Accessories
Best AirPower Alternatives
Apple’s long-awaited AirPower accessory is cancelled so those of you in the market for a wireless charging solution for your iPhone, Apple Watch, and/or AirPods should take a look at these top AirPower alternatives.
Apple first announced the AirPower wireless charging mat all the way back in September, 2017. The company promised to ship the accessory in 2018. That didn’t happen.
The gadget was also rumored for the company’s March 25th event. And while Apple announced an iPad mini 5, iPad Air 3, new iMac, and AirPods 2, it failed to confirm the AirPower. And now we know why.
Apple’s cancelled the product because it was unable to meet the company’s lofty standards. Apple says it’s still committed to wireless, but AirPower isn’t part of those plans. For now, at least.
If you’re in the hunt for a sleek wireless charging solution for your iPhone or Apple Watch, here are the best alternatives you can find in 2019.
Griffin PowerBlock Wireless Fast Charging Pad
The Griffin PowerBlock Wireless Fast Charging Pad first caught our at CES 2019 in Las Vegas where it won one of Gotta Be Mobile’s Excellence awards.
Griffin’s new PowerBlock Wireless charging pad comes with an Apple Watch dock and it’s a great option for those that want to charge their Apple Watch and iPhone at the same time.
The PowerBlock features a Qi wireless charging pad on the left side complete with Apple’s fast 7.5W wireless charging and an Apple Watch charging puck on the right side.
Griffin says it’ll be out on shelves sometime in the first quarter of 2019. It retails for $80.
BOOST↑UP Special Edition Wireless Charging Dock
Belkin’s new Boost↑Up Special Edition Wireless Charging Dock is a popular AirPower alternative that works with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and all four versions of the Apple Watch.
Belkin’s wireless charging solution features a 7.5-watt wireless charging pad for use with your iPhone. It also comes with a 5-watt Magnetic Charging Module for your Apple Watch. The dock also supports Nightstand mode for the Apple Watch which enables the alarm clock feature as it charges.
On top of that you get an additional 5-watt USB-A port which lets you simultaneously charge another device like your AirPods all from a single AC outlet. This makes it perfect for those heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem of devices.
The Boost↑Up Special Edition Wireless Charging Dock is on the expensive side, it retails for $160 without a deal, but it’s definitely worth a look.
Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition
Accessory maker Nomad has launched a sleek looking AirPower alternative called Base Station Apple Watch Edition. The accessory is currently sold out, but it’s expected back in stock soon.
Nomad’s wireless charging solution comes with everything you’d expect from a solid AirPower alternative including an Integrated MFi-certified Apple Watch Charger and 3 Qi-certified coils at 7.5W wireless charging each.
You also get a padded leather wireless charging surface, LED charging indicators, an ambient light sensor that dims LED’s at night, and support for nightstand mode.
The Base Station Apple Watch Edition is designed for the Apple Watch 4 but it’s compatible with all previous versions of Apple Watch.
The device retails for $129.
SliceCharge 2 3in1 Wireless Charger
The SliceCharge is a crowd-funded project that actually works and will actually ship to you should you choose to buy it.
Hard Cider Labs’ slim 3in1 Wireless Charger features 7.5W fast charging for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. You also get 3W charging for Apple Watch Series 1, 2, and 3.
If you’ve got an Android user at home, the SliceCharge also supports 10W fast charging for the Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S7.
The SliceCharger retails for $60. If you’re an AirPod owner you can also add a wireless adapter case for just $20 more.
Install iOS 12.5.6 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If you're on the fence, here's one of the best reasons to install iOS 12.5.6 right away. iOS 12.5.6 has a vital security patch on board and it will protect your device(s) from harm. If you want the details, head over to Apple's website. If you missed the iOS 12.5.5 update, it brought three security patches to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can learn more about the trio on Apple's security site. If you missed iOS 12.5.4, you'll get that update's important security upgrades with your iOS 12.5.6 update. If you're interested in the particulars, head on over to Apple's website for more. If you skipped iOS 12.5.3, you'll get its security patches with your upgrade. Both of its patches were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more about them, head on over to Apple's security site. If you skipped iOS 12.5.2, you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can read more about it over on Apple's website. If you also skipped iOS 12.5, you'll also get its patch with your upgrade. Apple's outlined the update's patch in detail on its security site. If you missed iOS 12.4.9, you'll also get its four security patches with your upgrade. You can read more about those right here. If you skipped iOS 12.4.7, you also get the update's three security patches (two for the Mail app and one for Wi-Fi) with your upgrade to iOS 12.5.6. If you're running software that's older than Apple's iOS 12.4.4 update, you'll want to download iOS 12.5.6 in the near future because it brings iOS 12.4.4's security patch to your device. You can read about it right here. If you're running software older than iOS 12.4.2, you'll get an its patch with your upgrade. You can read about the security contents of iOS 12.4.2 right here. If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.4.1, you'll get iOS 12.4.1's security patch with your iOS 12.5.6 update. You can read about that patch right here. If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.4, you get iOS 12.4's patches with your iOS 12.5.6 update. iOS 12.4 brought 19 security patches to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. If you're interested in the specifics, you can read about them on Apple's security site. If you're running software older than iOS 12.3, your iOS 12.5.6 update carries iOS 12.3's security patches on board. The iOS 12.3 update brought 23 patches and you can read about all of them right here on Apple's site. If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.2, you'll get iOS 12.2's security patches with your version of iOS 12.5.6. iOS 12.2 brought a whopping 41 security patches to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can read more about the iOS 12.2's patches over on the company's website. It's important to note that Apple's iOS 12.2 update patched up an exploit that allowed websites to use motion sensors to "fingerprint" devices. The exploit, discovered by researchers in Europe, uses JavaScript to snag data from a device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer when the user visits an infected website. If the attack is successful, a device can be tracked around the internet. Fortunately, Apple's patched up the issue. If you skipped it, you'll probably want to move to iOS 12.5.6 soon. If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.4, you get four important security patches including fixes for a widespread FaceTime eavesdropping bug that lets you call someone via FaceTime and hear the audio coming from their phone before they pick up the phone. If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.3, you get some additional patches with your version of iOS 12.5.6. Again, they're baked into your upgrade. Apple lists a grand total of 23 patches on board iOS 12.1.3 and you can read about all of them over on Apple's website. If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.1, you should install the iOS 12.5.6 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch today. The iOS 12.1.1 update brought 17 patches for potential security exploits. They'll will help protect your phone. You can read about them here. If you're running software older than iOS 12.1, you'll get 24 patches from that update with your version of iOS 12.5.5. If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.0.1, your iOS 12.5.6 update brings two additional patches. Both patches are for potential lock screen exploits. Long story long, if you store sensitive data on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you have some really good reasons to upgrade to iOS 12.5.6 today. | |||||||||||||||
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