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.
This just landed in my inbox, and it’s too good not to share: Get the movie Elf in Standard Definition from Google Play for FREE. This is a limited time offer, so if you are a Will Ferrell fan, you’ll want to jump on it! You can also get the HD version for $4.99, if SD isn’t your thing.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
I debated and debated (and debated!) about whether or not I should back the “World’s first roast-grind-brew coffee machine” by Bonavarde Coffee Changers. In the end, even though it seemed unlikely and possibly too good to be true, and even though there were plenty of good reasons not to,”but what if it works?” won out, and I backed. Bonaverde more than met their initial goal of $135,000; they smashed it with over $681K in backing money, and they added several stretch goals along the way. This may turn out to be a very expensive piece of junk, or it might…