Accessories

The Mujjo Sleeve looks classy and keeps your Mac notebook safe as you travel

If you bring your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro with you everywhere you go, then you should consider protecting your expensive investment with some kind of sleeve.

Because the outside world can be a lot rougher than the comfort and safety of your home computer desk, Mujjo makes classy protective sleeves that will fit every one of Apple’s notebooks. In this review, we’ll be showing you the Mujjo Sleeve for the 15” MacBook Pro.

The best HomeKit accessories

In 2014, Apple announced a new connected devices platform called HomeKit, with the hopes of making smart home technology easier and more accessible. It sounds complex, but the gist of it is you can control HomeKit-compatible appliances with your iPhone or Siri.

To make it easier to find the best HomeKit-compatible accessories, we've put together a list of some of our favorites. We made our selections based on a handful of factors including price, features, user feedback and of course our own personal experience with the products.

Gravitas iPhone dock by Henge Docks is both hefty and low key

I do a lot of work at my office desk at home, and for that reason alone, I have a love for things that help keep my work space uncluttered. One of the things I like to have that helps with that is a good quality dock that I can use to put my iPhone or iPad somewhere without it taking up much real estate where I’ll be putting my papers or elbows.

The Gravitas dock by Henge Docks is a good choice, and in this review, we’ll give you an up-close look at it.

Nomad’s Horween leather case for iPhone crosses luxury with protection

When it comes to choosing the right leather case for your iPhone, the market can be quite congested at times, making it a difficult choice in terms of what brand to go with. After all, you really don’t want to compromise on quality or features, but at the same time, you probably also don’t want to break the bank.

A great option to go with is that of the Nomad Horween leather collection. These cases are made to look and feel fancy, all while keeping your iPhone nice and protected from everyday life. In this review, we’ll be talking all about it and its many color options to pick from.

Which W1 chip-equipped audio device should you get?

Because Apple nixed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the bottom of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, you either have to use the supplied Lightning dongle for backwards compatibility with your 3.5mm audio accessories, or you have to kick it up to the new age with a pair of wireless or Lightning-enabled audio devices instead.

When you don’t want to be bothered with the issue of charging your device at the same time you're listening to audio with headphones or earbuds in, the obvious choice is to go wireless. While there are tons of options, only a few come with Apple’s brand new W1 chip, which supports the slick new Bluetooth pairing process. Among those are AirPods, Beats Solo3, and Powerbeats3.

If you’re in a predicament and can’t decide between the three then you should find this piece helpful, because I'll be comparing the strengths and weaknesses of each from a variety of angles.

Twelve South’s RelaxedLeather case is a luxurious iPhone case for minimalists

Twelve South is already at it again, having just this month launched a new lineup of snap-on leather cases dubbed RelaxedLeather. They come in two flavors: slotted and non-slotted, depending on whether or not you like to use your iPhone case to carry credit and ID cards. More importantly, they also come in a variety of different colors, giving you a lot to choose from.

In this review, we’ll go hands-on with the iPhone 7 Plus version of the case and show you what the RelaxedLeather case lineup is all about, as well as show you all of the different colors there are to choose from.

Aukey’s Ora 2-in-1 lens system for iPhone helps expand your mobile photography capabilities

I know a lot of people who take their iPhone photography seriously, and a number of them use the stock iPhone camera in all of its glory, while a select few use hardware lens attachments that can enhance the capabilities of their iPhone cameras beyond what software can.

In this review, we’ll show you a very affordable, yet high-quality 2-in-1 lens attachment option from Aukey called the Ora, which lets you experience both detailed macro shots and incredible wide angle shots.

Twelve South’s ActionSleeve puts Apple Watch in a better spot for some sporting activities

Twelve South recently released their new Apple Watch-oriented armband called the ActionSleeve, which relocates the Apple Watch to the upper arm for certain activities, such as rigorous sports, where the wrist isn’t the ideal place to have it.

In this review, we’ll talk about the ActionSleeve’s build quality, comfort, and usability, as well as where you can get your own.

The best HomeKit products announced at CES 2017

CES has finished up and just like last year, we saw a barrage of new HomeKit items that will be soon coming to market. Last year we saw the additions of a bunch of new products like ceiling fans from Hunter, several new iDevices products, FirstAlert's HomeKit safe, a whole range of switches and sensors from Elgato (that we reviewed), and much more.

This year there are even more new products, which is very promising. Admittedly while there are lots of new entrants, not everything is as original as a ceiling fan or safe. Instead we are seeing a lot of products that are making the HomeKit ecosystem more seamless, and giving you options when you look for something like a lock, thermostat, or wall switch.

Testing the operating range of AirPods and Beats Solo3 vs non-W1 Beats headphones

Much has been said about the virtues of the W1 chip Apple started baking into their latest wireless Beats line-up and of course the AirPods. By now we know for sure that W1 facilitates a much faster pairing process, as do we know that the chip significantly amplifies both battery life and conservation techniques. What’s less prominently talked about - at least from official sides - is the operating range of these wireless headphones and the presumed effect the W1 chip addition has had on that benchmark.

For I felt information on the internet was just a bit too murky to count on, I decided to take it upon myself and conduct a little experiment: I packed my rucksack with four headphones (two of which boast the new W1 chip) and headed to a nearby park in order to pit them against each other. Pairing them one after another and then slowly making a bee-line for the opposite direction, one thing quickly became clear: the results for the maximum distance obtainable aren’t surprising in terms of order, but they definitely are in their clarity.