Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

Cameron Hughes Wine: Ready for Holiday Entertaining

Whether you’re serving wine at your holiday get-togethers or bringing a hostess gift to the friends throwing a party, you’re going to want to have a wine that tastes good yet doesn’t break the bank. I recently discovered Cameron Hughes — a vintor that makes small batch lots; these wines are fab, and when they are gone, they are gone.


Punch Bowl Austin Review: Can VR Gaming Work While Dining?

Now that the holidays are in full swing, and your home is cycling through visiting friends and family, you might find yourself trying to come up with a fun group activity that includes dinner. I’ll bet you’re thinking “it shouldn’t be this hard”, and you’re right! So, I’ve got the solution for you — Punch Bowl Social!



2018 Kia Stinger GT: One Hell of a Fun Ride!

If you’re used to the usual compact SUVs and sedans from Kia, then the 2018 Kia Stinger GT is going to come across as something unexpected and unique. Or maybe not that unexpected. In 2011, Kia introduced their GT Concept, and the journey has led them from there to the new Kia Stinger GT.



Pitaka Aramid MagCase and MagMount for the Samsung Galaxy Note8 Review

Shortly after purchasing a Samsung Galaxy Note8, I sent an email to Pitaka asking if they’d be coming out with a case for my shiny new phablet. The Pitaka Aramid case had quickly become my favorite super-thin iPhone 7+ case, and I really hoped they’d have something similar in store for the Note8. They do, it’s the Pitaka Aramid MagCase.



ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

If you enjoy spending time outdoors while barbecuing or camping, or if you simply find yourself suffering through periodic power outages, having a reliable LED lantern on hand makes sense. The ECOXGEAR EcoLantern gives you 360º sound as well as a 400 Lumens bi-directional light. It’s portable, versatile, and it will even charge your mobile phone.


Punkt. UC 01 USB Desktop Charger: Plenty of Power to Spare!

One USB multi-device charger is just the same as any other, right? Well, no, not exactly. To start, not all USB chargers are powerful enough to charge more than one tablet at a time. The Punkt. UC 01 USB Desktop Charger, however, is fully capable of charging up to three iPads simultaneously.






GMC Trucks First Drive: Low-Key Luxury in the Sand

What do you get when you cross a truck with seemingly endless acres of soft sand? Before last week, I would have answered “a tow truck and a hefty bill,” but now I know that the answer is “Fun, lots of fun!” GMC Trucks can handle towing your 4-wheelers to the sand, pushing sand, and yes, even driving in sand!





Guardzilla 360 Won’t BBQ Intruders, but It Will Watch Your Home

Since the name Guardzilla seems like such an obvious riff on Godzilla, it only stands to reason that this life-size product would watch whatever you’ve aimed it at and incapacitate intruders and interlopers with a flamethrower blast when notified to do so. What? It’s “only” a compact 360º motion detection home security camera? Well, I guess that’s okay, too.


BONX Grip Is Like a Walkie-Talkie, but Better

If you participate in activities where you want to communicate with your friends, but you need to be completely hands-free, then you might want to check out the BONX Grip. It uses your phone (and it’s 3G/4G/WiFi signal) to allow communication between two people (up to 10) without touching any buttons. Think of the convenience when fishing, biking, or hunting!


Cover Your Samsung Galaxy Note8 with a Toast Wood Veneer Skin

I just bought a Samsung Galaxy Note8 to replace my iPhone 7 Plus. So far, I love it! One of the first accessories I was excited to try was a customized Toast Wood Veneer Skin. Toast makes wood veneers that are both beautiful and protective; I’ve had one on my 13′ MacBook Pro retina for years, and it’s been great.


Kids Will Absolutely Hate This ‘Pause Feature’ from Comcast

If you believe that disconnecting from your device during meal-time improves family bonding, then you aren’t alone. 98% of the parents surveyed by Wakefield Research agreed that “disconnecting from devices during mealtime improves family bonding”, but 42% said they couldn’t remember the last time that their family had a device-free meal. That’s messed up.