Dan Cohen | Gear Diary

Harman Kardon Reveals New AirPlay Networked Receivers

I’m currently evaluating the Harman Kardon NC noise canceling headphones. I am, once again, impressed by the quality, finish and audio of the company’s products. Now Harman Kardon has released two new audio/video received that offer AirPlay and network connectivity. Both the Harman Kardon AVR 2700 and AVR 3700 feature Apple AirPlay and 4K video scaling, as well as a sleek, modern design. In addition, both receivers are powered by the “acclaimed Harman Kardon high-current, ultra-wide bandwidth amplifier design for top sonic performance”. Each receiver is equipped with eight HDMI inputs and have easy-to-use on-screen menus for simple setup and…

News & Features

Organize, Share and Enjoy Your Dropbox Photos in New Ways

Dropbox is one of the most important productivity tools I use these days. Having my files, documents and images in Dropbox means I can have access to any and all of my files no matter where I am and no matter what device I happen to be using on any particular day. That’s the reason I keep almost all my active documents in my Dropbox account. Side note: I also have a huge folder in Dropbox entitled “Not Kept Local”. It has all the files, movies and pictures I want to safeguard but don’t need on a daily basis. That…

Reviews, Yum Log

Hermetus Bottle Opener and Resealer Review – Doesn’t Your Beer Deserve This Bottle Opener?

That question was, of course, rhetorical. Of COURSE your beer (or other bottled beverage) deserves a bottle opener as simple and useful as the Hermetus Bottle Opener and Resealer that Kaufman Mercantile sent me to check out. Made in Germany, the Hermetus Bottle Opener and Resealer is a metal bottle opener that easily opens any bottle, but then it is also able to glide over the top and make a tight seal that helps keep beers from going flat or spilling. Why would you need such a device? Simple… This IPA is not only strong but it is huge. And…

Reviews

Phiaton PS 210 BTNC Noise Canceling Headphones Review

I had the opportunity to look at a number of different headphones from Phiaton in recent months. The first pair of Phiaton headphones I reviewed were the Phiaton’s PS 20 BT Stereo Headset. (Read the review.) These wireless bluetooth headphones were incredibly comfortable and sounded great. I found the control module to be a bit awkward. It’s round and the buttons were rather difficult to access times. I also didn’t love the fact that you couldn’t use your own earbuds but, thankfully, the earbuds that came with the PS 20 BT Stereo Headset were comfortable and sounded great. Here’s what I…

News & Features

HTC One Available Online and in Retail Stores Nationwide

If you want an Android handset with a solid build, great speed and superb audio, then you want the HTC One. The latest and greatest handset from HTC is now widely available online and in retail stores including AT&T, Sprint, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart, Target, Amazon.com, Costco, Car Toys, Sam’s Club, HSN.com, and HTC.com. The HTC One stands out as a phone that is built like a piece of jewelry. It has a “full-metal, zero-gap unibody design” that looks and feels as solid as any phone you have ever held. It competes with, and may surpass, the iPhone 5…

News & Features

White Tuxedo Monster DNA Headphones Review

In the realm of headphones the quip, “It’s better to look good than to feel good” might well be rendered as “It’s better to look good than to sound good.”. In both cases, the statement is obviously nonsense. Just ask anyone with chronic inflammatory arthritis… it doesn’t matter a bit what you look like if you feel awful. Similarly if headphones looks great but don’t sound good, then they really aren’t worth a thing. That was, honestly, my concern when we were asked to review and then give away a pair of the White Tuxedo Monster DNA headphones that…

Reviews

Turtle Shell Boombox, Is It the Bluetooth Speaker for You?

