Reviews - page 21

The Belkin Connect 4-Port USB-C Hub seems like a simple product, but it’s something we’ve had to wait years to finally get. It’s a simple, inexpensive hub that turns one USB-C port into four that can provide high-speed data transfers while also powering a MacBook or iPad.

I put the device to the test in my home office. I lives up to just about all my expectations. Here’s why.

iPad cases that act as stands to prop up the tablet’s screen are old news. But the Moft Snap Float Folio takes the concept to a new level… literally. It can be folded to raise the iPad up to 3.8 inches so it’s easier to see. If that’s not enough, the case/stand also folds into multiple other configurations to allow the iPad to be used in different ways.

The product first launched in 2022, then recently updated it with stronger magnets for a better hold on the tablet. It’s also a bit more robust.

I wrapped my iPad Pro in the Moft’s new-and-improved case to see how easy it is to use, and how stable when used as a stand. I came away impressed.

Apple TV+ comedy Platonic takes a trip to San Diego this week, as Sylvia’s husband Charlie gets paranoid and Will gets a lesson in corporate culture that he didn’t ask for.

In this very good episode of the show — about married Sylvia and divorced Will, who return to the best-friend slot in each other’s lives after an awkward absence — Charlie looks into every little thing, wondering if the pair are more than just friends. Will comes to Sylvia’s rescue at the expense of his friends and business partners, and Sylvia must be honest about the next phase of her life.

New Apple TV+ limited series Hijack stars Idris Elba as a man caught in an explosive hostage situation in the sky. Elba plays a corporate negotiator on one of the worst days of his life, as armed terrorists seize the airplane he’s flying on from Dubai to London.

He has six hours to foil their plan — and possibly save his marriage. Can he pull off one or the other, or both? And more importantly, will it be thrilling? Time will tell…

Whether you carry a wallet bursting at the seams or you’re a two-cards-and-cash-in-a-clip person, Journey has a new product you might want to give a go. It’s the Ezmo Magnetic Wallet and Phone Stand.

It’s a high-quality leather product that fixes to your iPhone. But whether you want it to be your daily carrier for cash and cards depends on how little you feel you can get by carrying around with you. The company sent me one to try out.

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we’re touting stellar Apple TV+ basketball drama Swagger, produced by Kevin Durant and creatively shepherded by Reggie Rock Bythewood.

The show, about a high school phenom assailed by personal and professional pressures, just returned for its second season. And like its heroes, Swagger shows no signs of slacking now that the game is getting tougher. Here’s why you should give it a shot.

Apple TV+ sports drama Swagger returns for a second season in fine form this week. Reggie Rock Bythewood’s account of a high school basketball star and his supportive coach continues with fresh challenges for Jace and his team to face.

With Jace gearing up for college, he needs Ike back in his corner after a brief separation. But will Ike make a good fit at Jace’s new school? This week’s episode, entitled “The World Ain’t Ready,” is thrillingly alive in its depiction of life in Baltimore and the pressures of being very good at what you do.

Juliette is on the lam this week in the penultimate installment of Silo’s first season. The Apple TV+ sci-fi show, about the woman who discovers a massive conspiracy in the equally massive underground bunker containing the last dregs of humanity, finds Juliette looking for help and hope in all the strangest places.

Sims, Bernard and Billings all sweat her escape and what it might mean for the future of the silo in a white-knuckle episode entitled “The Getaway.”

The UGR Tech Portable SSD External Hard Drive 2TB offers a lot of storage for an exceedingly low price — it’s available from Cult of Mac Deals for just $34.99. I could even call that a suspiciously low price, because rival USB-C drives sell for about four times as much. So I ordered one and tested it out.

I discovered why the external SSD is so very cheap, but also that it’s not a scam or a ripoff … as long as you understand the significant speed limitation of this 2TB drive.

(Update: This incredibly popular 2TB external SSD sold out multiple times in 2023. Now it’s back in stock at Cult of Mac Deals, although the price has gone up to $44.97.)

Apple TV+ psychodrama The Crowded Room takes a look back at Danny’s childhood this week to examine the start of his troubles and trauma.

Danny’s issues began when he was young, in the presence of a mysterious twin brother, an absent father, a new stepdad and a mom tired of being defeated by life. Add to that a sexual abuse case and Danny’s mental illness, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster — and a show that keeps running right up to the line of greatness before retreating.

The HyperPack Pro has room for a 16-inch MacBook plus plenty of other gear in three big pockets, three more smaller ones plus more inner pockets. But what sets the backpack apart is a built-in tracker using Apple’s Find My technology so it can easily be found if misplaced or accidentally left behind.

I field tested the bag from Hyper by taking it on holiday. Here’s everything I love about it … and a few small issues.

A long-requested feature is finally coming to iOS 17: interactive widgets. With these, you can control apps on the device directly from the convenience of the home screen.

iOS 17 is still in beta so not everyone has access to the new feature yet. I do, so here is what it’s like to use it on an iPhone (and iPad, too.)

