Apple iPad Gear

Your Tablet Needs to Clean Up Its Act, Qmadix Smudge Free Can Help

Your tablet is dirty. Dirty, smudged and a mess. That’s what happens when grubby fingers are constant tapping, poking and sliding around on it. Seriously, it’s a bit gross. That’s where the Qmadix Smudge-Free Dry-Foam Cleaning Kit comes in. The kit is formulated to safely clean your device from smudges, dirt, grime and makeup. Our dry foam formula utilizes smudge-resistant properties that help minimize the transfer of most smudges.Smudge-Free is safe for mobile devices, computer monitors, televisions (Plasma, LCD and LED), E-readers, tablets, keyboards, household electronics and more. Each kit includes a 3oz can of cleaning foam and two 10″…


Pre-Order the Sena Florence Portfolio for iPad and Save

I love Sena’s cases, and one of my favorites is their Florence for the iPad. It took some refinement to get it just right, but they did get it “just right”, and it has been one of my all time favorite iPad cases. Sadly, I can no longer use it as that is the case my wife Elana chose for HER iPad; the good news is that there is a new version of the Florence on the way. And, of course, it would not be a problem regardless, since I am more than happy to feed Elana’s gadget needs in…


AViiQ’s Ready Clips Let You Charge and Sync Without the Mess

There is no way around it, if you use a mobile device you need to have a charge/sync cable handy. The only problem is, most cables are far linger than you usually need and, if you have more than one in a bag, they quickly become a jumble of spaghetti. That’s where AViiQ’s new Ready Clips come in. Ready Clips are small, bendable, clipable cables that go anywhere, stay mess-free and do the job. At just 19.99 to $29.99 (2 miniUSB Ready Clips are $19.99 while the 2 Apple connectors are the full $29.99) they are the perfect stocking stuffer……


Turn Your Mobile Device into an Awesome Desk-Phone with Native Union’s Curve Twin

Thanks to services like Line2, my iPad makes for a great phone. Seriously, so long as I have a good data connection, the tablet offers a huge screen for dialing and an excellent noise-canceling microphone for making speakerphone calls. But what if I want to use my iPad, or my iPhone, or my iPod touch or, shockingly, a device running an OS other than iOS as a VoIP phone AND have the calls be private? That’s where Native Union’s amusingly functional line of handsets come in. Many of the designs simply connect to the 3.5mm headphone jack on my handsets…


Plantronics BackBeat GO, the No Compromise Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to spend some time with representatives from Plantronics as they revealed their latest product — the Plantronics BackBeat GO. The Plantronics BackBeat GO offer “Great sound in a small package”. They speak the truth. The BackBeat GO are small, light and they sound great. Plantronics isn’t new to the world of stereo Bluetooth headsets. They have long offered the $79.99 BackBeat 903+ headset. The 903+ headset is designed for workouts and other activities. It is sweat-proof, has a stable wrap-around the ear design and is a very nice product. The company sent me home…


Tom Bihn Ristretto (New Version) review

  There are a few companies that consistently impress me with the design, functionality and quality of their laptop and iPad bags. Tom Bihn is one of them and, with the recent release of the updated Ristretto bag for iPad, 11″ MacBook air and 13″ MBA they have, yet again, proven why they are such a great company. For the past few months my “go to” bag has been the Skooba Design V.3 Tablet Messenger. It is a great bag that I continue to use and enjoy. It holds my devices in “landscape” and, as I note in the review,…


Just Mobile Highway Car Adapter for iPad and iPhone review

How much can you actually say about an in-car charger? I mean, seriously, so long as it plugs into your power adapter and can charge your device you are good to go right? Maybe, but as with so many things, when the tool you are using for a task is well-conceived and beautifully executed and when the object in question is made from high quality materials and does exactly what is promised, it is something abut which to take note. That is the case with the Just Mobile Highway in-car charger. I’m using it in my new car and it’s…


MapiCases iPad 2 Cases Can Enrobe Stylishly

The other day I received a medium-sized padded mailer at work. I receive these from time to time given my work requirements, but when I opened this particular package there was something special about it. Enclosed within the mailer was a gray felt bag with an embroidered MapiCases logo emblazoned on it. Wafting out of the suede bag was the distinct smell of fine leather. The two MapiCases for my review had arrived!


Bodyguardz Garrison for New Apple iPad First Look

Let me be clear, I can’t very well call this a review. After all, the review sample of the Bodyguardz Garrison for the New iPad just arrived a short while ago. I mean, the case isn’t even on the market yet and this is only one of a handful that are already in use. No, this cannot be called a review. But I can unequivocally say that… I have a new go-to case for my iPad. Yeah, it is that good! (so far) Let’s take a (first) look. From Bodyguardz: The Garrison is the latest offering from BodyGuardz in the…


Case-Mate Textured Tuxedo Case for the New iPad

I’ve always liked to take a minimalist approach to protecting my devices. Bulky cases just aren’t for me on a daily basis, although there are times when I welcome having something like the LifeProof iPhone case. At the same time, I don’t like using my devices in a naked state. You never know what is going to happen and, since I tend to sell my phones and tablets to prepare for the next generation, keeping my devices scratch-free translates into extra money at sale time. In the case of the Textured Tuxedo Case for the New iPad, Case-Mate has found a…


