9to5Mac Reviews

I’ve been a major fan of Apple’s Health app since its original launch and have continuously looked for reasons to use it. I believe that the first step to a healthy life is being proactive versus reactive, which is why my interest was piqued when Qardio reached out asking if I wanted to review their QardioArm and QardioBase products. A smart portable blood pressure monitor, and a smart scale was something that definitely fit into my “DIY preventative care” ideology. Qardio’s products are designed to fit into a modern health focused lifestyle, but let’s see what that means for the product’s themselves.

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Apple’s publication of a $199/$299 design book raised quite a few eyebrows, some questioning the price, others considering it self-indulgent (especially given all the promo activity), yet others wondering whether this might be Jony Ive’s swansong.

We got a hands-on look at the book in a recent video, and I had my own look in the Regent Street Apple Store. My own view is that it’s beautifully produced, but much as I like it, I’m not going to lay out that kind of cash on a coffee-table book. I’m just not in this market.

However, if you love the idea of the book but not the price, there is an incredibly nice $67.50 alternative …

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I discovered the Erato Apollo 7 a few months ago during its Kickstarter campaign and nearly immediately knew it would be a pair of earbuds that could fit into my life nicely. It really looked like the first pair of true wireless earbuds that included all the functionality I wanted, without sacrificing any distinct feature. With the AirPods being delayed potentially as far out as January, is there a possibility that the Erato Apollo 7 ($299) is ready to fill the void that Apple left with the iPhone 7?

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I’ve long been a fan of ScotteVest products: vests with a ridiculous number of pockets to hold all your technology; check out my detailed review of one of these for chapter-and-verse. The short version is that by putting all your tech into your clothing, you can get around the often-absurd limits some airlines impose on hand-baggage. Plus you can carry a lot of tech around town without the hassle of a bag.

The one drawback is that the vests aren’t exactly unobtrusive. You will always win any arguments with airline staff or security personnel, as there’s no limit to what you’re allowed to carry in your pockets, but it would be preferable to avoid such arguments in the first place. Scott’s latest product looks like it should achieve just that …

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I don’t know when it happened, but I recently became obsessed with accessorizing natural elements with the electronics I use in my day to day life. The idea of mixing something new and then something in its natural state just feels very compelling. My eye was eventually drawn to MIKOL’s marble iPhone cases, and I decided to take a look and see if this really was a line I could continue down. Can a sophisticated take on a natural material really give the iPhone a more appealing aesthetic? More than that, is this niche desire worth it?

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With smart thermostats like Nest and Tado, it’s easy to set a temperature for your home and let the technology take care of it. We’re also starting to see the introduction of individual smart thermostats for each room – at a price, of course.

But if you just want a low-cost way to monitor the temperature of a particular room, getting iPhone alerts if it falls outside your chosen range, the $30 Sense ThermoPeanut may be for you …

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Back in August I reviewed the Raumfeld One M Wireless Speaker and I was thoroughly impressed by the sound emanating from such a compact speaker. The One M featured a 5-driver 2-way stereo speaker solution that came bundled with its own built-in down-firing subwoofer. The result was nothing less than impressive.

Yet, single speaker solutions have inherent limitations when it comes to things like stereo separation. That’s where the step-up Raumfeld Stereo Cubes make their presence felt. The Stereo Cubes, which generally sell for around $699, are much pricier than the Raumfeld One M, but delivers noticeably richer sound with great stereo separation.

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Nomad is the maker of clever tech accessories for travelers like the Key and Carabiner charging cables, and the recent partnership with Chicago’s Horween Leather Company has disguised battery packs inside good-looking wallets. Nomad’s effort with Horween extends to their new iPhone 7 leather cases and Apple Watch leather bands which we’ve been testing. Read on for our hands-on experience…

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Backpacks have always been a source of frustration for me when carrying around my laptop and the various tools I need with me throughout my day. I don’t carry a ton with me at any given moment, but finding a bag that can carry and handle everything has been difficult.

Enter Tylt’s new Energi Pro Backpack. While not only being incredibly spacious, Tylt’s new backpack’s attention grabber is the fact that it includes an impressively large battery in the bag. Carrying everything you lug around is not only a breeze with the Energi Pro Backpack, but charging everything while you do so is god-send.

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Eight years since the App Store’s initial release, we’ve seen quite the influx of Twitter apps on the market. Over time, the situation settled down and the best competitors stood on top. I’ve come to find my one or two main Twitter clients, but that still hasn’t stopped me from looking for any new contenders. While there are the few Twitter apps that everyone knows, it’s refreshing to see a new take on the familiar experience.

