Review: Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set keyboard and mouse

Focus on the Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set's fine feel and convenient function keys and you'll find it's a solid desktop companion for your laptop—and if style matters to you, you can get the Ci70 in black to match your high-end MacBook or titanium to match your MacBook Pro.

Appletell review - KeySkin keyboard protector for Apple keyboards and laptops

Section: Mac + Computers, Laptops, MacBook Air, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Peripherals, Keyboards, Features, Review Provides: Keyboard protection Developer: GadgetWrap, Inc. Minimum Requirements: MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Apple Keyboard (wired or wireless) Retail Price: $24.99 to $29.99 Availability: Out now I’m not much a fan of keyboard covers. I mean, I get their importance; I learned that on my first freelance gig for a guy who happened to be a heavy smoker. Although his walls, curtains, computer and desktop had all turned various shades of a sickly yellow color, his keyboard was sparkly clean because it was under a protective silicone cover. Made me wish I had one for my lungs. But I’ve never liked the feel of them, aside from on laptops. The covers made the keys feel squishy, like trying to type through a balloon. And although they generally fit fairly well, there would inevitably one or two keys the cover had to stretch to fit, causing it to sit too high on the neighboring keys. Except for in the most extreme of work environments, keyboard covers just were never worth the effort. GadgetWrap’s KeySkins have put an end to that, making them the first keyboard protectors I will continue to use once the review period is over. I should point out, however, that this is not entirely due to GadgetWrap’s design. A lot of the credit goes to Apple’s new wired and wireless keyboards. The flat, low profile keys provide a better fit without all the squishy, and because there are no valleys between the keys, the cover isn’t pressed out of shape as you type. But Apple’s design alone isn’t what makes this work. The KeySkin is a nearly perfect fit, almost snapping into place when you put it on. It doesn’t slip off, or move at all, really. Although there are slight bubbles over some of the keys (the space bar and delete key for me, for one reason or another), they’re not so large that you feel them when typing. If you don’t look down at the keyboard, you wouldn’t know they are there. The only problem I have with the fit is that the lip over the bottom left and right of the spacebar does lift up a bit. This also happened over top of the F9 and F11 keys, but they eventually settled back down. Again, though, this is purely a visual problem. I can’t feel any of this when typing, and it doesn’t affect the keyboard’s performance. One thing that may, though, is the KeySkin’s silicone composition. The rubber doesn’t allow for sliding, and I’m apparently used to brushing my fingers across the keys as they move to the proper one. The KeySkin prevents this, as the rubber almost catches my fingers as they move across the keys. The natural oil from your fingers will eventually help, but only until the next washing. I therefore am now lifting my fingers entirely off the keyboard, which took some getting used to with this keyboard. In the end, though, it hasn’t seemed to hurt my speed or accuracy. In fact, it may have improved accuracy as I’m less likely to inadvertently brush a key I don’t want. The KeySkins come in four colors: transparent ice, transparent blue, opaque white and opaque black. The transparent colors allow the key characters of your keyboard to show through, while the opaque models contain their own characters, including the Apple function key icons (such as the F4 Dashboard and F10-F12 volume icons). The only troubling decision was to put a dot over the green caps lock indicator light. This indicator is small enough as it is on the Apple keyboard, so why GadgetWrap chose to cover it up is beyond me. The light barely shines through on the opaque KeySkins, so there’s little to indicate when you’ve got caps lock on. There is no dot on the ice and blue models, so it’s not an issue with them. The disturbing thing about keyboard covers is that they make it obvious just how much dust, dirt and grime gets on your keyboard. Thankfully, the KeySkin is washable by just running it under the sink with some mild detergent. You’ll find yourself doing this more often than you’d think, but that’s all for the greater good, as it also helps prevent the spreading of germs. I would like to see more color options for the KeySkin, but those offered should work for most users. The black version looks especially good with my 24” iMac, causing the keyboard to perfectly complement the iMac’s black and aluminum color scheme. Those minor quips aside, there are few Mac users who couldn’t benefit from a KeySkin. If you tend to eat at your desk, if you’ve got multiple people accessing your keyboard, or even if you just want a sharper looking keyboard, the KeySkin from GadgetWrap has you covered. Appletell Rating: Buy KeySkin This review was previously published in its original version at Applelinks. Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple Recalls iPhone 3G USB Power Adapter

Apple has issued a recall on the USB power adapter included with the iPhone 3G. Apple has received reports of the metal prongs breaking off of the adapter and remaining lodged in power outlets, creating the risk of electric shock. Acc...

Logitech Launches New diNovo Edge Keyboard for Macs (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Mac keyboard aficionados, take note. Leading peripherals vendor Logitech has released its cordless diNovo Edge -- the first diNovo designed specifically for the Mac.

Review: Speck ToughSkin for iPhone 3G

I remember the first time I dropped my 1st generation iPhone. I was getting out of the car and the phone hit the driveway (with no case) and received a very noticeable (to me, anyway) scratch on the corner bezel. Heartbroken, that night I began searching the web for the ultimate, shock-proof iPhone case, and [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Review: Speck ToughSkin for iPhone 3G", url: "http://macenstein.com/default/archives/1688" });

How to get the most out of your iPhone battery

Section: iPhone + Communications, iPhone Accessories, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, OriginalsPerhaps one of the biggest disappointments about the new iPhone 2.0 software is that all those apps can really take a toll on your battery life. With the iPhone being the central hub of my online life when I’m on the go, I really don’t want it dying on me in the middle of nowhere. I’ve searched the web and talked to friends about the best way to keep my battery power at its highest, and this post will outline what I came up with. Buy a car charger. Perhaps the most obvious thing to do would be to buy a car charger, so you can always charge your iPhone. You can find them for relatively cheap from Apple’s website, and some even allow you to play music through your car’s speakers. Turn off Wi-Fi, Location, and 3G when not in use. These three features, when not in use, can destroy your battery life by using up resources that you aren’t currently needing. When you don’t need them, go into the Settings application and simply turn them off. It can be sort of a nuisance to have to do this every time you don’t need them, but the saved battery life will be worth it. Turn down the screen brightness. A lot of people overlook this one. You don’t always need a super bright screen when you are outside, so you can easily save battery life by pumping down the brightness in the Settings menu. As long as you don’t turn it down too far, you will barely notice anything different. Treat it right. Although batteries can be a really confusing technology, there are some ways to treat them right. Most people will tell you to let it drain completely at least once a month to “exercise” the battery. Furthermore, try not to leave it connected to a charger 100% of the time. When storing, drain the battery to about half power and leave it in a nice, dry location. Have anything to add? Let everyone know in the comments! Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »