Judie and I received Huawei Mate 8 smartphones at CES 2016. The phablet is amazing but won’t work with our Apple Watches. We also picked up the amazing Withings Activité Steel Fitness Watch. It’s a great tracker but doesn’t do notifications. Fortunately, the Ditto notifier fills in that gap in a manner that is both inexpensive and discrete.
Last year Dan and I took a look at the Blue Mo-Fi Headphones, and to this day, they are still among my favorites. At $349, the Mo-Fi might be a bit out of grasp for the casual audiophile, though. If you don’t necessarily need the built-in amplifier the Mo-Fi sports, then you should consider the comparably built, less expensive Lola. Included in the box are the Lola headphones, a soft travel case, an almost 4-foot long flat tangle-free audio cable with Apple iPhone/iPad controls and microphone, an (insanely long) flat 10-foot audio cable, and a 3.5mm-to-1/4 inch adaptor. If you…
In the grand scheme of things, USB wall chargers probably don’t rate too highly on your list of “things that should be pretty”, but it’s nice when one comes along that not only looks good, it also does a fab job of quickly charging your USB powered gear; that’s the Just Mobile AluPlug.
As long as manufacturers are making devices with batteries, we’ll need extended batteries; and as long as manufacturers are making extended battery packs, we’ll be covering them. It takes a little something extra to pique my interest in a battery anymore (yes, I’m slightly jaded), but the Nomad PowerPlant in American walnut 12,000mAh battery did just that.
Beddit is a completely unobtrusive sleep-tracking device that’s installed under your bed sheet and gives you a sleep score in the morning. Beddit measures your total sleep time, respiration rate, heart rate, time to fall asleep, and more. When you wake up in the morning, Beddit gives you a detailed overview of your night’s sleep. Beddit is available for $149.
I’ve been intrigued by the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin speakers since Doug reviewed the Zeppelin back in 2008, followed by Dan’s Zeppelin Air review in 2011. Now it’s 2015, and B&W has released their most refined Zeppelin yet, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless Speaker, and now it is my turn to see what all of the fuss is about.
The Jabra Eclipse Wireless Headset is the lightest headset Jabra has ever produced. Yet this light, attractive headset packs in a premium music-grade speaker and comes with a special holder that lets the headset charge in your pocket. At $129 the headset isn’t cheap but for the money you get a light, stylish headset that sounds great. The most important thing if you are going to use a Bluetooth headset is the sound it produces. If a headset sounds like you are speaking on a headset it isn’t something you will want to use and it certainly isn’t worth the…
The Bluelounge Mika Universal Table Stand is simplicity at its best. The stand is universal so it works with most every tablet and many light, thin laptops. It is, as the company notes, “simple and timeless, it can be used for the device you carry today, and tomorrow. And at $29.95, the Mika makes a great gift this holiday season! What’s new is that Mika is now available in white with light grey details. Until now it was only available in aluminium with black details. This new version offers a nice aesthetic option. “That drawer filled with old accessories and…
I recently reviewed the ZAGG Power Amp 12 Portable Charger and Flashlight. It is big, powerful, and charges your phone up to four times. Its a great option if you need serious power. If you want something smaller and easier to carry the $29.99 ZAGG Power Amp 3 Portable Charger and Flashlight is a great option! At under $30 the ZAGG Power Amp 3 Portable Charger and Flashlight makes a great stocking stuffer! And since it is available in five bright colors there is one for every taste and style. (Not that an external battery is a fashion statement but…
With CES 2016 on the way thoughts turn to external batteries. Truth is, Judie and I have discovered that we can never have too many of them as we run from meeting to meeting. The new ZAGG Power Amp 12 Portable Charger and Flashlight is a great option that will charge an iPhone four times and provides a flashlight too! The ZAGG Power Amp 12 Portable Charger and Flashlight is $69.99. That may sound pricey but for the money you get an external battery that is well-made, offers a good amount of external charging, a smart chip so devices charge…
I’ve got a thing for slim batteries that have built-in cables, and while I generally prefer a battery with at least 5000mAh built-in, the PhoneSuit Journey 3500mAh All-in-One Charger has something going for it that none of the others I’ve tried do: Not only does it have built-in Lightning and microUSB charging cables, it also has a built-in AC plug!
It’s that time of year when you find yourself wracking your brain for gifts for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life. Here’s a quick look at some popular items for that special Android user. Some are cross-platform (battery chargers), and some are specific to Android (smartphones); all of them should put a smile on your Android addict’s face.
We’re big fans of TYLT’s products here on the site. We’ve reviewed a ton of them, and from their external batteries to their cables to their cases to their wireless charging devices, each and every one has impressed. The products work well while also showing off a unique aesthetic. And from Black Friday through Cyber Monday you can save big!
InCharge is a successfully funded IndieGoGo project that solves a lot of first-world problems us gadgets users have: Not having a cable to charge our devices at all times.
The IK Multimedia iKlip Studio is, “A sturdy, adjustable stand for iPad and iPad mini” and it works well. Priced under $30, it creates a stable base for your tablet whether you are a musician or simply want your tablet at a stable, easy-to-read angle. It folds flat, is easy to transport, easy to use, and works well! IK Multimedia notes that the iKlip Stand is designed for musicians. In fact, on the product page they say: “Let’s face it, there’s enough pressure in the studio without having to worry about breaking your iPad. We’ve elegantly solved this problem with…
The IK Multimedia iRig Acoustic is something totally new and hugely innovative. As the company notes it, “Reinvents Guitar Miking for Mobile” and does so in a smart, innovative way that musicians are going to love. It is the first acoustic guitar mobile microphone/interface for use with iOS devices, Macs and Androids too! It is nicely-priced and easy to use! As IK Multimedia explains, “Now acoustic players can get stunning, studio-microphone quality sound for recording and live performance from any acoustic guitar anytime and everywhere.” iRig is the best-selling mobile interface of all time. With the iRig Acoustic it is,…
If you’ve already invested a lot of money in an indoor portable speaker, you’ve probably caught yourself babying it. It doesn’t go outside, and you would never allow it to fall — on purpose, anyway. But wouldn’t you like to have one that you could take everywhere without worry?
Until recently, if you used an iPhone you had only two real choices in smartwatches: Apple Watch or the Pebble line. Android users, on the other hand, had multiple companies vying for their business including Sony, Samsung, LG, Acer, Huawei, Motorola, Alcatel and others. Android Wear for iOS has given iPhone users options; now there’s a real smartwatch selection.
The other day we reviewed the Plantronics Backbeat Pro+ headphones. I love them but Raina, who likes their sound, found them too big, bulky and heavy on her head. She’s right. Thankfully, I also have a pair of Plantronics Backbeat Sense Wireless Headphones on hand for review. They are light, comfortable and sound great; even Raina was impressed by them.
One of the things that I loved about my monogram Louis Vuitton Zippy organizer wallet was its design. It could hold all of my credit and ID cards, bills, and plane tickets in one compact, zippable clutch The only thing it couldn’t do was hold my phone; if it had a little bigger pocket, it would have been perfect.
Blue, a company that has impressed us with their excellent headphones and microphones in the past, has just dropped Lola, their newest high-fidelity headphone.