At CES 2012 this week, MSI is demonstrating its GUS II, which enables a graphics card to be connected to a computer using a Thunderbolt connection. The main limitation is that the graphics card has to be powered by the PCIe slot as there are no additional power connectors provided.

Musician’s looking for an all-in-one iPad instrument connection solution are about to get it with Griffin’s StudioConnect for iPad. It’s an iPad stand with Audio and MIDI Ins and Outs. You can connect your guitar or your keyboard, your bass or your electronic drums. It does it all. It even charges your iPad. If you’re just interested in the MIDI capabilities, Griffin’s MIDIConnect makes it easy to control GarageBand and other audio apps with your MIDI keyboard or other controller.

Parrot has announced the AR.Drone 2.0. The next generation of AR.Drone has a bunch of new features, but the most notable is the upgraded camera. AR.Drone 2.0 can record 720p HD video, which is perfect for taking videos from perspectives you just don’t normally have. There’s also a 3D magnetometer and a pressure sensor, both of which will add to your ability to control the device.

Back in October, we reviewed the Ballistic Life Style (LS) Series iPhone 4/4S case, and awarded it a 5a rating; something we don’t often do here at Appletell. We therefore want to make sure you know that Ballistic is updating the line with its newest creation, the Ballistic LS Smooth, at CES 2012. This new case offers the protection you expect from Ballistic, with a sleek aesthetic appeal.

At CES this year, Monster announced a major Youth Empowerment Initiative for 2011. It’s an initiative that includes partnerships with Nick Cannon and Co. at Ncredible Entertainment and Dean Kamen in support of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program. It’s all to help encourage youth to become interested in science, technology, engineering and math, and help them become the leaders in technology.

There are far too many new products introduced at CES for any one person to sort through in a reasonable amount of time…but I’m capable of the unreasonable. That’s why I’ve done all of the work for you by painstakingly reading press releases, walking the show floor, and talking to developers all to find the best and most interesting product coming this year. Here are my Top 5 Apple-related products of CES 2011.

Admit it, you never really stopped enjoying coloring books. That’s a big reason why I think Griffin’s partnership with Crayola for ColorStudio HD is going to be a huge hit not only with kids, but their parents and adult friends too. It’s a glowing stylus that interacts with Crayola’s ColorStudio HD app, a fancy, modern coloring book that animates and reacts to motion.

Cases for the iPad were everywhere on the CES show floor this year. Most of them are crap, but there are a few that stand above the rest. One such case is the GorillaMobile Ori. It’s a case made out of plastic and metal that is very light but extremely useful. It’s the best stand and case combination I’ve ever seen for iPad, so I went back to the booth to do a quick hands on.

You’ve heard about the ZAGGmate Bluetooth keyboard and iPad case online, but if you’re anything like me, you want to know how useful it actually is. Marketing-speak can make just about anything sound awesome, but it really comes down to actually trying it. At CES, I was able to try out the ZAGGmate at the ZAGG booth. Let me tell you about it. I’ll start by covering all of the bases…

I’ve been walking the show floor for three days now, and I think it’s time I told you all about the audio equipment I’ve been seeing on the show floor. The coming year is set to be a full of great new products that help you create and listen to music with your Mac and iOS devices. In this roundup, we’ll take a look at some of the best accessories, headphones, speakers and speaker docks.