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Reviews - page 72

Best List: Espin electric bike is a nice ride at a budget price [Review]

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Espin Sport electric bike
The Espin electric bike is a fun and functional electric bike at an entry-level price.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Best List: Espin Sport electric bike

I love electric bikes, but a lot of them look butt-ugly. Their batteries and motors are strapped to the frame, ruining their lines. Stromer’s bikes, which integrate motor and battery into the frame, are a notable exception. But the latest Stromers cost an eye-watering $7,000 and up.

Enter Espin’s electric bikes, which look like Stromer’s but cost just $1,888, a steal for an eBike this capable and fun.

Time tracking is made painless and easy with Timing 2 app [Review]

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Timing 2 time tracking Mac app
Timing 2 makes time tracking on your Mac easy, not a chore.
Photo: Screenshot: Timing / Daniel Alm

I recently switched back to freelancing full-time, and whilst I am lucky enough to have clients who don’t ask for precise hourly breakdowns, I have always been intrigued to know how much time I was spending on work tasks, especially those tasks that I didn’t directly bill for.

Many time trackers rely on you explicitly setting the task you are tracking and remembering to switch to another task when it’s time to track that. This is easy to forget, and for someone like me who switches tasks frequently, it’s hard to always know when one task finishes and another begins.

Timing 2 takes a different perspective. Instead of tracking by task, it tracks by application usage and uses a set of rules to assign activities in those applications to certain projects and tasks. The premise is that after a learning process, you can leave the application running behind the scenes and it’ll track everything for you automatically. You only need audit the results.

10.5-inch iPad Pro feels like the future [Review]

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The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro puts monstrous power at your fingertips.
Don't pay full price for a 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

I could be the poster boy for Apple’s “iPad problem.”

That problem, in a nutshell, is this: Even long-in-the-tooth iPads several generations old continue to work just fine for many everyday tasks. That, in turn, slows the upgrade cycle. iPad sales drop, and pundits pile on to declare that Apple is doomed. Again.

I’m one of those cheapskates who couldn’t be bothered to shell out for a new iPad over the past few years but a freak accident — and the surprisingly convincing unveiling of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference — finally coaxed me out of iPad complacency.

I’m thrilled I finally wised up. The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a beast of a machine that’s so fast, smooth and responsive that it makes me feel like I’m in a sci-fi movie interacting with a killer device that hasn’t been invented yet. It feels like the future!

iPad Pro unboxing video: Our hands-on with Apple’s 10.5-inch beast

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10.5-inch iPad Pro
Get a first look at the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We finally got our hands on Apple’s new 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which just landed in Apple stores today. Our unboxing video will show you all the ins and outs of the new tablet. Take a look at the packaging, what’s in the box and the device itself before you rush out and pick one up.

Get your (virtual) hands on this sexy new iOS device by watching our 10.5-inch iPad Pro unboxing video below.

Hands on: Does watchOS 4 give Apple Watch what it needs?

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Apple Watch
watchOS 4 is available to developers, take an early look at what's new with our video!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Along with new versions of iOS and macOS, Apple unveiled its next major update for the Apple Watch at WWDC. The first watchOS 4 beta is now available to developers, and we’ve been trying out all its new features and improvements.

Check out the video below to see watchOS 4 in action.

Monument Valley 2 is a monumental achievement [Review]

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Monument Valley 2 review
Are you ready for a return to Monument Valley?
Photo: Luke Dormehl/Cult of Mac

When I interviewed the creators of smash hit puzzle game Monument Valley back in 2014, producer Dan Gray told me, “Already we’re having people ask us when Monument Valley 2 comes out, which is pretty crazy.”

Well, ask and ye shall receive — albeit three long years later. Arriving as a surprise release on iOS this month, Monument Valley 2 brings more of the M.C. Escher-inspired puzzle action that fans have been craving since the original game arrived in the App Store.

How does it fare? Put it this way: If you loved the original, you should fire up Apple Pay right now and set aside a few hours for more of the same.

