Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

Gear Diary's 2022 Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway: Something for Everyone and Every Budget!

Gift Guides

Gear Diary’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway: Something for Everyone and Every Budget!

If you’ve got a list of people you’d like to buy gifts for and are wondering where to even start, we’ve got you covered. Our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide has something for everyone and every budget. Many of these items have special holiday pricing, so be sure to click the links to check for discounts if something catches your fancy. So grab a drink, get comfortable, and have fun perusing our mega-guide — and be sure to enter the giveaway at the end!

Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill Review: A Compact Cooker That Can Do It All, with Smoke!

Outdoors, Reviews

Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill Review: A Compact Cooker That Can Do It All, with Smoke!

If home is an apartment where the use of open-flame grills is banned on patios and balconies, you can still enjoy cooking outside with the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill. Billed as a portable and compact electric cooker, the Ninja Woodfire’s primary function is grilling; however, it’s also a wood-infused BBQ smoker, air fryer, and outdoor convection oven that can bake, roast, broil, and even dehydrate. If the Ninja Woodfire actually delivers an enjoyable outdoor cooking experience anywhere with electrical power, then I can think of quite a few other uses for it, too. Let’s take a look.

Fan speed on the Cielo Breez Plus

Reviews

Cielo Breez Plus Review: A Brilliant Way to Make Just About Any Remote-Controlled AC Unit Smart

A few years ago, I bought a Kenmore window unit air conditioner that touted being smart, app-controlled, and able to connect to Alexa and Google Home. After Kev had securely installed the AC in my office window, I powered it on only to find that the app and smart features were incompatible with my WiFi mesh system. :facepalm: Long story short, for the past three years, I’ve had an otherwise excellent window unit that’s never lived up to its potential. However, that all changed when I received a Cielo Breez Plus review unit; with it, my AC is finally smart!

Stock photo of the MediaTek Dimensity 1080

Gear Bits

MediaTek Dimensity 1080 Chipset Provides Upgraded Cameras and Performance to Next Year’s Mid-Range Android Smartphones

Do you know what processor is powering your smartphone? Chances are that you don’t, and that’s okay, but I find processors fascinating because they control everything from your phone’s responsiveness to how many megapixels the cameras on your phone can be. With the new MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G chipset, we’re promised upgraded camera features and a performance bump compared to its predecessor, last year’s Dimensity 920.

Two Months with the OnePlus 10T 5G: Power and Speed Make for an Excellent Experience

Reviews

Two Months with the OnePlus 10T 5G: Power and Speed Make for an Excellent Experience

In August, I posted a first look at the OnePlus 10T that covered the OnePlus 10T 5 G’s design, features, and hardware. In this follow-up, I’ll cover the smartphone’s cameras, battery life performance, carrier compatibility, and other things I’ve noticed while using it for the past couple of months. If you haven’t already, read the first part of this review, and then come back to read the rest of the story.

A bedroom with a king size FlexTop Sleep Number Climate360 Smart Bed

News

Hide Your Wallet, or the Sleep Number Climate360 Smart Bed Will Snatch It!

If you struggle to fall asleep because your bed is too hot, too cold, too hard, or too soft, and if you and your partner can’t seem to find a mattress that will work for both of you, maybe it’s time to try something like the Sleep Number Climate360 Smart Bed. It’s billed as the first-ever bed to actively cool, warm, and effortlessly respond to each sleeper. Although pricy, the Climate360 Smart Bed sounds brilliant.

Vivo V25 Pro Review: UV-Activated Gimmicks Aside, It's a Great Phone for Less than $450 (If You Live in India)

Reviews

Vivo V25 Pro Review: UV-Activated Gimmicks Aside, It’s a Great Phone for Less than $450 (If You Live in India)

Vivo may be an unfamiliar smartphone brand to many in the United States. Still, as of August this year, it is the sixth largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide with a 4.29% market share¹ and 149 million smartphones shipped². Since 2011, Vivo has made a name for itself by creating smartphones that offer high-end features at mid-range prices. Available now in India, the Vivo V25 Pro is their latest model, and it happens to be the first Vivo product I’ve ever tried. Let’s take a look.

The New Amazon Kindle Scribe Has a 10.2" Display That You Can Write On

News

The New Amazon Kindle Scribe Has a 10.2″ Display That You Can Write On

Do you remember the Kindle DX that came out in 2009? I had one of those, and while I loved the larger, 9.7″ display, having the physical keyboard at the bottom made for a very oversized reading device. I bring up the Kindle DX because after it was discontinued, there were no large-screen Kindle options available. Anyone who wanted a Kindle with a larger display had to buy an iPad or Android tablet just to run the Kindle app. But now, we have the 10.2″ Amazon Kindle Scribe, the first Kindle for reading and writing.

