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Buy Apple's peripherals in Space Gray without ponying up for an iMac Pro
We weren't sure who would best use the iMac Pro that came out last fall, but one thing it did was come in a new color for the desktop and its attachments: Space Gray. After releasing its HomePod in the same scheme, Apple has expanded its suite of standard silver peripherals to come in the smokey hue. Now you can get the magic mouse, keyboard and trackpad in the vaunted space gray color palette. Sadly, the company's wireless keyboard is still silver-only, but hopefully that will change in time.
Mobee intros Magic Numpad for your Magic Trackpad, glittery dust not included
Do you use a Magic Trackpad? Is the act of crunching numbers a daily task for you? Well, if actual keys or a calculator / mouse hybrid just aren't magical enough for you, then Mobee's Magic Numpad may just be. Despite its name, the Numpad is a $29 set of films that allows you to morph your Trackpad into one of three numeric "keypad" layouts, with software for enabling an on-screen calculator and setting macros. Adding Splenda to the strawberries, you'll also get a cleaning kit and erasable marker to customize your films even further. If the left side of your brain is pounding with excitement, the Magic Numpad is available for pre-order now and should ship come this October.
Mobee's Magic Bar brings inductive charging to your Apple bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad
The wise folks who brought us the inductive Magic Charger for the Magic Mouse are now back with a new trick up their sleeves. This time we have the Mobee Magic Bar, which can energise either an Apple Wireless Keyboard or a Magic Trackpad thanks to their identical dual AA battery compartment. To get some wireless charging action, simply install the supplied battery cylinder to either device (presumably extra cylinders will also be available for purchasing), and then slide the protruding part into the charging dock. Of course, the nature of this setup limits the number of compatible devices (unlike the flat Magic Charger), but this is still more convenient than unscrewing the lid every time you run out of juice. If this Magic Bar tickles your fancy, you can pick one up around end of June for $59.90 -- pre-order starts on May 15th.
How would you change Apple's Magic Trackpad?
Magical? Maybe. But there's no doubt that Apple's Magic Trackpad was a shot out of left field when it debuted earlier this summer. Offering loads of multitouch gestures to desktop users who are sick and tired of using the same 'ole mouse for the past score, the pad received little attention from Apple itself. Rather than launching the new hardware at a press event, the company simply slid it into its webstore, just hoping and praying that you'd put your optical bias aside for a moment and try it out. We've already given you our take, and now we're interested in hearing your own thoughts. Has the Magic Trackpad revolutionized the way you control your cursor? Caused more frustration than it's worth? Did you forget you even owned this thing? How would you tweak it if allowed into Cupertino's design labs? Tell all in comments below.
WaterField serves up Magic Trackpad cases: because your old sock just won't cut it
Look, we get it -- it'd be fairly easy to slice up the surface of a Magic Trackpad if thrown haphazardly into a bag full of apartment keys, ink pens and syringes, but aren't there more economical ways of protecting your investments than this? Not that we blame WaterField Designs -- who happens to make some of the best cases and sleeves in the industry -- but the Trackpad Slip and the Trackpad Socket are most certainly tailor made for a slaying on "Really? with Seth and Amy." For those who can't find a free padded compartment in their existing briefcase or laptop tote, the Socket is a dead-simple padded pouch, while the Slip is a slim ballistic nylon case with a soft, lightly padded liner and a half dozen trim options. Shipments start today, with pricing set for $12 / $25, respectively. Don't count on getting any support from fellow tree huggers should you skip over your monthly Sierra Club donation in order to get one, though.
Magic Trackpad review
Apple's Magic Trackpad isn't the first of its kind -- in fact, Wacom has been playing this game for awhile -- but it's the first of its kind from the cats in Cupertino, so obviously people take notice. The premise of such a device is stupidly simple: it's a laptop trackpad that lives on your desktop. Over the past few years, there have been rumors that Steve Jobs has his sights set on eliminating buttons from Apple products altogether, and this certainly feels like the next step in the plan. But does it make sense? Is this an improvement over standard input devices like a mouse or trackball? More importantly, in the age of iPads and netbooks, does anyone even need an external input device like this? We're going to try and answer those questions (and more), so read on for our full review! %Gallery-98289%
Engadget Podcast 200 - 06.11.2010
Hey, guess what happened this week? The 200th Engadget Podcast. That's all you need to know, so chill - to the next episode.Special thanks to Claire Rae Lin.Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Kraftwerk - Computer WorldHear the podcast02:04 - iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat03:05 - iPhone 4's retina display claim put under the math microscope06:20 - iPhone 4 does 720p HD video, iMovie14:00 - iPhone 4 guide: preview, pricing, availability14:15 - iPhone 4 pixel density examined (video)17:00 - iPhone 4 first hands-on! (update: FaceTime video demo)20:10 - iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 3GS: the tale of the tape20:46 - iPhone 4 vs. the smartphone elite: EVO 4G, N8, Pre Plus, and HD222:50 - iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G... fight!25:10 - Samsung: iPhone 4's retina display is nice, but it's no AMOLED35:49 - iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, launching June 21 with 1500 new features36:41 - iOS 4 gold works with any compatible iPhone / iPod touch via iTunes 9.2, jailbreak also updated43:54 - AT&T: upgrade to iPhone 4 up to six months early45:00 - How-to: check your iPhone 4 upgrade eligibility51:15 - HTC EVO 4G overtakes Palm Pre for best-selling launch day on Sprint51:20 - Sprint misstated EVO 4G sales, by a lot51:45 - HTC EVO 4G sold out pretty much everywhere59:05 - Apple's Magic Trackpad revealed?Subscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
