2016




2016 Honda Civic Coupe: This Is Your Jam!

On the heels of winning North American Car of the Year, Honda launched the new 2016 Civic Coupe to join the honored sedan sibling in its showrooms. For coupe fans, Honda did more than just hack off a couple of doors in delivering its new coupe to the market, but can it live up to the high mark already set?


Exos-Gear Bravo Series Backpack Review

I recently reviewed the commuter series pack from Exos-Gear and have enjoyed using it with my every day computer gear. The company also has a tactical style backpack called the Bravo Series, which retails for $37.95.  While I had planned on using the backpack as my new shooting bag, I actually found an unintended use that works out great.


Ultimate Ears Rolls Out the UE ROLL 2

“Designed to take your music wherever, whenever, UE ROLL 2 is the perfect musical companion for your next adventure.” That’s how Ultimate Ears describes the new UE Roll 2 Bluetooth Speaker. I describe it as a worthy update to one of my favorite portable Bluetooth speakers. It offers all-around improvements AND is under $100! The UE Roll is a magnificent little speaker. (Read my review about it here!) It’s small, unassuming size belies the loud, impressive sound it puts out. It’s sandwich roll shape shuns the boxy or cylindrical shape of most Bluetooth speakers. And it’s free, downloadable companion app lets…



WWDC Outlines the Four Pillars of Apple’s Product Strategy

Apple held their Worldwide Developer Conference today. The public portion of the event was the keynote which clocked in at almost 2 hours and featured a top-down review of the highlights expect in what Apple identified as their four foundational  platforms – watchOS, tvOS, OS X (later rebranded as macOS) and iOS.



Vega Protein Powder and Preworkout supplement

Protein powder and other supplements can be controversial. Some see them as a useful tool to aid in meeting nutritional goals, or in recovering or prepping for workouts, while others doubt their efficacy. Adding to the complication is that most protein powders are whey (dairy) based; there is an alternative for vegans and anyone who avoids dairy with Vega supplements!



Welcome Home; Now That’s Smart

Raina and I closed on our new home last month. It is on a lovely street with gorgeous, architectural homes. Ours is not one of them. No, we bought a cute, and fairly non-descript split level. We love it and, along with a traditional renovation, we are updating the technology; here’s what is going into our house’s tech-makeover…


Gawker vs Hogan, AKA The Wrath of Thiel, Bankrupts Gawker Media

Sad news for anyone who has spent hours on Gawker watching Bernie Bros and Trump Trolls fight in the comments section; apparently the tag-team of Peter Thiel and Hulk Hogan was too much, as Gawker Media has filed for bankruptcy. This is on the heels of Gawker losing a lawsuit filed by Hulk Hogan over coverage of Hogan’s sex tape. It was revealed later that Hogan’s legal team was funded by Peter Thiel, who has held a grudge against Gawker media for years, ever since Valleywag revealed Thiel is gay. It’s unclear what will happen to the various sites under the…



2016 Dodge Durango R/T: My Wife Calls ‘Dibs’

It has been about five years since I last tested the Durango three-row SUV from Dodge and brother, that’s too long. When asked about which family sport ute I would recommend to folks the Durango is always near the top of my list and now my wife has joined the Dodge fan club as well.


Focal Sphear In-Ear Headphones Deliver Exceptional Sound and Comfort

French audio manufacturer, Focal, has hit another home run with their Sphear high-resolution in-ear headphones. These audiophile-quality headphones are noise isolating, provide excellent sound quality, and come with all of the accouterments you’d expect from a high-end set of headphones. Equipped with an in-line remote control button and separate in-line microphone, these versatile headphones can be yours for around $149.


Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen HD for iPad Review

Three years ago I reviewed the original Where Angels Cry for the iPad, enjoying the adventure game feel and sustained mystery storytelling style but noting frustration with a few bugs I encountered in the help and quest systems. The sequel, Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen, continues the immersive mystery storytelling, but this time I was never frustrated or stopped by any issues, it was just a great adventure from start to finish! Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version available here); available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Cateia Games…


GoG Connect Brings Together Steam and GoG for the Best Digital Gaming Service!

As a digital gaming early adopter nearly 15 years ago, who was a loyal Steam user even before Half Life 2 popularized the service, and a beta participant in the launch of ‘Good Old Games’, I have a particular fondness for both Steam and GoG. This extends to owning copies of many games on both sites, so when GoG announced that they were partnering with Steam and publishers to allow you to add specific games already bought on Steam to your GoG library, I was ecstatic! Here are the details from GoG: “Connect your Steam account and grow or jumpstart…


2016 Nissan Sentra Gets Familiar Family Makeover

In the fall of 2012, Nissan reintroduced the Sentra compact sedan in its seventh generation form. For 2016, the automaker gives its popular little car a midlife makeover with new styling to match what we’ve seen in the rest of the family lately. Nissan has also updated safety and driving technologies as well.


Native Union’s Tag Cable Is Now Available

Native Union is a brand that I trust in everything from cases to cables, so whenever they announce a new product has launched, I’m typically ON it, so it’s no different with their latest venture, the TAG, a luxury charging cable made for your bag!