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The Backerjack Podcast, Episode 13: More USBs, Sliding Keyboard Discs, and Robots for Kids

In Episode 13 of the Backerjack Podcast, Steve and Ross check out four of the latest products seeking funds and preorders.

  • SnapPower, a replacement outlet cover that adds a USB port in seconds
  • Octodon, a wild smartphone keyboard that uses magnetic disks mounted to an unfolding smartphone extension
  • Codie, a little robot loaded with treads and loaded with sensors that’s programmed with an iPhone

Many thanks to SnapPower for sponsoring this episode! Please support its campaign.

I’m not a fan of the red dot.

As I spend more time with my Apple Watch, I’m taking note of aspects I love and others that I don’t. Currently, the bee in my digital bonnet is the little red dot that indicates unread notifications. 

It appears at the top of the watch face whenever you have notifications to review. If it were any other color, I’d be happy with it. In my experience, a little red dot on an electronic device is indicative of a problem. There’s something wrong that I must attend to. When I first noticed the dot on day one, that was my initial response: Uh-oh, what’s wrong. 

Today I understand its purpose. I just wish it wasn’t red. 

Steve Sande
the authorSteve Sande
Steve is the founder and former publisher of Apple World Today and has authored a number of books about Apple products. He's an avid photographer, an FAA-licensed drone pilot, and a really bad guitarist. Steve and his wife Barb love to travel everywhere!