As if the reMarkable 2 tablet wasn’t enough like writing on paper, now you can disguise it as a “regular” notebook and no one who glances at you jotting and scribbling away will be the wiser

It replicates the timeless design of classic composition books and helps protect your device from scratches and such. The spine of the case has a holder for the official reMarkable stylus that aligns with the tablet’s built-in magnets, so it’s held in place even better than before and is still able to charge when you’re not using it.

Considering how the case is just $21 on Amazon (down from $36) as I write this on September 16th, 2024, you’re looking at a real good value right here.

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We’ve always loved the iconic amplifier style of Marshall’s Bluetooth speaker lineup, because they all look just as cool as they make your music sound. And yet, despite their retro looks, new models of the speakers are continually being released with future-ready features.

Their new Emberton III and Willen II portable speakers are perfect examples of this philosophy.

Both of them are Bluetooth LE audio-ready, which itself will enable Auracast functionality — meaning, you can connect your phone to one of the speakers via Bluetooth and it can then broadcast that audio to all other Auracast-enabled speakers/headphones nearby. You’ll feel like a walking radio station.

(Note: Auracast functionality is expected to be rolled out via an over-the-air update.)

The speakers also deliver surprisingly powerful sound for their size.

The Emberton III, the larger of the two, comes packed with “True Stereophonic” sound, offering rich and full 360° audio that fills any room or outdoor space with ease over the course of ~32 hours of battery life per charge. Meanwhile, the still more portable Willen II offers harder-hitting bass and improved drivers over its predecessor and delivers up to 17 hours of playback.

Both speakers boast an IP67 dust- and waterproof rating, meaning they can each handle dust, dirt, and being submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1m/3ft. These things are excellent travel companions for even the most rugged adventures.

Get the Emberton III for $170 and the Willen II for $120.

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While there are lots of excellent iPad Pro hubs to choose from out there, most of them aren’t designed to also be iPad stands. Even this one from Satechi, which we do still appreciate the looks and build quality of, doesn’t reach the viewing height or connection ports of the Anker 551 hub + stand.

Anker’s version is equipped with eight ports total:

• USB-C Power Delivery input (up to 100W)
• 4K@60Hz HDMI port
• 2 USB-A data ports
• 3.5 mm AUX port
• microSD card slot
• SD 3.0 card slot

Whereas the Satechi supports pass-through charging speeds that top out at 60W max, Anker’s hub stand can pass upwards of 100W (with 45W minimum required) to your connected iPad or tablet, and to power such a setup, we’ve written about several chargers that meet or exceed that capability — even in the car, if that’s a concern for you.

The Anker’s added height also grants some flexibility in how you angle the device for the most comfortable viewing and/or work usage:

Both hubs can revolutionize your iPad’s (or other USB-C tablet’s) productivity levels, but the Anker stand has just a bit more versatility over the Satechi in my opinion.

As of September 8th, 2024 you can get it for $80 on Amazon (down from $100).

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Remember those cute little robot charger blocks we wrote about a while back? UGREEN, the company who made them, has brought that same robotic charm to their new “Uno” MagSafe power bank.

Like the wall chargers before it, this magnetic wireless charger has a display on the back that shows different facial expressions based on the battery level of your iPhone:

You’re not going to get crazy wireless charging speeds here — just 7.5W — but you can always switch to 20W wired charging via USB-C if you need that extra speed boost. Either way, having this handy robot pal chilling on the back of your phone brings a certain kind of joy that’s hard to quantify.

Did I mention it has a built-in kickstand for hands-free use?

Get this awesome MagSafe charger for $45 on Amazon.

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If your on-camera appearance during video calls and/or livestreams has been somewhat dim and lackluster, you should look into installing a Lume Cube Edge Light 2.0 on your desk to brighten things up.

This thing illuminates your workspace in a natural, easy-on-the-eyes way, whether you decide to use it as a simple desk lamp or as a studio-style light for Zoom meetings and such.

Since it clamps onto the end or back of your desk (anything up to 3.3” thick), it doesn’t really take up any of that valuable space, meaning you can “Keep. Your station. CLEAR!” and better focus on the task at hand. It’s constructed pretty solidly too, so you don’t have to worry about it going anywhere even if you’re using a height-adjustable desk.

You also have a number of ways to configure and adapt the light for your setup, from its flexible five-point arm/head articulation system to its brightness level and 2700K–7500K color temperature range. What’s more, it has built-in USB-C (5V) and USB-A (2V) ports for unobtrusively keeping your stuff charged.

Get this superb desk lamp for $140 on Amazon in your choice of black or white. If you need more than one lamp and want to save a few bucks, check out the $260 two-pack.

If you’re willing to drop an extra $20 and aren’t concerned as much about desk real estate, they offer a version with a base on their own website.

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If you’re in need of a new book light — or your bedmate who goes to sleep earlier would prefer you to use one — but you don’t want to wear one around your neck, go for a clip-on book light instead.

The 86lux Pocket E1 is actually a bookmark light by design, with an ultra-thin (0.35″) and light (60g) body that can mark your place, then unfolds up to 180° to separate the clip and light sections at reading time.

