Tag: #apple

Tech Review – Apple Magsafe Charger.

I have adopted wireless charging some time now and Apple here have been slow to bring us products and third party offerings have cashed in while we waited for Apple to drop us something themselves nd even with Magsafe totalled out at 15W it is still piss poor from the company that gives us less each year omitting something from their iPhone box for example and claiming it saves the environment but when you go to buy the missing item from the box should you need it, guess what it ships in yes you guessed it another box..

The design is simple a circular puck shape if you will and well built buy the looks and feel of it so it all aint that bad and the price is arguably fair compared to other wireless chargers out there too. One thing I wonder though is how long will it stay so clean being white after months of use time will tell I guess.

Simplicity here is the key to take away from the product as it just sticks to the back of the device even with a skin on and some case but thicker phone cases can be removed now if you plan on buying one..

Forté for iPhone makes good use of the magsafe charger by twelve south

15W is the best Apple can offer here which is akin to their plugs on older iPhones which is paltry compared to the competition out there today and a bit scabby in my book plus it does not work charging from pc/laptop and you need a mains plug to actually use the thing so the likes of charge banks and so on are out of the question if you are on the go, another piss poor move here.

It is faster than older chargers and that its it, the product looks nice and there is accessories out there to make us of it and it is only for the likes of people who have such and are not to bothered by slow charging speeds and I do like the ability that it snaps on nice and easy and seems to be fairly strong enough once it is not knocked hard out of place.

There is cheaper alternatives out there and shops that sell it cheaper than Apple which is funny but their build quality is not as good as Apple here but still worth a look and you can save yourself some money if you wish to pick one up..

This product was purchased by techbuzzireland

 

Tech Review – Belkin Key Ring Holder for Apple Air Tag. #Belkin #AirTag #Apple

Quick and to the point with this one it is just a key ring holder after all and is one of the cheapest on the market for your AirTag but we have more to come and of course our Air Tag review and comparison to other offerings on the market such as Tile Chipolo and NotiOne. This is a simple solid holder for your Air Tag that comes in two pieces you simply just stick the tag in between the two bits of plastic, would have preferred a soft rubber material but it is what it is. Overall though it is solid it must be said.

This was purchased by ourselves on the Apple store and cost 13.95 which is cheap enough compared to other offerings out there and comes in several colours, it is secure and scratch resistant which will protect your tag from getting marked and for those who have theirs engraved it is a bonus how that holds up over time to being exposed to the elements and so on and moving around.. Check out the video for more below and we have a link to purchase below. Overall it is safe enough and will not fall off but there is always that possibility it can be removed like any trackers most people proudly show off..

This product was purchased by techbuzzireland

BUY HERE 

Tech Review – Apple AirTag Bluetooth tracker. #AirTag #Apple

Bluetooth trackers have been around many years now and TILE being the most prominent in the market and well known and I use TILE myself and have reviewed all their products and they have been a staple for me for putting onto keys etc and then they added products to expand their use case such as stickers and thin cards like a credit card for your wallet.

Airtags have no GPS and work in a similar way to TILE with Bluetooth which has a community led environment and then uses the location services of your smartphone and find my network to communicate location information and with more iPhones on the planet than any other device this is how they have an advantage over TILE.

The set up process is rather simple and once done you can try it out at home by opening the find my app on this you then see a map of where the tag was last you can play a sound, find nearby and you have a notifications panel.. You can toggle on/off and you have a lost mode option which you can also enable and leave a number so you can be contacted once found. You can also rename the tag or remove it here too if you need to rest the device you can simply pop off the back and take out the battery and reinsert it 5 times and this can allow you to pass it on or just pair to another device.

Air Tag opened
connecting airtag
connecting
find my airtag
find my airtag
find my airtag

This is ideal for those who own iphones more so but the question asked often is will these work with Android devices, if your Android device has NFC and you find one you can pick it up by just placing it at the back of your device this will then tell you if the device has been lost etc and you can disable it it is limited and in short the answer is no unless Apple perhaps want to drop the “find my” app in the play store so sorry Android users it is a no go for now..

Finally the battery life is around one year depending on ones usage and this is user replaceable with a battery you would find in you car key fob for example and the back just twists off and you will use the CR2032.

