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Griffin and ShopKeep POS have partnered up on a new iPad stand with integrated credit card reader, designed to be a physical point of sale terminal for retail stores.

The stand will be available only to ShopKeep POS customers beginning this quarter.

Durability and secure credit card transactions are often the main concerns merchants have for their POS system. Griffin's Kiosk Retail addresses these pain points with an integrated magnetic card reader and impact-resistant housing for the iPad. For secure transactions, the built-in magnetic card reader is TDES encrypted and has DUKPT key management, similar to the current MagTek® swiper that ShopKeep POS offers.

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"We researched many POS companies before selecting ShopKeep POS as an exclusive launch partner for the Kiosk Retail in the United States," said Dean Shortland , Director of Business Development at Griffin Technology. "We are devoted to creating intuitively designed solutions that enhance user experience and the simple and powerful solutions that ShopKeep POS offers to small businesses fit well with our company focus. Plus, with over 3,500 merchants across the country, they are the leading iPad POS company in the US, and we are looking to scale our solution quickly."

The press release does not share details about pricing or how the stand actually connects to the iPad, whether through Lightning/30-Pin ports, or via the headphone jack like Square's more portable card reader does.

Griffin yesterday announced (via Engadget) the forthcoming launch of its PowerDock 5, a $99.99 charging station that organizes up to five iOS devices in the space otherwise taken up by one iPad laid flat.

PowerDock 5 is the ultimate space-saving, countertop charging and storage solution for up to 5 iPads. Designed for convenience and efficiency, PowerDock 5 contains five charging bays large enough to accommodate an iPad encased in even the largest of cases, including Griffin's own Survivor case. When not in use, PowerDock 5 keeps all the users' device cables tucked away and organized, ready for use at any time.

The PowerDock 5 will launch later this spring.


Griffin PowerDock 5
Griffin is also introducing several other charging accessories at CES, including the PowerBlock wall charger ($29.99) and PowerJolt car charger ($24.99). Both devices include Griffin's new "ChargeSensor" technology that automatically senses a device's power profile and charges the device accordingly.

All mobile devices have specific charging profiles that dictate how much, and how quickly, they can charge. Most chargers are designed with a one-size-fits-all approach which typically does not support the requirements of each individual device. Griffin's new ChargeSensor technology senses the requirements of any device plugged into it, providing optimal charging for all USB-chargeable devices.

Both the PowerBlock and PowerJolt will also be launching in the spring.

As, noted by Engadget, Lego has announced Mindstorms EV3, a new line of kid-friendly robotics designed to introduce children to building and programming robots while also attracting hobbyists and other robot enthusiasts.


The new Mindstorms system is powered by the EV3 Intelligent Brick, which features an ARM9 processor, 16MB of flash memory, 64GB of RAM, and the ability to function without the PC that previous Mindstorm systems have been dependent on. Lego has been producing Mindstorms since 1998, but the EV3 is the first version that can be programmed without a computer.

The Intelligent Brick offers full compatibility with iOS and Android devices right out of the box, and a new infrared sensor provides additional control over robots. Mindstorms EV3 also features Linux-based firmware, a USB port, and an SD expansion slot.

We are equipping today's tech‐literate generation of children with a more accessible, yet sophisticated robotics kit that meets their tech play expectations and abilities to truly unleash their potential so that they may surprise, impress and excite the world with their creativity.

At launch, the set will include building instructions for 17 robots, like "Reptar" the robotic snake that slithers and "Everstorm" the mohawk-sporting humanoid that can shoot mini spheres while it walks.

Lego has partnered with Autodesk to incorporate its first set of 3D building instructions, which will be released in the form of an iPad app.

Lego Mindstorms EV3 will be available for purchase in the summer of 2013 for $349.99.

IDEO founder David Kelley had a wide-ranging interview on tonight's 60 Minutes in which he speaks about his relationship with Steve Jobs, the creation of the first Apple Mouse and more. Kelley and his company, IDEO, were integral in Apple's early history and designed the first Apple Mouse, the Lisa and more.

Kelley talks about Jobs and how he was very specific in wanting things, which isn't a surprise as there have been numerous stories of Jobs calling up people in the middle of the night finalizing details for various products. Kelley also talks about their personal relationship and how Jobs advised Kelley to seek western medicine to treat his wife's throat cancer and how Jobs tried to set up an original iPhone for Kelley by calling AT&T.

"The day after the iPhone was announced, he had one for me. You know,  your own iPhone given to you by Steve Jobs the day after it comes out - it was a lovely feeling. So he decides to hook it up for me, so he gets on the phone to AT&T and he's going to hook up my phone and it's not going well.

Eventually he pulls the 'I'm Steve Jobs' card, you know, he says to the guy 'I'm Steve Jobs.' I'm sure the guy on the other end says "yeah buddy, and I'm Napoleon" like get out of here. Yeah, but anyway he never did get it hooked up. No, not that day."

The Steve Jobs and Apple parts are at the 3:00 and 7:42 marks. The rest of the video focuses on Kelley's early life, IDEO's process and his new relationship with Stanford.

HAPILABS HAPIfork (via The Verge) is an electronic fork that is designed to monitor eating habits with built-in Bluetooth, a capacitive sensor, and a vibration motor.

HAPIfork provides information about eating schedules and alerts users when they are eating too fast, a leading cause of weight gain, according to the manufacturer.


The fork measures each movement from fork to plate, which is recorded as a "fork serving." The fork monitors how long it takes to finish a meal, the number of fork servings eaten per minute, and the interval between each fork serving.

All of this information is uploaded through USB or Bluetooth to an online dashboard. The fork is also designed to work with the HAPILABS app to provide a coaching program that encourages better eating.

HAPIfork will retail for $99.99. The USB version will ship during the second quarter of 2013 and the Bluetooth version will ship during the third quarter of 2013.

The trade organization behind the USB 3.0 specification has announced a new upgraded spec that promises higher data speeds over backwards compatible connections.

The new spec enhanced SuperSpeed USB 3.0 spec should deliver a 10 Gbps data rate -- the same as current Thunderbolt connectors -- though don't expect it any time soon. The new protocol should be finalized sometime in 2013, with initial products featuring the connector appearing in late-2014 or 2015, reports CNET.

To take advantage of the double-speed USB 3.0 interface, devices such as computers, hubs, and digital cameras will need new USB controller hardware. However, the new version of USB 3.0 uses the same connectors, so existing USB devices can be plugged into the higher-speed ports.

USB 3.0 cables may or may not work. "Existing SuperSpeed USB cables are not certified to operate at 10 Gbps; it is possible that some existing SuperSpeed USB cables may be capable of operating at 10 Gbps," the group said.

The new devices should be backwards compatible with older USB hardware, though not at the upgraded speeds.

Thunderbolt, which moves data at up to 10Gbps in both directions, appears mostly on Apple devices currently, but devices tend to be more expensive than their USB 3.0-compatible counterparts. However, Thunderbolt does have a strong ally in Intel, with the company pushing the standard heavily.

Parrot, the company behind the iPhone-controlled AR Drone quadricoptor, has debuted its new Flower Power project at CES 2013.

The system consists of a two-pronged Bluetooth monitoring device that sticks in the soil, and an iPad app. The Verge has a rundown on how it works:

Simply place the Flower Power device — which looks like a colorful leek — in the soil near any of your plants, pair the device with your iPhone or iPad, and you can track all of your plants' needs from anywhere. Once you've paired the device with your phone or tablet, you can choose your plant from a library of about 6000 plants, and if you're not certain of your plant's name, you can search by leaf type, color, and a number of other options.

The app is updated every 15 minutes, pulling information from the device about the sunlight the plant receives, the ambient temperature, and the moisture level and fertilizer content of the soil.

When plants need attention, the app will provide push notifications, and an included graph allows for the long term tracking of plant health. According to CNET, the tongs can be moved from plant to plant and the system also works with lawns.


There is no word on a release date or pricing, but Parrot hopes to bring Flower Power to the market sometime in 2013.

Withings today announced its new Smart Activity Tracker, which is designed to measure heart rate, monitor sleep quality and food intake, and track movement.

Health monitoring devices have seen a surge in popularity of late, with offerings like the Jawbone Up, the Nike Fuelband, and the Fitbit One.

The Smart Activity Tracker, which is designed to clip to clothing or fit into a pocket much like the Fitbit One, is the first health monitor to also measure pulse rate. It has a touch-sensitive front allowing for navigation between functions and a heart rate sensor in the back that is activated when a finger is placed on it.



The tracker uses Bluetooth Smart (4.0) to sync to Withings' Health Mate app, and has an estimated two week battery life.

Withings has also introduced the next iteration of its smart scale. The Smart Body Analyzer WS–50 now tracks air quality and heart rate in addition to changes in weight and body fat.

Both products will be available at CES this week, which begins on Jan. 8 and ends on Jan. 11. The Smart Body Analyzer is expected to go on sale this quarter for $150, while the Smart Activity Tracker is due before the end of March. At this time, no pricing has been announced.

One of the technologies that we've been looking forward to becoming more prevalent in iOS accessories is the incorporation of low-power Bluetooth 4.0, now known as Bluetooth Smart. The technology allows for low-power long term connectivity between your iOS devices and your accessories. Kickstarter-backed e-paper Pebble watch was one example that generated an enormous amount of interest with over $10 million in pre-sales.

ConnecteDevice today announced the worldwide launch of their COOKOO watch which also begin life as life as a KickStarter project.


The company describes the watch as a designer watch that combines analog movement with a connected digital display. By using a freely available app, users can pick and choose which notifications that appear on their watch.

The watch can display notifications for:

- Incoming Calls
- Missed Calls
- Facebook Messages and Posts
- Calendar Reminders
- When a Smart Device (iPhone, iPad, etc..) is out of range
- When a Smart Device (iPhone, iPad, etc..) is low on Battery

It also has a customizable command button which can find your phone, snap a photo, check-in to Facebook or tag your location on a map.


The watch uses a standard button-cell battery that will last up to one year. It is scratch resistant and water resistant. COOKOO supports the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad mini, iPad (4th & 3rd generation), and iPod touch (5th generation). The watch is priced at $129 in 5 different colors.

ConnecteDevice says the watch is shipping now and they will be showing it at CES 2013. Based on comments by early Kickstarter backers, it seems there are some dropped-connectivity complaints with the first version of the software that the company says they are addressing in an upcoming update.

Gotta charge ‘em all

For those of you who simply must have all your devices – and a few on loan from a friend too – by your bedside all night, every night, here’s a new thing you’ll see at CES this year: the Easy-Doks CR19.

What it lacks in catchy name it more than makes up for in multi-tasking charging oomph. The CR19 can charge three devices at once, comes with a Bluetooth keyboard, AUX connector, speakers, and an FM clock radio (how quaint).

The plain old CR19 with three charging ports will set you back about $85, available in stores from February. There’s a six-port option (equally nattily named the “CR34″) for about £100 too.

It’s not clear whether either model comes with built-in Lightning connectors for the latest iOS devices – if not, that carefully arranged mountain of chargables might end up looking a little bit more like a muddled heap of cables and adaptors. But hey, all of us have desks/rooms/houses like that already. Don’t we?

Source: Press release

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