ESR iPad Cases - An Option for Everyone

Amazing how quickly you can go from not knowing anything about a brand to becoming one of its biggest groupies.

There are a lot of iPad accessories out there and it goes without saying, there's a wide variety when it comes to quality and price.

Founded in 2009, ESR has quickly become a trusted fan favourite in the world of accessories like cases and chargers. In fact, ESR has led the world in many categories - like when it introduced the first MagSafe wireless car mount charger in 2020.

So in a year when Apple is rumoured to be releasing more new devices than ever before, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the ESR website to see how you can best protect those devices.

There are an awful lot of ESR products I could feature today, but let’s keep things simple and focus on iPad cases. After all, with everyone back at school and university now, it’s a great time to consider how to protect those devices we’ve become so dependent on.

The great thing about the ESR options I’ve tried so far is the way they take what Apple already has to offer and expands on it to make it even better. The Shift Magnetic Case is a perfect example.

I’m sure we’ve all seen various examples of the “basic” folio-style case; your iPad clips in to one side and the other half is a flap that protects the screen. Most of the designs like this also allow you to prop your iPad up for a better viewing angle. Not sure if they offer the choice of nine different angles like this ESR version does.

The two small lugs at the base of the fold-out kickstand are - as the name suggests - magnetic, so they’ll hold your iPad at your desired angle come what may. Perhaps that’s a more upright angle for watching video, or a flatter profile when creating with a stylus. Speaking of which, there’s a stretchy pouch on the back to keep your stylus in - not all iPads or variations of the Apple Pencil (or other compatible drawing tools) are magnetic, so this is the ideal way to make sure it’s always handy.

But there’s a lot more to the Shift Magnetic Case than that. What may not be immediately apparent is this is actually a two-piece accessory; the stylish, leather-feel cover/stand makes up half the equation while the iPad itself fits snugly into its own back cover, which protects the edges and corners of your iPad as well, while still giving easy access to volume controls and speaker grilles. Due to the sturdy thickness of its rubber, shock-absorbing edges, I did find I had to be quite deliberate when using the fingerprint sensor to unlock the iPad but I soon got used to having to press just that little bit harder.

This seperate back panel magnetises firmly onto the cover, to ensure your iPad is fully enclosed when stashed into your bag. And because that part of the case is seperate, it can also be attached at a much higher position - a bit like how you might use a laptop stand to raise your screen up closer to eye-level. This applies to both landscape and portrait orientations and certainly makes for a much better camera angle when it comes to online meetings or streaming.

ESR even suggests you can use this cunning magnetic rear casing to stick your iPad to the fridge door, effectively upgrading your fridge to one of those smart hubs that cost thousands.

The Shift is a very versatile case, expertly manufactured and is available in a wide range of colours.

And it’s also available in a whole other model; the Shift Keyboard Case.

While this version of the Shift shares many of the features I’ve just described, it adds an excellent bluetooth keyboard to the equation, which instantly makes the iPad feel more like a laptop than a tablet.

That’s not to say you can’t still use your iPad in portrait mode if you prefer; while the keyboard also uses powerful magnets to attach itself to the back half of the case, once paired and charged, there’s no need to keep it connected and the fold out kickstand on the back has an angled edge so you can prop your iPad up longways.

Conversely, both Shift cases also have a smaller, upper flap that folds out to raise your iPad to the slimmest of “studio” angles - again, best-suited for graphic work or note-taking with a stylus.

But back to the keyboard. It has so many features you simply won’t find on other similar products. It has a physical on/off switch at the side and three status LEDs at the bottom right-hand corner to indicate power, caps-lock and battery level.

I was amazed to discover the keyboard is backlit when powered on, it has a full row of function keys at the top for things like media controls, screenshots and brightness and the keys themselves have a remarkable clicky-ness and travel to them that belies how slim this part of the case is.

Then there’s the enormous trackpad - 4.4 x 2.8-inches and fully clickable, much more like a trackpad you’d find on a laptop than on a keyboard case. Because it’s bigger, you can be more accurate, scroll and zoom more smoothly and click more confidently.

