Deal: 6-piece photography lens kit for your Samsung Galaxy S5
Mobile phone cameras have certainly come along way over the last few years. The image sensors, resolution, speed and manual settings easily put them ahead a multitude of point and shoot cameras and in some cases can replace the bulkiness of a DSLR in some situations. While they are pretty amazing, there is still a […]
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Nexus 9 Magic Cover and Keyboard Folio Case Review
Google’s latest Nexus tablet, the Nexus 9, has been around for a while now, and Google has always been great about supporting their devices with official accessories. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at two of the official protective cases and covers available for the Nexus 9, the Magic Cover and the Keyboard Folio Case!
Magic Cover
Starting with the Magic Cover, it is flat rectangular magnetic attachment cover that can be attached to the front or the back of the tablet. When attached to cover and protect the display, the cover also supports automatic wake and sleep functionality, with all you needing to do is to open or close the cover.
The magnets do a great job of holding the cover in place, but an important point to mention is the fact that the cover features two different materials on both sides that adhere differently to the screen. One side has a hard rubber-like material that offers more grip, and holds itself to the screen a lot better. On the other side is a softer, more suede-like material, that makes the cover more prone to sliding around, which does create issues with the cover shifting out of place.
What makes the Magic Cover unique is its origami-inspired design, that lets you fold the cover into a stand, with one option allowing for a steep angle, which is perfect for media consumption, while another allows for a much shallower angle, which is useful for pretty much anything else you might be using the tablet for. If you have the case on the back, it will cover up the camera, but a nice touch is the fact that just raising the corner flap will directly start the camera, allowing you to take a quick shot.
The Magic Cover is available directly from the Google Play Store for $39.99, or at a slightly discounted price from Amazon, with the available color options including black, limestone, coral amethyst, and mint indigo.
Keyboard Folio Case
The Keyboard Folio Case not only offers a lot more protection for your Nexus 9 when compared to the Magic Cover, but also comes with an attached bluetooth keyboard to enhance your productivity. Like the Magic Cover, it uses magnets to latch on to the tablet, and the material on the outside is soft and offers a lot of grip, which feels great and in the hand, and makes it easy to hold.
As mentioned, the keyboard pairs with the Nexus 9 via Bluetooth, and establishing the connection is simple, and doesn’t take too much time. The typing experience is quite good, with their being no latency whatsoever while I used to type in Google Docs or to reply to email or instant messages. It is a bit cramped, because after all, it is a keyboard made for a device with a 9-inch display, but the overall experience has been pleasant so far.
Despite its compact nature, the keyboard also includes some extremely useful shortcuts, like a dedicated emoticon key, and a search button that lets you conduct searches no matter where you are in the OS. Other shortcuts including tapping Alt and Tab at the same time to open the Overview screen, along with pressing the search button and enter simultaneously to quickly take you back to the main home screen. The keyboard can also be used to navigate around the OS, but the process is rather slow, and using the touchscreen is still the better option.
The keyboard can be charged via microUSB, but you may not have to charge it often, with Google claiming that with up to 2 hours of usage a day, the keyboard can last for as long as 5 months on a single charge. Testing this out hasn’t been possible since I’ve only had the case for a few weeks, but I haven’t had to charge the keyboard yet following the first time after receiving it.
The Keyboard Folio Case for the Nexus 9 is priced at $129.99, available directly from the Google Play Store, or at slightly discounted price from Amazon, with the only color option being black.
SEE ALSO: Nexus 9 Review
As is the case with most official accessories, the Magic Cover and the Keyboard Folio Case are at the higher end of the price spectrum. That said, the Magic Cover is certainly a very unique take on the traditional smart covers we’ve seen so far, and offers some nice functionality, and the Keyboard Folio Case provides a great typing experience with an impressive battery life, along with good protection for the tablet. While expensive, both these cases are definitely reliable, high quality products.
Oaxis Bento Magnetic Induction Audio Speaker Review: Simple and a little bit magic
The speaker market is getting more saturated with each passing year with more and more companies putting out their versions of speakers, more often than not with Bluetooth capability. Which is why we were particularly intrigued by the Oaxis Bento Magnetic Induction Audio Speaker, a speaker that has no convention connection to the device playing the […]
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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Wireless Charging Accessories
Wireless charging has been around for a while now but you’ll be hard pressed to find very many phones with this technology built in. One of those phones being the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. However, all hope is not lost and there’s several different ways that you can bring wireless charging to your Galaxy Note 4. We go over some of the best wireless charging accessories so check them out down below!
You also might like: 7 popular cases to protect your Galaxy Note 4
S Charger Cover for Galaxy Note 4
The S Charger cover is an official wireless charging accessory from Samsung and this replaces the standard back on your Note 4. The S charger cover preserves the stock look and feel of the Note 4 with only one minor difference. The charger cover is thicker than the regular Note 4 back. This added thickness not only makes the overall phone thicker but it also makes the camera flush to the body of the phone which is a good thing. I did not find this added thickness to be a huge problem but for those of you out there who like to use cases, it could ultimately be a deal breaker as the phone will no longer fit most cases. Otherwise the charger cover works just as advertised. Place it on any Qi compatible charger and your Note 4 will start charging wirelessly. The output is rated at 800 mAh so it’s not going to charge nearly as fast as being physically plugged in but it should still be fast enough for overnight charging. Available colors include charcoal and white.
