Tech Trends: A look into the latest dental and general technology on the market

Combo Touch Backlit Keyboard

(starts at $199, Logitech)

Apple markets the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air as powerful productivity tools and offers Pro accessories to pair with them such as the Magic Keyboard. While these accessories compliment the amazing performance of these devices, other manufacturers seek to provide customers with better alternatives. Logitech has created the Combo Touch keyboard case with trackpad that brings remarkable versatility to the iPad Pro and iPad Air.

The Combo Touch is a rubberized plastic molded case that protects the corners of the device and magnetically attaches to a keyboard cover with backlit keys and a multitouch trackpad. The case is surrounded by a durable woven fabric and contains an adjustable kickstand with up to 50 degrees of tilt to provide a wide viewing angle range. It is powered by the Smart Connector built into the iPad Pro and iPad Air so it does not require Bluetooth pairing, charging or additional software to use. One edge of the case is uncovered to accommodate the magnetic attachment of an Apple Pencil for charging. The attached keyboard can be used upright in typing mode with the kickstand extended or detached and flipped and reattached with the keys facing inward for reading mode. The kickstand can also be extended with the keyboard detached for viewing mode or fully extended in sketch mode for writing notes or drawing. The full-sized keyboard has plenty of room and tactile feedback for a comfortable typing experience. A full row of function keys is also a welcome feature that allows for useful shortcuts and adjustment of screen brightness, keyboard brightness, volume and media controls. The multitouch trackpad has an impressive surface area that has a physical click mechanism and is responsive to gestures. These amazing features, however, come at a sacrifice. The case combined with the attached keyboard adds over an additional pound of weight and over half an inch of thickness to the device. Overall, the case provides excellent additional protection and functionality when compared to the Apple Magic Keyboard.

As mobile tablets today become more powerful and useful, available accessories will also continue to optimize their potential. The Logitech Combo Touch brings a wide array of features in a keyboard case to the iPad Pro and iPad Air to increase their versatility and productivity but at a significant decrease to portability.

— Hubert Chan, DDS

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Microsoft To Do

(Free, Microsoft)

The humble to-do list has been a staple for mobile computing since the very first “palmtop” device, the Atario Portfolio, was introduced in 1989. Whether tapped out on a text file or synchronized across multiple mobile devices, electronic to-do lists must be easy to use, readily available and faultlessly reliable. The to-do list space is well-tread and filled with competition from the largest technology players. Microsoft To Do is one of many such products, and while it doesn’t break new ground, it offers a streamlined and useful experience, especially when paired with other Microsoft services.

To Do came out of Wunderlist, one of the most popular mobile apps in the early 2010s. After acquiring the start-up company in 2015, Microsoft pledged to develop Wunderlist into an uncomplicated, multiplatform task management hub. Six years later, Microsoft has finally made good on its promise with To Do. On start-up, To Do asks for users to log into their Microsoft account. It takes a few moments to scour a user’s account for any task lists that have been created in Outlook, Teams or Planner, then it goes to a pleasantly uncluttered home screen. Existing tasks are in the middle of the screen and buttons at the four corners: account management, search, new list and new group. Individual tasks can be customized with items like due dates, subtasks and notes, with a single tap. These tasks can then be grouped into lists. At every level, items can be shared with others either to view or edit. The experience is similar across both desktop and mobile environments and synchronization happens quickly (though occasionally unreliably) through Microsoft servers. Overall, To Do is an easy-to-use task list for the user who is heavily entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem. Unfortunately, To Do is not enough of an upgrade for anyone who is happy with their current electronic task list to consider switching.

— Alexander Lee, DMD