Yesterday, at the San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Apple revealed the newest generation of their iPad – simply named “the new iPad”.

Thanks to the hard work of our Vendor Relations team, we were able to announce yesterday hundreds of products compatible with the new iPad are available for order, as well as a number of accessories from over a dozen manufacturers that are made for the new iPad. We are pushing to get new items into stock as soon as possible.

You can check out the accessories for the new iPad here:

Made for the new iPad
Compatible with the new iPad

What’s new in the new iPad?
While the announcement didn’t fulfill either of the “iPad 3″ or “iPad HD” rumors, it did fulfill the leading rumor of an updated display – the new iPad is packing a Retina display, making this the most pixel-packed tablet on the market. The 9.7-inch screen hosts 3.1 million pixels for a 2048 x 1536 resolution — that’s 264ppi. The screen also boasts improved color saturation. And how will the new display keep up? The new iPad has an A5X processor and quad-core graphics chip.

Other notable hardware additions include a new iSight camera on board, which is quite similar to the camera inside the iPhone 4S. It’s a 5MP camera with a backside illuminated sensor and a five element lens. It’s also capable of capturing 1080p video.

On the software front, there were some significant additions to iWork and iLife, most notably to iPhoto. A new and improved UI, as well as some strong photo editing tools will help any iPhoneographer (ok, and iPadographer) edit and tweak their photos with ease. It doesn’t appear that Siri will make a full debut on the iPad just yet – however, the keyboard now features a brand new dictation key that lets you speak instead of type. The new software inside will also let you use the iPad as a portable WiFi hotspot… so long as the carriers will support it. It even has the ability to recognize at least some bezel gestures, as revealed during its iPhoto demo.

Finally, the new iPad will have the new connectivity options of LTE. It will feature 21Mbps HSPA+, but it’s also rocking an LTE radio, which claims to be capable of downloading 73Mbps on both Verizon and AT&T here in the US.

With all of the added features, Apple still maintains the iPad will have 10 hours of battery life. The lengthy battery life, as well as the updated camera are likely the reasons behind the slightly increased weight and 0.6mm thickness increase.

The new iPad will be available March 16th, starting at $499 for the 16GB WiFi model and scaling up to $829 for the 64GB version with 4G. So, on the price front, nothing has changed. Pre-orders started yesterday in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, with much of the rest of the globe to follow on March 23rd.

Apple TV
During yesterday’s event, Apple also announced a new generation of their Apple TV, which most notably features 1080p and a new user interface. The new Apple TV is available on March 16th for $99.

Apple’s Tim Cook took the stage at Apple Town Hall this morning, delivering his very first product introduction as Apple’s chief executive officer, “Let’s Talk iPhone”.

While Cook kicked off and finished the presentation, it was a tag team effort to introduce to the world the iPhone 4S. From Phil Shiller to Scott Forstall, there were many faces introducing the many new additions to the best selling smartphone of all time.

Here are a few notable features:

iPhone 4S
• A Dual-core A5 chip promises to deliver up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics
• Siri: an intelligent assistant that allows you to use your voice to use your phone. It figures out the right apps to use to find the right answer. Then, just like a personal assistant, it answers you. Siri can make phone calls, send messages, schedule meetings, set reminders and more
• An 8-megapixel resolution and custom (f/2.4 aperture) lens. Improved backside illumination senseor, new auto white balance, better color accuracy, and reduced motion blur
• Video recording in 1080p HD
• iOS 5 (notification center, iMessage, twitter integration, Reminders, upgraded photos app, camera enhancements, Newsstand, Safari improvements, and PC Free set-up and updates)
• iCloud (all your content, pushed to all of your devices through the cloud)
• Better antenna response (up to 14.4 Mbps downloads – compare to 7.2 Mbps maximum download speed on the original iPhone4)

Check out our new category for iPhone 4S, as well as a list of all compatible products with the links below.

iPhone 4S Category | iPhone 4S Compatible Products

When searching the App store recently for some new additions to my iPhone, I came across one app that seemed too practical to pass up; like if my grandpa owned an iPhone, he would have this app – that kind of practical. The app is “AAA Roadside”, made by AAA for their legendary roadside assistance.

With this app, if you are a AAA member, you can submit a roadside claim and receive immediate assistance, even during the busiest times of day, without having to make a phone call. The app stores a copy of your AAA membership card, so you can access everything you need, even if you left your card at home.

The app is FREE, and available on the iTunes App Store now. Here’s to hoping I never have to use it!

Update: Directly after I finished writing this, I locked my keys in my car; the app worked perfectly, and AAA came to my rescue within 15 minutes.

NOCS is a high quality headphone and earbud manufacturer from Sweden with offices in the United States, and is a new vendor for Dr. Bott. NOCS makes headphones and earbuds that are priced at the high end of the range of comparable products, but deliver sound to match the price.

