Reviews

Earlier this month, Twelve South launched the ButterFly 2-in-1 MagSafe Charger, and it may be the best multi-device travel charger that's come out to date. The "ButterFly" name comes from the shape, as it has two magnetic sides connected by a small strap in the middle. When folded up, the ButterFly is just two inches around and fits in a palm or a pocket, making it easy to transport....

Aura, a company known for its range of smart photo frames, this fall introduced the Walden, its largest photo frame to date. Measuring in at 15 inches, the Walden has a huge display that makes digital photos a focal point in the home. We've previously reviewed (and liked) the 9-inch Aura Mason frame, but the new Walden model is 66 percent larger and it is also Aura's first frame that can be...

The Philips Hue line has long been focused on lighting products, but this year, Hue parent company Signify expanded the lineup with a set of Philips Hue Secure cameras and sensors designed for home security. I was able to test out the $200 Hue Secure Wired Camera to see how it measures up to some of the other smart camera options on the market. Hue's cameras can be used indoors or out, and...

Nanoleaf is known for its smart lighting panels, but this year the company launched a set of $99 Smart Holiday String Lights that are compatible with Matter and thus HomeKit. Matter devices connect to ‌HomeKit‌ in the same way that traditional ‌HomeKit‌ devices do, but you will need a Matter-compatible smart home hub. For the ‌HomeKit‌ ecosystem, this is anything that serves as a ‌HomeKit‌ "home hub,"...

Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis has been gaining increasing attention over the course of its relatively short lifetime, and I recently had a chance to try out a 2023 Electrified GV70 SUV to see how the infotainment experience stacks up for an iPhone owner. My test vehicle was a high-end Prestige trim with a beautiful 14.5-inch widescreen center screen, complemented by a 12.3-inch all-digital...

Belkin in October came out with the ">BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock, which is designed to charge the iPhone and the Apple Watch at the same time. Though the name is similar to many of the existing chargers that Belkin offers, it actually features one of Belkin's most thoughtful and unique designs to date. The charger is about palm sized, and it features a flat teardrop-shaped body with a...

Philips Hue parent company Signify debuted a new version of the Hue Festavia string lights back in August, with plenty of availability now that the holidays are approaching. If you're up to date with Hue, you might know that the Festavia first came out last year, but the first version was available in limited quantities and was hard to get. After the holidays, the Festavia lights seemed to...

Aqara's Camera E1 is a new addition to the smart home camera space, offering a range of key features including 2K resolution, pan and tilt, support for HomeKit Secure Video, and more. The Camera E1 emerges as a noteworthy option in Aqara's lineup of smart home cameras, especially for those seeking a balance between functionality and affordability. Priced at $59.99, this camera positions...

Last week, Apple updated the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips for faster performance. There is also an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the standard M3 chip. Other new features include a Space Black finish for M3 Pro and M3 Max configurations, and 20% brighter displays. The new MacBook Pro models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on...

Last week, Apple updated the 24-inch iMac, with the headline upgrade being the M3 chip for significantly improved performance. Other new features include Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and up to 24GB of unified memory. The new ‌iMac‌ can be purchased from the Apple's online store, with prices starting at $1,299. Apple began accepting orders on October 30, and new ‌iMac‌ will begin arriving to...

Canadian company Monos recently gave me the opportunity to review its Metro Backpack, which is suitable for carrying a MacBook and other Apple products. Below, I have shared some details and thoughts on the backpack's design and utility. Monos offers the Metro Backpack in nylon and vegan leather finishes in a variety of colors. I chose the vegan leather option in a Saddle Tan color, which is ...

GravaStar is a small company that designs quirky speakers and unique desktop power adapters, and its latest product, the Delta35 GaN Fast Charger, combines fun and functionality. The Delta35 is a 35-watt power adapter that looks like a little robot. There are two USB-C ports at the top of the power adapter, LED lights that serve as eyes and glow when the adapter is in use, and fold-up prongs ...

The new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Friday. Ahead of time, select media outlets and YouTube channels have shared the first reviews of the watches. Key new features for both Apple Watch models include brighter displays, up to a 30% faster S9 chip, a "Double Tap" gesture for interacting with the watches without touching...

Apple's new iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Friday, September 22. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the devices have been shared by select media outlets and YouTube channels. Image via The Verge The ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus offer a new design, the Dynamic Island, a USB-C port, the A16 Bionic chip, a 48-megapixel main camera, Smart HDR 5,...

Apple's new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 22. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the devices have been shared by select media outlets and YouTube channels. Key new features of the iPhone 15 Pro models include a USB-C port, lightweight titanium frame, customizable Action button, faster A17 Pro chip, an...

At its iPhone 15 event last week, Apple announced updated second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case, additional dust resistance, and support for lossless audio with Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset. Apple still classifies these as second-generation AirPods Pro, and it does not sell the USB-C case separately. The updated AirPods Pro have been available to order since last...

CalDigit's Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4) is a dock with 98W charging power and an impressive array of 18 ports, ideal for Mac setups with a wide range of connection requirements. The dock comes with a price tag of $399.99, reflective of its high-speed data transfer, expansive connectivity, and powerful charging abilities. While it may not be the most budget-friendly option on the market, its...

The $180 Reliefband Flex is an anti-nausea accessory that is designed to attach to an Apple Watch, allowing for a single wrist-worn device that is able to cut down on or eliminate motion sickness, migraine nausea, pregnancy nausea, and more. You might be wondering what an anti-nausea device has to do with Apple, but many VR headsets cause motion sickness in people who are prone to feeling...

Nanoleaf in June launched the Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror and Lightstrip Kit, which is an LED gradient light strip designed to go behind a television set. It uses a camera to detect what's on the screen, matching the colors of the light strip to the content on the TV. The light strip comes in two sizes, one that fits TVs and monitors up to 65 inches and one that fits TVs up to 85 inches....

Accessory maker Nomad today announced the launch of the new Base One Max 3-in-1, a high-end metal and glass charger that works with the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. This is a MagSafe charger, so it is able to charge a compatible ‌iPhone‌ at up to 15W. All iPhones since the ‌iPhone‌ 12 are able to charge at 15W with a ‌MagSafe‌ charger, with the exception of the iPhone 12 mini and the ‌iPhone‌...