Reviews - Page 9

A few months ago, I took a look at the 2021 Buick Envision, which now supports wireless CarPlay as part of the Buick Infotainment System offered by GM. I've been a fan of GM's infotainment systems for a while now, as I find they have an intuitive, modern interface that keeps things simple and comes closer to replicating a smartphone feel than systems from many other manufacturers. I've...

The Smartmi P1 Air Purifier is one of the few air purifiers that include HomeKit integration, allowing it to be added to the Home app and to be controlled with Siri voice commands. Released earlier this year, the Smartmi P1 is a relatively new product, but Smartmi has other air purifiers and home products, and it is a subsidiary of Chinese company Xiaomi. The Smartmi P1 features an...

Aqara makes a range of HomeKit-compatible smart home devices for multiple regions around the world. This review takes a look at four of Aqara's latest products, including its Temperature and Humidity Sensor and the newly-released Hub M2, as well as the Wireless Remote Switch H1 and Smart Wall Switch H1, which launch today. With these new accessories, I was able to add to the HomeKit setup I...

Based in Florida, BlackBrook Case makes a range of high-quality leather goods, including cases for the iPhone, AirPods, iPad, and AirTag, as well as Apple Watch bands. One of BlackBrook's latest products is a case solution for AirPods Max, which works both with and without Apple's own Smart Case and seeks to address some of the criticisms that have been leveled at protecting Apple's over-ear...

The Chipolo ONE Spot is the first Find My-compatible accessory that's a direct AirTag competitor, offering AirTag-like tracking capabilities for your valuable items. The ONE Spot is slightly more affordable than the ‌AirTag‌ at $28 for one and $90 for four (vs $29 for one ‌AirTag‌ and $99 for four) and it has a couple benefits that make it a worthy ‌AirTag‌ alternative. Like the ‌AirTag‌, the ONE...

The massively popular F-150 pickup truck was one of the first Ford vehicles to gain the manufacturer's new SYNC 4 infotainment system for the 2021 model year, and I recently had a chance to test out the vehicle to get a sense of how the overall system functions, including a key new feature for iPhone owners: wireless CarPlay. If you've shopped pickup trucks before, you know that they come in ...

PopSockets' line of MagSafe-compatible accessories is available for purchase as of today, with the PopGrip for MagSafe, PopWallet+ for ‌MagSafe‌, and the PopGrip Slide Stretch all available for purchase. I was able to spend some time with the accessories ahead of their launch, with a quick overview of each one available below. PopGrip for ‌MagSafe‌ The PopGrip for ‌MagSafe‌, priced at $30, is...

The embargo has lifted on reviews of the new Apple TV 4K, a fairly minor refresh to the streaming box with an A12 chip for faster performance and a redesigned Siri Remote with a new clickpad for five-way navigation. Most customers will begin receiving their new Apple TV 4K this Friday, and ahead of time, we've rounded up reviews and unboxing videos below. Andru Edwards said the new Apple...

The embargo has lifted on reviews of Apple's new iPad Pro, providing a hands-on look at the device before orders beginning arriving to customers this Friday. Key new features include Apple's custom M1 chip for impressive performance improvements, a brighter mini-LED display on the 12.9-inch model, Thunderbolt 3 support, and 5G on cellular models. The Verge's Dieter Bohn said the mini-LED...

The embargo has lifted on reviews of Apple's new 24-inch iMac, powered by the same M1 chip that debuted in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini last year. We've gathered up impressions of the colorful new computer below. The most striking aspect of the new iMac is its long-awaited redesign, with an ultra-thin 11.5mm chassis that comes in up to seven vibrant colors, including...

Amid surging interest in electric cars, Volkswagen recently made a splash with the ID.4, its fully electric small SUV that has gone with a futuristic and minimalistic interior that relies on its massive main infotainment screen to handle a wide array of vehicle functions. The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 was launched in a special 1st Edition trim with special badging and other details, and while...

Since Apple launched the MagSafe-enabled iPhone 12 models, accessory makers have been coming up with various magnetic charging options that are designed to replace the standard Qi-based chargers available for iPhones. Belkin recently launched the Boost Charge Magnetic Portable Wireless Charger Pad, which is one of its more affordable charging options at $29. The Magnetic Charger Pad is not...

Apple designed the AirTags without any kind of hole or attachment point to connect them to keys, bags, and other items, which has opened up a whole new market for AirTag accessories. Apple's own ‌AirTag‌ add-ons are priced starting at $29, which is the same price as a standalone ‌AirTag‌, so it's quite an investment to use one of those. Luckily there are plenty of third-party ‌AirTag‌ accessories...

With wireless CarPlay becoming more and more common among car manufacturers, Volkswagen is another brand that has embraced the technology and I recently had a chance to test out the German automaker's implementation in the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. The 2021 Tiguan is available in five trims, starting with S trim at a little over $25,000 and going up to the SEL Premium R-Line at just about...

The embargo has lifted on reviews of Apple's new AirTag item tracker, although they are more like first impressions given that media outlets and YouTube channels had less than 48 hours of hands-on time with the small new device. Image Credit: The Verge AirTag will be available to order starting this Friday, April 23 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in most countries, and it will begin arriving to...

The first reviews of the iPhone 12 in Apple's newly-introduced Purple color option for the spring have now been shared by various media outlets and YouTubers, and the overall consensus is that the new color is more of a lavender shade than purple. Image via The Verge The Verge's Dieter Bohn described the new color as "more like a lilac," but still said that it was unmistakable: It's a...

With more and more car manufacturers starting to introduce support for wireless CarPlay, the convenience of having easy access to some of your iPhone's functionality in a dashboard-friendly interface without needing to deal with cables is becoming accessible to an increasing number of car buyers. GM is one of those manufacturers that has started to embrace wireless ‌CarPlay‌, and I recently...

Nomad, known for its lineup of premium accessories for Apple's devices, today announced the launch of the MagSafe Mount, which is designed to house the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger and keep it secured on a desk. The ‌MagSafe‌ Mount is made from a solid block of stainless steel with a painted satin finish. There's a cutout at the top that fits a ‌MagSafe‌ Charger, with the charger held in place with...

Capra Leather is a Colombia-based company that makes a range of handmade leather accessories, including cases for the iPad and MacBook, as well as magnetic wallets for the iPhone 12, for over 100 countries around the world. One of Capra's latest products is an alternative to the AirPods Max Smart Case, which seeks to address some of the criticisms that have been leveled at Apple's own case that...

Back in January, Sonnet announced updated versions of its eGPU Breakaway Pucks, offering new options equipped with Radeon RX 5500 XT and RX 5700 graphics processors for Intel-based Macs. The docks connect to a host Mac over Thunderbolt 3 and allow for more powerful graphics capabilities than the included graphics in many Macs while also providing some dock capabilities such as additional USB...