MacBook Gear

SRSLab’s New Audio Essentials Let’s Your Mac Pump Up the Volume and Quality

When Apple first announced the new MacBook Pro with retina display they stressed that it was the best notebook they have ever built AND it had the best speakers they have ever put into a Mac notebook. After almost two weeks I can confidently say that this is absolutely the best computer I have ever used. At the same time, if these are the best speakers they have ever put into a Mac it says a lot for just how bad things were previously but says little about the audio coming from the MBPr. To be fair, it isn’t just…

Reviews, Travel

Waterfield Cozmo Lets Your Gear “Go First Class” Review

So you got one of the new MacBook Pro with retina displays and love it. But there is a problem. Thanks to its thinner design and lighter weight the 15″ notebook is far more portable than its predecessor but you aren’t quite sure what you should use to carry it. Waterfield SFBags has some great options. In fact, they have a new section on the site that gather’s the best options for carrying the MBPr in one place. You can check it out here. They all look great, and I’m thinking about picking up one of the new, larger-size Travel…

Reviews

Jabra Supreme UC Bluetooth Headset and USB Adapter Review

We took a look at the Jabra Supreme headset back in October. (Read the review.) It was an impressive Bluetooth headset; it offered active noise cancellation, and the headset was designed for noisy environments. The active noise cancellation cut through much of the ambient noise and allowed for clear conversations on both sides. Sure, the active noise cancellation created a funky feeling in the ear, but the pay off was clear, clean, crisp phone calls. Also impressive was the actual design. While I don’t tend to be a fan of large noticeable Bluetooth headsets, this particular offering has the convenience…

News

Twelve South SurfacePad for Air Brings Luxury to the MacBook Air

We’re huge fans of TwelveSouth and love watching their relatively small portfolio slowly grow as new products are added. That only seems to happen a few times each year so. Well, this is one of those times and, while the new product is not something you NEED, and is not something that is completely NEW, it is something that those of us who use a 13″ MacBook air will want to consider. The Twelve South SurfacePad is a razor thin layer of premium Napa leather that cushions and protects the wrist rest area of your MacBook Air, while giving your…

Reviews

NeatReceipts Scanner and Software Package Review

Last July we reviewed the NeatDest scanner and software system from Neat. (Read the review.) Here’s how I began the review One of the keys to Apple’s remarkable success with their iOS devices is the fact that they control both the hardware and the software side of things. Good software is nice to have. So is nice hardware. But when you put the two together; when the hardware is specifically designed to work with the software and the software is specifically designed to work with the hardware… now THAT is a combination worth speaking about. The result? Well just take…

Reviews

Waterfield CitySlicker MacBook Air Case, Review

Waterfield’s various iPad and MacBook cases and bags are seeing more than a bit of use in my home these days. Elana carries her iPad 2 and Apple Bluetooth keyboard in the iPad Travel Express we reviewed in March of 2011. (Read the review.) Having found time and again that the best option for a keyboard to use with the iPad is Apple’s offering, I’ve used the Keyboard Travel Express a number of times. (Read the review.) Judie reviewed the new Indy bag for the iPad and, knowing I love all-things-Indiana-Jones (I know, lame but true), she sent it to me. When…

News

Waterfield Designs’ CitySlicker Brings Style and Minimalist Protection to Your MacBook Air

If you are going to have something as thin and light as a MacBook Air, then why in the world would you carry it in a big bulky bag? You wouldn’t, and with Waterfield’s new CitySlicker, you don’t have to. The CitySlicker is a “Slim, Modern Case for the MacBook Air” that provides 3-layers of protection for the MBA while maintaining the thin, light look and feel of the diminutive laptop. As Gary Waterfield, company founder, explains, The MacBook Air is unbelievably thin, and we wanted to enhance that look rather than detract from it. The challenge was to design…

Editorials

Growing Pains and other Idiocy

If, based upon the title of this post and the image I used, you thought I was going to go on some rant about Kirk Cameron’s opinions on a host of issues, think again. (I have, however, made clear on numerous occasions that he and I could not disagree more, especially about the issue of marriage equality.) No, I’m speaking about growing pains and idiocy of the Apple kind. Elana and I arrived for dinner with my parents a bit early so I hit the Apple Store at the Short Hills Mall while we waited for them. I used to…

Reviews, Travel

Saddleback Leather MacBook Air Sleeve Review

Over a year and a half ago, Judie reviewed the Saddleback Leather Company’s iPad sleeve. This is what she had to say: There aren’t many materials that are more long-lasting, beautiful or more protective than thick, full grain leather; Saddleback Leather Company is one of the few companies who takes advantage of that fact. And this was her conclusion: The Saddleback iPad Sleeve is absolutely beautiful in its simplicity; it’s not pretentious, but it screams “quality”. The sleeve can be used to hold you iPad, but it can also be used to hold “receipts, cameras, papers, power supply and miscellaneous…

Editorials

Need Proof Optical Media is Dead? Look at My Wife.

If ever you wondered if optical media (CDs and DVDs) is dead and gone this brief interaction from last night should make the point with utter clarity. A bit of background before the “blow by blow” Elana is not a techie. She’s not anti-technology either. As she often puts it, “I think this stuff is amazing and I appreciate what it can do but that is where it ends for me. I just can’t get excited about it the way you do.” But when it comes to the 11″ MacBook air she has been using for the past year and…

Editorials

The Future of Touch Interfaces?

