2013

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness, News & Features

Sweat Machine from UNICEF Turns Perspiration into Drinking Water

I have never had a problem perspiring – and given that I am also a distance runner who doesn’t shy away from the heat and humidity, and you have the recipe for some drenched workout clothes! All of my Dri-Fit stuff is still wet after several hours! Imagine if there was a way to harness all of that perspiration and convert it back to drinking water? Well, there is, and it is called simply the Sweat Machine and it is part of a UNICEF campaign to raise awareness for the 750 million people around the world without access to clean…

News & Features

ContourRoam2 Action Cam – Reviewed and Still Used

We’ve reviewed a number of action cameras here on the site over the past year or so, and the one that rose to the top for me was the ContourRoam2 Action Camera. The Roam2 is simple to use. In fact, it is so simple that I actually had to read the manual to figure out just how to start the recording process. It turns out simply powering it on is all you need to do. (Read the original review.) Add in the fact that the ContourRoam2 is waterproof and is less than $200, and you have an action camera that…

Health and Fitness, News & Features, Outdoors

Magellan’s Echo Smart Running Watch – Leverages Your Smartphone and Integrates Fitness Apps

Have you ever stood in your driveway waiting for your GPS to find satellites whereas your phone was set a few minutes earlier? I have done it many times, as has pretty much anyone who has both a GPS watch and smartphone! The realities of power, cost and space make it hard for GPS watch makers to have the same capabilities as a smartphone. To deal with this, Magellan introduces the Echo – let’s take a look! The Echo isn’t like other GPS watches – because it isn’t a GPS! Instead, it is a specialized Bluetooth receiver that works with…

Crowdfunding, News & Features

Ubuntu Kicks Off a $32 Million Edge Smartphone Indiegogo Campaign – Will it Work?

Engadget had a story about how Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has kicked off an Indiegogo campaign to help raise money to build their first Ubuntu Phone, the Ubuntu Edge. You can donate at many levels, but if you donate at least $830 dollars they will send you an Ubuntu Edge once it’s built as well. The phone looks really sharp, and it has what sounds like a decent wish list of features. Specifications Dual boot Ubuntu mobile OS and Android Fully integrated Ubuntu desktop PC when docked Fastest multi-core CPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage 4.5in 1,280 x 720 HD sapphire…

Events, Game Diary, Music Diary

Jason Michael Paul Discusses Upcoming rePLAY Video Game Musical Tour

Get ready for a musical tour like no other as powerful video game musical scores combine with professional theatrics, visuals and orchestral arrangements in the upcoming “rePLAY” tour. The “rePLAY” tour will visit select cities in the United States and dates for this highly anticipated tour will be announced this fall. Visit www.replay-symphony.com for tour dates, updates, breaking news, and more. “rePLAY” will be the spiritual successor to “PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.” In 2006, executive producer Jason Michael Paul created “PLAY! A Video Game Symphony”, based on his previous “Dear Friends” tour, which both featured live orchestra performances with music and video from…

Reviews

Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds Review – Sweat-Proof and Ready for Action!

It was just about a year ago that we reviewed Plantronic’s BackBeat Go wireless headphones. The BackBeat Go were, and are (I still have and use them on occasion) impressive. Looking not much larger than standard wired earbuds, these wireless headphones were a feat of engineering that packed Bluetooth technology and a battery large enough to let you listen to music, watch a movie, or talk on the phone for up to four and a half hours per charge. They even had an inline microphone and controls that allowed you to take calls, skip tracks, and adjust volume on the…

Reviews

Logitech Harmony Smart Remote Universal Remote System Review

When I first had the opportunity to check out the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.1 tablet, I didn’t expect to think much of the inclusion of an IR blaster that allows the tablet to function as a smart remote for your tv and media system. Much to my surprise, I liked having the option to use the tablet to control my various entertainment systems. After all who needs to juggle multiple remotes when one device can replace them all? The Griffin Beacon (read about it) sought to do just that by turning your iPhone into a remote using an iOS app…