Overall great product for iPhone owners but the same still applies they can still be easily stolen as for any other tracking tag in similar format.

This product was purchased by techbuzzireland

Check out the Belkin AirTag holder review 

 

 

 

 

Twelve South introduces Forté for iPhone. #iPhone #Apple #TwelveSouth

Twelve South, an innovative Apple accessories designer, today introduces the Forté, a modern desktop charging stand made exclusively for iPhone 12 and the Apple MagSafe Charger. Forte is available now exclusively from Apple.com for £39.95.

Snap an Apple MagSafe Charger (not included) into Forté for a clever way to dock the iPhone 12 while it wirelessly charges. Creating a magnetic platform, Forté can securely hold the iPhone 12 vertically or horizontally, making it ideal for hands-free use. The platform can be tilted up to 70-degrees so users can find the perfect viewing angle or use it as a charging pedestal for their AirPods.

With a clean and minimalist design, Forté is the perfect desktop, countertop or bedside stand to hold your iPhone 12 while charging. The Apple MagSafe Charger is the fastest wireless charging solution (15 watts) and Forté offers the best possible docking experience. Once an iPhone 12 is magnetically suspended on Forté, users can simply leave it to charge or adjust it to the perfect position for streaming shows, taking FaceTime calls or attending Zoom meetings.

As an added bonus, users can tilt the top of Forté completely flat, creating a shelf for the AirPods or AirPods Pro to safely sit while recharging the wireless charging case. The MagSafe Charging disc fits like a glove and is easy to remove when it’s time to travel.

When paired with a MagSafe Charger, Forté offers a useful and elegant solution for docking the iPhone 12 while charging. Forté is available now exclusively from Apple.com for £39.95.

Best Ways to Free up Space on Mac and iPhone

Apple devices today are really thin, thanks to Solid State Drives or SSDs. But SSDs are really expensive and drive sizes that you’d get with HDDs aren’t cheap to include in MacBooks and iPhones. This makes it hard to store a lot of data in your Apple device and clearing up space becomes important every now and then. Here are five ways to clear up space on your Mac and iPhone. 

Use the Storage Manager 

Mac has a storage manager that lets you look at the space occupied by different file formats (videos, photos, documents, etc) and deletes any files that aren’t of use to you. If you’re looking to clean your Mac, you should use the best Mac cleaner. If you need a quick fix, go to the storage manager and use it to find files that can be deleted to free up more space. 

The feature also recommends different files that aren’t used often and can be deleted, making the entire process a lot easier. If you have any files in your recycle bin or old cache files, the storage manager will highlight them for you to delete. This feature is great if you don’t have separate software to manage your device storage. 

Use the iCloud

Using iCloud is one of the best ways to free up your storage as well as keep it from filling up. You can keep frequently used files on your physical drive and upload the rest of your data to iCloud. Whenever you need any of these files, you can search them through your iCloud data and retrieve them whenever you want. 

Also, it’s really easy to manage files in iCloud and store more data than what you could on your device. Sync your device to iCloud and it will automatically upload your documents, photos, and videos. Once all the files are uploaded, you can delete them from your device. 

Use sorting and finder tool

The sorting tool is a great way to look for large files that are hidden within a pile of files. All you need to do is go to your drive and look for the sorting tool on the top right. When you click on it, a drop-down menu will allow you to sort your files according to a variety of aspects. Look for ‘Size’ and click on it. Once all the files are sorted accordingly, start from the top and look for files that are the biggest in size. 

If they aren’t useful to you, permanently delete them from your storage or upload them to your iCloud. Another method is to look for files by using the search or finder tool. This is useful when you know the names of the files that you don’t need anymore and can be removed. 

Use cleaning software. 

Getting cleaning software can be great for your Mac or iPhone as it becomes a one-stop place for all storage management. A cleaning software gives you a detailed report of your storage along with ways to optimize your drives. 

You can also delete cache and junk files through this software, which can be hard to find manually. If you get cleaning software for your Mac or iPhone, regular checking can eliminate the possibility of your drives filling up more than 70%. There are plenty of cleaning software online but ensure you get one that provides the maximum amount of benefit at the lowest possible cost. 

