Author: Phil Dzikiy

Crosley’s Cruiser Deluxe ($90) is an updated version of the company’s popular retro “suitcase” turntable. This time around, however, the company has added Bluetooth, to give users another way to listen to music. Cruiser Deluxe can indeed be latched and carried like a suitcase. Two small speakers are built into the front of the case. Inside the case is the three-speed turntable, and next to that are a headphone jack, volume knob, pitch control knob, and the Bluetooth on/off switch. On the back of the case are ports for the AC adapter, stereo line-out ports, and another headphone jack. Turntables…

We’ve already seen Scosche’s BoomBottle in three different variations over the past three years, and the company has gone back to the well once again, releasing the BoomBottle H2O+ ($130). As you might surmise by its name, BoomBottle H2O+ is somewhere between 2014’s short boomBOTTLE H2O (which we liked) and the larger boomBOTTLE+ (which we didn’t like as much). The new BoomBottle H2O+ has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating and Scosche claims the speaker’s battery can run for 11 hours on a single charge — a micro-USB cable is included for recharging, as is a carabiner clip. BoomBottle H2O+…

Apple has released its second betas of iOS 10.2, tvOS 10.1, and watchOS 3.1.1 to developers today. The first betas were released a week ago, and Apple also later added the Single Sign-On feature for Apple TV and iOS beta users.

Beckmann of Norway has been making bags overseas for decades, and the company has recently brought their products here to the U.S. We’ve received Beckmann’s Urban 30L backpack ($120), a bag that contains three large pockets, two of which can easily house a MacBook and 12.9” iPad Pro. The lightweight pack features a number of leather details, including the zipper pulls. A rain cover in the pocket can be pulled over the rest of the bag. Urban 30L also comes in burgundy, gray, and navy. We like the simple, clean look of Urban 30L, which has a lot of features…

Matias’ Wireless Aluminum Keyboard ($99) is a Bluetooth alternative to Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but it does more than connect to your Mac. Wireless Aluminum Keyboard can pair with up to four devices at once, via Bluetooth — your Mac, in addition to an iPhone, iPad, even any Windows or Android devices. Four keyboard buttons allow the user to switch back and forth between devices. Those buttons are located just above the attached keypad, which you won’t find on Magic Keyboard — though the design does largely mirror Apple’s larger wired keyboard. A micro-USB cable is included to recharge the keyboard’s…

CaseCrown’s SlimPower Wallet ($30-$35) is a small, simple wallet, with room for cards and cash. But SlimPower wouldn’t be in our Gear section if it were just a wallet — a 2500mAh battery is tucked inside. The battery features a built-in micro-USB cable and Lightning adapter for charging, and also comes with a separate micro-USB cable for recharging the battery itself. SlimPower Wallet comes in genuine black leather for $35, with brown or navy synthetic leather and gray canvas options selling for $30. SlimPower Wallet comfortably fits three credit cards in its slots, and cash or additional cards can be…

Apple has released the first betas for iOS 10.2, tvOS 10.1, and watchOS 3.1.1 to developers today. This follows today’s earlier public release of iOS 10.1.1.

Cocoon’s Urban Adventure 16” Messenger Bag ($80) is an affordable messenger bag with a water-resistant, waxed canvas exterior. As you might expect, the bag can store up to a 16” laptop, meaning it’ll fit all current MacBooks. The bag features additional interior pockets, and a dedicated tablet compartment, which can even fit a 12.9” iPad Pro. Notably, the Urban Adventure bag has another pocket which contains a built-in version of Cocoon’s Grid-It accessory organizer. Grid-It, which sells for at least $20 on its own, is an organization system which features rubberized woven bands to keep cables and small accessories in…

Apple introduced three new models of its MacBook Pro at today’s event. Two of those models feature the company’s new Touch Bar, a multi-touch OLED bar which replaces the function keys and also contains a built-in Touch ID sensor. Touch Bar is essentially a thin, full-color touchscreen that can perform many functions based on software — it also offers quick access to commands, function “key” access, predictive text suggestions, and more. The 13” MacBook Pro with Touch Bar ($1,799-$1,999) features a 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz, 8GB 2133MHz memory, 256GB or 512GB PCIe-based SSD,…