Health and Fitness

What Works for Me … Works for Me – The Monday Mile

This is going to sound a bit cynical and perhaps it is: American culture has become obsessed with the possibility of actions without consequence followed by a ‘quick fix’ to undo whatever mess we’ve made. I have a picture of my mother at a bicentennial celebration in 1976 and she was rail-thin, thinner than I had ever seen her. She had problems for years losing weight after my younger sister was born, so her doctor gave her diet pills to help. In the mid-70s ‘diet pills’ were basically speed. She lost weight way too fast because the speed diet pills…

Vehicles & Gear

2013 Kia Optima Hybrid Update Shows What a Difference a Year Can Make

I see it has been a year since our Carly Z reviewed the Optima Hybrid midsize sedan from Kia. She raved about its styling and onroad characteristics. Fast forward one year, and Kia has delivered an updated 2013 model that features upgrades to the hybrid powertrain component, an area I was critical of in the commonly outfitted Sonata Hybrid from sibling Hyundai when it launched just prior to the Kia. I will say I echo nearly every comment Carly made concerning the 2012 Optima she tested save for the powertrain. That first-generation technology from the Korean duo was exactly that…

HTC One Screen Protector GLAS.tR SLIM Premium Tempered Glass

Gear Bits

Don’t Get the Spigen GLAS.tR for Your AT&T HTC One – Not Yet, Anyway

I have a GLAS.tR screen protector on my iPhone 5, and I absolutely love it. When I purchased an AT&T HTC One, I was very pleased to find out that the same excellent tempered glass screen protection was available for it. I purchased the GLAS.tR, installed it (it looked great, btw), marveled at how clear and responsive my screen was after the installation … and then was ultimately disappointed when I found that the back and home capacitive buttons on my AT&T HTC One no longer worked. I had noticed that the front of the GLAS.tR’s box said this ……

News & Features

Samsung GALAXY S4 Active Review – a Much More Rugged S4 with Few Tradeoffs

I’m going to surprise myself by writing this, but were I in the market for a new phone right now I think the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active would be at the top of my list of possibilities. It’s packed with power, it feels great in the hand, and it overcomes many of the issues I have with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Because the two phones are running the same operating system and have the same Samsung bells, whistles and capabilities such as Air View, Air Gesture and Smart Pause, I’m not going to run down those specifics. Instead, I will…

Reviews

Trident Aegis Case for the Nokia Lumia 928 Review – Bubble Wrap for Your Mobile Phone

I am loving my new Lumia 928. Windows Phone is slick, and I am enjoying the phone just as much as I did the day I bought it. However, the operating system isn’t the only thing that’s slick — the polycarbonate casing is very slippery, and I am very accident prone. Luckily for me, Trident cases released their Aegis line for the 928, and I quickly jumped on the case as a way to give my Lumia some solid protection against my personal chaotic field. Is it a good balance of protection and style? Does it make an already…

Sao Paulo Underground - Beija Flors Velho E Sujo

Music Diary, Reviews

São Paulo Underground Brings Their Funky Jazz Beats to ‘Beija Flors Velho E Sujo’

When I first heard of Ray Mazurek it was as an up and coming hard bop trumpet player back in the 90s. Then I discovered his album Synthesthesia and later the sublime Sound Is. So when the folks at Cuneiform asked if I had an interest in checking out the latest released by his São Paulo Underground, I jumped at the opportunity! Description: In its latest incarnation, SPU is a power trio and a post-modern orchestra rolled into one, marked by glistening sonic textures, seductive eletronica beats, unabashedly beautiful melodies, an expansive improvisational palette and fiercely gleeful interplay. A potent…

Editorials, News & Features

What Is NFC and Why Do You Want It?

Today’s rumor mill has it that the next generation of the iPhone will include NFC (Near Field Communication). This will be yet another example of Apple playing “feature catch up” with other devices. After all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.1, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active as well as the BlackBerry Z10, the HTC 8X and even the year-old HTC One X I have sitting here all feature NFC. Apple will be late to the game. But the question remains, should Apple even get into the game? What exactly IS NFC and do you want it in your next phone? Let’s…

Editorials

What Subscription Services Are Worth a Place in Your Budget?

