Home locks are now almost universally featuring smart features with some kind of wireless transmission capability built in. We saw at least three of the latest versions available from Goji, Kwikset, and SimpliciKey at CES this year. All three use a form of wireless capability to remotely open and close a deadbolt locking mechanism, in addition to the more traditional (and now somewhat quaint) metallic key method. All three have mobile control apps that also integrate with lock features or functions. I'll try to boil down what I could learn about each at the show...

First is the Goji Smart Lock, and of the three it is undoubtedly the more sophisticated with a price point of $299 retail. The lock not only allows three modes of access (traditional key, fob, or remote unlock), but features an LED greeting screen, knock sensor, and a camera that alerts you with a live view of someone at your door. A cloud-enabled Wi-Fi service handles the syncing of information like access allowances and imagery from the camera, while Bluetooth key fobs allow quick and easy access to you or your family and friends. Available sometime in Q1 2014. 24/7 technical support available.

The Kwikset Kevo is a Bluetooth capable lock that can allows your door to be unlocked with a touch or even by your proximity (provided your phone has an authorized “ekey” or you have a fob). It even detects when you are inside as opposed to outside the house. The lock is attractively small like many basic Kwikset deadbolts, and has a blue activity light that flashes when the lock is engaged. Coming in June of this year is a gateway device that will allow you to connect through the internet and remotely send unlock commands to your door as well (though not yet available). Get the Kevo online and in the Apple store for around $219 retail.

SimpliciKey, like the other two locks, offers wireless fob capability in addition to traditional key/lock control; but it also offers a numbered keypad entry method. The lock features a sliding cover that hides the keypad, with a sleek and modern patina, and you can issue key codes via an iOS app (which was not available at the show for demo). It does not currently offer a remote unlock control (via the Internet) capability, but a gateway device is planned for later this year to address this (which will include an annual service fee). The lock retails for $249, but with added expenses for services and a gateway, this may be the most expensive of the three locks covered here.

My Impressions

My impression of electronic locks overall are that they are designed more for convenience, but that shouldn't make them less effective than a standard lock (though potential problems could occur). Provided that you aren't dealing with crippling interference or other electronic problems with your lock, these newer wireless locks should be relatively safe and reliable ways to safeguard your home. All use military grade levels of encryption and random key generators for creating entry codes, making it nearly impossible or at least improbable for someone to crack or exploit them. Still, I would advise leaving at least one other accessible outside door configured with a standard deadbolt lock that uses a traditional key (or keep a traditional key handy). If I had to pick one, because of the support level, door sensor and camera integration in the Goji, I might favor that lock over the others, though they all seem to be capable products.

Smarter security devices are the wave and rage of CES this year. The Canary ($199 pre-order) is a small, portable device that practically bristles with sensors through which you remotely monitor your home.There is a wide-angle HD camera that automatically detects motion (through an I/R sensor) and will record activity over a 130 degree area of view; a temp, humidity and air quality sensor; and much more. Read on for more information on this power-packed and iOS-integrated security gadget.

To add to the sensor list, an accelerometer can detect jarring or motion of the unit, and audio mic sensors alert you to a fire or otherwise detect intrusion, and even set off a siren alarm. Though it does not include a CO2 or fire alarm grade sensor, the resultant degradation of air quality under an emergency situation would likely set off the air quality sensor. The sophisticated iOS app includes an image preview, video playblack of recorded events, history, and coolest of all, an embedded learning algorithm that cuts down on false positives. The Canary will keep watch when you're away. Pre-Order now, available in July 2014.

House of Marley's booth was full of woodsy, organic goodies this year, and visiting them is always a treat. This year along with positive vibrations and bumping live music, House of Marley also had some impressive new, consciously crafted audio products to show off! If you don't already know, one of the defining qualities of House of Marley is their dedication to and skill at crafting high-quality audio gear that feels great and performs phenomenally, while being fabricated almost entirely from their patented, Eco-friendly, upcycled materials and natural woods. In fact, if there were an iPhone Life magazine award for Most Eco-friendly Audio Tech Company, I'd have to nominate House of Marley.

