Word has just come out that the Samsung Gear S smartwatch, which we have previously covered is soon to be available from all major US carriers beginning next Friday, November 7th. We know that at Sprint, “well-qualified buyers can purchase Gear S with $0 down (plus tax) and 24 monthly payments of $16 (SRP: $384; excluding taxes; service plan required).”
In late 2012, along with 3400+ other people I backed a Kickstarter project called Instacube (which has since been renamed Hashtag Cube, or #Cube). The premise was simple: it was to be a stand-alone Android-based device that would wirelessly stream and display Instagram photos, when you could only view Instagram photos on iOS or Android devices. I backed at the early adopter $99 level, and the wait began.
Last week I spend a day with Chevy at their Milford Proving Grounds. I saw first-hand demonstrations of Chevy’s latest vehicle safety features, and I left feeling like it might be time to finally upgrade my GM vehicle to the latest version: GM’s newest technology may not be completely automated, but the technology removes a lot of guesswork and anxiety.
It never fails: I travel somewhere that is known for its wine, and I find myself with a bottle to bring home. Packing the bottle safely can be tricky, though. I’ve had bottles break that were inside the bubble wrap bags that some wine stores sell, but I think I have found a solution in the inflatable VinniBag travel accessory! It’s marketed for wine, but you can also use the 22″ x 8″ inflatable VinniBag to safely transport anything that fits inside — things like camera lenses, coffee cups, and other small breakables. Think outside the box, too; the VinniBag floats, so you can…
Little known fact: I was a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver in college. I loved that job, and if it hadn’t put so many miles on my 10-year-old Alfa Romeo Spider, I might have lasted longer. I like Domino’s as a company, and I like their pizza; that’s why I was happy to accept a recent invite to visit their headquarters.
I’ve written about many external battery packs that hold 9,000mAh or more, but I haven’t covered much in the sub-5000mAh area, and that’s a shame. If I’m going out for the evening, I’ll inevitably need a boost, but I won’t want to carry a bulky battery pack; that’s where the lipstick-sized Anker Astro Mini comes in. It’s evening bag friendly.
If you want the smallest iPhone and iPad travel charger possible, and you don’t want to fool with cables, then the TravelBuddy is going to be your perfect solution. This compact wall charger makes it possible for you to plug-in anywhere and charge your iOS device. For as little as $30 you can get in on this Kickstarter project. The makers of TravelBuddy have already made it through one successful Kickstarter charging product, and they will be producing it in an Apple-Certified Chinese factory. Apple has already approved their initial design, so you can back this product with confidence — it’s not some fly-by-night…
Are you someone who takes your morning coffee very seriously? Do you turn up your nose at Starbucks and other national chains usually found in hotel lobbies, considering them to be wannabe posers? Then you might be the connoisseur that Timbuk 2 had in mind when they collaborates with Blue Bottle to make this $179 travel kit.
Can you ever have too many USB ports available? That’s a silly question; of course you can’t, and that applies whether you are at home, at work, or traveling. So here’s something that’ll help take some of the burden off of your laptop’s ports, allowing you to travel with just one power source: the Lumsing 5 Port USB Travel Charger. Measuring approximately 5.3″ long x 2.75″ wide x 1.25″ thick, the Lumsing charger is compact enough to fit into a pocket in your laptop bag, gear bag, larger purse, or briefcase, but it is powerful enough that it can charge up to five devices at once using USB…
One of my favorite things about Windows 8.1 is the touch aspect built into the OS that makes laptop and/or tablet — 2in1 — computing possible. When using Windows 8.1 laptops, I’ve wondered if I’d be able to manage without a dedicated keyboard. Testing the HP ElitePad 1000 G2 for the past month has allowed me to decide.
