BBQ joins iPad generation with cool heat probe

THERE is the iMac, the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone and the iPad. Now there's an iGrill, which will surely come as a relief to outdoor chefs everywhere.

The iGrill is a cooking thermometer that will let the host of a barbecue socialise with guests without having to worry about what's sizzling or - more to the point - burning.

When the meat is ready, the iGrill will beep the host's iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch via a Bluetooth connection, providing the perfect antidote to stressful cooking. Or as the marketing from iDevice, the maker of the iGrill, likes to put it, this product is "redefining how we socialise".

"iGrill enables you to multitask between your grill and guests with the peace of mind that your food is perfectly cooked, at target temperature and safe for consumption," assert its manufacturers. "Enjoy time with family and friends without compromising the quality of your cuisine!"

Priced at $100 (63), it even comes with separate probes, so there is no more overcooking steaks or burgers just because one family member likes them medium well.

The iGrill is one of hundreds of products that went on display last week at San Francisco's Macworld Expo, the show for Apple enthusiasts that Apple itself abandoned two years ago. Given the amount of material dedicated to Apple's mobile products, iWorld Expo may be a more appropriate name.

There were plenty of traditional exhibitors at Macworld Expo, ranging from Hewlett Packard, which was promoting printers, to a variety of software makers. But perhaps the most interesting, and certainly the most colourful, were the myriad iGadgets that give new uses to iPhones and iPads.

Who knew that there were so many kinds of stands and holders for the iPad? The Stump, a rubberised wedge with a groove in the middle, advertised itself as three stands in one, as it holds the iPad in three different positions.

RingO is a small plastic and metal gadget that works as a table stand for iPads and can also secure it to the wall or the back of a car seat. It calls itself a universal mounting system. Pad Bracket will mount your iPad to the wall, and comes in black, white or clear plastic. The Sleeve 360 is a little rotating bracket that affixes to a velcro strap that you wrap around your hand, allowing the user to easily hold the iPad and flip it in any direction required.

Musicians, using one of the many apps for performers, may want the iKlip, which lets them clip iPads to microphone stands. Or there is the Tab Station, a sort of sheet music stand specifically made to hold tablet computers. Its manufacturer, Castiv, also makes the Guitar Sidekick, which allows iPhones to be clipped on a guitar neck.

There were also plenty of protective cases and skins to personalise and shield devices to be found at the expo.They included the colourful GelaSkins, ThinSkin for iPhone 4, and on the high end of the spectrum, Luxmo's crystal-encrusted cases for iPhones, which sell for $300. At least two companies make cases with built-in batteries to extend the iPhone's battery life.

Perhaps the flashiest stunt was at the FastMac booth, where a company was promoting its shock-absorbing Impact Gel, which is built into cases for laptops, iPads and iPhones, and is supposed to protect them. A young man placed a handful of M&M's between two sheets of Impact Gel, then hit on top with a hammer, and showed that the M&M's came out undamaged.

But still, for sheer whimsy, it was hard to top the iGrill. According to CBS radio reporter Larry Magid - apparently without a trace of irony - it was "the hottest product at the show."