October 2014

Ventev Powercell 3015 External Battery Review and Giveaway

The Ventev Powercell 3015 External Battery is not the most powerful external battery we’ve reviewed, but its small size, light weight, and low-price make it a good option if you are looking for something inexpensive that will keep you from running out of juice three-quarters of the way through the day. Here’s our review and a chance to win one. As we have seen with other products from Ventev, the packaging is nothing to get excited about. That’s really not an issue, since this is all about having the practicality of a small, light, inexpensive external battery. Fancy packaging would…

Reviews

Beware Things That Go Bumpies for iPhone 6 in the Night

I have to hand it to the people who created the Bumpies for iPhone 6 smartphone protection system. They really thought out of the box when coming up with their product. Then they found a way to actually USE the box. The result is a rather unusual un-case that offers minimalist protection while still actually protecting… sort of.

Reviews

Amped Wireless’ REC15A High Power Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

The REC15A High Power Wi-Fi Range Extender from Amped Wireless extender offers decent range extension that can boost the range up to 5000 square feet. This three-inch tall by five-inch wide extender plugs directly into an outlet and requires some configuration. It works with any Wi-Fi standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and transmits via single band (2.4GHZ) or dual band (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz).

News

The Samsung Gear S Will Be Available Soon; Do You Want One?

Word has just come out that the Samsung Gear S smartwatch, which we have previously covered is soon to be available from all major US carriers beginning next Friday, November 7th. We know that at Sprint, “well-qualified buyers can purchase Gear S with $0 down (plus tax) and 24 monthly payments of $16 (SRP: $384; excluding taxes; service plan required).”

Editorials

Why It Matters That Tim Cook Came Out As Gay

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has written a heartfelt and beautiful letter in Bloomberg Businessweek coming out as a gay man. If you haven’t read it yet, please stop what you are doing, and read it immediately. It’s been a bit of an open secret for some time, but seeing him put it in writing is quite empowering and courageous.

Reviews

Incipio offGRID Backup Battery LED

I’m hesitant to describe the Incipio offGRID Portable Backup Battery 4000mAh as “cute” but it’s actually kind of cute… for an external backup battery. The bright colors, soft-touch material and cable-holder come together in a rather attractive way. Add in the accessible price of $49.99 and you have an impressive way to stay charged on the go.

Crowdfunding, Reviews

The Hashtag Cube: A Long Overdue Kickstarter Project That Finally Delivered

In late 2012, along with 3400+ other people I backed a Kickstarter project called Instacube (which has since been renamed Hashtag Cube, or #Cube). The premise was simple: it was to be a stand-alone Android-based device that would wirelessly stream and display Instagram photos, when you could only view Instagram photos on iOS or Android devices. I backed at the early adopter $99 level, and the wait began.

News

Wink by Kindara Brings Quantified Health Tracking to Fertility

Women’s fertility is rapidly becoming a fruitful and multiplying business. There are medicines to control fertility and plenty of calendars, apps, and other gear to help track it (for both reproductive and non-reproductive purposes). Now there’s even a smartphone accessory to help monitor your reproductive help: Wink by Kindara.

News

Marvel Studios Maps Their Movies Until 2019

Superhero fans now have a glimpse in Marvel Studios’ future movie release calendar up to 2019. This following slate joins Marvel’s 2015 films The Avengers: Age of Ultron, which will open in theaters in likely record-breaking fashion and the first “Phase 3” film Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lily, and Michael Pena.

Health and Fitness, News, Outdoors

Blast Golf is Like a Golf Pro in Your Pocket

Of course a real golf pro in your pocket would interfere with your swing, but the new Blast Golf product is the latest addition to Blast Motion’s suite of sports and active life motion capture solutions that pair with your iPhone to deliver real-time motion metrics and smart video capture. Attach the Blast Motion precision motion sensor and go play! The sensor itself is the size of a quarter and weighs less than an ounce, but paired with your iPhone and the Blast Golf app data about your putting and swings is transferred via Bluetooth and can even be overlayed…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

I Have Seen the Future of Vehicle Safety, and It Is Automated #ChevySafety

Last week I spend a day with Chevy at their Milford Proving Grounds. I saw first-hand demonstrations of Chevy’s latest vehicle safety features, and I left feeling like it might be time to finally upgrade my GM vehicle to the latest version: GM’s newest technology may not be completely automated, but the technology removes a lot of guesswork and anxiety.

