Articles by Zek

Privacy and Security in Mobile Health Apps

Editorials, Health and Fitness

We Need to Talk About Protecting Your Privacy When Using Health Apps

Privacy has become a big discussion point these days since it feels like every app wants permission to use your camera, access your microphone, and track you all over the place. Ensuring that your private information is securely kept becomes especially relevant when considering apps that track your health, particularly those that track your reproductive health. Do you really need to be concerned about your privacy when using health apps? For many reasons, the answer is yes.

Infinix Announces Super Fast 180W Thunder Charger

Gear Bits

Infinix Teases Super-Fast 180W Thunder Charger: Yet-To-Be-Announced Flagships Will Never Run Out of Juice!

Infinix makes impressive phones that offer significant bang for your buck, but they’re not settling for that. They’re rolling out a new 180W Thunder Charger with select Infinix flagship phones later this year. These phones’ charging times won’t just be a few minutes faster; they’ll be shockingly faster —as in getting a 50% charge on a 4500mAh battery in just four minutes!

Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra

Gear Bits

Shrink the Workstation but Up the Power with the Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra

Desktop setups for work are increasingly all about the footprint. No one wants to have to deal with a big heavy tower, especially if there’s potential for swapping units around, and smaller devices mean less need for excess storage space. However, smaller doesn’t mean less need for power, and Lenovo understands that balance well. They’re trying to meet both space and specifications with the new Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra.

Taotronics 10 Speed Massage Gun

Gear Bits, Editorials

A Reminder: Buying a Massage Gun Shouldn’t Mean That You Have to Break the Bank!

We received a pitch for a massage gun that clocked in at a jaw-droppingly cheap $26.31 (or as low as $22.10 if you buy in bulk!). In an email to me, Judie questioned whether a massage gun that cheap could possibly be effective. While we plan to review this inexpensive massage gun to see how it does, I pointed out that while $26 does seem overly cheap, the reality is that a massage gun is a relatively simple device that probably shouldn’t cost $300 and up, either!

Xreart original iPhone teardown art

Reviews

Xreart Studio Review: Give the Gift of Upcycled Gadgets with Unique Teardown Art

Art is subjective. What speaks to one person might not strike someone else in the same way. However, if you’re reading Gear Diary, you probably have a strong appreciation for technology, especially the devices that impacted your life. Maybe your gateway to geekery was a Game Boy, an original iPhone, or your first smartwatch; Xreart takes that love for gadgets and turns them into works of art!

Pride 2022: The Fight for Equal Rights Still Isn't Over

Editorials

Pride 2022: The Fight for Equal Rights Still Isn’t Over

A few years ago, I ranted about how commercialized Pride has become. That hasn’t changed; if anything, “rainbow capitalism” has tripled in the last four years. Unfortunately, so has discrimination, and there’s been a rise in legislative actions designed to chip away at the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Brickit Aims to Bring High Tech Creativity to That Mess of Lego Bricks!

Gear Bits

Brickit Aims to Bring High Tech Creativity to That Mess of Lego Bricks!

When my brother outgrew his LEGO bricks back in the early 90s, my mom had the foresight to pack them away for future generations. It’s quite amusing to see my son build things out of the same LEGO his uncle used (and see him occasionally texting my brother to ask why he drew his initials in all the roof pieces). Everyone has that big LEGO bin from years of accumulated bricks, and Brickit thinks they’ve cracked the way to inspire you to see potential in every mismatched choice.

Qualcomm Brings Augmented Reality to Life with the Snapdragon XR2 Platform

Gear Bits

Qualcomm Brings Augmented Reality to Life with the Snapdragon XR2 Platform

Everyone loves the idea of full virtual reality, but the really interesting future is in augmented reality. With this, you’re still seeing the world around you, but you’re getting an overlay of new details, from inventory management to pretending you’re catching Pokemon. Qualcomm wants to push AR to new heights with their Snapdragon XR2 Platform, and it offers some really exciting potential!

Sony LinkBuds S in left ear of a women.

Gear Bits

Sony LinkBuds S Shrink Down True Wireless Earbuds While Boosting Features

Have you looked at true wireless headphones and thought they’d hit the limit on what can be crammed into such tiny devices? Well, Sony doesn’t believe in limitations, but they do believe in maximizing the earbud experience. Today they’re rolling out the Sony LinkBuds S, which they say are the smallest and lightest true wireless noise-canceling headphones on the market!

Roku Ultra

Gear Bits

The Roku Ultra Bundle Now Includes the Phenomenal Roku Voice Remote Pro!

If I had to make a list of “can’t live without it” devices that I use regularly, my Roku Ultra would absolutely be at the top of the list. If you can only have one streaming device, it would be hard to argue for a better choice. Roku is sweetening the appeal immensely by adding their phenomenal Roku Voice Remote Pro to the Ultra bundle!

MediaTek Genio Powered AIoT

Gear Bits, News

MediaTek Genio Aims to Make AI Chipsets Even Smarter!

We all love our shiny technology, especially now that it is all getting even smarter and more connected. But here’s the thing — the more we want our devices to keep up with us, the more they need that boost under the hood. To that end, the new MediaTek Genio chipsets aim to bring more power and support to devices featuring AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things).

Swagtron Swagcycle Pro Pedal-Free eBike Review: All of the Fun, None of the Work!

Reviews

Swagtron Swagcycle Pro Pedal-Free eBike Review: All of the Fun, None of the Work!

My son recently learned how to ride a bike, and it’s opened up a whole new world of excitement for him. In the fearless way of all small children, he’s jumping curbs and taking frighteningly tight turns like a pro. On the other hand, I am old and have a bad knee, making it a lot harder for me to keep up with him. So when I had the chance to check out the Swagtron Swagcycle Pro, I was super excited for the assist!

Lenovo Slims Things Down While Upping the Power of Their Latest Laptops

News

Lenovo Slims Things Down While Upping the Power of Their Latest Laptops

The very first laptop I ever used was one my father had, and it was at least three (or more!) inches thick. At the time, it still felt like the peak of technological achievement. Fast forward to today, and Lenovo has unleashed a slew of new ultra-slim laptops that take sleek, futuristic design and jaw-dropping performance to a whole new level!

Phiaton BonoBuds in a woman's ear; her hair is pulled back so you can see the ear buds.

Reviews

Phiaton BonoBuds True Wireless Earbuds Review: Active Noise Cancellation That Won’t Break Your Budget

One of the greatest things about true wireless earbuds is that they’ve become incredibly diverse, and they are available at just about any price point with multiple feature sets. And now you don’t need to wince at spending a few hundred on earbuds when you can get a solid listening and call experience for less money without giving up extra features like noise cancellation, as we’ve seen with the Phiaton BonoBuds!