| Cult of Mac

No need to wait on keyboard cases for latest iPad Air and iPad mini

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The Brydge 10.5 clip-on keyboard can be used with the new iPad Air.
The Brydge 10.5 clip-on keyboard can be used with the new iPad Air, and there are other options too.
Photo: Brydge

Apple’s newest tablets just started reaching the hands of consumers, but there are already several cases available for the iPad Air 3 and iPad mini 5, including keyboard cases in multiple designs. There are options now from Zagg, Brydge and Apple itself.

While not yet available, rugged-case maker OtterBox is designing products for these slates.

Finally, a leather Pad & Quill case that’s light enough for an iPad Air

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Plain and simple. Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Pad & Quill's beautiful Walden case keeps things plain and simple. Photos: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The Walden is the first of Pad & Quill’s top-notch cases that I would actually use. That’s because it ditches the wooden frame of the company’s usual bookbindery cases, instead offering a minimal slipcover that uses adhesive strips to hold an iPad Air in place.

The result is a case as beautiful and classic as other P & Q cases, but slim and light enough to match the slender Apple tablet it protects.

Apple’s Next iPad Smart Cover Could Feature A Surface-Style Keyboard [Patent]

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iPad

Apple’s possible plans for an iPad smart cover reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface were revealed in a patent application published Thursday. The design differs from Microsoft’s iPad competitor in that Apple’s keyboard would double as a Multi-Touch gesture keyboard, eliminating the need for a touchpad.

Drawings filed with the patent show how it would be possible to use the iPad cover in various configurations. Several hinges allow the iPad smart cover to fold away with the tablet and keyboard, while the cover would feature magnets to lock its various components in place. In one embodiment of the patent, Apple suggests that electromagnets could be used.

It’s Expensive, But Apple’s Leather iPad Mini Smart Case Is Almost Worth The Price [Review]

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Leather Smart Case byApple
Category: Cases
Works With:iPad Mini
Price: $69

 

 

The best iPad case I ever had was the red leather Smart Cover for the iPad 2 (and iPads 3 and 4). It looked and felt great, and only ever got better with age. It’s sturdy (the Lady is still using it on her iPad 3), and while the metal hinge has worn a shiny pattern into the iPad’s edge, it grips way better than the plastic-hinged covers for the Air and Mini.

In short, I loved the leather. To get an Apple-made leather cover for the iPad mini, though, you need to buy the Smart Case, which is a case, and regular readers will know I’m not so hot on cases thanks to their usual bulk and weight.

So how does the crazily overpriced Smart Case shape up? Pretty damn well.

New Video Shows Off iPad 5’s Slightly Smaller Smart Cover

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iPad-Smart-Cover

With the fifth-generation iPad set to feature a new design based on the smaller, sleeker iPad mini, Apple’s existing lineup of iPad Smart Covers aren’t going to fit it. But fear not, Smart Cover fans — Apple is already working on new models that will fit the iPad 5’s smaller chassis. Check them out in the hands-on video below.

Smart Cargo Is A Disappearing Storage Closet For Your iPad Accessories [Review]

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IMG_3035_Snapseed

Smart Cargo bySmarterflo
Category: Storage
Works With:iPads 2, 3 and 4
Price: $20

The Smart Cargo is a portable cubbyhole designed to — literally — stick close to your iPad and keep all of your little widgets, gadgets, cables and trinkets safely together. When I first opened the package, sent by the maker and friend of Cult of Mac Dotan Saguy, I found it bulky and absurd. Then I used it, and I like it enough that I wish there was a version for the iPad mini.