reviews

The iPad isn't just a big toy, dig? Yes, it's an amazing e-reader and rocks for watching videos, but it's very possible to get some work done with the iPad too. Apple's iWork productivity suite has been redesigned for the iPad, with Keynote, Pages, and Numbers available in the App Store for $9.99 each. These apps let you create documents that can be synced to your Macs and shared via iWork.com, although if you're familiar with the Mac versions of these apps, there are constraints you're bound to hit quickly.

Tech Journalists Unpack Their New Toys -- Um, iPads

Posted 04/01/2010 at 6:01am | by J.R. Bookwalter

Nothing gets tech-heads fired up like a little unboxing video of the latest and greatest gadget. Well, sit back and enjoy, my friends, because we have not one but two such videos for you to see today!

Apple Aperture 3

Posted 03/30/2010 at 2:02pm | by Zack Stern

Last year, photographers interested in Apple’s software had to choose between Aperture, a pro-level image organizer and editor, and its farm-club counterpart, iPhoto ’09. It was a tough decision because power users needed the editing tools in Aperture but were tempted by Faces, Places, and other iPhoto-only tricks. Aperture 3 rebalances the roster, adding those iPhoto functions while also juicing up with high-end tools like Brushes. It’s an impressive update, and Aperture’s streamlined, iPhoto-esque interface welcomes intermediates while meeting the demands of power users.

Yurtopia Yurbuds

Posted 03/25/2010 at 9:41am | by Ray Aguilera

3

iPods are fantastic, but the most important part of any mobile music experience is the earbuds or headphones that you connect to your device. Plenty of people are happy to use the stock Apple iPod earbuds, but many are less than thrilled by their sound quality--or the fact that those hard plastic ’buds aren’t the most comfortable things to stick in your ears. Yurbuds are soft rubber eartips meant to work with your existing phones, offering better fit and improved performance.

Tom Bihn Synapse

Posted 03/24/2010 at 9:33am | by Ray Aguilera

The first time I put on the Synapse (which Tom Bihn sent to us in an electric purple called “Plum”), Robbie called from across the office, “So you finally joined Prince’s New Power Generation?” Sigh. All kidding aside, finding a great bag for your MacBook is challenging. Messenger bags are stylish, but lugging a full one around all day can get tiring. Tom Bihn’s Synapse is a compact backpack that’s easy to carry, fits a MacBook, and offers a well-thought-out design that’s a step above your average backpack. And it’s available in many other shades--assuming that you don’t actually want to be mistaken for The Purple One, that is.

Cy•fi Wireless Sports Speaker

Posted 03/23/2010 at 10:19am | by Jan Hughes

Lately, our Sundays have been spent enjoying the latest trend in urban cycling: group bicycle parties. So it seemed a logical extension to add music to the festivities with Cy•fi’s Wireless Sports Speaker.

TwelveSouth BookArc

Posted 03/19/2010 at 11:59am | by Susie Ochs

A MacBook is one beautiful slice of technology, and it deserves only the most stylish accessories. With its graceful curves, the BookArc stand from TwelveSouth sleekly holds and displays your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air while also reducing its footprint on your desk to only 10x4 inches.

Hyperbolic Software Tidy Up

Posted 03/18/2010 at 1:58pm | by Florence Ion

In an ideal world, our Macs would be impeccably organized, not stuffed with old versions of Word docs and umpteen copies of the Beastie Boys’ “Hey Ladies.” Hyperbolic’s Tidy Up offers powerful tools for identifying (and dispatching) duplicate files, helping us get closer to that ideal Mac by sorting and disposing of unneeded bytes.

Vestax Spin

Posted 03/16/2010 at 10:16am | by Roberto Baldwin

The recent spike in sales of vinyl and turntables brings a warm glow to our hearts. We love our technology, but vinyl is just a beautiful format. Having said that, vinyl records aren’t perfect. They’re bulky, fragile, and easily scratched, and those milk crates filled with your block-rocking jams can get heavy. Fortunately, DJ software is a rock-solid alternative for amateurs and pros, and one of our favorites, djay (5 out of 5 stars, Jan/10), just got a sweet dedicated hardware controller, the Vestax Spin.

MacSpeech Dictate

Posted 03/15/2010 at 9:50am | by jamor

The last time I dared to dabble in dictation software was about 15 years ago, and even allowing for how that software only ran on a Windows box, the whole experience was extraordinarily cumbersome. But after using Dictate for only five minutes, the improvements in the technology since then are starkly apparent. It’s not perfect, but the dream of quickly turning spoken words into editable text has certainly progressed.