Accessories

I recently had an opportunity to try out the newest rugged waterproof case from Dog & Bone; the Wetsuit Impact, and I have to say, it's one of the best waterproof cases I've ever had the pleasure of testing. It is a remarkably well designed iPhone case, with a great deal of attention paid to every little detail. Not only does the Wetsuit Impact (Starting at $79.95) provide some of the best, most reliable protection of any waterproof, heavy-duty case on the market, it also looks fabulous and fashionable while doing so. It sports a svelte form-factor with advanced technical design elements that elevate the status of this case to one of the premier cases of its class.

Satechi makes a broad range of accessories that really complement the life of an Apple user. It makes remote controls, mouse pads, charging stations, and more that all fit in nicely with Apple's use of aluminum and attention to even the smallest of details. And since Apple bought the somewhat garish Beats to use as its headphone line, Satechi makes headphones that are now more Apple than Apple! Case in point, the Aluminum Wireless Headphones ($69.99). Available in gold, space grey, and silver, they would look right at home in an Apple Store. The only thing non-Apple about them is the low price, about $70 for Bluetooth wireless headphones.

Apple has released a plethora of Apple Watch bands to let users give their Apple Watch a personal touch, but a low-cost option dubbed iPops goes even further. You insert an iPop into one of the holes in your Apple Watch band and have your own Pandora-style bracelet that tells a story. iPops are like emojis that you wear.

You’ve already spent a pretty penny on the Apple Watch, but you want to buy a different wristband too. The sport band that comes with the Apple Watch sport edition is great and easy to put on, but it’s missing the classic, minimalist style I so cherish. Yet, both Apple and third-party watch bands tend to be around $75 on the low-end and can reach over $250: you’ve got to be kidding. That’s why I set out to build a list of beautiful, classy, and/or radical Apple Watch bands you can buy for under $50.

The iPad Pro is almost ready to be a desktop replacement, as more desktop-caliber apps arrive on IOS, but one desktop convenience has always been absent...a mouse. Yes, a touchscreen and now a stylus may be superior for many situations, but an external mouse is familiar and can be more comfortable for those of us who work at a desk all day. Steve Jobs acknowledged this when asked if a touchscreen would come to the Mac, noting how uncomfortable it would be to keep reaching forward to a touchscreen on the desk. Still, the iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard has shown there is a demand for a desktop iOS device.

People often ask me how to get better Wi-Fi reception throughout their house. I recommend Apple's AirPort routers, especially if the person is an iPhone and iPad user. The free AirPort utility app makes it easy to find and configure the routers, plus you can add a USB hard drive or printer to the AirPort router and access them wirelessly.

At $99, the AirPort Express Base Station is on the pricey end, despite its advanced features; but fortunately, you can get one for less. Staples has them for $86 for a limited time. Bes tBuy often has them, refurbished by GeekSquad, for as low as $59.99. Apple also has officially refurbished models for $65. While you might be apprehensive about refurbished products, keep in mind that these devices have no moving parts so there's very little that can go wrong. However, I have bought some from BestBuy that were still configured for their previous owner. It's not too hard to reset them to factory new condition, using the app, but still I was surprised BestBuy hadn't done that. For $5 more, you can get one certified by Apple, so that's probably the best bet.