Wireless Charging S-View Flip Cover for Galaxy Note 4
This is essentially the same case as the normal S-view Flip Cover that we covered previously with the exception of wireless charging built in. Just like the S Charger cover is thicker than the normal Note 4 back the S-View flip cover with wireless charging is thicker than the standard S-View flip cover but if you didn’t have them side by side you’d hardly notice the difference. To install just simply remove the stock Note 4 back and snap on the S-View flip cover in its place and you’ll be ready to charge wirelessly on any Qi-enabled charger. Just like the S Charger cover this is also rated at an output of 800 mAh so it’s best to be used in situations where you have plenty of time to charge your phone. Available colors include charcoal and white.
Qi-infinity Wireless Charging Receiver for Galaxy Note 4
If you want to wirelessly charge your Note 4 without adding any bulk at all and still be able to use protective cases then the Qi-infinity wireless charging receiver is your best bet. This little receiver sits on top of the battery and can be held in place by the pressure of the battery cover itself but you can choose to tape it down if you wish. To install, just line the receiver up as shown on the box making sure the copper connectors on the top and left sides are properly aligned with the copper connectors inside the Note 4. Place the battery door back on and you’re ready to wirelessly charge. The biggest drawback to this receiver is that it’s output is rated at only 600 mAh so it’s much slower than the official wireless charging methods from Samsung but it’s definitely worth it to not have any additional bulk to deal with. Out of all the wireless charging options this one is my personal favorite.
S Charger Pad Wide
Once you have enable Qi wireless charging on your Note 4 you’ll need an actual wireless charger to complete the process. While the S Charger Pad Wide will work with any Qi enabled device, it is perfectly optimized for the Note 4 because of how spacious it is. The Note 4 fits directly on top with plenty of room to spare and you’ll never have any doubt that your Note 4 is actually charging. The charger itself is thin and sleek with a rubber material on the underside to prevent it from sliding around on your desk and it features an indicator light to notify you that charging has taken place just in case you decide to charge other devices that don’t have indicator lights of their own.
And that wraps up some of the best wireless charging options for the Galaxy Note 4. Are you a fan of wireless charging? If so, which option is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
45% off Limefuel Lite 15000 mAh battery bank via Woot!, 10 hours left
The holidays have come and gone and by now I am sure you have all broken in the batteries on those new phones, tablets and other gadgets quite well. That means you are fully aware of the battery life you can expect from each one. If you are finding yourself running low early in the […]
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Xiaomi announces new Mi Box Mini streaming box that is the size of your wall charger
Xiaomi has made a few announcements today, one of which includes a rather interesting new media streaming set-top box, sort of, device called the Mi Box Mini. The Mi Box Mini is a small square box that plugs directly into your wall or power outlet. That alone makes it a bit different from the Chromecast […]
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Deal: Jabra REVO Bluetooth headphones on sale for $99 at Staples
If you’re looking for some high quality Bluetooth headphones, you may want to take a look at Staples today. The Jabra REVO Bluetooth Headphones are on sale for $99 on the official Staples website. The normal price for these headphones (on Amazon and other retailers) is usually $130, so this is a pretty good deal considering how much you’ll save. One thing to note: if you can’t get Staples in your country, unfortunately you won’t be able to take advantage of this deal. The discount runs until January 20th, so be sure to head to Staples and pick some up before your time runs out. Oh, and Staples is also throwing in free shipping to sweeten the deal.
The headphones connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth and can be easily paired using NFC. If you’re concerned about losing battery, though, you can always use the removable 3.5mm headphone cable to connect to your device. One of the nicest aspects about buying from Jabra is the ability to pair the headphones with the Jabra Sound app, which gives you HD Dolby Digital Plus enhanced sound and advanced EQ controls. If you’d like to grab a pair of these headphones, head to the link below.
Buy the Jabra REVO Bluetooth Headphones from Staples for $99.99
Imation slims up the design of their Link Mobile Express 2-in-1 Micro USB flash drive and gives it a USB 3.0 upgrade
One of my favorite aspects of doing what I do is being able to follow companies and set product lines as the mature. Often times the first year product is a solid concept, but the design and/or functionality could use some work. In this instance Imation took their base 2-in-1 Link Mobile Express micro USB […]
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EnerPlex expands product line with new solar bags, solar panel, portable generators and battery banks
Last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time with EnerPlex and acquire a portable solar panel and solar backpack from them for review. The products were fun, functional and did what they were supposed to do. The solar panel, dubbed the Kickr, performed well in direct sunlight. The original Packr solar panel backpack […]
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CES 2015 Seek Thermal Hands-on: turn your camera into a portable thermal imaging machine
CES is the place for innovation, and one of the cooler (or hotter) innovations that we’ve come across so far at CES 2015 is from Seek Thermal, who has developed a camera add-on for Android and iOS that can turn your device into a thermal imaging device for an affordable price. The camera itself might […]
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