Reviews

The leading cause of broken, unusable iPhones is a cracked screen, followed closely by water damage, so a good waterproof case can typically go a long way to keeping your precious device safe from exposure to liquids. The great thing about waterproof cases is that when they work, they turn your iPhone (or iPad) into the ultimate adventure-proof accessory. Not only does your iDevice become capable of safely handling what could otherwise be catastrophic conditions like underwater videography or surfing, but also it's protected from day-to-day hazards like an accidental drop into the bathtub or toilet. The not so great thing (major understatement) about waterproof cases, is that even the best waterproof case is only waterproof, until it isn't. When it comes to intentionally submerging your iPhone in water, there aren't usually incremental levels of damage. Let's face it, short of a minor splash, if your iPhone's innards get soaked, it's history, and hopefully you have insurance and a recent back up if that happens.

It’s not that I don’t like cooking, it’s that I don’t want to cook at the end of a long day. Yet I’ve felt the consequences of microwave meals and take out— my body is not a fan. So when I was asked to test out Mealime Pro ($5.99/mo), I figured this was a great excuse to get back in the kitchen. Mealime is a meal planning app with quick recipes that can be tailored to your personal eating preferences. The service offers five different menu types from Low Carb to Vegetarian and scales the amount of food you make based on your selection of 2 or 4 servings. Overall, I’ve made some incredibly yummy and healthy dishes the past couple weeks. But there’s certainly room for improvement here too.

I will be honest, I talk to my Amazon Echo’s agent, Alexa, more than I talk to Siri. In many ways, the Echo is a completely different creature than Siri. I don’t need Siri to use my iPhone. Apple hopes that Siri makes me more dependent on my phone, but there is no using the Echo without Alexa. Echo is designed primarily as the home for an intelligent assistant and little else.

It's summertime and that means beaches, pools, and other watery adventures. None of those are good for electronics. Fortunately, there's the Catalyst Case ($69.99) for the iPhone SE, and other iPhones. I tried it with my new iPhone SE, and I plan to use it on my upcoming trip to Disney World. I normally use a less rugged case, but the Catalyst Case will protect against water damage and more, while it won't add too much bulk. After all, I chose the SE because I wanted a smaller phone, so I don't want to add a much thicker case.

Styluses are not much in style anymore, the Apple Pencil still being a somewhat enigmatic and premium exception. That doesn't mean you can't buy good ones for an affordable price. Those of us addicted to scribbling, old-fashioned note-taking, doodling, or sketching know the good ones. A good stylus pen, like a fine pen, has a certain weighted balance and comfortable feel that makes it practically seem to disappear in your hand. The Lynktec Apex Fusion Stylus pen ($59.99) is one such fine electronic handwriting implement.

When you have an iPad, knowing a few keyboard shortcuts for your external keyboard is essential. Unless you enjoy touching the screen every two seconds, keyboard shortcuts are great for completing common tasks in a second. This tip will focus on two. Once you’ve used them a few times, they’ll become habit. Here’s how to Spotlight search and return to Home screen with keyboard shortcuts on iPad.

This year, Father’s Day is on June 19. If your dad is a gadget fidler or technological optimist, we’ve got some great present ideas for the nerd that raised you. On Father’s Day, give your dad a gift he’ll love and laugh at all his terrible dad jokes. Then leave him alone, because let’s be honest, that’s probably his ideal dad’s day. Here’s some of our favorite tech gifts for dad this Father’s day.

The new Apple TV has a lot of promise, thanks to its ability to run third-party apps. As more developers wrap their heads around how to write (and play)Apple TV gaming apps, it could become a more compelling purchase. One such developer is Happy Labs, which makes a few such Apple TV apps, including Happy Swordplay ($2.99).

The rugged, waterproof case market has exploded this year, and now that summer is in full effect, people keep asking me, “Which waterproof iPhone case should I get?”

This time last year, Lifeproof had excellent offerings, and... well, that was really about it in terms of quality waterproof iPhone cases. This year, however, there is no shortage of top-quality waterproof cases for your iPhone. Read on for a quick roundup of the best of the best available. And while I can't tell you which one is best suited to you, I can turn you on to some great options (some of which you may not have known about), and let you decide.

In this fifth installment of my series on HomeKit-compatible devices, we'll look at yet one more gadget that Elgato has given me: Eve Door & Window ($39.95). Its simple function is to tell you whether a door or window is open or closed, and it keeps a log of openings. Previous posts have covered iHome's SmartPlug ($39.99) and Elgato's Eve Room ($79.95), Eve Energy ($49.95), and Eve Weather ($49.95). 

To help you prepare for your warm weather adventures with all of your devices in tow, I recently compiled and reviewed some of the best, rugged, Bluetooth speakers currently on the market. All of the speakers featured in that particular roundup were of outstanding quality and durability, but one thing they all had in common was the fact that they were all too large to comfortably tuck in your pant’s pocket or clip on your belt loop or backpack. Many adventurers these days would appreciate having a more portable Bluetooth speaker solution, and with that in mind, the following roundup features some of the best portable bluetooth speakers available.

This year, Mother’s Day falls on May 8. That means it’s time to buy a gift and plan for flowers. I don’t care who you are, your mom waddled around for nine months and gained a tiger’s skin worth of stretch marks (or went through a strenuous adoption process) — the least you can do is get her a gift to show your appreciation. Even if your mom isn’t a tech pro, there are plenty of tech items she would love and get a lot of wonderful use out of. Here’s awesome Mother’s day gifts for the tech mom in your life.

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