6 of the best Apple accessories introduced in May 2022

It’s time for the first of what may become a monthly roundup of newly-introduced Apple accessories. This month is all about photography, mice, keyboard and smart home accessories.

Eve Outdoor Cam

The Eve Outdoor Cam ($249) is the first HomeKit-compatible outdoor CCTV floodlight system to support HomeKit security, which means video captured by the system is ultra-secure and end-to-end encrypted.

The aluminum HD camera is beautifully designed and manufactured and features an autonomous, dimmable motion light with an ultra-bright boost.

Eve has really considered the user interface, which is quick and easy to learn and use. With just a few taps the user chooses when they want to be notified and if they want to make recordings whenever something is up or only if there is specific activity. You get an excellent wide-angle field of view of 157°, the infrared motion sensor with a 9 m / 26 ft range, and a detection angle of 100° as well as a microphone and speaker.

For: Backyards, forecourts, balconies – anywhere you want to protect.

Against: Users may need to boost Wi-Fi in the area they want the camera to be placed.

Get the camera here.

Sandmarc’s Motion Dolly Slider

Shipping this spring, Sandmarc’s Motion Dolly Slider is a fantastic tool if you want to use your iPhone for stop-motion photography, a series of still images or to make video.

It’s basically a robust iPhone cradle on wheels that lets you position your phone and then move it around far more steadily than you can in your hand. The idea is that you can use this when you need to capture smooth tracking shots.

The $89.99 system handles both landscape and portrait mode and offers clearly marked degree settings to help you keep your shot on track. The syste industrial aluminium chassis provides reassuring stability and will transform your shaky iPhone video capture into something fare smoother and more professional.

For: iPhone photographers and videographers on a mission for better images.

Against: At $89.99 you really need to want something like this – but a brilliant companion to Sandmarc’s fantastic iPhone camera lenses for even better photography.

 

Shargeek Retro 35 GaN Charger

This made me laugh when I read about it on Macworld. It’s a novelty gadget that’s just fun enough to capture attention and consists of a small USB-C charger that looks like a tiny miniature Macintosh, complete with smiley face (sticker). It cycles between colors depending on which charging mode it is in. If you think it’s funny you can pick one up for $49 at Indiegogo.

For: People who like Mac trivia and think this is kind of funny.

Against: People who don’t.

Logitech MX Mechanical Mini keyboard

I was ever so impressed with Logitech’s Lift Vertical Mouse, which has dramatically improved my Mac user experience. I’m also quite pleased with Logitech’s MX Mechanical Mini Keyboard, which provides me with everything I need for a comfortable typing experience without taking too much space on the desk.

For the $149.99 cost, you don’t get bells, whistles, or a touch bar, but you do get mechanically robust keyboard which is comfortable to use and boasts outstanding battery life – 10 months with the backlights off, or 15 days with it on. It’s backlit with white LEDs, and the backlight turns itself on when the keyboard senses that your hands are near. You charge this up using USB. If I had a problem with the keyboard it’s the lack of native Mac keyboard markings, but you can make some keyboard mapping changes using the software provided, so you should be able to trust finger memory.

For: A comfortable keyboard replacement with a sensibly placed USB charging slot you don’t need to power up too often.

Against: If you want a completely Mac-native keyboard you may want to look elsewhere.

Get the keyboard here.

Excitrus Magnetic Wireless Power Bank

I like this product for three primary reasons;

1. It looks nice wrapped in its fabric cloth.
2. It will charge devices wirelessly, as well as via its three ports.
3. It includes a USB-C port for Macs and iPads.

It packs a hefty punch. You’ll get 20,800mAh capacity including output on one port up to 100-watts, and you also get a 10-watt wireless charging feature so all you need to do is pop your iPhone on the charger when in transit between meetings, no wires required.

A small LCD screen shows you how much power is in there, and lets you know what use is taking place. The company promises an additional 75 hours to an iPhone 13 Pro, 16 hours to an iPad Pro or 15 hours to a MacBook Pro

For me, it’s also useful that you get manual controls to put your battery into sleep mode when not in use, it means the battery will retain power for longer when you travel. Battery packs are by far the most useful accessory in any user’s existence. And this rather good one costs just $99.

For: Almost anyone who runs out of power from time-to-time.

Against: You may simply need a bigger power source, such as something like this.

Get the device here.

iPod touch

It may seem a little spurious, but Apple killed the iPod product family in May, which means it’s no longer to get an iOS-powered handheld that isn’t an iPhone (though an iPad mini comes quite close). The result of the EOL decision was a fairly immediate run on available iPod touch stocks worldwide, which caused most retailers to run out of stock fairly rapidly. Macworld tracked the passing of the iPod light for a little while, and as of now you may still find one for sale at around $200-$300 on Amazon.  Given I attended the launch of the first iPod (albeit virtually) I thought the end of the last one merited a spot in AppleMust’s inaugural products of the month selection.

Hope you enjoyed this roundup.

Catch you again next month with a fresh selection, assuming anyone ships anything worth sharing with you.

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