Image courtesy of Multi-touch Research Because of my work, I have to toggle back and forth between a Windows laptop and a MacBook Pro during the day. I am not going to add to the Apple/PC wars, nor to the Windows/Mac OS X discussion; instead what I’ve noticed most, every day, day after day, is the huge productivity difference I get out of . . . the Apple Magic Mouse

Reviews

Twelve South HoverBar Is a Mac Accessory You are Going to Want

Impress friends and office mates with a jaw-dropping, super futuristic, straight out of Hollywood Mac setup. HoverBar hangs iPad 2 beside your Mac, letting you use iPad as a secondary, touchscreen computer. The flexible HoverBar arm positions iPad in a place where you can keep tabs on Twitter, stocks or partake in a FaceTime chat. As a bonus, you can use HoverBar separately to float iPad 2 as a micro workstation, a handy kitchen mount or as a tool that elevates iPad, creating a whole new way to interact with apps. That’s how Twelve South introduces their new HoverBar accessory….

Gear Bits

iPhone Backs from The Brooklyn Bakery Store Will Make You Swoon

If you hate putting your iPhone in a case, but you still want it to look unique and interesting, then you might want to consider one of the imaginative adhesive leather backs from The Brooklyn Bakery Store. Made to resemble natural and unnatural skins, these leather objects of art will really make your iPhone stand out.

News

Twelve South Does it Again with HoverBar for Mac and iPad 2

If you use a Mac and an iPad, then Twelve South’s new HoverBar is for you. It lets you use your iPad 2 an adjustable arm that floats iPad 2 next to an iMac or Apple display, allowing you to use iPad as a secondary, touchscreen computer. [It] turns iPad into the ultimate sidecar for an iMac or Apple display, presenting more ways to use iPad more often. Connect HoverBar to your Mac, snap iPad 2 into the secure clip and you now have one powerful dual-computer work setup. Having iPad floating next to your Mac allows you to monitor…

Events, News

Seagate Thunderbolt Adapter Speed Comparison with USB 2.0

We told you about Seagate’s new Thunderbolt adapters last week. Yes, we are finally seeing products come to market that take advantage of the speed increases offered by Thunderbolt. But how fast IS Thunderbolt? Sure you can see lab testing but that doesn’t necessarily tell you about using it at home or work. We shot a video of moving 2.5GB of data from a MacBook air to an external drive using both USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt. This is a normal use-scenario for something like this so the speeds you see here are what you might expect if you get one…

Reviews

Twelve South Bass Jump 2 Portable Subwoofer for MacBook Review

The MacBook air isn’t designed to be an entertainment device. The anemic speakers on it make that point quite clearly. Sure, they work well enough, but I would be hard-pressed to call them anything more than functional. The speakers on the iMac are far better but even they still fall a bit short. That’s where Twelve South’s BassJump 2 Portable subwoofer for MacBook comes in. Let’s take a look.

Gear Bits

Protect Your Private Parts with LapGuard

Ah life… so many things to worry about these days. Nuclear proliferation, the economy, global warming (errr climate change), earthquakes, how Duke Basketball will do this year and now this… laptop sterility. Yes, in addition to worrying about whether or not your cellphone is giving you a brain tumor you now need to worry about what your laptop is doing to your reproductive system. Why? Because “recent reporting suggests that radiation emitted from Wi-Fi enabled laptop computers may be harmful to your reproductive system” and this apparently holds true for men and women. That’s where Digital Innovations’ LapGuard comes in….

Gear Bits

Twelve South PlugBug QuickLook

We brought word of Twelve South‘s new PlugBug Mac/iPad accessory the other day. Within seconds of learning about the new product Judie and I had both ordered one. It is a great traveling companion if you have a Mac and an iPad or iPhone, so it seemed like a no-brainer. It is! Mine just came and, once again, I’m impressed with what Twelve South has done. Here’s a quick video look at the PlugBug. You can order yours for here on the company site for $34.99.

News

Twelve South PlugBug iPad/iPhone Travel Charger- a Simple but Brilliant Apple Accessory

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ideas. That’s how Twelve South’s new PlugBug strikes me. The accessory lets you use one plug to charge both your Mac and your iPad. “Simple”, “fast” and “clean” are the words that came to mind when I got the announcement a few minutes ago. Deciding to order one for myself was a no-brainer. So what exactly is the PlugBug? Let’s let Twelve South explain. PlugBug… piggybacks onto a MacBook Power Adapter, allowing you to charge a MacBook and an iPad/iPhone simultaneously from one power outlet. The ingenious PlugBug connects to all MacBook Power Adapters. Simply…

News

Twelve South’s BassJump 2 Pumps Up the Bass!

The folks at Twelve South always have a way of surprising us. They make awesome leather cases like the BookBook for iPad or iPhone but they also make an amazing iPad stand called the Compass. (I use mine all the time.) Now they have something even more outside the box- the BassJump 2 speaker. The new BassJump 2 is a portable, USB-powered subwoofer that “turns MacBook Pro or MacBook Air into a travel-friendly sound system”. Powered by a single USB connection, the BassJump 2 uses proprietary software that “blends the sound output of the BassJump subwoofer with the output of…

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