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Cambridge Audio Minx Go, Minx Air 100 wireless speakers
Cambridge Audio is a name that's associated with great sound quality, and recently the company has taken its expertise in sound reproduction and applied it to creating some of the best wireless speakers for use with our iOS devices. The Minx Go (US$149.00) is a portable Bluetooth speaker that takes great sound wherever you're going, while the Minx Air 100 ($449.00) is a bit larger and handles either AirPlay or Bluetooth input. Minx Go The smallest member of the Cambridge Audio family is no slouch when it comes to making big sound. Minx Go is sized to fit into a backpack or computer bag for trips to the office or beach, and even comes with a little carrying bag. That being said, this is not your usual cheap (or not so cheap) plastic unit with tinny little speakers. It has some heft to it, weighing in at 2 lbs, 6 oz. %Gallery-192663% There's an AC adapter for charging the internal battery, which will last up to 18 hours. A USB port on the back of the Minx Go allows charging of your other favorite devices, although it will reduce the playback time of the speaker. You can also power the Go off of the AC adapter when the battery isn't charged up -- a real advantage if you just can't wait to get a full charge. The design of the unit is nice -- a perforated front grill and black (or white) polycarbonate body sit upon a base with a vibration isolation pad, perfect for reducing "buzz" when you have the speaker cranked up. There's a tiny foot that rotates backwards to help prop up the Minx Go, and three simple buttons on top to turn on power and control volume. Pairing is very simple -- literally just turning on the Minx Go and then making one tap on the iPhone or iPad Bluetooth settings and you're ready for music. The Minx Go's sound reproduction seemed to me to be fairly accurate, although it had a bit too much emphasis on the low end for my liking. Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on your choice of music and where the speaker is physically located. Volume-wise, the Minx Go cranks out an amazing amount of sound! For those parties at the beach or on the back patio, this little speaker can definitely overcome ocean noise or conversation for a ton of musical fun. Minx Air 100 For listening to music in the home or office, the Minx Air 100 is a perfect companion. At 9 lbs 11 oz, it's definitely not made for portability, but works well on a bookshelf or coffee table. There is a small handle recess built into the case so it can be picked up and moved. There's no battery inside; the 100 watts of audio power that blasts from the Minx Air 100 would drain a battery quickly. %Gallery-192664% SInce a Wi-Fi connection must be set up on the Minx Air 100 for AirPlay, setup instructions are included for both a wired (Ethernet) and wireless setup. I chose wireless and followed the simple directions, which involve logging onto the Minx's Wi-Fi network, pulling up a particular IP address in a web browser (I used Safari on an iPad mini), selecting my home Wi-Fi network, and then entering the password. Once the small LED on the back of the device stopped blinking, I knew it was on the home network and ready for AirPlay. And that's where the fun began! The Minx Air 100 produces incredibly good sound regardless of what you're playing. I usually run a range of music from Daft Punk to Debussy on my devices so I can hear what different genres sound like. Remember that "handle" I talked about earlier? It's also a bass port, so the bass really thumps when you want it to. But the beauty of Cambridge Audio's design is that the top end is crisp and clear, not drowned out by the bass. Of course, you can also use Bluetooth to stream music to your Minx Air 100. The device also has 5 preset buttons on the front of the unit for Internet radio stations; you can use the free and optional Minx Air App to set up your Internet radio channels if you don't like the ones that are preset. That same app also controls the volume, bass, and EQ settings of the Minx Air, and can also adjust the auto-shutdown time. The Minx Air is set to shut off after four hours of use, but if you plan on listening to tunes all day at work you might want to adjust that to eight hours or more. You don't need to use your favorite iOS device to control the Minx Air 100, as it also comes with a small remote control. But if you're using your iPhone or iPad to send a playlist to the speaker, why not use it as a remote as well? The looks of the Minx Air 100 are pretty impressive as well. It's like a big brother to the Minx Go, and also comes in either black or white to match your decor. My only minor complaint? The polycarbonate case tends to pick up fingerprints, which are quite noticeable on the black model. That same silicone anti-vibration pad covers the bottom of the speaker, and that's a good thing. When this thing is blasting out tunes at full volume, there's not a speck of distortion or buzzing to be heard. As one of the other TUAW bloggers said, "we all have that one review product we hate to ship back." For me, that's the case with the Minx Air 100. Cambridge Audio has created a solid example of speaker design and manufacturing that really has no competition in the AirPlay speaker market.
Belkin FastFit Keyboard Case for iPad mini: thin, light, and ready for typing
Accessory manufacturer Belkin has been rolling out new iOS products like crazy lately, and today I'm going to take a look at a new product that has just arrived for the iPad mini -- the Belkin FastFit Keyboard Case (US$79.99). And stick around after reading the review -- we're doing a giveaway! Design I have to admit that when I saw the box for the FastFit Keyboard Case, I was dubious that there was a keyboard in it. That's how thin this thing is -- a scant 7 mm (.28 inches). It's also one of the most lightweight keyboards I've tested at 195.6 grams (6.9 oz.). Installing the FastFit Keyboard Case onto your iPad mini is literally a snap. There's an auto clasp mechanism that works like Apple's Smart Cover to magnetically attach the mini to the keyboard -- place the edges of the mini and the FastFit in close proximity to each other and snap! They're connected just like that. When installed, the silver exterior of the case (which has either a white or black interior) matches the appearance of the back of the mini. %Gallery-192297% Unlike some of the true keyboard folios that we've reviewed for the mini (the backlit ZAGGkeys Folio, for example), the FastFit doesn't protect the back of your iPad mini. That's either a benefit, if you like showing off the Apple logo on the back of your device, or a detriment to keeping your mini scratch-free. For typing, you simply pull off the iPad mini and place one side into a slot in the keyboard. That slot is also equipped for magnetic latching, so there's little chance that your iPad mini is going to flop out of the keyboard unless you're really pounding on the keys. The keyboard layout is described in the next section, but for the most part, it's rather compact. The number keys are also used in concert with a function (fn) key to perform common iPad functions, and they're smaller than the letter keys. There are full-sized Shift, Enter, Tab and Caps Lock keys in the usual spots. Functionality Pairing the FastFit Keyboard Case to the iPad mini was fast and easy. You literally just turn the keyboard power on while in the Bluetooth settings on the iPad, and it pairs. That's it. Very fast, and no need to type in any characters. Once you're paired, it's time to start typing. I had a bit of a problem finding the "home keys" (F and J) as the usual telltale bumps were rather small, but once I got my fingers in the right place it was a fairly fast keyboard with a good feel. Belkin uses a keyboard layout called TruType that attempts to put most of the most-used keys in familiar places. Unfortunately, that means that some of the keys -- semicolon/colon, quotes, and question mark -- move away from their usual spots. This is a different layout than that used by ZAGG on their keyboard cover, where they left the keys in the usual locations but made them smaller. The keys on the Belkin FastFit are a bit smaller than those on the ZAGG Folio as well, which almost made the TruType keyboard seem cramped by comparison. I think in terms of usability, I found this keyboard to work well when I was just typing a lot of text without a lot of punctuation. Once I needed to start adding punctuation, my fingers tried to go to the familiar places and failed. As for battery life, Belkin claims that the FastFit can be used for up to 40 hours between charges or live up to 60 days in standby mode. The keyboard has magnets in all of the right places to shut off the iPad mini when it is "closed" over the screen. Conclusion iPad mini owners who are looking for an affordable and lightweight keyboard that also provides screen protection should consider the Belkin FastFit Keyboard Case. While the keyboard layout might not work for everyone, Belkin has come up with a way to put the most frequently-used keys in their proper position for easy typing. Pros Less expensive than some competitors Aluminum back matches the iPad mini's back perfectly Easy and fast Bluetooth pairing Lightweight and very thin Magnetic clasp makes installing the keyboard as a cover a snap Cons Some punctuation keys are in unfamiliar locations Who is it for? The iPad mini owner who wants an affordable Bluetooth keyboard that can also provide a measure of protection to the device screen Giveaway Have an iPad mini? TUAW and Belkin want you to put that little tablet together with a FastFit Keyboard Case. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before June 26, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Belkin FastFit Keyboard Case for iPad mini valued at $79.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
iPad mini finally goes on sale in Brazil tomorrow, June 25
According to MacworldBrasil, the iPad mini will finally go on sale in Brazil tomorrow, June 25. That's eight months after the iPad mini debuted. Brazil is an important market to Apple, in addition to Russia, China and India. Brazilian retailers FNAC and Saraiva each published the June 25 release date on their respective websites. There's no word on pricing for the iPad mini in Brazil yet, where Apple products are often costly due to import taxes. It's notable, however, that Apple has worked with Foxconn to open a factory in Brazil, which is now operational. If it's handling the iPad mini, prices could be lower than anticipated.
