Posts tagged with "accessories"

EarPods Rule→

Even though we have a podcast together, I promise I did not talk to my friend Brendon about something I started doing myself last month: using EarPods – yes, the old wired ones – as my “universal earbuds” that can connect to just about anything these days. In any case, Brendon came to the same conclusion:

At the death of my most recent pair of Beats Fit Pro — the left earbud started to emit a loud electrical sound every so often or just disconnect entirely — I decided to give up on them for the time being. I instead bought some wired Apple EarPods which I haven’t used since the final days of the iPod. It’s hard to overstate how much I’ve loved having them with me for the past month.

And:

I’m not about to wax poetic about all of the ways using wired headphones in 2024 “changes everything” like a clickbaity YouTube video, but I will say that the proliferation of USB-C on pretty much every device is slowly returning the EarPods to their once-ubiquitous days of the 3.5mm jack. Yes I’m using them on my iPhone when I’m commuting, doing chores around the house, meditating, and what-have-you — but being able to plug them into my gaming devices, laptop, and tablet does in some ways feel like a return to form when it comes to ease of use.

I’m still using AirPods when I want to listen to music or podcasts without bothering my girlfriend at home or when I’m taking the dogs for a walk (although the Meta Ray-Bans have replaced a lot of my AirPods usage outdoors – something I plan to write about soon). A few weeks ago, however, fed up with limitations of Bluetooth multipoint-enabled earbuds, I thought: maybe I should just get Apple’s $20 USB-C EarPods and stop worrying about which wireless earbuds I use with my Apple devices and various gaming handhelds.

I’m here to tell you, like Brendon, that those $20 earbuds still rule. The ubiquity of USB-C means I can use them with my iPhone, iPad, Legion Go, Steam Deck, and even more novel devices such as the RG Cube and ROG Ally X (stay tuned for my thoughts on these on a future episode of NPC). I don’t have to worry about battery life, pairing, or latency. Sure, there’s a wire, and there’s no noise cancelling when using them – but these are my “downtime earbuds” anyway, so I don’t care.

Wireless earbuds – and specifically AirPods – are amazing. But if, like me, you often find yourself playing around with non-Apple devices and wishing you didn’t have to buy separate wireless earbuds for them…Apple’s EarPods are still great, and they’re better than ever thanks to USB-C.

Hear me out: a single cable standard that ensures headphones can work with any device, with no concerns regarding wireless protocols, batteries, and latency. What a concept, right?

Hear me out: a single cable standard that ensures headphones can work with any device, with no concerns regarding wireless protocols, batteries, and latency. What a concept, right?

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New Projects, New Setup

The past few months have been busy at MacStories. The release of new iPads was followed by our launch of new podcasts and then WWDC. Along the way, my gear setup has changed a little, too.

Portable Setup Changes

11” iPad Pro and Accessories

Leading up to Apple’s spring event and knowing that it would feature new iPads, I was on the fence about buying one. The Pencil Pro and the Tandem OLED display tipped the balance, though, and I ended up getting the 11” Wi-Fi-only model with a Magic Keyboard Case, a Smart Folio cover, and Apple Pencil Pro.

I was tempted by the nano-texture display but ultimately passed on it as well as cellular connectivity. I expect there’s a nano-texture device of some sort in my future, but even without it, the iPad Pro’s Tandem OLED display works better in sunlight than previous displays. I don’t use an Apple Pencil often, but with the new Pro model, I plan to play around with it more to see if I can find a place for it in my day-to-day computing. The lack of meaningful iPadOS 18 updates coming this fall is a letdown, but I’m still pleased with my purchase because the smaller form factor and fantastic display have led me to use my iPad Pro more.

Desk Setup Changes

Balolo's tablet holder accessory.

Balolo’s tablet holder accessory.

With the change in iPad sizes, the articulating arm I used for the 12.9” iPad Pro no longer worked for me. Instead, I’ve transitioned to another Balolo accessory, the Tablet Holder. It sits neatly in the center of my Desk Cockpit shelf, where I can set my iPad for use with Sidecar or Universal Control. If you’re a Club member and interested in Balolo’s Desk Cockpit setup, which I covered in detail this past February, there’s a coupon code for 10% off on the Club Discounts page.

My new video gear from Elgato.

My new video gear from Elgato.

I have been experimenting more with video in recent weeks, too. That led to the addition of an Elgato Facecam Pro and Key Light to my desk, along with an Elgato Mini Mount stand for the camera.

