Author: Jeremy Horwitz

Sent to us in somehow incomplete form, SwitchEasy’s new Odyssey ($20) and Tones ($20) are less expensive iPhone 6 versions of cases previously released for the iPhone 5/5s. Both cases are sold in two-tone variations, with Odyssey’s grippy rear bars evoking the minimalist, futuristic designs of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Tones using shapes that mimic the iPhone 6’s unusual plastic antenna bands. While Odyssey comes only in black/grey or light/dark pink versions, Tones is available in black/grey, grey/white, orange/yellow and light/dark pink colors. Neither case comes with screen protection, but both have integrated button coverage and pop-open port covers.…

The growth of iOS-compatible home automation products has been impossible to ignore, especially over the past year: accessory makers are now competing to release everything from power outlets to wall switches, thermostats, and lightbulbs with wireless connectivity. In partnership with Quirky, General Electric has just set off a much-needed price war in the lightbulb category with an LED bulb family called Link ($15), optionally controlled by a wireless hub called Wink Hub ($50). Unlike the premium color-shifting lightbulbs we’ve tested in the past, Link isn’t here to dynamically change the appearance of a room or simulate the spectrum of an…

Premium-priced iPad keyboard cases face a substantial obstacle: there are so many good or great sub-$100 options that it’s hard to justify a $130 or $150 MSRP. That hasn’t stopped developers from trying, however, and the results have been consistently interesting, though rarely worth recommending. Last year, Belkin came up with an exception called the Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air, and now it’s back with a sequel called Qode Ultimate Pro Keyboard Case for iPad Air ($150). The key question is whether any of its “Pro” features merits a premium, particularly since the accessory is hitting stores only…

When the original iPad debuted four years ago, we pegged keyboard cases as a critically important accessory category — the bridge between tablets and laptops. Despite Apple’s insistence that people would eventually prefer typing on virtual keyboards, the iPhone demonstrated that tiny glass surfaces with zero feedback were no match for physical keyboards in comfort or accuracy; even the iPad’s larger screen wasn’t optimal for serious typing. So we’ve seen hundreds of keyboard cases since then, including two we’re reviewing today for the iPad Air: Logitech’s Type+ ($100) and Touchfire’s Case and Keyboard for iPad Air. To say that these…

When the original iPad debuted four years ago, we pegged keyboard cases as a critically important accessory category — the bridge between tablets and laptops. Despite Apple’s insistence that people would eventually prefer typing on virtual keyboards, the iPhone demonstrated that tiny glass surfaces with zero feedback were no match for physical keyboards in comfort or accuracy; even the iPad’s larger screen wasn’t optimal for serious typing. So we’ve seen hundreds of keyboard cases since then, including two we’re reviewing today for the iPad Air: Logitech’s Type+ and Touchfire’s Case and Keyboard for iPad Air ($70). To say that these…

Most of the iPad stands we test are small and effectively portable: lightweight, made from plastic or metal, and relatively inexpensive. Some iPad stands, however, have been ridiculously overpriced; it’s hard to justify $80-$130 price tags when virtually identical functionality can be had for $20-$30 elsewhere. Flote’s Orbit ($130) is the rare iPad stand that’s actually worthy of a premium price. While it’s not quite as gorgeous in person as it looks in company-provided photos, Orbit combines an elegant design with functionality and heft that can’t be found in basic stands. Assuming you’re not concerned about theft of your iPad…

There really shouldn’t be anything momentous about switching cellular carriers, but this year was different for me. After seven years of using AT&T, I finally switched to one of its competitors. I’ve been expecting to switch for six years, yet the process of actually doing it turned out to be a bigger deal than I’d imagined. If you’re thinking of switching carriers, I hope my experience — a generally very positive one — will be useful for you. Why Switch Cellular Carriers? Up until AT&T got an exclusive on the original iPhone — something I was professionally obligated to buy…

One of the challenges we face when reviewing any new accessory in a crowded category is recognizing when a collection of little features elevate something that’s good on the surface to something great overall. Wacom’s Intuos Creative Stylus 2 ($80) is arguably one of those accessories – roughly the 50th stylus we’ve seen for iOS devices, but one that hits almost all the right marks. Conceptually, it’s not all that different from the original Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus, but the hardware-side execution has improved substantially in a year’s time. Last year, the original Creative Stylus was a good Bluetooth 4…

Apple is marketing the upcoming Apple Watch as a fashion, fitness, and functional accessory—something to wear, work out with, and use to do everyday tasks. Ever since the Watch was shown last month, iLounge’s editors have been discussing what truly makes it different from the earlier sixth-generation iPod nano, the device that obviously inspired Apple Watch’s basic look and feel. Putting aside Apple Watch’s enhanced fashion appeal, now diversified across six different metal bodies and six types of wristbands, the major selling point will be what the new device can do. That much is largely known, thanks to details Apple…