The Liberate Bluetooth Line

The new Liberate series that House of Marley unveiled at this year’s CES includes both Bluetooth/wired headphones, and a wireless, portable Bluetooth speaker. Both products are soon to be available for purchase, in multiple color choices.

The Liberate Bluetooth Headphone ($219.99)

As soon as I laid eyes on the Liberate Bluetooth headphones, I had a gut feeling that these were something special. Once I got the inside scoop on them, I was sure if it. The Liberate are a pair of affordable upper-level headphones that feature a great melding of metal, wood, and upcycled "Rewind" fabric. They fit comfortably and snugly over your ears and have the option of Bluetooth or wired listening. Their sound is top quality with a particularly well-defined midrange capability, along with enhanced bass.

The Liberate Bluetooth Speaker ($169.99)

The is an ultra-portable field ready Bluetooth speaker capable of belting out a mighty roar. Whether this speaker is used inside or out, in a small room or wide open spaces, it has the power and impressive sound output to easily make you forget that all that volume and bass is coming from a speaker about the size of a spray paint canister.

Already well-known as makers of some of the best battery equipped iPhone cases, Mophie just debuted a truly forward thinking and one-of-a-kind battery case this week at CES.

Introducing the Mophie Space Pack, the first ever iPhone case to provide iPhone users with a way to easily add storage memory to their iPhone. Available in 16 or 32 gigabyte capacities, the Space Pack enjoys the exclusivity of being the first and only case maker to have received MFi approval and licensing from Apple to develop such a groundbreaking and revolutionary iPhone case.

With a simple app interface you can access and manage all of your various types of stored media files. Think of it as the reasonable alternative to the expandable SD card slot that so many of us have been asking Apple for.

The Space Pack is available for pre-order now, with the 16GB model selling for $149.95 and the 32GB version going for $30.00 more at a price of $179.95. 

Braven just introduced a massively powerful new outdoor, rugged speaker at this year’s CES. Called the BRV-X($229.00), it's designed to withstand almost any abuse that an outdoor adventurer may subject it to, with considerable shock/drop/water protection. The BRV-X is truly a force to be reckoned with, and between its thunderous sound and Herculean design, it ranks as one of the best outdoor Bluetooth speakers I've ever seen or heard.

The BRV-X features a powerful omni-directional, passive bass radiator for a full 360-degree audio blast, along with high-performance drivers which deliver what many reviewers describe as audiophile-quality sound. It even has a switch for indoor versus outdoor sound tuning, enhancing the speaker’s acoustic output to best match its environment. The outdoor setting gives the speaker a richer, fuller, and more robust acoustic output, without making it overcompensate with excessive bass, or rattle and crackle at higher outdoor volume levels. As an added perk, the BRV-X also allows you to charge your iDevice from its internal battery bank, which is an excellent feature to have in a speaker designed with off-grid use in mind.

The BRV-X is large, but not so big that you can't tote it around with you on your adventures. It's big enough to provide an amazingly rich and full sound, but small enough (smaller than a loaf of bread, but not by much) that you won't be too weighed down if you take it camping, RV-ing, or boating. It's also a great speaker for the poolside, beach, or even bathroom, though I could see how it might be overwhelmingly loud in a small, closed bathroom. For those of you looking for the same great level of rugged protection but in a lighter, more portable design, you might be interested in checking out Braven’s outstanding, smaller BRV-1 model which debuted at last year’s CES and features the same rugged and reliable protection in a package less than half the size.

The BRV-X is scheduled to become available in early spring and as mentioned above, it will retail for $229.00.