LifeProof Frē for iPad mini: Review and giveaway
Many people are finding that the iPad mini is the perfect combination of iPad power and light weight, so much so that the devices are finding use in a number of places where they can be exposed to inadvertent splashes, dirt and dust, extremes of hot or cold, and even dropped. LifeProof, the manufacturer of some of the best ruggedized iPhone and full-sized iPad cases on the planet, has just introduced the LifeProof Frē for iPad mini (US$99.99). Design For a case that can protect your iPad mini from a variety of calamities, the LifeProof Frē is surprisingly thin and lightweight -- about .66 inches (1.7 cm) at the thickest point, and weighing in at just 4.5 ounces (128 grams). The Frē comes in two colors; black and white/gray. The back is covered by a transparent polycarbonate shell allowing water resistance while keeping the Apple logo visible. A similar, but thinner material keeps the screen protected from scratches, dirt, and water. A white or black bezel frames the iPad mini's display, and the rest of the case consists of gray or black polycarbonate. %Gallery-192098% Pretty much everything is kept sealed tight. There's a removable plug over the headphone jack, a door that snaps shut over the Lightning port, pass-throughs for all buttons, and a mesh over the speakers that lets sound out but keeps water at bay -- at least temporarily. When LifeProof says that the Frē is fully submersible up to 6.6 feet, they mean for a short time. You don't want to bring your iPad mini into the hot tub and use it as a foot prop; most likely, you'll see some leakage into the case after a while. The Frē is meant for protection from accidental dips and splashes, not full-time underwater use. One final feature: LifeProof includes a detachable shoulder strap for the Frē. That's perfect if you wish to carry your iPad mini with you for capturing video or photos on a trip, but want to keep it protected from dust and weather. Functionality LifeProof water tests every case before it leaves the factory, but they recommend testing the seal at home prior to inserting your mini. To do so, you just snap the front and the back of the case together to ensure a tight seal, then close the headphone jack cover and charge port door. For the test, LifeProof suggests putting the case into a sink for 30 minutes with a coffee mug sitting on top to insure that it's not going to float. Once the time is up, you remove the case from the water, dry it off, open it up, and check for moisture. If it's dry, you can give your mini a new home; if it's wet, you want to contact LifeProof. Installation is easy. Once the charge port door is open, it's possible to pull the top and bottom case parts apart. On each side are a number of plastic "fingers" that hold the case parts tightly together; they'll make a kind of unzipping sound as you pry the halves of the case apart. Next, use the included cleaning cloth to get those icky fingerprints off of the mini before it's placed in the case. LifeProof reminds users to also remove any other screen protectors they may already have in place. Slide in your iPad mini, making sure to align the camera with port on the back of the case, and then start squeezing the sides together until you have a tight seal all the way around. It appears that LifeProof might be adding a Smart Cover-like accessory to the mini Frē, although it's not currently listed on the website. There's a listing in the owner's manual for an optional cover/stand, and a removable plastic strip on one side where it will be attached. Conclusion Anyone who needs the best possible protection for an iPad mini should invest in the LifeProof Frē for iPad mini. Like the company's other products, the Frē is solidly built, backed by a one-year warranty, and will definitely keep your investment safe regardless of where you choose to use your iPad mini. Pros Provides protection against snow, rain, accidental drops, dust and dirt Excellent warranty Pre-tested for watertightness Built quality is best in the industry Remarkably thin and lightweight for a tough protective case Cons None to speak of Who is it for? Anyone who wants to use an iPad mini while hiking, rock climbing, white water rafting, skiing, or just relaxing on the wet, sandy beach Giveaway It's summertime, and the perfect time to take that iPad mini with you anywhere you want to go. We're giving away a LifeProof Frē for iPad mini. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before June 24, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a LifeProof Frē case for iPad mini valued at $99.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Apple wins Grand Prix for Press award for iPad mini print ads
Apple and its advertising firm TBWA Media Arts Lab have won the prestigious Grand Prix for Press award for a recent print campaign advertising the iPad mini. The ad's clever images depicted a life-sized iPad mini on the back cover of several magazines, which itself bore the cover of said magazine. The result gave readers an idea of what their magazine would look like on Apple's handheld device. The award was given at the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France. The critically acclaimed print campaign ran last year on The New Yorker, Time and others. One of the jurors, Marcello Serpa, told Ad Age that Apple and TBWA won because the campaign "...has a kind of guerrilla feeling. It's a product that goes inside the media and says I'm going to kill you, [then] I'm going to save you. Let's embrace. It's redemption."
