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Buying an iPad Pro 10.5? Here are some accessories to consider


Apple has had its WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) and many are excited about the software updates iOS 11 and Mac OS High Sierra and the new iMac Pro, but I am excited about the new 10.5 inch iPad Pro. Over the years I have moved up from an iPad to a first gen iPad Air and now I will be moving to the iPad Pro.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Along with moving to a new iPad, I will definitely need to upgrade my accessories to work with my new iPad. As some of you may know the Pro series iPads have features and accessories that are unique to them so I have been searching for accessories that take advantage of these features. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of products that take advantage of all the Pro features so I will also be listing accessories that will work with the iPad Pro 10.5 as well.

Keyboards

Although Apple probably makes the best accessories that work with their products they are not always the best designed. Case in point: their Smart Keyboard. The design is good but it does not offer any back protection and you always have to have the keyboard attached when the cover is attached.

To me, the best alternative that I have found so far is the Logitech Slim Combo for the iPad Pro 10.5. The Slim Combo not only utilizes the Pros Smart Connector to connect the keyboard and power it, the Logitech Slim Combo also has backlit keys and detaches when not in use. The Slim Combo is available for pre-order now from the Logitech site for $129.99 about $30 cheaper than the Smart Keyboard.

Pencil/ Stylus:

While there is nothing on the market that can truly compare with the $99 Apple Pencil that does not mean you have to shell out that much dough for a quality comparable stylus. One of the main features of the Apple Pencil is that it connects to the iPad via Bluetooth allowing the iPad to account for pressure sensitivities.

My first replacement candidate would be the Pencil by FiftyThree. Compatible with several iPad apps and having Bluetooth connectivity like the Apple Pencil, it has a longer battery life, and palm rejection technology. Although the Pencil by FiftyThree is better suited for drawing and such you can use it for writing. Starting at $34.99 the Pencil by FiftyThree may be a good choice especially if you use the Paper app by FiftyThree.

Another, more pencil/pen like stylus that is rated well would be the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2. Like the Pencil by FiftyThree it is Bluetooth connected and works with several iPad apps. The Intuos Creative Stylus 2 is shaped more like a writing instrument for natural writing. At an average price of around $61, this could be a good alternative

Covers/Cases:

To be honest with you, I don’t think there is anything better than Apple’s Leather Smart Cover for the iPad Pro. I love the original Leather Smart Cover but they changed the design over the years and now they are bringing back a design similar to the original. At a price of $69 and with no back protection a lot of folks will give this a pass, and I couldn’t blame them but I still love it.

For protection on a budget, the JETech Case Cover has a great reputation. With a Smart Cover like flap that wakes or puts you iPad to sleep this $15 cover will not break the bank. You can find them on Amazon

If you want to customize a higher end leather case the Story Leather  Smart Shell Case lets you pick leather colors and textures as well as interior microfiber colors for your iPad Pro case. At a starting price of $139.99 this handcrafted case will definitely set you apart from the crowd, add some custom lettering or a logo and you will be without compare.

Other Accessories:

I could go wild with accessories, so I am only listing things that I find that are unique.

First up is another Logitech product called Base. The Base is a charging stand that uses the Smart Connector on the iPad Pro to charge it. A stand with a charger what a concept. With a price starting at $99.99 this add-on is not for everyone but if you are a heavy user of the iPad Pro it may be worth it.

If you are a stylus user you may want to look into a standalone Apple Pencil charger. There are several on the market and honestly, I could not recommend one over the other but Amazon seems to have all of them.

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Buying an iPad Pro 10.5? Here are some accessories to consider originally appeared on on June 16, 2017 at 6:48 am.

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Julie’s gadget diary – It’s time to find an alternative to Nest


I’m in the process of a tech downsizing. I’ve already physically downsized my phone from a larger Nexus 6P to a smaller LG G6 which just arrived yesterday. And now I want to downsize the amount of data I upload to the cloud by finding an alternative to Nest cams.

Why do I care how much data I’m uploading to the Nest cloud? Because I’m also trying to find an alternative to my insanely expensive T1 line. If you don’t know what a T1 line is, it’s my broadband connection. Where I live, I don’t have the options for connecting to the internet as people who live in larger cities or even smaller cities. I live in a rural area where I don’t even have access to cable TV.