And the battery life is impressive. If you choose to leave the backlighting off, it’ll run for around 130 days before your next 2hr charge.

Or there’s another option. It seems with ESR, there’s always another option.

The Flex Keyboard Case has a similar keyboard with the same feel and the same XL trackpad but doesn’t have backlighting or a physical on/off switch at the side.

Like the Shift version, the magnetic keyboard can detach for remote use but this time there’s no real way to rotate your iPad into portrait mode.

Instead, using the Flex really does feel much more like operating a laptop - down to the little rubber feet under the keyboard. In fact, it’s what I’m using to type this very review with.

There’s no stretchy pouch for a stylus either. Instead, there’s a click-in cavity at the top of the screen for your Apple Pencil or similar device. This means there’s quite a gap between that edge and the volume controls on your iPad but not to worry, ESR has found a way to transfer those controls across.

The way the Flex stands up is its true genius; a double thickness magnetic strut snaps into place when you open out the rear kickstand, as if by magic, providing an ultra-stable viewing angle of 65°. For writing or drawing, simply rotate your iPad around and it will now be angled at the much more shallow 20° position.

All three of these ESR cases are fine examples of meticulous design and build quality, yet typical of ESR’s “keep it simple” approach.

For added protection, there’s even the option of a military-grade, UltraFit Amorite screen protector, which can be applied to a professional, bubble-free standard using ESR’s all-in-the-box, 2-step process.

Take it from a parent who’s had to get his kid’s broken iPad fixed in the middle of a school term before, any device defence you can get will save a lot of tears and strife along the way. ESR offers an excellent standard of protection. I’d check them out if I were you.

Click here for more information and pricing on the ESR Shift Magnetic Case.

Click here for more information and pricing on the ESR Shift Keyboard Case.

Click here for more information and pricing on the ESR Flex Keyboard Case.

Avast Deepfake Guard - The Real Deal

The battle against scammers rages on more furiously than ever.

It seems like every legitimate advance in AI technology opens another door for nefarious actors to crash through and upend your digital life - either at home or on the job.

According to the boffins at Gen Threat Labs, they detected more than 150,000 deepfake scams in Q4, 2025 alone. New Zealanders are no exception - reporting a significant rise in scams like fake how-to videos. Imagine the cruel irony of looking up a guide on how to speed up your PC, only to fall victim to a piece of malware you've been tricked into installing by an AI-generated "computer expert."

Luckily, as the baddies hungrily embrace new technology, renowned cyber security brands like Avast have been just as quick to join the fray.

Deepfake Guard is a new feature that has just been added to Windows PC installs of Avast Premium Security; a comprehensive collection of the latest cyber safety tools in one convenient package.

Listed under the Scam Guardian Pro section of the app, once enabled, Deepfake Guard can be left running in the background, or you can choose to scan any video or audio content manually, as you play it.

As far as I can tell, Deepfake Guard works kind of like a Shazam for scams - watching and listening out for any AI-generated content and alerting you if you're watching or listening to something that's likely to be fake.

This way, you'll know to avoid clicking any links in the description or comments sections, or downloading any apps or tools the bot on screen may recommend.

All the major video platforms can be scanned automatically, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X and DailyMotion - but you can run Deepfake Guard manually over any video you watch.

Unfortunately, it's a Windows PC-only feature at this stage which is a shame for Mac users like me - and kind of surprising given how many people consume most of their video content on their phones. I'm sure Avast will roll it out to other platforms as soon as possible; meanwhile, I guess some protection is better than none at all.

What surprised me even more was some of the icky stuff I found within the Premium Security app itself.

Starting with a generous helping of straight-out spam.

When you visit a website to download an app, it's fair enough to expect a certain amount of promotion of that company's other products. Avast has quite a selection - and in my experience they all perform well, doing what they say they do on the box.

What I don't want, is to be advertised to within an app I've already paid for.

