Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

Stinger, Because the Best Bugs Are the Dead Ones

We recently received almost 5″ of rain at our house, and although we desperately needed it, the tradeoff was made in bugs, bug, and more bugs! No problem, though, as I had recently received a package from Stinger. Inside were their No Touch Fly Trap and their On-the-Go Zapper Racket. Bugs beware; I am now on the prowl!



Choo-San: It’s Only Paint, but It’s Email Worth Opening

All the forwarded email said was ” It’s Only Paint; Body painting by a 19-year old Japanese girl”. A bit of searching reveals the artist’s name to be Choo-San, and her work has been featured on Reddit, Odee, LaughingSquid, the Daily Mail UK, and other sites. Some of these are so realistic that they are hard to look at!


The Kisai Xtal Wood Watch Puts a Bit of Nature on Your Wrist

Strap a bit of nature onto your wrist with the Kisai Xtal Wood watch. The watch “combines a crystalline shaped natural wood case with a faceted mineral crystal lens and a cryptic yet simple to read LED time display.” I think that’s a first? There is finally a Tokyo Flash watch that doesn’t require a guide to read it! 😉



The Calypso Crystal Calypso Tag Review: Travel in Sync

You have a luggage tag on your carry-on or your checked luggage, right? But can your luggage tag attract attention because it’s so brightly colored, tell you when your bag is nearby, alert you when it has been moved away, tell you where it last was, or tell you the temperature? Because of the Calypso Crystal Calypso Tag, mine can.


Telenav’s Scout App Makes Navigation Personal

My main mobile mapping requirement these days is that whatever navigation app I use must be easy to operate, accurate, and socially connected. I’ve been trying Telenav’s Scout app; the more I dig in, the more I realize how handy it is, and I wonder what took me so long to try it. Is it perfect? No. But it’s close.


OpenStreetMap Powers ‘Scout for iPhone’ Global GPS Navigation

Telenav is announcing that their free Scout for iPhone app “will use the crowd-sourced and free OpenStreetMap (OSM) for all map data. OSM, the “Wikipedia of Maps,” offers users a more accurate and up-to-date map than what is available via commercial maps.” The OSM rollout starts today for some; all users will have it by the end of the week.


HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 Notebook PC: Business Ready

Here’s something different — a Windows laptop that can handle just about every work scenario imaginable without looking like a dowdy, chunky, black box. The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 takes several style points from Apple, and in the process becomes one of the thinnest, lightest, sleekest and best-looking notebook PCs I’ve handled. What makes it special?


H.R. Giger, the Brilliant BioMechanical Artist, Dead at 74

Hans Rudolph Giger, the artist who created the terrifyingly beautiful biomechanical creatures used in the Alien movies, and other weirdly fascinating artwork seen everywhere from the covers of rock albums to video games to tattoos, died yesterday due to complications from a fall suffered at his home; the artist was 74.



Dual SIM VeryKool s470 Black Pearl Android Phone – Great for Travel

Do you occasionally travel overseas? Is your mobile phone US carrier locked? Do you want to save money while you travel by using a local SIM, but you also need to stay connected with your local number? What if you just want to buy an unlocked smartphone for under $250? These are all good reasons to get the verykool s470.


Oberon Design Leather iPhone 5S Case: An Artisanal Leather Masterpiece

Oberon Design is similar to other high-end mobile device case makers, because they offer beautifully designed items made with hand-crafted leather. However, Oberon Design sets themselves apart from all other companies, because they offer hand-crafted artisanal leather masterpieces that just so happen to also hold and protect your mobile devices; their new leather iPhone 5 case is a perfect example.


Firefox OS Smartphone, ZTE Open C, Is Now Available on eBay

If you have been holding out for an inexpensive smartphone running the latest version of Firefox OS, then today is your lucky day. You’ll find the ZTE Open C on eBay, and you’ll likely be pleased to hear that the price is a jaw-droppingly reasonable $99. With its 4″ screen and dual-core Qualcomm processor, this phone is affordable for everyone.


Evernote Is the New Destination for LinkedIn’s CardMunch Users

Are you a CardMunch user? Dan and I were for ages; I liked how CardMunch made it so easy to request a LinkedIn connection after scanning business cards. But as time went on, and I got tired of seeing my scanned cards sitting in purgatory pending, I started using Evernote as my card scanner. Now LinkedIn is using Evernote, too.


Can the Made Simplify Your Kitchen and Make You Eat Better?

If the idea of bringing home bulk beans, lentils, rice, and loose grains causes you to get nervous because you don’t want to figure out cooking measurements, but you know you need to integrate these healthy items into your diet more, then The Made might just be a Kickstart project that you should back.


Mobile Edge’s UrgentPower DX 5200 Review: Immediate Power for All!

Perhaps one day, mobile phones will be invented that have batteries that recharge themselves as the person carrying them walks around. Until then, we’ll have to continue relying upon charging cords, AC/DC adapters, and extended batteries. If you’re still shopping for a mini power plant, Mobile Edge‘s UrgentPower DX 5200 is small enough to carry around for unforeseen charging emergencies.


Who Am I? Ancestry DNA Knows

Last month I shipped a vial of saliva that I’d collected to Ancestry DNA; the hope was that their lab could tell me more about my genetic relatives, geographic origin, and my ethnicity. The results are in, and while there were no huge surprises,  I did get some answers.


I Just Filled Out a Google Glass Survey, And …

When the option to purchase the Google Glass Explorer Edition was made available to me, I jumped in with both feet — completely disregarding the fact that I was paying $1500 to be a beta tester of roughly $80 worth of electronics (as it turns out). Dan bought in, too, and then we both decided Glass wasn’t for us.


Audrey Hepburn Is One Glamorous Google Doodle

Today, Audrey Hepburn would have been 85 years old; to commemorate, Google has released a doodle in her image. A gifted actress, international style icon, humanitarian, and one of the most beautiful women ever, Audrey’s life was cut short by appendiceal cancer at 63. What better way to celebrate her life than to do something kind for a needy child?


My Sony Xperia Z2 Is Big, Purple, and Gorgeous

Of all the phones that I saw at MWC, the Sony Xperia Z2 was the one I returned determined to buy. With its 5.2″ Display, 20.7 megapixel rear-facing camera, 4K camcorder, generous battery, and its IP55/IP58 waterproof and dust-proof rating, the Z2’s specs were pretty impressive. I’ve purchased a Z2, and I’ve made it my daily-driver. Here are some highlights.