Bluetooth speakers are pretty much everywhere you look; there’s the granddaddy of them all — the rectangular JawBone JamBox. There’s the strikingly similar rectangular shaped Braven 600 speaker that adds an external battery for charging your devices. If you want the speaker that stands up tall rather than sitting low you might want to check out the SuperTooth Disco 2. If round is more important, then you’ll definitely want to check out the impressive and well-priced JBL Flip. If you want something that’s got more curves than the JamBox and is far tougher, then you’ll definitely want to check out the…

Editorials

EXCLUSIVE – The HTC First Facebook Phone Comes Up Last

I watched the Facebook Press Conference during which Facebook Home and the HTC First Android Phone with Facebook Home launched two weeks ago with a bit of amusement. I’m not a huge Facebook user, but my amusement really wasn’t just about my lack of being a Facebook fanatic at play; the idea of Facebook being my welcome screen and launcher just didn’t seem like something I would ever want. Facebook Home takes one means of connection and makes it central to my entire mobile experience. Having it on a dedicated Facebook phone means that I would need to go THROUGH…

Reviews

SPIGEN SGP Linear Blitz Phone 5 Case Review

SPIGEN SGP has done it again with their Linear Blitz for iPhone 5. Yes, the company has been on a roll with their iPhone 5 cases, and the SPIGEN SGP Linear Blitz for iPhone 5 is yet another case that brings qualities, plenty of “extras” and good protection at an impressive price. How impressive is the pricing on the Linear Blitz? For under $32 you get a case with a real aluminum back plate, a quality screen protector, a cleaning cloth and three Jelly Bean Home Buttons; I would say that is a remarkably good value! Here’s a video look at…

Travel

Ziplining Through the Jamaican Jungle

Our time in Jamaica is over… for now… But the memories of our week down there won’t end any time soon. Had had a great time having a beachfront villa for the four of us but were happy to mix some fun excursions in with the lazy days reading, eating, playing cards and… eating. I posted the other day on our visit to Dunn’s River Falls. If you go to Jamaica it is an absolutely must. Check out the post. Then, this past Thursday, we headed toward Ocho Rios again but stopped short, this time. We stopped at Chukka’s Cranbrook,…

Reviews

MiPow Boom Bluetooth Speaker Review

We posted our review of the MiPow Boom mini the other day. (Read it.) The speaker is tiny but the sound is anything but tinny. I’m impressed by the sound such a small speaker is able to pump out and I still can’t believe that, after using the speaker pretty continually since we got here to Jamaica, I still have not had to charge it. There is no question in my mind that MiPow’s battery rating is more than a bit conservative. The company also sent me the first ever review sample of the MiPow Boom. This speaker, the larger…

News & Features

The Scosche boomBOTTLE Is a Ruggedized Portable Speaker for Tunes on the Go

We’ve reviewed a host of different Bluetooth speakers but never one quite like this. The Scosche boomBOTTLE is a new mobile speaker that is ideal for streaming music while biking, hiking, camping and more. The boomBOTTLE not only has a unique design, but it has the features to match. A durable non-slip, shock absorbing TPU exterior is strong enough to withstand drops or vibrations caused from rough terrain, which makes it perfect for biking. An IP4X rated weatherproof construction means you can use the boomBOTTLE even when it is wet outside. The boomBOTTLE even features sealed dustproof speaker grills. The…

Reviews

MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth Speaker Review

I will admit to having gone into my review of the MiPow Boom and MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth speakers positively inclined toward both products. After all, when Judie and I met with Brian Holmes, vice president and general manager of MiPow, back at CES in January we were immediately impressed by the attention to quality and detail the company put into their mobile accessories. During our meeting we got to check out their range of external batteries and liked what we saw. We learned about their Bluetooth headsets and were anxious to try them out. And, at the end of CES, we…

Travel

Discovering Jamaica’s Dunn’s River Falls

My family and I are here in Jamaica, mon — enjoying the sun, the warmth and the beauty of this lush tropical island. Yesterday we ate breakfast and then set out for a trip to Dunn’s River Falls – about 45 minutes from our villa. Dunn’s River Falls is in an area the Spanish called “Las Chorreras”, or “the waterfalls or the springs”. Over time “Las Chorreras” became “Ocho Rios” or “eight rivers”. This despite the fact that there are just four, rather than eight, rivers here. Those four rivers are Cave River, Roaring River, Turtle River and of course Dunn’s River….

