Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

2014 Kia Soul Stays Fresh with Funky Styling and Special Features

Events, Vehicles & Gear

2014 Kia Soul Stays Fresh with Funky Styling and Special Features

The first Kia Soul model was sold in 2010. Since then, the Soul has become a favorite of everyone from urban dwellers looking for a fuel-efficient compact with personality, to those who appreciate its low profile with easy trunk and rider access. 2014 brings its first major redesign since 2010, and it quite the transformation. The Soul is known for its funky boxy design; Kia’s priority was to stay true to that while making their 2014 model unique and special but obviously evolved. They succeeded. The 2014 Kia has improved dynamics; it draws inspiration from a wild boar, as seen by its…

Does It Bother You That the NSA Is Probably Tracking Your Social Connections?

Editorials

Does It Bother You That the NSA Is Probably Tracking Your Social Connections?

Online privacy is an illusion; anything you wouldn’t want your boss, friends, relatives, present or future significant others (or anyone else important to you) to see should never be posted, texted, emailed, tweeted, or liked. And now it appears that our own government is the party most interested in our social connections and interactions. How bothered should we be? I began writing reviews on the internet in 1999, and at that time I accepted that a certain loss of privacy came with the territory. I have lived my online life as transparently as possible, because I believed that I had nothing…

Oberon Design Waxed Canvas and Leather Everyday Tote

Reviews

Travel in Style with the Oberon Design Waxed Canvas and Leather Everyday Tote

Have you been looking for a tote that could work as a purse but also function as a stylish gear bag? If so, the Oberon Design Everyday Tote may be perfect! I received mine just before our vacation, and it soon became a favorite. At $195, it is not inexpensive, but it is well made and should last for years. The Everyday Tote is composed of bench crafted waxed canvas and leather; it measures approximately 12” tall x 17.5” wide x 6.5” deep, and it weighs 1.75 pounds empty. The majority of the bag is waxed canvas, which I have learned…

Get the Boost Mobile Warp 4G Today, and Enjoy an Affordable Smartphone

Gear Bits

Get the Boost Mobile Warp 4G Today, and Enjoy an Affordable Smartphone

If you are considering a prepaid mobile plan, and you are interested in keeping your hardware costs down, but you don’t want a budget phone, then Boost Mobile has some news that should pique your interest. Today they are releasing the Boost Warp 4G LTE, their $199.99 Android-powered smartphone that has a 4.5″ display and an 8 megapixel camera. The Boost Warp 4G comes with •       Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean OS •       Dual Mode 3G/4G LTE •       4.5inch HD IPS touchscreen display with durable glass •       8-megapixel camera with 1-megapixel front-facing camera •       1.2GHZ dual core processor •       Wi-Fi & GPS enabled •       Stereo Bluetooth 4.0 •       Visual Voicemail •       Services: Boost…

Kohler Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker Review - Stream Music & News While You Shower

Reviews

Kohler Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker Review – Stream Music & News While You Shower

Is it time to replace your leaky old showerhead and bring your bathroom into the 21st century? Then you should check out the Kohler Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker. This clever design includes a removable Bluetooth speaker that magnetically inserts into the middle of a 2.5 gpm showerhead with 60 nozzles; its style will look great in any bathroom’s decor. When I was offered the chance to review the Kohler Moxie, there were two things that immediately went through my mind: the first was that I needed to replace the leaking showerhead in our master bathroom anyway, and the second…

Want to Be Kind to Your Ears? Check Out JBL's New Synchros Headphones

News

Want to Be Kind to Your Ears? Check Out JBL’s New Synchros Headphones

Last night JBL and Harman International formally introduced their new JBL Synchros line of headphones in a rather unusual way. They had the amazing performer Trixie Whitley offer up a small, intimate concert with Trixie, her keyboardist, and all in attendance wearing the new flagship S700 headphones. The sound was amazing, and the music was too. Here’s a look …   Here’s a bit of Trixie performing in the S700 headphones and then some details on each … JBL Synchros S700 are the top of the Synchros line. These premium powered over-ear stereo headphones are “built for those who know…