Dozens of new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases have arrived at our offices over the past month — some of them preceding the official releases of the iPhones themselves. We’ve been busy testing all of them, and now that we’ve seen what most of the major iPhone case makers have done this generation — hint: modest updates to their prior designs — we can offer some guidance on the best current options out there. iLounge is recommending three broad categories of cases this year: minimalist, middle-of-the-road, and ultra-protective. It’s still very early to judge the year’s best iPhone…

Several times over the past decade, excellent first-generation JBL speaker designs have proved difficult to improve upon in sequels. Harman Multimedia’s budget-conscious division has released desktop and portable speakers that were unbeatable for their price points, then tried with mixed results to develop more compelling “step up” models at $30 to $50 premiums. As just one example, the 2013 speaker Charge was a step up from 2012’s groundbreaking $100 portable speaker Flip, adding a bigger battery and ruggedized frame for a $50 premium. A little more than one year later, JBL has released Charge 2 ($150), a same-priced sequel that…

Thanks to continuous improvements in technology, the old “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” maxim is hard to follow these days. Digital music players considered superb several years ago seem antiquated today despite continuing to perform wonderfully, so it’s no surprise that yesterday’s near-perfect music accessories are receiving updates to remain relevant. Bowers & Wilkins’ original C5 In-Ear Headphones were superb upon their release in 2011; this month, C5 Series 2 ($180) debuted as an enhanced replacement. C5 previous impressed us with a collection of great core elements: substantial-feeling tube-shaped housings capped by sparkling metal micro filters and comfortable…

Konami’s Metal Gear games are widely admired for their consistently incredible graphics and genre-defining stealth action gameplay—neither of which have officially appeared on the Mac for years. So TransGaming’s release of Metal Gear Rising – Revengeance ($30) is noteworthy for its very existence as a Mac game: originally a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 title, this side story stars the increasingly popular cyborg ninja Raiden, whose initially groan-inducing debut in Metal Gear Solid 2 has been all but forgotten due to subsequent titles like this. Set after Metal Gear Solid 4, Revengeance is an action-heavy title where a katana-wielding Raiden…

Wireless portable hard drives began to take off years ago, fueled by early solid-state options such as Kingston’s Wi-Drive, then miniature conventional hard drives such as G-Technology’s G-Connect and Seagate’s Wireless Plus. Over the past three years, prices have come down somewhat, and storage capacities have grown considerably. That’s why Western Digital was able to launch My Passport Wireless ($180-$220) at an aggressive 1TB price point, along with a slightly more expensive 2TB capacity that’s presently unmatched by rivals. (A $130 500GB version was also announced, but does not actually appear to be available for purchase.) The overall package isn’t…

Apple today announced the achievement of a new milestone for first-weekend iPhone sales, hitting a record 10 million sales of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices only three days after their September 19 debut in stores. The record includes over 4 million pre-orders, and was notably achieved despite Apple’s last-minute inability to sell the new iPhones in China due to regulatory delays, as well as significant shortages of the larger iPhone 6 Plus model. “While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, “we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply…

Better known for its cases and screen protectors than electronic accessories, Spigen is now offering a USB battery pack called F70Q ($59), billed as a “dual portable quick charger” due to its 2-Amp and 1-Amp USB ports. While F70Q doesn’t offer peak 2.4-Amp output for certain older iPads, full-speed recharging for the iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhones and iPods are supported by the battery. It’s a seemingly basic accessory, but the impressive price point and performance make it a very good option relative to other batteries we’ve tested. The core of F70Q is a white glossy plastic box similar in…

Simultaneously with the release of iOS 8 earlier today, Apple has updated a large collection of first-party apps to include compatibility with the latest release of iOS. Updates include AirPort Utility 1.3.4, Beats Music 2.3, Find My Friends 4.0, Find My iPhone 4.0, iTunes Movie Trailers 1.4.1, iTunes U 2.1, and Remote 4.2.1, most of which have received minor compatibility tweaks for iOS 8. Find My Friends and Find My iPhone now both add support for Family Sharing, so you can easily add both family members and their devices to the location-based search applications. Apple notably integrated formerly separate iOS…

Ever since iPhone cameras became capable of replacing standalone point-and-shoots, interest in low-end digital cameras has declined. Emboldened by Sony’s release of the well-regarded prosumer RX100 series, Canon looks to have gotten its groove back with the new PowerShot G7 X ($700). The pricey new pocket camera is only a little thicker than Canon’s S-series models, but packs a comparatively huge 1” sensor with 20-Megapixel effective resolution, plus a super fast F/1.8-F/2.8 lens with a 24-100mm equivalent zoom range. It also has both a touchscreen and manual controls, bringing together the best of modern and traditional technologies for composing excellent…