Gauging the scale of the post-PC opportunity: "Mobile Is Eating The World"
Speaking at All Things D in 2010, Steve Jobs famously predicted that "PCs are going to be like trucks": specialised devices that only appeal to people with particular demands of their computing experience while ordinary people would come to prefer smartphones and tablets for all their computing activities. Last month, Enders Analysis consultant Benedict Evans gave a presentation at BookExpo America entitled "Mobile Is Eating The World." In it, he laid out a thorough series of metrics that suggest, when taken as a whole, that the scale of the post-PC opportunity is somewhere between 'ginormous' and 'staggering' -- and that Jobs's vision is coming inexorably to pass. Now, I don't want to spoil the whole thing. I urge you to read the slide deck for yourself. But I am going to cherry pick a few of the figures I found most interesting to whet your appetite, and add in some of my own ideas as to what this all could mean for the future. Before that, though, an aside about analysts. There's a strong meme circulating amongst Apple blogs that analysts are idiots and their writing to be universally shunned. Like most strong memes, this one presents a simple narrative; like most simple narratives, this one is wrong. Reality is far more nuanced than that. There are good analysts and bad analysts, as with people in all walks of life. Certainly, I cannot understand why Gene Munster is obsessed with the Apple TV, an idea that makes no sense to me. Evans is one of the good guys though. The scale of the post-PC opportunity Evans starts out by talking about just how big the post-PC device market could be in the future. Total global PC sales in 2012 were 350 million; there are 1.6 billion PCs in use, most of them shared between multiple users, and they are replaced every 4-5 years. For mobile devices (including smartphones, feature phones, and tablets), 2012 saw 1.7 billion sales -- almost five times as many as there were PCs -- to a total of 3.2 billion users, almost always used only by one person, and typically upgraded every two years. In other words, mobile is a whole different ballgame to computers, and it always has been. Dwell on those figures for a moment -- 3.2 billion means almost half the planet has a mobile device today (almost all of them low-end feature phones, of course). Still, mobile sales have outnumbered PC sales for decades; that's old news. What's changed about mobile is the rise of the smartphone and (to a slightly lesser extent, because it started later) the tablet. Since 2007, although feature phone sales have been declining slightly, smartphone and tablet sales have grown very quickly. Today, smartphones make up about one in every three phones sold, and that ratio is continuing to move in smartphone's favour. Furthermore, unlike PC sales -- broadly stagnant for several years now -- there is no sign of growth in phone sales slackening off. There's still half the planet to go, after all. So where does this lead? Evans predicts that in the next five years, we'll see no change in the size of the PC market -- but explosive growth in the smartphone and tablet space, three to four times bigger than where they stand today. That'll put tablet sales well above combined sales of desktop and laptop PCs, and smartphone sales far above that again. So it seems Jobs was right. The scale of opportunity in mobile technology is huge. But how well positioned is Apple to benefit from this? And what of its competitors? Is Microsoft withering on the vine? In a slide entitled "the irrelevance of Microsoft", Evans paints a stark portrait. As little ago as 2009, almost all online access was done via PCs and as almost all PCs run Windows that meant Microsoft's share of the "connected device" market was pretty large: 80% or so. But as more and more smartphones and tablets have been sold, which almost entirely run non-Microsoft OSs, so that share has steadily declined ever since. It's now down to 25% or so. Certainly, in terms of things like determining web standards, Microsoft is a much diminished influence. Does that bode ill for the company, however? Don't forget that although Microsoft's share of the connected device market has declined, that's mostly because the overall market itself has grown. PC sales, as I remarked above, have been largely static through this era, and therefore so has Microsoft's revenue from Windows licences. It had a revenue of $18.8 billion in the first quarter of 2013, and $6.06 billion in profit. Not too bad, right? This is because most of the mobile growth has been in smart phones, and very few people are buying a smart phone to use as a PC, so (so far) the affect of the growth in mobile tech haven't been felt in Microsoft's markets. However, in the last two years, tablets have also been growing explosively (although far behind smartphones) and this is a product category that can replace a PC. So PC sales have, finally, switched from stagnating to declining, and there's the real threat to Microsoft's bottom line. There's also another element to this story, which is Microsoft's other cash cow: Office. Office sales largely work through a sort of institutional inertia: the main value is that everyone uses it, so everyone shares files around in its formats, and no third party app has ever managed to do a flawless job of opening and working with those formats without munging the layout, breaking the fonts, or some other irritation. But today we're in a world where less than a quarter of people are using Microsoft devices online, and so less than a quarter of people online can choose to work on Office. Most of those of those people are on phones, of course, where it doesn't matter much -- only the brave and foolhardy are doing complex word processing on a smartphone. But many of them are also on tablets, and that could be a problem for Microsoft as tablets eat into laptop and desktop PC sales. Now, this is a line of reasoning that leads you to the conclusion that Microsoft should port Office to the iPad. I used to have a hunch we'd have seen this happen by now, but so far, it's chosen not to do so, and instead use the existence of Office as an extra selling point for its Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets. In other words, Microsoft is prioritising protecting Windows PC and tablet revenue over protecting Office revenue. It remains to be proven if that was a smart call or not; perhaps the release of Office 365 for iPhone means Microsoft's resolve is weakening, although I'd argue that's not quite the same thing. Few people would choose to use a smartphone rather than a PC for document editing, so the two products don't really compete; whereas people might well perfer to use a tablet to a PC, so the competition has more direct consequences. The "Four Horsemen" Evans's lists "four horsemen" of the post-PC world: Apple, Google, Samsung, and Amazon. (He sees RIM and Microsoft as rapidly becoming irrelevant and never gaining relevance, respectively.) How does Evans see competition between these companies today, and how does he see it playing out in the future? Consider the business of selling devices. In this, Apple and Samsung rule supreme: not in terms of units (Apple and Samsung combined sell less than 30% of all handsets), but in terms of profit (Apple and Samsung hold more than 95% of the profit in the entire handset industry, with the lion's share of that going to Apple). Note that it's a mistake to believe that this somehow means Android is a failure because Google doesn't make any money on it. Remember that from the very outset Android was supplied by Google to the handset OEMs (HTC, Motorola, Samsung, etc) for free. If one's plan is to make a lot of money, one doesn't generally start by giving things away. Android was never supposed to generate any direct revenue for Google. Google makes money by serving up ads, and to do so effectively it needs people using its various products -- search, email, maps, coughReadercough. Android was designed to ensure that no-one like Apple could establish a stranglehold on the future mobile market and freeze Google out. Or, as Erick Schonfeld wrote for our sister site TechCrunch, "search is Google's castle, everything else is a [defensive] moat [around it]". Evans also believes there will be significant growth in low-end Android tablets, with 7" screen sizes and prices below (often far below) the $330 price point for a poverty spec iPad mini. There could be as many as 125m cheap Android tablets sold in China alone in 2013, he claims -- compared to 120m tablets sold in the entire world in 2012 (of which 66m were iPads). However, as many others have pointed out, Evans underscores that Apple products seem to lead the market in usage, far out of proportion to sales; depending on the exact metric you believe, anything up to 80% of all tablet web traffic comes from the iPad. I've yet to find an explanation that entirely addresses this. It's easy to list factors -- some Android tablets are shipped but never sold to end users; some of them are awful, and after a few weeks end up gathering dust; some of them are used regularly, but for much smaller amounts of time per day than iPads; some of them are mostly used for purposes other than web surfing (e.g. in-car satnav and entertainment centers); some of the metrics are biased towards English-language sites, whereas Android is huge in China. But to my mind, none of that convincingly adds up to the size of the difference in the stats. Perhaps I'm wrong, though, and that's all it is; or perhaps there's some other factor I've overlooked. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments. The ecosystem is key Selling devices isn't the whole of it, though. For Google, Android devices itself are only a means to an end -- a way to make Google services more accessible and attractive to end users. It's about building and supporting an ecosystem. Evans finishes on differentiating between ecosystem types and sizes between the key software platform players: Apple with iOS, Google with Android, but also Facebook and Amazon with its as-predicted-by-me (why yes, I am still smug about this; thanks for asking) Android fork. He (rightly) points out that Apple is qualitatively different from the other companies discussed here. For Google, Facebook and Amazon the platforms are designed to facilitate and increase customer engagement with their services -- ultimately, to either serve them adverts or enable them to buy things. Apple, however, remains primarily a hardware company that uses a strong software ecosystem as a hardware differentiator rather than a end in its own right. If you're inclined to disagree with that, remember that iOS updates are free and OS X updates are cheap -- but iPhones and Macs are neither. Apple's main profit driver and main focus remains hardware sales. The bottom line Three years ago, Jobs predicted that mobile devices would come to compete with and ultimately domainate over PC sales, coining the phrase "post-PC" to cover mobile devices that overlap with PCs -- so, smartphones and tablets, as opposed to feature phones. He tied a significant chunk of Apple's future to this vision, by concentrating much of its effort onto iOS and the hardware that runs it. There's plenty of evidence that Jobs was right, and as these trends continue, so companies that are involved in this space -- Apple and Samsung being the most obvious -- will continue to thrive. If you like his data, I humbly urge you to follow Benedict Evans on Twitter and subscribe to his weekly newsletter, where he routinely shares his insight and data like this. I would also like to extend my personal thanks to Mr Evans for allowing me to reprint some of this slides in this writeup.
ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio keyboards for iPad mini
April showers apparently brought May iPad Bluetooth keyboards, as I reviewed a ton of them during the month. The month of June is starting off with a duo of iPad mini keyboards from ZAGG, the ZAGGkeys Cover and ZAGGkeys Folio (both priced at US$99.99). While these two keyboards aren't available for purchase yet, this review may keep you from buying a competing iPad mini keyboard in the meantime. Design Let's talk about the difference between the Cover and the Folio first. The Cover is exactly what the name implies -- a keyboard that covers the screen of the iPad mini when not in use. The Folio, on the other hand, provides a keyboard and a back cover to shelter your mini. The ZAGGkey Cover is really a marvel of engineering. I was stunned with how thin it is -- 6.3 mm, or just less than a quarter inch thick. It's also lightweight at just .68 lb (308 grams), identical to the weight of the mini alone. The Cover is made of thin aluminum in black, although it looked more like a dark gunmetal blue to me. Nonetheless, it's quite attractive. When installed, it also works as a magnetic on/off switch for the iPad mini. It can be easily removed and placed behind the mini for "tablet mode" use. %Gallery-190150% Now here's the amazing thing; this little keyboard not only has a very usable layout, but it's backlit. And not only is it backlit, but you can choose from seven different backlight colors. The backlight automatically shuts off when you don't type for a few seconds, then power back up when you begin pounding the keys again. The Cover comes with a standard USB to micro-USB cable for recharging; battery life is expected to be about three months in normal usage. There are also four stick-on rubber pads to be installed in the corners of the Cover -- more on that in the Functionality section of this review. As for the ZAGGkeys Folio, it's a much more traditional folio type design with a leatherette cover that the iPad mini snaps into. Pop open the folio and the mini turns on, close it and it shuts off. As with the Cover, the Folio also has those amazing backlit keys. It weighs in at exactly .69 lb, just a tiny amount more than the aluminum Cover, and is only 6.9 mm (.27 inch) thick when installed on the iPad mini. Functionality There's really no better way to test a keyboard than to type up a review with it, so I used both the ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio to write this review. The keyboards are essentially the same in layout, backlighting, and feel. The layout is very traditional in most respects, which is probably why I took to typing on it very quickly. The only real difference from the standard Apple layout is that the caps lock and tab key are the same, and the Q key has been stretched to also provide access to the accent/tilde key that is usually to the left of the 1 key. Some other underused keys are also combined in special ways - the dash/underline key usually sits next to the equals/plus sign key, while on this keyboard they're all combined on one key. To access the equals sign, you use the function (fn) key in concert with this combination key, while a fn-shift gives you access to the plus key. It's the same way with the right brackets and slash keys; they're also combined into a larger key that works with the fn and shift key. What I like about this layout is that the delete key is now full-sized -- something that isn't true on some other iPad mini keyboards. I tend to use the delete key a lot when writing, so that's a big plus. The top row of the keyboard contains (from left to right) a home key, lock key, dictation/Siri key, keyboard key, copy and paste keys, and play and volume keys. The alt key is also used to check your battery level. Tap the fn and alt keys, and the power LED will flash green three times to indicate more than 50 percent charge, yellow three times to warn you that you're at between 25 and 50 percent, and red three times for less than 25 percent. When things get critical, the red light flashes once every five minutes. That LED is also used during the pairing process, which is fast and simple. I turned on the keyboards, tapped a tiny pairing button that is right next to the power button (the LED turns blue), and the pairing was complete as soon as I acknowledged it on the iPad mini. The ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio also have a set of arrow keys that are great for working on spreadsheets. Used in concert with the fn key, they're also used to turn the keyboard backlighting on or off, and to change the color of the backlight. Those colors include white, blue, cyan, green, yellow, red, and purple. I could almost get used to green backlighting... Oh, and I almost forgot -- there are three levels of brightness with the backlighting, so you can adjust it to a comfortable level. With the Cover, you have the option of taking the keyboard completely off, turning it around, and then plugging the mini back in so that it sits in front of the keyboard -- perfect for using the mini as Steve Jobs intended, as a tablet. You don't have that same freedom with the Folio, but it does protect the entire mini when closed. If you want to pop the iPad mini out of the Folio for game play, that's quite easy to do. I had one minor gripe with the Cover; I noticed after just a little bit of use that there were some bare spots on the anodized aluminum on the bottom. That's apparently where the rubberized feet are supposed to go; why ZAGG doesn't just install them at the factory is a mystery. When it ships this summer, the Cover will be available in silver or black. The Folio will initially be available in black or white, with more colors coming this fall. Conclusion ZAGG has a pair of winners on their hands with the upcoming ZAGGkeys Cover and ZAGGkeys Folio for iPad mini. By combining little-used keys and placing those that are used more frequently in the familiar places, the company has created a tiny keyboard that is exceptionally typist-friendly. Keyboard backlighting is the icing on the cake; the ability to adjust the brightness and color of the backlighting is the bright burning candle on that cake. At the time of publishing, these keyboards are not yet available for sale. If you have an iPad mini and want a keyboard, I'd suggest that you wait the Cover and Folio are in stores to buy one or the other. Seriously, I never thought that anyone would be able to design a keyboard for a device as small as the iPad mini that would be so usable -- congratulations to ZAGG on accomplishing what no netbook maker was ever able to do! Pros Extremely thin and lightweight Backlit keyboard can be adjusted to any one of seven colors and three brightness levels Excellent battery life Fast and easy Bluetooth pairing Typist-friendly feel and layout Both the ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio are stylish and really complement the design of the iPad mini Cons Rubber "feet" on the ZAGGkeys Cover should be pre-installed Who are they for? Any iPad mini owners who are looking for an affordable and comfortable keyboard
AT&T rolls out expanded 4G LTE coverage to 16 US markets
AT&T customers scattered around the US have something to be happy about today -- 4G LTE coverage was just switched on several market areas. The company announced that the following markets can now access the 4G LTE network with their iPhone 5s, LTE-compatible iPads or iPad minis and other compatible smartphones: Asheville, N.C. Casa Grande, Ariz. Culpepper, Va. Dover, Del. Fredericksburg, Va. Goldsboro, N.C. Leonardtown, Md. Linglestown, Pa. Longview, Wash. Ocean City, Md. Port Townsend-North Whidbey Island-Camano Island, Wash. Prince Frederick and Calvert County, Md. Roanoke, Va. Salem, Ore. Schenectady, N.Y. Shelton, Wash. AT&T plans to extend LTE to a total of 79 new markets by the start of summer, which is just a scant three weeks away. LTE is up to 10 times faster than the company's 3G data network, and TUAW editor Dave Caolo is anxiously awaiting its arrival on Cape Cod so he can rely less on slow WiFi service when he's having his car worked on. Soon, Dave, soon...