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My Top Amazon Prime Day Picks

There are thousands of things on sale during Amazon Prime Day, including a lot of my favorite gadgets, so I thought I’d highlight the deals I’ve found for the gear I’ve used, tested, and love. Here are my top picks.

Apple Hardware and Accessory Deals

Apple Studio Display with Adjustable Stand (15% off)

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

I’ve had an Apple Studio Display for two years now and love it. Colors are bright, text is crisp, and having a set of additional Thunderbolt ports available on its rear panel comes in surprisingly handy.

Apple iPad mini (6th Gen), 256GB Storage, Wi-Fi (15% off)

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

It may be getting a little long in the tooth, but I still love my mighty iPad mini. My new 11” iPad Pro has absorbed some of the reading and video-watching I used to do almost exclusively on the mini, but the mini’s size is perfect for reading, which is what I still use it for almost every day.

Beats Fit Pro (25% off)

Source: Beats.

Source: Beats.

I haven’t gotten around to writing about the Beats Fit Pro yet, but I picked up a pair a couple of months ago, and I love them. They’re smaller than the Powerbeats Pro that wrap around your ears, which I like, and because they use Apple’s H1 chip, they include features like fast pairing with the Apple Watch and transparency mode. They don’t have every feature of the latest AirPods Pro, but they have the most important ones that I want when I go out for a run on a hot day.

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Insta360 Brings the X4 to Apple.com and Releases the Flow Pro Gimbal

Insta360 X4. Source: Insta360.

Insta360 X4. Source: Insta360.

Insta360 has had a busy week. Earlier this spring, the company released the X4, an advanced 360º action camera, which became available at Apple.com for the first time last week. Then this week, the company released the Insta360 Flow Pro, an AI-powered gimbal for smartphones, including the iPhone. I haven’t had a chance to try either gadget yet, but both caught my eye for different reasons.

First, the Insta360 reminds me of the company’s One X2 that I reviewed a few years ago. As action cameras go, that was a great little device that took excellent video and photos for something so compact.

Source: Insta360.

Source: Insta360.

Three years later, the Insta360 X4 goes much further. The candy bar-shaped camera is capable of 8K video at 30 fps and has a 2290mAh battery that Insta360 says lasts for 135 minutes, which is impressive if it bears out in real-world use. The bundle being sold on Apple.com, includes the camera, a lens cover, a carrying case, a 256GB microSD card, a USB-C cable, and the company’s Invisible Selfie Stick accessory. That last item is key because, through the magic of software, it can be removed from any scene you shoot, creating a third-person perspective without needing someone else to operate the camera.

The X4 also features a 2.5” screen that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Plus, it can take 360º photos, capture different cinematic styles of video like slow motion, and be controlled with voice and hand gestures, making it an intriguing choice for solo creators. The X4 is also available on Amazon.

The Insta360 Flow Pro. Source: Insta360.

The Insta360 Flow Pro. Source: Insta360.

Smartphone gimbals have come a long way too. I tried a DJI Osmo 2 gimbal years ago, but it was bulky and difficult to calibrate accurately. Insta360’s new Flow Pro looks like it solves a lot of those friction points. The gimbal, which will stabilize video taken with an iPhone or other smartphone using AI, folds up, saving room in your bag. It also doubles as a tripod with a flip-out base that allows you to set it up to film yourself or others nearby tracking you to keep you framed in the scene. For iPhone users, the Flow Pro uses DockKit, the API introduced by Apple in 2023, that coordinates shots with the gimbal stabilizing them and keeping you in the frame. The only other iPhone accessory that I’m aware of that does this is the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit, which is a tabletop or desktop device, not a gimbal. The Flow Pro, which is available on Insta360s’ website, also offers a fast, integrated pairing process for iPhone users.

It’s summer, which means I and a lot of others will be traveling, and both of these devices strike me as compelling travel companions. The X4 offers high-resolution video, 360º images, and a plethora of cool software tricks for creating unique videos. Meanwhile, the Flow Pro is the kind of accessory that allows you to take the camera you always have with you and use it in new and creative ways, extending its utility. I’m hoping to get a chance to test one or both devices later this summer and will report back.

What’s in My WWDC 2024 Bag?

My [Tom Bihn Synapse 25](https://www.tombihn.com/collections/backpacks/products/synapse-25?variant=42796481904829) backpack.

My Tom Bihn Synapse 25 backpack.

It’s time to get packed for WWDC, and like most years, my carry-on bag will be stuffed with everything I need to cover the event for MacStories. This year, I’ve focused on streamlining my podcast recording setup after some problems that slowed me down last year. Built around my everyday ‘away from home’ setup that I’ve been using for several months, I think I finally have a simple yet powerful writing and podcasting travel setup that should serve me well on the trip.

