Author Archives: Stephen Hackett

Logic Pro X

Apple PR: Apple today unveiled Logic Pro X, the most advanced version of Logic Pro to date, featuring a new interface designed for pros, powerful new creative tools for musicians, and an expanded collection of instruments and effects. Logic Pro X includes Drummer, a revolutionary new feature that provides a virtual session player that automatically plays along with your song in a…

Sennheiser Momentum Headphones

Built with metal and leather elements, the Sennheiser Momentum Headphones bring to the table not only a touch of class, but great sound. 18-ohm operating impedance produces great, clear sound. Unlike some other high-end over-the-ear headphones, the Momentums come with an in-line mic and remote, making controlling media or taking a call on an iPhone seamless.

Tile for iOS

Ever lose your keys or misplace you backpack? If you're like me, you've wished for a "Find my iPhone" like feature for everyday items. Tile looks like the answer. The product is comprised of two parts. The first is a small, sleek, lightweight fob that can be attached to a key ring, dropped into a wallet or hidden in a suitcase. The…

32 GB SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Having lost my previous jump drive, I've been in the market for something new. Last week, I picked up the excitingly-named 32 GB SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 Flash Drive. It had a good rating on Amazon, and supported USB 3, which turns out is awesome. While I've had USB 3-equipped Macs for a while, this is the first USB 3 device I've…

Prodyne Fruit Infusion Pitcher

I'm a big fan of infused drinks in the summer. Often, drinks with a strong flavor can be the opposite of refreshing. This Prodyne Fruit Infusion Pitcher is the perfect tool for the job. The 2.9-quart, BPA-free acrylic pitcher is built around a removable, hollow core that can be filled with fruits, herbs and other goodies. This construction is great to look…

iHome iPL10BC

The iHome iPL10BC's full name is rather unfortunate. Amazon lists the item as "iHome Dual Charging Stereo FM Clock Radio with Lightning Dock and USB Charge/Play for iPhone/iPod." That mouthful aside, the iHome device is a $70 alarm clock with FM radio and a Lightning connector for iPhone 5 users. This makes it a little rare, as many companies are still shipping…

The Ringtool

The Ringtool is a Kickstarter project that takes the following tools and puts them on a small, lightweight key ring: Bottle-cap opener 3mm Hexhead 4mm Hexhead 5mm Hexhead 6mm Hexhead 8mm Hexhead Flathead Driver Phillips Driver Torxhead T25 Driver The project can be backed for just $25, and the tool ships in December. Built with stainless steel and already funded, this Kickstarter…

LEGO Builder Case for iPhone 5

It's no secret that I love LEGO stuff. I have kits stashed all over the place, with a giant box of the toys in the attic, waiting for my kids to get a little bit older. Belkin's LEGO Builder Case for iPhone 5 isn't the only LEGO-inspired case out there, but it might be my favorite, as it's built with a real,…

Connected Data Transporter

The T&T gang are all fans of Dropbox, but it can be expensive if you need a lot of space, and with PRISM and all sorts of other craziness, in the world, many nerds are looking to something with Dropbox-like features that they can run themselves. Enter Connected Data's Transporter. For $199, you get a 2.5-inch hard drive case that looks like…

iBank for Mac and iPad

There's no shortage of financial software out there, but most of the options are ugly, hard to use, or both. Enter iBank. The Mac and iOS app suite that blows something like Quicken Essentials out of the water. The app can connect to almost any bank, credit union or savings institution, making it easy and fast to check up on accounts, plan…

13-inch MacBook Air (Mid-2013)

The 13-inch MacBook Air is the best Mac Apple has for sale. It's cheap, light and powerful, and while the 13-inch screen isn't Retina, it looks great, and leaves lots of room for a great keyboard and trackpad. With Intel's new Haswell chipsets, the mid-2013 model is better than ever. While I'd build one with a larger SSD and 8 GB of…

Some Awesome App.net Clients

For the uninitiated, App.net is an ad-free, subscription-based service that is being used for not only Twitter-like conversations, but private messaging, file storage, sharing, and more. If that sounds a little scattered, it is, because App.net is more than just a social network — it's a family of APIs that can power all sorts of individual, discrete services, all with a single…

Lumu Light Meter for iPhone

The Lumu is a light meter built for the iPhone. The small orb plugs in to the headphone hack of the iPhone, giving you detailed information about the light affecting your photograph. The app will allow users not only to measure light, but attach all sorts of metadata to the moment: location, voice recording, notes, pictures, photo parameters more. The Kickstarter project…

Apogee Duet for iPad & Mac

We've covered the Apogee ONE here before, but now the recording rig has a big brother: the Apogee Duet for iPad & Mac. Check out this list of I/O: MIDI input/output (USB-A type connector) DC power supplies charge to iPod touch, iPhone or iPad USB 2.0 audio with 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A conversion 2 Analog inputs with world-class mic preamps and selectable…

Synology DiskStation DS212j

Synology DiskStation 2-Bay (Diskless) NAS is a great way to add a lot of storage to your network. With USB and Gigabit ports around back, this rather handsome box can support up to 8 TB of storage in a mirrored RAID for better data protection. Shipping with iOS apps, iTunes support and more, the DS212j can become the your home media server…

Mextures for iPhone

Another day, another iOS photo app. Mextures is the newest photo app on my iPhone. Instead of straight filters, this app applies custom textures to your images. Examples include grunge and noise, color effects and light leaks. With 70 options available and the ability combine effects, you can create a unique look far easier than in most apps in this space. Mextures…

Pocket Tripod

The Pocket Tripod is a Kickstarter project that aims to make a sturdy iPhone stand that can hold your device at almost any angle. The twist is that it folds down and can fit in your wallet. There's an iPhone app that explains it better than I can. Go check it out.

Just Mobile AluPocket

I don't have a dock for my iPhone, and as I often charge it at my desk throughout the day, I find myself picking it up and setting it down a ton to more easily look at notifications. The Just Mobile AluPocket is a new product that is designed to solve this exact problem. Mounting to a wall or partition with 3M…

Analog Camera for iPhone

While some think heavily-filtered photos are so 2009, the guys over at Realmac Software disagree. Which is great, since their new, $2 photo app is pretty awesome. While it packs just 8 filters, the interface crazy fast and very clean. Sharing to Camera Roll and Photo Stream is easy, as is sending the photo to Instagram or straight on to Twitter or…

Unbound for Dropbox

If you're like me and use Dropbox for all of your photo storage, Unbound is a life-saver. The iOS app is just $2, and scans your Dropbox photo folder, creating albums from the nested folders. Photos were the last thing I synced to my iOS devices via iTunes, and since I have 75GB of photos, I could never have them all on…

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