By Todd Bernhard
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.
By Conner Carey
Some of my favorite cases feature artwork. Usually they're minimally protective but beautiful without adding bulk. So when I was asked to review an iPhone case with 3D Pop Artist Charles Fazzino’s artwork on the back, I jumped on the opportunity. Borrowing from some of his best Manhattan skyline works, the collection of Fazzino cases ($39.99) include five different pieces. I’m obsessed with Broadway musicals so I opted for the Broadway scene and patiently waited for the mail.
By Conner Carey
We choose our iPhone cases for different reasons. Whether you want something to protect your phone from elements or show off your personality, we all have preferences. Currently, I’m keeping it classy with a case that doubles as my wallet, and let me tell you, it is convenient. But before that, my favorite cases were always ones with beautiful designs that either inspire me or make me laugh. With all the thousands of options on the market, it’s not always easy to narrow in on the case for you. So, here’s a list of eight awesome and beautiful cases for the iPhone 6/6s to fit (nearly) any personality.
By Conner Carey
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.
By Giveaways
This is the official announcement of the iPhone life Biweekly Giveaway! Be sure to enter the giveaway at iphoneLife.com/giveaways to win prizes, which we'll announce February 8! We are raffling off tons of great accessories for FREE.
By Giveaways
This is the official announcement of the iPhone life Biweekly Giveaway! Be sure to enter the giveaway at iphoneLife.com/giveaways to win prizes, which we'll announce March 21! We are raffling off tons of great accessories for FREE.
By Giveaways
Thanks to everyone who entered the March 7 iPhone Life Biweekly Giveaway! Every other week we give away amazing prizes, so if you didn't win this time, make sure you enter the March 21 giveaway and tell your friends to enter too!
And the winner is... (drum roll please):
By Conner Carey
Etsy has made it far easier for small businesses and local craftsman to promote and sell their handmade or vintage goods. The large online store has categories with everything from knitting needles to wedding dresses. But when we’re looking for tech accessories, it’s easy to forget about the website of amazing crafts. Meanwhile, the options available on Etsy are endless and certainly deserve a look. Here’s five gorgeous and/or useful Apple accessories you can only find on Etsy.
By Todd Bernhard
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.
By Todd Bernhard
I'm a big fan of chargers with integrated Lightning cables and also microUSB, which is why I'm an even bigger fan of myCharge and its Hub line of chargers. Not only do the company's chargers have integrated charging cables but they also have built-in A/C wall prongs. That means one less thing to worry about leaving behind. I travel with the HubMax ($129.99) so I have plenty of power (9000mAh) to charge my iPhone, iPad, and microUSB devices such as my iPad keyboard.
By Todd Bernhard
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.
By Conner Carey
Before stumbling upon Trekz Titanium ($129.99) by AfterShokz, I had never heard of headphones that skip your ears and play music through your cheekbones. But once I discovered them, I had to give it a try. It seems absolutely counterintuitive to listen to music solo without obstructing the ear, but that’s exactly what the headphones promise to do. They’re designed to deliver premium sound while keeping your ears open to traffic noises and other ambient sounds; so, does it work?
By Todd Bernhard
As a kid, I loved playing with walkie talkies. Long before cellphones, or even cordless phones, it was a way to run around the neighborhood and play cops and robbers, astronauts and aliens, etc. I even got a CB radio for my car when I was 16. So embracing cellphones was no surprise, but I missed the push-to-talk feature. Now, there are a few ways to achieve this and it's not just about fun. If you are on the slopes, skiing or snowboarding, you will want to stay in touch with your friends. It could even be a matter of life or death, if there's an avalanche or you fall. That's why I'm so excited about the YodelUP Kickstarter offering that starts at a very reasonable $69.
By Dig Om
In many areas in the smartphone and tablet industry Apple has blazed the trail, creating devices that are unparalleled in their user interface, practicality, and usefulness. Apple has managed to either out-innovate its competition or simply out-perform them. In some instances, Apple set the trend, as was the case with the first-to-market device of its kind, the original iPhone. In other instances, like the Apple Watch, Apple may not have been the first to offer a product of this kind, but the sales, popularity and customer satisfaction levels of the Apple Watch have gone on to far exceeded that of its closest competitors. Now, as the world gradually acknowledges the potential of Virtual Reality (VR), the question arises: will Apple be content to sit on the sidelines while other companies, like Google, Samsung, and Oculus become the dominant forces in this emerging new medium, or does Apple have a thing or two up its sleeves when it comes to Virtual Reality?
