Last year it seemed as if Nomad was releasing a new product every week or two. In fact, over the last two or three years, the company’s catalog has exploded in size with amazing, premium mobile device accessories. Their first new release of 2020 is the Nomad Base Station Stand; it looks great and is definitely worth checking out.
When I saw that Keysmart had expanded its portfolio to include laptop bags, I was intrigued. And while it might seem like an unusual move for a company that made its name by offering a modern take on the traditional key ring, once I got one of their Keysmart Urban Portfolio Briefcases for review, it made perfect sense.
It takes a lot for companies to distinguish themselves in the ever-more-crowded true wireless earphone market. Motorola is one company that’s found a way. Their new Motorola TECH3 3-in-1 True Wireless Headphones are rather unique; here’s why.
I recently reviewed the Jabra Elite 75t true wireless earphones. They are impressive and really show how much Jabra has learned from just a few years in the true wireless earphones market. At CES, they are announcing two additions to their lineup — the Elite Active 75t and the Elite 45h.
WaterField does a fantastic job with their products and I am always amazed at the number of new offerings they release each year. As if on cue, they started the year with a brand new product — the Mezzo Laptop Backpack — and a great deal for those who jump in early. It looks great, and I’m seriously tempted!
I love my fast, comfortable, cellular-connected Apple Watch Gen 4 and wear it daily. Over the summer, I used the Nomad Sport Strap so I could swim. (Read my review.) The rest of the time I’ve used the titanium band. (Read my review.) Since getting the new $69.95 the Nomad Active Strap, however, it’s been my “go-to” strap; here’s why.
We reviewed Nomad’s leather wallet with Tile tracking some time ago. (Read our review.) Now they have announced their new Nomad Traditional Passport Wallet with Tile Tracking. Made with the same Horween leather we’ve seen in many of Nomad’s other products; its thoughtful design looks great, while the built-in Tile tracker means you’ll keep track of your valuable travel documents.
When Jabra entered the ‘true wireless earphone market’ a few years ago with their Elite Sport, I was immediately impressed. They fit reasonably well and sounded great. The Jabra 65t built on that first offering in significant ways, including comfort, sound, and much more. (Read our review.) Their latest offering, the Jabra 75t, takes things to an entirely new level.
Pitaka makes some of the best smartphone cases available; I use their MagEZ Case daily (read our review) as well as the Pitaka MagEZ Mount QI car charger (read our review), and both are fantastic. Now I’m using the Pitaka MagEZ Juice 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Power Bank Dock. It’s a wireless desk charger and Qi-enabled portable external battery in one.
As I’ve written in recent months, I’m deeply entrenched in Amazon’s Alexa voice services but I’m slowly being won over by Google’s offerings. I reviewed a JBL smart speaker last year (read my review) and Google’s Nest Mini last month (read my review). I’ve had a chance to play with the Google Nest Hub Max, and I have to admit that I’m impressed.
Ten years ago, I had the opportunity to review a pair of custom in-ear monitors. Creating them was a long process that required numerous steps. They still work and sound great. Thanks to Ultimate Ears, though, there’s now a better way to get custom in-ear monitors. Let’s start this review by walking through the process of creating the UE 5 CSX.
It’s been a while since we had a regular Gear Diary podcast but, when we did, we all used microphones from Blue. One of us had a Blue Yeti while two others used a Blue Snowball. All of them worked perfectly. We’ve been discussing starting up the podcast again, and, if we do, I’ll be using the Blue Yeti X.
The HOMI Pro Jacket is currently on Kickstarter. The project has already passed its goal, but there are still a few days left for those who want to get in on this project at substantial savings compared to what it will cost at retail. I was sent an early version and am pleased to share some initial thoughts.
My new lease vehicle has Qi wireless charging built into the console; it works fine but requires the phone to be hidden away in the center console. There are, however, times when I need my phone within view for navigation, and there’s no better way to do that than with the new $49.99 Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Magnetic Car Mount Charger.
I love the fact that thanks to Gear Diary, I’m able to check out products from companies with whom I’m not familiar. AUSOUNDS is one such company; they sent a pair of their $199.95 AU-Flex ANC WIRELESS Neckband Earphones for me to try. I’m so impressed that I’m seriously considering purchasing their true wireless earphones.
We’ve followed Braven from the company’s first appearance on the scene. Back then they were a small company looking to make their mark in the crowded Bluetooth speaker market. They succeeded. The company, now owned by ZAGG, continues to innovate. Their latest? The Braven BRV -X/2. It’s small, gets great battery life and is tough as nails for under $100.
I’ve been all-in with Amazon’s Alexa smart devices since they first came on the scene. In recent months, however, devices leveraging Google’s smart assistant have been winning me over. The new Google Nest Mini is, in part, responsible for that. It is under $50, sounds surprisingly good, and it lets you control your home and more using only your voice.
Raina finally updated to an iPhone 8. She wasn’t initially interested in its wireless charging, but after I put a wireless charging pad in her home office she changed her mind. Now she’s a fan, so I got her a myCharge 10K. We looked at this affordable wireless battery pack some time ago; it’s worth a second look.
Question: When is a powerstrip not a powerstrip? Answer: When it is the $179.99 Austere VII Series Power delivery system. Yes, the VII Series Power would be an extremely pricey powerstrip if it were just a powerstrip, but, of course, it is not. It’s a refined, aluminum power supply system that offers top-level protection to your pricey electronics.
A little over a year ago, I went looking for a new router for our home. I tried a few and was disappointed. I eventually settled on a system Perry recommended. It’s okay, but I’ve spent the last few days checking out the brand new Nest WiFi from Google, and I’m impressed.
I spent the summer swimming laps in our pool as often as the weather permitted. The water is nice. The swimming is boring. Most days, I would take one of my UE Boom speakers outside and fire up the tunes. It made the swim less boring but wasn’t optimal. I wish I had the Aftershokz Xtrainerz wireless MP3 headphones.