I like news apps, and Yahoo has just recently released Yahoo News Digest (free), which is one I'm definitely going to be using. There's already a plethora of news apps, but this one has two distinguishing characteristics. First, there are just two daily editions, one in the morning and one in the evening—unlike other news apps that tend to be updated throughout the day with random bits of news. The advantage of just having two editions is that it's a true summary of the most important news, not simply the latest news across the wire. A second distinguishing characteristic is that the news is curated. An algorithm helps assemble the news, but the news summary is also curated by hand. I like that. One reason I still enjoy newspapers and magazines is that they present curated content: I feel confidant my time will be used more efficiently, since someone has organized the content beforehand. It's not as frenetic as the stream of news items that come across a typical web-based news service.

According to the app description, each news story is created from multiple sources, and combines a range of elements: key quotes, images, videos, stock tickers, maps, infographs, Wikipedia excerpts, and more. This helps give context for the news.

Another reason I like this app is the back story. Yahoo News Digest  appears to be based on an app named Summly that was developed by teenager Nick D'Aloisio in the UK. He is the youngest person to receive a round of venture capital, which he secured at the age of 15. He was so mature, and his app had so much potential, that investors were eager to toss money his way. The app was a big success, and last year in March, at the ripe age of 17, he sold the app to Yahoo for $30 million. Not bad for a teenager. Now 18 years old, he's a project manager at Yahoo. You can read his description of Yahoo News Digest on the Yahoo Blog. He writes, "Yahoo News Digest delivers the most important news twice a day, right to your mobile device. Our Digests provide a definitive summary of all the need-to-know news so you can stay on top of what’s happening."

Note that the app is currently only tailored for the iPhone. No doubt they'll be coming out with a native iPad app soon.

From headphones to smart locks, here's what iPhone Life's Bloggers found to love at CES 2014 yesterday:

Siva Om checked out House of Marley's Liberate line. The company gets Siva's vote for Most Eco-Friendly. 

Nate Adcock loved the smart home security options from smart locks to Canary.

Wishing your iPhone had more storage? Mophie has a solution. 

Could it be that your awesome outdoor adventures are lacking something? A soundtrack, maybe? Just bring Braven's new Bluetooth speaker along!

Other Jan. 8 CES News:

Yesterday T-Mobile announced their plan to steal Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T's customers by paying customers' early termination fees and buying back their devices. Also CEO John Legere was kicked out of the Macklemore performance at AT&T's event and he has the t-shirt to prove it. AnandTech live blogged the T-Mobile announcement and iMore posted a nice summary of the event as well.

Christopher Lloyd showed up in character as Doc from Back to the Future driving the coolest time machine on wheels. the actor was on hand to celebrate Gibson Guitar's 120th birthday. CNET reports that he left on foot.

Mashable has figured out the true purpose of CES—It's really just an excuse for companies to get weird!

CES Supercuts: So many things are happening this year at CES and The Verge wants to make keeping track of it easy for you.

If you love your iPhone, but miss your Blackberry keyboard, then Ryan Seacrest and Typo have got something for you. According to NDTV, everyone loves their slip-on keyboard except for Blackberry, which is suing Typo for copying the crackberry's famous keyboard.

Stay tuned for more cool products and fun news from CES 2014 as the show winds down!

Google's Chromecast($35) has been on the market since this past summer, but is it the "Apple TV" killer that many are claiming it to be? The Chromecast may not be a killer, but it definitely is a deadly competitor against Apple's little black box.

Design

The Chromecast is a small, unassuming little dongle that connects to an HDMI port on your computer or monitor. To the untrained eye, it could easily be mistaken as a USB flash drive. There's a single LED light and micro-USB port on the back of the Chromecast. Other than some Chrome branding, the dongle is fairly inconspicuous.

Setup

Included with the Chromecast are a micro-USB cable, power block, and HDMI extender if you need it. The Chromecast unfortunately doesn't draw power from your TV or monitor, so you have to connect that micro-USB cord and connect it to wall outlet or another powered USB port.