Creative’s iRoar Go ($200) is the latest variation in its Roar series, which has included a number of similar speakers, including last year’s Sound Blaster Roar 2, which earned our high recommendation. iRoar Go is a lot like that speaker — it’s a five-driver portable speaker with a number of additional features not seen on many competitors. iRoar Go is differentiated by its smaller footprint, its IPX6 splashproof rating, and its “SuperWide” technology, which purports to create a larger sound stage than you’d expect from a relatively small speaker. Changing the speaker’s orientation or placement is said to have a…

Apple’s AirPods, the wireless W1-aided earphones which debuted at the company’s September event, apparently won’t be released in “late October” after all. Though Apple’s website still gives that time frame as of this writing, TechCrunch reports that the earphones aren’t ready for market. “The early response to AirPods has been incredible. We don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready, and we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers,” an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch. The report notes that no timeline was given for their availability — so we can only speculate on just how…

Bigosaur’s A New Life ($1) is a text and graphic based life simulation game. Within 10 or 15 minutes, you’ll be able to lead a new person from birth to death, with choices made along the way presumably affecting your path. The concept was undeniably intriguing to me, and the game is interesting, too, in one particular way — it is both frustrating and strangely addictive (I don’t get it, either). Each year of your “life” brings you a new decision between two choices. While some of these make sense — for instance, picking an athletic activity over a more…

Incase’s Icon, Pop, and Textured Snap cases ($35-$40) for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the first Incase iPhone cases we’ve seen since the company was acquired by Incipio last year. All of these cases make the leap from iPhone 6s to these new devices. We received Icon for iPhone 7, Textured Snap for iPhone 7 Plus, and Pop for both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. All three cases have proper button coverage and cover all sides of an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. Icon for iPhone 7 uses Incase’s “TENSAERLITE protection technology,” which is meant to…

Ten One Design’s Blockhead is another solution to the MacBook’s sometimes unwieldy plug, which causes the power supply to jut out from the wall. Blockhead replaces the power adapter’s plug with its own removable plug, enabling the adapter to charge while flush to the wall. Blockhead works with MacBook power adapters, whether 29W, 60W, or 85W, and the little blue plug also works with the 12W iPad charger. One Blockhead goes for $20, and a two-pack costs $35. Whether or not Apple’s power adapters are actually a problem depend on the user, and his or her usual workstation or charging…

Apple has released the fourth beta of iOS 10.1 to registered developers today, hours after releasing the iOS 10.0.3 update to iPhone 7/7 Plus users. We anticipate that the official public release of iOS 10.1 — which contains the much-ballyhooed Portrait camera mode for iPhone 7 Plus users — is not far off.

Apple has released iOS 10.0.3 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The update for the new iPhones fixes a bug which could cause a temporary loss of cellular connectivity. The update is currently available as an over-the-air download. It shouldn’t be much longer until Apple releases a bigger update with iOS 10.1 — last week, the company released its third beta for that upcoming update.

Tech Armor’s FlexProtect ($13) and Shock Flex ($18) are cases for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that show just how far the market has come over the years. Both FlexProtect and Shock Flex are polycarbonate/TPU cases which offer proper cutouts and responsive button coverage. FlexProtect is a clear case, while Shock Flex has a frosted back with a honeycomb pattern — other than its back, the case also has slightly more cushion on its darker edges. But both cases are lightweight, and (unfortunately) both cases have the awkward rear cutout to show off the iPhone’s Apple logo. Not every…

SwitchEasy’s sent us a number of cases for Apple’s new iPhones, many of which we’ve seen before for iPhone 6/6s, including 0.35, Numbers, and Monsters. (Those cases haven’t changed much outside of the new port holes; refer to those past reviews for our grades and more details.) New to us are Flash ($20) and Fleur ($25) for both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Flash is an affordable TPU case with chrome-colored edges. Fleur is somewhat similar, but its design features a raised floral pattern. Fleur comes in black and white, and Flash has multiple color options. Despite Flash’s name,…