OneAdaptr OneWorld 65 Review: With 6 Different Ports, This Could Be the Only Travel Adapter You Need to Bring

Reviews, Travel

OneAdaptr OneWorld 65 Review: With 6 Different Ports, This Could Be the Only Travel Adapter You Need to Bring

If you travel internationally, you know the #1 rookie mistake is arriving at your destination and finding that you either forgot that country’s correct adapter or you didn’t bring enough adapters for all of your gear. I recently traveled to Berlin for IFA, followed by a week in Spain. I only brought two adapters with me, the OneAdaptr OneWorld 65 for charging all of my gear and a basic US to EU adapter that was kept attached to my curling iron’s US plug. Thankfully, this proved to be the perfect setup.

A man works at a standing desk while walking on a WalkingPad A1 Pro

Reviews

WalkingPad A1 Pro Foldable Under Desk Treadmill Review: Walk While You Work and Enjoy a Healthier Day!

Even if you don’t consider sitting to be the new smoking, daily sitting for long periods can cause negative health issues; many of us don’t have a choice. We buy adjustable desks that can go from sitting to standing height with the press of a button. But now what? Standing still for long periods, especially on hard floors, is uncomfortable. And surprise! Standing all day comes with its own host of health problems. The WalkingPad A1 Pro Foldable Under Desk Treadmill might be the perfect solution, as long as you can master the fine art of walking as you work.

You Could Win One of 5 ZAGG iPhone 14 Prize Bundles in Our Latest Giveaway!

Giveaways

You Could Win One of 5 ZAGG iPhone 14 Prize Bundles in Our Latest Giveaway!

Did you get an iPhone 14? If so, this giveaway is just for you! ZAGG is a premier smartphone accessory company with several well-known brands under its umbrella, including Invisibleshield screen protectors, Gear4 cases, and mophie power solutions. We’ve partnered with them to bring five lucky winners a ZAGG iPhone 14 prize bundle that will include a case, screen protector, and charging accessory for the winner’s specific model; you supply the iPhone 14, and we’ll supply the accessories!

IFA 2022 Giveaway sponsored by Lenovo

Giveaways

IFA 2022 Giveaway: Win One of Three Lenovo Laptops!

The first live and in-person IFA since 2019 has concluded. To celebrate this return to something closer to normalcy, we have one Lenovo laptop to give away to three lucky winners. Whether you’re a student, a stay-at-home caretaker, a gamer, a business owner, or someone who knows someone who needs a new laptop, you are welcome to enter our IFA 2022 Giveaway!

Gear Diary's Best of IFA 2022 Awards

Events

Gear Diary’s Best of IFA 2022 Awards

Another IFA is in the books, and the following are the products we thought demanded special attention; one or more of them might just make your life healthier, easier, more productive, or more fun! After scouring the announcements and choosing the products for our Best of IFA 2022 list, all I have to say is, “what a time to be alive!”

Lenovo Glasses T1 plugged into a mobile device

Gear Bits, Travel

Lenovo Glasses T1 Create a Comfortable, Wearable, Private Display

On the 9-hour flight from DFW to LHR Monday, I had a young child sitting next to me on the plane. Flipping through the available movies, I realized that the few that caught my interest might be too violent and slightly inappropriate for the little guy sitting next to me, so I read instead. However, if I had had the Lenovo Glasses T1, I could have privately enjoyed any movie I wanted without worrying about whether the action or images were appropriate for my seatmate.

16" Lenovo Next-Gen ThinkPad X1 Fold Looks Like It Could Be a Road Warrior's Best Friend

News

16″ Lenovo Next-Gen ThinkPad X1 Fold Looks Like It Could Be a Road Warrior’s Best Friend

As much as I appreciate and enjoy using the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4’s expansive 16″ display, traveling with such an unwieldy laptop isn’t always easy, much less ideal. The X1 Extreme is almost impossible to use in tighter spaces (i.e., airline economy seats); a 14″ or smaller travel laptop makes more sense. Still, I struggle to recreate the same productivity I enjoy on the X1 Extreme when using something smaller for all but the most basic tasks. The just-announced Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold appears to be my perfect solution. Check this out.

Free Busch Light Solar Cookers Part of a Colorado-Based Initiative to Prevent Wildfires

Outdoors, Gear Bits

Free Busch Light Solar Cookers Part of a Colorado-Based Initiative to Prevent Wildfires

If it seems like forest fires are getting worse and occurring more often, it’s not a figment of your imagination. In the state of Colorado alone, four of their five largest wildfires ever occurred in the last five years. To help keep that from happening while people are camping, hiking, or simply spending time outside this fall, Busch Light is giving away Busch Light Solar Cookers to Colorado residents.