2021

Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G Mobile Platform Makes Powerful Phones Even More Accessible

Gear Bits

Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G Mobile Platform Makes Powerful Phones Even More Accessible

It sometimes feels like we’ve hit somewhat of an endgame with smartphones, as the form factor seems to have settled pretty solidly into “large glass slab with camera array on the back.” But the outside is only a small portion of the magic; the real excitement is in the chips doing all the work. Having a bunch of cameras sounds good, but the reality is they work because the chips inside are doing all the heavy lifting with none of the glory.

Lenovo 14w

News & Features

Lenovo Dives into the Education Market with New Chromebooks, Windows Laptops, Monitors, and More!

We don’t know what next year will bring when it comes to education and the pandemic. What we do know is that the trend of needing computers at just about every education level is definitely accelerating rapidly. Never one to miss a trend, Lenovo is prepared to dive into the education market with both Chrome OS and Windows laptops that can handle whatever the world is ready to throw at them (or, in the case of younger children, handle wherever it gets thrown). [Please don’t throw any computers.]

Kensington StudioDock Review: Lets Your 11" or 12.3" iPad Pro Connect, Charge, and Create in Powerful New Ways

Reviews

Kensington StudioDock Review: Lets Your 11″ or 12.3″ iPad Pro Connect, Charge, and Create in Powerful New Ways

The iPad Pro is a remarkable tablet that has become an indispensable productivity and content creation device for many of us. And while it is amazing, the right accessory makes it even better. The new Kensington StudioDock is one such accessory. It holds your iPad, charges all your devices, and connects your peripherals. At under $400, the StudioDock adds ports and other functionality that takes the iPad to new heights.

The Token Woman Book Review

Reviews

“The Token Woman” Book Review: Effectively Shows How Women Leaders Can Be So Much More!

I work in a very male-dominated field. It’s also a very individual one, so there’s not a lot of chance for collaboration among my co-workers, except when the other women in my office and I get together to swap stories and discuss, basically, what it’s like being a woman where people don’t always expect to see us succeed. I felt a lot less alone and a lot more prepared to build more camaraderie among the women in my office after reading Cheryl Stookes’ The Token Woman: A Guide to Thriving as a Female Leader in Sales.

Nomad Spring Cleaning Outlet Sale Offers Big Discounts

Deals, Gear Bits

Nomad Spring Cleaning Outlet Sale Offers Big Discounts

It’s time for a bit of spring cleaning for us all, but Nomad, one of our favorite brands, has launched their Spring Cleaning Outlet Sale that opens up the opportunity to get major discounts on several of their products as they make room for a bunch of new product launches coming down the line.

MedRock HotRock Foam Roller Review: Combines Muscle Release and Comforting Heat in One

Reviews, Health and Fitness

MedRock HotRock Foam Roller Review: Combines Muscle Release and Comforting Heat in One

Ask any personal trainer, and they’ll tell you the best item you can have in your home for recovery is a foam roller. There might be (there will be) moments where you’re cursing the demons who forged such a torturous item, but foam rolling is a big part of keeping your body healthy and happy after a hard workout. They can be as simple as a cylinder of foam, or they can be studded with textures to dig into each knot. The new MedRock HotRock Foam Roller brings the heat to the foam rolling experience!

Twelve South HoverBar Duo

Reviews

Twelve South HoverBar Duo Review: Holds Your iPad Right Where You Need It Most

The iPad is great on its own but becomes exponentially better when paired with the “right” accessories, and the new Twelve South HoverBar Duo is one such accessory. Much more than a simple tablet stand, this smartphone/tablet holder works with a variety of devices, is future-proof, and holds your device in the perfect position for your work or viewing.

Fishda Double Heads Massage Gun

Reviews, Health and Fitness

Fishda Double Heads Massage Gun Review: Brings Affordable and Portable Muscle Relief!

Anyone who exercises regularly knows that recovery is a key part of improving. You can’t push forever; sometimes, your body needs to heal. Massages are great, but between covid and the cost, most people aren’t opting for weekly in-person massages, and massage chairs are a luxury suited for the Brookstone in your local mall, not necessarily your living room. Enter the Fishda Double Heads Massage Gun, which offers a way to pummel your muscles into submission without also destroying your wallet or disrupting your home decor!

Airthings View Plus

Gear Bits

Get Peace of Mind with the Airthings View Plus Indoor Air Quality Monitor

Since the pandemic began, people have been spending most of their time at home, both for work and school. With so much attention on air quality in offices and schools, many people have overlooked the air quality in the home, until now. This summer, the Airthings View Plus will be available for comprehensive, advanced in-home air quality monitoring.

OPPO Find X3 Pro: Touts a Billion Color Display, Futuristic Design, Dolby Atmos Sound, and Even a Microscope Camera

News & Features

OPPO Find X3 Pro: Touts a Billion Color Display, Futuristic Design, Dolby Atmos Sound, and Even a Microscope Camera

OPPO may not be widely known in the United States yet, but today’s announcement of “their most beautiful phone to date,” the futuristic OPPO Find X3 Pro, may change all of that. With a huge emphasis on the Find X3 Pro’s full-path 10-bit Colour Management System and True Billion Colour Display and the smartphone’s two Billion Colour flagship cameras, this sleek 5G flagship was made to impress.

Neuro Mints

Gear Bits

Whole Foods Starts Carrying Neuro Mints and Gum!

We love Neuro products here at Gear Diary. Their mint and cinnamon flavored gums, as well as their mint and cinnamon flavored mints, are delicious, and we could never have survived CES 2020 without several packs of Neuro Gum! Anytime I’ve sung their praises, I’ve had to steer potential buyers towards Amazon, CVS, or the Neuro website, but Neuro sent us some amazing news today — you’ll be able to get Neuro Mints and Gum at Whole Foods!

TickTalk 4 Review: Smartwatch Connectivity Brought to a Safe, Kid-Friendly Device

Reviews, Crowdfunding

TickTalk 4 Review: Smartwatch Connectivity Brought to a Safe, Kid-Friendly Device

One of the toughest parts of parenting is determining when your child is ready for more connected technology and how you balance connection with safety. Making a kid-friendly phone safer by combining it with a watch isn’t a brand-new concept, but TickTalk thinks they’ve brought it to a new level with the TickTalk 4 launching Tuesday on Kickstarter. Is it a success? I tested it on my 7-year-old, so read on to learn how it went!

paramount+ debuts on roku

Gear Bits

Paramount+ Debuts on Roku to Save You from Streaming Boredom

Do you have room in your wallet and your password manager for one more streaming service? Before you brace yourself for C-Span+, don’t worry, it’s more exciting than that — CBS All Access has morphed into the far more broad Paramount+, and its huge catalog of shows and movies is available now on Roku!