CES is now over and activity trackers and other wearables were all the rage at the show this year. With Under Armour, Casio, and others releasing devices, it looks like almost everyone has a tracker now. Avia, who I know more for sneakers than electronics even has one, and they sent me an Avia Stride; I am underwhelmed.
Sitting on the kitchen table when I returned from CES were a pair of nondescript black earbuds. You know, the free type that reinforce the notion that you get what you pay for. “What are these?” I asked. “I used them for a conference call today,” said Raina. They were the perfect test earbuds for the new Boomstick headphone accessory. I’ll admit it. My work with Gear Diary has spoiled me. I’ve heard $1500 headphones from HARMAN that use the latest technology and were tuned by none other than Quincy Jones. I’ve reviewed Blue’s first foray into the headphone market….
The SKEYE Hexa Drone is the latest flying gadget from our friends at TRNDlabs. Forgoing the typical four-propeller design, the Hexa Drone has a six-propeller array that’s completely ready to go straight out of the box. The additional two propellers give the drone more stability in the air. The SKEYE Hexa Drone comes ready to fly for $59!
You’ve probably tried out bluetooth headphones that either have a collar, or sit over your ear before right? While that might seem practical, but when you’re in the gym, or even casually walking, they bounce around and still don’t solve the problem that plagues bluetooth headphone users. If you’re tired of that problem, you need to be checking out the Jaybird Freedoms. You’ve probably seen them in Best Buy or your favorite electronic shop and they probably have them. But after the announcement they made at CES 2016, I had the opportunity to try them on for size and put…
It has been coming for a while but, with the introduction of the Harman Kardon OMNI+, brings Wireless, Multi-Room True HD, I think Harman Kardon is truly ready to take over and dominate the multi-room audio market. As one would expect, the new OMNI+ speakers bring HK’s audio prowess to a variety of rooms. That, however, is just the beginning.
I recently had the opportunity to use and test a composite case for my 12-inch MacBook from Urban Armor Gear. This manufacturer’s sample states it is military grade and drop-tested. Although I’m not about to start drop-testing my MacBook, I have no reason to believe it’s not military grade. It feels very sturdy and well-built, while remaining lightweight. So as I just mentioned, my initial reaction is that it is really light. I’m sensitive to things that add bulk to the MacBook since it’s size and weight are a key part of what makes it so nice to travel with….
Synology, my top-rated NAS manufacturer, announced their new DS416j NAS this week. The DS416j is a budget-friendly 4-bay network attached storage (NAS) server built for home and small business use to store data, media, and more. The DS416j is ideal for storing as well as streaming media to all of your screens and speakers. The DS416j is now available!
If you’re a coffee drinker like myself, you know the struggle of waking up in the morning, creating your own brew, and even worse, finding that mug of cup that will keep that House Blend warm as you go on your daily commute. Well over the course of CES, as well as a few weeks prior to that, I had the pleasure of reviewing the HeyJoe Coffee Mug which solves a lot of problems we all have throughout the morning. Originally a Kickstarter that has since been in full production, the HeyJoe Coffee Mug is the first coffee mug to…
It’s no longer enough to just tie on your sneakers and head out for a run. Now you need your watch, footpod, headphones, heart rate monitor, and smartphone. We’re about a week away from SPIbelt including a battery in their products just to keep everything charged. Kuai has a much simpler solution: Kuai Multisport Biometric Headphones. That’s a very long and fancy name for a very simple concept. Kuai took headphones, added sensors for heart rate and cadence, threw in 8Gbof memory for music and coaching downloads, and even added connectivity for Bluetooth and ANT+, so you can easily connect…
This year marks the 90th year for Chrysler as an automotive brand. Not too long ago it was incorporated into the Fiat Chrysler Automobile global family and part of that new partnership meant new models rolling out that received global influence. The Chrysler 200 midsize sedan was one such vehicle.
I have said many times if I win the Powerball the first thing I’m doing is buying a Tesla Model S, for one reason: I would love an electric car but I need decent range for my daily commute. GM has a much better plan than Powerball, though, with the new Chevy Bolt EV, which has a 200 mile range!
Do you have so many keys you can’t keep track of them all? Can your family hear you approaching from down the street by the jingle of your keyring? Could you slim down your keys but you just can’t part with your flashlight, pocketknife, and that mystery key you found in a drawer? Enter the Keyport Slide 3.0 and Keyport Pivot!
In the fall, Judie took a look at Ring’s video enabled doorbell. It is a new twist on security that lets you see who is ringing the doorbell, and even communicate with them when you aren’t home. Ring is expanding their offerings further, with the Ring Stick Up Cam!
News today from CES that Lenovo plans to phase out the Motorola brand during 2016. We had to know this day was coming ever since Motorola was sold by Google to Lenovo in 2014. Fear not though, the Moto branding will live on for higher-end phones while Lenovo will use the Vibe brand for the cheap stuff.
I know we are in the middle of winter, but summer and outdoor activities are soon coming! ECOXGEAR is ready for some outdoor time by releasing the SOL JAM and the EcoCarbon Bluetooth speakers at CES this week. Listen to music while in the water or stay charged with the sun!
Portable Bluetooth audio devices have become a product category that interests me. 808 Audio just announced their 2016 audio lineup that proves to have something for everyone at an affordable price. Casual listeners, outdoors enthusiasts and party hosts should all find something that works for them.
If you are looking for alternate transportation and size and weight are an issue, check out the new Xcooter that Smart-Rhino has just announced at CES. The tiny scooter folds up for storage and looks like a lot of fun.
It’s official, we’re living in the future. Not only is virtual reality quickly becoming everyday reality, but now you can wear a heads-up display while you’re riding a bike, literally seeing your ride statistics floating in front of you like a biking terminator. That’s the future that Solos Smart Eyewear is promising!
There are many new products that get amazing sound from a compact package when it comes to television audio. Gibson Innovations has announced the Philips Fidelio Soundbar that includes Dolby Atmos technology. I have three televisions with stock speakers and need something to improved the sound. This soundbar could be exactly what I was looking for.
Have you ever wanted more privacy for your smartphone and desktop computers? Well you’re in luck, because this week at Pepcom I found a new tech privacy company that surprised me in a major way! Privoro is a new tech company that’s entire premise is giving the consumer the ability to take their security into their own hands. You’d be surprised how much of your privacy has been invaded, and even though you might feel secure by turning off your network and location, chances are, you’re still being tracked. That’s where Privoro comes into play. They’ve announced two devices that…
One thing that I’ve always wanted as an iPhone user is the ability to charge my device wirelessly. Lets be honest my fellow Apple device users.. we envy certain Android devices that have this capability. That’s where BEZALEL comes into play. The Bezalel Latitude is a one of a kind gadget. if you’re familiar with battery cases, you probably dread having to use a micro-USB cable to charge your device, and always wondered “why not just include a lightning cable charging option in the first place?” A problem that had yet to have a solution finally receives one with the…