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Reviews - page 83

iOS puzzle game Quadrantic: goofy name, fun concept

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Quadrantic
Get ready to fling some blocks around and jam out.
Screenshot: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Whether you play it fast or slow, Quadrantic might become your new puzzling obsession.

The newly released game, which is available for a mere $0.99, takes the time-honored puzzle-game tradition of arranging things in groups of three and throws in some strategy and a surprisingly intense timed mode just to keep things interesting.

But the concept is simple, and once you start playing it, it’s really hard to put down.

Gorgeous headphone amp isn’t just ear candy

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Lust List Oppo Amp
The Oppo headphone amplifier is almost as beautiful as the iPhone you're going to connect it to.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Oppo HA-2 portable headphone amplifier and DAC

What kind of audiophile nerd do you have to be to shell out 300 clams to “improve” your iPhone audio? Well, that’s what it is going to cost you to convert your digital audio into analog goodness with style.

You can find cheaper options than the Oppo HA-2 portable headphone amplifier, but few as elegant and sleek.

Low-profile car charger delivers all the power, none of the clutter

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The flush-mount reVOLT car charger tidies up any dashboard.
The flush-mount reVOLT car charger tidies up any dashboard.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

My truck’s getting up in years and lacks many of the conveniences of a late-model vehicle. Forget about an in-dash touchscreen monitor — it doesn’t even have a USB port.

That means I’m stuck using a cigarette lighter adapter to charge my iPhone (which serves as my GPS on many trips). I’ve tried and enjoyed Gosin’s four-port charger, which is awesome for those rare times I’ve got a handful of devices to juice up, but that portly wonder juts out fairly far into the truck’s cabin. Like my truck itself, it is functional but slightly unsightly.

And then there’s the svelte Scosche reVolt dual car charger. Its disarming good looks have ruined me.

These wraparound sports shades won’t screw up your look

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Lust List Spy Sunglasses Screw
I Spy some pretty sweet shades.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Screw sports sunglasses by Spy Optics

Choosing a pair of sports shades is always a balancing act of form versus function. Luckily, Spy Optics makes sunglasses for every face and every activity.

With its Screw series of shades, Spy found the sweet spot where you get what you need while sweating your ass off without looking like an ass when standing in line at the coffee shop.

Toasty touchscreen gloves keep you warm and fully connected

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Baby it's cold outside; use these gloves.
Baby it's cold outside; use these gloves.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Double Layered Knit Touchscreen Gloves by Mujjo

It’s almost winter, and if you reside in an area with a climate like mine, you know you’ll be carrying gloves with you no matter where you go. When you live someplace like Anchorage, Alaska, even a quick trip outside to the trash bin requires that you cover up.

And yet, we live in a touchscreen world. I have my iPhone with me all the time, and I use it to stay connected to my kids and family members as I move around the winter wonderland. Pulling off a glove every time I want to play a song or answer a text is time-consuming and sometimes dangerous.

If that’s something you worry about, Mujjo’s got you covered, quite literally, with these new double-layered touchscreen gloves.

Shockingly advanced travel mug will protect you from lukewarm coffee

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The Zojirushi travel mug will keep your coffee hot and contained.
The Zojirushi travel mug will keep your coffee hot and contained.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Travel mug by Zojirushi

There’s unquestionable power in an object that does one thing and does it well. Consider the lowly travel mug — it’s a common commodity among the world’s coffee-swilling commuters, and yet the standard design lets us down repeatedly.

How does it fail us? It doesn’t keep our coffee hot for long. And, worse, it’s got a tendency to drip, spill and even spurt lukewarm java onto our clothes and car interiors. Many of my shirts bear depressing coffee stains, the marks of a road warrior using an inferior travel mug.

Magic Flute bike pump is a magical tool you shouldn’t ride without

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The Magic Flute bike pump is as gorgeous as it is practical.
The Magic Flute bike pump is as gorgeous as it is practical.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Magic Flute bike pump by Portland Design Works

The magic of the Magic Flute is its ability to do two things with equal aplomb.

On the one hand, it is a solidly built hand pump that lets you fill your bike tire the old-fashioned way. On the other, it is a handy CO2 cartridge adapter that lets you fill your tire quickly without the need for elbow grease.

How to choose the right running app for you

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And the winner is… find out which running app offers the most features
And the winner is… find out which running app offers the most features
Photo: Graham Bower / Cult of Mac

There are so many iPhone apps for runners, it’s hard to decide which one to use. Should you go for a familiar brand like Nike, or a specialist like Runkeeper?

Ultimately, all running apps do pretty much the same thing: They use GPS to track how far and how fast you run. But when you take a closer look, their features and prices vary considerably. So I’ve done the leg work for you, to help you find the right running app faster.

5 new iOS games that are more fun than Black Friday

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5 best ios games

Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s hard to find the best games out there. Every month, there’s a list as long as, well, a really long list of games on iOS that you might like but might actually suck.

