Wave of Accessories For New iPad Swells

By John Laposky On Mar 26 2012 - 4:01am

NEW YORK — Besides ringing up record first-day sales and garnering mixed reviews, Apple’s new iPad was also greeted with a steady stream of accessories to meet the demands of its growing user base.

Within hours of the new iPad’s debut, protective cases dropped from Scosche, M-Edge, Targus, Proporta, XtremeMac, Kensington, Case-Mate, Cygnett and iLuv, among others (see www.twice.com for a photo gallery of the new cases).

In addition, the subsequent two weeks saw a number of other vendors enter the fray.

Griffin called it new Survivor case “the most protective case we’ve ever built.” The hard shell is a shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame clad in shock-absorbing silicone. A built-in screen protector seals the iPad’s new Retina display from the outside environment, while hinged plugs seal the dock connector, camera lens, headphone port, hold switch and volume controls. The included stand clips on, then folds open for landscape viewing and typing.

The Survivor is certified to meet or exceed the U.S. Department of Defense’s military standard 810F for extreme conditions. Survivor was also independently tested and verified to meet or exceed environmental testing standards for blown rain, blown dust and grit, vibration, shock, temperature and humidity, the company said.

Videos and test results are available online at www.griffintechnology.com/armored.

Griffin is also shipping its IntelliCase for the new iPad, a stand and foldable folio case with back shell and automatic wake-up closure. The back shell is protective polycarbonate and the front is made of flexible micro-tectured TPU, which folds back to make an upright workstand. Magnets in the front cover wake the iPad when the case is open power it off when the case is closed.

The Sound Cover, from Onanoff, is an ultra-thin thermoplastic iPad shell with built-in rechargeable flat NXT stereo speakers. An integrated brushedaluminum speaker stand supports the iPad in multiple positions and acts as a bass booster.

The Sound Cover shows much improved low frequency performance as it reaches down to approximately 150Hz compared with the iPad’s speakers, which reach 400Hz, Onanoff said. Male vocals sound fuller and more natural, while low frequency instruments sounds are reproduced more accurately.

Much of the high frequency performance of the iPad built-in speakers radiates to the side of the user, so any high frequency output only reaches about 10kHz. In contrast, the Sound Covers boosts high frequency performance up to 15kHz, the company said.

It’s available on Kickstarter.com for a $110 pledge. There is also a Bluetooth edition for wireless audio connectivity. A $165 pledge buys the Bluetooth edition.

Comprehensive Cable is Offering a USB charging adapter for the iPad, for those who wish to charge their device from a USB-equipped PC or older Mac. Since standard USB ports cannot provide enough power to fully charge an iPad, the bridge device boosts the USB ports’s 500 milliamps of power to charge an iPad in six to eight hours. Charging continues even after the iPad goes into sleep mode, the company said. The adapter is white and weighs about a quarter of an ounce.

Tracmac Engineering is offering its Billet Dock, an iPad and iPhone charging dock/stand machined from a single billet of aerospace-grade aluminum, to emulate Apple’s minimal design philosophy, the company said.

It’s fitted with support cam pad that spins, giving a continuous range of support settings, allowing the dock to suit different thickness cases and different model iPads and iPhones. To switch from one to the other a user just rotates the cam support. The friction level is controlled by internal springs which hold the device stationary.

An internal resonance chamber enhances audio quality by amplifying the iPad’s sound without using extra energy. During physical testing Tracmac found the acoustic chamber and vents add an extra 10db of sound.

Tracmac suggests using the Billet-docked iPad as a second screen for a computer, using Air Display or Display Link apps available on Apple’s Apps store.

The company is also offering a Duplex Billet Dock that will house both an iPad and the iPhone at the same time.

The Billet Dock and Duplex Billet will be available on Kickstarter.com. Tracmac anticipates pricing of $97 for the Billet Dock for iPad, $85 for the Billet Dock for iPhone, and $140 for the Duplex. They will be offered in five finishes: matte aluminum, anodized pink, anodized black, and anodized red, plus a special edition Kickstarter lime green.

Kensington followed up its new iPad cases announcement with a new keyboard case folio.

The company’s KeyFolio Expert Multi Angle Folio & Keyboard for new iPad a is multi-angle folio case with a secured frame, integrated magnetic closure, a microfiber protective interior and a one-touch pairing Bluetooth tactile keyboard. It folds flat for in-case use and will retail for $110. A version that accommodates earlier model iPads with a multi-suction grip pad is also available for $110.