Misc Gear

Original Grain Showcases the Art Form of the Analog Watch

I test a lot of gadgets and gear for this site, and none of them have received the compliments or interest that the Original Grain “The Barrel” watch has. It doesn’t tell me when I have a call, or buzz me for texts, or vibrate uncontrollably when I haven’t visited Facebook in 20 minutes. It does two things: tells time, and looks good doing it.


Guardzilla 360 Won’t BBQ Intruders, but It Will Watch Your Home

Since the name Guardzilla seems like such an obvious riff on Godzilla, it only stands to reason that this life-size product would watch whatever you’ve aimed it at and incapacitate intruders and interlopers with a flamethrower blast when notified to do so. What? It’s “only” a compact 360º motion detection home security camera? Well, I guess that’s okay, too.



BONX Grip Is Like a Walkie-Talkie, but Better

If you participate in activities where you want to communicate with your friends, but you need to be completely hands-free, then you might want to check out the BONX Grip. It uses your phone (and it’s 3G/4G/WiFi signal) to allow communication between two people (up to 10) without touching any buttons. Think of the convenience when fishing, biking, or hunting!


Get Rid of Separation Anxiety with the Orbit Card

If you have a problem misplacing your wallet and need to be reminded that it’s not in your pocket but on your nightstand, then you should really check out the ORBIT Card. Personal identification, receipts, cash, you name it is something that we all carry day in and day out in our wallets and purses, and the Orbit Card wants to make sure that you never forget any of those things. The premise of the Orbit Card is pretty simple: it’s a Bluetooth tracker about the size of a traditional credit card that stores in your wallet and allows you to…


Kids Don’t Need High-Tech to Have Fun!

This weekend, I bought my son a toy that he has declared is “the greatest toy of all time, ever!” He spent hours with it, told everyone he saw about it, and pretty much played nonstop. It was educational, it sparked his imagination, and it cost me $1.50, because it was just an egg full of Silly Putty.


OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock Has 13 Blissful Ports for Amazing Connectivity

My new MacBook Pro is thin and light and, with just two USB-C ports, is lacking in ports. My iMac does better but still lacks the degree of port-related connectivity I used to have. That’s why the $299 OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock is a perfect fit; it offers a ton of ports and speeds that were unimaginable a few years ago.


Quip Makes Toothbrushing As Simple As Checking Your Mail

When we received the pitch to review Quip, I immediately volunteered while thinking, “These guys are way too excited about toothbrushes!” Now that I’ve spent some time with Quip, I still stand by that — they’re way too excited about toothbrushes — but the bright spot here is that their excitement has created a truly excellent product and ecosystem!



4 Tech Gadgets You Need to Keep Your Home Secure

Your home is supposed to be your little sliver of privacy and comfort in an increasingly hostile world. It’s a place where you have the luxury of retreating and relaxing. Unfortunately, criminals don’t always respect this privacy and encroach on safety for their own personal benefit. How you defend your home will determine the safety and security of your property.


NutriBullet Balance: Take Your Smoothies to the Next Level

Whether you are trying to lose weight or simply enjoy making your own smoothies at home, the new NutriBullet Balance can help. Paired with the NutriBullet Balance App, which serves as your virtual nutritionist, you’ll get precisely perfect and healthy smoothies every time.



The iseeBell WiFi Video Doorbell and Security Cam Review

Do you ever wonder who might be showing up at your door when you’re away? Perhaps you work across town, and you’re expecting a package; maybe you’re with friends in the backyard, and you don’t want to interrupt your relaxation, or you’ve wondered who’s been stealing your front porch decorations. If you had an iseeBell Video Doorbell, you’d know.





Get Great Accessories for Your iPhone 8 Courtesy of Anker

If you’re currently looking for great accessories for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, chances are you’ve looked at Anker, one of the leaders of iPhone third-party accessories. Here are a few products that you should add to your cart that are compatible with the new Apple Flagship.


Amazon Lets Loose with a New Range of Amazon Echo Devices

I love my Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and FABRIQ Speakers with Amazon Echo built in. Now Amazon has gone to town with not one, not two, but a host of new products that expand the Echo lineup. They look great, cover a lot of ground and I can’t wait to get my hands on a few of them.


PillDrill: Smart Medication Tracking for Yourself or a Loved One

One of the bothers that comes with getting older is that you’ll likely have to add at least a few medications to your daily routine. Whether you are keeping up with your own meds or those taken by an elderly relative, the PillDrill aims to make the process of remembering to take those medications as painless and streamlined as possible.


LandingZone’s New Docking Station for MacBook Pro with Touch Bar Looks Amazing

The LandingZone has announced what they call “the most powerful Apple MacBook docking station to-date.” It just might be. This new docking station offers an oh-so-awesome 16 different ports and can turn your MacBook Pro with Touch Bar into a powerful workstation. At $299 it is pricey, but the added functionality is unparalleled if you want an impressive desktop computer.


SanDisk iXpand Base Review: Auto Backups While Your iPhone Charges

I can’t tell you how many photos I’ve lost over the years because they weren’t properly backed up. Granted, many of those losses occurred before cloud storage was available, but cloud storage isn’t perfect. The SanDisk iXpand Base backs up all of my iPhone’s photos and contacts to an SD card while my phone charges overnight with no monthly fees.