Gear Diary’s Best of NAMM 2020 Awards
The National Association of Music Merchants Show, better known as NAMM is wrapping up. A lot of amazing music gear came out this year; these were the items that blew us away.
Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford
Gear Diary’s Best of CES 2020 Awards
Another CES has come and gone, and as we have in the past, we’ve sorted through hundreds upon hundreds of products to bring you the ones we thought were the most exciting, useful, disruptive, or clever. Take a look at our Best of CES 2020 award picks, and see what you think!
Ohsnap Is ‘the Phone Grip That Doesn’t Suck’, and You Need One!
I’ve avoided adding a grip to my phone because, quite simply, I hadn’t found one that I thought added enough features to make adding its bulk to my phone worthwhile. The Ohsnap phone grip changes all of that. I was a backer when they were on Kickstarter, and the Ohsnap has quickly become indispensable.
Discovering the Future of Tech at the SEOUL Smart City and Smart Life Event
If you hear “start-up” and think “Silicon Valley,” then you need to expand your horizons. There are a tremendous number of places where new ideas are bringing massive improvements to how we live around the world. The Seoul Smart City and Smart Life pavilion showcased for us some very exciting ideas coming out of Korea that are worth following closely! Here are five that piqued our interest.
MediaTek Dimensity 800 5G Series Chipset Family Provides Flagship Features for Mid-Range 5G Phones
If you want flagship features, power, and performance in your 5G smartphones that won’t break the bank, you are going to want to watch for devices using the new MediaTek Dimensity 800 5G Series Chipset.
Celebrate CES 2020 with Our Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (4th Gen) Giveaway
If you hadn’t noticed by the onslaught of CES news here and on other sites, the event’s news cycle is in full swing. Although the show floors won’t actually open until Tuesday the 7th, we’re already hard at work bringing you the latest. One of the brands that never fails to disappoint with new and upgraded products is Lenovo, and this year is no exception.
Huawei FreeBuds 3 Review
Huawei begged for comparison to Apple’s AirPods when they made the FreeBuds 3 look like the ubiquitous earbuds. The FreeBuds 3 style is so close to AirPods, that from a few feet away, you’d be forgiven for assuming that the white stem with a chrome end dipping low from your subway seatmate’s ears was the non-noise canceling version of Airpods, but you’d be wrong.
Win a Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Windows Laptop!
Here to spread a bit of holiday cheer and end the year on a high note, Lenovo has sent us a ThinkBook 14s to give away to one of our lucky readers! This laptop has a 14″ FHD IPS anti-glare display (non-touchscreen), 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, an 8th generation Intel i5-8265U 1.6GHz processor, a fingerprint scanner for security, and it runs Windows 10 Home.
Qualcomm Snapdragon Powered ‘Always-On, Always’ Connected PC Comes of Age
The idea of an “always-on”, “always connected” computer has been around for a while. Unfortunately, the available technology wasn’t quite ready to make such computers possible. Thanks to the just-announced new Qualcomm Snapdragon Compute platform portfolio, the “always computer” may finally be at hand. Long battery life, AI, and cellular connectivity are just the beginning of this revolution.
A New Era of Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality Is Here Thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit has entered its final day with the introduction of the new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform. The Snapdragon XR2 Platform is “the world’s first 5G-supported extended reality (XR) platform.” This new era of mobile computing is made possible by a combination of Qualcomm’s recent 5G and AI innovations and their proven XR technology.
You’ll Want the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform in Your Next Flagship Phone
This is the second day of the 2019 Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit and it was spent doing a deep-dive into the features of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765/765G. The new mobile platforms are impressive and, best of all, we expect devices built on these new platforms to be available later in the first quarter of 2020.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 and 765G Platforms Will Transform the Smartphone Computing Experience
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Platform is targeted for flagship phones. Many consumers would prefer not to spend as much on their next phone as they did on their current laptops. The good news is that Qualcomm has also introduced the new Snapdragon 765 and 765G. Like the Snapdragon 865 Platform, it’s a huge step forward in speed, connectivity, and battery life.
2019 Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit Day One: Dive In!
I’m excited to attend the 2019 Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit again this year; it’s a chance to get an early look at the technology that will drive the next generation of mobile devices. The Summit is just beginning, but its already clear that Qualcomm has a lot to share. As you might expect, 5G and AI are centerstage.
Huawei Watch GT 2: Smarter Bio-Tracking with Excellent Battery Life
Earlier this year, I reviewed the Huawei Watch GT; I was a huge fan of its long battery life and sleep tracking, but I felt its larger size might be an issue for those with smaller wrists, and I lamented the limited selection of watch faces. Well, the updated Huawei Watch GT 2 is here, and I’ve been wearing it for the past month. How does it compare?
Gear4 Battersea and Crystal Palace Cases for the Google Pixel 4 XL Remove Drop Worries
If you’ve got a Pixel 4, you’ve no doubt noticed that the square-shaped camera lens on the back protrudes a bit. As tempting as it might be to carry this surprisingly non-slippery phone without a case, you need to protect its screen, its corners, and the protruding camera lens on the back if you’re prone to dropping things; Gear4 can help!
Spärkel Carbonator: Create Your Own Carbonated Drinks without Synthesized Chemicals or CO2 Tanks
I gave up Diet Cokes a few years ago, for many reasons. One of the things that helped me keep my resolve to stop drinking “DC”s was flavored carbonated water; I could still get that bubbly burn that I craved but without all of the artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and caramel food coloring. With the Spärkel Carbonator, I can now make my own flavored carbonated drinks at home.
Invisible Shield Glass Elite VisionGuard+ for the Google Pixel 4 XL: Protect and Filter
I know that most premium smartphones come with Gorilla Glass displays which are less likely to shatter or scratch than a plastic or lesser glass display, but guess what? I can still manage to scratch Gorilla Glass without even trying. That’s why I am a huge advocate for glass screen protectors like the Invisible Shield Glass Elite VisionGuard+ for the Google Pixel 4 XL.
Nomad Rugged Case Gives Your Google Pixel 4 XL Leather-Wrapped Protection
If you’ve grown tired of the feeling of silicone, TPU, or plastic touching your fingers when holding your brand new Google Pixel 4 XL, then you’re really going to like the Nomad Rugged Case. Luxurious black or rustic brown Horween leather wraps a protective yet slim body. If you’ve gotta cover up your phone, this case will almost make doing so regret-free.
5 Fun Things I Saw at the Global Sources Mobile Electronics Show
I’ve just returned from Hong Kong, where I was attending the Global Source s Show. Global Sources is one of the largest consumer electronics shows in Asia, billing itself as the “world’s biggest mobile sourcing show” which means that it’s a great source for companies who need to find new products to sell. Here are some of the products I thought were noteworthy.
Divoom Ditoo Is the Cute Retro Game Clock and Speaker That You Didn’t Know You Wanted
Whether you’re a retro gamer or just a lover of all things quirky and cute, you are going to want to check out the Divoom Ditoo. The Ditoo is a cute little clock that also functions as a retro gaming device and speaker.
Vago Portable Compressor Makes Packing More Efficient
Sometimes it’s the little things that make life easier, and I suspect that the Vago Portable Compressor might be just such an item. If you are trying to pack or store clothing and you want to be as space-efficient as possible, the Vago can help make that happen.
