Judie Lipsett Stanford

The 1TB SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C Flash Drive Is a Tiny Wonder #ad

This is a sponsored post; we received compensation from SanDisk, but all opinions are the author’s. It wasn’t so long ago that 1GB seemed like an astronomical amount of memory, but now it’s passé. Most laptops come with at least 512GB, and now you can even get a 1TB flash drive that’s about the size of a child’s thumb for less than $300. Crazy, right? Say hello to the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C Flash Drive.

Reviews

Senstone Portable Voice Assistant: Take Easy Notes with Transcriptions

Senstone began life as a Kickstarter project; in fact, Dan was an early backer. I missed that window but then received one for review. It’s an impressive voice recorder that goes anywhere and quickly delivers accurate transcriptions that are available on your phone. Senstone can be worn clipped to your clothes or with the optional pendant.

Editorials

An Interview with Asher Dowson, House of Worship Segment Manager at D&B Audiotechnik

D&b is known throughout the professional audio community for its groundbreaking Soundscape technology; at NAMM, we had a chance to visit with Asher Dowson, the House of Worship segment manager at d&b audiotechnik. He was the one to fill us in on the concept of d&b’s belief that “everyone should experience the same impeccable quality of sound, regardless of their position in the audience.”

Events

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.

Events

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!

Events, Reviews

Ohsnap Is “the Phone Grip That Doesn’t Suck,” and Here’s Why 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.

Events

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.

Events, News & Features

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.

Reviews

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.

Events

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.

Events

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.

Events

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.

Events

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.

Events

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.

Reviews

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?

Reviews

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!

Health and Fitness, News & Features

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.

Reviews

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.

Reviews

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.

Events

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.

Gear Bits

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.

Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford