9to5Mac Reviews

Master & Dynamic MW65 over-ear headphones launched this week, the company’s first ever noise-canceling headphones.

For a long time, my audio loyalty was split between two companies: Bang & Olufsen and Bowers & Wilkins. That changed in 2014 with Master & Dynamic (and again in 2016 with Naim) …

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Arlo Technologies recently re-launched its Arlo Ultra 4K wireless security camera after experiencing issues during its initial availability. The widely reported issues, which caused the company to pull back on the launch, involved bugs and connectivity issues.

With several firmware updates under its belt that addressed the reported problems, Arlo feels that their 4K security camera is now ready for prime time. How does it stack up to the Arlo Pro 2? Should you consider upgrading? Watch our hands-on video impressions for the details.
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Anyone who spends all or much of their day sat at a desk will know how easy it is to fall into bad habits where posture is concerned – slouching instead of sitting upright. The end result can be back pain or even injury.

One solution is a sit-stand desk. I have considered it, and not ruled it out, but as I already have a bespoke desk designed to meet my needs, that would only work if I could find a conversion kit that would work with it.

So I thought I’d try a simpler solution in the meantime: an $80 gadget, sold in Apple Stores, which tells you when you’re slouching …

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There are a lot of options when it comes to external keyboards for the iPad Pro. Apple makes its own Smart Keyboard, and companies like Zagg and Logitech routinely release sleek options. One of the most beloved makers of iPad Pro keyboards, however, is Brydge. With a MacBook-style aluminum design, there’s a lot to love about the Brydge Pro for the iPad Pro. But how does it compare to Apple’s own Smart Keyboard? Read on to find out.

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I was disappointed when Apple didn’t offer a leather Smart Cover for the 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro. I’ve always had these on my earlier iPads. What I liked about them is that they offered screen protection with little added thickness, and also folded back into a convenient stand.

All Apple offered this year, however, was a silicone Smart Folio. This has a back as well as a front, and the rubbery material really isn’t pleasing at all.

No-one has yet offered a third-party version of what I really want – a simple leather Smart Cover – so I decided to try the next best thing: a leather Smart Folio case …

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Along with its recently launched AirPods 2, Apple also released a standalone Wireless Charging Case for the AirPods. The Wireless Charging Case is an $80 accessory that works with both the first and second-generation versions of Apple’s wireless earbuds.

If you own a set of first-gen AirPods, should you consider forking over more money for the privilege of wireless charging? Watch our brief hands-on video review for the details.
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The Logitech Slim Folio Pro for the 2018 iPad Pro is a product designed for iPad users whose workflow is primarily focused on typing. It features an excellent keyboard, along with key features like highly-tactile keys and backlighting to enhance the typing experience.

Is Logitech’s latest iPad Pro accessory right for you? Learn more in our hands-on Logitech Slim Folio Pro video review.
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One of the biggest complaints about recent Mac laptops is their lack of ports. Elgato’s Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock, like other docks we’ve seen over the years, seeks to solve that issue by making it possible to connect to a wide variety of accessories via a single Thunderbolt 3 cable.
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From the outside, the new iPad mini is virtually a carbon copy of the iPad mini 4, but it’s sporting some serious upgrades under the hood. As you’ve probably heard, the 5th-generation iPad mini is basically an iPad Air 3, just in a much more compact form-factor.

Indeed, the iPad mini 5 is a powerful tablet that can almost fit in your pocket, but the size, or lack thereof, can be both a gift and a curse depending on your needs. Watch our hands-on iPad mini 5 review video for the details.
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The new iPad Air 3 is the follow-up to a legendary tablet, the iPad Air 2. The second-generation iPad Air introduced a thinner profile, laminated digitizer, and Touch ID to Apple’s tablet lineup for the very first time. The iPad Air 2 was also well-regarded for its speed — sporting 2GB of RAM for the first time in any iOS device, and a new chip that put an emphasis on GPU performance.

When looking back at the iPad Air 2, it goes without saying that the third-generation model has some big shoes to fill. And as you’ll see from our iPad Air 3 review, it proves to be a worthy, if not a slightly boring follow-up, because it’s essentially an iPad Pro lite.
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There was a time in my life I would have really appreciated OneAdaptr’s OneWorld PD. Starting in the late 1990s, I took a decade-plus detour in my writing career into new product development in the tech sector. This saw me travel to more than 70 different countries, and at times spend as much time out of the UK as in it.