Clean your downloads folder

The Downloads folder is often the biggest source of storage problems. This is because they are only accessed when a new file is downloaded. Otherwise, they are not checked or cleaned. If you download a lot of files, check your Downloads folder regularly and delete files as soon as you are done using them. Another way of reducing downloaded junk files is by changing the download location to the Desktop. 

Since the files are on your Desktop, you are more likely to delete the files once you don’t need them anymore. If you don’t wish the downloads to crowd your desktop, change the location to a file that you visit regularly. By using such ways to optimize storage, you won’t ever fill up your storage drive. 

Conclusion

Keep these five efficient ways to clean your devices in mind and look for your own ways to optimize your storage. Use cleaning software and regularly check on your storage and cache files. It’s only by staying on top of your storage space and by being conscious of your downloads that you can maintain the health of your storage drive. Plus, you won’t ever have to worry about reaching a point where you have to delete necessary data just to have space for one extra photo or video. 

 

Tech Review – EKSTER magsafe card holder for iPhone 12 #EKSTER #iPhone

Need a new accessory for you iPhone well perhaps the EKSTER MagSafe card holder might just be the thing and cheaper than what Apple have to offer with a better magnet to boot, slim and packing auto aligning magnets this is for the minimalist and fits nicely on the rear of the device giving you a better grip and also allowing you to hold up to three cards and some cash but from using it myself two cards and some cash would be better suited.

We have seen and head about the MagSafe charger which call drop off easily but this is not the case with this cardholder this remains firm and in place when removing from you pocket too. this also works with MagSafe compatible case and skins however if you have thicker cases well the obvious happens, the level of magnetism gets less which makes it less secure. Overall this is a really clean design with great quality and ideal for the minimalist who likes to keep things simple and is affordable, it is very thin and has a thumb hole on the rear or it can be slid to the left or the right to remove your card or cash. Check out the video below for more.

BUY HERE

Elevate your iPad experience: Twelve South introduces the HoverBar Duo #iPad

Twelve South, a leading designer of Apple accessories, today introduces the HoverBar Duo, an adjustable iPad stand that frees a user’s hands so they can do more and create more. Height adjustable with the ability to hold an iPad in multiple positions and angles, the HoverBar Duo includes a weighted desktop stand as well as a desk/shelf clamp to suit every iPad setup. The HoverBar is available now for £79.99 from Amazon.co.uk and Apple.

The HoverBar Duo is a useful stand that’s ideal for both personal and business use. Lifting the iPad camera up to eye level, users can have more natural conversations, showing their best side, whether they’re on a video call with work colleagues or face timing family and friends. The HoverBar Duo’s included iPad clip rotates 360-degrees enabling users to set their iPad or iPhone horizontally or vertically to ensure it captures their best possible angle.

Perfect for use at a desk, in the kitchen or workshop, the HoverBar Duo is incredibly versatile. Creatives can make use of its flexible arm stand to securely hold an iPad low to the desk, enabling them to capture hands drawing or crafting. Musicians could set the stand on a table for a virtual guitar lesson or on the floor to record the latest TikTok dance moves. The HoverBar Duo could even be clamped on a workbench to make ‘how to’ videos or positioned under a cabinet, allowing users to follow recipes while cooking rather than propping their iPad up against the olive oil. Portable, sturdy and stable, there are a long list of clever ways to use the HoverBar Duo.

hoverbar duo in use
overbar duo kitchen

The sleek HoverBar Duo puts an iPad into a comfortable viewing position, ideal for those who want to watch the latest Netflix series in bed or while waiting for dinner to cook. The adjustability of the HoverBar Duo also means that users could position their iPad right next to their iMac, external monitor or MacBook to serve as a second, or even third display. Even better, add a wireless keyboard and mouse to create a super comfortable mini desktop setup. When it’s time to recharge, users can do it without removing it from the HoverBar Duo.

The HoverBar Duo is available now for £79.99 from Amazon.co.uk and Apple.

Apple HomePod – Voice control available for Deezer subscribers. #Deezer #AppleHomePod

Global music streaming service Deezer is ready to play all your musical wishes on HomePod and HomePod mini. Music lovers can set Deezer as their default music service and ask Siri to play any song from our global catalogue of 73 million tracks.