The Nokia Lumia 1020 Is the Only Camera You'll Need When Traveling

Travel

The Nokia Lumia 1020 Is the Only Camera You’ll Need When Traveling

I use an HTC One, but its camera is subpar, and I take a lot of pictures. When the Nokia Lumia 1020 was released, who wasn’t intrigued by its camera? I sure was, and so I bought one. But could the 1020 function as my only camera while on a dream vacation in Paris and Dubrovnik? I would soon find out. From the moment we arrived in Paris, I started snapping pictures predominantly with the Lumia’s Pro Cam app set to 5 megapixels, which is oversampled for lossless zoom. About midway through the trip (or about the time we moved on to Dubrovnik),…

A Klout cluster of influence

Editorials

Has Klout Suckered You into Thinking You Are Important?

People are such competitive creatures, and bloggers can be some of the worst; Klout is a company that feeds that beast. Touting itself as “The Standard for Influence”, Klout measures the reach of everyone who is active in social media. What’s your Klout score? Should it even matter? Does it matter to you? Of course it does; you’re human! Klout preys upon people’s desire to feel or at least be perceived as influential or important, and it gives users a tangible score that can be used for comparison against others in their field (or in other non-related fields). Klout offers instant validation…

Come Explore King's Landing (Dubrovnik) During Game of Thrones Season 4 Filming

Travel

Come Explore King’s Landing (Dubrovnik) During Game of Thrones Season 4 Filming

Do you watch Game of Thrones on HBO? Kev and I love the books by Gorge R. R. Martin as well as the television series based on them, so an added bonus to our recent trip to Dubrovnik (arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world) was that we knew we might recognize some of the locations from the show. Are you a fan? Then this post is for you! Dubrovnik’s Old Town is a medieval walled city located on the coast of Croatia, and since season two it has been used for various locations in Game of…

Spectacular Even in Death - Jeweled Skeletons of the Catacomb Saints

Gear Bits

Spectacular Even in Death – Jeweled Skeletons of the Catacomb Saints

What do you do when you’ve got a catacomb full of purported martyrs’ skeletons, and you want to remind the faithful of the heavenly treasures awaiting them? You bedazzle those bones with jewels, and then display the results in shrines! And when skeptics question the skeletons’ provenance and the gaudy display, you hide them away until someone comes along and writes a book … This all goes back to 1578, when thousands of skeletons were found in the Roman catacombs; the remains were assumed to be early Christian martyrs, and so they were packed up and sent to “many Catholic churches…

How Many New iPhones Can We Expect to See in September?

Gear Bits

How Many New iPhones Can We Expect to See in September?

Mike Philbin just sent in a tip that on Amazon he “can see cases for upcoming iPhone 5C, but also mention of iPhone mini. The page also mentions that the case will not fit the iPhone 5S. We are going to see 3 new iPhones on September 10th?” Good question, Mike! One that I don’t have the answer for, but I suppose that at this point … anything is possible. =P What do you all think? Will there be a 5S (the more expensive and more highly specc’d iPhone 5 successor), a 5C (the “cheap” iPhone 5), and a smaller sized iPhone…

TheQ Camera Creates Instantly Shareable Photos

Gear Bits

TheQ Camera Creates Instantly Shareable Photos

It’s nearly impossible to take a picture any more without immediately thinking, “this needs to go on Facebook (or Tumblr, Twitter), so why not just get a camera that can take a great photo and immediately post it for you to the social network of your choice? Say “Cheese”, and preorder the $199 socially acceptable theQ Camera.   Every aspect of the pocket-sized camera can be controlled, from the social media settings through to the built-in photo filters. In addition to the one-button upload for social sharing, theQ users receive unlimited storage on their theQ LAB personal photo archive page. TheQ camera…

Enjoy an Aerial Tour the Arctic & Greenland from the Comfort of Your Home

Gear Bits

Enjoy an Aerial Tour the Arctic & Greenland from the Comfort of Your Home

I’ve always been fascinated by the Arctic and Antarctic, but touring either would take a lot of money, and it’s just so … cold! Enter IceBridge, a six-year NASA mission to survey the ice at both of Earth’s poles; they’ve released almost 4.5 minutes of icy aerial goodness. I’m still shivering at the thought, but now I’m even more intrigued. Find out more at the Operation IceBridge website; via Universe Today.

