As gas hit prices few have ever experienced in America this past spring, I decided to start riding my bicycle to work. I quickly discovered that I needed a backpack small enough to wear on a bike comfortably but large enough to carry all of my day’s gear. Enter the WaterField Sutter Slim Laptop Backpack; it’s perfect for my needs.
People are traveling for work once again. Fortunately, more thin, light, powerful laptops are available than ever before. Unfortunately, most of those laptops fall short in the port department, and I’m not just speaking only about Macs! That’s where the IOGEAR Dock Pro 6-in-1 4K Dock Stand comes in; it’s light and portable and adds some important ports for on-the-go computing.
Playing the equivalent of musical chairs with your wall chargers and cables can become the norm, especially when your everyday carry includes multiple power-hungry devices like laptops and tablets. The Ugreen Nexode 200W GaN Charger puts four USB-C ports and two USB ports at your disposal; with its GaN technology, you can fast-charge up to three 65W laptops simultaneously or charge up to six smartphones and tablets simultaneously.
Imagine having a terabyte of data in your pocket; now imagine having a terabyte of encrypted data in your pocket. A microSD card with that much storage capacity and the smarts to keep all that data completely secure sounds like science fiction, doesn’t it? Well, science fiction meets reality in the iStorage datAshur SD Flash Drive, and the result is pretty impressive.
Some months ago, I reviewed two travel charging hubs from Kovol. I took both on a recent trip, and they performed beautifully. The company just sent me their new Kovol Sprint 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger. It is a total win for someone like me who uses a 14” MacBook Pro as his primary computer. Here’s why.
I remember the days of large, hard drives with mechanical internals and enough storage for just a few songs or photos. Those days are long gone, and the new Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD shows just how far we have come. Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, the T7 Shield is a small, fast, rugged drive for 2022.
Before Covid, I rarely used webcams. Calls requiring my video presence weren’t part of my normal day-to-day, but that’s no longer the case. Video conference calls have become my new normal, and that’s why the Lumina webcam seemed like a perfect fit when I was offered a review unit. Lumina is a tiny, premium webcam that claims to provide adaptive color correction, a realistic depth of field effect, and AI features — including adjustable bokeh and cameraman effects — so you’ll always look your best. Intrigued? Read on.
My MacBook Pro is the most powerful computer I’ve ever owned. Most of the time, it serves as my desktop computer, but there are times I want to take it with me. Thankfully, Incase has released their Textured Hardshell in Woolenex and Hardshell Case for the 14″ 2021 MacBook Pro; both promise to keep my laptop looking brand new.
The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar packs a 2K video camera, a microphone array, stereo speakers, and a light into a small package for under $220. After trying more video cameras for Zoom calls than I would like to admit, I can honestly say that Anker is about to have a hit on its hands.
Not long ago, Apple stopped including AC adapters with their phone and tablets. As annoying as it was, that move prompted numerous companies to jump in and fill the vacuum; Kovol is one such company. The Kovol Sprint 120W 4-Port PD GaN Desktop Charger and the smaller Kovol Sprint 65W 4-Port GaN Desktop Charger share a similar compact design; they also put Apple’s old chargers to shame.
If there’s one thing you can count on at CES, it’s that Dell and Alienware will come out swinging with an impressive lineup of computers in both their consumer and gaming lines. This year is no exception, so whether you’re heading into 2022 thinking it’s time to up your laptop game, upgrade your monitors, or finally get that gaming setup you need to beat the neighbor’s kid in Fortnite, you’re set with Dell and Alienware’s bold and exciting new devices! Anyone who knows even the slightest bit about gaming knows of Alienware. They’re extending their dominance in the space with…
I recently picked up the new Apple 14” MacBook Pro. I’m thrilled to see the return of key ports but still, find them a bit lacking. That means I often still need a multiport adapter. Now there is a new Satechi USB-4 Multiport Adapter with 8K HDMI and a new Satechi Pro Hub Max; both offer portable port expansion that’s “just right.”
WHOOSH! products make it easy to keep your devices and displays sparkling clean. Their products don’t contain harsh ingredients that can be harmful to you or your device, and their products are designed to be safe for you, your screen, and the environment. Now, they are getting even more eco-friendly with concentrated refills for their reusable bottles and cartridges.
WaterField is starting 2022 by introducing their newest backpack, the WaterField Tuck Backpack, a streamlined, updated version of a European military rucksack. With its unique look, flexible side panels that expand and contract depending on that day’s carry, it’s a great new WaterField offering. At $299, it’s not inexpensive, but as we’ve always said, WaterField bags are an investment that will last for years.
Anker has quickly become one of our favorite mobile device accessory companies; several of us use their chargers and other products all of the time. Anker’s announcements for CES include everything from new wall adapters to portable power stations to video conferencing bars and more. Here’s a look at a few that we have to look forward to in the new year.
We’d all like to think that when severe weather hits, we’ll be prepared. We’ll have food, water, and candles ready and waiting with enough notice. But if there isn’t a plan in place for providing emergency power during sustained blackouts, there’s still an important issue that needs to be addressed. Planning ahead and getting a 1100W OUPES Portable Power Station will give you peace of mind; when the power goes out, you’ll be able to keep your essential devices powered. It’s also handy for camping and other off-grid outdoor activities.
Everything important anymore is stored on our computers, laptops, and portable flash drives. This data can include personal things like photos, medical information, passwords, the projects we are working on, or the novel we keep starting and stopping. Depending on our jobs, that data can also include sensitive materials that could wreck our companies and livelihoods if it fell into the wrong hands. Knowing that our personal or work information is protected while remaining portable and accessible — especially in this time of hybrid-work locations — is essential, and that’s where the iStorage diskAshur M2 comes in.
Conference calls are a fact of life, whether you work in a cubicle, a corner office, a home office, or a camper van on the road. During calls, it is important to hear, be heard, and be able to interact naturally as the conversation flows. That’s not always possible on a phone or laptop, especially when you have multiple people on your end of the call. The Beyerdynamic PHONUM Wireless Bluetooth Speakerphone can help with that.
It seems that most devices I use as of late are charged via USB-C. From my phone to laptop and everything in between, one charging solution works for them all. I often find myself stranded in various places needing to charge, so having another charging option strong enough for everything, including my laptop, is a game-changer; the Eggtronic Sirius 65W Universal Charger does just that.
There’s been a few small positives to working from home during the pandemic. One was that I’ve really dialed in what I need to work remotely, in terms of work software and hardware like external mouse, extra monitor, etc. Unfortunately, if I want to work on the go, I can’t easily carry a full-size monitor with me, so I was super excited to review the Xebec Tri-Screen 2 and see if portable multi-screen work was truly possible!
Working from home has its own set of challenges for us all. Many of us attempt to emulate the desktop setup we had in the office from our house, but we have so many items, from drives to monitors to keyboards and mice, and so few USB ports! If this is you, then the Plugable Thunderbolt 3 Dock is a great solution to consider.