Three great new iPad keyboard folios from Logitech
If there's one accessory manufacturer that seems to be doing everything correctly at this point in time, it's Logitech. The company apparently realizes that not only is the future pointing away from PCs and toward more portable devices like the iPad, but it's also creating many new accessories specifically for Apple products. The new FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad (US$149.99), Keyboard Folio for iPad mini ($89.99) and the full-sized Keyboard Folio for iPad ($99.99) are recent additions to the Logitech line that have just started to appear in stores in the US, and today I'm taking a look at all three of these attractive and useful Bluetooth keyboards. FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad: Design and Functionality I'm going to start with the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad first, since it's probably the iPad keyboard that has garnered the most interest lately. You know those odd looking cloth-like keyboards that you see on ads for Microsoft Surface? Yea, that's what this keyboard looks like. %Gallery-187954% From the feel of the keyboard, it appears that Logitech is using the same key mechanism found on the other keyboards. The difference lies in the material that covers the keys. For those who like to sip on coffee or other beverages while typing on an iPad keyboard, you're going to love the FabricSkin. It's water resistant, so spills just wipe right off. The exterior of the case is either a matte finish plastic material or cotton fabric that has a bit of grip to it. Your iPad is held into place by a plastic frame that completely encases the back and sides. There are holes for the ports and speakers, pass-through switches protect those on the iPad from damage. The rear-facing camera is exposed through a small hole on the back of the case. How about typing on this keyboard? Well, strangely enough I felt that the keys were too far apart! The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is still my favorite iPad keyboard as the spacing and size of the keys are similar to those on the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Here I just felt like there was too much room between the keys, which is not what I expect from an iPad keyboard. As such, my fingers occasionally hit the wrong keys -- especially when I was trying to type a "1", in which case I usually hit the Home key ans was bumped out of my current app. Logitech refers to this new keyboard layout as EasyType, and it may take a little getting used to. The keys require a bit more pressure than those on the Ultrathin keyboard and many other "standard" keyboard designs, but are much more normal than the dreaded "chiclet" keyboards that some companies have released. There's one thing I was absolutely thrilled about with this keyboard: it automatically turns itself on and connects to your iPad when you snap the device into typing position. If you decide to use your iPad as a tablet and fold the keyboard underneath, the keyboard turns off by itself. That not only saves you from accidentally typing as you mash the iPad against a leg or desk, but it saves power as well. The company says that the battery should last for about 3 months of use at 2 hours per day -- that's equivalent to about 182 hours. The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio comes in four colors and finishes in the US. First, there's Carbon Black, which uses a matte leather finish with a white keyboard. There's also Mystic Blue, which also has a matte leather surface and a blue keyboard with white letters -- red accents really make the design pop. If you're a fan of red, Mars Red Orange is going to be your favorite for the FabricSkin -- it has a white keyboard. Finally, the Sunflower Yellow case uses a fine-weave cotton exterior and khaki keyboard. Other markets will also get Electric Blue and Urban Gray color options. Now here's a quandary... With the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio installed on your iPad, the total weight of the unit is 2.69 pounds. An 11" MacBook Air weighs less at 2.38 pounds, while a 13" MBA is just a tad heavier at 2.96 pounds. In other words, if you're thinking about using an iPad and one of these keyboards as a lightweight laptop replacement, think again. The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad is extremely well-designed and constructed, and is worth the premium price that Logitech has given it. If you can adjust your typing to the slightly wider key spacing, it may end up being your favorite keyboard for any device. Pros: Keyboard is splash-resistant An extremely stylish and protective case Automatically turns on and off based on iPad positioning Can be flipped completely for "tablet-only" use Excellent battery life Fast initial pairing with iPad Cons: Installed on an iPad, it's heavier than an 11" MacBook Air EasyType key spacing may not be to the liking of all potential users; like any iPad keyboard, try before you buy Keyboard Folio for iPad mini: Design and Functionality A few years back I made the grave error of purchasing a PC netbook and converting it to a Hackintosh. Why was it such a mistake? Because of the keyboard! I spent most of a trip to Africa cursing at the thing simply because my muscle memory was looking for keys in certain places where they actually weren't. No such problem with the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini. The keys are all pretty much in the correct places, although some of them have been scaled down in size to allow the keyboard to be exactly as wide as an iPad mini is tall -- a tad under 8 inches. By comparison, the standard Apple Wireless Keyboard I use most of the time is a full 3 inches wider. %Gallery-187953% So it was with a great deal of surprise that I found that I could easily touch type on this tiny keyboard at my usual fast rate of speed. My fingers got used to the spacing and location of the keys in minutes, and I actually wrote the complete draft of this post on the iPad mini with little fuss. On occasion my little finger on my right hand hit the Return key instead of the half-sized apostrophe/quote key, but the placement of the keys in general made it easy to recover from those mistakes. The case is wrapped in a dark blue (a light blue is also available) cloth-like material that gives it a smart book appearance. The iPad mini is slipped into a plastic frame that gives just enough to make inserting or removing the tablet a piece of cake. On the back of the case, there's a hole for the mini's camera. A powerful magnet holds the mini in place in a typing configuration, and there are other magnets in the cover to turn the device on and off. Unlike the FabricSkin, this keyboard doesn't automatically turn itself on when you move the iPad mini into typing position, but a simple tap on any key will wake it up. All of the new folio type cases from Logitech feature a little cloth "tab" that sticks out from under the keyboard, and it didn't make sense to me until I went to open up the case. That tab helps you get a good grip on the cover to open it up and turn on the iPad mini. That tab took a little getting used to when I started typing, as it bumped up against my hand. I got used to the tab fairly quickly, but some people may decide to take the scissors to it. In case you're curious about how much typing you could do on a single charge, Logitech says that a full charge will take you through 3 months at two hours average use per day. There's a USB to micro-USB charger cable included for those rare occasions where you need to top off the battery. When you just want to play a game or browse sites on your mini with the Keyboard Folio attached, the keyboard portion folds underneath the body of the tablet. With the Keyboard Folio, you're going to want to shut the keyboard off before folding it under or you may find that you're accidentally typing. I measured the Keyboard Folio's weight to be 0.86 lb; that's actually more than the weight of the iPad mini (at 0.68 lb) and puts the entire package at a little over 1.5 lbs. While that sounds "heavy", it's still less than the weight of an 11" MacBook Air at 2.38 lb. The 11" MacBook Air gives you the full notebook computer experience, but anyone looking at the ultimate lightweight computing experience should give the Keyboard Folio/iPad mini combo a try. Pros Excellent key spacing and feel for an iPad mini keyboard Stylish and protective Long battery life Fast initial pairing with iPad Cons Doesn't have that wonderful auto-shutoff feature of the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio EasyType key spacing may not