I don’t normally cover video games for Gear Diary; they just aren’t on my radar. But this week we received a pitch for a video game that made me so angry, I’m pretty sure my women’s studies degree became sentient, broke out of the frame in my office, and is currently trying to escape the building to protest. I’m glad it can’t, though, because then the creator of the Super Seducer video game might hit on it.
I drink coffee because I like the taste of it. If you handed me a cup of decaf but it was made from the most delicious coffee bean ever, I’d drink it happily. On the other hand, I’ve never been a huge gum chewer, except as a quick breath refresher or while descending in an airplane.
Sleep Is a precious commodity that’s taken for granted. It’s important, but it is far too easy to let it slide in favor of binging Netflix or stalking old high school classmates on Facebook. I’ve tried wrist based sleep devices in the past, but I tend to forget to check it or use the information it provides. SleepScore Max aims to change that with their one-two punch of an easy to use nightstand device and a full-featured and very helpful app!
Raise your hand if a Nokia was your first phone! Everyone has good memories of those old candy bar Nokias, but believe it or not Nokia makes a whole line of Android devices, from phablets to a modernized version of the 8110!
I never grew up playing video games; my parents were fine with us playing at arcades or at friends’ houses, but we were absolutely not allowed to own a Nintendo or Sega at home. So I enjoy sharing video games with my 4-year-old son, as it becomes a bonding experience when he “helps” me play Sonic or Mario Run on my iPhone.
In the war that is Android versus iOS, Android has one advantage- flexibility. Android devices aren’t bound by the “closed garden” of Apple products. This leads to some neat innovations. (After all, Android gave us phablets!) Thus we have the new ZTE Axon M.
I used to do a lot of early morning runs when I was training for half marathons. Once, I was staying with my parents, and my mother ran into me as I was headed out while it was still dark. She looked over my reflective gear and the headlamp I had over my hat and remarked, “Be safe, you look like a lost miner.”
It’s a natural progression for the smart speaker market to go from speakers alone to adding screens. Mobile assistants are becoming an everyday part of our workflow, and being able to move from query to visual aid quickly, or from voice request to tv show, adds a whole new level of value.
Apple’s absence from the smart speaker market is being corrected in early February with the release of the HomePod, but it won’t improve their fortunes in that market. It isn’t because HomePod is too expensive, or too late to the market, it’s because HomePod is handicapped by Siri. Sweet, but painfully useless Siri.
When I think of Casio watches, I think of the old school digital watches. But their catalog of timepieces goes much deeper, and their iconic G-Shocks are far more than just what you see in department store displays.
I love when the Olympics come every two years. It might make me a dork, but there’s something thrilling about cramming so much multiculturalism, athleticism, teamwork, and behind the scenes drama into a few intense weeks that is absolutely captivating.
I have a very specific set of requirements for headphones: They need to be budget friendly, sweat proof, fit my ears, and they need to stay put. This seems like a relatively simple list, but finding headphones that adhere to all four is remarkably tough. Earbuds don’t fit my ears right, and over the ear headphones get sweaty easily.
Virtual reality is quickly gaining steam as a mature, mainstream technology. It’s gone from concept to a geeky project to something the everyday person can not only understand, but also utilize and enjoy. Lenovo wants to really bring that to the next level with their Mirage Solo and Mirage Camera, and by including Google Daydream and a whole lot more!
WARNING: The products discussed may contain or use nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical; in many cities and a few states, you must be 21 to purchase vaping products or products containing nicotine. Please familiarize yourself with and obey the law in your location. Essential oils, as room vaporizers, personal vaporizers, lotions, drinks, and any other way to consume them, have become a very big business. People are becoming more and more aware of the various health benefits from plant extracts, but it can be prohibitively complex and expensive to customize.
For those of you who don’t remember “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse”, one of the running gags involved a “secret word”. Basically, if anyone said the “secret word” everyone was supposed to scream. I would suggest playing that with CES 2018 and “digital assistant“, but we’d all lose our voices and our hearing within an hour.
Whether you are on the go or on your couch, the Miix 630 delivers. The Miix is Lenovo’s first Always On, Always Connected PC and it’s also a 2-in-1, with a removable keyboard and pen support for writing on the screen directly. It also packs in 4G connectivity with a sim card slot, so you can work from anywhere there is cell signal and not rely on WiFi or carrier pigeon – or any other local network.
There are very few laptop brands that non-tech geeks recognize. They’re aware that Samsung, HP, and Dell make PCs, but the one laptop that evokes an “Oh yeah, those are supposed to be great, right?” is the ThinkPad.
Voice assistants on our phones, from Google to Alexa to Siri, have gone from novelties to key parts of our daily workflow. Up until now, with the exception of the Amazon Echo Show, they’ve been stuck solely on phones, tablets, and speakers. Lenovo is smashing everyone’s perception of a digital assistant with the Smart Display, which will quickly become the main hub of your home. The Smart display one-ups the Amazon Echo Show by offering larger screen options, and instead of Alexa, it’s focused on Google Assistant integration.
Baby-boomers are often referred to as the “Sandwich generation”, stuck between taking care of older parents and family members as well as caring for their own children. It stretches everyone thin, and at CES 2018 we are seeing more and more technological solutions designed to give everyone a bit of peace of mind without forcing anyone to teach Grandma how an iPad works.
It is a sad commentary on our society that so many companies are working to find ways to incorporate self-defense products into everyday life. We’ve seen tasers built into phone cases, discreet pepper sprays, and all sorts of apps that alert your loved ones if you aren’t home/at your destination by a set time. Most of the time the pitches make complete sense. Then there’s the Invi bracelet, which allows you to skunk your attacker.
Sleep is very important. That’s pretty much non-negotiable for just about everyone, but many of us spend more money on a phone case than we do on pillows and other sleep accessories. A good pillow is the difference between healthy sleep and a miserable night, and the Snuggle-Pedic believes it is that pillow!