Once the Chromecast is successfully connected to your TV and powered on, I highly suggest finishing the setup process using the Chromecast app for iOS, which took no longer than three minutes for me. Just follow the onscreen prompts, and assuming you have a decent Wi-Fi network, you'll be ready to cast in no time.

Functionality

First thing's first: Chromecast and Apple TV do not stream content in the same way. You can use Apple TV on its own without owning a Mac or iDevice; you can just plug it into your TV and use it right out of the box. Chromecast, on the other hand, is more of a bridge between content on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) and your TV. That being said, the Chromecast is pretty good at what it does.

Google has an ever-growing list of supported apps that can be "cast" to Chromecast. If you're using a supported app such as YouTube or Netflix, a new Cast icon will appear with the rest of the video controls. Once Chromecast takes over and starts playing your content on your TV, you're free to leave the app and use your device for something else. The app you're casting from will serve as a remote if you decide to stop playback.

Video quality was great in my experience. Instead of streaming from your iDevice to Chromecast, you're basically telling Chromecast to go find your content online and handle all the streaming on its own. You aren't streaming to Chromecast from your device, because casting tells Chromecast to stream from the internet.

As a bonus, you can also cast open tabs from your Chrome browser to your TV. And you aren't limited to just streaming fullscreen videos from Netflix and YouTube (fullscreen flash videos work from just about everywhere else). You can even drag files from your computer into Chrome and cast from there, as long as it's a supported filetype.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Easy to setup
• Small enough to travel with

Cons:

• Short list of supported apps (for now)
• MUST have a separate device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) to operate

Verdict

Picking up a Chromecast is a no-brainer if you currently don't have a way to stream content from services like Netflix on your TV. For the price, it's tough to beat, especially since its supported app list will only continue to grow. However, if you need to stream content from your Camera Roll or iTunes library to your TV often, the Apple TV is a better choice.

There appears to be no end to the ways you can make music through a Bluetooth connection here at CES. The Clio ($349) is a 24W 2.1 speaker product that uses tiny actuators to conduct sound through a clear convex pane of acrylic. 

The sound is startlingly robust, but I hate to judge that out on the show floor where the ambient noise level makes it difficult to hear well. The rep demoed several tracks and we were able to sit down directly in front and listen at higher volume. A bit on the pricey side, but then there is the novelty of having a clear curved speaker on a bookshelf or table. An elegant and unique design to be sure. Available for pre-order only (March 2014 delivery).

I can call this a CES mini game review, because I was able to enjoy a bit of a gaming break here at the show while at the Venetian at CES (which I desperately needed). The FlipSquare concept at first look seems way too simple and easy, but after I blasted through a few levels, it became apparent I needed to put on the old thinking cap. Starting position is key, but basically this block connection style game requires clever thinking and pattern visualization skills to master. Once you select a block direction to fill, you have to fill the entire row before going in another direction. The developers are offering the first 75 levels for free (unlock 100 with a $0.99 IAP, and 4 extra hints also cost $0.99). It looks boring, but I stayed through at least 14 levels and still wanted to keep going (later levels add new block types and conditions)... Ah, back to the show, darnnit! Grab the already popular FlipSquare at the link above.

In other gaming news, I was briefly semi-famous (at least until Richard, Anthony, and Daniel walked up) playing a space invaders clone in South Hall, called Cable Invaders—don't ask as even I wasn't sure I understood the reference. This was one of those CES deals where someone grabs you from the crowd, and next thing you know you are playing a video game. There is no end of distractions to catch the eye at the Consumer Electronics Show. One minute you are walking the booths, the next playing "Cable Invaders."

Let's see... There is a food sensor that detects nitrates in fruit and vegetables, a radioactivity sensor to detect gamma radiation. Also coming this year, a UV sensor to protect you from too much sun. Iterium has you mostly covered from harm (at least from nitrates or radiation hazards.)