I had a Hughesnet satellite dish over a decade ago, but it wasn’t a good experience so I went with a T1 line.

The best things about a T1 line are that it’s unlimited and that the line is managed and has 24/7 support if it goes down… which it does at least a few times a year.

But the bad thing about the T1 line beside the monthly price is that the speed is only 1.5Mbps down and 1.5Mbps up. Stop laughing, I know that’s slow. But it’s stable and it’s been my only option for the past 10 years until now.

The speed really hasn’t been a big issue when it comes to day to day surfing and even Netflix streaming. But if Jeanne and I are both surfing and one of us tries to watch a Youtube video, the other one knows about it because surfing comes to a crawl.

Now I’m going to try a wireless solution for my internet which comes with its own set of pros and cons. The pros are lower cost and faster speed, but the con is that it’s not unlimited data. It’s only 32GB a month. That might sound like a lot, but it’s not if you have home security cameras like the Nest cam which can upload from 60GB – 160GB a month per camera if you subscribe to Nest Aware which saves your video on the Nest servers.

I have 2 Nest cams in my home which means I am currently uploading as much as 320GBs a month which is 100 times my monthly limit. Yikes, that madness has to stop.

So it’s time for me to find a good home security camera system that has these features:

  • Notifications sent to my phone when motion is detected
  • 24/7 video saved to a local drive
  • Easy access locally saved video even when I’m away from home
  • Software that works with a Mac (although I could build a cheap PC or use a Windows laptop if needed)

If you want to help me brainstorm possible solutions, leave a comment.

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Julie’s gadget diary – It’s time to find an alternative to Nest originally appeared on on June 15, 2017 at 6:07 pm.

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Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament Gaming Headset and Elite Pro Tactical Audio Controller review


I’ve been lucky enough to review several gaming items recently, but one thing I have never upgraded since I purchased them years ago is my gaming headphones. Turtle Beach must have heard this, and quickly offered their Elite Pro Tournament Gaming Headset and Elite Pro Tactical Audio Controller. I was eager to try out what the professionals use and see if it would help up my game any.

In the boxes you’ll find:

Headset:

– Elite Pro Headset
– Elite Pro Microphone
– Elite Pro 1.3m Audio Cable


Audio Controller:

– Tactical Audio Controller (TAC)
– Mini-USB Power Cable
– Digital Optical Cable
– AUX cable
– Micro-USB Programming Cable

So I had this brilliant idea; let’s try the headset without the TAC first, then add in the TAC later. Well, this was quickly defeated by the fact that you need an adapter cable in order to use the microphone part of the headset with the PC. Since I could not find the cable at my local Fry’s store, I decided to just use the TAC instead. With the PS4, however, I could just plug the headset into my controller and go.

I’ll start with the PS4 first. Setting it up was simple and the included instructions worked great. I plugged the headset in to the controller, went to my settings in the PS4 and changed the output to the headset (which was recognized immediately), and I was ready to go. The microphone sounded great when testing it, and I heard no background noise.

I also tried the PS4 using the TAC, and to do so, I had to plug in the headset to the TAC, plug the TAC in via USB on the PS4, and also use the included Optical cable. The TAC worked great, just as good as the PC, but I had cords strung from the PS4 to a shelf near me, and then into the headphones. It was so much easier to just plug in the headset via the PS4 controller. Unless you are a very hardcore gamer, if you are only using the PS4, I would recommend just getting the headset to start out with.

Now, on to using the headset and TAC with the PC. Like I mentioned above, I was unable to test just the headset with the PC due to not having an adapter for the headset. The TAC was very easy to set up; you just plug in the USB to the computer, plug in the headset on the front, and you are set.

The difference between my old Turtle Beach headset and this one was night and day. The sound came in clear and explosions boomed nicely in my ears. On team chat, everyone’s voice came in great, and with the TAC, I was able to customize my own microphone levels based off of what voice chat client I was using. Overwatch voice chat picked up the microphone very well and everyone said my quality was great, but when on Teamspeak 3, I had to turn up the mic boost so they could hear me as well as in Overwatch.