A Week with the iPad 3

The iPad 3 came out a week ago. A quick rundown of iPad users on the site shows that all four editors have the new iPad, and Chris Gavula does too. We have no doubt there will be a few more grabbing one in the weeks to come. Why? Because even though the improvements to the iPad are perhaps technically incremental, we’ve found that they add up to a device which has no equal. Not yet, anyway. Here’s why … Dan: I was worried that the iPad 3 would be too heavy and thick, but I’m not finding that to be the…


Brookstone’s iConvert Scanner for iPad Review

I was at Brookstone the other day and saw a couple of cool ideas that work with Apple’s iDevices. The first is the iConvert Scanner for iPad Tablet. The iConvert scanner is “The easy, accurate way to save documents as JPEG files on your favorite tablet. Works with the all-new iPad!” Let’s take a look. Here’s what Brookstone has to say about it: Admit it. You have too many piles of receipts, bills and other paper documents. Tame the paperwork jungle in your life by getting a scanner for your iPad® tablet. Our iConvert® Scanner captures sharp, detailed JPEG images and…


Native Union’s Curve Twin Handset Perfect for Multi-Device Professionals

We’ve previously reviewed a number of products from Native Union, and we have been impressed by the design and utility of them. That’s why Judie and I made sure to set aside time to visit the Native Union booth at CES. We are glad we did, because a couple of the items that were in the pipeline for 2012 really impressed us. One of them, the $59.99 Curve Twin, is finally available and for those of us who use multiple mobile devices; it promises to be a great accessory. As the Press Release notes, Universally appealing to anyone who uses…


Kanex AirBlue Portable Bluetooth Music Receiver Review

Update: This contest is now closed, and the winner has been announced on Facebook. Thank you for playing, and keep an eye out for more Gear Diary giveaways! =) Whether it is via AirPlay or through my Sonos system, I’m into wireless music these days. I love not having to physically dock a device in order to get the music flowing. More than that, I love being able to keep my device with me and then, regardless of where I am in the house, change the track or the volume. The problem is that the least expensive Sonos speaker component…


BodyGuardz is Ready for the New Third-Generation iPad, Are You?

We’re big fans of BodyGuardz and their various device-protective offerings. I used their skins to protect my iPod touch, my Kindle and even my iPhone. And I’m happy to see that they have jumped on protecting the millions upon millions of new iPad’s that will be arriving this Friday. Let’s take a quick look at a few of them.


Slim One Keyboard for iPhone and Mac Review

One of my students asked to interview me the other day. He’s writing a school paper on why Apple is so successful, and his mother suggested that with my “Apple obsession” I might be a good person with whom to speak. She’s actually right, since I am, in many ways, the poster child for what Apple has done during the past few years. You see, I never thought I would use a Mac. In fact, when I met Elana she was in art school and was using a Mac. It was only when her computer died that I convinced her…


You and Your iPad Can Travel Light with BlueLounge’s Bonobo Series iPad Sling

BlueLounge’s new Bonobo Series iPad Sling looks like a great way for you and your iPad to travel light. As the company explains, Our new iPad Sling stylishly accommodates your everyday necessities. Ultra-light, modern, and sleek the iPad Sling features a padded main compartment, a zippered exterior pocket, easy-snap magnetic closures, and a comfortable cross-body fit. It’s the ideal accessory for commuting to the office, or simply to the coffee shop. For all iPads.


Save Big for 72 Hours on Skooba Designs V.3 Collection

Back in November we reviewed Skooba Designs’ new V.3 Tablet Messenger. I liked it a lot and wrote this: What I Like: Small and light; lots of well-organized pockets; Special slot for your tablet; Grab and go handle; interior tablet access without opening the flap; Funky closure method for the flap What Needs Improvement: The blue highlights make it a bit less professional-looking You can read the full review here and find out more details here on the product page. That’s not the reason for this post however. No, the reason for this post is that Skooba Designs is running…


Tom Bihn Updates Their Ristretto Bag

I love when a company has a really good product but looks for ways to make it even better, and that’s exactly what Tom Bihn did with their Ristretto bag. We’ve reviewed the bag in a number of different sizes. You can read our review of the Ristretto, the Ristretto for iPad, and the review of the Ristretto for MacBook Air. The new Ristretto has a number of key improvements. We have a review sample on the way, but I wanted to run down the key changes in advance of that.


DBEST London Duo Bluetooth Rechargeable Mini-Speaker Set Review

The other day we looked at one of two DBest speaker sets I have been using for the past week and a half. Here’s what DBest has to say about their products: The most important thing in music are not the lyrics, but the way of receiving. The way music is transferred determines how much we like our music. To be short: the better the quality of our speakers, the better we can enjoy music! DBest speakers provide premium sound quality that is considered the finest in the world. This way they can give you maximum pleasure listening to your…


JustMobile Encore for iPad and Other Tablets Review

We’ve become big fans of JustMobile’s offerings. The company has a great way of merging sleek aesthetics with a high degree of functionality. This time out we are taking a look at the JustMobile Encore stand for iPad and other tablets. Let’s take a look.