Hands on: macOS High Sierra packs tons of surprising features

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macOS update
macOS High Sierra brings powerful updates to the Mac.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

macOS High Sierra doesn’t pack as many updates as iOS 11, but Apple’s latest desktop software delivers plenty of new features worth drooling over.

After using the first High Sierra beta for the last few days, I’ve been blown away. Check out what’s new in the macOS High Sierra hands-on video below:

Hands on: iOS 11 brings brilliant new features (especially for iPad)

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iOS 11 on iPad
New features in iOS 11 make the iPad a multitasking beast.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 11 brings brilliant new features and enough design tweaks to make everything feel fresh. The first developer beta landed this week, and we’re loving what we see – especially when it comes to the great new options for iPad users.

See for yourself in our iOS 11 hands-on video.

With Planet of the Apps, Apple fails to crack the code for good TV [Review]

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Screen Shot 2017-06-07 at 11.45.49
When it comes to original programming, this isn't exactly Netflix's House of Cards.
Photo: Apple

With its new reality show Planet of the Apps, Apple didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It slapped a new body on a well-worn vehicle — wannabe entrepreneurs pitching their precious ideas to a panel of questionable celebrity experts — and drove straight to “Meh-ville.”

Halide makes manual photography easier than auto

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halide for iPhone
Halide is packed with neat features that are intuitive to use.
Photo: Halide/Cult of Mac

Halide is yet another iPhone camera-replacement app, only this is one you’re going to want to use. Why? because it not only adds extra control to the stock camera app, it is also easier to use than Apple’s built-in app. In addition to being one-handed simple, Halide adds power features like manual focus and RAW capture. It’s quite a feat.

5 affordable accessories that complement your red iPhone

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iPhone 7
Refresh your red iPhone with these awesome products.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Interest in the (PRODUCT)Red iPhone has died down since its release back in March, and the novelty has likely worn off already for those of you who picked one up. Now it’s time to make it interesting again!

We’ve put together a list of five brilliant red products, all under $30, to compliment the red iPhone and reinvigorate your love for its unique color. Check out the video along with details for all the accessories we’ve featured below.

ZestDesk aims to make you a stand-up worker [Review]

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The portable office that also gets you off your butt, at least for a while.
The portable office that also gets you off your butt, at least for a while.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Your postal carrier doesn’t usually ask about the contents of a package he’s dropping off, but I couldn’t blame him for being curious about a long box with a logo that said ZestDesk.

I explained to him it was a kind of standing desk and that I would be reviewing it. The man who is on his feet for his entire work day asked me what I did for a living and I said, “I sit at a computer, mostly, and write.”

To be clear, I sit on a couch or a comfy chair at a coffee shop with a MacBook Pro on my lap or belly and do not miss the cubicle life. A standing desk sounds so Type A and I worked hard to get further down the alphabet.

Pictar One gives you a grip on your iPhone photography [Review]

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The Pictar One takes your camera controls off the iPhone touch screen and puts them at your true fingertip.
The Pictar One takes your camera controls off the iPhone touch screen and puts them at your true fingertip.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Because all accessories needed to be categorized, the Pictar One is an iPhone camera grip.

But the word grip kind of sells it short when you learn just how the Pictar One works to make the iPhone camera feel and shoot more like a DSLR.

Best wireless Bluetooth headphones for iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus

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AirPods
Maybe the best thing Apple has invented in years.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Updated: May 11, 2017

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are Apple’s first iPhones to drop the headphone jack. And while you can keep using your old headphones by plugging them into the adapter that comes in the box, that gets old as soon as you discover you left the little dongle at home connected to a speaker, and you can’t listen to any music.

You’ve got two options. One, stick with a cable and buy some Lightning headphones. That’s fine, but then you can only use them with recent-vintage iOS devices, and you can’t charge your device while you use them. Or two, go wireless. That means Bluetooth, either the vanilla kind, or Apple’s augmented Bluetooth headphones, with the special W1 chip added to make pairing easier.