DRACO HYDRA Aluminum Bumper -for Samsung Galaxy S4

Reviews

DRACOdesign HYDRA Ducati Aluminum Bumper for Samsung Galaxy S4 – Adds Sporty Good Looks and Protection

If you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy S4, and you want corner protection without covering up your phone more than absolutely necessary, then the $99.99 DRACO design HYDRA for S4 bumper case may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. It’s sleek, made of aluminum, and it manages to make the S4 look even hotter! As you may have guessed by looking at these pictures, the DRACOdesign HYDRA is an officially licensed Ducati product. Available in Meteor Black, Luxury Silver, and the Flare Red I was sent, the HYDRA is composed of aircraft grade aluminum that has been precision-machined in a 5…

The HTC One Mini Makes Its (Diminutive) Appearance

Gear Bits

The HTC One Mini Makes Its (Diminutive) Appearance

My phone du jour is an AT&T HTC One. I think that it is the perfect size, but there are some who wish it was just a bit more “mini”. Well, here you go — it’s the HTC One Mini, available exclusively from AT&T beginning August 23rd for $99.99 with a two-year contract. 

The Fail Button

Gear Bits

The Fail Button Perfectly Punctuates Failure

Experiencing more than your share of “brilliant” moments lately? Have you heard the classic trombone “wa – waaaa” in your head at least once? Then why not share the FAIL? Archie McPhee’s big blue FAIL button is perfect for those times when it all goes wrong. Of course, with this kind of luck yours won’t be handy when needed. =P $12.03 FAIL button via Archie McPhee’s Geyser of Awesome

DRACOdesign ONE Aluminum Bumper for HTC One - Sexy Curves for My Favorite Android

News, Reviews

DRACOdesign ONE Aluminum Bumper for HTC One – Sexy Curves for My Favorite Android

I absolutely love my HTC One. Unfortunately, it is not the most popular Android phone (even if I think it should be), so my case options have been limited to bulky, plastic, and ugly … until now. I recently received DRACOdesign’s gorgeous $79.99 ONE Aluminum Bumper, and it is now somewhat permanently attached to my phone. Here’s why … I’ve reviewed plenty of aluminum bumper cases over the years, but the majority of them were for various iPhone incarnations, and quite a few of those cases interfered with the iPhone’s antenna causing reception issues. Even so, I really like the…

eBay Launches My Gadgets, a Way for You to Catalog and Value Your Gadget & Tech Collection

Events, News

eBay Launches My Gadgets, a Way for You to Catalog and Value Your Gadget & Tech Collection

If you have been keeping up with Dan’s and my eBay posts and the massive contest connected to the products we’ve reviewed, then you know that eBay has been in the process of launching their now-live site, My Gadgets, where users can “easily catalog their tech collections and see the current value of each of their tech items.”  My Gadgets helps users organize and save all of their gadgets and tech items in a single location; the idea is to make it easy for users to “view the individual and collective values” of their items, “based on eBay’s unique data on current sales…

TOBAGO PEAR - desk organizer & tablet stand

Gear Bits

The Traktorfahrn Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand

This is the $79 Tobago pear – desk organizer & tablet stand by ETSY seller Traktorfahrn. It will hold your tablet and a few other desktop items, and it is made to work in several configurations. Evidently the maker discovered an unexpected benefit to the stand, too — the solid wood base “amplifies musik if  [the] speaker is facing [the] bottom.” Handcrafted in Dusseldorf Germany from pear wood, which has a beautiful reddish grain, the Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand measures 20 x 12 x 3 cm (7.9” x 4.7” x 1.2”), and it will fit the iPad2, iPad3, Samsung Tablet, ASUS Tablet as well…