Reviews - Page 25

With Apple neglecting to update the iPad Air 2 during its fall 2015 event, accessories for the device will continue to be relevant and in-demand for the foreseeable future. We went hands-on with Logitech's new Blok case lineup for the iPad Air 2, which debuted in July under its new Logi brand name. The simplest of the three cases, the Logi Blok Protective Shell, fits around the back of the...

For our latest video review, we went hands-on with the Solpro Helios Smart, a solar-powered battery pack that can recharge using three built-in solar panels. It sports a 5,000mAh battery that can charge an iPhone 6 from dead to full twice over, and when the battery is exhausted, it can be charged through an included micro-USB cable or by opening its solar panels and sticking it in the bright...

LUNATIK, the company that made a name for itself a number of years ago by creating popular watch bands such as the TikTok and LYNK for the sixth-generation iPod nano, has debuted a similar offering for the 42 mm Apple Watch with its new EPIK lineup. EPIK began as a Kickstarter project that raised over $240,000 and offered a protective anodized aluminum casing for the watch itself paired with...

There are hundreds of different stylus options available for the iPhone and the iPad, but that hasn't stopped new company Stilo Co. from introducing a fresh take on the stylus. The battery-powered Stilo is a fine-tipped stylus designed to pair with a Precision Film to replicate the feel of writing on paper with a pen. According to the company, the purpose behind the Stilo is to create a more...

Just months after the Apple Watch was released, there are dozens if not hundreds of different stand options available on the market. The Bloc Power Bank from Boostcase stands out due to its unique long, flat shape and the fact that it has a built-in battery pack that can charge the Apple Watch while on the go. Made from solid aluminum, the Bloc Power Bank comes in Silver, Space Gray, Gold,...

Those looking for a classic leather look on their Apple Watch can find a few options ranging in price from $149 to $249 in the Apple store. With a handful of third-party manufacturers getting into the Apple Watch band game, quality accessory designer Pad & Quill has introduced its own line of Classic Apple Watch Bands for a cheaper entry cost of $89.95 that hews most closely to Apple's Classic...

While the stainless steel Link Bracelet is one of the nicest looking Apple Watch bands available, it is also the most expensive with a $449 price tag for the 38mm or 42mm version. For comparison, you could purchase an entire Apple Watch Sport for $100 less than the Link Bracelet. But for those looking to give their Apple Watch more of a premium Rolex-like appearance without breaking the bank,...

iCandi Apps makes a series of popular star gazing apps designed to let iPhone owners discover constellations, stars, planets, satellites, and more just by pointing an iPhone at the sky. For kids and people interested in learning more about the night sky, these kind of apps are invaluable, and now iCandi Apps has released a new device for home astronomers -- the Night Sky MiniScope. Night Sky...

Seagate has long sold a line of Backup Plus external hard drives that offer large amounts of storage space at a reasonable price, and in June, the company announced two new features added to all hard drives in the Backup Plus line: 200GB of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage and the Lyve photo and video management app for automatically backing up photos. Seagate also announced a new high...

There are a huge number of wearable activity trackers on the market, but few of those are directed specifically at women, an issue Bellabeat aims to fix with the Leaf. The Leaf is an activity tracker that looks more like a stylish piece of jewelry than a standard tracker from a company like Jawbone, Nike, or Fitbit, disguising itself as a "leaf" accessory able to be worn on the wrist, collar, or...

The Svalt D is a MacBook dock with a unique feature - a built in cooling fan that's designed to keep a MacBook's temperature down when used in clamshell mode with an external monitor. Keeping the MacBook cool helps prevent processor throttling due to the high temperatures a MacBook is subjected to when in clamshell mode. We went hands-on with the Svalt D to test the claims that it reduces...

For our latest video review, we went hands-on with a waterproof iPhone 6 Plus case from Catalyst, which the company calls "the most protective case in the world." It's waterproof up to a depth of 5 meters (16.4 feet) and it's also shock and drop resistant, made from polycarbonate with a rubber bumper and silicone seals. In our testing, the Catalyst case lived up to its claims and kept our...

For our latest video review, we went hands-on with the Juiceboxx, a MacBook accessory that originated on Kickstarter. Many of us MacBook owners have suffered from a frayed MacBook charger cord, which is a condition that the Juiceboxx aims to prevent. The Juiceboxx is a small plastic cover that wraps around the bottom of a MacBook charger, with a portion that extends out over the spot where the ...

Ztylus is a company that specializes in a complete photography kit for the iPhone, bundling a protective iPhone case with a 4-in-1 lens attachment and an additional LED ring light attachment for improving low-light photos. We gave away a special limited edition Ztylus camera kit earlier this year, and now I'm following up with a complete review of the company's accessory system. Compared to...

The Situ Scale, which originated as a Kickstarter Project, is an iPad-connected food scale that's designed to offer up a more precise picture of the calorie and nutrient content in the food you're eating by measuring portion size in ounces or grams and storing nutrition information in an accompanying iPad app. You can take a handful of crackers or an apple, place it on the scale, and get a...

Back in January, we shared a video of an iPhone 6 that went into space, protected by an iPhone case constructed by Urban Armor Gear. The iPhone 6 came out unscathed, so when Urban Armor Gear offered us the chance to get our hands on a few of its cases to check out for a review, we agreed. Urban Armor Gear's line of cases are definitely unique, with an industrial-looking armored shell and an...

Since its debut in April, the new 12-inch Retina MacBook hasn't seen that much in the way of functional, protective travel cases showing up either online or in brick-and-mortar stores. Fortunately, San Francisco-based accessory manufacturer Waterfield has released not just a single travel sleeve for Apple's newest MacBook, but an entire line of bags and cases for early adopters of the device. ...

Casetify, a company that makes customizable iPhone, iPad, and MacBook cases, has also begun selling Apple Watch bands, which can be printed with any design. Available for both the 38 and 42mm Apple Watches and in two finishes, bands can be customized with photographs or artwork or ordered from Casetify's pre-designed artist collection. Fit Casetify's Apple Watch bands are made from...

Known for providing a variety of storage solutions for desktop and mobile devices, SanDisk continues its trend of easy-to-use storage devices supporting multiple connector standards with its new Dual USB Drive Type-C. Taking aim at the growing use of USB-C in the tech industry, the Dual USB Drive includes connectors for both USB-A 3.0 and USB-C that allow users to transfer files between a...

Most of the Apple Watch stands and docks that we've reviewed so far have been from major manufacturers, but the Wave Apple Watch Charging Stand from SchuttenWorks is made by a small team in Oregon. Available in several different woods, the Wave is named for its shape, which resembles the crest of a breaking ocean wave. Visually clean and simple, the Wave uses a clever split design and magnet...