Mac-accessory Roundup: Wi-Fi webcams, aluminum stands, USB 3 updates, and more

29.10.2012
There are plenty of great Mac accessories that we don't cover in standalone articles. Our Mac-accessory roundup gives them a home--and gives you the latest info on stuff to make your Mac more useful.

This vendor of accessories is known for its of , and the company has announced two new models, the $50 and the $60 . The AluBase, made from a single piece of aluminum, is a small cradle that holds your laptop upright for closed-lid use (while connected to an external display) at a desk. Soft-plastic inserts let the AluBase fit any current MacBook model. The AluRack (shown at the top of this article) mounts to leg of your iMac, Thunderbolt Display, or Cinema Display and holds either a closed MacBook or a hard drive behind the display. The two-piece AluRack is made of aluminum with an "anti-scratch TPR" cradle, and it attaches securely to the cable hole in an iMac or Display's leg.

This vendor of all things that send input to, and produce sound from, your computer has debuted the $200 , a Wi-Fi-enabled webcam that broadcasts your live video to and can be controlled and previewed from your Mac or iOS device. Included software even lets you stitch together dual-view video from the Broadcaster and your Mac's built-in webcam. The camera features 720p video capture (with H.264 compression) with digital zoom and digital pan and tilt, as well as a built-in microphone and an input for using an external mic. It also sports a lamp for illuminating your subjects. The camera is just 118mm long, 47mm wide, and 28mm thick and weighs just 97 grams (including the two-hour battery); the included base adds 161 grams. The camera can also be used as a standard webcam for FaceTime, iChat, and Skype video chats and for recording video using QuickTime or Photo Booth. Logitech says the camera ships this month.

Looking for something to protect your MacBook Air that doesn't take away from its svelte figure? Macally's new $50 SlimFolios (website not yet updated), to be available for both 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models, are form-fitting covers that clip onto your MacBook Air, letting you use the laptop without removing the cover. But unlike form-fitting plastic shells, the SlimFolio looks like a folio-style, metallic case. Each case features a soft lining and is available in four brushed-metallic finishes: black, silver, blue, or purple.

Mechanical keyboards--which forgo the laptop-style keys of most current keyboards in favor of sturdy, old-school keyswitches--remain popular, though they have one significant drawback: They're . As in, loud enough to annoy your coworkers or wake your spouse. Matias's have long been among the best of these keyboards, especially for Mac users, and the company has recently released--purists, brace yourselves--a version. The $150 is, according to the company, an ultra-quiet version of the Tactile Pro and the world's quietest mechanical keyboard. Matias says the keys feel the same as those on the Tactile Pro and include the same key labels for typing special modifier-key characters. (The company also plans to sell the quiet keyswitches to other companies for use in other keyboards.) The Mac version of the new keyboard similarly offers a Mac-focused layout with Mac-specific modifier keys and special-function F-keys. The QuietPro features three USB 2.0 ports.

We NewerTech's $18 , a black, aluminum stand to keep your Apple TV upright and stationary. The company also now offers the $20 . This one's silver--to match the Mac mini, natch--instead of black, and it securely holds a 2010-or-later Mac mini upright for a smaller footprint (just 7 inches by 3.8 inches). Non-skid rubber feet keep the stand in place, a rubber ring lines the stand opening so your Mac doesn't get scratched, and a rubberized-aluminum finish protects the stand itself.