A couple of notable anniversaries have come and gone quietly this past season, the first marking 10 years that I have been here at Gear Diary. The second commemorates the 20 years I have been involved in automotive journalism, and what a “ride” it has been.
Recently we enjoyed the new Surf waterproof Bluetooth speaker from ION Audio, but for those times when we want to enjoy the patio or entertain friends or family, the pool may not be an option. Introducing the Tiki Sounds Outdoor Illuminated Speaker system.
This is the most incredible experience I have had in my 20 years reviewing new vehicles…and that is just the audio system. The stereo is the new Mark Levinson 3D sound system complete with 24 speakers and 2,400 watts of power, and the car is the 2018 Lexus LS 500h luxury hybrid sedan.
Surf’s up! Summer is officially here, and what better way to celebrate the sun and heat than by visiting the closest body of water you can find? Enjoy it even more by taking along the new Surf waterproof Bluetooth speaker from ION Audio.
Looking to up your game at the next party for the family, friends, kids, or grandkids? Fobbles. Yes, Fobbles – fog-filled bubbles. Fobbles is a bubble and fog machine in one and can combine the two that will transform your party into a full-on rave.
The truck wars are officially back on and Ford has just fired its latest salvo in the form of the all-new F-150 Power Stroke diesel. Arriving in dealerships soon, Ford can now compete with the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and the upcoming Silverado 1500 turbo diesel from Chevrolet.
The Dodge Challenger coupe has graced our test driveway numerous times over the past decade and truth be told I love seeing it every single time. Our last visit was with the (then) ultimate Hellcat version and all of its 707hp. The 2018 tester arrives just under that car in the form of the R/T 392 Scat Pack.
There are hundreds of new cars, trucks, and SUVs for consumers to choose from when purchasing a new vehicle. I do my best to evaluate as many of them each year and this can be a daunting task. Of the vehicles reviewed this past calendar year, here is a listing of my five favorites.
I had a lot of fun driving what has been nicknamed “The Santa Van” by my coworkers. And yes, we had fun using it to deliver toys to good little girls and boys. If the sleigh breaks down, the fat jolly guy could use a vehicle like this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter to finish his appointed rounds.
It first appeared on the stage at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit a couple of years ago, and now the rollout of the Nissan Titan XD pickup line is complete with the delivery of the 2017 Nissan Titan XD King Cab body style.
The year is 2002, and North America is invaded by the Swedes. Volvo, to be more precise, and its all-new XC90 sport ute. That vehicle won every major automotive honor and caused many to rewrite the rulebooks – it even won Truck of Texas. We recently got to spend time with the 2017 Volvo XC90, and it’s still a winner.
Every time I receive a heavy-duty pickup from the press fleets, I refer to the never-ending battles waged amongst the manufacturers of said trucks and this will be no different. Ram sent us its latest, largest consumer machine and it is a beast – a very pretty beast – in the form of the 2017 Ram 3500 Limited Mega Cab.
A year ago I brought you the review of the all-new Titan XD pickup from Nissan. This truck is placed in between light- and heavy-duty models on the market with the truck maker calling it “Every-Duty.” At the time of release it was only available as a crew cab model, but now the Titan XD lineup has expanded.
I arrived home from work recently to discover a UPS delivery box on my porch from Urban Armor Gear. Inside were the new Monarch Series phone cases for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Fortunately, the cases fit on 6 and 6S series phones as well so I was able to put one to the test.
Happy Anniversary, Jeep! Born in 1941, the iconic brand is celebrating 75 years of off-road toughness and its go anywhere, do anything attitude. We recently marked the stellar occasion by spending a week behind the wheel of a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock Edition as we celebrated our anniversary in the Texas Hill Country.
If you are seeking to expand your photography or videography creativity with your mobile device, Pixel Addix can help. They offer a host of products designed to help you get the most out of today’s powerful handheld devices and the new Koziro Cinema Mount Mark II is a great place to begin!
Let me begin this review of the new Xtreem Gravity Pursuit 1080p Video Drone by saying I have never flown a drone before. I am familiar with Swann flying products in the form of miniature RC helicopters but this is my first drone. I flew, I crashed, I flew, I crashed…I FLEW!
Modern summer travel with the kids in this high-tech era just got better thanks to the new line of Tinyphones from JVC. They come in an earbud or on-ear style and feature a volume limiter to prevent hearing damage. JVC Tinyphones allows adults to enjoy the drive time too by not having to listen to those devices.
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?
Summer is unofficially underway and what better way to have a blast during the heat than with a Nerf water gun battle. New for 2016 is the Super Soaker Squall Surge water blaster that allows for a continuous stream of water up to 35 feet away on one squeeze of the trigger!
A few months back I mentioned that it seemed as though I was receiving nothing but repeats from the press fleet of vehicles for review. This is one of those and it arrived in the form of the 2016 GMC Sierra Denali 2500HD 4×4, a nearly identical truck to the unit we reviewed last year.