February 2017





Pioneer Rayz Are Lightning Smart

Pioneer describes their new Rayz earphones as “Lightning smart” and “The iPhone’s perfect accessory.” After using them since Judie brought me a pair from CES, I would agree with that and add they are “brilliant at noise cancellation” and “among the best deals around.” Priced at just $99.99 and $149.99, they are worth every penny.



Fitkicks Shoes Review: Minimalism for the Masses

I love being barefoot. I work out barefoot, and in the spring and fall I wear Vibram FiveFingers when I need shoes and flip-flops in the summertime. While being barefoot is free, minimal shoes tend to be really, really expensive, as well as really polarizing in appearance. Fitkicks Shoes handily solves one of these issues!



PITAKA Aramid Fiber iPhone 7 Case: Beautiful, Bulletproof Protection

It would be impossible for me to guess how many iPhone cases I’ve reviewed over the years, but I can count the number that have genuinely impressed me on one hand; the PITAKA Aramid Fiber iPhone 7 Case makes that list. It’s incredibly light and thin, and it provides minimalistic protection with no compromises.



The Circle Is Watching You in the Latest Trailer

If you haven’t yet read Dave Egger’s “The Circle“, I highly recommend it. It’s fantastic, building a world around a company that is part Facebook, part Google, where your privacy is an obstacle to their success. When I heard there was a movie being made, I was partially excited and partially concerned. Based on the trailer, the movie will have even more bite than the book! Yes, that was Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt, and John Boyega, among many others. It’s coming out this April, and I am beyond excited. We already live in a world where…







Brilliant Control Finally Makes Your Smart Home Brilliant

The people behind Brilliant Control asked a simple question: “Are you tired of digging for your mobile phone every time you want to adjust your smart lighting, music, or climate systems?” That’s obviously a rhetorical question, and their answer is one that is poised to take the exploding smart home market by storm.


Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 SE Headphones: The Best Pair for the Money

I recently reviewed the Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 headphones; now I’ve got their slightly more upscale brother, the Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 SE, in hand. Everything I enjoyed about the BackBeat PRO 2 is present (do check out their review if you haven’t already), but with the PRO 2 SE headphones, there is even more to love.




Just Mobile Xtand Vent: Park Your Phone in a Cool Spot

I’ve tried plenty of phone holders in my vehicles, but the one thing that always stops me from wanting to keep using them is that they can be bulky, ugly, or they require special attachments to use. The Just Mobile Xtand Vent is a sleek, minimalistic vent holder for your phone. It works well, and it looks good.