I may not be the sweetest guy, but the bugs that live in my backyard don’t know that. If I go outside to work in the yard or swim in the pool, I can be sure to come back in itching from one of the many new bug bites I’ve received. Thankfully, I have the Stinger On-the-Go Insect Zapper.
Raina and I are getting ready for a trip to the Galápagos Islands next month. We are doing our best to pack wisely, and that begins with our backpacks. The Timbuk2 Lightweight Launch Backpack is the first of two backpacks we’ve received for review; the $129.00 backpack is light and ready to go.
I’ve enjoyed reviewing “true wireless headphones” that completely cut the cord. Unfortunately, most have some issues. For example, the Rowkin Bit Charge earphones sound great but their 2-3 hour battery life is disappointing, and they can lose their stereo connection. I was curious if the Rowkin Surge Charge fixed these issue and I’m happy to report they do!
Judie and I first met while we were guests on a podcast. I loved chatting with her and am grateful that I was able to begin writing for Gear Diary. Last week I was a guest on Pocketnow’s podcast PNWeekly. A longtime Pocketnow reader, I was excited. The conversation was lively and covered a lot of ground. Check it out.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that the wireless charging on the iPhone X is one of my favorite features of Apple’s current flagship phone. I love having wireless chargers around the house, at my office, and now — thanks to the myCharge UnPlugged 10K — I can have 10,000mAh of wireless charging goodness on the go.
If you are building out your smarthome you will want to check out the $69.99 Amped Wireless Smartplug AWP138W. While it is a bit on the expensive side, it is an easy way to turn a standard home electrical product into something fitting for your Amazon Alexa-enabled abode. Setup is simple and using it is as easy as speaking.
Not long ago I reviewed Nomad’s Battery Cable. I loved it. The Battery Cable combines Nomad’s amazing USB to Lightning cable with a battery. That way, your gear bag not only has a charging cable but one that doubles as an external battery. Now, with phones becoming bigger than ever, Nomad has issued a new Battery Cable with extra juice.
Since getting the iPhone X, I’ve been on a mission to place wireless charging stations in each room of the house. Until now, however, the charging pads were just that, charging pads. The Azpen DockAll D108 Fast Wireless Charging Sound Hub offers wireless fast charging for Qi-enabled phones but, as the name indicates, also doubles as charging and sound hub.
If you are looking for a great-sounding, comfortable pair of wireless over-the-ear headphones for under $100 look no further than the Plantronics BackBeatGO 600 Over-the-Ear Wireless Headphones. They offer great sound and superb battery life. At just $99.99, the headphones, which come in Navy, Grey, Black or Khaki, are as good for your ears as they are for your budget.
Judie and I first met when we were doing a podcast. She had already started Gear Diary, and I was a staff writer from Just Another Mobile Monday. A few weeks ago, Judie was on a friend’s podcast. She sounded great but commented that she needed a better podcasting setup. I told her one piece of it should be the Blue Designs Compass.
I like listening to music at night as I try to fall asleep. I hate the fact that our neighbors’ kitchen light often shines right into our bedroom. Thanks to the 1 Voice Sleep Headphones Eye Mask, I can kill two burdensome nighttime birds with one stone. Soft material blocks light while speakers rock the night.
3 Legged Thing offers a range of tripods. Most are designed for professionals but their Iggy Mini Tripod, GoPro Adapter, and Phone Cradle offer “portable, versatile and multi-functional” phone stability for everyone looking to take great pictures with their iPhone or GoPro.
Wireless earbuds have finally come into their own. You can now buy high-end earphones with great sound, excellent battery life, and ANC. You can also find inexpensive earbuds that sound quite good! (IFROGZ has some great offerings!) To keep them charged, IFROGZ has released the Cocoon Earbud Recharging Case. At under $30 it’s an interesting idea for a wireless world.
“Why,” many people asked after purchasing their first iPhone, “should I carry a small, point and shoot camera when my phone does an excellent job taking pictures on the go?” As iPhone cameras improved, stand-alone cameras have increasingly moved toward obsolescence. Now, thanks to olloclip’s new offerings for the iPhone X, your iPhone is a better camera than ever before!
I have standing desks in both my home and work offices. I love them. In both cases, however, assembling the desk took quite some time. The Vari ProDesk 60 Electric solves this issue without tradeoffs. The desk, whose MSRP starts at $995, can be assembled in about five minutes yet is an impressive no-compromise standing desk.
There are so many minimalist wallets from which to choose that it can be challenging to find the right one. Ridge Wallets are worth a closer look. They are about as minimalist as you will find yet they offer a host of great features that will make it easy to carry, and access, your cards and cash.
My Waterpik is part of my morning and evening ritual. It’s so central to my routine that, when Raina and I are traveling, I, and my gums, really miss it. That’s why I was so eager to check out the Waterpik Sidekick Water Flosser. It’s great for home use, but it is also small enough to take on the go.
Since getting my iPhone X, I’ve strategically placed wireless chargers around my home. Most of them hold the iPhone either vertically or horizontally but few can do both. For under $60, the Case-Mate Power Pad offers you the choice of laying your phone flat or having it held at a perfect angle for viewing as you charge.
I think I’ve made it clear over the years that I love Audioengine products. I’ve reviewed many of the company’s speakers and have always been impressed. Honestly, I’m not sure why they aren’t a household name. Now they have released the Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers. An update to their impressive A5 speakers, their new offering once again impressed me.
Judie and Helena were at CES 2018 and were “wowed” by the Honor View10 smartphone. In fact, it received one of the very first Gear Diary Best of CES 2018 awards! I was excited to check it out and have been using a review sample for the past few weeks. Honestly, it deserved our Best of… award and much more.
Raina and I were visiting friends in Florida. They had a Lexus IS250. I drove one for six years, and the bucket seats were even more comfortable than I remembered. It occurred to me that a desk chair with the same design would be awesome! Well, the $349 RapidX Ferrino Desk Chair is just that — a bucket seat-inspired chair!