7 GREAT iPAD ADD-ONS

Apple redefined the gadget accessories market with the iPod; here are some of the iPad’s greatest hits What is AirPlay? AirPlay allows music streaming throughout your home over Ethernet or Wi-Fi. It also sends track info and album artwork to compatible kit, and a single iTunes device can stream the same track to multiple AirPlay music systems simultaneously.     1 iXtreamer 13,000 (est) | amp3.co.uk A sensational box of tricks that’ll sit under your TV. Dock your iPad to play the good stuff thereon through your telly, stream media from around your home via UPnP over Ethernet or plug in a hard drive loaded with images, music and videos. It’s not fussy about formats.     2 Blue Lounge Nest 945 | bluelounge.com Just like a sanctuary for your Apple products, the Nest protects your iPhone and the iPad with a single, multifunction. You could keep your little wares in the cubby hole while the iPad holder creates the perfect angle for typing or swiping through the screen.     3 Crux360 US$150 | cruxcase.com Converts your achingly ‘now’ iPad into an achingly ‘then’ laptop. The iPad slips in to the screen frame, hooks up via Bluetooth and becomes a fully QWERTY’d road warrior ready for serious business. The swivel hinge lets you watch movies and such, just like on an old-school tablet.     4 Twelve South BookArc 2700 | twelvesouth.com This simple solution to the universal problem of docking the iPad is a no-brainer. An Arc with a slot cut out for the iPad’s landscape or portrait orientation allows you to watch movies in unprecedented style, and with minimalism.     5 Akai SynthStation49 15,000 (est) | akaipro.com Used with the SynthStation app, you can record MIDI tracks direct from the velocity-sensitive keyboard and drum pads. Plus, thanks to CoreMIDI compatibility, it works with all kinds of other iPad apps, including stage lighting control.     6 Twelve South BookBook 6300 | twelvesouth.com You might run the risk of being branded as Gandalf, but if you wish to protect your glassy iThingy, the BookBook case provides the perfect alibi in the form of antique literature. Not only will it avert onlookers, it will also boost your credentials... B&W Zeppelin Air 44,888 | bwspeakers.com  The ‘world’s coolest hi-fi’ is a fully-featured, 150W iThing dock with the added, and we must say very neat, ability to wirelessly stream tracks from any iOS device (including the iPad) or a PC or Mac running iTunes. How? Via Apple’s AirPlay streaming tech… <