Mike Riley

Author Details

Mike Riley's picture

Author Details

Mike Riley

Mike Riley is a frequent contributor to several technical publications and specializes in emerging technologies and new development trends. Mike was previously employed by RR Donnelley as the company’s Chief Scientist, responsible for determining innovative technical approaches to improve the company’s internal and external content services. Mike also co-hosted Computer Connection, a technology enthusiast show broadcast on Tribune Media's CLTV.

As part of Apple's major content subscription announcements today, one category that raised more questions than answers is the company's announcement of Apple Arcade.  Unlike the Stadia game streaming service announced by Google earlier this month, Apple Arcade consists of original game content that can be downloaded and played offline when designed accordingly by the game creators. Like Stadia, gamers can pick up immediately where they left off on whatever device has the game installed.

Earlier today, Apple made a game changing announcement for the credit card industry. While it has been speculated about for years, Apple finally unveiled its intent to become a credit card company with the introduction of Apple Card. In addition to removing most of the sources of traditional credit card service revenue such as late fees, annual fees, and over limit fees to name a few, Apple also promised not to track payments or sell card activities to third parties. Although there will be a physical card available, this is clearly a card that is meant to be iPhone first. Users will apply for and be approved for the card via their iPhone, use it with Apple Pay, and even contact customer service via Messages. Apple is partnering with Goldman Sachs as the bank of record.

Thanks to the simplicity and pervasiveness of Apple's Homekit technology, the home automation market continues to rapidly expand with a variety of product offerings. Elgato's eve line has been one of the most prolific on the market, ranging from electrical outlets and temperature monitors to smoke alarms and lighting solutions. A recent addition to eve's growing product catalog is the Eve Light Strip (starting at $79.95).

It's been a couple years since I have reviewed iOS-centric hardware for musicians. This is because with each major iteration of the iPad, Apple has altered the dock input configuration thereby rendering an entire ecosystem of equipment relying on that connection port obsolete.  It was painful to send a stack of old IK Multimedia hardware to the landfill a few years ago when Apple upgraded iPads to use the Lightning connector instead of the original 30-pin dock connector.  A similar roundup of older third-party hardware reliant on the Lightning connector will likely happen again late next year if Apple migrates the rest of its future iPad and iPhone devices to USB-C.  Given Apple's track record, I have resisted investing much additional effort in third-party hardware dependent on proprietary adapters. That is why Eventide's H9 Max Harmonizer Effects Processor ($699) guitar effects stomp box piqued my interest.  

Now that all new Apple iPhone models support the Qi wireless charging standard, tethering an iPhone to a Lightning cable to recharge the battery is no longer necessary. As long as the wireless charging pad is Qi-compliant, simply laying your new iPhone on top of the pad will recharge the battery. With this new capability in place, the question becomes which Qi-compliant charger is worth buying? If aesthetic simplicity is mainly what you're looking for in iPhone accessories, then Just Mobile's AluBase Wireless ($49.95) charger meets this requirement.

Revolution followed by evolution—that’s the pattern Apple follows for its flagship iPhone line. Last year’s release revolutionized the iPhone with the X’s edge-to-edge OLED display and facial recognition. This year’s iPhone XS and XS Max (which costs anywhere from $1,000 to $1,449 depending on storage capacity) is an evolution of the iPhone X with a bigger display (if you get the Max) and better processor. But do these evolutionary steps warrant a one-thousand-dollar purchase? It depends.

Having reviewed tech products for so many years, I may be one of the few contributing editors at iPhone Life to have spent considerable time with nearly every one of Phiaton's headphone product line. Just added to this list is Phiaton's Curve headset, one that culminates the company's audio expertise, design aesthetic and comfort into a noise-canceling, high battery capacity listening experience. How does the Curve ($79) compare to the Phiaton headsets that have come before it? Read on to find out.

When you have a house full of iPads and iPhones, the power outlets poorly accommodate the oversized charging bricks sticking out from the walls. Of course, that is assuming that the chargers can be located. Top Greener has addressed the growing population of gadgets dependent on USB plugs to recharge. This review looks at two USB products that Top Greener has to offer.

I have used Sennheiser wired headsets for years, finding them to be high quality sound and comfort. So I was excited when Sennheiser announced their initial entry into the rapidly crowding market of wireless earbuds.  How could they possibly match the audio and comfort quality they were known for in the wired headset world in the earbud market, especially when even high-end wireless earbuds were prone to subpar audio reproduction and dropouts?  It was with some trepidations that I inserted each earbud and cranked up the tunes to determine if Sennheiser could master the wireless space as well as they had the wired audio experience.  Read on to find out.

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