Even the sheer volume of the vaunted Editor’s Choice picks can get overwhelming.

That’s why we’re here — to give you a leg up in finding just the right number of the very best new iOS games you can find on the App Store, without all the weeding you’d need to do just to find them on your own.

Here are our five favorite games from the month of November.

Bumps and spills won’t harm this rugged, water-resistant Bluetooth speaker

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A little water won't hurt GoGroove's rugged BlueSync RGD speaker.
A little water won't hurt GoGroove's rugged BlueSync RGD speaker.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: BlueSync RGD Bluetooth speaker by GoGroove

There are those of you who like to take risks. Face it, you love living on the edge, taking your precious electronics into dusty, dirty and even wet locations.

If your dream is to play tunes at high volume while you raft Class V rapids, rappel down a sheer cliff face or just take a shower, GoGroove has you covered.

The BlueSync RGD is a super-rugged, water-resistant Bluetooth speaker that will go with you anywhere and deal with almost all the dangers you can throw at it, all for a wallet-friendly price.

Klipsch on-ear headphones deliver crisp, clear, booming sound

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These lightweight cans deliver heavy sound.
These lightweight cans deliver heavy sound.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Reference R6i On-Ear Headphones by Klipsch

Sometimes you just need a solid, great-sounding set of wired headphones. They don’t need to charge up like my Bluetooth favorites do, nor do they require pairing (or repairing, like several models I’ve used).

Earbuds are great, too, but for extended listening sessions, I prefer on-ear headphones. They are less sound-isolating — I don’t need to hear my own breathing all the time.

Who says a car charger needs to look boring?

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Lust List Tylt car charger
The Ribbn lends a touch of style to your car-charging game.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Ribbn car charger by Tylt

Simple, elegant and fun, the Ribbn car charger is no-muss, no-fuss.

Offering up 4.8 amps, Tylt’s little Lightning charger plugs into a standard cigarette lighter socket and adds a bit of bright-blue bling to your car’s interior.

SnowCast will help you find (or avoid) the powder this winter

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snowcast-snow-prediction-ios-app - 3
SnowCast warns you if a warm fireplace is in your near future.
Photo: SnowCast

Shake hands with SnowCast. Make some small talk. It’s in your best interest, since this app is very quickly going to become one of your best friends as the winter season rapidly approaches. SnowCast very simply lets you know how much snow you’ll be getting over the next 48 hours at any given time.

Depending on where you are, that snowfall amount could be nothing. If you live in a mountainous area, that could be two feet. Maybe the amount is exactly 6.37 inches. Either way, SnowCast will keep you in the loop so you can decide whether to light the fire or go skiing.

Cool Bean snowboard is nothing if not cool beans

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The Cool Bean snowboard looks weird but is a ton of fun.
The Cool Bean snowboard looks weird but is a ton of fun.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Cool Bean snowboard by K2

If you hope to spend run after run in the sweet, deep powder on a single plank this winter, you’ll want a state-of-the-art companion.

K2 Snowboarding’s Cool Bean is just that: a directional, short and fat board with a swallowtail design that’s built for the freshies and surfing whatever the mountain throws at you.

Caseology review: Testing 4 of the nicest iPhone 6s cases available

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caseology-cases-all-four
From left to right: Skyfall series, Wavelength, Vault and Savoy.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

Caseology is a fairly new smartphone case brand and the company was kind enough to send Cult of Mac four different cases from its iPhone 6s lineup to test out. With the vast majority of Caseology cases on Amazon receiving 4-star and 4 and a half-star reviews, I was eager to see if they lived up to the hype.

I got to use a navy blue and rose gold Savoy series case, navy blue and gold Wavelength series case, the silver and black Vault series case and the clear and rose gold Skyfall series case. In short, all of them ended up being four of my favorite cases to ever grace my iPhone.

This stylish mountain bike jersey will turn heads off the trail

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The Kitsbow Rudy puts some style in your singletrack.
The Kitsbow Rudy puts some style in your singletrack.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Men’s Rudy Jersey by Kitsbow

“You look cute,” said my wife.

I have been pulling on bicycle kit in front of her for more years than I care to count, and she has rarely muttered these words. But Kitsbow’s Rudy Jersey is not like most other mountain bike kit — it is both functional and stylish.

PDF Expert is the lightweight, powerful viewer your Mac needs

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pdf-expert-mac
PDF Expert is more powerful than you'd expect for its price.
Photo: Readdle

Readdle’s highly praised iOS app PDF Expert has landed on the Mac. Shortly after its debut, it shot straight to the number one spot for paid apps on the Mac App Store. Apple’s own Preview app works fine for simply reading through PDF files or making tiny edits, but people who work with PDF files more frequently and need more power can benefit from giving the $19.99 PDF Expert a chance. Cult of Mac got the opportunity to do just that.

