Just what we needed—another reason not to get up off the couch. Logitech’s Touch Mouse turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a wireless mouse, perfect for those moments when you want to do something on your computer without actually touching it. Although the application and its accompanying computer server software is slightly more involved…
Bob LeVitus
Bob LeVitus, often referred to as “Dr. Mac,” is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on Mac OS X and one of the Mac community’s most trusted gurus for almost thirty years. He’s known for his trademark humorous style and unerring ability to translate ‘techie’ jargon into usable and fun advice for regular folks. A prolific author, LeVitus has written or co-written over 75 popular computer books with more than two million copies sold worldwide in a dozen languages. His most recent titles include: iPhone For Dummies, macOS Sierra For Dummies, and iPad For Dummies, all for Wiley Publishing. LeVitus is currently a columnist for the Mac Observer and has written the Dr. Mac column for the Houston Chronicle since 1996. While LeVitus has seen his work published in more than a dozen computer magazines over the past eighteen years, including: a three- year stint as Editor-in-Chief of the irreverent and unpredictable MACazine; and four different columns in MacUser magazine—Beating the System, Personal Best, Game Room, and the Help Folder (with Andy Ihnatko, and later, Chris Breen). Though best known for his writing, he’s also dabbled in broadcasting with a radio show (Inside Mac Radio, CNET Radio, 2001-2002) and a television series (Mac Today, Syndicated, 1992-1993). In addition to his writing, LeVitus runs a consulting business that provides expert technical help and training to Mac users anywhere in the world, in real time and at reasonable prices, via telephone, e-mail, and/or its own unique Internet-enabled remote control software. If you’re having a problem with your Mac or want to learn how to do almost anything with it, point your browser at: http://www.boblevitus.com. Always a popular speaker at Mac user groups and trade shows, LeVitus has presented more than 200 seminars, workshops, conference, and training sessions in the U.S. and abroad, including keynote addresses in three countries. (He also won the Macworld Expo MacJeopardy World Championship three times before retiring.) His most recent foray is Working Smarter for Mac Users, a site, newsletter, and more, all aimed at helping Mac users do more work in less time so they have more time for the things they love. Prior to giving his life over to computers, Bob worked in advertising producing television commercials, radio spots, and print ads at Kresser & Robbins and SelecTV. He holds a B.S. in Marketing from California State University and currently lives in central Texas with his wife, kids, and a plethora of pets
Articles by Bob LeVitus
L5 Remote is the Best (So Far)
The L5 Remote from L5 Technology is the fourth* in a series of universal remote control hardware/app combinations I’m reviewing. Like the first three I tested, it can control most of your electronic entertainment devices — televisions, AV receivers, cable boxes, and such — as long as they use an infrared remote control. Compatible with…
Air Video: Killer App for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch
There’s no doubt that watching movies on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is one of the greatest pleasures of these Apple apparatuses (apparati?). How did I survive before having the ability to bring up the latest episode of “Family Guy” from the comfort of my own bed? Or car, office, Starbucks, airport, or even…
Everyday Looper is Fabulous and Fun, Too!
The practice of looping by performing musicians has been around for quite awhile. (Check out Andrew Bird, for example.) But recent technology has made it considerably easier for non-professionals and Mancing Dolecules puts the power of looping right in the palm of your hand with its Everyday Looper iPhone app. “Looping” is the act of…
i-Got-Control IRB1 (Universal Remote) Needs to Get Better
i-Got-Control IRB1 is the third in a series of universal remote control hardware/app combinations I’m reviewing. Like the first two I tested, it can control most of your electronic entertainment devices — televisions, AV receivers, cable boxes, and such — as long as they use an infrared remote control. Compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch,…
FLPR (Fast Learning Programmable Remote) for iPhone: Good but not great…
New Potato Technologies’ FLPR (Fast Learning Programmable Remote) for the iPhone and iPod touch running OS 3.0 or higher is a hardware/app combination for controlling electronic devices via infrared remote. In a nutshell, it worked better for me than the POWER A Universal Remote Case I reviewed recently (click here to read), but had a…
POWER A Universal Remote Case: Close but no Cigar
The POWER A Universal Remote Case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is just what it sounds like — an iPhone case that incorporates a transmitter that turns your iPhone into a remote control for audio and video components. It requires the free POWER A Universal Remote app; the combination of hardware and software can…
NuVue iPad Privacy Shield Provides Problematic Protection