NOCS has four earbud sets in their line ranging from the Aluminum 200 series earbuds at $69.95 to the high end 800 series stainless earbuds at $199.95. All four sets are available in either black or white cabling and earbud fitments, and housings in either metal finish or black (with the exception of the housings on the stainless units whereby only the cabling and rubber earfits are white). Another unique feature of each model is in-line microphones, as well as iPod/iPhone controls to allow the user to control volume, play/pause/skip for music and answering your iPhone (a great feature for active types).

I was able to test the NS200 aluminum model. First off, these earbuds sound amazing with very realistic bass response (frequency of 20 Hz – 20 kHz) and excellent mid-range sound. As with many earbuds, the high frequencies can be obnoxious at times; however, with good equalizer settings, the sound of the NS200’s can be compensated to account for the high end noise. I used these NOCS NS200 earbuds with a wide variety of music and they had great sound and frequency response with slower, mellow music, as well as rap and dance music.

Another excellent feature is the in-ear fit of the rubber pieces. They have a concave shape around the speaker, which provides both an excellent fit as well as structural noise isolation on par with much more expensive over-ear headsets. I was able to wear mine for an hour with no discomfort or pressure points within the ear. Each set of earbuds comes with multiple sizes of ear sleeves for a comfortable fit, as well as a soft carrying pouch.

All things considered, the NOCS NS200’s are a solid set of earbuds. With a retail of $69.95, they may be at the higher end for most consumers, but with higher end price comes higher end sound, making them worth the extra $$ both in terms of quality of construction and quality of sound.

X-Mini claims to be the manufacturer of “The Original Capsule Speaker”. Whether or not this is true, they certainly make an attractive and capable portable capsule speaker set.

The Mini Max V1.1 speakers are attractive and futuristic looking with an open port on the top that enhances the sound. They also claim a patented BXS system, which stands for Bass Expansion System. The telescoping speakers provide a bass chamber when unscrewed and expanded to full size. Other unique features include the angled drivers which provide directional sound projection. Also, the speakers have a “buddy jack” which allows users to connect an endless number of mini speakers together in a daisy chain.

The self-powered speakers boast up to a 12 hour battery life with a relatively fast recharge time of only 2 hours – enough for a full day of sound on the go. They are also very portable when collapsed and come with a soft carrying case to prevent against damage in transit. Currently the Max speakers are available in black or red.

I played a variety of music on these speakers ranging from classic rock to R&B as well as some country music and they handled all very well. As with any small speaker, the sound quality is usually compromised, but because of the bass chamber in these speakers, the depth and richness of sound is impressive and accurate. Of course the mid and high range sounds are excellent, and for the small size, the bass response is decent. If you play at or near full volume, there is some minimal distortion, but it’s to be expected with a speaker of this size.

The units are ready to go right out of the box with a full battery charge and are easy to set up. The included cable connects to your music device with a standard 3.5mm jack and also has a mini-USB jack to charge the speaker batteries. The cable also has a built-in volume control dial that I found to be rather large and intrusive when compared to the traditional slider volume control lever found on many earbud sets. The buddy function of linking multiple sets of speakers together can be done by using the 3.5mm jacks on each speaker to daisy chain them together with an extra cable (not included). The speakers also store nicely as the accordion bass expansion system collapses; then both speakers connect magnetically to each other at the bottom creating a large “egg”, which can be stored in the carry pouch.

One design choice that some may dislike is the inability to charge the speaker batteries from an iPod/iPhone (via 30 pin connector) or from a cell phone or MP3 player (via mini-USB). Unless you have a laptop computer or other device with a USB charger, you won’t be able to charge the units when on the go. It would have been nice to see multiple charging options, including a wall charger, so you could recharge the speaker batteries when not near a computer.

All-in-all, these are an excellent value in a portable speaker system at $39.95. They produce realistic sound, decent bass response (for their size) and have the ability to connect to multiple sets of speakers if needed to produce more sound. The design of the X-Mini v1.1 speakers was well thought out, and it appears that the production quality matches the claims of the manufacturer: the X-Mini V1.1 certainly produces ’sound beyond size’.

Recently, I discovered a new iPhone 4 case from Griffin Technology. It goes by the name “Survivor” and I couldn’t agree more. This case lives up to its name and then some!

First, I need to fill you in on my history with Apple’s iPhone product lines. I have no shame in admitting I’ve owned each and every one of them. Yes, I’m “that guy” who waited in line for hours on launch day hoping to be lucky enough to walk away with one in my hands. So far, so good – I haven’t missed out on one yet.

I’m also “that guy” who treated my iPhones as precious jewels, only to be proudly displayed and used as designed, that is, without a case. I couldn’t bear to cover it’s beauty with any type of accessory that would diminish it’s appeal. That’s what I used to believe…until my fateful introduction to the Survivor last week. The reality is that I’m a father to three boys – twin 10 year olds and a 3 year old. Not only do I have three rough and tumble kids in my house, they’re the best product testers for Apple accessories I’ve ever discovered!

