Dan Cohen | Gear Diary

V-MODA Faders Earplugs Review – Protect Your Hearing In Style

The other day I reviewed the ETY•Plugs HD earplugs. (Read the review.) What stands out to me, when thinking about this excellent approach to protecting one’s hearing, is the fact that the earplugs are based on the design Etymotic employs for their headphones. In other words, someone who finds Etymotic headphones comfortable will find the same to hold true with the ETY•Plugs HD earplugs. Turns out Etymotic isn’t the only company to leverage their headphones by offering a pair of earplugs that look and feel like something you might use to enjoy your audio; V-MODA had the same idea and…

Reviews

ZAGG Origin 2-in-1 Bluetooth System Review- Cool Gear or Total Gimmick?

When I first saw the ZAGG Origin 2-in-1 Bluetooth speaker I was intrigued. The Origin looks like a large gray plastic desktop speaker with the ZAGG name proudly displayed on the front. It is, in fact, a large gray plastic desktop speaker with the ZAGG name proudly displayed on the front. But that is only part of the story. Grab the middle portion of the large gray plastic desktop speaker’s back and the ZAGG Origin breaks into two pieces. You see, the ZAGG Origin is both a large desktop speaker and a small portable speaker. When the two pieces are together they…

Reviews

Spigen SGP Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4 Review

Do you need Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? No. Are they worth the $9.99 price of admission to get three of Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? That depends. If you want to bring a bit of customization to your Samsung super-phone or prefer a Home Button with a bit more tactile feel the SGP Home Buttons might be a good choice for you. If, on the other hand, you don’t need to add bling to your S4-thing you may want to save the ten bucks. Here’s a look at what they offer….

Reviews

Scosche RH1060 Bluetooth Headphones Review – Cut Cords Not Corners

We recently reviewed the Scosche RH1056md Headphones. I was impressed with the wired, over-the-ear headphones and thought them to be a decent value at under $150. Scosche was good enough to also send a pair of their RH1060 Wireless Bluetooth headphones for review. The RH1060 headphones look quite similar to the RH1056md sample we have been using; in fact, then you use them in wired mode they are pretty much the same. Comparing the specifications of the two headphones reveals that both have 40mm drivers and an impedance of 32?. The frequency response of the RH1056md headphones is slightly better,…

Reviews

Accell Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station Review

Surge protectors are not the most interesting of accessories. At the same time they are an important part of getting your gear up, running and protected. Most of the time power strips with surge protection come in a straight line of outlets, but that is not the case with the Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station from Accell. It has a most unusual shape, and it is designed for today’s multi-device setups. Let’s take a look. First and foremost, the Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station has room for six different plugs to connect at the same time….

Reviews

Satechi LED Desk Lamp Review – See What You Are Working On

It has been some time since I felt the need for a task light while working at my desk or at our kitchen island. The reason for that is quite simple, my house was renovated by my father-in-law, and he has a thing about putting tons of lights in any room has designs and rebuilds. Still, there are times when I really could use some easily directed light. That was the reason I took an interest in the Satechi LED Desk Lamp. This didn’t look like any desk light I had ever used, and it is not. No, the Satechi…

News & Features

Monster iSport Freedom Bluetooth Headphones are The Perfect Wireless Workout Companion

While in New York for a CE Week event last week, I had a chance to spend some time at the Monster headphones booth. While there, I saw the Monster Inspiration Active Noise-Canceling Headphones which Judie had reviewed and loved. (Read the review.) The White Tuxedo Monster DNA Headphones I reviewed were also on display. (Read my review.) There were also a pair of strikingly bright headphones that caught my eye; these were the upcoming iSport Freedom headphones. The iSport Freedom headphones are Monster’s first-ever on-ear wireless headphones. The iSport Freedom headphones are water-resistant, anti-microbial and sweat proof. Inside the…

How to Do It Yourself!

