January 2014

Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-cut Shredder Review – Protect Your Personal Data!

Identity theft is a very real concern these days. We try to use common sense, like regularly monitoring our bank accounts and shredding personal documents, but I keep breaking our shredders. “You get what you pay for” is definitely a good motto when it comes to motorized paper chomping machines, so we sprang for a decently equipped Amazon Basics Shredder.


Say Hello to Microsoft OneDrive

If you’ve been going crazy wondering how Microsoft has chosen to rebrand their SkyDrive service then you can rest easily today. The new name is OneDrive. You may recall Microsoft lost a trademark suit back in June 2013 with BSkyB. Until now nobody knew exactly how Microsoft would handle this. Looks as if renaming is how they’re handling it. Now you know. For current users of either SkyDrive or SkyDrive Pro, you’re all set. The service will continue to operate as you expect and all of your content will be available on OneDrive and OneDrive for Business respectively as the…


Lighten Your Hunting Pack with the Lansky BowSharp

Being a bow hunter means carrying tons of gear and small gadgets. I have to hike about half a mile or so to my hunting spot, so weight and space is a big issue. Lansky BowSharp saves space and lightens my load by combining a broadhead sharpener and wrench with a bow tool kit for only $16.99.


Spotify Grammy Predictions: How Did They Do?

So … did you watch the Grammy Awards? My family watched most, and with expectations set suitably low it was not a bad time. Spirited performances by Kendrik Lamar and Imagine Dragons easily offset the awful Katy Perry vocals, bland Taylor Swift showing, and plainly lip-syncing Pink. But the real question is … how did Spotify do predicting winners?


You’ll Never Clean the Litter Box with These Feline Stickers

Who needs cat videos when you can stick these feline stickers anywhere you want? Forget nine lives, since you get 11 different stickers per pack. I like the one with the butterflies. Purrrfect for your cat lover. But ouch — at $151 plus $17 for shipping for the set, it’s you who is being declawed.  Order now. Or not.


Google’s Achilles Heel: It’s All About the (Multiple) Accounts

If any company wants to go right for the jugular with Google, they should focus on the poor experience of using multiple Google accounts. Google has struggled since inception to get this right. Multiple accounts  kinda work — but only intermittently and awkwardly; add the desperate prompt to create a Google+ account for every email, and it’s chaos.


Slide Into Protection with the Bodyguardz Link for iPhone 5S

If you prefer a slider-style case for your iPhone 5S, then you’ll want to check out Bodyguardz Link. Available in six colors, the $29.95 case is a simple and stylish way to add color and protection to your iPhone 5S. Here’s a look at our CES 2014 review sample; stay tuned because we will be giving the sample away!


TronicalTune Review – Auto-tune Your Guitar In Seconds

I cannot lie, tuning a guitar is annoying sometimes, especially for an alternate tuning. What if there was a way to get your favorite guitar to tune itself? TronicalTune is an innovative tuning system which tunes a guitar, including alternate tuning, in about five seconds — no hands or ears required. The $299 product is simply amazing.



Get a Charge With the TYLT ENERGI 5K+ Battery Pack

  The other night I attended an event in NYC. I knew security would be tight — metal detectors, wanding etc- so I opted to bring only my wallet and my iPhone. Big mistake, since my iPhone was down to just 35% when I arrived. I truly wish I had brought the TYLT ENERGI 5K+ battery pack along for the evening.


The Jabra BIZ 2300 Is the Call Center Headset Evolved

When was the last time you called a company and could barely understand the person on the other end. There’s a good chance the person was sitting in a crowded room with other people who were also speaking, and their headset was junk. The Jabra BIZ 2300 can fix that … and it won’t cost an arm or an ear.



Say “Cheese”, Then Check Out the Zoom Q4 Handy Video Recorder

If you are looking to shoot video AND capture great audio you’ll want to check out the Zoom Q4 Handy Video Recorder. “The camera for creators where high-definition video meets high-definition audio”, the $299.99 camera Is a fully featured camera for people who demand quality image ANDF sound. Here’s a look at the camera… on camera.  


With the Zoom iQ5 Your iOS Never Sounded So Good

The iPhone 5S shoots amazing video. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for audio. That’s where the Zoom iQ5 comes in. For under $100, the iQ5 plugs into any iOS device with a Lightning connector and captures impressively accurate audio. Using the free app makes it even better. Check out all the features and see it on video. The Zoom iQ5 comes in either black or white. The product tag line says it all- “Now your videos can sound as good as they look”. I hope it is true since this would be the ideal iOS accessory for shooting future…


When the Weather is Bad, Do you have to go to Work?

With much of the country in the grip of some of the coldest weather we have experienced in years I thought of one thing: Do you have to go in to work? With current technologies allowing you to work almost anywhere with no issues are snow days a thing of the past? For myself and many like me that is the case.


iSwimband Is Wearable Tech That Can Save Lives

iSwimband is a simple device with a lofty purpose. It’s a simple band that connects via Bluetooth to a companion app, and its sole purpose is to monitor how long someone is underwater, or if a non-swimmer is in the water. While you might think your own two eyes are enough, you’re wrong, and that’s why iSwimband matters.


Is It Time to Stick a Fork in Windows Phone 8?

It seems everyone who reviews Windows Phone 8 loves it, they just “aren’t in love with it”. And Nokia Q4 2013 sales figures show a product category limping so badly it couldn’t eek out a sales gain during the recent holiday quarter.  No doubt Microsoft will keep pushing Windows Phone, but is that enough? 


Oberon Design Gives Valentine’s Day Grinches a Reason to Participate

If you participate in the emotional vortex that is called Valentine’s Day, and you have no idea where to start looking for original and meaningful gifts this year, then you’ll want to check out Oberon Design. They have added limited editions that include copious amounts of hearts and red-drenched leather.


Spotify Predicts Major Grammy Winners Based on Listener Data

This weekend the Grammy Awards present the music side of insular industry self-celebration and back-patting. Trying to figure out who wins in the post-Esperanza Spalding years is as much about who the industry needs to ‘reward’ as anything else. But the folks at Spotify have used data gleaned from their streaming service over the last year to make predictions!


2015 Lincoln Navigator Unveiled – All New and Powered by EcoBoost

As the buzz from the North American International Auto Show begins to wane, Lincoln (that other car company from Ford) has unveiled to the world its next Navigator full-size SUV. Arriving this fall, the 2015 Lincoln Navigator (the Lincoln that does NOT use the “MK” nomenclature in its name) is all-new inside and out and will be powered by EcoBoost.


What’s Up with Zinio? They’ve Gone Missing from the Apple App Store

I’ve been having issues with Zinio crashing while reading articles on my iPad for several months, and I’ve been patiently waiting for a fix. Last night, after Zinio had crashed yet again, I got a popup saying that the Zinio server I was connected to wasn’t the current server, and that I should remove the Zinio app and reinstall.