Apps, games, accessories, and other iPad-centric reviews.
Zagg is one of the more reliable accessory makers out there, and they have several interesting options for iPad users. I’ve written about their Pro Stylus before, and how it compares to the Apple Pencil.
I’ve been using the Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad case for a while, and I have thoughts.
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I like mechanical keyboards, but the sound they make can be a bit annoying for co-workers. I wanted to try Logitech’s – I mean Logi’s – recent offering with my iPad, as it’s smaller and quieter than my Keychron K4, and when the latter’s battery started to act out, I finally got the chance.
Now, the Logi Mechanical Mini for Mac is a wireless mechanical keyboard, and since it’s tailored for Mac, it works just fine with iPadOS too. Having an external keyboard is a must if you use an external display with your iPad, but I like it with the iPad in a stand as well.
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I’m one of those guys who, generally, stick to Apple chargers and cables. It’s rare for me to go with a third party, although there are some exceptions, and some I trust. Chargers, in particular, is something that I wouldn’t want to skimp out on, for safety reasons. Mophie is one of the trust-worthy third-party accessory makers. They make sturdy cables and good power-banks, among other things. So, when they announced their new Speedport line of GaN chargers, I wanted to take a closer look.
I’m partial to Apple’s 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter. The dual USB-C support saves room in my small travel pouch, and, since I use USB-C to Lightning for the iPhone when I’m out and about, and have a USB-C capable Apple Watch charger, the plug powers all my stuff, albeit not at the same time. The Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter is small and nice, I have nothing bad to say about it, packing a total of 35W.
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I mentioned the other day that I used an app called Pastel to figure out the colors for my simple site, Three Olives Day. At first glance, and the way I mostly have used it, it’s a small app to add colors to various collections. This is, still, my primary use case for it, but it has some other nice features, too.
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Classic Apple developer Iconfactory did something fun a while back: They built a web server for macOS, and, more importantly, iPadOS. It’s a basic server, no databases or anything, and no cache, which makes it, I think, quite lovely in its simple form. I recently wrote about my in-between side-project, while not packing or unpacking boxes, called Three Olives Day (it’s October 14th, which might be when you’re reading this, by the way). The WorldWideWeb app (and thus, server) slotted nicely into my workflow, which also consisted of Working Copy, Runestone, and more. Do read the member post if you’re into this sort of thing.
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You have no doubt seen plenty of Apple pundits and tech reviewers talking about how the AirPods, and the AirPods Pro in particular, is one of the best things that Apple’s done. I agree with them, to some extent, but to me, the AirPods are limited by being in-ear headphones. You see, I listen to a lot of music, and the sound quality is important to me. The fact that I have tinnitus might further add to this. The same goes for active noise cancellation, it needs to be good enough for my ears. That’s why I’ve spent a lot (and I do mean a lot) of money on headphones over the years.
I’m stepping into this review as a happy AirPods Pro (first generation) user. I think they’re good headphones with great noice cancellation and decent sounding microphones. They fit my ears just fine. But, all of this praise (it is praise, I promise) is with that big addendum: For being in-ear headphones. I mean, Apple proved this themselves with the excellent AirPods Max. You can’t compare the noise cancellation or audio quality of the AirPods Max, with the original AirPods Pro, it’s just not a fair fight.
Well, that sort of changes with AirPods Pro 2 (which I’m going to call them).
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I’m faced with one of the worst things there is for a writer: Editing your manuscript. While I’m delighted to see my book getting published (in Swedish, sorry to most of you, but Swedes can tag along if you like), I know that the editing phase is horrendous. This proves to be no different, and I’ve been putting it off for over a month.
That changes now, or rather, I started to change it last Friday, and I’m doing it thanks to an app called Focused Work. The fourth version, as it were.
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Jetpack Joyride is one of those classic App Store games that everyone played. Developed by Halfbrick, who also did Fruit Ninja and Dan the Man, Jetpack Joyride has been going strong ever since. The game features Barry (and, later, Betty) who tries to escape a mad scientist’s lab with a jetpack that shoots bullets. You tap and hold the screen to fire, which makes you go up, which is, basically, the main mechanic of the game. It’s one of those casual action games, perfect distraction elements designed for mobile devices.
The sequel, exclusive to Apple Arcade (so you’ll need a subscription for that, but it’s worth it), is similar, but fleshed out, to say the least. I’ve been having a lot of fun with it.
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Magnetic iPad stands are all the rage these days, and it’s easy to see why. Just like the Magic Keyboard invites you to be productive in a familiar, laptop-like sense, a magnetic stand does the same with a more desktop-y feel to it. I’ve tried quite a few, and what they all have in common is that they offer the same sense of usage freedom as the Magic Keyboard does. Type away, then pull the iPad off to do something else. It’s no surprise that Apple went with magnets for this sort of thing.
Apple doesn’t make any stands, though, and while I do like the Magic Keyboard, I definitely don’t think it’s the perfect angle or setup. At home, I have my iPad Pro wall-mounted, and I control it with a bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad. That’s not always possible, however, and might be a bit extreme for most people. Hence, getting a stand, and that stand could very well be the Lululook Magnetic iPad Stand.
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I love keyboards. I’ve owned hundreds over the years, which might sound like a crazy number, and that is obviously because it is. Today, I think the number is just shy of twenty, not counting older keyboards I might’ve forgotten in a drawer somewhere. Yeah, I might have a problem, but then again, if it weren’t for my keyboard curiosity, I wouldn’t have stepped out of my comfort zone (Keychron K4) and picked up the wireless and mechanical Keychron K6. And, I’ve got to tell you, I love this keyboard.
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