Keeping all my gadgets powered and charged required quite a few power bricks and travel adapters. These days, things are very much easier – and the OneWorld PD is a big step closer to the perfect travel charger for all my iDevices …

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My audio tastes run more toward the mid-range (or a little higher), but I of course recognize that some people want something basic at a pocket-friendly price.

But with Apple dropping the headphone socket from iPhones and iPads, things are getting a little more complicated for those who don’t want the expense or charging hassle of wireless headphones …

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If you’re looking for a Thunderbolt 3-enabled external display, then LG is pretty much where it’s at. Not only does the Korean company produce the 34-inch 5K2K UltraWide Display, which is great for creative professionals, but it also produces an LG UltraFine 4K Display with Thunderbolt 3 in tow.

Not to be confused with the 21.5-inch 4K UltraFine Display that’s sold in Apple Stores, this 32-inch display comes with Thunderbolt 3, and features the familiar LG design language found on many of the displays within the company’s lineup.

Is the LG UltraFine 4K Monitor worth considering for those looking to add an external display to their desktop setup? Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
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Earlier this year, a new keyboard launched that fills an interesting gap in the market: slim mechanical keyboards for Mac. The Keychron K1 offers a clean aluminum design, an RGB or white backlit Mac key layout, USB-C for charging, and more. Read on for our full review.

Less than a decade ago, a desktop drawing tablet was an essential tool for just about every professional digital artist. More recently, the iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and other competing products like the Microsoft Surface line have given creative professionals a range of affordable and portable options to consider. Still, many artists consider dedicated graphics tablets the gold standard for illustration and design. Leading the industry is Wacom, known for its line of Cintiq pen displays. For 2019, Wacom has released the entry-level Cintiq 16, and I’ve been testing how it compares to an 11-inch iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2.

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Apple is often both praised and criticized for being a “luxury” tech brand, particularly now that iPhone prices have breached the $1,000 threshold. MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watches — they all look expensive and stylish, in addition to being functional. With so many people shelling out big dollars for the newest gadgets, luxury accessories-makers have decided they want a piece of the action, too.

“Luxury” is relative, though. At the ultra-high end are products like the titanium Gray Aurora iPhone case, which retails for a whopping $3,787. Then there are premium accessories with high price tags, but aren’t too high. The question is whether it’s worth splurging on a nice leather messenger bag when your trusty old backpack works just as well.

I set out to answer that question (at least partially). In my quest to find some of the best leather bags and cases, I was surprised by the sheer number of companies playing in the space. There are loads of options, and I couldn’t review all — or even most — of them. Instead, I picked four products that caught my eye. All of these were purchased outright, except for the Blake Leather Folio, which was sent to me to review. I received no financial incentives, compensation, or discounts from any of these companies.

With that out of the way, let’s get started.

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As announced last month, the Eve Flare is now available to buy in the US, and I’ve been testing one for the last week or so.

It’s a spherically shaped multicolor mood light that illuminates in either shades of white or most RGB colors. You can control it with Siri through HomeKit, which of course means you get the fun of shouting colors at your HomePod to change the lighting in the room. Read below for my full hands on …

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I love music. I couldn’t imagine life without it, and for something which brings me so much pleasure, I’m willing to pay for decent quality.

But I’ve always said that I have mid-range ears. Give me a Bang & Olufsen system in the low single-digit thousands, or something at the bottom end of the Naim range, and I’m a very happy man. Anything beyond that is wasted on me. And, indeed, for casual listening, stereo-paired HomePods hit the spot; to me, they sound way better than they have any right to at that price level.

When it comes to headphones, I mostly use my B&W P5 Wireless, or my Master & Dynamic MW07, each of which comes in at $300 and sounded perfect to me …

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Apple’s products have been something of a boon to the premium leather industry. There’s a significant overlap between those who appreciate the aesthetics of Apple devices, and those who find leather a beautiful material – in both cases, willing to pay a premium for a quality product.

That’s something Apple itself has exploited, of course. Apple will happily sell you a variety of leather accessories for its products, from a Pencil Case through iPhone covers to sleeves for iPad and MacBook Pro.

But there’s also a whole slice of the leather industry working exclusively or partly on making leather accessories for iDevices …

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Updated prototype issues, below. See also our comparison of the 11-inch model with Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio.

I can never understand how Apple can make such fantastic tablets, and such terrible keyboards for them.

Ok, perhaps ‘terrible’ is an exaggeration, but the latest Smart Keyboard Folio for the 12.9-inch iPad is – like the first – a distinctly average typing experience, and a pretty cheap-looking hunk of plastic …

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