How To Replace an iPhone 4S Battery

Carly was having huge battery issues with her iPhone 4S. It would run down in a matter of hours and, as a result, it was pretty much useless. That’s when she went out and picked up her Nokia Lumia 928. (Read her first impressions.) I asked Carly what she planned to do with the almost-non-functional iPhone now that she had a new super phone. That’s when it took up residence in my home. I put iOS 7.0 Beta on it, and while I have been rather impressed by the upcoming iOS update, I have found the same battery life issues…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Cobra iRadar ATOM Radar Detector Review- A Small Package With Big Protection

Last October I reviewed the Cobra iRadar iOS 200 radar detector. This system is a combination of an iRadar application and accompanying hardware. It is an interesting solution in that the radar detector itself works quite well on its own but becomes far more powerful when paired with and connected to a mobile device. It obviously impressed me since I continue to use it on a daily basis. (You can read the full review here.) Now the company has come out with the next generation of the hardware/app combination. The iRadar ATOM radar detector is smaller and more powerful. Let’s…

Gear Bits

Evernote Turns Five- When Did You Subscribe?

Evernote is five years old and its growth sees no time of slowing any time soon. The company’s iOS app was one of my most important productivity apps early on. And, since then, Evernote’s various apps have become increasingly powerful. (I love capturing handwritten pages with the new Page Camera!) The other day they sent out emails to all Evernote subscribers thanking them for their support and indicating what number subscriber each was. Here’s the text of Mike’s email and his number. Yes, there are 65 million Evernote users and Mike is below 100,000. Not bad! Judie, however has been using…

Reviews

Etymotic ETY•Plugs HD Review- Protect Your Precious Ears

The other day Judie reviewed the VitaSound Personal Audio Enhancer PAE-300. This great little gadget is perfect for the person coping with some degree of hearing loss. Even Judie was surprised by how well it works and the fact that her daughter Sarah, the actual hands-on reviewer, is using it constantly. (Read the review.) It is fantastic that technology can help those with hearing loss. Better still however is taking steps to not have hearing issues in the first place. Sure, as Judie pointed out in the review, some hearing loss is genetic but there is a growing epidemic of…

News & Features

iLuv Gets You Connected with a Host of New Cables

Cables aren’t all that exciting but they are an important part of any mobile life. iLuv recently announced a new line of cables that will help make sure your myriad devices stay charged and in sync. As the company release notes, they offer “an abundance of new power and cable accessories, complete with more Lightning products and colorful options suitable for all users”. Let’s run down the new products. The iAD1517 Wall Charger w/ Lightning Connector This Lightning wall charger: Quickly charges iPhone, iPod and iPad Has an integrated Lightning cable for new iPhone 5, iPod and iPad models Offers…

News & Features

The New HTC 8XT Windows Phone Rocks HTC BoomSound

The HTC 8X is a terrific Windows Phone. I have one in hand and it looks and feels great. The just-announced HTC 8XT takes things up a notch or two and is coming this summer. The HTC 8XT is one of the first Windows Phone 8 smartphones to be available on the Sprint network and it is the very first to feature dual front-facing stereo speakers. The phone sports great sound thanks to HTC BoomSound, has an advanced camera that incorporates all of HTC’s camera expertise and it has HTC’s now-iconic design. HTC BoomSound is a big deal. As the…

Reviews

Sir Lancelot’s Armor Holy Grail Screen Protector Review

Screen protectors. They aren’t the most exciting of smartphone accessories. They are, however, rather important if you want to keep your smartphone’s screen pristine. The Holy Grail of screen protectors? One that is easy to install, nearly invisible when in place and uber-protective. After all, replacing an iPhone 5’s screen can cost well over $200. That’s where Sir Lancelot’s Armor Holy Grail Screen Protector comes in. This screen protector, which started as a Kickstarter project, is made of bullet proof glass. Is this a screen protector worthy of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table? Read on to…