I was extremely interested in testing the NuVue Privacy Protector before my recent 10-day tour of user groups in the Mid-Atlantic region (Philadelphia PA, Princeton NJ, and Hershey PA). I’d be traveling by air, rail, and highway and I was looking forward to working on reviews and other “sensitive” writing assignments without exposing my writing…
Wrapsol ultra adhesive film for iPhone
Wrapsol ultra is, at least according to its maker, “The world’s strongest, easiest and fastest-to-apply drop + scratch protection system for the Apple iPhone 3GS.” Put another way, it’s a transparent precision-cut film coating that protects your iPhone. Now I am a big fan of film protection products for iPhones and iPods (and now,…
Newer Technology NuGuard Clear iPad “case”
NewerTech’s NuGuard Clear is a crystal clear hard shell snap-on half-case for the iPad. It covers the back and sides (not the screen), but if you’re looking for a minimally-intrusive way to protect the back and sides of your iPad, it does the trick quite nicely. According to the manufacturer the polycarbonate shell offers more…
iRingPro iPhone ringtones
Are you sick of the handful of overused, cartoonish ringtones included with your iPhone? Does the miniscule selection of overpriced iPhone ringtones in the iTunes Store leave you cold? Are your GarageBand skills insufficient to create decent-sounding iPhone ringtones? If you answered yes to any or all of the questions above I implore you to…
Voi! Lorem™ iPhone case
Over the years we’ve reviewed dozens of iPhone and iPod cases and we’ve tried to focus on products that are unique, offer superior functionality, or both. Conversely, we usually avoid reviewing cases that have no distinguishing features. I’m happy to report that the Voi! Lorem™ iPhone case meets or exceeds our criteria — it’s unique,…
Tenqa SP-109 Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
The Tenqa SP-109 is a Stereo Bluetooth speaker that lets you listen to audio from any device equipped with stereo Bluetooth A2DP such as most Macs, iPhones, and other mobile smartphones. Setup was simple on all of the systems I tested it with — three Macs and two iPhones. All of the devices recognized the speaker…
RedLaser
How can you not love an iPhone app that costs less than $2 but can save you a lot more than that every time you use it? That app is called RedLaser and it uses your iPhone camera to scan barcodes and get you prices for the item from Google Product Search and TheFind. Here’s…
iSkin solo, solo FX, and solo FX SE iPhone cases
I’ve tested a lot of iPhone cases — I lost count after around a dozen — in the past year. Some I’ve liked, some I’ve hated, and some I neither liked nor hated. I used the ones I liked best — such as the iFrogz Luxe and RadTech ARC — for weeks on end. I…
MobiValet
The MobiValet is a simple device billed as, “the smart place to park your mobi.” It’s primarily for use in a car but there’s no reason you couldn’t affix one to a desk, table, chair, or almost anyplace you need to park your “mobi.”What’s a mobi? I think it’s short for your, “mobile device,” which…
Surviving High School
NOTE: While the Mac Observer content management system says that I wrote this review, it was mostly written by my 17-year old son Jacob. As a junior in high school I think he has a much better handle on what high school is like, how well this simulation/game emulates the real deal, and how much…
MovieWedge
MovieWedge is one of the most ingenious gadgets I’ve ever seen and the most flexible stand I’ve ever seen for an iPhone. It looks like a tiny beanbag chair with a little lip across the lower front edge to secure your iPhone (or other device). It’s so flexible, in fact, that it also works great…
GrooveMaker
There used to be an old comic book advertisement that said, “They laughed when I sat down to play the piano.” The new GrooveMaker iPhone app brings that phrase into the 21st century… Its ad might say, “They laughed when I said I would DJ the whole party with just my iPhone.” But it’s true:…
iPod shuffle 3G
The third generation iPod shuffle retains the diminutive size, distinctive shape, and is fabricated of anodized aluminum with a built-in clip just like its predecessor. The big change this year is the introduction of a less-expensive 2GB model that can hold up to 500 songs for $59. There’s also a 4GB model that holds up…
iPod touch (3G)
On the outside, all three versions of the new 3d generation iPod touch (8GB, 32GB, and 64GB) look the same as the previous generation. But the new 32 and 64GB models are up to 50% faster and include OpenGL ES 2.0 support for smoother gaming, Voice Control to navigate your music by voice command, and Apple…
iPod nano (5G)
The new fifth generation iPod nano was introduced on 09-09-09; I got my hands on one the very next day and have been using and abusing it ever since. Let me just start this review by telling you that I think it’s the best iPod nano Apple has ever made and arguably the best $149…
WildCharger Bundle
The WildCharger Bundle is a product unlike anything I’d ever seen. In a nutshell it offers wire-free charging for the iPhone and iPod touch. The bundle consists of two parts — the WildCharger Pad and a WildCharge Skin for your iPhone or iPod touch. The WildCharger Pad, shown below, is a thin 6 x 8-inch…
iHome iHMP5 Headphone Speaker System
The iHome iHMP5 bills itself as “2-in-1 Portable Speakers with built-in Headphones.” I’d never heard of or seen such a thing so when I was offered the opportunity to review the product I couldn’t accept fast enough. I found the idea of headphones that turn into speakers (or speakers that turn into headphones) intriguing. Unfortunately,…