I logged over a third of 2015 in travel, and 2016 is shaping up to be more of the same. International flights are the worst, as I have a terrible time trying to sleep between the engine noise and cabin chatter. The obvious solution is a pair of noise-canceling headphones, and that’s why I love giving new ones a try.
Today Lenovo is introducing two new convertible Windows 10 PCs, the YOGA 51o and the YOGA 710, along with the affordable ideapad MIIX 310 a 2-in-1 detachable tablet. All of the new devices sport better battery life, versatility, and portability. YOGA 510 14″ and 15″ The YOGA 510 14″ and 15″ boast more than 50% improved battery life. The 510 has a new design, lighter weight, and it delivers up to 8.5 hours battery life. Similar to the YOGA 710, the new YOGA 5101 delivers a smooth transition between laptop, stand, tent, and tablet modes. Lighter than before at only…
USB Type-C is the way of the future! The new MacBooks have it, extended battery packs are coming out with it (which means easier laptop charging on the go). Heck, the Dell XPS 15 I’m using has what looks like one (it’s marked Thunderbolt, though), and future mobile phones will have it, too. So what’s so great about Type-C exactly?
The iPad Pro has such a large, lovely screen — it’s just begging to be touched. But unfortunately, that same screen looks spotty and gross within just a few hours of use; fingerprints are not your friend. The Moshi iVisor AG anti-glare screen protector can help!
We all have a bottle opener or two in our kitchen drawers, but most of them are pretty straightforward: bottle opener on one end, can opener on the other. The Barbarian Bar Tools’ Simple Tool can open bottles and cans, but it also has a few other tricks up its sleeve.
What’s better than wrapping your laptop in a beautiful wood cover — front, back, and sides? Not much, I tell you. But Toast managed to top all of that goodness by sending me one of their Real Wood MacBook Covers with Gear Diary’s logo emblazoned on the front. The result is absolutely gorgeous!
If you use sponges (or O-Cell-O pads) in your home, then you probably have two: one that you use on dishes and countertops and one that gets used in places like the toilet, floor, or worse. The Spongester is a simple two-tiered stainless steel rack that stores your sponges so they can dry, keeping them clean and most importantly — separated.
If your TV watching reality includes a basket filled with six or seven different remotes, then I understand your pain. That was how things were at my house before Logitech sent their Harmony Elite Remote to review. I have to say that after a relatively painless setup, the results of consolidating have been so worth it.
When I got my 2015 13″ MacBook Pro retina, Kev inherited my “old” 2012 15″ MacBook Pro retina. So when I read the Dell XPS 15’s reviewer guide and saw that Dell was calling it the “smallest 15-inch laptop on the planet”, heck yeah I was skeptical! But I had the means to do a quick and dirty size comparison, and guess what? Dell wasn’t exaggerating.
Huawei announced the GX8 Android smartphone at CES 2016, and tomorrow you’ll be able to buy your own at GetHuawei.com, BestBuy.com, Amazon.com, select Best Buy stores, and Newegg.com.
Isn’t it aggravating when you’re working on something important, the power goes out, and you lose your laptop’s internet connectivity? Sure, you could use your mobile phone as a hotspot if you’ve got a tethering data plan, but if your modem and router were plugged into the APC Network Battery Backup + Mobile Power Pack, you wouldn’t have to.
Just when I thought that I’d seen almost everything with regard to high-end headphones, along come the Torque t402v Premium Customizable On-Ear and Over-Ear Headphones to show me that I know nothing, Jon Snow.
While smaller speakers might work well in smaller spaces, sometimes you need a bigger speaker system that can fill a larger room with music; that’s where the new Fluance Fi70 speaker will shine. Available in bamboo, black ash, or walnut finishes, the Fi70 has dual 8” woofers, 5” woven glass fiber midrange drivers and 1” neodymium tweeters.
It’s been exactly eight years since I unboxed my first Litter-Robot and reviewed it. Since then, I have convinced several friends and family members to buy one, I’ve purchased two more, and I’ve given the two older versions I had to friends with cats — all of these Litter-Robots are still going strong!
Sleep and I have a sometimes erratic relationship. Some nights I deal with insomnia, and I might sleep 4 or 5 hours at best; other nights I’ll need to catch up on sleep so badly that I’ll pass out for 12 or more hours. Ideally, I should get 8 hours sleep per night. Obviously, what I’ve been doing isn’t ideal.
Have you found that it’s pretty jarring to deal with bright overhead bathroom lights when you get up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself? Bright lights can wreck our sleep ability and cause health issues, it’s proven, but you still need to be able to see where you’re going and what you’re doing.
We’ve reviewed several waterproof portable speakers in the past year, and I have to admit that this is a product category that excites me. I no longer need to think twice about whether it’s safe to bring my Bluetooth speaker to the beach, pool, or anywhere, really.
One of the things I’ve never liked about iPhones and iPads has been Apple’s refusal to add a memory card slot. No removable battery? Fine. A closed ecosystem with curated apps? Fine. No ability to expand my phone or tablet’s memory without paying exorbitant upgrade prices? Not so fine. That’s where Android and Windows devices have a definite advantage.
If you like to listen to music while working out, but you don’t like to be wired to your mobile device, then you should invest in a pair of wireless fitness-focused earbuds. But which ones? We’ve covered more than a few on Gear Diary, and the latest under our lens are the Jam Transit Micro Sport Buds.
You know what it’s like to be out and about, looking at an ever sinking phone battery percentage. The Knomo Dering is a classic and fashionable wristlet with an integrated 3,000mAh battery; not only can you carry your essentials in its two main internal sections, your phone will sit inside a padded compartment safe from scratches while charging. The water and dirt resistant nylon and Saffiano leather trimmed Dering measures 8.5″ wide by 5″ tall by 0.75″ thick, but it has gusseted sides so that it can expand a bit to hold your necessities inside its grosgrain lined interior. Gold…
In case you haven’t gathered from the many times Dan and I have mentioned it, neither of us will travel without the TripIt app, specifically TripIt Pro. Now TripIt has partnered with LoungeBuddy to bring even more value to their membership.