If you’re an experienced WordPress user, you’ve probably disregarded hosting your website with WordPress.com. However, thanks to the launch of the WordPress.com ‘Business’ plan, many of the reasons why WordPress.com has been overlooked as a serious web host have been overcome. Not only that but in addition to overcoming the drawbacks of hosting your website… View Article
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If you’re a Linux newbie, you might be confused by the sheer number of distributions on offer. One relatively new entry to the market is MX Linux. It’s a Debian-based distro with a lot of support that has topped Distrowatch’s popularity list for the last six months. But why is MX Linux proving to be so popular? Let’s find out. Appearance MX Linux comes with the XFCE desktop environment as standard, although the developers have tweaked things a little, with a customizable taskbar on the left side. XFCE… Read more
REVIEW – Modular design makes me happy. MacCase makes my Apple products happy. Put them together, and you’re looking the MacCase iPad Premium Folio Case collection! We’re checking out the iPad 12.9″ keyboard-compatible case along with a bunch of accessories that make for some supreme office stylin’. To the review!
It’s a folio case for your iPad. The model I am testing is designed to work with the Apple Keyboard and the first generation 12.9″ iPad Pro. I’ve also got a set of accessories that include the paper holder, cable pouch, card holder, and pencil case that build out a whole traveling office solution.
The case comes as a stand-alone item, and you can add whatever accessories you wish.
MacCase has been a long-standing provider of accessories for Apple products, continually designing new cases for hauling your iPads and MacBooks. The iPad folio lineup embodies a lot of the trademarks that make MacCase special: premium leathers, superb construction, and innovative design details that work seamlessly with your hardware. The iPad Folio lineup is made up of vegetable-dyed premium leather with a soft finish, backed by a padded suede liner to protect from scratching. Stitching and assembly throughout are impeccable, with some nice little design accents that go along with the premium quality of the design. Check out the goods:
Your iPad tucks into a collar made from a clear gray polymer that almost gives it a frameless mounting look. All of the ports and buttons are precisely machined to give access to all of the iPad’s functions. It also pops out easily if you need to remove it, but stays locked in place when used with the case:
If you want to go without any accessories, the case works perfectly on it’s own. You can open it like a book, or take advantage of the hinged backplate to use the case as a stand:
The version I am testing is designed to also work seamlessly with the Apple keyboard. The keyboard slot is exposed in the collar, so you can snap it into place:
It then follows the folds of the case when you use the stand, with the keyboard stand neatly folding into place.
Here’s a comparison shot of the stand setup with and without the keyboard. I really like this aspect of the design, because I can work with the stand either way:
Now here’s where the customization comes into play. There are a set of magnetic pads on the front cover of case, designed to work with a range of accessories. These accessories are all made to match the case with respect to leather quality and finishing, and each has matching magnetic pads to connect to the case. 
Three magnetic pads run up the side of the basic case, which allows for attaching accessories. They snap into place with enough grip that they won’t get knocked loose without some significant force (they can be removed easily by prying them loose):
If you add the paper holder you get to additional magnetic pads on its front faces which allow you to load up all the accessories at once:
Speaking of accessories, let’s run through the collection. The paper holder not only provides additional accessory attachment points, but it allows you to sandwich up to 8 sheets of paper between the paper holder and the case. It uses all three magnetic pads on the base case to secure it. Peel the holder off and your papers are ready to go.
The card holder attaches with one magnetic pad, and will hold up to a dozen standard business cards.
The pencil holder has a magnetic closure, and is sized for the Apple Pencil or a similar sized stylus. It requires two magnetic pad attachment points to secure.
The cable pouch has a zipper closure and measures 7″ by 3.5″ by 0.5″ deep. This will wrangle all of your cables, headphones and charger brick. I can also get my iPhone XS Max in there if I want to. This pouch also requires two magnetic pad attachment points to secure.
The case on its own weighs 1.25 pounds, while the whole package with accessories weighs in at about 7 ounces more. Note that this is before you add the iPad Pro 12.9″ and keyboard (mine is a first generation). The case with the keyboard measures in at just under an inch in total depth, with the whole kit measuring in at just under 2 inches deep with all accessories.
The MacCase iPad Premium Leather Folio Case is a beautifully crafted, durable piece of gear that functions really well if you’re an iPad nomad. It looks great in business environments and provides excellent protection for your gear. Add the accessories and you have everything you need for meetings (or sales calls, or interviews) in one complete, streamlined package. And if you run with your keyboard all the time using the iPad as a laptop replacement, you’ll find the keyboard-compatible model fits that use case perfectly.