Sarah and I have been loving the new Netflix series “Orange is the New Black”. It’s incredibly well-written, has an amazing cast, and manages to add levity and entertainment to a relatively depressing premise (it’s not exactly happy time watching a protagonist navigate life in prison). I’ve been recommending the show like crazy and was surprised when Dan told me he recently cancelled his Netflix subscription. We use Netflix constantly and it didn’t occur to me that not everyone pays for the service! It sparked a larger discussion among the Gear Diary Editors about what subscription services we pay for…

News & Features

Snow Lizard Introduces the Rugged, Waterproof and Battery-Boosting SLXtreme for iPhone 5 and iPad

For most, precious few moments are spent enjoying the pristine thin beauty of a new iPhone before stuffing it in a case. That was part of the deal when we got the phones for our kids – always in a case. And one great thing about the iPhone is that innovative case-makers have an amazing array of products. With ski season approaching, I was thrilled to see the new SLXtreme series launched for the iPhone 5 and iPad. Why specifically ski season? Our younger son is on the ski team, which means bus rides, cold temperatures and long days. And…

News & Features

Rayovac Redefines Mobile Charging Category with 2-Hour Power

As smartphones advance it seems there are fewer and fewer things to complain about – they are fast, responsive, thin and light, feature-filled, and the batteries … ok, so there is still one thing to complain about. Because with new features and more powerful chips, advances in battery technology have merely managed to maintain the status quo. So what do we do? Many have battery cases which are phone specific, and I also have a few external battery packs I can connect with a cable to my phone. These are great solutions, but can run into a fair amount of…

News & Features

Logitech Bluetooth Speakers Z600 Promise Big Sound from Small Towers

I didn’t think I would see the day when I wanted to return to having a pair of computer speakers, but a new computer and Logitech’s new Bluetooth Speakers Z600 may change all that. Yes, now that I once again have a MacBook air my MacBook Pro will likely become more of a desktop computer than anything else. Suddenly I want good desktop speakers again. The timing is perfect since Logitech’s new Bluetooth Speakers Z600 are about to hit the market. Tall and thin, the stereo speakers are designed to look good when sitting next to today’s stylish computers. And…

News & Features

HTC One mini Packs the One’s Power into a Smaller Package

It has been a long time since I saw Judie as enamored with a phone as she is with her HTC One. The phone is sleek, powerful, and it shows that one needs not compromise when looking for an Android handset these days. Now HTC has, as expected, pulled the curtain back on the HTC One’s smaller sibling, the HTC One mini. The HTC One mini, is a compact — but not small — version of the HTC One, and it brings everything that has made the HTC One stand out in an ever-more crowded marketplace. The HTC One mini…

Crowdfunding, Game Diary

Open World Fantasy RPG Balrum Launches Kickstarter Campaign!

I love the classic game Ultima VII, and it has inspired dozens of games since it was released in 1992. The most recent example is the Eschalon series from Basilisk games – another excellent set of games! Now I am reminded of the greatest Ultima game as I watch the Kickstarter video for Balrum. Project Title: Balrum Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: Thursday Aug 15, 3:32pm EDT. URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/balconyteam/balrum From the developer: Here are some key features: An open world fantasy RPG with building, farming and crafting. For PC, Mac and Linux. The game is a…

News & Features

Amazing Paper Sleeves for iPad mini & kindle

If you own an iPad Mini, you might already have it in a case or perhaps have a SmartCover for your Mini or some type of protection. But many with a Kindle simply toss it in their bag or backpack, and even the SmartCover does little to protect the body of the Mini. There are numerous cases and sleeves you can use for your device, but the folks at t&m have a new idea. That idea? Amazing Paper Sleeves. These are described as ‘Pulp Art’, and are made of solid cardboard. They serve the purpose of “protect(ing) mobile devices against…

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