The lamp head itself can swivel left or right up to 90°, and adjusted up or down up to 60°, so there’s a lot of flexibility in how you set it up. Plus, not only does it fit all sorts of book sizes, it can also easily be slipped into your pocket.

With a press of the side button, the LED (which is also steplessly dimmable) can be switched between three different color temperatures: amber (3000K), natural (4000K), and cool (5000K), all of which have a soft glow thanks to the frosted light pane pictured below. The 400mAh battery has a max runtime of 80 hours and recharges via USB-C when needed.

Get this highly useful book light for just $15 on Amazon in a variety of colors.

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Although learning a true programming language isn’t something I’d expect a kid to pick up until they’re a bit older, they can start learning the principles of coding at a pretty early age — and you don’t even need a computer to do it! The Botley 2.0 robot, for example, promises to teach kids as young as five how to code through 100% screen-free play.

Sure, it’s nothing so fancy as smart companions like Cozmo and Loona, but Botley is plenty clever enough for young’uns.

It comes as part of a 46-piece or 78-piece activity set, both of which include a remote control used to program actions, two detachable faceplates with robot arms, 40 coding cards, and a coding starter guide. The larger set adds 6 double-sided tiles and 27 obstacle building pieces.

Botley can be “coded” to move in six directions, play music, follow a ‘track’ of black electrical tape, light up in the dark, play memory games with you, and it can even pretend to be a train, a police car, a ghost, or a dozen other things.

Up to 150 steps can be programmed into an action sequence, so there’s plenty to keep your bright young coder busy as they learn creative problem solving and computational thinking skills.

Get the Botley 2.0 46-piece set for $64 or the 78-piece set for $81. There’s also a classroom bundle for $269 that combines several robot + accessory sets into one teacher-friendly package.

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With their intense 1600-lumen output (equivalent to 100 watts, with the actual usage being only 14W), these Matter-enabled smart light bulbs from Linkind are among the brightest you’ll find on the market, which is awesome when you’re trying to light a particularly large room or workshop and you still want all the latest bells and whistles the smart home industry can offer.

Like any smart lights worth their salt, Linkind’s A21-shaped (E26 base) bulbs can shine in 16 million potential colors, or you can set them to pure white light at any “temperature” between 1800K (warm) to 6500K (cool).

Either way, you have the option to dim them to anywhere from 1% to 100% via app or voice control (however, they don’t recommend using a traditional dimmer wall switch, as it can cause buzzing or flickering.) You can also set up automated schedules, create light “scenes,” and even have the lighting effects synced to the rhythm of your music.

Note: To use these bulbs with services like Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings, you’ll need a Matter-compatible hub (HomePod, Echo, Nest, etc). However, if you use Linkind’s official AiDot app, no hub is required.

Get a pack of two bulbs for $23 on Amazon. Meanwhile, a pack of four is $42, so you save a few bucks there.

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Twelve South’s travel-friendly ButterFly is a sleek, ultra-compact gizmo that starts off about the size of an AirPods Pro case (2¼” x 1″), then unfolds to reveal…

1. A 15W MagSafe charger for recent iPhone models and AirPods.
2. A 5W magnetic fast charger for your Apple Watch and 2nd-gen AirPods Pro.

Both sides of the charger can be used at once, in case you’re wondering.

Its compact folded size makes it so easy to slip into a pocket or bag, and it’s constructed with a beautiful and durable anodized aluminum shell that’s been paired with a soft vegan leather interior and strap for that luxurious-feeling experience Apple users are accustomed to.

The ButterFly isn’t just about charging on the go. It’s got a few tricks up its sleeve that make it a versatile companion for your desk or nightstand too. Fold it one way and you’ve got a handy stand for your iPhone, perfect for video calls or using the new StandBy mode in iOS 17:

Meanwhile, tilt the Watch charger and you’re all set for Nightstand mode:

This little powerhouse might just become your new travel and/or nightstand buddy, and it can be yours for $130 on Amazon.

Note: They’ve also just announced an upcoming ButterFly SE model that shares the same compact design as the original, but has a soft-touch finish and comes in three colors (with matching charge cables) rather than just aluminum, and it won’t include the 30W power adapter or 5 international outlet adapters that come with the standard ButterFly.

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There’s nothing wrong with buying a premade SSD external drive to handle your data backups or maintain a portable media collection, and for most people that’s exactly what I’d recommend doing.

However, there are more dedicated techies out there who prefer to roll their own solutions, and if you’d like to join them, you’ll no doubt find yourself looking at SSD enclosures like this one. This allows you to take an NVMe or SATA SSD, which would normally be used as an internal computer drive, and turn it into a portable backup device instead.

UGREEN’s 20Gbps M.2 SSD Enclosure is a shockproof silicone-and-aluminum case that works with the most common sizes of M.2 SSDs (2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280) that can have up to 8TB of storage, and it offers blazing fast 20Gb/s transfer speeds for NVME drives (or 6Gb/s for SATA) via a built-in USB-C Gen 2×2 port.

