June 2013

Goji Smart Lock Makes Other Locks Look Stupid

Crowdfunding

Goji Smart Lock Makes Other Locks Look Stupid

We already use our home network to control our Nest thermostat from our smartphones, but this similarly styled smart deadbolt system might be something Kev and I should next consider. The Goji Smart Lock uses your home WiFi network to send real-time picture alerts to your smartphone when someone activates the lock. You can also use its smartphone app to remotely allow access to your home when an out-of-town friend or relative shows up and you are running late.

It is NOT All About the Gear - The Monday Mile

Health and Fitness

It is NOT All About the Gear – The Monday Mile

As I went out for a run last week, I was fresh off cashing in a gift card at my local Dick’s Sporting Goods (and loads of coupons), and I was flush with cool new stuff. It occurred to me that I was outfitted with HUNDREDS of dollars in gear – minimal shoes, high-tech socks, absurdly expensive Dri-Tech shorts, Dri-Tech compression shirt, SpiBelt, Garmin FR-10 GPS watch, and even a $25 high-tech running hat! The only thing that wasn’t exorbitant, was the $0.30 of band-aids to prevent ‘shirt front bleeds’, if you get my drift. Contrast this with what I…

Tom Bihn Synapse 25 Backpack Review - Bigger and Better!

Reviews

Tom Bihn Synapse 25 Backpack Review – Bigger and Better!

It’s been a while since Tom Bihn released the original Synapse backpack.  I liked it very much except that it does tend to look a little silly on a big guy like me, and sometimes it’s just a bit too small to hold the things I want to bring along.  Apparently I am not the only one who has said that, which led Tom to design a bigger version of the Synapse, called the Synapse 25.  The original Synapse is still being made, and is now called the Synapse 19. What’s New?

2013 Dodge Charger Pays Homage to Past and Present

Vehicles & Gear

2013 Dodge Charger Pays Homage to Past and Present

Dodge recently redesigned its fullsize Charger sedan, giving it bodylines and other styling cues that pay homage to the iconic car’s heritage. Keeping it current and marketable, the automaker loads the vehicles with a host of modern powertrains and interiors (and safety equipment). Under the hood of our first recent Charger tester – an R/T – was the latest 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI with Fuel Saver cylinder deactivation technology that offers 25 mpg on the highway but still delivers a very healthy 370hp when prompted. The R/T came with a five-speed automatic but adds new die-cast zinc steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters…

The Lifesaver Filtered Water Bottle Review

Reviews

The Lifesaver Filtered Water Bottle Review

There are a few basic necessities that all humans need to survive:  Food, Water, and Shelter.  Shelter can be built by people with materials one finds throughout the world; wood, stone, sand, clay are all examples of items that can be found in nature in order to build and provide shelter for humans.  Food can also be found by either scavenging or hunting and there are simple ways to prepare food with fire.  However, clean, drinkable water can be extremely difficult to find and there are no real fool proof ways to ensure that one can remove all bacteria, viruses,…

Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW Camera Backpack Is Your New Adventure Buddy

Reviews

Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW Camera Backpack Is Your New Adventure Buddy

The Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW camera backpack is a great way to carry and protect your mirror less camera, a tablet and a healthy selection of gear. When preparing for CES 2013 last January I tried a number of bags and backpacks that would allow me to carry my camera gear and my tablet all day long. Ultimately I settled on a backpack from Loco, and I really enjoyed using it. It was a bid on the large side for me but, for CES, that was a good thing. (That review is forthcoming.) When I moved to a smaller…

Yurbuds Inspire Limited Edition Sport Earphones Offer Good Sound and Good Fit

Reviews

Yurbuds Inspire Limited Edition Sport Earphones Offer Good Sound and Good Fit

The other day we reviewed yurbuds’ Focus Pro behind the ear sports headphones. I was impressed with the comfort of the headphones as well as the microphone and in-line controls on them. The audio from the headphones was good, but it wasn’t good enough to make the Focus Pros something I would want to listen to as my full-time pair of headphones. The Focus Pros are perfectly fine for a run or similar activity, but they simply don’t stand up to some of the other relatively high-end headphones we have reviewed. This time we are looking the yurbuds Limited Edition…

Ossian The Shadow Sun

Game Diary, News

The Shadow Sun Gets New Screens as Release Approaches!

Back in the early Fall of 2010, Ossian Studios released the first screens and information for their in-progress iOS RPG called ‘The Shadow Sun’. Ossian was already known to RPG fans as the studio formed by ex-Bioware producer Alan Miranda, which had created some of the best third-party content for Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights 2. In short, these guys know their stuff, and they put forth their mission – the “ultimate goal of creating a top-quality PC/console RPG experience on iOS.” Since then there has been little news other than delays and removal of a specific time frame for…

Yurbuds Focus Pro Review - They Stay Put and Keep the Music Going

Reviews

Yurbuds Focus Pro Review – They Stay Put and Keep the Music Going

In 2010 yurbuds came out with one of the silliest audio products ever- or so I thought. They offered custom-sized “earbud enhancers” that fit over the one-size-fits all earbuds Apple and others included with phones and media devices. The goal of these “enhancers” was to create a better, more comfortable fit. I wasn’t impressed. Fast forward to CES 2011, and the company showed off their revamped product. Now, instead of having a cover that fit over your existing earbuds, they offered a complete package — their own brand of earbuds with the yurbud special sauce,  the earbud enhancers already in place. We…

Battery for Windows Phone Review

Reviews

Battery for Windows Phone Review

I am having fun setting up my new Lumia 928, and part of that is getting to know new apps and settings. On my iPhone I had my battery percentage listed in the status bar, but that’s not an options in Windows Phone. Luckily, I stumbled across a great utility app, aptly called “Battery”, that provides a Live Tile of my percentage battery life left, plus a whole slew of other useful data settings and shortcuts!