Toys, and particularly tech toys, can have very short half lives. AppleInsider has been playing with three of Sphero's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" app-controlled droids by a dad who was there in 1977, and by a pair of children who long to be a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
Mike Wuerthele |
The ecobee4 is easily one of the best smart thermostats you can buy, the only questions being compatibility with your house and whether you can justify its hefty price tag.
Native Union aims to solve your cable clutter with a futuristic motorized charging station. AppleInsider took it for a spin to see if it really was the answer to all our charging problems.
Nomad's wireless travel charger for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X bucks the trend of many popular chargers, opting for a rounded-rectangular design that transforms from a charging pad, to a vertical charging stand — and we've been using it for a while.
The Button from Fibaro has finally gained much needed HomeKit support. While not as powerful as its Z-Wave brethren, it is still an awesome way to control your smart home.
Blue's Raspberry microphone is the ultimate portable mic that works not just with your Mac or PC, but your iPhone and iPad as well — but isn't the best choice for an arm-mount or for the less mobile.
Libratone TRACK+ wireless headphones make a bold statement with a smooth, modern design and an audio profile to match, with an adaptive noise cancellation feature so good, that makes it hard to live without.
The ONE Smart Keyboard Pro unlocks incredible possibilities by integrating with the iPad you already own, and AppleInsider has been using one for a while.
Smartphone docks have been around since well before the original iPhone launched in 2007, but Apple's handset helped turn the accessory category into one of the largest for third-party manufacturers. AppleInsider has been using the CordDock for a few weeks now, and it stands out from most we've tested before.
The new iBOLT ChargeDock iPhone Magnetic Charging Dock offers convenient charging for a variety of iPhone models, with the positives and negatives that come with magnets in an iPhone case.
Belkin's popular line of WeMo smart home products was recently brought into the HomeKit fold with the release of the new Smart Bridge, a simple device that lets you control your existing WeMo devices via the Home app and Siri.
Apple is aiming at the educational market with the new 2018 sixth generation iPad, but the addition of Apple Pencil support has generated a lot of commercial interest in the device. It is obviously superior to the popular iPad 2, but will it replace your iPad Pro?
It doesn't come cheap, and its newfound HomeKit support is actually the least interesting thing about it, but the Arlo Baby is a quality baby monitor that has a life beyond the nursery.
Epic Games intended to make "Fortnite Battle Royale for iPhone and iPad as close to the version played on other platforms. In its invitation-only initial release, the large-scale multiplayer game hasn't lost its charm in its transition to the small screen from the console, Mac, and PC versions.
Promise's Apollo Cloud 2 Duo has a simple setup process on the iPhone that just about anybody can handle, and is the closest thing we've seen yet to network storage as an appliance — and we've been beating on one for a month.
The Eve Button does what it says on the box, but ultimately proves to be a very niche accessory for people hooked into Apple's HomeKit.
The new PowerWave 7.5 Charging Pad and Charging Stand are the first from Anker to support 7.5W, allowing for quicker charge times that the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X are capable of now.
"Alto's Odyssey" makes a number of enhancements to the successful formula set out by "Alto's Adventure" three years ago, resulting in an endless runner that will satisfy both players of the original and newcomers alike.
The IOGear USB-C Compact Docking Station with Power Delivery Pass-Thru is a port-replacement peripheral for USB 3.1 type C gear, but isn't ideal for Apple's entire portable line.
I love Apple's HomePod, and I want one in every room of my house. But I also kind of hate HomePod for its reliance on Siri. Like any messy relationship, it's complicated. If you can get over the personal assistant's numerous shortcomings, you'll find that HomePod is a fantastic sounding compact speaker, but also potentially the start of something much better.
Apple's new, high-end iMac Pro packs a ton of power into a svelte, all-in-one desktop machine. Its performance and style are more than enough to impress, giving professional users a much-needed workhorse option in the iMac lineup — provided you can stomach the $5,000-and-up price tag.
The Sonos One may be the best smartspeaker you can buy — and with its pricetag and upcoming features, will probably pose a serious threat to Apple's HomePod.
"Bridge Constructor Portal" brings the construction gameplay of "Bridge Constructor" to the "Portal" franchise, resulting in an enjoyable puzzle game that fans of both games will enjoy playing through.
LandingZone's new USB 3.1 type-C Docking Station for the 13- or 15-inch 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro doesn't cut corners and gives multiple USB ports and a SD card reader back to the user — and AppleInsider has been using it daily for the last two months.
The Brydge keyboard for Apple's 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a good way to make your beloved tablet look and feel closer to a MacBook, but a few curious design choices, like lack of support for Apple's Smart Connector, makes it less than perfect.