Everybody knows that the leader in the category of PDF editors and readers is Adobe with its Reader and Acrobat apps, but the latter costs $14.99 per month for a subscription or a staggering $449 for the full desktop software. As long as you don’t need to create PDFs, PDF Expert only asks for $20 out of your pocket and it’s jam-packed with all of the necessities and then some.

Drive your guitar to new places with this mighty Moog effects pedal

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Moog's MF Drive packs a lot of sonic punch in a small package.
Moog's MF Drive packs a lot of sonic punch in a small package.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: MF Drive guitar pedal by Moog

The magic of what Moog has done with this analog stompbox isn’t completely evident until you plug an expression pedal into it.

Certainly the drive tones are exceptional and the controls provide a myriad of useable and inspirational tones, but the expression pedal unlocks Moog’s industry-leading love of sonic experimentation.

Protective case turns your sleek iPhone into a loud fashion statement

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UAG packs a punch of protect for your i-devices.
UAG brings the tough-guy bling to your iPhone.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Scout iPhone case by Urban Armor Gear

No one would accuse Urban Armor Gear of being sleek or subtle. The company’s iDevice cases are loud and rugged. You might even call them masculine, although I know a few of my female friends would embrace the bold statement they make.

Streamlined bike computer captures all the data you need

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You'll rule the road with Lezyne's Super GPS bicycle computer.
You'll rule the road with Lezyne's Super GPS bicycle computer.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Super GPS bicycle computer by Lezyne

It seems silly to call something with so much technology packed into it “simple,” but this is the word I keep coming back to when describing Lezyne’s new bicycle computers.

They are simple. They are also powerful and sleek — and they just might be the perfect option for cyclists who like to have their data, but don’t need it blasted at them the entire time they are on their bikes.

Review: Sonos Play:5 speaker is a rumbling, room-shaking rabble-rouser

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The new Play:5 speaker is a great update to Sonos' top-of-the-line box.
The new Play:5 speaker is a great update to Sonos' top-of-the-line box.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

The flagship speaker from Sonos has been revamped, redesigned and relaunched. The result is awesome.

The new Play:5 is a big, beefy speaker that sounds absolutely wonderful. It’s available in stores today, and although it’s not cheap, I’d recommend you go out and get one. Or two. Stereo is even better.

Explore the galaxy, gather supplies, and don’t die in gorgeous new mobile game

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Last Horizon 01
Earth ain't the kind of place to raise your kids in Last Horizon.
Photo: Pixeljam

Last Horizon, which is out now for Mac, iOS (reviewed version), PC, and Android is a beautifully simple game: You leave your obliterated planet in a single rocket, heading out for a new home and gathering supplies along the way. It has two controls: turning and firing your thrusters. But it’s a lot more than that.

From that simple framework and its colorful, minimalist art style, a story emerges of hope, exploration, danger, fear, doubt, and, ultimately, triumph.

But it’s outer space, so you have to make sure that the thousands of things that will kill you don’t.

Transform your regular desk into a healthier standing one with this sturdy add-on

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Testing in a the real world is always best.
Testing in a the real world is always best.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Sit-Stand Desktop Workstation by Ergotron

I’ve got a love/hate relationship with standing desks. While I love the health benefits of standing, I seriously cannot stand at my desk all day every day. It needs to be easily adjustable.

Also, not all of us have the space for yet another desk in our homes or offices. Most of us have a regular, plain old desk. If you’re looking for a standing solution – you can convert that plain desk super easily with this Sit-Stand Desktop Workstation. It’s a heavy-duty, solid piece of work, and it sits right on top your regular desk. There’s room to strap on a monitor or two, or even just place your Macbook on top with an external keyboard and mouse below.

Wacom’s Bamboo Fineline stylus delivers precision on the cheap

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Bamboo Fineline Stylus 1
Wacom is phasing this model out, but it's still a great product.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Best List: Bamboo Fineline 1 stylus by Wacom

Wacom is to graphics tablets what Kleenex is to facial tissues, so it’s no surprise that the company knows its way around a stylus. And the original version of the Bamboo Fineline is a great entry point for those looking to start drawing, sketching, and taking notes on their iPads.

Ultra-portable keyboard turns your iPad mini into a tiny, adorable Macbook

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Portable, gorgeous, and super-useful.
Portable, gorgeous, and super-useful.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: iPad mini keyboard by Brydge

We all like to carry our gadgets around with us, but there are definitely times when you’ll want to be ultra portable and just take along, say, your iPad mini on vacation. Or, perhaps you want to get some writing done on the airplane:we all know the seat-back tray is way too small for a full laptop.

This ultra-portable Brydge keyboard is a fantastic match for the iPad mini, letting you be a bit more productive than you would without an actual keyboard. It’s designed to match whichever iPad mini you own, turning the whole thing into an adorably small Macbook-like laptop-style tablet.