Articles by Zek

Listen to the New Ghostbusters Theme Song Only If You Hate Yourself

News & Features June 23, 2016

Listen to the New Ghostbusters Theme Song Only If You Hate Yourself

Look, I know there’s a lot of drama around the reboot of “Ghostbusters”. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time; the first time I was floor manager at Borders, I ran around telling people “I AM THE KEYMASTER!” But I am beyond excited for the reboot too, because funny people+cool premise+good director=fun movie. But not the theme song. Never the theme song. It’s not that I am deeply attached to the Ray Parker Jr version. I am all for it being modernized. But what illegal substance was the production crew on when they commissioned Fall Out Boy to…

Vega Protein Powder and Preworkout supplement

Reviews June 12, 2016

Vega Protein Powder and Preworkout supplement

Protein powder and other supplements can be controversial. Some see them as a useful tool to aid in meeting nutritional goals, or in recovering or prepping for workouts, while others doubt their efficacy. Adding to the complication is that most protein powders are whey (dairy) based; there is an alternative for vegans and anyone who avoids dairy with Vega supplements!

Gawker vs Hogan, AKA The Wrath of Thiel, Bankrupts Gawker Media

News & Features June 10, 2016

Gawker vs Hogan, AKA The Wrath of Thiel, Bankrupts Gawker Media

Sad news for anyone who has spent hours on Gawker watching Bernie Bros and Trump Trolls fight in the comments section; apparently the tag-team of Peter Thiel and Hulk Hogan was too much, as Gawker Media has filed for bankruptcy. This is on the heels of Gawker losing a lawsuit filed by Hulk Hogan over coverage of Hogan’s sex tape. It was revealed later that Hogan’s legal team was funded by Peter Thiel, who has held a grudge against Gawker media for years, ever since Valleywag revealed Thiel is gay. It’s unclear what will happen to the various sites under the…

Has Jawbone Run Out of Steps?

Editorials May 28, 2016

Has Jawbone Run Out of Steps?

Jawbone is one of those companies that seems to sit just below the surface of mainstream success. They were well known for Bluetooth speakers and headsets, then they were an early pioneer in fitness wearables. All that seems to have crashed down quickly around them, and it looks like Jawbone is in an ominous position.

Why Are Uber and Lyft Opposed to Fingerprinting?

News & Features May 9, 2016

Why Are Uber and Lyft Opposed to Fingerprinting?

If you live in Austin, TX, apparently you won’t be able to hail an Uber or Lyft ride any longer. The city held a vote and passed into law a regulation requiring fingerprinting for all ridesharing drivers. This, clearly, is a bridge too far for Uber and Lyft, who have thrown an epic tantrum and pulled their operations in response.

Qliplet is the Extra Hand, er, Hook You Need!

Reviews May 4, 2016

Qliplet is the Extra Hand, er, Hook You Need!

I am usually pretty streamlined walking into work. My work bag has my door keycard, and all I need to do is bump the door with my bag to activate it. If I have an extra item (like a cup of coffee), I end up balancing and juggling everything, badly. Qliplet offers a potential solution, but is it any good?

Nokia to Acquire Withings, Makers of Health Tracking Devices

News & Features April 26, 2016

Nokia to Acquire Withings, Makers of Health Tracking Devices

Withings isn’t exactly a household name outside of the fitness world, but they make fitness trackers, blood pressure cuffs, baby monitors, scales, and similar devices that all work together under the same ecosystem. That ecosystem has a new umbrella today, as Nokia announced they’re acquiring Withings and diving into the fitness tracking world.

Going "All-In" on Android

Reviews April 25, 2016

Going “All-In” on Android

I decided to give up my iPad this week in favor of an LG G Pad X8.3 from Verizon. Ironically, what set everything in motion was my wife’s iPhone 5C taking a swan dive out of the car and into certain death at the hands of the pavement. Likely out of embarrassment that it was an iPhone 5C.

Kinsa Smart Thermometer Review

Reviews April 20, 2016

Kinsa Smart Thermometer Review

The only thing worse than a sick toddler is taking a sick toddler’s temperature. It’s easy if they’re sleeping, but once the sick kiddo is awake/grumpy, all bets are off. We’ve survived our first year of my son’s preschooling with the requisite colds, so when Kinsa offered to have us review the Smart Thermometer we were all over it! The Kinsa Smart Thermometer looks like a cross between a regular digital thermometer and a headphones cord. You plug the thermometer into a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone, and use the Kinsa app as the interface to see your child’s temperature….

Drop Everything and Watch this "Orange is the New Black"/"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

News & Features March 29, 2016

Drop Everything and Watch this “Orange is the New Black”/”Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

If you have a Netflix subscription and haven’t watched “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Orange is the New Black”, please head off to binge both immediately. We’ll wait here. If you’re back, keep reading, because the tribute video of your dreams was released by Netflix yesterday, where the ladies of Litchfield celebrate the upcoming Kimmy Schmidt season 2 release with “Honey Jar” (a tribute to “Peeno Noir”)

Is Pebble's Time Up?

News & Features March 23, 2016

Is Pebble’s Time Up?

The Verge reported on some ominous news from Pebble today; they’re apparently laying off 25% of their staff. Combine that with a competitive wearables market, and it doesn’t look great for Kickstarter’s biggest success story.