Are there any areas of your life which are not being changed due to technology? For me, the most mundane areas of my life have suddenly become easier to manage. For example, getting up to turn on a lamp used to be annoying, but now I can just use the Wemo app and turn the lamp on.

With technology moving away from the office and into all parts of our homes, areas previously unaltered with technology are becoming increasingly exciting as technology can aid in mundane task. Checking the temperature of meat can become mundane when cooking for an extended period of time. A good grill or smoker can and should be able to maintain its temperature without much fuss from the cooker, but I am not comfortable yet to leave my grill temperature unchecked for hours. In recent years there has been an improvement and innovation with wireless thermometers but these require the griller to carry around an extra item to check the temperature.

To aid in improving grilling enjoyment the iGrill wants to make grilling or smoking meat easier. By using the iGrill device you can connect your iOS device through Bluetooth and remotely monitor the temperature of your meat or grill. While time is a helpful gauge on whether a piece of meat is ready, I am never as confident with that first cut unless I have stuck a temperature probe into the meat. The iGrill is a unique idea but what about the execution? Is it reliable enough to forgo all visual temperature checks during those long cooks? Let’s dive in and see if this device really makes grilling an easier experience.

(more…)

Back in March, we had a little debate concerning keyboard cases for the iPad and whether they were a productive accessory or just an unnecessary burden. Jonathan Kizer argued that typing on an external keyboard is much easier than on the iPad’s software keyboard, whereas Pedro Lobo mentioned that they were more of a hindrance than a tool to speed up your productivity, citing the useful shortcuts built into many apps such as WriteUp.

Soon after this, we were contacted by The Snugg, a popular manufacturer of a wide range of iPad and iPhone accessories and I thought in keeping to our theme, we would review their Bluetooth keyboard and case offering. Here are my thoughts.

(more…)

iPads look stunning thanks to their aluminum back and glass façade. Nevertheless, these materials can easily be scratched and dented either after a drop or after a few months of strained usage. Protecting your iPad from these unwanted rubs and itches is important — not only to preserve its original appearance, but also to make it easier to resell in the future.

However, choosing the right cover and case can be overwhelming, given the number of options available on the market. To make it even more complicated, some products only cover part of your iPad, others won’t let you use it while it’s in the case and many aren’t compatible with Apple’s Smart Cover functionality. In order to make this selection process easier for you, we’ve picked an all-in-one case that many consider to be one of the best iPad cases available, and also one of the most affordable on the market: The KHOMO Super Slim Dual.
(more…)

A physical keyboard has always been a topic of discussion when users talk about accomplishing real work on the iPad. While certain people are enjoying success including writing books using just the on-screen keyboard on the iPad, I feel the average user can appreciate a physical keyboard. A physical keyboard can provide the familiarity factor which can help a laptop or desktop user type productively on the iPad in very little time.

For the most part I have avoided keyboards for the iPad. It seems most of these keyboards are not trying to innovate on the iPad. For example, if I was a keyboard manufacturer I would try to get into Apple’s head and think if Apple included a keyboard with the iPad, what would it look like? Many of you might say they technically already do, and it’s called the Apple Wireless Keyboard. While that might be true I do not think it is practical to carry around an extra keyboard. Several problems come to mind, such as how to protect it and how to efficiently carry it. Again I am not saying that it cannot be done, but it seems like a hassle…

(more…)

There haven’t been many case reviews on iPad.AppStorm, besides that small roundup and the official Apple Smart Cover, but today I’m adding something to the list. Some of you may have heard of the small USA-based case company called Portenzo. They build elegant – and expensive – iPad cases that are made of wood, similar to Dodocase. They also manufacture these cases for other devices, including the iPhone, Kindle, and Playbook. Their iPad 2 cases range from $59.95 to $499 – yeah, as much as the iPad itself – and come in a great assortment of colors and skins.

Now you’re probably wondering how these “elegant” cases compare to the other great ones out there, especially at that large starting price. Today I’ll give you my experience with a Portenzo Notebook Style case – dive right in!

(more…)