2015 | Gear Diary

The UAG Case for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Offers Great Protection

UAG makes one of the most rugged cases for the iPhone, so I was excited when I received two different UAG cases for my iPhone 6 Plus to review. Urban Armor Gear is a popular accessory company that makes tough yet featherweight cases for smartphones and tablets. I had the option to pick two colors, and I went with clear and the popping color of orange. The Urban Armor Gear Case is marketed as military-grade protection for your iPhone ,which pretty much means clumsy folks who have a habit of dropping their phones from average text height are safe from…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

5 Reasons I Love the Garmin VivoActive SmartWatch & 3 Reasons I Don’t

Just as Apple Watch opened for pre-orders, the Garmin VivoActive arrived in stores and the hands of runners and athletes everywhere. I had written up announcement at CES, so I was thrilled to get one in my hands to play around with. Now after a week, I want to check in with my initial likes and dislikes of the VivoActive.

Music Diary, News & Features

Roland Unveils JD-XA and Other Great Music Tech at Musicmesse 2015!

This week is the Musicmesse Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. This event, along with January’s NAMM, are the biggest events for the music industry and the place for new gear announcements. We won’t cover everything, but Roland has some new gear that simply needs to be discussed. The big announcement is their hotly anticipated JD-Xa Analog + Digital Crossover Synthesizer!

News & Features

Synology Announces New DS1515 and RS815 Network Attached Storage Devices

On Tuesday, Synology announced the launch of two new NAS systems: the DS1515 for home and business and the rack mount RS815 for businesses. The DS1515 is a 5-bay system with a quad-core processor and the RS815 sports 4 bays and is only 12” deep. The DS1515 and the RS815 are available now for $649.99 and $599.99 respectively.

Reviews

Native Union’s JUMP Is a Cable/Battery Combo I Don’t Leave at Home

One thing I end up dealing with often when out at happy-hour is my phone mysteriously dying. I don’t use my phone frequently when out, but over the course of the night, I keep bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, which obviously drains the battery. So when I was asked to review Native Union’s Jump Cable for the iPhone, I was stoked.

Reviews

Bayan Audio soundbook GO Sounds Great on the Go and at Home

The portable Bluetooth speaker market has exploded in recent years and it is more and more difficult to stand out in such a crowded field. Bayan Audio has found a way to do just that with the soundbook GO, however. This small speaker sounds great, has a built-in stand that doubles as a cover and is under $140!

Reviews

The Gear Ball Helps Me Keep My Mental Edge: A Review

One thing I haven’t given up from my childhood is my love for puzzles. I’ve used Lumosity, and other third-party apps on my phone, but I wanted something more. So as a huge fan of Rubics cubes, I was happy to review Meffert’s Gear Ball puzzle.

News & Features

‘Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser’ to Go Straight to Crackle

Does anyone remember direct to video? Yeah I do. Usually that means the movie sucked so bad that it wasn’t worth the studio putting it in theaters. Well it looks like direct to streaming seems to be a thing now that the mullet sporting David Spade will be appearing in Joe Dirt 2 on Crackle this summer.

News & Features

Paul Rudd Stands off with Yellowjacket in New Ant-Man Trailer

Marvel and Disney’s relationship is an odd one that I’m pretty much on the fence about. But I’m appreciative of films like Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy so I was super excited when they announced Ant-Man would show up on the silver screen. And we now have a trailer to go with it.

Reviews

SkylinkNet Alarm System Review: Home Security with No Monthly Fees

When we first moved into our house, we debated signing up with an alarm company. Ultimately we decided against it after looking at how much a contract would cost, but I’ve been following the smartphone-based alarm systems closely. We’ve been testing the SkylinkNet Alarm System starter kit; so how does it fit our needs and protect our home?

Crowdfunding

Ough, Ough, Ough! The Mag-Vest Tool Belt Is PERFECT for “Home Improvement”

As a kid, I watched Home Improvement and always as a result of watching Tim “The Toolman” Taylor I wanted a tool belt. So there was no surprise when I looked at Kickstarter and saw the Mag-Vest, a new project that looks to reinvent the concept of bulky fannypack-like tool belts, I was interested.

News & Features

Juicies is Back on Kickstarter with Their XL and XS Juicies+ USB Cables

Juicies is back on Kickstarter again, this time for their Extra-Long and Extra-Short Juicies+ USB cables. These lightning or microUSB charging cables are tangle-proof, the ends are made of anodized aluminum, and have extended stress relief to prevent cable tears. You can pledge today to receive an XS (1 foot) or XL (10 feet) starting at $19 and $25 respectively.

News & Features

Apple’s Released the First Beta of iOS 8.4

It looks as if Apple is going to have a beta going at all times. With less than a week since 8.3 was released, Apple has already released the beta for iOS 8.4.

News & Features

Need a USB-C Cable for Your New MacBook? Here’s an Affordable Option

Now that you’ve ordered your new 2015 Macbook, you’re probably wondering where you can find an extra USB-C Cable. A lot of people keep one at home, and one for the office or travel, and you all are in luck as Monoprice has announced they have a competitively priced version available.

Vehicles & Gear

2015 Ram ProMaster City Wagon Ready to Work

Now that’s Italian! I am speaking of the new 2015 Ram ProMaster City, the newest member of the commercial vehicle lineup at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Ram ProMaster City is a Class 1 commercial van perfect for the small business owner and the urban driving/delivery environment. The new little van offers flexible cargo and passenger configurations while delivering excellent mileage.

Game Diary, News & Features

iOS Exclusive Open-World Survival Game Radiation Island Available on Mac

One of my favorite iOS games of 2015 so far is Radiation Island. It is a first-person open-world survival game with gorgeous graphics, engaging emergent gameplay, and the ability to shape your own course through the adventure. Also a variety of enemies, weapons, locations and hazards, and tools to craft! Now Radiation Island is available on Mac for just $2.99!

Crowdfunding, News & Features

A Case Worth Sticking to Everything: The Zero G Anti-Gravity Case

Let’s be honest. A lot of Kickstarters are horrible. Either they are not practical, or they ask for some ridiculous startup amount without a hope in actually being funded. Or they just look horrible. Not the Zero G Anti-Gravity Case.

News & Features

Apple Makes Their Mark on Their Acquisition; Beats & iPhones Now Coordinate

Since Apple snatched up Beats, many figured they would start working on a music streaming service, and it looks like they are on their way to that. Late on Friday, Apple released three new colors for their Beats Solo 2 Wireless headphones to match the three available colors of the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus: space gray, gold, and silver.

News & Features

Powerhouse Saygus V2 Android Smartphone to Ship at End of May

Utah-based smartphone manufacturer Saygus has been working tirelessly on their powerhouse Saygus V2 Android smartphone. “Powerhouse” isn’t said lightly here, as it packs a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 3GB RAM, 64GB onboard storage, and two expandable memory ports up to 256GB. After months of anticipation, Saygus is aiming to ship the V2 at the end of May.

News & Features

Thanks to iOS 8.3, Sprint Customers Can Make Calls Over WiFi

Thanks to the most recent iOS 8.3 update pushed by Apple earlier in the week, if you have an iPhone on the Sprint Network, you’ll be able to actually make calls over Wi-Fi, for free.

Game Diary, News & Features

Hiveswap Episodic Adventure Game Annouced, Check Out the Trailer!

A few years ago my son and his friends were really into the webcomic Homestuck, a quirky adventure created initially in MS Paint that became quite the sensation based on the characters, setting, humor, stories and imaginative variations. Developer Pumpkin Studios captures that feeling in Hiveswap, an upcoming adventure game out this summer. Check out the teaser trailer!