There are some drawbacks to the bulky design, however, that may not be ideal depending on your intended use. If I am just using my iPad to surf the web, for example, I find the case to be a bit bulky and awkward to use in the “open book” format. The front cover does flip all the way around the back, but it is still clunky if you’re resting it on your lap or sitting on the couch. It really works best as a stand in my opinion, but the stand doesn’t support rotation for vertical/horizontal iPad positioning. This is a pretty common issue with heftier iPad cases, so you may or may not find this to be an issue.
I quite like the assortment of accessories, especially the Pencil case and cable pouch. Unfortunately, the base case configuration won’t support both of those accessories at once (you need 4 attachment points). You’ll need to add the paper holder for that. This does not add much bulk to the case, but it does restrict your options unless you go all in on the accessories. I’d like to see four attachment points on the base case more maximum flexibility.
One final note on the accessories: if you’re using the case as a stand, you’ll find those accessories are now under the base. You’ll need to pull them off if you’re using the case in stand mode. If you’ve got the paper holder, you can just pull the whole thing off with the accessories attached and set it aside while you work.
The MacCase iPad Premium Leather Folio is a great piece of business gear, especially if you use your iPad and keyboard as a laptop replacement. There are some little design issues that you may or may not like, depending on your intended use. Overall, however, it’s a high-quality set of gear that provides the customization and durability that will last through years of use.
The Folio is available in the vintage brown (tested here) or black, in multiple configurations to fit different iPad sizes and versions. Keyboard-compatible models are available, as are bundle packs that include a briefcase or messenger bag designed to work with the case. Check out the MacCase site at the link below for more info.
Price: iPad cases start at $149, depending on size. Accessories are priced from $20 to $40 each.
Where to buy: Go to the product page for the iPad folios on the MacCase web site.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by MacCase.
Filed in categories: Reviews
MacCase Premium Leather iPad Folio Case & Accessories review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 4, 2019 at 11:00 am.
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NEWS – Do you always worry that someone might mess with your stuff when you’re walking on the beach or swimming in the pool? Beachsafe is a portable lockable safe that you can use to store and secure your valuables when you’re not right there with them. It features a stainless steel cable, and a 4 digit combination lock.
But the features that make the Beachsafe interesting to me is that it also has a built-in charger and a fan to keep your phone juiced up and protect it from baking in the sun.
Available in four bright colors, the Beachsafe is made in the USA, priced at $59.99 and is available now at thebeachsafe.com.
Filed in categories: News
Beachsafe keeps your stuff secure and your phone cool originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 4, 2019 at 10:00 am.
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REVIEW – Airline fees. I hate them. A lot. But, they’re here to stay so we need to deal with them. One of the most annoying is baggage fees since most of us take some sort of bag with us when we travel for more than a day. Yes, you can fly Southwest with two bags free, but there are some less expensive options for some routes. How do we minimize the number of bags we carry, or, cram everything into a carry-on and avoid checked bag fees? Pacum’s solution is a portable vacuum and vacuum packing bags. By eliminating the air from our packed clothes, Pacum claims to be able to double our packing capacity.
Pacum is a multi-function vacuum and inflator. Its primary purpose is to evacuate the air from vacuum bags, but it can also serve as an inflator for sports balls, small inflatable toys, and floats. It is not a high-pressure device so it won’t inflate tires.
Pacum started out as a Kickstarter project by Masterspace. Once funded and shipping, orders are being processed through Indiegogo.
The Pacum feels solid and well made. The front, pictured above, has three buttons. The lower (+) is the inflator button. The top two are on a dual-button style of button featuring the “eco-mode” (-) and “supermode” (=) buttons. There is no description of the difference between modes. Based on the sound, eco-mode delivers air more slowly than “supermode”. In addition, “supermode” automatically turns off when it determines that all air has been removed. A vertical indicator light is below the buttons. White indicates power, blue indicates deflation, orange indicates inflation, and red indicates errors.
On the top, we find the USB-C (yea!) port.
On the bottom, we find the inflator (+) and deflator (-) ports.
The included vacuum bag has a one-way valve in the center of the bag. The valve comes with a screw-on cap.
The bag is sealed with a dual-channel zip-loc style zipper. A clip-on tool that slides along the top makes closing the bag really simple.
I ran into a problem immediately when I started testing the Pacum. I grabbed one of my Samsung fast charge USB adaptors. I read the back where the label confirmed it has a 5V/2A output that the Pacum needs. I plugged it in and plugged the Pacum into the adaptor. The LED turned white and I hit the inflator button. The light turned off and nothing happened. Then the light turned back on, but it still wouldn’t power-up in any mode. I tried four different Samsung USB power adaptors, all with 5V/2A output with no luck. What to do?