Apple TV+ comedy Platonic, about two once-former-now-current best friends navigating their relationship, finds Sylvia back at work and Will out of step this week.

A lot has changed since Sylvia was last in the workplace, and the new workload is too much for her, without factoring in everything else that can go wrong in an office. Will tries to help but makes things worse as he himself learns a few lessons about the modern workplace. Entitled “Let the River Run,” it’s a very funny episode of the very funny series.

Apple TV+’s noir comedy High Desert comes to a close this week with a nicely judged final half-hour where streams and plots cross.

Arman and Heather, the Gatchis, Carol and Denny are all looking for Peggy in the High Desert season finale, entitled “I Need a Hero.” Can Peggy make up for a lifetime of misbehaving and lying and self-interest in one gesture? It’s a perfectly ridiculous ending to this laconic, if fast-talking, crime saga.

The best way to be sure no one is accessing your files is to lock them on an encrypted drive. The Kingston Ironkey Keypad 200 includes built-in keypad so you can easily unlock the USB drive when it’s time to access your stored information.

I put the mini-SSD to the test in my home office. Read on to see how well it stood up use with a variety of computers and other devices.

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we rewind back to Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, a 2021 miniseries about the ins and outs of modern music production and recording.

With superproducer Mark Ronson (who’s worked with stars like Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga) as our host, we see the ways in which sound can be manipulated — and the ways in which it is already miraculous. Here’s why you should give this must-see Apple TV+ music miniseries a spin.

New Apple TV+ drama The Crowded Room, about a man arrested for crimes he doesn’t have a real understanding of having committed, takes a trip overseas this week. Danny, fleeing from his past and his crimes, heads to London to look for his dad. But he finds another shady father figure waiting for him instead.

A few botched crimes and some bonding lead Danny down more dead ends as Rya interrogates him and hopes he finally sees the light. The episode, entitled “London,” offers a maddening glimpse at the show The Crowded Room could have been.

Apple TV+’s kaleidoscopic urban blight drama City on Fire comes to a close this week with events both explosive and not so much.

Amory’s on the move, William’s holding on for dear life, Regan and Keith are missing a few kids, Nicky and Sol come to blows, Charlie and Lorraine tell the truth, Parsa gets a second chance, and Samantha’s in the dark — just like New York City itself.

The limited series finale, entitled “In the Dark,” brings a suitably emotional ending to a show that narrowly avoided greatness.

Apple TV+ dystopian sci-fi series Silo, about the last remnants of civilization trapped in a huge underground structure, ratchets up the stakes as Juliette realizes she has only a few hours to set things right or she and Billings will face the music.

A flashback to a tumultuous time serves as her guiding light in the darkness — and even a reconciliation won’t save her. Entitled “Hanna,” it’s a very good episode of this surprise hit sci-fi series as we head into the first season’s home stretch.

Apple TV+ comedy Platonic hits a milestone this week as Sylvia and Will find boundaries to test they didn’t even know existed. Will learns some hard lessons about aging and relationships, while Sylvia tries to embark on a new chapter of her life without much support.

Entitled “The Big Two Six,” it’s a solid episode of the show about two people in their 40s who reconnect and re-become besties, heedless of optics and obstacles.

Apple TV+ comedy High Desert reaches its penultimate episode this week, as Peggy comes close to solving the many mysteries she’s been juggling as a first-time private investigator.

Arman and Heather squeeze Peggy for money she doesn’t have, just as her ne’er-do-well hubby Denny creates more problems for them by resuming his life of crime. Plus, the Gatchis demand answers about their missing sister. Entitled “This Doesn’t Have to Be a Tragedy,” it’s a surprisingly emotional episode of the zany noir.

Apple’s AirPods charging cases are sleek, protective — and relentlessly white. So if you’d like to add a layer of extra protection along with a better grip and a choice of colors, Totallee offers new cases for AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and AirPods 3.

The company sent me its new case for AirPods Pro 2. The simple accessory gets the job done, as advertised.

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we look at the Platonic, the surprisingly good comedy from stoner whisperer Seth Rogen, luminous star Rose Byrne and husband and wife writers/directors Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller.

In the show, which premiered last month on Apple TV+, Byrne and Rogen star as friends who become awkward appendages of each other’s already messy lives. Here’s why you should take a chance on Platonic.

Silo, the hit Apple TV+ series about people dwelling in a titanic subterranean structure years after an apocalyptic event turned Earth’s air toxic, begins its final act this week.

Juliette discovers a horrible clue hidden in the memory of someone who can’t access it. And a risky mission will put her in close proximity to the one person she doesn’t want to see, but it’s now or never time in the silo.

The episode, entitled “The Flamekeepers,” is a very well-handled lynchpin episode of Silo.

Apple TV+ drama City on Fire drops a bomb this week.

Charlie and Keith meet up under less-than-ideal circumstances, while Sam fights for her life. Nicky and Sol have one last missive for the city of New York — and the fat cat who set them up. And William has one more act left in his life as an amateur detective — and a family to reunite.

This week’s episode, entitled “The Demon Brother,” is full of engaging, but deeply ridiculous, stuff.