Carl Sagan holds a special place in my heart. He advocated science and mastered at taking complex ideas and breaking them down into accessible knowledge that everyone could understand. Sagan’s influence on many was, and is, still profound. Due to a donation by Seth MacFarlane, there is now a Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan collection at the Library of Congress.
There are several personality traits that can supposedly be revealed based on the results you glean from this simple 5 second test. Kev and I did it over breakfast, and the results were a bit surprising … or maybe they weren’t. Watch the video, take the test, and then share your results below!
Dan likes to tease me that when we’re together working, he never sees me wearing headphones; he says he just doesn’t see me as the type person to wear them. Well Dan, I may use them differently than you do, but I most definitely do wear headphones. These days the Harman Kardon Soho headphones are my favorites; here’s why …
If you participate in the emotional vortex that is called Valentine’s Day, and you have no idea where to start looking for original and meaningful gifts this year, then you’ll want to check out Oberon Design. They have added limited editions that include copious amounts of hearts and red-drenched leather.
I’ve been having issues with Zinio crashing while reading articles on my iPad for several months, and I’ve been patiently waiting for a fix. Last night, after Zinio had crashed yet again, I got a popup saying that the Zinio server I was connected to wasn’t the current server, and that I should remove the Zinio app and reinstall.
I’ve tried several glass screen protectors, and I can say without reservation that they are my favorite type. What better way to interact with your glass touchscreen than by touching glass? What better way to protect your screen than by offering a surrogate when a sacrifice must be made? The $34.99 Ventev Toughglass is my latest test subject. Inside the package are a few items that you’re probably used to seeing come with all screen protectors — a small microfiber cloth and a squeegee. I been applying screen protectors to my devices since the early days, and I generally won’t use…
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…
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?
One of the things I love about CES is that it gives me an opportunity to wander aisles filled with products from companies that I might never have discovered otherwise. Tucked in an out of the way area that we almost didn’t explore, Dan and I found iFace; they make some of the best-looking protective cases available.
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 …
We’ve covered plenty of Element Cases on Gear Diary, but the Ronin Bamboo is by the far their most refined yet. Composed of hand-finished bamboo and machined aircraft grade aluminum, the Ronin is one incredibly light, protective, and beautiful iPhone 5 case.
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.
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 …
How would you like to be able to display grayscale pictures on the back of your iPhone 5 or 5S? Or is that idea not very exciting? Well then, how would you like to read eBooks from the back of your iPhone? Not really? Well … that’s kind of what I was thinking when I first received the OAXIS InkCase.
Etón may be a company that many of us associate with products we’d want to have on hand during a natural disaster, but they also make gear that can make everyday living safer and more convenient. A perfect example of that is their new Blackout Buddy CO, pictured above.
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…
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!
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?
Are you a Game of Thrones fan? I am! And if I lived in (or was passing through) Santa Fe, New Mexico any time soon, there is a good chance that I would be privy to something amazing — Season’s 1 – 3 of GoT on the big screen, with guest appearances from George R. R. Martin, himself!
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.
I seem to never have enough chargers or charging cables on hand, probably because I never unwrap the ones that come with my devices (better resale later, y’all!). Aftermarket cables are a necessity for me, which is why I try to find ones that not only work well, they also look good. Just Mobile’s latest accessories totally fit that bill.