News & Features

G-Technology’s New G-DOCK and G-DRIVE Offer Speed, Versatility and Flexibility

Like you, much of my life is digital. That includes documents, pictures, music and video. Those files are precious… and increasingly larger and larger. Seriously, one video for a Gear Diary post can be a gigabyte and a half before I even begin to process it. It adds up … quickly. In addition, protecting that data is more important than ever, so having the ability to move files from one location to another is too. And when your files are huge and your file transfer rate is slow, it means only one thing — wasted time. G-Technology is looking to…

Reviews

AKG K391 NC Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

In an ever-more crowded market filled with noise cancelling headphones, it can be a challenge to find the right balance of noise cancellation, comfort and audio quality. I was so impressed with the sound and comfort of the AKG K551 over-the-Ear headphones I reviewed recently (read the review), that I wanted to check out a pair of their noise cancelling offerings. They were kind enough to send a pair of the AKG K391 Noise Cancelling Headphones for review, and my first impressions are excellent. The AKG K391 NC Noise Cancelling Headphones have an MSRP of $249.99, but they are widely…

Travel

Dunn’s River Falls Survival Gear

Dunn’s River Falls is awesome, and it is a visit I encourage anyone going to Jamaica to make. There was some gear that made the trip even better, and I thought I might share some of the items; so here’s a rundown of my Dunn’s River Falls Survival Gear. Dunn’s River Falls Survival Gear #1: Vibram Five Fingers I wanted to make sure I could run while here in Jamaica, but I also wanted to pack lightly. That’s why, when all was said and done, I brought my Vibram Five Fingers shoes. They are great for running, but they are…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness

No Scream Cream – Waxing Poetic (and Pain Free) in Jamaica

I’m on vacation in Jamaica with my wife, Elana, her brother Rob and Rob’s girlfriend, Alison. We had a casual breakfast in our villa this morning, after which Rob headed to the beach to read. I lingered a bit too long over my last cup of coffee and, as a result, had the opportunity to hear a FASCINATING conversation on shaving, electrolysis, and waxing. (It made me happier than ever to have been born male.) So why am I sharing this here on Gear Diary? Because Alison told Elana about the “best product ever” in this regard – Relax and…

News & Features

MiPow Boom and MiPow Boom Mini Ready for US Launch

As we wrote back in January, MiPow is planning a huge move into the US market this year. The company, which is well-known in other parts of the world, makes an assortment of lifestyle accessories including external batteries, headphones and now… Bluetooth speakers. We had a chance to check out pre-production samples of the MiPow Boom and MiPow Boom Mini Bluetooth speakers in Las Vegas and were impressed. Now we have our hands on the first review samples of each and we are going to put them through some extensive use during out review. First, though, since these are the…

News & Features

Facebook Phone Event, What Do You Think?

Facebook is kind enough to be streaming their media event today. That means we can follow along with the news as it is shared from the comfort of our own homes. You can check it out here or simply refresh your browser as we’ll be updating this post as the news is shared. “We’re going to talk about the Facebook phone or more accurately how you can turn your Android phone into a Facebook phone.” “We spend our lives sharing and connecting.” Instead of starting with apps and then connecting what happens it we flip that around and our phones…

Gear Bits

RokForm RokShield V3 for iPad mini First Look

We met with RokForm at CES 2013 and were impressed by the products they had in the pipeline. In particular I was taken with the wide array of products they planned to release during 2013 for the iPhone, iPad and iPad mini. The RokForm RokShield v3 Case Kit for iPad Mini was the real standout to my mind offering a terrific combination of style, function and protection. The case ships with an “easy-stick RMS” (remote mounting system and a 6 position KickStand for viewing, typing and browsing the web. The features of the case include Six-sided protection High impact polycarbonate…

Articles by Dan Cohen