Reviews

Booq Boa Squeeze Graphite Backpack Review – Looks Cool, Gets the Job Done

I was on a train headed to Washington DC last year and saw someone getting off the train wearing a most unusual backpack. Instead of a square or sack-shaped backpack this one was curved. Moreover it was entirely black… my favorite. I sped up to get a closer look and was not surprised to discover it was made by booq. A bit more research when I got to my hotel revealed it was the booq Boa squeeze. I almost bought one at the time but never followed through. Then we got word that a new version, the booq Boa Squeeze…

Reviews

Spigen SGP Ultra Fit for the Samsung GALAXY S4 Review – Puts Your S4 On a Diet

If you are looking for a case that will give a bit of scratch protection to your Samsung GALAXY S4 while adding as little bulk and weight as possible, then you will want to check out the Spigen SGP Ultra Fit for the Samsung GALAXY S4. On Amazon for under $10, this case is just about as minimalist a case as you are going to find. No, it is not for the accident-prone S4 owner but those who tend to be careful with their smartphones and want a bit of extra protection will likely be quite happy! As you can…

Reviews

Phiaton Bridge MS500 Headphones Review – They Offer Style, Comfort and Excellent Sound

Sexy and stylish are the only way I can describe the Phiaton Bridge MS500 headphones. That came as a surprise, considering I have been impressed with the sound of previous Phiaton headphones I’ve reviewed, but I would not have described any of them as particularly stylish. (The Moderna MS200 did come close.) The Bridge MS500 headphones bring style to the Phiaton lineup even as they bring a premium price tag of $299. Does high style merge with great sound when it comes to the company’s marque headphones offerings? Read on to find out.

Reviews

Eye-Fi Mobi Memory Card Review – Your Camera Wants One Now!

One of the big selling points of the Sony NEX-6 I recently purchased was the built-in WiFi that allows for wireless on-the-go transfers from the camera to an iOS device. (Yeah, I like the small size, awesome picture quality and interchangeable lenses too but this WiFi thing really caught my eye!) Fortunately you don’t need to go out and buy a new camera in order to get wireless on-the-go transfers of images from your camera to you mobile device. Eye-Fi’s new mobi SD card lets anyone add the functionality to just about any camera. And with an 8GB card running…

Reviews

Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard Strikes All the Right Keys

I have been using Apple’s Bluetooth Keyboard pretty consistently ever since I made the move to Mac. I have used one with my various iMacs, and I also use one at home with my laptop, since I elevate the computer on one of a number of stands and use a separate keyboard and mouse. This arrangement is not only better ergonomically and puts less strain on my neck, but it also keeps the computer off the desk or countertop surface just in case something spills (I started doing this after I dumped an entire glass of Crystal Light into my…

Reviews

Scosche RH1056md Headphones Review – They Will Rock Your World

To say that I have been impressed with the Scosche RH1056MD Reference Grade On Ear Headphones with tapLINE Remote and Microphone would be an understatement. It is not that these are the best sounding or most comfortable over-the-ear headphones on the market; they aren’t. But they do look good, fit and sound quite good, and for under $150, they are an excellent value. The RH1056MD reference headphones, which ship with an abundant collection of accessories that add even more value to an already impressive package, have 40mm drivers and are designed with a custom blend of mylar, precision wound copper…

News & Features

Soundfreaq Sound Step Lightning Offers Multiple Ways to Connect to Your Music

If you are looking for a small speaker that gives you maximum flexibility, then you will want to check out the new Sound Step Lightning from Soundfreaq. The Sound Step Lightning not only lets you dock your Lightning-equipped iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, but it also offers the flexibility of Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The speaker features a 2.1 speaker configuration with a dedicated sub-woofer and Soundfreaq’s proprietary UQ3 spatial sound enhancement. The result is the ability of the speaker to “deliver natural bass and stereo separation, unique for a compact speaker”.

Articles by Dan Cohen