2015


HTC Re Review: Small Camera, Big Punch

I have been looking for a portable camera that is small, affordable, and provides excellent video and photo quality. The market is flooded, but I was recently given the opportunity to review the HTC Re which currently retails for $117 on Amazon. While this camera looks odd, can it fit the bill? Read on for the review and sample images. 




Get Excited for the Return of the Muppets!

Who doesn’t love The Muppets? There’s something timeless and endearing about the whole gang, from Kermit and Miss Piggy to Gonzo and Fozzie Bear. ABC is launching an adult-aimed sitcom starring The Muppets this fall; it looks like a send-up of “The Office”, with maybe a shade of 30 Rock for good measure, and it looks AMAZING.


ZAGG Folio Is a Great Travel Companion for the iPad Air!

I don’t travel near as much as I used to, but when I do I no longer drag a laptop with me, opting instead for my iPad Air. Of course, to do any productive writing I will need a separate keyboard; recently I took the ZAGG Folio case with built-in Bluetooth keyboard and it fit the bill perfectly.



808 Audio XS Wireless Stereo Speaker: A Small Yet Powerful Boombox

Just about everyone has a portable Bluetooth speaker anymore, right? So it takes something special to set one apart from the others, and that’s what 808 Audio is trying to offer with their XS Wireless Stereo Speaker. Available in black, blue (with a black grill), or white (with a gold grill), the ~$60 speaker packs a lot of sound in a super portable package.


Jet.com is No Amazon…Yet

Jet.com wants very badly to beat Amazon. That’s been the bulk of their marketing push heading up to today’s launch, and when you shop around on the site, they consistently try to show you Amazon’s price versus theirs. After cross-shopping for a few minutes though, I was deeply unimpressed — both on price and ease of use.


Moshi iGlaze for the 2015 MacBook Review

Recently, the folks at Moshi were kind enough to provide Gear Diary with a few of their products to evaluate for the new MacBook 12” (2015). I’m going to look at the first of these — the iGlaze for MacBook, a clear shell to protect the outside of your MacBook.


Geddes Farms Ghost Pepper Honey Is Sweet Meets Heat

Every once in a while we get the chance to review something “old school,” something that doesn’t plug in or use the latest operating system on a smart device. This weekend I got my chance to sample a delightful treat that was scary at first but quite the surprise – Ghost Pepper Honey from Geddes Farms.


Grout Gator Review: A More Efficient Grout Cleaner?

I can’t say I love cleaning, but I do love the end result. It’s nice to have a space that doesn’t feel gross and dirty. We recently had the chance to review the “Grout Gator”, a tool designed to get tiled surfaces clean while being more efficient than traditional methods. But does it work, and is it worth the cost?


2016 Hyundai Tucson: Best Compact Crossover Yet?

Hyundai (rhymes with fun-day) is launching an all-new 2016 Tucson Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle and this third generation model is hands down the best yet. The new ride is longer and wider and is stretched between the wheels and features an all-new array of powertrains (including a turbo) making the new Tucson one of the best compact crossovers period.


2015 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn: All Hat AND the Ranch

It’s been a while since I last tested the Ram 1500 pickup and in that time little has changed. The Ram light duty trucks received serious enhancements back then and for 2015 there are only a couple of things to talk about as being new over that last article. This time around we tested the Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4×4.


Oh, How Our Tech Has Changed #RabbisInIsrael

I’m currently in Israel on a rabbinic mission with seventeen other rabbis. We spent some time on top of the second tallest building in Tel Aviv taking pictures, getting a sense of geography and strategic concerns. In the process, I came to a realization …




Polar Announces the Polar Loop 2

Polar is well-known for being the gold standard in athletic heart rate monitors, and in the last few years they’ve expanded into activity trackers as well. Their first pure activity tracker, the Polar Loop, was well received, and now they’re building on that with the Polar Loop 2, adding new colors and smart notifications to the mix.



RoadID Rolls Out New ID Tags for Fitbit Users

I tell every athlete I know to buy a RoadID. It’s a cheap, durable tag that could save your life. EMTs are trained NOT to go through your pockets and personal effects, but they are trained to look for jewelry with medical information. RoadID lets you wear your important details easily, and now you can piggyback it on your Fitbit!