Articles by Zek

eBook Readers, Check Your Amazon Accounts!

eBooks

eBook Readers, Check Your Amazon Accounts!

The Apple/Amazon ebook feud was settled several years ago, and last year big credits started hitting people’s accounts. These were reimbursements for overpaying for ebooks at the time, determined by the price fixing contracts that had gone on between the publishers and the ebook sellers. Apparently there’s been a recalculation, because several of us at Gear Diary received an additional amount in settlement credits! These credits work just like the last ones; you can buy anything you want at Amazon, and the credit is good for six months. There’s been a few versions of the credits, from ebook-specific credits to…

Kids Don't Need High-Tech to Have Fun!

News & Features

Kids Don’t Need High-Tech to Have Fun!

This weekend, I bought my son a toy that he has declared is “the greatest toy of all time, ever!” He spent hours with it, told everyone he saw about it, and pretty much played nonstop. It was educational, it sparked his imagination, and it cost me $1.50, because it was just an egg full of Silly Putty.

Quip Makes Toothbrushing As Simple As Checking Your Mail

Reviews

Quip Makes Toothbrushing As Simple As Checking Your Mail

When we received the pitch to review Quip, I immediately volunteered while thinking, “These guys are way too excited about toothbrushes!” Now that I’ve spent some time with Quip, I still stand by that — they’re way too excited about toothbrushes — but the bright spot here is that their excitement has created a truly excellent product and ecosystem!

Stranger Things Game Will Get You Lost in the Upside Down

Game Diary

Stranger Things Game Will Get You Lost in the Upside Down

Stranger Things is coming in just a few weeks! If you live under a rock, “Stranger Things” is a horror-ish drama from Netflix that is an homage to the 1980s. It has evil scientists, parallel dimensions, plucky pre-teen heroes, and Winona Ryder screaming at Christmas lights. Now it also has a companion game, and it is incredibly addictive!

Super Mario Run Gets an Upgrade and a Temporary Price Cut

News & Features

Super Mario Run Gets an Upgrade and a Temporary Price Cut

Reaction to Super Mario Run was a bit mixed when it was first released. On the one hand, it was Mario, on a phone! On the other hand, it was a bit of a generic running game, plus there wasn’t much to do once you slammed through all the levels. Plus, it was really pricey relative to other games at $9.99. Both issues are being resolved with the update out today, which adds new levels AND cuts the price to $4.99 temporarily! The new update adds levels beyond the original 6, as well as a new game called Remix 10….

Netatmo Integrates Homekit into Their Cameras

Events, News & Features

Netatmo Integrates Homekit into Their Cameras

Apple is getting very serious about competing in the smart home business, and more and more companies are joining in with Homekit compatibility. Netatmo is making sure their cameras stay competitive with new firmware updates for their outdoor and indoor cameras. Homekit compatibility means that in between mangling dictated text message and giving you oddball links for simple questions, Siri can also give you a peak at parts of your home using your watch, iPhone or iPad. If you’re not familiar with Netatmo, they offer a number of devices, but their main security cameras are Presence and Welcome. Presence is…

Acer Unleashes a Huge Lineup at IFA 2017!

Events, News & Features

Acer Unleashes a Huge Lineup at IFA 2017!

Acer has been very, very busy at IFA 2017. They announced quite the lineup of products, so if you use anything remotely electronic there’s probably something there for you. (And if you don’t use anything electronic, please let me know in the comments how and why you’re reading this!)

Missing Game of Thrones Already? This Adaptation of "Winds of Winter" Will Help!

News & Features

Missing Game of Thrones Already? This Adaptation of “Winds of Winter” Will Help!

The pace at which George RR Martin has been publishing his “Song of Ice and Fire” series is almost like a math problem. If there are two years between releases for the first, second and third books, then five years for the fourth book and six years for the fifth book, how many years until the sixth book is released? Well, the good folks at io9 found out about a computer program working on an auto-generated “Winds of Winter”, and it’s definitely the sequel we’ve all been waiting for! Seriously, read this excerpt and tell me you aren’t first in…

Amazon's Whole Foods Purchase is Ringing Up Monday With Big Discounts in Tow!

News & Features

Amazon’s Whole Foods Purchase is Ringing Up Monday With Big Discounts in Tow!

Amazon is not kidding around when it comes to their acquisition of Whole Foods. They proposed to Whole Foods at the end of June, and their merger goes through on Monday! This is like the corporate equivalent of a shotgun wedding, but no one’s pregnant (we hope). All joking aside, Amazon has already laid out some of their plans for Whole Paycheck Foods, and the message is clear: Prices are going down, and get your Prime membership ready!

Support Your National Parks in Style With the New Brooks Cascadia Line!

News & Features

Support Your National Parks in Style With the New Brooks Cascadia Line!

Brooks Cascadia trail shoes have long been seen as some of the best on the market. The soles are designed for traction, they feature a rock plate for extra foot protection, and they’re cushioned enough that you won’t be in agony every time you step on a root.  But Brooks just upped the game big time with their new REI partnership: National Parks themed Cascadias!

Toffee Osaka Satchel Makes Simple Become Extraordinary

Reviews

Toffee Osaka Satchel Makes Simple Become Extraordinary

Messenger bags are a simple concept. You have some sort of pouch-like item attached to a shoulder strap that you wear over one shoulder or across your body. Pockets, design, color all add to and change the basic idea, but they’re all similar at the end of the day. It’s the details that make a bag go from eh to WOW, and Toffee nails that with their Osaka Satchel.