I had a lightbulb moment and grabbed the MyCharge Unplugged10K wired/wireless charging pad that I reviewed back in April 2019. It has two USB ports and has 5V/2A output. I plugged in the Pacum into the MyCharge and lo and behold, it worked! I wanted to reach out to Pacum tech support to get some input on the charger issue, but searching the included overview pamphlet, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Pacum.co, I couldn’t find any link to tech support. At least I had a solution so let’s move on to testing!
Here are two stacks of five polo shirts. I didn’t get the best capture below, but even after pushing down on the stacks, they were about five inches high.
I stuffed the two stacks into the included Pacum bag. The bag was still about five inches high.
Once I zipped the bag shut, I plugged in the Pacum and let it go to town. On the Pacum bags, the Pacum attaches securely and doesn’t require holding. If you use another bag and use the “padaptor”, you will have to hold the Pacum in place while it is working.
Let’s watch the actual deflation process.
As you can see in the video, the deflation process took just under a minute to complete.
And…our results?
The bag is about an inch, or 20%, thinner than before. Overall, the bag was four inches or less in height.
Everything was tightly compressed and the bag felt a bit like a solid brick.
Pacum claims to double your packing capacity. I will argue that is a bit of a stretch, at least with my polo shirts. Really fluffy sweaters or comforters? Perhaps. But t-shirts, shorts, underwear, socks? Nope. Still, a 20% reduction could be significant if you’re packing a larger suitcase. Weight will become an issue before volume.
What happens when you need to open the bag up?
The bag opened easily and everything inside quickly reinflated to its original size and fluffiness.
Is this ultimately worth the trouble? Let’s see!
I recently learned the benefits of rolling clothes. This is now how I normally pack. This packing cube contains the same ten shirts I used in the first test. Before anyone yells that there are only nine, the pink shirt on the lower right is actually on top of another shirt.
After zipping up the bag, I had a nice, compact package.
But, at its highest, where the two shirts were on top of each other, we’re still pushing about five inches.
Still, the rest of the bag is only about four inches or about the same size as the compressed bag.
Hey – I’ve got an idea! Let’s throw the packing bag into the Pacum bag and see if we can get any gains.
And…we do! The tallest portion of the bag was just over four inches, with a lot of the bag closer to three and a half inches.
Again, the bag felt like a brick – almost completely solid with no spare wiggle room.
And, like before, opening it was easy and everything reinflated immediately.
Beyond packing, Pacum can also deflate food vacuum storage bags and with the included “padaptor”, supports all current vacuum storage bags. For home storage, I can see a real benefit if you regularly store seasonal clothes like sweaters or seasonal bedding like comforters. Those items are typically very thick and would compress even more than the clothes I tested with. This would really save storage space as well as keeping those items dust and odor free in the offseason.
The Pacum device is also an inflator. With two sizes of inflation tips plus a sports ball needle, it is pretty versatile from a design standpoint. To see if it has the guts to actually blow up something, I grabbed a prop I had from a murder/mystery dinner where I was cast as a lifeguard. I bought an inflatable lifeguard rescue can.
If you’re picturing me with it, running in slow motion, for your own well being, stop. Just stop.
The can is about 27″ long, 13″ wide and a couple of inches thick, give or take when inflated. I hooked up the thin inflator tip, stuck it onto the inflation valve on the can and let it rip (not meant to be a current joke).
It took about two minutes, which I thought was more than acceptable. Based on the Pacum’s performance, I have no problem imagining it being able to inflate sports balls and even smaller pool floats. While the inflator tips are too small to fit in the deflator port on the Pacum, I held the narrow inflator tip in place in the deflator port and pinched the valve on the rescue can. Pacum deflated the rescue can in a little over 90 seconds and it was a lot easier than trying to roll the air out while pinching the valve.
I’m a pretty adept packer. I recently went on a five-day cruise with only my backpack and a carry-on bag. Pretty impressive when you consider that beyond shirts, t-shirt, shorts, underwear, and swimsuit, I also brought a full tuxedo, tuxedo shirt, bow tie, and dress shoes. I regularly roll my clothes and use packing cubes and that has worked pretty well for me.
Having said that, shoes are a problem. I have size 11 feet – not huge, but sneakers and dress shoes are not small items. My thought is that with a couple more packing bags, after rolling and cube-packing my clothes, vacuum bagging those cubes will buy me enough space so that I can fit my shoes in the same suitcase. And, since the Pacum is tiny, it will also find a spot in my suitcase as well. When pairing it with the MyCharge battery pack, it is a truly portable solution.
Price: $36 as tested, $47 with five additional bags
Where to buy: Pacum’s Indiegogo site
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Pacum.
Filed in categories: Reviews
Tagged: Travel Gear
Masterspace Pacum multifunction vacuum/pump review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 4, 2019 at 9:10 am.
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