Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford


Lumsing Mini Portable Power Bank: 5200mAh of Energy to Go!

I love it when an external battery pack includes everything needed to charge and be charged in one package, and that is where the $17 5200mAh Lumsing Mini Portable Power Bank really shines. Not only does it have a built in microUSB for charging your phone, it also has a built in USB charger for charging the battery itself. Measuring approximately 3″ long x 2″ wide x 0.8″ thick,  the power bank is composed of shiny white plastic that is bisected by a rubber USB to microUSB cable that plugs into matching ports on the battery, ready to be unplugged when needed. But as usual, I…


Todd Pavlisko’s Richard Pryor Portrait Made of Hang Tags

One of the highlights of Kev’s and my recent visit to the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC was the huge Richard Pryor portrait by Todd Pavlisko made of plastic retail hang tags. Pavlisko is a contemporary pop artist known for his “partly facetious tributes to cultural icons in his multi-disciplinary practice, which includes film, installation, painting, and sculpture.” From far away, I thought the pixel-style portrait was made of carpet or some other randomly textured item. Once we got closer, I realized that it was something a bit more interesting … Millions of plastic retail hang tags clustered together by color! I find Todd Pavlisko’s Richard…



The Sprint LG G3 Is Ready for Your Calls

With a 5.5″ screen, the Sprint LG G3 is big, it’s 4G, and even though it’s available date was July 18th, now there’s no need to wait. If you’ve been lusting after this latest LG super-phone, you can get one — even in the Sprint exclusive ‘shine gold’ color option — today. “Our stores are stocked and the devices is available at sprint.com and by calling 1-800-Sprint1. Sprint is thrilled to get this amazing device into our customers hands even earlier than expected.” You can see the full list of specs for the Sprint LG G3 here; you can get one for $199.99 with a two…


Are You Sure You Want to Post That Selfie?

Much fun has been had talking about how ridiculous and ubiquitous taking pictures of oneself, or “taking a selfie” has become. At a cool historical site? Take a selfie. Eating a fab meal while out with great friends? Take a selfie. Is it narcissistic? Sure! But we all do it, right? When is enough, enough? Well … There’s nothing wrong with snapping a memento when you are doing something fun, but there are definitely times when taking a quick selfie might be a bit much. 😉


Kinivo Bluetooth Car Kit Makes Your Hooptie Hands-Free

My car is a 2008 Yukon Denali XL, and while it has tons of bells and whistles, it doesn’t have a hands-free bluetooth hookup for calls or audio. I figured I’d have to wait until we eventually upgraded vehicles (not any time soon!) before I had that feature, but with the $45 Kinivo Bluetooth Car Kit, there is no need. Setting up the device is as simple as plugging the BTC455 directly into the auxiliary port on your stereo (assuming that your car stereo has at least that) and then plugging it into the volt outlet. Once that’s done, you’ll have hands-free streaming through your…


Huawei Ascend Mate2 Review: Big Phone Little Price

Are you someone who spends more time on your phone texting, emailing, checking social media, and surfing than you actually do making calls? I am, and that’s why I’m intrigued by some of the larger devices available today, including the new Huawei Ascend Mate2. This $299.99 phone with the 6.1 screen might allow you to leave your tablet at home!



TravelTeq Mirjam Leather Shopper Laptop Bag Review

It’s easy to find structured, businesslike leather laptop bags, but when you want something a bit more casual and feminine — yet still made of leather and stylish — options become limited. That’s why it was love at first site when I found TravelTeq Mirjam Leather Shopper, a handmade brown leather laptop bag that can double as an everyday tote.


The 128GB SanDisk MicroSDXC Is a Tiny Powerhouse

One thing that most Android phones get right, and that Apple (and many Windows Phones) still hasn’t, is the ability to add extended memory. The largest amount of memory any mobile phone can be purchased with is 64GB. Thanks to the 128GB SanDisk MicroSDXC I recently received and added to my Sony Xperia Z2, I now have 130.57GB. WHOA!


TiMaG Engineered Titanium Magnets Are Strong, Cool, and Useful

I’ve enjoyed playing with magnets since I was a kid; I think that everything about them is fascinating, and when I find strong magnets that also look cool, I generally can’t resist getting a set. TiMag Engineered Titanium Magnets fit the bill, and I have some coming soon. Why should you back this Kickstarter project? Well … According to their PR, this is the kind of magnet that Super Man would use — it might even be “the strongest magnet in the world! It’s so strong, it’s up to 50x stronger than any normal refrigerator magnet! Not to mention it’s made from Grade…


Oregon Scientific Ultra Precision Weather Station Review – Accuracy Matters

Checking the weather compulsively is not considered odd where I live, and when people talk about what the weather is doing, it’s not just to make idle chit-chat. It’s also common for locals to measure and record their rainfall to the hundredth of an inch, and many use sophisticated tools like the Oregon Scientific Ultra Precision Weather Station.


Ice Balls Review: Make those Frozen Spheres that Mixologists Love

When I was in Barcelona, a “steampunk gastro-bartender” named George made me one of the foulest-tasting alcoholic concoctions I’ve ever tried. It didn’t matter, though. After watching all of the steps he took to create my gorgeous drink, capped with the flavored ice balls he was rationing out as if they were gold, I sipped and pseudo-savored that sucker.



Bison Airlighter Review: A Flamethrower Almost Anyone Can Handle

Lighting a fire in your barbecue pit or pot belly stove is not always a simple task; sometimes that wood just will not ignite no matter how much you baby it along. For all of you who’ve ever sprayed a pile of hardwood with lighter fluid in frustrated defeat, I give you the Bison Airlighter — your own personal flamethrower.


Leef Copper Edition Surge 64GB USB Flash Drive Review

I love my 15″ MacBook Pro retina, but I still kick myself for settling on the 500GB model when I should have waited and bought the 750GB version. Now the MBPr is available with 1TB, but I’m not ready to upgrade. External memory is my best option, so I’ve been trying the Leef Copper Edition Surge 64GB USB Flash Drive.



Replace Your Pebble Steel Strap with Gorgeous Natural Leather

If you’ve got a Pebble Steel, then you know that the bands that ship with it are not awesome; due to the Pebble’s odd lugs, finding replacement straps is tricky. The Pebble watch is awesome, and it deserves a better strap. I am extremely glad to have found an Etsy seller who makes a gorgeous natural leather Pebble Steel strap.



The Handiheadset Will Guarantee a Second Look

Can you imagine pulling out the Handiheadset when making a call at the office? Okay, maybe it wouldn’t be much fun, because you might look like someone who’d had an allergic reaction while trying a new hand cream. Even so, if the ‘huge hand to face’ is a look you’ve wanted to rock, you’ll probably love the this. Making a call on a Handiheadset puts a big smile on everyone’s face. Shaped like an oversized hand giving the ‘call me’ gesture, the Handiheadset plugs into the headphone jack of your mobile phone. It has a built-in microphone and high quality speaker so you can comfortably talk…