The case also features a heat-dissipating thermal pad that keeps the inner drive from overheating during those fast data transfers, so your data stays safe and everything runs smooth like butter.

As I write this on August 21st, 2024, the enclosure is on sale for $30 on Amazon (down from $40). They also have a 10Gbps version for $23.

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While there is no shortage of mobile game controller options to choose from out there, it’s my duty to keep bringing interesting ones to your attention so you can find the best possible model for your needs.

Today’s specimen is the G8 Galileo by GameSir, an extendable gamepad grip for the entire iPhone 15 series and most Android 8.0+ smartphones with a USB-C port.

Its anti-drift joysticks and precision-tuned analog triggers are all outfitted with smooth and responsive Hall Effect sensors for console-level pinpoint control that gives you a competitive edge in any style of game.

Meanwhile, the actual USB-C jack on the controller swivels up and down to allow for easier phone connection/removal, and in this way helps ensure the longevity of both devices.

The G8 allows for passthrough charging for those longer gaming sessions, and you have the choice of using either wired (3.5mm) or Bluetooth headphones for the best in-game audio feedback.

It comes with three extra thumbsticks (small, tall, and dome) that can be changed out as desired, and swappable magnetic faceplates allow you to customize the look of your controller.

As of August 17th, 2024 you can get the GameSir G8 Galileo on sale for $73 on Amazon (down from $100).

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Released as part of their “Prime” lineup, Anker’s new 8-in-1 Charging Station is a slim yet robust GaN-powered… er, power strip designed to keep all your devices charged simultaneously, with up to 240W of total output across two AC outlets (which pop up as needed), four USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports.

When using any one of those USB-C ports alone, you’ll get up to 140W of fast charging output, while using either one of the USB-A ports alone grants up to 12W for less power-hungry devices.

On top of providing efficient, high-speed charging, this is also a smart device that can be controlled over Wi-Fi via smartphone app, where you can manage power distribution, get real-time usage data, and schedule shutdown and power-on timers. A built-in digital display on the strip itself helps you monitor this information even when your phone isn’t nearby.

Get this 8-in-1 power strip for $165 on Amazon.

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True to the “Fusion” in its name, this nifty dual-port gizmo from Anker combines a 10,000mAh power bank and a 20-watt wall charger into one. The USB-C port supports Power Delivery and Quick Charge technologies for rapidly charging a phone, while the USB-A port outputs a respectable 12W of power for less urgent charging needs.

When no wall outlet is available, the device becomes an independent portable charger that can power an iPhone 15 a couple times over, or an iPad mini once. An LED indicator dial on the side lets you see at a glance how much charge remains, which is nice.

Get this power bank wall charger for $55 on Amazon. If you need something even more powerful, consider its 65-watt GaN-powered sibling, released two years after.

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Computer users everywhere love to drool over their dream mechanical keyboard, but let’s not forget that pairing a keyboard with the right accessories is just as fun and makes your workspace all the more enjoyable. These coiled “Macaron” keyboard cables are a perfect example of what I mean.

Available in a handful of pastel colorways, these vibrant cables derive their name from those colorful sandwich cookies often displayed in bakery windows, lending your desk a refreshingly airy — dare I say whimsical — flair, all while keeping things neat and tidy.

Despite the cables’ delicate-seeming coloration and relatively low price point, the manufacturers didn’t skimp on build quality or convenience. Each cable features a TPU outer coating surrounded by a durable PP fiber braid, meaning it offers rubber-like flexibility while protecting against tangling, stretching, and fracturing.

The cables also boast a two-piece design, with coiled and straight sections merged by a 4-pin aviation connector that allows for quick disconnects and cable swaps. Out of the box, the coiled side ends in USB-C and the straight side ends in USB-A.

Each cable is $20 a pop on Amazon and comes in your choice of green, purple, pink, yellow, or blue. (The only one missing from the photos above is the red version, which you can buy directly from the EPOMAKER site.)

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To go with that 4th gen Scarlett audio interface I recently wrote about, I recommend using the iconic Shure SM7B microphone for all your vocal recording needs, now that the preamps offer more than enough gain to power it so you no longer need an inline booster like the Cloudlifter.

In case you’re unfamiliar, the SM7B has been an industry-standard mic for decades, seeing use across every imaginable field of professional vocal audio capture, from radio/TV broadcasting to music-making to voiceover work to podcasting to livestreaming and beyond.

The fact that it’s a dynamic mic with a cardioid pattern rather than a condenser type makes it extremely good at rejecting ambient noise (i.e. anything that isn’t your voice directly in front of it), which is especially useful for those of us who don’t have an acoustically treated space to record in but still want the clearest possible capture.

The other shining point is its max SPL of 180 dB, which allows it to handle extremely loud sound sources without distortion, whether it’s drums, horns, the loudest screamiest metal vocals you can imagine… practically anything short of setting the mic directly behind a live jet engine.

There’s a reason the SM7B and its predecessors have been trusted for so long, and once it’s in your hands — or rather, on your favorite mic stand or boom arm — you can rest assured that all your vocal recording needs will be met with aplomb.

Get it for $399 on Amazon.

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