At just NZ$54.99 for the first year, you can protect one Windows PC and one mobile device with Avast Premium Security, or up to 10 devices for just $15 more. Pretty decent value. But in much the same way people got annoyed when out of the blue, Prime Video suddenly started bombarding their subscribers with ads unless they upgraded to a pricier subscription, I became increasingly frustrated the more I used Avast Premium Security.

As you'll see me demonstrate in the video below, the first thing the app prompts you to do is scan your device. It does a thorough job of this, checking not only for viruses and malware, but OS errors and other performance issues as well. Wonderful. Even on the Windows laptop I'd completely reset and erased for the purposes of writing this review, the Premium Security scan still turned up a host of junk files, broken shortcuts and out-of-date drivers.

Unfortunately, when I pressed the helpful green "RESOLVE" button, a popup window appeared inviting me to subscribe to Avast Cleanup Premium in order to do so. When I closed that window another splash screen appeared telling me my "Issue level is critical" and I could start a 60 day free trial. Even when I quit the scan results window to get back to the main menu, I was encouraged to sign up to Cleanup Premium for a third time.

This infuriating experience was replicated in various sections of the app. Scan result showed out of date drivers? No worries. Avast can sort that automatically... Once you've signed up for an Avast Driver Updater subscription.

Want to take your online privacy to the next level? Avast has a VPN for that... for a fee.

Look, I don't begrudge Avast offering different steps of cyber protection at different price points. I don't even mind they have a whole app store button on the main menu of the Premium Security app itself.

Just don't tell me I have a problem then tell me the only way I can fix it is buy paying for and installing a whole other app. That's just not helpful.

Then we come to the most paradoxical thing of all; Avast Secure Browser.

As part of Premium Security's Privacy settings, you can opt to monitor Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to protect yourself from browser-based attacks like password theft and site spoofing. Not super helpful for someone like me who prefers the lesser-known Arc browser but a great way to keep most users from accidentally clicking onto dodgy sites they shouldn't be anywhere near.

Avast takes this a step further by offering its own, stand-alone Secure Browser, with all these privacy and safety features already built in.

Sounded great to me, until I installed it, opened it and was met with a bookmark bar with Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Booking.com already pre-installed, shortcuts to Booking.com, Amazon, YouTube and Facebook right under the default search bar and most alarming of all, a seemingly endless scroll-board of "news" thumbnails featuring totally essential breaking stories such as, "Memory Loss Often Starts with One Simple Habit" and "Dermatologists: The 1 Vitamin You Need if You Have..."

It also told me the temperature was 74°F - not that helpful in metric New Zealand. Maybe you can delete and deactivate all this eye pollution in the settings, but needless to say, I shut that thing down faster than a "Neuropathy Sock" could "Go Viral in New Zealand."

I'm not saying Avast Secure Browser isn't secure. I'm just saying a cyber security company needs to take a good hard look at itself if it's prepared to bombard a paying customer with that level of spam within its own branded software. I have elected NOT to use it as my new default browser.

Ironically, I did sign up for Avast Driver Updater and it fixed my dysfunctional fingerprint scanner in seconds. Like I said, these products definitely work. I just don't like HOW some of them work.

The important thing to know is, the all-new Deepfake Guard doesn't cost any extra. It's now a built-in feature of the Scam Guardian Pro section of Avast Premium Security - for Windows users anyway. Perhaps something to think about before you watch that next "How To" video and follow the link for more detailed instructions.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on Avast Premium Security, featuring Deepfake Guard.

GHD SPEED - Faster, Not Hotter

Although I have no hair, as husband to a woman for thirty years and a parent of two girls (now also women) for more than two decades, I've learnt a few things about hair dryers.

Many of these lessons were learnt on the rare occasions when I had the day off but Domestic Manager didn't. On those days, I would get to have a lie-in.

I say, "lie-in" because sleeping in was never an option once Domestic Manager fired up her hair dryer.

Loud. So, so loud. And long. How could it take so long?