Why the sudden change of heart? Simply put, my iPhone collection is a museum of what you don’t want to happen after letting kids use them unsupervised. I’ll spare the graphic details here, but the long and short is I’ve witnessed every scratch, ding, dent, scrape and crack that has ever been documented about any iPhone since 2007. A few weeks back I happened across a YouTube video from Griffin demonstrating just how well the Survivor case protected the iPhone 4 against “extreme conditions”. After watching it I realized their tests were pretty much the equivalent of my everyday life – kids, animals, extreme environments and just about every situation that could possibly void my iPhone’s warranty.

After two weeks of “real life” testing (and a bit of extra fun thrown in for good measure) I can proudly say that my iPhone 4 is in the exact same condition as it started. It finally dawned on me that a rugged case isn’t a fashion “oops”, but more like an extended insurance policy and an excellent conversation starter to boot! I can still carry it in my front jeans pocket, the multitouch controls still perform as if it had no case and I don’t have heart palpitations every time my kids say “oops”. People ask me every day – “what’s that case on your phone?” and I happily demonstrate the abilities of the Survivor.

I could go on and on about how I intentionally throw my iPhone at walls, slam it against solid steel tables and have skip it across the warehouse aisles, but I won’t. Let’s just say I’ve “tested it thoroughly” to real life standards…

The proof in the pudding for the Survivor case is the pink one I just bought for my loving wife. She works at a local elementary school with 600 kids between 6 and 11 years old. I think her iPhone goes through far more real life abuse than I could ever invent!

Last week, Apple delivered an uncharacteristically forthright press release, announcing OS X Lion, iOS 5, and iCloud as their topics for the annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) Keynote address, scheduled for June 6th (today).

At the WWDC Keynote at 10am yesterday morning, Steve Jobs and company went in depth on all three, as well as revealing “one more thing”: iTunes Match.

We’ve aggregated some notable details below:

OS X Lion | View Apple’s Product Page Here
• New Gestures (multi-touch gestures: tap to zoom, pinching, two-finger swiping)
• Full screen applications (improved useablility and switching between full screen programs)
• Mission Control (brings Expose & Spaces together, multiple views of apps, widgets, etc.)
• App Store (now built-in to Lion; they’re adding in-app purchases, push notifications, and there’s a built-in sandboxing mode to boost security)
• Launchpad (more effective gestures to view different applications and pages; when you launch an application in Lion it brings you right back to where you left off)
• Autosave (your files are automatically saved with built-in history; navigate saved history similarly to time-machine)
• OS X Lion is available in July for only $29.99

iOS 5 | View Apple’s Product Page Here
• Completely overhauled notification system (notification center aggregates all your notifications; it’s accessed by swiping down from the top status bar, notifications viewable in lockscreen)
• Twitter (integrated with a number of apps, including Camera and Photos – tap the action button, hit “Tweet” and it’s attached)
• Safari – Safari Reader, Reading List, and tabbed browsing
• Updated Camera (camera button on your lockscreen, volume button takes picture, in app editing, & more)
• Cutting the cord: PC Free syncing (set up your device, sync calendars and other apps, including your iTunes library over WiFi)
• Reminders (you can store lists of things, assign a reminder to any dates, and even assign a location with geo-fencing)
• Game center updates (purchase and download games directly from Game Center, see scores of friends’ friends, and more)
• iMessage (new messaging service between all iOS users…supports iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, 3G and WiFi)
• iOS 5 will ship this fall to the following devices: iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, iPad 1 and 2, and iPod touch 3rd and 4th generation

iCloud | View Apple’s Product Page Here
“We’re going to demote the PC and the Mac to just be a device. We’re going to move the digital hub, the center of your digital life, into the cloud.” – Steve Jobs

• iCloud stores your music/pictures/contacts/calendars/and other documents “in the cloud”…it automatically uploads it, stores it, and pushes it to all your devices
• The MobileMe apps have been re-written from the “ground up” to work with iCloud
• Access and download your iTunes music to individual devices wirelessly (need that one song while on a road trip without your computer handy? No problem)
• iCloud will be available at no cost this Fall

One more thing…iTunes Match
• iTunes Match is a service that upgrades all of your music files to 256 kbps AAC and lets you enjoy the benefits of iTunes to all your music as if all your music were purchased via iTunes
• iTunes Match will be available this Fall for $24.99 per year

What does this mean for all of us? With this slew of significant updates to Apple software for Macs, iPods, iPhones, and iPads, we can expect that Apple sales will not be slowing down anytime soon; and due to the number of changes to iOS and to cloud-based syncing, is is evident that the digital lifestyle is continuing to become increasingly mobile. Apple has given everyone more evidence they are not slowing down, and we aren’t either. As Apple continues to increase their influence in the industry, it gives all of us in the Apple ecosystem that much more opportunity to do the same.

