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Julie’s gadget diary – The pull from the dark side is strong. I think I’m going to order an iPad Pro 10.5


I listened to Apple’s WWDC keynote a couple of weeks ago and didn’t come away with an immediate need to melt my Visa card on a bunch of new Apple gear like I usually do after such events. The new iPad Pro 10.5 looked nice enough, but I didn’t feel compelled to buy one.

I listened supportively as Dave Rees wrestled with his own buying decision. Dave and I both have older Samsung Galaxy tablets that are starting to show their age. Dave’s 12.5″ Galaxy Note Pro has freezing problems with his and the home button on my Galaxy S Tab 10.5″ has a short and often requires multiple button presses for it to go back to the home screen. It’s also very slow launching and switching between apps.

Dave ended up buying the iPad Pro 10.5 about a week ago and has been gushing about how great it is and that I need to get one. But even gadget peer pressure didn’t flip my gadget lust switch… until… it flipped. Now I am considering buying one to replace my sickly tablet. Why? Mainly because it’s time for me to have a new tablet and the iPad Pro 10.5 is the best tablet available right now. It would also be nice to have an updated iOS device so I can do some iOS app and hardware reviews again. The newest iPads in the house are the original iPad mini and an iPad 2 that Jeanne uses as an eBook reader. Yeah, it’s been awhile.

My mind isn’t 100% made up, but I’m definitely leaning in the direction of buying an iPad Pro 10.5 (and maybe a Pencil too). 

Anyone else in my shoes?

Be sure to check out Larry’s iPad Pro 10.5 accessories ideas post.

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Julie’s gadget diary – The pull from the dark side is strong. I think I’m going to order an iPad Pro 10.5 originally appeared on on June 19, 2017 at 1:47 pm.

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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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Julie’s gadget diary – I am finally replacing my Nexus 6P


I’ve been using the same phone for a year and a half which is like a decade in Gadgeteer years. The phone I’ve been using is the Nexus 6P and for the most part, it’s been a rock solid performer. So much so, that even after trying other newer phones like the iPhone 7, Google Pixel XL, and Samsung Galaxy S8, that I haven’t wanted to switch. I guess I should say that it’s not that I don’t want a new phone, but it’s that I haven’t wanted to spend money on a new phone when my Nexus 6P is still working just fine. But I finally caved in last night and ordered a new phone without really spending any out of pocket money to do it. 

Yesterday morning Ryan from Colorado emailed me asking if I still had a Saddleback Leather bag that I had reviewed almost 10 years ago. I looked in my closet of unused bags and sure enough, it was still there along with another SB bag. Both bags were in pristine condition and he was happy to get a very good deal on the pair of them considering how much those same bags are selling for today on SB’s site.

I turned around later that night and ordered a new phone. Which one did I order? My choice was between a Google Pixel XL, Samsung Galaxy S8, or an LG G6. I decided to go with the LG G6 because it’s the least expensive of the three phones, has wireless charging and doesn’t have curved screen sides.

My first choice of the three was the Google Pixel XL but it is also the most expensive. My main reason that it was my first choice is that I’d get to run Android O (v8.0) as soon as it rolls out instead of having to wait for the phone manufacturer to roll it out. I also like that photos back up to Google at full resolution.

I decided to go with the LG G6 though because it’s the least expensive of the three phones, has wireless charging and doesn’t have curved screen sides which I don’t really care for.

I also decided to get the platinum version of the G6 instead of the black one just to be a little different and I plan to put a Dbrand skin on the back of the phone to protect it from scratches, so it doesn’t really matter what color it is.

I ordered an unlocked version of the LG G6 from B&H Photo where it’s currently selling for $549.99 with free shipping and no tax if you live outside NY, NJ. It arrives Wednesday. 🙂

If you want to buy an LG G6 at an even better price you can get one for $529.99 through Amazon. The only catch is that it’s the international version of the G6, so it doesn’t have a US warranty and it doesn’t have wireless charging.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I am finally replacing my Nexus 6P originally appeared on on June 11, 2017 at 3:48 pm.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I caught this bird interaction with my Nest cam today


I love my Nest cameras because they record everything they see 24/7 and not just a few seconds after motion has been detected.

You never know what kind of interesting things that serurity cameras might capture. A few years ago I wrote a story about a mystery that was solved with the help of my Nest cam and today I have another video clip for you. Click through to check out the crazy bird battle that was captured with one of my Nest cameras this morning.

Fast forward to the 1:30 mark and keep watching till about the 2:00 mark and beyond.

The big bird is a pileated woodpecker, which is the largest woodpecker in North America. Unfortunately, the lighting in this video doesn’t show his bright red head. This a big bird. He’s about the size of a small crow.

The little board is an eastern phoebe. She has a nest with babies in the eaves of the roof above those posts on my front porch and she’s NOT happy that Mr. Woodpecker is there.

I was really surprised and impressed how she keeps flying at a bird so much bigger than she is. She does finally give up though. And thankfully so does the woodpecker. I’m worried about what I’m going to find when I get home tonight to inspect the posts. We’ve never had problems before with woodpeckers pecking on the house, so I hope this one doesn’t decide to stick around.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I caught this bird interaction with my Nest cam today originally appeared on on June 8, 2017 at 12:31 pm.

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