But I admit there was not much opportunity to test them at their CES booth (they had nothing but plastic fruit there, and there's not much radiation in those wavelengths). One recommendation is to be very clandestine with the food sensor if you attempt to use it at the supermarket, instead of after you get the fruit home (requires inserting a probe into the fruit) All three items have an accompanying iOS app, will range from $60-$120, and should be available in first quarter 2014. Get more information at link above.

Plenty of Kickstarts here at CES, and Lunecase ($35.00) is one coming worthy of note. Not satisfied with designing merely yet another iPhone case, the Concepter team (also with a succesful LED add-on flash device called iBlazr) created the Lunecase. The circular open area around the Apple logo flashes green when you get a call, and the LED uses phone EM to power the diode—ultimate coolness! Now, you might think you do not need to be that, um, flashy, but You would be wrong, especially if you often put your phone on mute and miss calls. The Lunecase can alert you, and you therefore will not miss that call from the President (should it come.) Anyway, look for this product on Kickstarter soon (sign up for alerts at link above). Read on to see the $59 iBlazr if you been looking for an external flash.

The iBlazr LED flash is available now, but the Lunecase should hit Kickstarter sometime in February 2014...

Hopefully we're at the stage of the rumor cycle in which we begin to get photos, though it's quite early for that. Apple itself may not yet have decided what their next device will be. In any case, 9To5Mac has posted photos that appeared on the Chinese site CTech that purport to show the frame of the iPhone 6. In keeping with the rumors we've been hearing, the frame shows that the phone will be much larger than the current iPhone, and thinner. But as 9To5Mac notes, there's little to go on here, and there's no verification that these photos are authentic.

The rumors do continue to suggest that Apple will be coming out with a larger phone this fall. Most recently, it's been reported that the iPhone 6 will come in two sizes: 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. The resolution would be 2,272 x 1,280, which would allow apps to easily be scaled up to the larger size.

So my take on it is that it seems pretty definite that Apple is experimenting with larger prototypes of the iPhone. And there's a good chance that we'll see a larger iPhone in the fall. But I'm guessing that it's way to early for Apple to have decided exactly what it's going to come out with.

The forthcoming iRing from IK Multimedia will let you control two of their music apps via hand gestures. But according to a report on CNET, they're encouraging developers to use this technology in games, health and fitness software, and other mobile apps. The iRing interacts with your FaceTime camera, and controls your device when you move your hand up and down, left and right, or twist it. The goal is to let musicians and Djs use IK Multimedia apps such as GrooveMaker and VocalLive to control music and sound effects without touching their device. 

The device isn't yet available but is expected this quarter. It's available for preorder on the IK Multimedia website. The company also plans to release two free apps that will work with iRing: iRing FX/Controller and iRing Music Maker.

Their video demo gives you a good feel for how the iRing works:

As new iOS apps flood the App Store every day — recently topping 1,000,000 — we know it’s tough to tell which ones are worth their salt. But thanks to our Weekly Scoop, you can have the best for free! Here you’ll find a weekly roundup of the coolest apps free or at a discount for a limited-time only. Each week features the best and brightest from websites like Free App Report, AppsGoneFree, appsfire, and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1)1TapBubbles – Water Ring Toss ($1.99)

If you loved the water ring toss games of the 1970’s, you’re going to love this app. It’s simply a classic water ring toss game with no ads, menus, or in-app purchases. It’s just plain fun. Tap and play to relive one of your favorite childhood toys!

2) Tomb Raider I($0.99)

Speaking of classic games, Tomb Raider is now available to play on your iPad or iPhone! Enjoy the full, un-messed-around-with version of the game as Laura Croft herself flips, climbs, and scurries her way through the lost city of Atlantis and the pyramids of Egypt.

3)Proven Home Remedies (Free)

Ever get a cut or a burn and wonder what you can do for it that doesn’t involve a trip to the drug store? This app can help you figure out an appropriate, time tested home remedy for many common ailments. Get your aloe plant ready!

