Accessories

Adobe Steps into Making Creative Hardware

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Photoshop maker Adobe makes first steps into the hardware business with "Project Mighty" and "Project Napoleon"-- a pressure sensitive stylus and a small digital ruler designed for use with the company's tablet applications.

Project MightyThe Project Mighty is a so-described "cloud pen" with sleek, Apple-style industrial design. It connects to tablets and the internet via Bluetooth and allows one to not only draw more naturally on tablets, but also bring up content from the cloud (such as drawings, colour swatches or settings) with the press of a button.

Adobe does not provide exact specs for the pen, but says it includes a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth LE connectivity and an unspecified amount of built-in storage.

Meanwhile the Project Napoleon looks like a 3-inch ruler (hence the name) but is actually more of a digital protractor. It creates a digitally projected edges, making the accurate drawing of shapes and lines on the display easier.

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An Intelligent iPhone Case

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Colorado-based OtterBox launches what it claims is an "intelligent" iPhone 4/4S battery case-- the Defender Series with iON Intelligence. 

OtterBoxThe case combines a rugged protective case with a built-in 1450mAh lithium-ion battery and power management app to provide plenty of power and protection to customers' iPhones. 

“Customers are wanting to do more with their OtterBox Defender Series,” OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas says. “They are on the go all the time now; they don’t have to worry about data, they always have to worry about battery life. We believe the Defender Series with iON Intelligence to be the perfect union of hardware and software. It is the most accurate, personalized power profile on the market.”

The "intelligence" in question automatically charges the device (until either full charge or up to two hours of charge time) when power levels drop to 60%, while the app allows users to monitor the power status of both phone and case batteries. 

Ten LEDs provide a quick case battery charge reading (in 10% increments), and case charging and syncs come through included micro USB cable.

Go iPhone 4/4S Defender Series with iON Intelligence

The Future of Batteries: Small in Size, Big in Power?

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University of Illinois researchers create tiny lithium-ion batteries able to out-power even the most powerful capacitators-- batteries few millimetres in size able to recharge mobile devices "in the blink of an eye."

Ion CrossingThe key to the batteries' power is a redesigned cathode and anode structure. While standard li-on batteries consist of a solid lithium salt cathode and a graphite cathode, the University of Illinois battery uses a nickel-tin anode and manganese oxide cathode with a 3-dimensional internal microstructure.

The result is porous electrodes with a massive surface area allowing for more chemical reactions to take place, which results in a massive boost to power output and charging.

The first battery using the technology is a button-sized number the researchers claim combines the power output of supercapacitators and the energy storage of fuel cells.

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King of Protection: Protecting Mobile Displays the German Way

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What's your definition of a low risk, high margin business?

How about a Coupon System that offers retailers the widest range of high quality protection films for their customers who buy or own mobile devices?

Crocfol offers a range of protection films for mobile devicesCrocfol Germany saves their retailers from any inventory risk through a Coupon system that offers the customer a protective film specific to their model of mobile phone. The customer redeems the Coupon online and Crocfol mails the order from Germany.

So there's never the cost of inventory: the reseller simply displays and sells the 6 different Coupons available.

That's important in a product range where you need 3400+ different films to match the different displays on a variety of devices from mobiles to laptops and touch pads that need protection.

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Mobile Juice Anytime, Anywhere

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Lilliputian Systems claims it has a solution to your customers' mobile device power troubles-- the Nectar, a plug-less personal power device able to power devices for up to 2 weeks.

NectarCompatible with all USB 2.0 devices, the Nectar does not require access to a power socket to operate. Instead it uses "Power Pods," charge cartridges based on thin-film Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology.

Charge cartridges are hot-swappable and recyclable but not user rechargeable, meaning one needs to have a supply of cartridges on hand if they want to keep devices running.

The company claims the Nectar is x6 more efficient than traditional chargers plugged into wall outlets and cuts the carbon footprints of CE device charges by 83%, meaning it should also be of interest to more eco-conscious customers.

The Nectar and companion Power Pods should start shipping from Q3 2013.

Go Nectar