Reviews - Page 4

A few weeks ago, ESR launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new 100W 6-in-1 Charging Station, offering support for charging an iPhone via MagSafe, Apple Watch with fast charging, and AirPods, plus three additional ports (two USB-C and one USB-A) for charging additional devices. The campaign runs through September 1, and ESR recently sent me a preview unit to test out. While my review unit...

As laptops have seen simplified connectivity options in recent years, many users have embraced a variety of USB-C and/or Thunderbolt hubs and docks to increase their connectivity options. These accessories have proven particularly popular with users seeking to replicate a desktop experience at home or in the office with one or more external displays. Anker recently launched a new option for...

Smart home accessory maker Aqara recently released the HomeKit-enabled Smart Lock U100 with support for Apple's Home Key feature. Home Key is an iOS 15 feature that's still in the process of being adopted by smart home manufacturers, so it's relatively new. Home Key adds a digital key for the Aqara lock to the Wallet app on the iPhone and the Apple Watch, allowing it to be unlocked using NFC ...

Ember earlier this year introduced a new version of its electric Travel Mug, adding a key Apple feature - Find My support. You might be wondering, why does a mug need ‌Find My‌? I'm not sure I have a great explanation, but it's a nice-to-have add-on for a product that's positioned as a small luxury. The Ember Travel Mug 2 is $200, and the reason it's so expensive is because it's self-heating....

Last year, accessory company Alogic launched its 27-inch "Clarity" display, offering a 4K experience with 90 watts of power delivery to charge a connected computer, an array of connectivity options, and hub functionality for connecting peripheral devices. With an IPS display for viewing across a wide range of angles, 97% coverage of DCI-P3 color, HDR 400 support, and the ability to quickly...

Smart home accessory company Eve Systems has been updating its range of HomeKit devices with Thread support to improve reliability and connectivity, and the Eve Flare smart light is one of the latest products to get Thread support. The Eve Flare is a product that Eve Systems has had around for years now, and I reviewed it four years ago in 2019. I wanted to see what, if any, difference...

Apple's updated Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips will launch in stores and begin arriving to customers this Tuesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the desktop computer have been shared by select media outlets and YouTube channels. The new Mac Studio features the same overall design as the 2022 model, but now features Apple's latest M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips, faster Wi-Fi 6E...

Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Air will launch in stores and begin arriving to customers this Tuesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptop have been shared by select media outlets and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at new features. The 15-inch MacBook Air is equipped with the same M2 chip as the 13-inch model, and the laptops share the same overall design. Apple says both...

Late last year, Anker debuted a 3-in-1 charger available through Apple that offers support for charging an iPhone via MagSafe, an Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, all in a unique cube-like form factor. I found the charger to be a nice bedside charging accessory, so when Anker introduced a similar charger in a different form factor a couple of months ago, I was definitely interested in...

For many computer users, pairing a laptop with one or more external displays offers the ideal combination of portability and productivity. But if you're like me, you might miss that expansive screen real estate when you disconnect your displays and head out with just your laptop. That's where the Monduo 16-Inch Pro Duo comes in, offering a pair of 16-inch displays that fan out on either side of...

Aqara this week released the Presence Sensor FP2 – a brand new millimeter wave sensor that goes far beyond the capabilities of more conventional motion sensors to facilitate powerful automations, with support for Apple HomeKit. The sensor uses millimeter wave radar technology to detect human presence in a room with greater precision than traditional passive infrared sensors, allowing for...

The Aqara Video Doorbell G4 is the first HomeKit Secure Video smart doorbell that can operate via battery power alone, and comes as the first full-featured ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ smart doorbell in many regions around the world. Beyond ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌, the Doorbell G4 offers a wide range of features and capabilities, including 1080p video recording, a 162-degree wide-angle lens, two-way...

With the ThunderBay 8, OWC expands its vast range of professional-grade Thunderbolt accessories, offering an ultra high-capacity storage solution with eight hot-swappable universal bays for 3.5- or 2.5-inch hard drives or SSDs. The ThunderBay 8 can serve as a high-performance personal data center with multiple configuration options to suit ever-growing storage requirements. It can...

With the launch of iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2 Ventura, Apple added Security Keys for the Apple ID, offering a more robust way to protect your Apple account and everything associated with your Apple account. A Security Key is a physical device that works with two-factor authentication. Instead of using a code generated by a secondary Apple device for authentication, when you log into your Apple...

For many people, the iPhone serves as their main camera, and images captured with the device often live on smartphones, computers, and social networks. Printing photos for display requires additional hardware or the hassle of ordering online and waiting for pictures to arrive. Aura Frames aims to make your photos more accessible through digital picture frames, which connect to power and...

Back at CES 2022, Schlage introduced the Encode Plus deadbolt, the first smart lock in North America to support Apple's home key feature that lets you unlock your door via NFC just by using an iPhone or Apple Watch. The Encode Plus has been in very short supply since its launch, but I finally got a hold of one and have spent the past few months testing it out. I have some previous experience ...

Jackery is known for its range of battery options, from small single-device batteries to power stations that are designed for multi-day off-grid living. The 2023 Jackery Explorer 1500 Pro and accompanying SolarSaga 200W solar panel feature the company's latest technology, with an array of charging ports, quick solar charging, and a thoughtful design. It is a bundle that Jackery refers to as the...

Awhile back, I took at look at the new infotainment system being rolled out by Toyota and Lexus, spending some time with the Lexus version of the system in the 2022 NX. I've now had a chance to explore the Toyota version of the system optimized for a more heavy-duty vehicle in the form of the 2022 Tundra pickup. Like the Lexus NX, the Toyota Tundra comes with an optional 14-inch screen that...

Apple's second-generation HomePod will start arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the smart speaker have been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels. Priced at $299, the new HomePod features a virtually identical design as the full-size HomePod that Apple discontinued in March 2021, but with two fewer tweeters and...

Smart home company Eve in December began rolling out a firmware update that adds Matter support to the Eve Energy, Eve Motion, and Eve Door and Window. I have been testing the new Matter integration to see how the devices work with a standard HomeKit setup. I have the Eve Energy, Eve Motion, and Eve Door and Window accessories, all of which have been out for some time but have been updated...