Lifeproof and Otterbox joined forces last year to form what I would consider one of the most formidable business partnerships in the protective case industry. This year at CES the two companies shared booth space and oh, what a booth it was. They put on quite a show and had what was perhaps the largest and most extravagant booth of any case maker at CES, with lots of demos. Otterbox sponsored NASCAR truck racer, Germán Quiroga, was even on hand to promote the products. Read on for more details on the latest and greatest from these two industry-leading companies...

I was totally impressed with Otterbox/Lifeproof’s presentation, and I even had the opportunity to chat with Otterbox CEO Brian Thomas as well as Lifeproof CEO Gary Rayner. Not only did I get the complete rundown on the companies’ new line of products which offer unparalleled protection for all iDevices, I also got the inside scoop as to what we might expect to see unveiled as the year unfolds.

This year's CES gave me a good glimpse of some new products that will be making their way down the Otterbox/Lifeproof product pipeline in the near future. While I can't say too much at this time about the upcoming product announcements from these companies, I can tell you there's a lot to be excited about (especially if you are a sports fan!) as these case-making behemoths prepare to introduce even more amazing cases that I suspect will be enormously successful. Stay tuned for more details.

Some of my favorite new products that I came across at the Otterbox/Lifeproof booth included the Otterbox Preserver for the iPhone 5s($89.95), the Lifeproof nüüd for the iPad mini with Retina display($119.99), the Lifeproof nüüd for the iPhone 5s/5($89.99) as well as the Defender series for the new iPad Air($89.95) and iPad mini with Retina($79.90). If you're looking for the most comprehensive and reliable protection for your iDevices, these are some of your best options. In fact, the Otterbox Preserver and the Lifeproof nüüd  for the iPad mini with Retina are the recipients of iPhone Life magazine's Best of CES 2014 Awards! (Stay tuned for the full list of winners which will be appearing online and in print soon!)

Also prominently on display were Lifeproof's new frē RealTree camo series of waterproof, protective cases ($89.99) which I have a feeling will sell like hot cakes as well as two new series of Otterbox cases: the Symmetry($39.95-$44.95) and the Commuter Wallet($44.95).

The Symmetry combines the rugged durability of the Defender series with the slim profile and easy accessibility of the Commuter cases, and the Commuter Wallet is a practical upgrade to the already existing Commuter case, adding on a slide out storage compartment for clandestine storage of anything from keys, cash or credit cards.

Stay tuned to iPhone Life for the latest developments from Otterbox as they continue to innovate and lead the crowded field of iDevice cases. Trust me, Otterbox has some awesome surprises in store for all of us as this year unfolds!

Don't forget to enter this weekend's Giveaway Contest! 

Here's how it works: Every other weekend we raffle off tons of great apps and accessories for FREE then announce the winners through iphonelife.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. To enter, go to iPhoneLife.com/giveaways. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code. If you win an accessory, we will ask you for your mailing address.

This weeks featured items are:

1. Trident Kraken AMS iPad Mini Case: Retail Price $59.95

Kraken A.M.S. Series cases are the absolute strongest, most durable cases Trident makes. This case Series includes an attachment port that supports a twist-and-lock feature to securely fit a variety of A.M.S. tablet attachments, allowing you to use your iPad mini to its full potential. 

2. Trident Kraken AMS iPhone 5/5S Case + Arkon Bike Mount + Arkon Suction Cup Mount: Retail Price Total approximately $90

 Kraken A.M.S. features a three-in-one case, transforming a heavy-duty Kraken A.M.S. case into a light-weight Perseus case. This feature allows you to choose your level of protection: Kraken A.M.S., standalone Perseus, or Perseus with Kraken front. The detachable aluminum media stand provides the option to attach a variety of interchangeable accessories, allowing you to use your device to its full potential. Kraken A.M.S. cases allow you to adapt your case to fit your lifestyle.

Arkon's Slim-Grip smartphone mount is a low profile, versatile car mount that works with iPhone 5 and iPod touch 4, even with a case. Adjustable legs keep buttons and ports free.

