September 2015


2016 Audi A7: The Perfect Four-Door Coupe?

A new style sedan arrived on the automotive scene a few years back in the form of a coupe/sedan and the A7 is Audi’s entry into that category. From the B-pillar forward the vehicle appears to be a traditional sedan but from that point aft there is a long slope to the trunklid giving this styling its signature look.


Runtastic Announces the Moment Fitness Watch!

I was a big fan of the Runtastic Orbit – a simple fitness wearable that met my ‘just work’ criteria for these devices: it fit well, tracked well, and instantly connected to my phone via Bluetooth and never failed to sync. Now they are announcing the Moment, which takes their solid fitness tracking and wraps it up with an attractive series of watch designs. Designed to meet the needs of all types of users, the Runtastic Moment is available in four unique styles that offer different size watch faces, types of bands and colors. Simply sync it with the Runtastic…



Synology’s 3 Tips to Cut SAN Costs with the RC18015xs+ Scaling over 1PB

Synology has issued a press release offering small and medium-sized enterprises three tips on how to cut their Storage Area Network (SAN) costs by using Synology’s RC18015xs+, a high availability cluster solution that scales to 1 petabyte of storage and handles to 2,000 users. The complete system, including two redundant controllers and a storage device with 96TB starts under $12,000.





Will the Rumored Apple TV Be Too Pricey for the Set-Top Market?

We have and adore a Roku 3 hooked up to our TV. It has a slew of channels from Netflix to Amazon Prime to Disney Jr., plus some light games. A brand new Roku 3 with voice search clocks in at $99, and the compact streaming stick at $39.99. So is playing iTunes Videos worth the rumored $149 for the new Apple TV?


Project FI Community Site Answers Almost All Your Fi Questions

I’m in the process of evaluating Google’s new Project Fi service which promises to simplify cellular costs by charging only for what you’ve consumed, while also widening the coverage map by combining the data reach of both Sprint and T-Mobile. The service is intriguing-though not perfect.


Update: Native Union’s Goal is Protection Without Bulk With Their 360° iPhone 6 Case

There’s nothing like a new case, but there’s nothing like a new case that’s slim, sleek, and has just a LITTLE bit of individuality to it. We received Native Union’s latest Clic 360° protective case for the iPhone 6 Plus. Now first things first, when you get a case with the words 360° to it, you’d think that it protects from drops. When you check out the Clic 360° online they describe their case as “maximum protection, minimal bulk”, which I can believe as the case itself is sturdy and does protect both sides, including the top, but the one…


How Much Did My Local Library Membership Save Us This Summer?

I just went through my Amazon account, and determined I’ve read 25+ books this summer for free. Some of them were older titles, like Gear Diary Book Club selections, while others were relatively new. Plus issues of Consumer Reports and Runner’s World, all for free thanks to the local library. But how much did we really save?



The Nomad Roadtrip Charges Your Phone Both in the Car and Out

Picture a charger that plugs into your car’s DC connector; like any other charger you can plug a USB cable into it to top off your mobile device’s battery. Now picture that same charger out of your car, tucked into a pocket until you need to top off again. That’s what the Nomad Roadtrip can do.


Amazon Prime Video Adds Offline Viewing for iOS and Android!

Every time we take a road trip, Sarah and I have the same conversation: What movies/tv shows have we purchased for our son so he can be entertained on a long ride? We have a small library of shows and he’s usually pretty content to cycle through those. But we always lament that we can’t download from Amazon Prime…until now!


SCOSCHE boomBOTTLE+: Rugged, Waterproof, and Wireless Sound

Summer may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be plenty of opportunities to be outside listening to your favorite music. Rather than worrying that your favorite wireless speaker might get damaged by the elements, you can enjoy great sound with the rugged, waterproof, and wireless SCOSCHE boomBOTTLE+.


LUNATIK’s EPIK Watch Kit for the Ultimate Apple Watch Protection

You may have seen the LUNATIK EPIK on Kickstarter, but if you didn’t, here’s what you need to know: they’ve come up with the ultimate 42mm Apple Watch protective shell. Not only will EPIK keep your watch safe from dents, wings, and scratches, it will also make it look like a rugged beast that can withstand just about anything.