Other things I learned via muttered complaints; like arms getting tired from having to hold the hair dryer up all that time and how hot the whole thing was making her - especially after just coming out of the shower.

Now, as a sensitive male, I'm well aware it's not my job to swoop in and try and solve all her problems. Instead, I'm supposed to be an active listener and empathise as hard as I can.

But what if I actually CAN solve a lot of those problems?...

Well, I personally can't solve them - but it seems the GHD SPEED can.

Believe it or not, I have actually reviewed a few other hair-care tools before and I have to say, I was somewhat underwhelmed when I first removed the lid from the box containing GHD's latest hair-drying innovation, only to discover something that looked like... well... like a hair dryer. No crazy, out-there shape or radical materials or colours - just a fairly conventional barrel on top of a handle, available in black, white or titanium/black.

On closer inspection, there has actually been some slight streamlining. The handle is more uniformly narrow all the way up, making it more comfortable to hold than other similar designs where the handle gets thicker as it reaches the top. In the case of the SPEED, there's also a very narrow connection between the handle and the barrel which presumably makes the whole device a little bit lighter and it certainly seems nicely balanced when you pick it up.

The 360° double air filter is easily twisted off for cleaning - which is appealing to me as for some reason, I've often been the designated cleaner of gunged-up hair dryers, even though I'm not the one using them or gunging them up.

But the most important thing about the SPEED, is its speed.

What's the key to drying hair faster? Over the years, many manufacturers have decided it's all about heat - and while it's true a hot airflow not only dries but is essential for styling, there's only so hot you can go before hair becomes damaged and brittle. And that's not even taking into account how uncomfortable it is to blast scalding air directly onto your scalp for prolonged periods, not to mention having to hold something up above your head that quickly becomes too hot to touch.

That's where GHD's Halo dual airflow technology comes in. Essentially what they've done is wrapped a core stream of hot air up in a surrounding ring (or halo) of cool air. This bit of genius design has several flow-on (pun intended) effects.

Firstly; the airflow is focussed and controlled at all times, making the process more efficient and styling more precise.

Secondly; while the SPEED has four heat settings and a dedicated "Cool Shot" button to set the shape once you're happy with the style, so do many other hair dryers. The difference here is, thanks to the Halo dual airflow, this cooling effect - which also locks in shine and smoothness - is essentially happening the whole time. So; healthier, shinier hair, with a longer-lasting style, faster.

Thirdly; because the "Halo" of cool air is surrounding the hot central column, the SPEED itself remains cool to the touch - even if you end up holding it by the barrel, which you're likely to when drying and styling the top of your head. So no more burnt fingertips first thing in the morning.

And fourthly; it's just cooler. As much as 20 degrees cooler, so you won't end up hot, flustered and frustrated, just from doing your hair.

But Halo dual-airflow is only half the SPEED's story.

The other half is the digital motor. Although an amazing 91% smaller than the motor in the preceding GHD Helios, it spins at up to 118,000rpm, capable of generating high-pressure air-flow up to 176km/h.

Who needs excess heat when you've got that much power? Power focussed exactly where it needs to be via the magnetic Halo Styling Concentrator attachment included in the box, or any of the other GHD nozzles, combs and diffusers which are sold separately.

As you can tell, my first impression of "Just another hair dryer" has now been blown away.

GHD worked with over 4,000 consumers to tweak this design in all the right areas, pretty much eliminating all of the common pain points - especially the burny pain points.

Even little things, like how annoying it is to accidentally bump the controls when you had them set just right, meaning you have to fluff around with temperature and speed all over again. Not only has GHD solved this by including a Lock button to keep your preferences in place, the SPEED also remembers what settings you were using last time between styling sessions.

Domestic Manager particularly likes that bit.

If you thought heat was the answer to a faster hairstyle, think again. My loyal test subjects have confirmed it - the dual combination of hot and cool airflow, combined with the new digital motor's extreme power, result in much faster drying, a healthier shine and a style that lasts all day.

Problems solved. That is, if you want them to be. No pressure.

Click here for more information and pricing on the GHD SPEED.