Logitech Tablet Keyboard for iPad $69.99 (about $60.00 from Amazon)
I love my iPad. I truly do and its insanely great form and function blended together in an all around awesomely inspirational touch-based interface makes using it a joy. Just one little quandary. I hate using the onscreen keyboard.
Continue reading »
Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac
Logitech
$50 US
This new solar-powered wireless keyboard is almost perfect. It works great, but it has some perfectly annoying “features.”
There is no printed manual or full set of Internet instructions. Its web site is incomplete. No built-in indent on the keyboard is provided for storage and travel with its USB dongle. There is no way to know when the caps lock key is activated.
Aside from those four minuses, Logitech has done a stellar job with engineering and design of its new Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac. Solar and ambient light battery charging are effortless. So is power management using a free software download. Battery efficiency is exceptional.
Level8 Backpack & MacBook Protective Sleeve
Company: Level8
Atlas Backpack, 15″ Protective Sleeve
Price: 15″ & 17″ Atlas Backpack – $99.99 USD, 15″ Protective Sleeve – $49.99 USD
As a teacher who carries his MacBook Pro and iPad 2 to school each day, finding a decent laptop bag is a real priority for me. Without a doubt, the readers of this article are fans of Apple’s amazing, yet pricey products. Protecting that investment while maintaining functionality is important for people who want to maximize their productivity. I think I’ve finally found my solution after using Level8′s Atlas Backpack and 15″ Protective Sleeve for the past month. Continue reading »
Download and listen to the show here, and subscribe in iTunes.
Mice, keyboards, and scanners, oh my. Tim and David discuss the lack of good keyboards, and what Tim has on his desk that may be the best keyboard ever made. Sick of changing batteries in your Magic Mouse? We have a solution for that as well. And how close are we really to a paperless office or home?
Contact TechFan at feedback@mymac.com and leave a message at 1-801-938-5559.
Links:
Customizer 104/105
The Magic Charger for the Magic Mouse
ZAGGmate with Keyboard for iPad
Company: ZAGG
Price: $99.99 USD
The iPad has turned out to be an enormous hit since its introduction in 2010, far surpassing what the estimates were for such a product. One of the things that has both worked for and against it has been the lack of a “regular” keyboard. Users have either loved the on-screen keyboard or have railed against it. One of the solutions that has popped up has been a keyboard linked to the iPad via Bluetooth connectivity. The ZAGGmate with keyboard case is one of those products.
Perfect Harmony
Folding Keyboard - $99.95 USD
iRizer for iPad – $39.95 USD
Company: Matias
I’ve done several reviews of late that revolve around keyboards. I reviewed the excellent Matias Tactile Pro 3, and using an iPad, took a look at the very handy Kensington Keyfolio. What if someone could create a great full functioned keyboard that you could use with an iPad, and then offered something to hold the iPad while you were typing? Both would need to be compact and light for carrying, but rugged enough to hold up to a lot of use.
Continue reading »
Matias Tactilepro 3
Company: Matias
Price: $149.99 USD
Keyboards are very personal computer peripherals. The criteria you use to choose your keyboard can be very different than the criteria I use to choose mine. There are plenty of keyboards but most people use the Apple keyboard that came with their Mac. While the current Apple keyboards are fine, other keyboard manufacturers offer different functions, keys and options.
Its all about the keys
Continue reading »
Kensington KeyFolio
Company: Kensington
Price: $99.99 USD
kensington.com
A new breed of iPad cover is about to hit the stores. These covers have integrated keyboards and make the combination of iPad and keyboard look and act a bit like a netbook. I was lucky enough to get a pre-release version of the Kensington KeyFolio Bluetooth and case for the iPad.
Continue reading »
By Guest Reviewer Jackie Richards, and John “Nemo” Nemerovski
BTKeyMini
Company: Macally
Price: $100
Product web site
Keyboard Socket
Company: Waterfield Designs
Price: $15
Product web site
Keyboard Slip
Company: Waterfield Designs
Price: $29
Product web site
Macally’s innovative BTKeyMini is a combination Bluetooth iPad keyboard with a stand that doubles as a protective cover shell for the keyboard. Jackie Richards thinks the stand could be less severely upright in its sole position, or somehow variable.
Jackie keeps her iPad in an iFrogz rubber sleeve that needs to be removed for the iPad to rest in Macally’s BTKeyMini stand. She doesn’t like having to slip this rubber cover off and on. Jackie was “very leery” of this stand, but she likes the way it covers and protects the Macally iPad Bluetooth keyboard.
The Weeks Division of MyMac Labs recently took two CableJive cables for a test drive: the dockXtender and the duaLink. Here’s what we learned.
The dockXtender is the simpler of the two devices. It’s an extension cable, plain and simple. If the current docking cable for your iPod/iPhone/iPad is too long or too short, the dockXtender may be the right length. You can purchase it in two feet (60 cm) or six feet (180 cm) lengths. The dockXtender is solidly built, but the cable’s not so thick that it’s not flexible.
Be aware this cable is NOT for connecting your iDevice to your computer; it’s a 30-pin to 30 pin cable that allows you to move your iDevice further away from the gadget that also uses the 30 pin connector at the other end of the dockXtender. For most users, this will be external speakers or a docking station. It will pass all audio, video, and power from one device to the other.
Celesta “Titanium Silver” Keyboard
Aevoe/Moshi
Price: $120
aevoe.com/moshi/celesta
I have read and heard about premium keyboards, but never used one until recently. Celesta by Aevoe/Moshi is a class act, expensive and worth every penny, especially on a per-keystroke basis. Construction is high-tech rugged, and design and styling are high-tech gorgeous. If you are unhappy in any way with your current keyboard, set your dollars, euros, or yen aside until you can come up with the $120 US to purchase Celesta in black-on-black or white-on-silver. Black is currently sold out at the Aevoe Universe store, but I can personally recommend the white model. It’s easy on the eyes and on your fingers.
Microsoft Laser Wireless Desktop Keyboard and Mouse for Mac
Company: Microsoft
Price: $99.99
www.Microsoft.com
First Impressions Continue reading »
The first thing I noticed upon unpacking the Microsoft Laser Wireless Desktop Keyboard and Mouse for the Mac was that the keyboard and mouse are both finished with an aluminum-like finish to match the G5. The keys were clear plastic, and I was hoping they would light up for low light use (they don’t). The mouse has a nice ergonomic fit, but is designed for right-handed use only. Both keyboard and mouse require batteries, and Microsoft included four Energizer batteries to power the hardware. Finally, I noticed that the documentation provided was awful thin, consisting of a few pamphlets with visual instructions for installing the wireless transmitter, the MS keyboard and mouse drivers on CD (universal binary), and explicit instructions to install the software before installing the wireless transmitter into one of your USB ports.
Comments. Be heard!
Book Review
Book Review
MyMac Podcast #385
MyMac Podcast #384