3. Trident Kraken AMS iPad 4 Case + Trident iPad Stand + Arkon Car Mount: Retail Price Total approximately $100

Kraken A.M.S. Series cases are the absolute strongest, most durable cases Trident makes. This case Series includes an attachment port that supports a twist-and-lock feature to securely fit a variety of A.M.S. tablet attachments, allowing you to use your device to its full potential. Kraken A.M.S. cases allow you to adapt your case to fit your lifestyle.

Questions or comments? Email Brian@iphonelife.com. Good luck and remember to visit iphonelife.com/giveaways to enter! Also check out our other contests at iphonelife.com/contests. The next contest drawing is January 13th!

Is there an app for that? If I hear those words spoken again in the next month, I might punch someone. My ire is due to the fact that it was me asking it over and over at CES this year, because, well, there is an app for everything. Literally. I mean, trees have their own apps now. Apps to keep tabs on their leaf count, and what that little pine tree down the street is doing later... I kid, but an app for a screen protector would seem frivolous certainly, but in this case, it is actually face-meltingly awesome! The apps in question are the free EyeFly3DVid and EyeFly3DImg, and they go with the Eyefly3D ($26.95) screen protector that will turn your iPhone (and soon iPad) screen into glasses-free 3D. I do not lie when I say this time that there is an... I just can't say it!

First you have to install the screen protector, which means removing your old one if you already have one, and then installing the EyeFly3D properly. The effect is a bit headache inducing in my case, but 3D in general does that to me. I watched Gravity in 3D and had a headache for two hours (which was worth it). Because you can't really experience 3D unless you are watching in 3D, the images I could post won't really help much—this is not "stuff-pops-out-and-makes-you-jerk" 3D, but it is 3D nonetheless. Maybe not  face-melting like I said before, but still pretty awesome. The way it works is that there are some 2 million (give or take) microscopic lenses embedded in the protective film. And with the two accompanying apps, you can view your own pix and videos (and YouTube content) in stunning 3D (or at least a 3D-like facsimile). Available now for iPhone, and coming soon for iPad for $59.99.

Enter the Stratus by SteelSeries

I got to spend some time playing with the new Stratus controller at CES, and it's the first of the new MFi controllers that I'd call "killer!" 

The Stratus is everything a good gamer’s tool should be. It's made well, fits in one’s hand ergonomically and comfortably, and it sports Bluetooth connectivity; so the choice is really up to you whether you want to play on your iPhone, iPad, or connected TV. It's also a perfect size to be highly portable and comes with a protective cover for when not in use.

It's also going to be priced competitively at $99.00 when it goes on sale later this year. Stay tuned to iPhone Life for further review of this awesome new entry into the MFi game controller market.

The bloggers of iPhoneLife.com have been valiantly sorting through the wild and crazy tech abundance at CES and reporting back with reviews of some of the most intriguing and exciting things they've found. Here's what stood out on January 9:

An iPhone case to light up your life. 

What's a blogger to do when he's feeling overwhelmed by the crazy riches of CES?Take a gaming break, of course! 

Now they're just showing off. Yet another way to broadcast sound via Bluetooth. 

The iRing is a thing after all! Here's what it does.

How much does Siva Om love the new Otterbox and Lifeproof cases?Let him count the ways. 

Nate Adcock encountered a screen protector so awesome it melted his face. Find out why.

The only thing that could make iOS gaming even cooler is the right controller. 

Other CES News:

The iPhone Life Best of CES 2014 Awards will be announced soon in the magazine and even sooner online. In the meantime check out Variety's Breakthrough of the Year Awards and iLounge's Best of Show Awards. 

So many of the products being showcased at CES 2014 seem almost like science fiction they're so out there and advanced. Mashable has a fun roundup of 10 vintage tech products that seemed amazingly cutting edge when they debuted at CES back in the day.

Did you miss something? The CES website has posted videos of all the CES Keynotes in one place for your viewing pleasure.