Accessories

Review: Cross Townsend Brushed Platinum Plate Fine-Tip Stylus

By Daniel Rasmus

Cross Townsend Brushed Platinum Plate Fine-Tip Stylus

When I graduated from high school, I was presented with a set of 10K gold Cross pens by my parents. This replaced a chrome set I had received in junior high school. For many, Cross was a symbol for writers. Over the years, I have collected many pens, but my Cross pens remain front-and-center, flanked by their cousins from Mont Blanc and Cartier. Today, I write on my iPad Air 2 more often than on paper. The closest pen, versus the best pen, usually suffices for the occasional check endorsement or tax note on a receipt. Like regular pens, I have collected dozens of styluses, from the passive type that drove the interfaces of the Sharp Zaurus and the Pocket PC, to the active type used to scrawl across the likes of the Microsoft Surface. 

Review: An Affordable Protective iPhone 6 Case without the Bulk

By Todd Bernhard

An Affordable Protective iPhone 6 Case without the Bulk

I recently wrote about case makers building cases for phones that haven't been announced yet. There's a real danger as the leaked measurements might not be as exact as they should be. The result is many case makers make openings bigger than necessary, which means the cases offer less than ideal protection. This is why I like the SP-06 ($29.99), a protective iPhone 6 case from ActionProof. This case has precision openings that fit the camera, flash, speaker, microphone, and headphone jack, all with very tight tolerances.

Review: Now You Can Build Your Own Apple Watch Dock with Lego

By Todd Bernhard

Now You Can Build Your Own Apple Watch Dock with Lego

What will they think of next? I saw the BLOCKS Customizable Dock Building Set for Apple Watch ($19.99) at the SwitchEasy booth at CES. This one surprised me, but I like it. SwitchEasy has basically combined a simple Apple Watch Charging cradle with Lego-compatible bricks. The idea is that you can create a truly unique stand for your Apple Watch, as long as you provide your own charger. The set includes 92 bricks (note that SwitchEasy doesn't use the word "Lego," but the company insists its bricks are compatible with the popular toy.) The BLOCKS works with both 38 mm and 42 mm Apple Watches. At under $20, the BLOCKS dock is an affordable, unique concept.

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Apple Watch Dock

Last Chance to Enter Our February 22 Biweekly Giveaway!

By Giveaways

Don't forget to enter this weekend's Giveaway Contest! 

Here's how it works: Every other weekend we raffle off tons of great apps and accessories for FREE then announce the winners through iphonelife.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. To enter, go to iPhoneLife.com/giveaways. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code. If you win an accessory, we will ask you for your mailing address.

Getting Started Gear for any iPhone User

By Conner Carey

There are a lot of accessories for the iPhone that are superfluous - awesome but not necessary. Then, there’s the small group of items every iPhone user should have. This list includes a screen protector, a case, and headphones. Beyond that, you can get fitness trackers, smartwatches, speakers, docks, but the most essential items for getting started are simple. We’re going to go over each item, top products, and the various options available for each item.

Introducing the Elvie: Track and Improve Your Kegel Exercises

By Dig Om

What can't we track these days in terms of health and fitness? Truly, it seems like there's a smart device and associated app for just about every athletic endeavor we can imagine. There's smart basketballs, smart golf gloves, and smart football helmets, to name a few. So it should come as no surprise that someone would eventually develop a way for folks to put their iPhones to work tracking and assisting with Kegel exercises.

Podcast Episode 25: Cable vs Apple TV, iPhone Chip Delay, Free Up Space on Your iPad

By Sarah Kingsbury

Cable vs Apple TV, iPhone Chip Delay, Free Up Space on Your iPad

In the 25th episode, the iPhone Life team talks about the pros and cons of cutting the cord and replacing cable or satellite TV with an Apple TV,  as well as which apps offer the best viewing options. Other topics include how to free up storage space on an iPad or iPhone, what the earthquake in Taiwan means for iPhone 7 chip production, and why you should pay for your music streaming service.

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iPhone Life Podcast Episode 25

Inateck Felt iPad Pro Sleeve Feels Luxurious

By Conner Carey

A question I think everyone has at some point when shopping online is will it look that good in person? Particularly when it comes to fashion items, a picture doesn’t capture the quality of something. When I discovered this iPad Pro and Macbook sleeve by Inateck ($21.99), I fell in love with the picture. After including it in a recent roundup, the company asked me to take a closer look at the product for review.

Never Worry About Your iPhone's Storage Capacity Again: Emtec Wi-Fi HDD Review

By Todd Bernhard

Emtec Wi-Fi HDD Review

I had the opportunity to try Wi-Fi HDD P700 ($119.99) from Emtec. I liked the truly massive amount of storage (1 TB or 2 TB) it offers compared to most competing offerings which are solid state based and offer 16 GB to 64 GB. I also liked that it offers both Wi-Fi and Ethernet based router capability. The device offers six hours of battery life, plus iOS and Android support with multi-user support (up to eight users). However, it is somewhat expensive and users must have the free "Emtec Connect" app to access the content. 

Manufacturers Starting to Sell Cases for the Rumored iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3

By Todd Bernhard

Manufacturers Starting to Sell Cases for the Rumored iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3

How real is the iPhone 5se? Or the iPad Air 3? Real enough that Chinese case manufacturers already have products (or at least mockups) to sell. At iPhone Life, we received a press release from at least one firm with prices and photos for its iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 cases. The photos are reproduced here, and seem to indicate that the iPhone 5se will resemble the flat-edged iPhone 5 on the sides, but with the rounded bottom of the iPhone 6 series. The iPad Air 3 case doesn't look that different from the iPad Air 2. The case appears to have large openings on the outside, as the next tablet is expected to have four speakers, like the iPad Pro.

3 Best Bluetooth Earbuds for Running

By Conner Carey

When it comes to running and listening to music, you need headphones or earbuds that feel comfortable but won’t budge no matter what terrain you’re running on. In the past when trying out active headphones, I’ve come across two major problems: they fall out or the added bulk to keep them in place hurts my ears. If a pair of active earbuds have neither of these problems, I look for added features and am particularly drawn to those with Bluetooth capability. Here’s my list of the three best Bluetooth-enabled earbuds for running.

Review: Landing Zone Makes It Easy to Listen to Music While Your iPhone Is Docked

By Todd Bernhard

The folks at Landing Zone make some nice landing docks for MacBooks so I was interested in checking out their IONA dock ($59) for iPhones. The dock has some features that other stands don't offer. First, the IONA can swivel left and right. This is nice for my setup, as my desk doubles as a nightstand. So during the day, my iPhone can face my chair and at night it rotates to face my bed.

Save on Siri Remote for the New Apple TV

By Todd Bernhard

Save on Siri Remote for the New Apple TV

One of the best featutes of the new Apple TV is the Siri Remote. Navigating through apps and content is a lot easier when you can talk to your TV via the remote. Plus the remote has gyroscopic sensors so it can double as a game controller. But it's also quite small and, if you have a black couch like I do, it's easy to lose. If that happens, you'll want a replacement, but you might be shocked to learn that it costs $79. That's more than the previous generation Apple TV. 

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apple tv
Siri Remote

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