Kings backpack treats your tech carry like royalty [Review]

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The Kings laptop backpack by STM Goods will shoulder the burdens of the working class.
The Kings laptop backpack by STM Goods will shoulder the burdens of the working class.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

The Kings laptop backpack by STM Goods is handsome enough, but one small detail on the inside got my attention.

Tethered inside one of the two compartments I found a zippered pouch that could be used to store pens or cords. I stow my various incidentals in similar pouches in my shoulder bag, so it seemed like this particular backpack was designed especially for me.

This rugged case turns your iPhone into a GoPro [Review]

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The Hitcase Pro 2.0, shown with a super-wide lens, is now available for iPhone 6, 6s and 7 on Kickstarter.
The Hitcase Pro 2.0, shown with a super-wide lens, is now available for iPhone 6, 6s and 7 on Kickstarter.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Yes, the iPhone can shoot pictures in the same places as many pro-level cameras. But because the iPhone lacks pro-level durability, you may not bring it on your most rugged adventures.

Hitcase’s latest product should ease your mind and let capture your most extreme imagery ever.

Woolet is the smart wallet you’ll never lose [Review]

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Woolet wallet
Never worry about losing a wallet again.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you’ve ever lost a wallet, you’ll know it’s one of the most frustrating experiences. You have to cancel your cards, order a new driver’s license, and sometimes you’ll lose precious memories — like photos that can’t be replaced. But you’ll never have to go through that again with Woolet.

Woolet is a smart wallet that connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth. Every time you leave it behind, it sends an alert to your iPhone to remind you to go back and pick it up. It looks good and has plenty of space for cards and cash.

It’s also available in a travel size that’s big enough to carry your passport.

Best List: These ‘social’ headphones let you share your music [Review]

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Wearhaus Arc Headphones
The Wearhaus Arc headphones are the first 'social' headphones that allow music sharing between headsets.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Best List: Wearhaus’ Arc ‘social’ headphones

Wearing headphones tends to cut you off from the world, but Wearhaus’ Arc headphones are more sociable.

The wireless Arc headphones allow multiple headsets to stream audio from the same source. Think silent disco, watching a movie together, or sharing tunes with your BFF.

Photolemur fixes your snaps on autopilot [Review]

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photolemur
Photolemur analyzes the image by detecting faces, exposure and colors and brings just the right pop to a finished photo.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Some photographers spend hours tweaking an image, using powerful editing software to pull details out of shadows and wring out every ounce of color.

A new program called Photolemur for Mac and Windows understands you don’t have that kind of patience or expertise. If you can drag and drop, you’ve pretty much mastered the program.

Sonos Playbase home theater speaker is skinny but can make a noise [Review]

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Sonos Playbase home theater speaker
The new Playbase home theater speaker from Sonos is slim but packs a punch.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Best List: Playbase home theater speaker by Sonos

As TVs get flatter, their sound gets worse. Enter Sonos’ latest home theater speaker, the $699 Playbase, a thin and flat home theater/streaming music system designed to sit underneath your TV.

Like the TV above it, the Playbase is thin, but it packs a significant punch. Resembling a pizza box with rounded corners, it features 10 speakers, including a muscular built-in subwoofer, and it can make quite a noise. In fact, it sounds fantastic.

The Playbase is louder and punchier than Sonos’ current home-theater speaker, the Playbar, and a lot more unobtrusive. You don’t really notice it’s there, until it starts shaking the room.

Superslim MacBook bag holds more than name suggests [Review]

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Slim is in the name, but the limit of what this bag by booq carries is deceptively generous.
Slim is in the name, but the limit of what this bag by booq carries is deceptively generous.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

We all have that skinny friend with the appetite that belies their profile. No matter how many times you’ve sat across the table, you marvel and ask yourself, “Where do they put it?”

The Superslim, a laptop bag designed by booq for the rollout of the new MacBook Pro, is kind of like that friend.