iPad

The world is a chaotic place right now, and in the midst of it all, Apple announced a new iPad Pro with a 3D scanning camera, a new Magic Keyboard with a trackpad, and an iPadOS update that includes trackpad support. The iPad Pro 2020 is Apple's most advanced tablet to date, featuring 3D scanning camera technology for an improved augmented reality experience, as well as the A12Z Bionic Chip, edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, dual-camera, and Pro Audio system. The new Magic Keyboard's trackpad will finally go head to head with most Windows PC laptops, with its new cursor for navigating, editing, and gestures. Here's everything you need to know about the new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard, including pre-order and release date, cost, and shipping dates. Let's get started!

If you don't like either of the Apple Pencils that Apple offers, the folks at Adonit have a wide range of Apple Pencil alternatives. They even have a chart on their website to help you decide which one is right for you, with eleven models from $10 to $100. I previously wrote about their Adonit Note, and they sent me the upgraded Note Plus Stylus ($69.99) to try and it answers several of the issues I had. For starters, it uses USB-C instead of microUSB to recharge. This is important because, since my previous review, Apple has moved to standardize on USB-C for the iPad Pro. The fewer cables I have to carry around, the better, and microUSB has always been a pain because it's not reversible.

I have used an Apple Pencil long enough to lose the cap a few times and even temporarily lose the pencil itself as it rolled off my desk. Logitech has an alternative that addresses those issues and more. The company sent me a review unit of the Crayon ($69.99) to try. Originally, a $50 option was marketed for educators, but it's now easily found for that lower price for anyone on Amazon and Best Buy.

Gaming on the iPhone and iPad has certainly evolved over the last few years. What was expected straightforward pricing in the early days has become a multi-faceted marketplace of everything from freemium, in-app purchases, and an exclusive premium subscription via Apple Arcade to premium pricing matching that of traditional PC gaming costs. Dire Wolf Digital's latest digital conversion of a well-known board game (at least among board gaming enthusiasts) has opted for the higher-end premium pricing model. Reiner Knizia's Yellow & Yangtze ($9.99) is charging a penny short of ten dollars for the game on either the Android or iOS platform (with the PC version asking for a $14.99 payment for the privilege to play on that platform). Does the price justify the amount of entertainment packed into this board game conversion? Read on to find out.

Apple has once again set the standard for wireless earbuds with the AirPods Pro. Consequently, the market has followed with competitors approaching the market to either compete against Apple head-on, or flank Apple with low-cost alternatives. This article examines two sub-$100 AirPods alternatives that deliver adequate sound quality at less than half the cost of Apple's Airpods Pro.

It has been quite a year for new affordable, cross-platform wireless earbud alternatives to Apple's Airpods. Around the same time that I received the excellent Jabra 75t earbuds, I received another company's (that just so happens to start with a J) top of the line offering for review. How do the Jaybird Vista ($179.99) wireless earbuds compare to the recent competition in this rapidly expanding market segment? Read on to find out.

I am always on the lookout for the ideal way to charge all of my gear, which is typically made by Apple. The folks at Pitaka may have the answer. Their upcoming AirTrio and AirQuad (starting at $119) is currently a bargain on Kickstarter; and while crowdfunded projects don't always come to fruition, Pitaka is an established manufacturer and I've reviewed its other items before. The company sent me an AirQuad to review, so I can confirm that it's real. And it's really nice.

One of the main reasons I enjoy writing about technology so much is the significant advances made by innovators and manufacturers in such a sort time span. A perfect example of this is the breakneck pace of wireless earbud development. A year ago, I heaped praise on what I subjectively proclaimed at the time were the best wireless earbuds on the market, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless Earbuds. While that product still holds up well today, the competition hasn't been idle. One manufacturer that has made significant strides in the wireless earbud market is Jabra, a company that has been in the phone headset business for decades. Does their latest recently released Elite 75t ($179.99) wireless earbuds exceed last year's top headset in my assessment?  Read on to find out.

Apple is blurring the lines between computers and iPads and that's a good thing. The newer iPad Pros use USB-C, just like the latest MacBooks. But there are so many times I need to plug in USB-A devices like keyboards, headphones, an HDMI monitor, memory cards, and more, so it puts USB-C only devices at a disadvantage. Numerous vendors have offered a variety of adapters to address this, but often they are molded to fit the form factor of a specific iPad or MacBook and that limits what you can use the adapter with, now and in the future.

Want to use your iPad as a monitor for your Mac? No problem, Sidecar has you covered! With macOS Catalina and iPadOS 13, you can use a feature called Sidecar to turn your handy iPad into a second screen. Want to see your iPad mirroring your Mac's display? Not a problem either. Sidecar is easy to set up, and works like a charm. The ability to use an iPad as a second monitor for an iPad dual-screen setup has been possible with the third-party Duet Display app for a while. Now an even better way to do it is available to everyone, built right into the operating systems. Read on to find out how to set up this feature, and what requirements to check for if it doesn’t seem to be working.

Dark Mode is Apple's new feature that offers a muted, eye-strain reducing color scheme; it's especially helpful for low-light environments. If you'd like to schedule Dark Mode so that it turns on and off automatically at sunset and sunrise or at customized times, it's possible on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Let's get started learning how to schedule Dark Mode on your device.

It’s official. Apple has killed off iTunes, marking the end of its oldest and most iconic piece of software. Beginning with the new update, macOS 10.15 (Catalina), iTunes is no more, prompting many to ask: How do I back up my iPhone without iTunes? The answer is simple: You can back up your iPhone in Catalina by using Finder on your Mac and, of course, you can back up your iPhone to iCloud. This article covers both options.

Do you know how to connect to Wi-Fi, or change the network you're using, directly from your iPhone or iPad's Control Center? This method is much quicker than sorting through the Settings app to find available networks. Let's get started learning how to connect to a specific Wi-Fi network, or change the network you're connected to, via the Control Center.

Apple's Notes app is a handy, native application that's one of the best note-taking apps available for the iPhone and iPad. iOS 13 and iPadOS came with new features for the Notes app, including the ability to view notes in Gallery View. Gallery View allows Notes users to see all their entries with or without visual thumbnails, making it easier to find particular notes.

In the 122nd episode of the iPhone Life Podcast, David shares his experiences with the Apple Watch Series 5 after upgrading from the original model. David and Donna also discuss why Apple is expected to skip its October announcement and wait until early 2020 to release a new iPad Pro.