All paying subscribers with iOS 14.3 and above and the latest software on HomePod can use their voice to issue a range of easy-to-remember commands, such as “Hey Siri, play my Flow.” You’ll then hear an endless mix of tracks you love as well as suggested tracks to help you discover new artists.

Voice control also allows you to play specific tracks, artists, albums, favorites or playlists. If you haven’t set Deezer as your default, make sure to say “on Deezer” at the end of your command such as, “Hey Siri, play Bad Bunny on Deezer,” or “Hey Siri, play ‘Dance Monkey’ on Deezer.” You can also like or dislike tracks, play on repeat or shuffle.

Deezer HiFi  subscribers can also use their HomePod and HomePod mini to listen to tracks in high fidelity audio. From HiFi Gold playlists to remastered albums, find what you’re looking for in our HiFi Room and let Siri do the rest.

“Our listeners don’t have to compromise on audio quality thanks to HomePod. HiFi users can still enjoy all of their favorite tunes in true lossless audio. But, don’t worry, even if you don’t have HiFi, Deezer on Apple HomePod is the perfect at home companion when you need to multitask or want to give your eyes and fingers a break,” said Nicolas Pinoteau, Director of Partnership Solutions at Deezer.

Deezer on HomePod and HomePod mini is available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, UK and USA.

To start using Deezer on Apple HomePod or HomePod mini, make sure to launch the Deezer app and connect your account to your speaker in your settings.

For more information, visit www.deezer.com and www.apple.com.

TFI leap card top-up app now available on Apple devices. How to top up inside. #TFI #Apps #Leapcard

The National Transport Authority has released the Leap Top-Up App on the Apple App Store, letting TFI Leap Card users with Apple devices check their balance, top-up on the go and collect pre-purchased tickets, including TaxSaver tickets. Finally says iOS users…

Transport for Ireland (TFI) Leap Card users with iPhone 7 or newer can now download the Leap Top-Up App from the Apple App Store and will no longer have to detour to a shop or ticket machine to load credit or ticket products bought earlier online.

While most Android users have been able to top-up using the app since 2016, it was not until October 2019 that Apple unlocked the ability for third party apps to access the on-board NFC for iPhone 7 and newer devices, with the release of iOS 13.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham said: “It has always been our ambition to make the TFI Leap Card Top-Up App available to a wider cohort of public transport users. I am delighted that we are now in a position to expand this service to Apple devices.

“We expect that the Apple app will be just as popular as the Android app. At the moment Android top-ups account for 30% of all TFI Leap Card top-ups. Based on these figures this additional service should result in 60% of all TFI Leap Card users topping up via a mobile app.

“In light of Covid-19, the ability to top-up from anywhere at any time from the comfort of your own home, will be a welcomed function for public transport user across the TFI network. Paying for your fare using the TFI Leap Card continues to be the safest way to complete your journey as restrictions are eased”.

Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan said: “It is great to see the launch of the iOS Leap Top-Up App today. The TFI Leap Card along with the top-up app has made journeys across the TFI network more convenient for everyone.


PIC JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY
TFI Leap Card Top-Up App now available on Apple devices: The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, joined CEO of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, as the NTA released the Leap Top-Up App on the Apple App Store, letting TFI Leap Card users with Apple devices check their balance, top-up on the go and collect pre-purchased tickets, including TaxSaver tickets.

 

“This additional feature for Apple device users will make public transport a more attractive option to people. TFI Leap customers are already making significant savings of up to 31% compared to cash payments.

“I look forward to seeing public transport users throughout the country availing of this hassle-free way of topping up their TFI Leap Card. I’d like to acknowledge the work that NTA has been doing in responding to customers’ needs by rolling out innovative products like this using the latest smartphone technology”.

To use the app, you simply touch the TFI Leap Card against your phone.

The iOS app has been in real-live customer testing for the last number of months and the National Transport Authority (NTA) says that the feedback has been very positive so far.

The Leap Top-Up App can be downloaded from the Apple and Android App store and further information on how you can use the feature can be found here.