity and sleep tracking capabilities. The Activité Pop is a follow up to Withings' Activité watch which was revealed last year, and comes with a lightweight design that features a swappable silicon strap, a body that is water-resistance for up to 30 meters, and a battery that lasts up to 8 months.





The watch contains two hand dials, with one hand dial showing the current time and a secondary hand dial tracking activity and progress as determined by Withings' Health Mate companion app. For example, if a user sets 10,000 steps as a goal in the app, the secondary hand dial moves as steps are made, and the watch vibrates when a goal is achieved. During the day, the watch can automatically track swimming and running and tracks sleep quality at night with all info available through Health Mate.



The Activité Pop will be available to purchase online in the United States from BestBuy.com on January 5th for $149.95, and will be available at Best Buy stores in March 2015. The watch will come in three color choices including "Azure", "Shark Grey", and "Sand."

Internal Foxconn Sketch Said to Be of Apple's 'iPad Pro' Surfaces

A new internal sketch of Apple's larger-screened iPad Pro has surfaced by way of a Foxconn worker (via Nowhereelse.fr , Google Translate), showing what may be our first look at the large tablet and its physical features.





The employee who captured the sketch notes that initial testing phases for the larger iPad were halted last summer after Apple received new prototypes, but adds that mass production on the device will begin soon. The source also notes that the tablet will be between 6.9 and 7.5mm thick, and feature four integrated speakers with two on the top and two on the bottom.



Previous rumors have suggested that the iPad Pro is expected to feature a screen size between 12.2 and 12.9 inches along with an A8X processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Most recently, Japanese magazine Mac Fan published possible schematics of the upcoming device, which suggested that the tablet would carry a 12.2-inch LCD display and carry the name "iPad Air Plus".



It is currently unknown as to when Apple would launch its larger-screened iPad, with reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggesting that the tablet would not enter production until the second quarter of 2015 due to increased attention on iPhone 6 Plus production. However, with the supply of its larger phone greatly improving as of late, it is possible that Apple is now ready to put its full production efforts towards its larger iPad for a launch later this year.

Seagate Debuts iOS-Compatible Storage Option, Personal Cloud and Ultra-Thin Portable Hard Drive

At the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, tech companies often take the opportunity to unveil new products. Well-known data storage company Seagate is no exception, and is introducing three impressive new products at the show.



The new 500GB Seagate Wireless portable hard drive is the company's latest HD designed specifically for use with tablets and smartphones like Apple's iPad and iPhone, introducing additional storage at affordable price. Available in five bright colors (lime green, cool blue, slate gray, fire-engine red, and white), the hard drive offers a nine hour battery life and the ability to store media like photos and videos, which can be streamed directly to an iOS device through the Seagate Media app.





It includes a new auto backup feature for making a secondary copy of photos and videos, and it can be used for storing documents and other file types. Because it has built-in Wi-Fi, the Seagate Wireless does not need an existing network connection. The Seagate Wireless will be available in January for $129.99 from the Seagate website and through retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.



Seagate's second product, the Seagate Personal Cloud, is designed to offer an alternative to traditional server side cloud-based storage. The Personal Cloud allows users to backup their computers (with the Seagate Mobile Backup app) and store content securely on a dedicated hard drive that's located within the home rather than on a server.



Content can be accessed outside of the home much like any other cloud-based storage option through the Seagate Media app, and as a home media storage option, it can stream video and play full HD content with no buffering or lag.

Seagate Personal Cloud demystifies the often frustrating process of finding, accessing and enjoying photos, videos and music on the device of your choice. Once connected to a wireless router and after a free download of the Seagate Media app, users will be treated to an intuitive, media-rich browsing experience that makes playback of content an effortless and enjoyable experience.

The Seagate Personal Cloud can be used with any device that's supported by Seagate Media apps, including Smart TVs from Samsung and LG, many consoles, streaming media players like the Chromecast and Apple TV, and smartphones and tablets like Apple's iPad and iPhone.



The Seagate Personal Cloud can also be set up with a secondary backup to other popular cloud services, like Amazon S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more for additional offsite protection. There's also a Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay option available with two internal drives for duplicate storage.



Seagate's Personal Cloud will begin shipping to retailers in January, in 3TB, 4TB, and 5TB capacities with pricing starting at $169. The Personal Cloud 2-Bay will be available in 4TB, 6TB, and 8TB capacities as well.



Seagate's most notable product this year is the Seagate Seven, which the company is calling the world's thinnest 500GB portable hard drive. At just 7mm thick, it uses Seagate's latest mobile hard drive technology and is aimed at tech enthusiasts who want the thinnest devices. With a brushed aluminum finish, the hard drive is ultra portable and is, according to Seagate, the culmination of 35 years of experience.





The Seagate Seven will be available at the end of January for $99.99 from the Seagate website and from retailers like Amazon.



Seagate is also debuting several new LaCie products, including the designer LaCie Mirror hard drive and the LaCie Rugged RAID thunderbolt hard drive.

LaCie Unveils Designer Mirror Hard Drive, New Rugged RAID Thunderbolt Drive [Mac Blog]

LaCie today unveiled two new products ahead of this week's Consumer Electronics Show, including the new LaCie Mirror, a hard drive encased entirely in Gorilla Glass, and the LaCie Rugged RAID Thunderbolt hard drive, the newest product in its Rugged collection.



The LaCie Mirror is a 1TB hard drive that's designed to be fashionable as well as functional. Created by product designer Pauline Deltour, the LaCie Mirror features a mirrored design that comes with an accompanying ebony stand.

"You have to look twice to discover the LaCie Mirror's true ambition," said Deltour. "Covered by mirrored glass, it's first an elegant and functional object, and only on second glance is it revealed to be a slim high-performance hard drive."

Through a collaboration with Corning, the LaCie Mirror is encased entirely in Gorilla Glass 3, making it ultra durable and resistant to chips and scratches. The 1TB LaCie Mirror will be available in late January for $279.99 from the LaCie website.



LaCie's second new product is the 4TB Rugged RAID Thunderbolt hard drive, which LaCie is calling the fastest HD available on the market with upload speeds that reach 240MB/s. Like all of LaCie's Rugged lineup, the new bus-powered Thunderbolt drive includes an aluminum shell that's encased in orange rubber for maximum protection and portability when used in the field. At 4TB, it includes two 2TB hard drives with RAID 0/1 options to optimize for speed or data security.





Aimed at audio/photo/video professionals and those who often travel, the Rugged RAID is the first mobile RAID hard drive with Thunderbolt and with resistance to shock, dust, and water thanks to its rubber casing. LaCie's Rugged RAID 4TB Thunderbolt hard drive will be shipping during the first quarter of 2015 for $449.



LaCie's parent company Seagate is also introducing several new products, including the Seagate Seven, the Seagate Personal Cloud, and the Seagate Wireless hard drive for iOS devices.