There's no reason for MacBook or MacBook Pro users with USB-C to rely on adapters for ruggedized mass storage. AppleInsider looks at the CalDigit Tuff hard drive, aimed squarely at mobile professionals seeking to safeguard data against drops or falls.
Just as Fantastical does some excellent things over and above the default Calendars application, Flexibits Cardhop delights with some new tricks beyond what Contacts can do.
The LIFX Mini is about what you'd hope for from an iPhone-compatible smartbulb, and with HomeKit, LIFX is finally ready to go toe-to-toe with the popular Philips Hue platform.
August's top-end Smart Lock Pro + Connect bundle is probably a costly luxury for most people, but works as advertised, and with HomeKit in tow can be a gateway to some clever automations.
Fitbit's first attempt at a smartwatch proves better as a high-end fitness tracker than a full-on competitor to the Apple Watch.
Belkin's popular line of WeMo smart home products was recently brought into the HomeKit fold with the release of the new Smart Bridge, a simple device that lets you control your existing WeMo devices via the Home app and Siri.
Apple is aiming at the educational market with the new 2018 sixth generation iPad, but the addition of Apple Pencil support has generated a lot of commercial interest in the device. It is obviously superior to the popular iPad 2, but will it replace your iPad Pro?
It doesn't come cheap, and its newfound HomeKit support is actually the least interesting thing about it, but the Arlo Baby is a quality baby monitor that has a life beyond the nursery.
Epic Games intended to make "Fortnite Battle Royale for iPhone and iPad as close to the version played on other platforms. In its invitation-only initial release, the large-scale multiplayer game hasn't lost its charm in its transition to the small screen from the console, Mac, and PC versions.
Promise's Apollo Cloud 2 Duo has a simple setup process on the iPhone that just about anybody can handle, and is the closest thing we've seen yet to network storage as an appliance — and we've been beating on one for a month.
The Eve Button does what it says on the box, but ultimately proves to be a very niche accessory for people hooked into Apple's HomeKit.
The new PowerWave 7.5 Charging Pad and Charging Stand are the first from Anker to support 7.5W, allowing for quicker charge times that the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X are capable of now.
"Alto's Odyssey" makes a number of enhancements to the successful formula set out by "Alto's Adventure" three years ago, resulting in an endless runner that will satisfy both players of the original and newcomers alike.
The IOGear USB-C Compact Docking Station with Power Delivery Pass-Thru is a port-replacement peripheral for USB 3.1 type C gear, but isn't ideal for Apple's entire portable line.
I love Apple's HomePod, and I want one in every room of my house. But I also kind of hate HomePod for its reliance on Siri. Like any messy relationship, it's complicated. If you can get over the personal assistant's numerous shortcomings, you'll find that HomePod is a fantastic sounding compact speaker, but also potentially the start of something much better.
Apple's new, high-end iMac Pro packs a ton of power into a svelte, all-in-one desktop machine. Its performance and style are more than enough to impress, giving professional users a much-needed workhorse option in the iMac lineup — provided you can stomach the $5,000-and-up price tag.
The Sonos One may be the best smartspeaker you can buy — and with its pricetag and upcoming features, will probably pose a serious threat to Apple's HomePod.
"Bridge Constructor Portal" brings the construction gameplay of "Bridge Constructor" to the "Portal" franchise, resulting in an enjoyable puzzle game that fans of both games will enjoy playing through.
LandingZone's new USB 3.1 type-C Docking Station for the 13- or 15-inch 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro doesn't cut corners and gives multiple USB ports and a SD card reader back to the user — and AppleInsider has been using it daily for the last two months.
The Brydge keyboard for Apple's 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a good way to make your beloved tablet look and feel closer to a MacBook, but a few curious design choices, like lack of support for Apple's Smart Connector, makes it less than perfect.
There's no reason for MacBook or MacBook Pro users with USB-C to rely on adapters for ruggedized mass storage. AppleInsider looks at the CalDigit Tuff hard drive, aimed squarely at mobile professionals seeking to safeguard data against drops or falls.
Just as Fantastical does some excellent things over and above the default Calendars application, Flexibits Cardhop delights with some new tricks beyond what Contacts can do.
The LIFX Mini is about what you'd hope for from an iPhone-compatible smartbulb, and with HomeKit, LIFX is finally ready to go toe-to-toe with the popular Philips Hue platform.
August's top-end Smart Lock Pro + Connect bundle is probably a costly luxury for most people, but works as advertised, and with HomeKit in tow can be a gateway to some clever automations.
Fitbit's first attempt at a smartwatch proves better as a high-end fitness tracker than a full-on competitor to the Apple Watch.
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Roger Fingas
Andrew O'Hara
Stephen Silver
Malcolm Owen
Neil Hughes
Max Yuryev
AppleInsider Staff
Victor Marks