Surround mode on the TAC was my favorite part of these headphones. Being able to tell exactly what direction sounds were coming from made me so much more aware of my surroundings in the game. When I turned off the surround mode, it was just terrible. I don’t think I can go back to playing with a standard headset after using the headset and TAC for a few weeks. Gaming with these headphones and the TAC has been an incredible experience.

The TAC has 12 different presets grouped into four categories: Game mode, movie mode, music mode, and surround off. Each mode has Turtle Beach’s “Signature Sound” as the first option, but there are other options as well as you go through the presets. The user guide tells about every option available. I generally stuck with “Surround Off/Bass & Treble Booster” for my everyday music and YouTube video watching. For my gaming, it really depended on the situation. In the Game Mode preset, “Footstep Focus” really did let you hear footsteps coming, but the Signature Sound was best for an overall, rounded experience. Of course, with the push of a button, you could change from hearing those footsteps and back to the overall sound easily.

So, the sound is great, gaming is incredible, but what about comfort? Well, these headphones are super comfortable, with not only the ability to adjust the height of the ear cuffs but also how tight they fit on your head. I have easily worn these for hours at a time and my ears did not sweat, nor did they feel fatigued or uncomfortable. For those of you with glasses; they also have the option to modify the ear pads to keep them from pressing against your glasses.


Overall, this has been one of the most enjoyable reviews I have written for well over a year. The sound and build quality of the Turtle Beach Elite Pro gaming headset is top notch, while the Elite Pro Tactical Audio Controller added another dimension to gaming that I had never experienced before. If you want to improve your gaming experience, take a look at the Turtle Beach Elite Pro gaming headset, and if you want to take it further, check out the Tactical Audio Controller. They may be pricey, but they are worth looking into.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Turtle Beach. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: Headset: $199.95 – TAC: $149.95
Manufacturer: Turtle Beach
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • – Incredible comfortable headphones
  • – Great all around sound quality
  • – Able to be used on most gaming platforms (PC/PS4/XB1)
  • – Solidly built
Cons:
  • – Pricey
  • – Needs adapter for PC if you have separate mic/speaker ports

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Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament Gaming Headset and Elite Pro Tactical Audio Controller review originally appeared on on June 15, 2017 at 1:46 pm.

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Listen to your favorite tunes while you trot, gallop, and canter


I’ve seen Bluetooth speakers designed to attach to your bicycle, but this is the first speaker I’ve found that has been designed to attach to your horse! Ok, not the horse itself, but the saddle. The i Rock N Ride is a small half-circle shaped Bluetooth speaker that has been designed for all types of equestrians and their saddles.

The i Rock N Ride has a built-in rechargeable battery and has speaker phone features so you can take calls while riding off into the sunset.

The speaker is available in aqua, coral, ebony, and sable brown for $99.00. Head over to www.irocknride.com for more info and to order one.

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Listen to your favorite tunes while you trot, gallop, and canter originally appeared on on June 15, 2017 at 12:48 pm.

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Free the natural beauty of your iPhone with Utomic Edge


I don’t know about you, but I struggle with putting a bulky case on my beloved iPhone because she’s just too beautiful to keep covered up.  To me it would be like putting on a fresh face full of makeup, then putting a bag over your head when you leave the house. What’s the point of having such a masterpiece, when it’s only covered up to protect the very beauty that is never even seen? Enter the Utomic Edge.  

This minimalist corner protection system, made in the USA, uses four individual corner pieces that employ impact dissipating technology to give your phone ultimate protection while letting the true beauty of the phone shine.  I like the idea of being able to connect my charger without having to take off a case, or having a case interfere with the sound of the phone’s speakers.

Upon visiting the Utomic website for the first time, they ask for your email and you are then awarded a coupon code which drops the price of the Edge to $29.75 from $34.99, but it still seems a bit pricey to me.  However, I guess when you figure in the cost of buying a new phone because you didn’t have the proper protection it’s really not that bad.

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Free the natural beauty of your iPhone with Utomic Edge originally appeared on on June 15, 2017 at 9:30 am.

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