Please visit the links to Apple’s product pages above for more information.

I like fashion as much as the next girl, so when it comes to electronic accessories, I try my hardest to find things that are unique and fashion-forward. One brand that always seems to have the perfect mix of function and style is Speck. Speck has been making amazing products since 2001, and has been a clear favorite of mine since I’ve worked for Dr. Bott. Everyone here jokes that I must secretly work for Speck since I try to get everyone to buy their stuff!

One item in particular that I have been really impressed with is their A-Line bag for iPad and Netbooks (Macbook Air 11’s and 13’s also fit…mostly). While traveling to both CES and MacWorld in January, I needed a bag to carry around my iPad that I could also use as a purse. Speck’s A-Line was the perfect choice. I have the grey with purple interior (it’s available in three colors). A flap opens on the front to reveal pockets for your valuables and a padded compartment for your iPad or laptop. Best of all, no one knew that’s what it was made for! I got multiple compliments on the bag, and was happy to tell everyone where I got it!

So if you’re a lady and you don’t want to lug around the typical black industrial looking carrying case for your iPad or laptop, go with the fashion-forward option of the A-line from Speck. Don’t worry, you’ll look cooler than everyone else in the office.

Apple today updated their iMac lineup, with new features added to both the 21.5″ and 27″ models.

Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster thanks to next-generation quad-core processors.

And thanks to the new AMD Radeon HD graphics processors, the new iMac touts the most powerful graphics ever in an all-in-one desktop, delivering up to three times the performance of the previous generation.

The new iMac line also gets a FaceTime HD camera as well as the latest Thunderbolt I/O technology. The 21.5″ iMac has a single Thunderbolt port while the 27″ features two Thunderbolt ports, meaning it will be fully ready for a wide array of Thunderbolt compatible accessories (which will hopefully be seeing the light of day some time soon).

Here’s the breakdown:

21.5″ 2.5GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6750M, 500GB, $1199
21.5″ 2.7GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6770M, 1TB, $1499
27″ 2.7GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6770M, 1TB, $1699
27″ 3.1GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6970M, 1TB, $1999

Core i7 Processors are available as configure-to-order options.

You can access all of our iMac compatible accessories in our new iMac category here.

With the release of iPad 2 from Apple, everyone’s thoughts go to “what cool stuff will I be able to get to use with my cool new iPad?” To be honest, everybody and their brother makes, or can make, an iPhone or iPad case. Sadly, most of them are done poorly and made of cheap materials. Some people (like the folks we carry), do it better, using quality materials like genuine leather, wood, and high quality plastics. However, the point is this: the market is flooded with accessories for these devices and the question remains “which one do I choose?” As for non-case accessories, the public’s demand for a pen-like device to help with use on their touchscreens is on the rise.

The idea of a stylus has been around for a long time: big fingers on touchscreens make for misspelled words (I remember my dad’s PDA…yeah, that’s right, a 1990’s PDA). We need a stylus to make it possible to type something coherent. These little writing sticks have manifested themselves and gained different uses for tablet devices (like the iPad), smart phones (like the iPhone) and even gaming systems (like the Nintendo DS). The opportunity for success with a product like this is large, especially since tablet devices are still gaining popularity in businesses and even schools. In the current market, I see four front-runners in design and functionality (that all happen to be available at Dr. Bott!) Each is great for it’s own purpose:

1) The standard was pretty much set with Ten One Design’s Pogo Sketch and Stylus. These are far and away our best-seller across our entire collection. They have two models, the Sketch and the Stylus. The Sketch has a pen clip, while the Stylus is a little shorter without a clip. They both come in a variety of colors and have the right price for an impulse buy.

2) Griffin’s new Stylus has been much more popular than we had ever expected. This stylus is more ‘pen-like’; it’s longer, with a clip and a rubber tip. It currently comes in black, BUT word on the streets (and the Griffin website) is that they are going to be coming out with a whole line of fun colors! I’ve already asked for my sample of the aqua one!

3) JustMobile has taken the idea of a Stylus and flipped it with it’s chunky aluminum Stylus. They remind me (in a good way) of those huge pencils that you used to use in elementary school, the ones that are about twice the width of a normal pencil. And although the rubber tip is larger than the rest, the sensitivity is just as precise.

4) As most women know, a purse is another word for a black hole. And the thing that gets lost the most in said black hole are bobby-pins and pens. Now, Dr. Bott can’t really help with the bobby-pins, but how about simplifying life by selling a pen that is also a Stylus! Kensington’s Virtuoso comes in two colors and best of all, opens to have an actual ink pen inside! With a pocket clip as well, it’s one less thing to lose in my purse.