Music Diary, Reviews

With ‘Eeps’, Marco Minnemann Shows the Many Ways He Can Rock!

It didn’t really occur to me when I reviewed Levin-Minnemann-Rudess, but Marco Minnemann was the brilliant drummer behind Trey Gunn’s Modulator – both of which are important for this review. Now he is back with ‘Eeps’, a solo effort in the truest sense of the term – playing all of the instruments and writing the songs, he delivers a breathtaking experience.

Editorials

NFC, Apple Pay, CurrentC, and Smartphone Competition

Apple Pay rolled out last week, and it’s already hitting some roadblocks as some retailers are blocking or not supporting it. This isn’t because they hate iPhones, it’s because they have a competing product — CurrentC — waiting. A few years ago, companies wouldn’t have dreamed of blocking a new Apple product, but competition has made it easier to say no.

Vehicles & Gear

2015 Mazda CX-5 One Impressive Cute Ute

When I reviewed the Mazda CX-5 crossover utility vehicle two years ago I gave it high praises for replacing two outgoing CUVs in the Mazda lineup while giving consumers what I felt was one of the best new cute utes on the market. I had one wish for the model, feeling it a bit underpowered. Ask and ye shall receive.

Game Diary, News

PlayStation 4 Console Update Releasing October 28

Sony’s firmware update for their PlayStation 4 game console will release on Tuesday, October 28. This significant update will include SharePlay, YouTube sharing options, music files playable via external storage, and background visual themes. This update will prime players for the holidays and follows recent significant updates on the PlayStation Vita, Xbox One and Nintendo 3DS.

News

T-Mobile 5 GB for 5 Months for $10 on New iPad Air 2 with Apple SIM

The web is buzzing about the latest crop of iPad tablets (Air 2, Mini 3). The loudest chatter is about the SIM card included with the cellular models. For the first time Apple have included an Apple SIM which might be used interchangeably between AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint (of course one carrier had other ideas). Of greater interest T-Mobile appears to be offering one heck of a data deal. According to forum regulars on SlickDeals when you choose T-Mobile as the data provider for a new iPad Air 2 AND use the Apple SIM you will be presented with a 5GB of data for…

Reviews

Polaroid Cube Lifestyle Action Camera Is Small in Size, Big On Action

Every now and then an item comes in for review that surprises me and is far better than I expected it to be; that’s certainly the case with the Polaroid Cube action camera. This camera is under $100 and yet it performs surprisingly well and gets the job done. Let’s take a closer look at it and some video from it.

Reviews, Travel, Yum Log

Travel with the VinniBag, and Get Your Wine Home Intact!

It never fails: I travel somewhere that is known for its wine, and I find myself with a bottle to bring home. Packing the bottle safely can be tricky, though. I’ve had bottles break that were inside the bubble wrap bags that some wine stores sell, but I think I have found a solution in the inflatable VinniBag travel accessory! It’s marketed for wine, but you can also use the 22″ x 8″ inflatable VinniBag to safely transport anything that fits inside — things like camera lenses, coffee cups, and other small breakables. Think outside the box, too; the VinniBag floats, so you can…

Reviews

D-Link DCS-825L Wi-Fi Baby Camera Review: A Stellar Device

Being new parents, my wife and I are always on the lookout for new and innovative baby products. We recently received the D-Link DCS-825L Wi-Fi Baby Camera for review, and we are absolutely floored by the 720p HD video quality along with the number of features jam-packed into this little camera. The DCS-825L retails for $179.99.

Events, Yum Log

Domino’s Pizza Blogger Day: A Peek Under the Cheese #DPZBloggerDay14

Little known fact: I was a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver in college. I loved that job, and if it hadn’t put so many miles on my 10-year-old Alfa Romeo Spider, I might have lasted longer. I like Domino’s as a company, and I like their pizza; that’s why I was happy to accept a recent invite to visit their headquarters.

Game Diary, Gear Bits

PlayStation TV Offers Gaming Options with Video Streaming

The PlayStation TV device ($99 MSRP) expands the streaming box experience into the video game realm to include games on PlayStation Vita, PSP, PS One, and PlayStation 3 using their cloud streaming PlayStation Now technology plus games on PlayStation 4 using Remote Play.

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