be to the liking of all potential users; like any iPad keyboard, try before you buy Keyboard Folio for iPad: Design and Functionality Take the size of the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio, remove the "fabric" covering on the keyboard, and you have the Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad. It's basically the same as the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini, all grown up into the full iPad size. It comes with a correspondingly higher price tag: $99.99 compared with $89.99 for the mini version. There are some major differences between the FabricSkin and the Keyboard Folio for iPad. First, the Keyboard Folio doesn't have that wonderful auto-off feature that is so useful on the FabricSkin. Next, without the fabric covering on the keyboard, the Keyboard Folio loses the splash resistance of the more expensive model. %Gallery-187952% One real negative: the weight of the Keyboard Folio is actually heavier than that of the FabricSkin. The Keyboard Folio weighs in at 639 grams (22.5 ounces or 1.4 pounds); the FabricSkin alone weighs 2 ounces less at 565 grams. I won't belabor the features of the Keyboard Folio for iPad, as it is virtually the same as its little brother except for the larger size and colors. The full-size version is the CMYK of iPad keyboards, coming in the famous subtractive color model hues of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Battery life is listed as the same, and all three keyboards in this review come with a USB to micro-USB cable for recharging when necessary. Pros: An extremely stylish and protective case Can be flipped completely for "tablet-only" use Excellent battery life Fast initial pairing with iPad Cons: Even heavier than the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio Key spacing may not be to the liking of all potential users; like any iPad keyboard, try before you buy It's also missing the auto-shutoff feature of the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio Conclusion Logitech has produced three protective, flexible, and eminently usable keyboards with the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad, the Keyboard Folio for iPad, and the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini. Without a doubt, the auto on/off feature of the FabricSkin is the winner here -- this is a feature that every iPad keyboard should have, and strangely enough Logitech doesn't even mention it on its website. As for iPad mini keyboards, the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini is tops in its class. It truly turns the diminutive iPad mini into a typing powerhouse and the lightest "notebook" in the Apple family. Giveaway We have both versions of the Keyboard Folio (iPad and iPad mini) available for a giveaway! Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 13, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected. One will receive a Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad valued at $99.99 and the other will receive a Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad mini valued at $89.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Switched On: Microsoft's small tablet trap
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. More Info Microsoft reiterates that Windows 8 could see small(er) devices soon Windows Phone sees big gains at the expense of BlackBerry and Symbian Microsoft releases Surface RT and Pro updates Based on last quarter's global PC shipment numbers, Microsoft continues to feel pain in making the case for Windows is a viable tablet operating system. Theoretically, the dual-identity (Windows 8/RT) operating system has everything it needs to be a contender, but the promise is ahead of the reality on three interdependent fronts: chip-level hardware, legacy support, and app software. For example, if x86 chips were more competitive with ARM processors from a performance-per-watt perspective, then Microsoft wouldn't be as reliant on Metro-style apps for functionality. And if more developers were creating Metro-style apps, then consumers wouldn't have to go to the legacy desktop mode as much to get things done. (Until the company releases a Metro-style Office, Microsoft really can't wag its finger too much at third parties.)
Review and giveaway: a trio of iPad mini cases (updated)
After a slow start, it appears that every accessory manufacturer on the planet is now up to speed on pumping out shiploads (that is spelled correctly, BTW) of iPad mini cases. Today, for your amusement and my employment, I'll take a look at three of the cases that have come to the attention of TUAW recently and give you a chance to win one. The three iPad mini cases of the week are: The Loop Attachment Mummy case for iPad mini (US$30) The Mapi Cases Milano Portfolio Leather Mini iPad Case ($200) The id America SmartFold Leatherette Portfolio for iPad mini ($39.95) %Gallery-186934% Loop Attachment Mummy Case for iPad mini To begin with, we'll look at the Loop Attachment Mummy case for iPad mini, a larger version of the Mummy case for iPhone 4/4S/5. That means that it's a silicone case made with a "mummy-like" pattern on the back mimicking bands of cloth swathed around the mini. The Mummy case comes in six different colors: the usual black and white, teal, red, blue and graphite. The case is easy to install and remove, and has openings for the speakers, Lightning port, mute/orientation lock switch, camera, microphone, and earphone port. There's also a trapezoidal cutout on the back that playfully frames the Apple logo on the iPad mini. As with the Mummy cases for iPhone, the Loop Attachment iPad mini cases are inexpensive, durable, and provide a good grip on what can be a slippery device to hold. There's nothing fancy about the Mummy case, but it does exactly what it's supposed to do -- protect your iPad mini from scratches and bumps. Update: <facepalm> time. I completely forgot to mention that the Mummy cases have two metal plates that are embedded in the silicone that provide a place for an Apple Smart Cover to stick on. Now you know! Mapi Cases Milano Portfolio Leather Mini iPad Case At the other end of the price spectrum from the Mummy case is the Milano Portfolio Leather Mini iPad Case from Mapi Cases. While I'm a huge fan of handmade leather cases, I can't help but think that the company is charging too much the Milano. This leather portfolio comes in four finishes: black, brown, tan and red. Yes, it's made with "100% premium leather", but as my late father-in-law probably would have said, "I don't want to pay for the whole cow." The case is closed with a zipper to keep your iPad mini locked away and has a fabric interior to avoid scratching the device. On the left side of the case are two slots for business or credit cards, as well as a larger pocket for travel documents or cash. The iPad mini is held into place by a leather "frame" with a tuck-under flap on one side. Don't try to take any photos with your iPad mini in the Milano, because there's no hole for the camera to peer through. While I appreciate the excellent workmanship that went into the Milano, I do honestly think it is overpriced. It doesn't include a stand, nor are there magnets to automatically turn the device on and off. A quick look on Amazon.com showed some $25 - $40 cases made of "PU leather", which is cheaper leather covered with a layer of polyurethane. At a glance, there isn't much of a difference in terms of looks, except for the fact that the $25 case is much more functional, including a camera hole, a folding stand, an elastic hand strap, a stylus holder, and more choices in color. If paying for "real leather" is a big thing for you, then by all means spend $200 on this case. If you're like most of our readers, though, you might want to think twice before spending that almost two-thirds of the price of an entry-level iPad mini for a case. id America SmartFold Leatherette Portfolio for iPad mini Finally we come to the SmartFold Leatherette Portfolio from id America. About the closest thing to compare this case to is Apple's very own iPad mini Smart Cover ($39), which is made of polyurethane rather than leatherette (a fabric made to simulate leather). So once again you have faux leather; if that is a big deal for you, then think about the Mapi case... The SmartFold comes in black, brown, gray, orange, red and white, and is probably the most functional of all the cases listed here. Like the Smart Cover, the SmartFold features a cover that can be folded into a stand for viewing or typing on the iPad mini. It also features auto-sleep and wake using magnets in the cover. The iPad mini is held into place by a frame of that same leatherette, and the inside surfaces are made of a felt-like material. I had no issues folding the SmartFold into the typing position, but for the life of me I couldn't get it to stand up in a viewing mode. Perhaps the cover needs to be flexed a bit more to loosen it up. Conclusion So what I've shown you today are three different iPad mini cases for three different types of people. For those who want inexpensive and fun protection, the Loop Attachment Mummy is perfect. Well-heeled iPad mini users who want real leather to match their shoes and not look out of place on the leather seats of their Tesla S, the Mapi Cases Milano Portfolio might be a good solution. And finally, someone who wants protection and functionality in an inexpensive case could not go wrong with the id America SmartFold. Giveaway Now it's time for you to enter to win one of the cases we have to give away. There are two Loop Attachment Mummy cases (one black, one blue), a black leather Mapi Cases Milano Portfolio, and a black id America SmartFold up for grabs. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before Day, Month Year 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. Four winners will be selected. Two will receive Loop Attachment Mummy Cases for iPad mini valued at $30, one will receive a Mapi Cases Milano Portfolio Mini iPad case valued at $200, and one will receive an id America SmartFold case valued at $39.95. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Just Mobile's HeadStand, AluCup and AluFrame: Accessories that organize, protect
As the Northern Hemisphere of the planet wakes up from winter, accessory manufacturers are coming to life with some new or revised products. One of those companies, Just Mobile, has released a crop of accessories that can help to organize your workspace and protect your iPhone 5. There's the AluCup (a sturdy dock for your iPhone or iPad mini, US$29.95), the AluFrame iPhone 5 case ($69.95), and that place to neatly store your headphones -- the HeadStand ($49.95). You'll have an opportunity to win one of these hardy aluminum accessories, so be sure to check them out and then enter the giveaway. Design The AluCup is a delightfully simple dock for your iPhone or iPad tha's made of a machined aluminum cylinder sliced at an angle, lined with a colorful rubberized material, and sliced and diced for cable passthroughs. Just drop an iPhone into the black, yellow, red, or blue-lined cup and it is propped up for easy viewing while it charges or just "relaxes." That iPhone (or an iPad mini) can also be placed on top of the AluCup to make an attractive reclining pedestal. Moving on to the HeadStand, here's a product that was just waiting for someone to invent it. It answers the question of where to place your headphones when they're not on your head. For me, the answer was to wrap the cable around the headphones and then plant them on my Røde microphone stand, but a lot of people don't have that option. The HeadStand comes in either silver or black aluminum, requires some quick assembly, and not only has an arm on which to hang the headphones but a "cable tidy" in the circular base. It's a brilliant alternative to just laying headphones on a desktop. Finally, the third Just Mobile product we're reviewing today is the AluFrame iPhone 5 shield. Made of silver or black aerospace-grade aluminum, the AluFrame is a minimalist bumper that uses an smartly-designed catch mechanism to lock onto your iPhone 5 without the need for screws and tiny hex drivers. There's no need to worry about the AluFrame scratching your iPhone 5, as it uses a rubberized material inside to gently cradle your device. For added protection, the AluFrame includes front and back clear protectors to keep your baby from being scratched. Functionality Let's start with the AluCup. I'm impressed with this little stand, not only for its minimalist good looks, but the fact that it will happily hold my iPhone 5 that is encased in a mophie juice pack helium case. When the phone is dropped into the AluCup, the screen is perfectly angled so that you can see notifications coming in. If you need a bit more access to the iPhone screen, just lay it on top of the angled "cut" and you can tap away without having to worry about the iPhone moving. %Gallery-186833% Things weren't quite as nice with the iPad mini; it kept sliding off of the angled top of the AluCup. Only when I encased the iPad mini in a silicone sleeve from Loop Attachment did it stay in one place atop the AluCup. Still, if you're just looking for a handy stand for your iPhone or if you do have a silicone sleeve protecting your iPad mini, then you'll find the AluCup to be a winner. Moving on to the AluFrame, I found this aluminum bumper to be a cinch to install and remove. The latch mechanism keeps the frame locked on, but can be opened in a second should you decide to remove it. There's no need to search for a hex driver and no worry about dropping tiny screws. There are passthrough buttons for the volume toggle and on/off/sleep/wake button, with an open spot for the mute lock switch. The entire bottom of the AluFrame is wide open, providing unencumbered access to the speakers and Lightning port. Finally, the HeadStand assembles quickly with two regular Phillips-head screws and looks great. It works nicely, too -- my pair of V-Moda headphones sat comfortably on top and I was able to remove the headphone cable to wrap around the base of the HeadStand. It definitely looks like a lot better way to store headphones than the method I've been using. Conclusion Just Mobile has made a name for itself by creating good-looking and functional accessories for Apple products, imagined by talented European designers. With the HeadStand, AluFrame, and AluCup, the company has added three more products to a growing stable of reasonably-priced designer accessories. Pros HeadStand is a unique product that has been needed for a long time Aluminum construction of Just Mobile's accessories guarantees that they'll hold up for a while AluFrame latch mechanism makes the bumper fast and easy to install or remove AluCup takes up very little desktop space and works with many iPhone 5 cases Cons iPad mini wouldn't sit on top of the AluCup as advertised unless it was in a silicone sleeve Who are they for? Anyone who appreciates good design and solid construction in Apple accessories Giveaway We have an AluCup with a red liner, a black anodized aluminum HeadStand, and a black AluFrame to give away. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before April 29, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected. One will received a Just Mobile AluCup valued at $29.95, one will receive an AluFrame valued at $69.95, and one will receive a HeadStand valued at $49.95. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Logitech intros FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad, Folio for iPad/iPad mini
Logitech's secret plans for dominating the iPad accessories market continue. Today, the company unveiled the new FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad (US$149.95), a new line of attractive Bluetooth keyboards that provide full-sized keys that it says are "seamlessly fused into an interior fabric". At the same time, the company is also introducing the new Folio for iPad and iPad mini at $69.99 and $59.99 respectively. What's different about both of these products is that they're using high-end fabrics and contrasting colors to create a totally unique pair of folios. The FabricSkin Keyboard folio uses a "tray" to hold the iPad in place, in colors from Mars Orange (with a white contrasting keyboard) to deep Mystic Blue (with a red tray) or Sunflower Yellow with a tan keyboard. They're definitely eye-catching, and we'll be testing the keyboard soon to let readers know how the non-mechanical mechanism works for speed typing. %Gallery-186529% The FabricSkin Keyboard uses a set of powerful magnets to hold the iPad upright for typing or hold the cover closed during transit. That fabric coating on the keyboard? It's water-repellant. Logitech uses a similar design scheme for the Folio cases for iPad and iPad mini. These cases lack the keyboard of the higher-priced model, but use a similar tray to hold the iPad in place and are covered with similar fabrics. There's a bright Acid Yellow Folio, a staid and classy Carbon Black model and one that's nicely covered in Mystic Blue. All of the new Logitech products are expected to be available in May, and as soon as we can get our hands on them we'll have full reviews here. In the meanwhile, enjoy the gallery of product shots and check out the Logitech blog for more information.
Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: spring 2013 edition
Much like bears, tablet designers are coming out of hibernation: there have been a handful of noteworthy models reaching the wild after a few months of silence. Most of these are the Windows 8- and RT-based tablets that didn't quite make the cut for the holidays, and we're launching our 2013 spring tablet buyer's guide with a dedicated Windows section to accommodate a distinct and rapidly filling category. Just be careful before you commit to a purchase, wherever your allegiances lie: Mobile World Congress brought us tablets that haven't quite shipped yet, like the FonePad and Galaxy Note 8.0. (We've included a heads-up in those situations where waiting a few weeks, or months, may be wisest.) As chaotic as spring can be, our guide might just provide some kind of stability if you're shopping for your next slate.
Props Power Case for iPad and iPad mini: Review and giveaway
One of the big questions I always hear from newbies to the iOS world is "Why are there battery pack cases for the iPhone but not for the iPad?". That's a really good question, and one that I couldn't honestly answer. Now Digital Treasures has done the inevitable and created the Props Power Case for iPad mini ($79.95) as well as two larger versions for your full-sized iPad ($89.95 for 8000 mAh battery, $119.95 for 12000 mAh battery). In this review, I'll take a look at the Props Power Case for iPad mini to give you an idea of the usefulness of these juiced-up cases. Design The Props Power Cases use the tried-and-true folio case design with a prop (hence the name) for watching videos hands-free in an upright landscape orientation. The material covering the outside is a black leatherette with red stitching that looks pretty good, and there's a magnetic strap to hold the case cover closed. The inside of the case a stippled rubber-like material that makes propping the iPad at a number of angles a snap. The iPad is held into place by flexible plastic corner pieces. On the iPad mini cases there are four of these pieces, while the full-sized iPad case includes a fifth piece on the right side of the iPad to help hold it into place. As you'd expect, all of the cases include a hole for the rear-looking camera. The big difference with the Props Power Cases is the thickness of the cover. That's because it holds a flat battery pack. On the bottom of the battery pack you'll find an input port (used to charge up the battery from any standard USB power source), four status LEDs indicating the level of charge, an on button to test the battery level and start charging your iPad, and a micro-USB power output port. %Gallery-185672% With the battery pack, the case weighs a bit more than your standard lightweight iPad mini case. The Props Power Case for iPad mini weighed in at 0.945 lb, more than doubling the weight of the standard mini (0.68 lb). A USB to input port cable is included for charging, and there's a micro-USB to female USB adapter cable that can be used with your usual iOS device charging cable to plug it into the battery. Note that you can use the Props Power Case to not only charge up your iPad or iPad mini, but just about any other electronic device. Functionality When plugged into a USB power adapter (in my case, I attached it to a powered USB 3.0 hub), the blue power level LEDs light up to indicate that charging is occurring. As the battery charges, each of those lights will blink in sequence until the pack is fully charged, at which time all four blue LEDs remain steady. I found that getting the iPad mini into and out of the plastic corner pieces was quite easy. Each of the pieces has a slight "lip" on it that holds the iPad securely in place. Remember the magnetic strap I described above that holds the case closed? It also sticks to the back of the case when you are using it as a stand, perfect for keeping it from flopping over onto the screen while you're watching a movie. As with most folio-type iPad cases, the Props Power Case includes magnets in the cover to turn the iPad on when you open the cover and off when you close the cover. I found that whether or not this worked was highly dependent on making sure that the cover was aligned properly on the right side when closed, and that it often didn't line up the way it should. That's not too much of an issue for me, as I enabled the lock sound so I could hear when the screen was being turned off. The battery pack in the iPad mini has a capacity of 4400 mAh according to iFixit.com, which means that the pack should be able to provide about 1.8 charges to a mini. That's different from what the back of the Props Power Case box says; it notes that it will provide "up to a 100% power boost for your iPad mini." I'm not sure exactly which number is correct, but it should be reassuring that you can at least bring an "empty" iPad mini up to a full charge. The Props Power Case specifications are a bit shaky on the expected lifetime of the battery pack as well. For the iPad mini, the user guide listed the battery as being able to handle 300 - 500 charge / discharge cycles. Conclusion The Props Power Cases for iPad and iPad mini look like they're fairly solid and well constructed battery folio cases that can add anywhere from 50 to 130 percent more power to your device depending on the model. While they're not the most stunning cases I've ever seen, if you need on-the-go power and protection for your iPad, the Props Power Cases are definitely worth looking at. Pros Good capacity, providing anywhere from 50 to 130 percent more power to your iPad depending on the model Well-constructed, with very good protection from drops and falls all around the iPad Status LEDs are very useful in determining charge and discharge levels Cons Not sure why Digital Treasures picked white cables for a black case Cover magnets may not necessarily turn off your iPad when the cover is closed due to issues with getting it properly aligned Who is it for? The hard core iPad user who needs additional power for his or her device Giveaway Have an iPad mini? Here's your opportunity to win a Props Power Case for iPad mini from TUAW and Digital Treasures. Loading...
The Daily Roundup for 04.11.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Update for April 8, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
US Patent Office withdraws primary objections to 'iPad mini' trademark application
As noted by MacRumors, The US Patent Office has withdrawn primary objections to Apple's "iPad Mini" trademark application. The primary objections were raised last month when the USPTO deemed elements related to the "iPad mini" name as descriptive instead of contributing a unique name to a product. But now a published office action letter from the USPTO confirms the objection has been withdrawn. It appears Apple will be granted a trademark on the "iPad mini" name as long as no other entities are found to have the name trademarks and provided Apple only seeks to protect the term "mini" when it is used with "iPad" before it and not as a trademarked term in its own right.
Big box, online retailers slash iPad prices
Are you about to purchase an iPad? There's good news if you are -- Apple 2.0 is reporting that three large retailers have lowered prices on the iPad and iPad mini. Best Buy, Walmart and MacMall are all showing price cuts on the third-generation iPad and the iPad mini, possibly signaling that the retailers are beginning to clear inventory for new models of Apple's popular tablet. There are definitely some bargains to be found on the full-sized iPad. A 64 GB WiFi + Cellular third-generation iPad was selling for US$779.99 at Best Buy and is now showing a sale price of $545.99. A 64 GB Wi-Fi model was going for $649.99 and is now a bargain at $454.99. Remember, the third-generation iPad includes a Retina display... While Best Buy retained regular pricing on the iPad mini, Walmart has done a price rollback on the 16 GB Wi-Fi model, knocking the price back to $299. MacMall has dropped the price on a large variety of iPad mini models, with cuts from $10 to $29 depending on the storage capacity and connectivity.