One of the things that each of our gorgeously screened mobile devices has in common is that they are all fingerprint magnets; by the end of the day those devices which may have started with clean glass expanses will inevitably become barren wastelands of oily fingerprints and face grease. Ew. Obliterate those grease tar pits with products from Toddy Gear. I was recently sent a sample of their brand new 9×9 Toddy Smart Cloth and Pocket Toddy. Both products are dual-sided — with plush premium microfiber on one side for cleaning and a bright and distinctive silky microfiber design on the other to polish. Toddy Gear…
My friend Lee’s iPhone stays in an OtterBox Commuter Series case. He likes to tell about how his first Commuter case was damaged when a rock chip pierced his shirt at high-speed while he was working on a road crew. The OtterBox case was sitting in a pocket over his heart, and he’s convinced it saved him and his iPhone.
If you usually carry a bottle opener keyring, as so many of us do, then you could be getting so much more utility out of that doodad. A Kanex GoBuddy+ adds an emergency sync and charge cable with either a lightning port or microUSB connector, and yes — a bottle opener. Pretty nifty, right? It will charge your device, open your cold beverage, and attach via included carabiner clip to your keys. The Kanex GoBuddy+ is $24.95 for the Lightning version and $19.95 for the microUSB version; both come with that bottle opener keyring.
I’ve mentioned that Kev recently upgraded his iPhone 4S and moved to an iPhone 6, which ultimately meant a cable upgrading crisis at my house. All of Kev’s 30-pin cables had to be upgraded to Lightning, which brought him nosing around my stockpile, so I was scrambling. Fortunately, I had the JunoPower Kaebo Lightning Cable in my queue. Fancy, right?
Imagine charging your device and when done, automatically turning off power to prevent overcharging and protect battery life. What if the charger looked stylish and wasn’t an ugly block? How would you like an app that allowed you to see and monitor information about the level of charge your device was receiving? With the Velvetwire Powerslayer Blu, it’s possible. At its heart, the Powerslayer is an extremely intelligent charger that rapidly charges both phones and tablets. It is UL certified with built-in surge protection, and continuous temperature monitoring. Built in microprocessor control “protects against overcharging and eliminates wasted power by turning off automatically when charging is…
Did you know that when you drive an electric vehicle, random people will wave at you, like you’re a member of some special club? It’s true. I leaned that the other day while driving the 2015 Kia Soul EV. I also figured out that while electric vehicles are getting much more attainable, they still aren’t a realistic choice for me. I haven’t had a lot of experience with electric cars. I live in West Texas after all, and our infrastructure is simply not yet ready for vehicles which — with the exception of the $71,000 Tesla — typically only get 100 miles or less per charge. The other reason I haven’t seriously considered Electric…
I’ve never seen myself as a minivan type of person, but I have always considered myself practical. What will allow me to haul my family from Point A to Point B safely, comfortably, stylishly, and perhaps most importantly — without feeling like I’m driving a land barge? The 2015 Kia Sedona is a multi-purpose vehicle that easily accomplishes that goal. I recently spent an afternoon driving a loaded Kia Sedona SXL through some of the twisty Southern California hills near Dana Point. While I may not be the typical Minivan customer, I left thinking that driving a Kia Sedona was a much more attractive option than…
This is a first for me; we’ve covered plenty of external battery packs on Gear Diary, but never one that was able to serve as both “an emergency vehicle jump-starter and portable power bank”, which is exactly what the Viatek’s new Pocket Jump does. You can back on Kickstarter for as low as $40 or get two for $70.
My iPhone 6 Plus is still showing as “preorder processing” with a delivery date of 11/09 – 11/27 (ugh!), but Kev’s shiny space gray 128GB AT&T iPhone 6 arrived on Friday. Already here — and ready to protect it — was the new Incipio DualPro SHINE iPhone 6 Case. It’s attractive and sleek; not bad for just under $35!
If you have a lot of data that needs regular backup, then once you’ve experienced Thunderbolt, nothing else will ever seem fast enough again, not even USB 3.0. I’ve been using the AKiTiO Neutrino Thunderbolt Edition 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD) Portable Drive for the past few weeks, and it’s a good thing it’s a keeper, because I’ve become spoiled.
I had a chance to fondle the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 while at IFA a few weeks ago, and as far as Android devices go — it’s impressive! If you have been waiting to upgrade, then tomorrow is your day. Get ready to pre-order the most advanced and feature-rich Galaxy Note yet!