I’m a huge fan of Ultimate Ears speakers. The MEGABLAST Alexa-powered speaker I recently reviewed hangs over my treadmill. The WONDERBOOM is a far simpler, and much less expensive speaker that, for under $100, will have you ready for the great outdoors this summer. It is small, powerful, gets great battery life and is, of course waterproof.
We’ve reviewed dozens of external batteries here on Gear Diary but few have offered the combination of simplicity, power and understated elegance of the mophie powerstation USB-C XXL. This external battery was made with the most recent MacBooks in mind but is also quite friendly with devices that employ a USB-C connector. Of course, USB-A is still present as well.
The Jabra headsets we’ve reviewed over the years have been consistently impressed us. I reviewed the on-ear Jabra Evolve 75 Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation and keep them at my desk at home. Now, Jabra has taken much of what makes the Evolve 75 great and packed it into the smaller Jabra Evolve 75e neckband headset.
Raina loves the Distil Union Wally Agent wallet I reviewed some time ago. I love my Distil Union Wally Bifold; I reviewed the first release and then reviewed the updated version. Now the company has released a third edition of the Wally Bifold. It’s better and more secure than ever.
One of the things I love about the iPhone X is the wireless charging Apple finally built into its new phones. I love not having to plug my phone in. In the past months, I’ve purchased a number of wireless charging stands. All get the job done, but none comes close to the Nomad Wireless Travel Stand.
I’ve reviewed a wide range go neckband-style headphones but none quite like the Plantronics Voyager 6200 UC. Designed for business, the Voyager 6200 UC is a Bluetooth headset with premium features that make it as ideal for work as it is for play. Great sound and impressive battery life are just the beginning with these pricey but impressive headphones.
Audioengine makes some of my favorite speakers; I’ve reviewed a number of them and use them daily in both my home office and bedroom. Now Audioengine has announced the A5+ Wireless speakers. With pricing starting at $399, the A5+ won’t take up a ton of space but will fill a room with quality sound. That, however, is just the beginning.
While Judie was at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, she got to see the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. They look great! It is no surprise then that InvisibleShield and mophie are rolling out accessories that will make Samsung’s new flagship phone even better.
A cable is just a cable. Right? Wrong. As Nomad’s cables prove, spending a bit more on a high-quality cable makes a huge difference. Nomad cables are rugged and come in a variety of types that includes a universal cable which works with just about everything. Their new $39.95 USB-C cable is an example of what makes Nomad cables great.
Now and then you come upon a product and can’t help but think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Lifeproof’s LIFEACTÍV Lightning Connector to USB Cable Lanyard is one such product. Sure, my iPhone X has wireless charging, but it never hurts to have a USB to Lightning cable handy. This product makes sure you have one at all times.
When we saw the Frywall on Shark Tank, Raina said, “That’s genius! I want one of those.” I neglected to order one, and the next time she cooked the kitchen was covered with oil. So I ordered one from Amazon. At $21.95 for the 10″ and $28.95 for the 12″, it is pricey, but it does exactly what it promises.
Russian Bots are working hard to shape American dissent and opinion; the indictments last week spell out their role in the 2016 election quite clearly. Just after the shooting in Parkland Florida, they went into high gear again. But how can we know who we are engaging or arguing with on Twitter? Make Adverbs Great Again is one way!
I have a Waterfield SFBags pouch I keep in whatever bag I am carrying any given day. Inside are some Nomad cables, an external battery, some adapters and a pair of Lighting earbuds. The VogDUO Charger Pro 3-Port USB Wall Charger is a new addition to the pouch. Thin and light, it has three different speedy ports.
I was so impressed with the Human Solutions UPLIFT standing desks and accessories I reviewed last fall that I purchased a larger version of the UPLIFT desk for my office at the synagogue. The company also sent a Pursuit Ergonomic Chair for review. It too impressed me, so I also purchased one for my office. Here’s why I’m a fan.
Some weeks ago Tekkima, a new clothing company, reached out to see if we wanted to take a look at one of their jackets. “Why not?” I said. A few days later, the Tekkima Overland arrived. I was amazed by how light it was. Then I put it on and was even more amazed how warm and comfortable it is.
The UA Sport Wireless Flex is another pair of sports earphones resulting from a collaboration between Under Armour and JBL. Previous collaborations have yielded decent offerings that, while good, didn’t get me overly excited. The UA Sport Wireless Flex is different. I love their design, am impressed by their features, and find them to be both comfortable and great sounding.
When I first began in the rabbinate, I wore a suit every day. That meant six and sometimes seven days a week were spent in a dress shirt, tie and suit. Those days are long gone, but I still wear a suit a few days a week. That’s where the Collar Stay Punch Raina got me for Hannukah comes in.
I like cases that are thin but offer some degree of drop protection. Still, when Totallee invited us to check out their thin iPhone X case, I was game. The case is a textbook case in thin. While it doesn’t protect your iPhone in a drop, it does provide scratch protection while letting your iPhone’s industrial design shine through.
Nomad just announced their new USB Wireless Hub. It looks amazing, and you can read Judie’s review here. Nomad also makes a range of amazing iPhone cases that are ready to work with the new $79.95 hub. They offer a variety of designs and great protection. All of them are impressive and there’s something for everyone! They are also affordable.
When we first “met” KnowRoaming, a service committed to making global connectivity simple and inexpensive; they offered a sticker that one would place on a standard SIM card to connect when traveling. It always made me a bit uneasy. Since then, the company has greatly expanded their offerings and, when we travel this summer, we’ll be relying on them!
Some time ago I reviewed the Plantronics BackBeat 500 on-ear headphones. At under $80, they were, and are a great deal. When Plantronics sent me the BackBeat FIT 300 for review they also sent me the new, BackBeat FIT 500 on-ear headphones. They look exactly like the BackBeat 500 headphones I reviewed previously, yet there are a few important differences.