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Many New iPad Accessories
Exploring the Macworld/iWorld Expo, I found no shortage of companies releasing new iPad covers, cases, and keyboards—in hundreds of colors and styles. However, it was refreshing to see cases, covers, and keyboards that cater to iPad users with specific needs. For example, I saw specially designed iPad stands or holders for cars, music stands, speaker podiums, and kitchen cabinets/counters, along with a handful of optional keyboards.
Among these offerings, the iKeyboard ($35) stood out because it attaches directly over the iPad's virtual keyboard/screen. Unlike other iPad keyboards, the iKeyboard requires no batteries. It's a durable overlay that attaches to the iPad only when needed, and it can be removed in seconds. However, the device gives the user the feeling of typing on a traditional keyboard, as opposed to the virtual keyboard, so accurate touch-typing is much faster and easier.
The options are plentiful for battery-powered wireless (Bluetooth) keyboards for the iPad. Most sell for $69–99. Some are also built into iPad covers. Solid Line Products announced its $99 RightShift Bluetooth keyboard case, which offers a slightly different design from its competition because the keyboard itself is removable from the slim cover.
When the keyboard is attached, the iPad case folds into a compact, portfolio-style package for easy transport. However, the same case, without the keyboard, can be used for an even slimmer and lighter package to carry around when the tablet is not in use. The RightShift case also serves as a stand. The case is made from a durable black polyurethane, and the keyboard's battery lasts for about 90 hours of continuous use in between charges.
MicW Audio announced a line of incredibly tiny, professional-quality microphones that connect directly to the iPad's headphone jack, allowing users to create crystal-clear CD-quality recordings of music, lectures, meetings, and so on, using a handful of audio-recording apps on the tablet. These microphones also work with the Camera app of the iPad 2, offering dramatically enhanced audio-recording quality when shooting video with the tablet's built-in video camera. These high-end miniature microphones come in several configurations, based on the type of audio being recorded.