11" M4 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro.

11” M4 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro.

The center of my setup will be a 14” M3 Max MacBook Pro that Apple sent me for testing. It’s a fantastic computer that’s more than capable of handling the research, writing, and audio production work I’ll be doing, along with any video taken during the week.

I’ll also take my new 11” iPad Pro, which should help lighten my bag when I’m traveling back and forth from my hotel to Apple Park. Swapping my old 12.9” iPad Pro for the new 11” model will be perfect for this sort of trip. I plan to use it for getting some work done on the flight to California and for taking notes at the WWDC keynote. It’s hard to jot much down during the event while you’re sitting outside in the sun, so anything more than my iPad would be overkill.

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Josh King Built the iPhone Game Controller No One Wants to Make→

I love this story that I first saw mentioned on Brendon’s blog a few weeks ago about a Redditor who designed the iPhone game controller of my (our?) dreams.

Picture this: it’s a PSP Go/Xperia Play-styled, slide-out controller that attaches via MagSafe to any iPhone, has Bluetooth, a USB-C port for charging, and therefore works with any modern iOS game or emulator regardless of whether the iPhone is mounted on it or not. The controller has a built-in kickstand that supports landscape and portrait gaming (the latter is essential for DS emulation in Delta) and is much more portable than other snap-on solutions available for iOS devices.

The best part: the creator of this controller, called the M-Con, has announced plans to make this a real product that you can buy in the future. You can watch the announcement video below:

As Jonathan’s story in last Saturday’s issue of MacStories Weekly showed, the dream for many of us right now is a compact, MagSafe-enabled game controller for iPhone that doesn’t use USB-C and allows the iPhone to be rotated. No official product that is not a 3D-printed adapter or DIY hack that does all that exists right now.

I wish Josh all the best in this adventure, and I hope to be able to purchase an M-Con game controller in the near future.

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Apple’s May 2024 Let Loose Event: All The Small Things

Apple’s presentation moved fast yesterday, and since the event concluded, more details have emerged about everything announced. We’ve been combing Apple’s product pages, social media, and other sources to learn more about everything announced, which we’ve collected below:

  • Chance Miller of 9to5Mac, reporting based on a memo sent to Apple Store employees that Apple will no longer include stickers in the boxes with the iPads introduced yesterday. Instead, retail stores will have a small number of stickers on hand for customers who ask for them.
  • One of the first things I noticed in yesterday’s video presentation was that Tim Cook’s shoes were different somehow. The detail wasn’t enough to identify them from the streamed video, but it turns out that they were Nike Air Max 1 ‘86’s that were ‘Made on iPad,’ which was embroidered on the tongue of the shoes. Apple has published a Reel on Instagram showing the shoes sketched on an iPad.
  • MacRumors reports that the new iPad Pros support lower refresh rates but not the iPhone Pro’s always-on feature. Nonetheless, the lower refresh rate support should help the iPad Pros extend battery life depending on how the iPad is used.
  • As I first learned from MKBHD’s iPad Pro first impressions video, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro includes a 60W USB-C charging port, which is a significant increase from the previous model.
  • As Dan Moren explained on Six Colors, Apple appears to be binning the M4 chips in the new iPad Pro models with the 1TB and 2TB storage tiers sporting an additional performance core.
  • The Verge reported that the new iPads have eliminated physical SIM cards in favor of eSIMs, which is likely a space-saving measure.

You can follow all of our May 2024 Apple event coverage through our May 2024 Apple event hub or subscribe to the dedicated May 2024 Apple event RSS feed.

HomeKit Gadgets: The MacStories Team Collection

John: Everyone on the MacStories team is deep into HomeKit devices. For me, smart home gadgets tick all the boxes:

  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Automation

It’s really as simple as that.

However, as fun as HomeKit devices can be, they can also be frustrating. The best accessories fit comfortably into your household, making life a little easier but falling back gracefully to a simple solution for anyone in your home who isn’t interested in automation. It sounds easy, but it’s a tough balancing act that few companies get right.

We’ve all tried our share of HomeKit and other smart home devices. Some have worked out, and others have fallen by the wayside as failed experiments. Today, we thought we’d pool our collective experience and share with you the MacStories team’s favorite smart home gadgets.

We have a lot of ground to cover, so this story will focus on indoor gadgets. Soon, we’ll shift our focus to the great outdoors.

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