My Favorite Tech Accessories

My essential gadgets are that much better with these awesome accessories.

Right now, I am in a very happy place when it comes to my technology setup. My computer, phone, and gaming devices. The iPad Pro has definitely sparked a fire in me to write more, and I am noticing how much my actual devices benefit from the accessories that I have for each of them.

The devices whose accessories that I will be covering are my iPad Pro 11-inch, Kindle 2022, iPhone 13 Pro, and Nintendo Switch. Some of them are directly tied to the device and are loosely tied to them, but are essential when I use them.

Since I have a lot to go over, I am going to cut to the chase and start going over each of my favorite tech accessories:

iPad Pro Magic Keyboard

Not only was this expected to be on this list, but many shared my love of the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro. Whether or not you plan to get an iPad Pro and use it as your full-time computer, having the Magic Keyboard with an amazing keyboard and trackpad is a must-have.

This exact accessory is the only reason why I want to go iPad-only. I love the feel of the keys and can type for hours at a time no problem, but the trackpad, albeit a little small, is perfect when I need a cursor or just a pointing device to navigate iPadOS.

The floating iPad over the keyboard never gets all, and the package itself is perfect in size and weight. Sure, the weight could be a little less, and the thickness can be pretty similar to MacBooks in the same price range. But the benefit of modularity in being able to take the iPad off of the keyboard effortlessly to use as a tablet is worth it.

A couple of downsides to this accessory (weight and size which I already mentioned) like the lack of media keys. I also do think the trackpad is a bit small, especially on the 11-inch model, and some of the keyboard keys are hilariously tiny. The biggest

letdown is the price of this accessory when wanting to buy it brand new. $300 is a lot for a keyboard in general, but at least it feels premium in terms of its typing and trackpad usability.

My wish list for a new model of the Magic Keyboard would be to make the keyboard and trackpad slightly larger for the 11-inch and include media keys at the top. I would also like to see more than one USB-C port and maybe offer a few more peripheral options like HDMI or MagSafe support. I think having a more durable outer material too would be nice, I have seen many people who have had them for years and they look pretty beat up.

Kindle Sleeve

I spoke about my favorite Kindle case (or sleeve) in my most recent Techuisite Digest. As I stated in my newsletter, I don’t know when Amazon released this case, but I have been buying it from others on eBay for years now. For my Kindle, I don’t like to have a case on it. The whole point of an e-reader is to have a tiny compact device with all my books instead of carrying a paperback or hardback.

Adding a thick case or folio case to my Kindle ruins the beauty of what it offers. I know some just case-up everything but I try to limit cases for my technology as much as possible. That is why for years I went case-less for my iPhones and why I love the Magic Keyboard for my iPad so much because I can easily take my iPad Pro off without a case to use as a tablet.

This Amazon Kindle case has a gray stitched fabric on the outside with a leather handle with the word Kindle imprinted on it. I don’t know if it is real leather or not, but it really doesn’t matter. The brown leather with the gray fabric is a really awesome look. It opens up easily with a zipper that goes around two sides making it more than big enough to slide my Kindle inside.

The inside of the sleeve has a slightly soft but very cushy interior to keep your Kindle safe. I would have preferred a microfiber or softer material inside but it doesn’t hurt the Kindle so it is fine. Not only do I feel comfortable throwing my Kindle with this sleeve in my bag with other things, but it also looks really cool when I want to just take my Kindle out alone.

iPhone Leather Case

Speaking of cases, since going back to a case full time on my iPhone due to using my work-issued phone, I have to say that the Apple Leather Cases for iPhones are really awesome. As we leave Apple’s recent gate due to the Fine Woven Case being a letdown as a premium alternative to the Leather Case, I will say that it is sad now that I have been using one that is likely not going to be available in the future.

I may have used the leather case option once in the past on an older iPhone, but it was so long ago now I have no idea which. Using the case as regularly as I do now, I feel bad that I never used one in the past. Part of the reason for me wanting to go caseless in the past was due to me not really liking any cases available. The only one I would consider was Apple’s Silicone Cases, but even those were lint magnets and didn’t play well with pockets.

Now that I have a toddler, and am using a phone that my work paid for, I feel obligated to keep a case on it at all times. For years I preferred to feel the premium raw materials of the iPhone since that was what I paid for, but now that I have to be more responsible the Apple iPhone Leather Case is a really awesome alternative. I don’t ever feel bad holding my phone with the case on, and I forget about the extra bulk it adds.

Whether my work upgrades me to the iPhone 15 Pro or the future 16 Pro, it will be sad when I don’t have a new Apple Leather Case to put on it. The feeling of leather, reliable and tactile metal buttons, and simple Apple logo on the are fantastic touches. I understand Apple’s goal of continuing to be more eco-friendly, it is just too bad the Leather Cases have to be eliminated to accomplish it.

HORI Nintendo Switch Controllers

Since Tears of The Kingdom was released months ago, I went back to Breath of The Wild to try and finish that game before continuing the sequel. I was playing for a good three months before life distracted me again with probably an illness taking over our home and never getting back to Zelda. Over the past month though, I have been getting back into the swing of things, and one thing that has helped was a set of new controllers that I found on sale during Prime Day.

I really like playing the Switch while connected to the TV, but with limited time on my hands being a parent of a toddler, I sometimes have to just take the Switch out of its dock and play handheld mode. I have my dock connected to my bedroom, which means that if my wife is asleep, I have to take the Switch into the living room to play. The beauty of the Switch is that it is modular and I can play it anywhere, and I really do like playing in handheld mode a lot.

The ergonomics of the joy-cons have never been too bad for me. After long periods of playing, I sometimes feel discomfort, but because I play in small spurts most of the time it has never really affected me too much. After picking up the HORI controllers though, I feel like I could play for hours and never worry about discomfort. It did take a bit of time to get used to them, but after a few days, it was no problem a tall.

Everything feels just as clicky and comfortable as the stock joy-cons and I actually prefer the top triggers much more. I have yet to program the back trigger button available or do any other customizations that they offer. I ultimately bought them for the better comfort, which has been great. I also like the colors too. I got my for around $20 on Prime Day but you can get a new pair for $49 on Amazon today.

All of these accessories make my essential gadgets more fun and better to use. The Magic Keyboard makes my iPad Pro a powerhouse of a computer, my Kindle is safe and stylish in its sleeve, my iPhone is safe but still premium feeling when in its beautiful leather case, and my Nintendo Switch can be used for hours while my hands remain comfortable.