Gone are the giant dinosaurs known as desktops, but we may have gotten overzealous when we banished the keyboard from our touch screen-populated lives. And while there are plenty of products trying to fill that all important accessory’s place, the $99 CruxENCORE means to best all of them. A follow-up from the company’s CruxSKUNK but for the iPad Air, it also dons precision designed button, speaker, lighting and camera-port features, aircraft-grade 6063 aluminum construction, eight color combinations, Bluetooth connectivity, raised keys to emulate the Macbook typing experience, and a 3600 mAh Lithium-ion battery that provides a month of life. The most unique of the CruxENCORE’s features, however, is the locking, 360-degree hinge, which holds your iPad in any position without letting it tipping over, and latches shut, keeping your screen safely locked away. There are also stylus, sleeve and bag accessory options. This is a strong value compared to other iPad keyboards, like 2012’s Brydge, which has built-in speakers, but doesn’t lock, has only 180 degrees of hinge movement, and is over twice the price.
Tag: iPad
Ever notice how so many iPad cases aren’t nearly as functional and cool as the iPad itself? Presenting the DuCase, an iPad case with a hinge providing 270 degrees of rotation so that a perfect angle is possible for every activity. Most iPad cases only provide two or three angling options, so the This allows it to be used in a range of pictured scenarios such as hanging off the foot of a bed.. The DuCase works with iPad versions 2, 3, 4, Air, and Mini. Pricing is a bit higher than other premium cases at $50 and a DuCase with genuine leather costs $65. Upon reaching a funding goal of $50,000, the DuCase will be available to backers in June 2014.
A follow-on product from an Edingburgh design team that created a way for food servers to carry trays above their head with one hand, the G-Hold makes the iPad less awkward to hold in one hand. There are other such products, today and others coming, but some aren’t easily removable or rotatable. The launch video, which includes some cute scenes, shows some of the many scenarios for the product and (shaky) video shot while using it. Creator Allison Grieve is offering the G-Hold with either an adhesive (£13) or microsuction (£19) back as well as integrated into a leather carry case expected for delivery in April 2014.