Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

Help Kerry Woo's 'Take the Long Way Home' Project Hit the Road

Crowdfunding, News & Features

Help Kerry Woo’s ‘Take the Long Way Home’ Project Hit the Road

Kerry Woo, past Gear Diary writer and current street photographer extraordinaire, has just launched his first Kickstarter project — the aptly named “Take the Long Way Home”. His goal is to “document a rich pictorial history of America’s back roads, [and] upload the images online with professional printing and direct mailing to you” while driving cross-country from Seattle to Nashville. And now, in my words: Kerry is someone who I have never met in person, but over the ten or so years that we have been communicating online, he has become a dear friend. Kerry has always had a quirky…

1st Gen Apple Lightning Cable Meltdown - What's the Cause?

Editorials

1st Gen Apple Lightning Cable Meltdown – What’s the Cause?

I noticed the smell before I saw the smoke: I looked to my right, and that’s where I saw the problem — tiny sparks and a rapidly melting sheath near the end of the Apple cable that was charging my iPhone 5S. I immediately unplugged it before flames took over; crisis averted, but why did it happen?

The Travelteq Lauren Leather iPad Handbag Will Make You Swoon

News & Features

The Travelteq Lauren Leather iPad Handbag Will Make You Swoon

I’m pretty jaded when it comes to laptop bags, and it’s with good reason; I’ve been writing reviews for well over 13 years, and in that time I have seen and tried everything from the completely utilitarian to the somewhat sublime. So you’ll understand my surprise that the new Travelteq Lauren was able to stop me in my tracks …

TYLT VU Wireless Charging Pad - a Stylish and Modern Charger

Reviews

TYLT VU Wireless Charging Pad – a Stylish and Modern Charger

One of the things I love about the new Nokia Windows Phones is that they can utilize inductive charging. Being able to lay my phone on a Qi enabled charging pad throughout the day without plugging in any cables is too convenient; having a charging pad that looks as stylish as the $69.99 TYLT VU is pretty cool, too.

Leef PRO Ultra High Speed Memory Card - Not Exactly

Reviews

Leef PRO Ultra High Speed Memory Card – Not Exactly

One of the gifts I received from my husband Kev for Christmas was a Canon G16; he included a 32GB SanDisk Extreme SD Card and a spare battery — totally sweet, right? Around the same time, a 64GB Leef PRO SD Card showed up for review; comparisons were begging to be made, and I couldn’t help but make them …

Umoro One Simplifies Supplement Mixing and Carrying

Gear Bits

Umoro One Simplifies Supplement Mixing and Carrying

Do you regularly mix health or fitness supplements that you drink throughout the day? Tons of people do, including my mother. Umoro has created one of the best solutions I’ve yet seen for carrying and mixing those supplements; they call it the Umoro One. $28.99 gets you an innovative shaker bottle in either black or white. The Umoro One is BPA free, clump-proof, shatter-proof, odor-free, and spill-proof. It holds 20 ounces of fluid, and the supplement compartment holds up to 100cc or 50ml. The Umoro one is dishwasher safe (top rack is recommended for the agitator and the lid), and it…

Elio Motors Introduces an Automotive Wonder

Events, Vehicles & Gear

Elio Motors Introduces an Automotive Wonder

One of the things I am most looking forward to at CES is the Revolutionary transportation company Elio Motors “technologically friendly $6,800, 84 mpg, three-wheel vehicle, which will be introduced to the U.S. car market in the first quarter of 2015.” This two-seater three-wheeler holds 8 gallons of gas and can travel 670 miles or more without a fill-up!

Happy Plugs 18K Solid Gold In-Ear Earphones

Gear Bits

Happy Plugs 18K Solid Gold In-Ear Earphones, Because You Can?

I’m the first to throw down for a bit of every day luxury, but I was still taken aback by the $14,500 hand-crafted Happy Plugs 18K gold deluxe edition earbuds. Granted, earphones can last much longer than the average mobile phone, but how long and how often would you have to keep using these to justify the price?

Dual Beer Glass Makes Black & Tans Foolproof

Gear Bits

Dual Beer Glass Makes Black & Tans Foolproof

I’ve never tried two beers mixed together, but for some people, it’s a thing. Take the Black and Tan, for instance: one part pale ale, and one part stout, there are some who think it’s the greatest, but making one is an art. Here’s a foolproof method: use the Dual Beer Glass, and don’t sweat the mixing.

Why You Should Have Been at #DellWorld 2013

Events, Music Diary

Why You Should Have Been at #DellWorld 2013

I’ve recently attended Dell World, the newly private company‘s expo where attendees “gain insights into key industry trends, engage with industry visionaries, exchange ideas and learn how Dell is evolving to deliver the solutions of tomorrow.” Key words used during the conference were “Transform, Connect, Inform, & Protect”; amazingly enough, Dell managed to make the event interesting and fun.

BHEESTIE Bags Review - Protech and Revive Your Wet Devices

Reviews

BHEESTIE Bags Review – Protech and Revive Your Wet Devices

It has happened to all of us: you think you have a good grip on your phone or tablet, but before you know it the device is slipping from your hands. If you are particularly unlucky, it lands in whatever water is near by. That’s why I was happy to check out the BHEESTIE Bag and BHEESTIE Molecular Beads.

Drew Goes Hands-On with the Vertu Constellation

Editorials

Drew Goes Hands-On with the Vertu Constellation

You’ve got to hand it to my friend and fellow gadget magpie, Drew Guttadore! He knows how curious I’ve been about the new ~$6,000 Android-based Vertu Constellation; because he’s also been curious about it, he recently went hands-on with one so that he could share his initial impressions … on everything but the actual Android/Vertu experience. Curious? Read on!

GazerGlass Adds 1500mAh to Google Glass's Puny Battery

Gear Bits

GazerGlass Adds 1500mAh to Google Glass’s Puny Battery

One thing I love about my Google Glass is that it takes better hands-free video than anything else I’ve seen. One thing I dislike is that in under 40 minutes of shooting video, without some kind of external battery pack, Glass’s battery will die. For $50, GazerGlass adds a 1500 mAh battery to the skinnier Glass arm. Not too shabby!

GPOP Makes Wearing Your Google Glass Even More of a Spectacle

News & Features

GPOP Makes Wearing Your Google Glass Even More of a Spectacle

When I ordered my Google Glass, I stuck with the relatively boring Charcoal (black), and I’ll admit that there have been times when I wish that I’d been a little bit more adventurous with my color choice. Now I have no regrets, because GPOP has $9.99 Glass skins that can make my spectacles appear as wild as my mood.