I mentioned last week that my company is now only supporting iOS for our bring your own device program. Since I use BYOD regularly to stay connected outside the office, I caved and bought my wife a new iPhone 7, then inherited her iPhone 6S.
I am in the middle of trying to work with Verizon to change my phone from a Z Force Droid to an iPhone. It’s not by choice, but certain things I need to access for my day job recently went iPhone-only, so I need to switch to iOS. This process did lead to one big realization, which is that Android phones are significantly overpriced for the value.
I came across an anonymous quote recently that said, “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you.” After spending a few days with Mazda and their new CX-5 and Miata MX-5, I think I can safely say that driving a Mazda managed to break the monotony and bring the adventure without the hurt! Mazda is on the rise, refining and improving their vehicles to bring them to a new level of style and function. We learned a lot about Mazda, their goals, and their cars, but today I want to focus on what really struck me — their commitment…
When it comes to heart rate training and sports, there’s Polar and then there’s everyone else. Polar has long been the gold standard for heart rate based training, and they’re extending that expertise into the world of all-day tracking as well with the Polar A370!
I have to make an effort to drink water all day long. In the absence of some incentive, I tend to just forget, and then wonder why I feel like crap or am incredibly thirsty suddenly. I’ve tried flavor packets, sliced up lemons, and other things to make water more interesting, but they never seem to stick.
We’re going to get this out of the way at the start: Mokase is a terrible idea. Truly awful. I want to believe it’s a joke, or the punchline to a bad joke, but it is real…someone sat down and designed a phone case that brews coffee. And it comes with a little keychain sized portable cup, because of course it does.
The idea of a pedometer type device built into your shoes isn’t a new one-Nike used to build little slots for the iPod/Nike+ sensor into their running shoes. Altra, however, has taken that to a whole new level with the Altra IQ, using Bluetooth sensors in the heels to measure your speed, footstrike, distance, and cadence!
There are many reasons to be excited about summer; good weather, more time outside, delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, bbq … but you’d better get your fill before August 18, because that’s when Marvel’s “The Defenders” drops on Netflix!
Amazon has tried for years to build their Appstore into a real competitor to Google Play. Part of that strategy was to give away normally paid apps, and insert ads in place of payment; Amazon helped the developers make money via ads, consumers were able to access normally paid apps for free, and Amazon could build their library of apps.
There’s an enormous debate in the running world about how your feet should hit the ground. For a long time conventional wisdom said heel first, but in the last few years, there’s been a push towards a more natural forefoot-first style.
We recently were offered a rather unusual review item; a cube made of Tungsten. It didn’t charge anything, it didn’t come with Bluetooth, and as far as I can tell it doesn’t have any memory expansion. However, out of all the items I’ve reviewed for Gear Diary, almost none have elicited the joyful response that the Tungsten and Aluminum Desk Cubes from Midwest Tungsten have!
We get a lot of product pitches here, but one caught my eye not for the features, but for the exorbitant price relative to the value. Palo Alto Innovations is clearly quite proud of their Sandman Clock, but at $49.99 it appears to be a ridiculously overpriced alarm clock with a USB hub slapped on the back.
Super Mario Run is on Android! Hooray! I downloaded it the second I got the Google Play notification, but by the time I finished the free levels, I went from “whoo hoo” to “meh” pretty quickly.
I have always had dreadful handwriting. Most of my elementary school memories are of teachers trying all kinds of techniques to improve it, from handwriting drills to those funny triangle holders on my pencils. Nothing worked, and I sought out digital writing and typing as soon as technology and school allowed.
My son dug an old camera out of one of our drawers, and he’s been snapping non-stop photos since then. Most are blurry, but a few are decent, and one or two are surprisingly good!
Fitness trackers sound good on paper, but the reality is they only measure one tiny slice of fitness. Cardio and steps are important, but they aren’t a full picture. Humon is a new wearable that seeks to rectify that by measuring muscle endurance instead of steps, and it’s a pretty brilliant concept!
Tiny, barely there Bluetooth earbuds have been all the rage so far this year, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for big, powerful, immersive headphones. Skullcandy asked us to take a look at their new Crusher Wireless headphones, which eschew the skinny in favor of bold, powerful sound. Do they live up their promises?
Microsoft is intent on proving Windows 10 runs on hardware that looks as good as the software, and their latest partnership with Porsche Design is a big step in that direction. Porsche Design’s laptop looks like the Surface Book and Macbook Pro realized their rivalry was due to a deep and forbidden love. Basically, it’s shiny, metallic, with a huge touchpad, but it also has a removable touchscreen AND a 360 degree hinge. Now, this isn’t a cheap laptop, clocking in at over $2500, but it sure looks good! We’ll have to wait and see, but if the insides match…
Samsung has been busy at Mobile World Congress, and two new tablets took center stage: the new Tab S3 and a Surface competitor called the Galaxy Book! The Tab S3 is the latest version of Samsung’s Android tablet offerings, and it has all the usual features like an S-Pen and solid battery life, but it goes way above and beyond for media. There’s quad core speakers from Harman Kardon, as well as 4K video capability! Before you whip out your wallet though, be sure to look the Galaxy Book over as well. This is a Windows 10 tablet/notebook hybrid that…
Fitness trackers are one of those gadgets that sound really great on paper; they will motivate you to move by telling you how sloth-like you are! Some people swear by them. Others think they’re a gadget destined for the fad junk drawer. Unfortunately, even if they have staying power as a trend, a new study indicates they probably aren’t helping you lose weight!
I am an unabashed fan of the “Jurassic Park” series, even Jurassic World and Bryce Dallas Howard’s ability to run in heels while leading a T-Rex. But just because I like the moves doesn’t mean I want to live them. Scientists apparently feel differently, and some are predicting they can cross an elephant with a woolly mammoth in real life.