Enter Leaf, a new Twitter client available in the App Store today that takes a few creative approaches to the experiences we have come to know and love.

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One of the bigger features with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is definitely the improved optics and camera quality, but exactly what does this boil down to for video enthusiasts? There’s no doubt that the iPhone 7 takes some amazing photography, but its video capabilities are far superior in my opinion. Don’t believe me? With 4K video recording, optical and digital image stabilization, and an f1.8 aperture, these new iPhones are pretty incredible…

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Today we’re taking a look at the new Apple Watch Edition. This year, Apple switched it up and ditched the all gold models in favor of ceramic. Why ceramic you might ask? Well first off, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than solid gold, but it’s also four times stronger than stainless steel, which makes it the most scratch resistant Apple Watch available…

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Apple’s true wireless earbuds called AirPods release later next month, but that hasn’t stopped me from testing what you can buy on the market today. Today we’ll take a deep-dive into what has become my daily driver in the true wireless earbud world. Earin M-1 true wireless earbuds really feel like the perfect package, if only they had included two more things…

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When Razer first announced its Mechanical Keyboard Case for the 12.9″ iPad Pro, I had mixed feelings about the idea. On one hand, the thought of using a true mechanical keyboard with decent key travel, real actuation, and reset points sounded glorious. On the other hand, just how good could a mechanical keyboard case for an iPad possibly be? 
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I’ve been using Final Cut Pro X on a regular basis since it debuted back in June of 2011. With five years under my belt, I feel pretty comfortable navigating around the interface, utilizing custom keyboard shortcuts, and all of the other benefits that come with being intimately familiar with a piece of software.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts about Final Cut Pro X, you’ve probably concluded that I have a strong affinity for the app, despite some of the hate that it receives.

I’m also someone who likes to recommend Final Cut Pro X to new editors. I think that it’s easier to grasp and much more friendlier to work with on a Mac than competing apps like Adobe Premiere Pro.

So when EditorsKeys, a company that produces a keyboard specifically designed for Final Cut Pro X, asked me to do a review, I was intrigued.
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Back in May I published a post highlighting my voiceover and podcasting setup. In that post, I noted that I had recently switched from the KEF Egg Wireless Digital Music System to the Kanto YU5. While that may seem like an odd choice given how ridiculously good KEF’s drivers sound, I noted that the added flexibility made possible by the YU5’s connectivity options is what convinced me to make the switch.

The Kanto YU5 offers Bluetooth connectivity along with auxiliary input and stereo RCA inputs. The speakers also offer dual optical inputs, a subwoofer output, and traditional non-proprietary speaker connections. There’s even a USB-port to be found on the back of the cabinet, although it’s used for charging only.

Needless to say, the amount of versatility offered by these speakers is a big reason as to why I considered them in the first place. In this area, the Kanto YU5 delivers well.

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As someone who’s been involved in IT for the last 15 years, sitting while working comes with the territory. Since transitioning from IT to full-time blogging, it’s just been more of the same.

Shooting video tends to get me out of my chair on most days, but I still find myself sitting for inordinate amounts of time. Having a good exercise routine is crucial, as many of my colleagues will attest to, but even with regular exercise, it can still be fatiguing to sit for most of the working day.

This is why I ended up researching, and ultimately acquired, a standing desk. Standing desks are great as I noted in my full review of the UpDesk Power Up, but after a month or so of regularly standing for portions of my work day, I craved something more.

Enter the Under Desk Treadmill from LifeSpan. It’s a device that helps transition a standing-while-working routine into to a moving-while-working routine. Can an under desk treadmill really allow you to maintain productivity while in motion?

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I wouldn’t normally describe a portable battery as being beautiful, but Kanex’s just-released $99 GoPower USB-C Portable Battery fits that description. Its aluminum body is like a mix of Apple’s space gray and silver colors, but it’ll look good when paired with any 12″ MacBook.

Good looks are nice, but the real world performance of a battery pack is crucial. How does Kanex’s offering stack up? Check out our hands-on impressions.
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In my continuing quest to find a great iPad Pro case, I’ve been testing out the new BookBook case for iPad Pro 12.9-inch ($99) … and I really like it. Don’t judge a book by its cover; the cute design hides a lot of utility. There’s a display mode for watching movies, an integrated kickstand perfect for typing and sketching as well as a fantastic Apple Pencil holder hidden in the ‘spine’. (Check the Twelve South website if sold out on Amazon.)

As the whole thing zips up, it’s one of few cases that completely protects the iPad whilst in transit. Read on for my full review of the BookBook for iPad Pro after the jump …

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