Articles by Zek

Martian Envoy G10 Review: The Smart-ish Smartwatch

I love my original generation Pebble, and I am hooked on notifications via this simple smartwatch. If Pebble is a basic smartwatch, Martian watches are even simpler, and I’ve had the chance to test them with the Martian Envoy G10. It’s a traditional watch with a small notification ticker, but it’s got some voice tricks up its sleeve too!


Monster Clarity HD Headphones Review: This Bud’s Not for Me

Monster is synonymous with audio equipment from cables to headphones, and I was very excited to review the new Monster Clarity HD Headphones (there may have been an incident involving a toddler and my previous headphones). The Clarity’s are bud-style wired headphones, and while they look great, we couldn’t find anyone in my house who could comfortably wear them.


Orbitkey: Banishing Keyring Jingle and Looking Good Doing It!

I rarely pull my keys out of my bag. My car has a push button ignition, and by the time I am home from work someone is already there. Despite this, I seem to have accumulated a lot of keys, and so I jumped at the chance to take a look at Orbitkey, which reimagines how to carry your keys.



Auvi-Q Epinephrine Injectors Recall Alert!

If you have an Auvi-Q auto injector, call your doctor immediately for a new prescription for an epipen. Sanofi Aventis is recalling ALL Auvi-Q injectors due to a potential flaw that may prevent medicine from being injected properly. They will reimburse you for the costs of the competitor’s replacement, so save your receipts.



Book Review: “Kids Won’t Eat Healthy? Quick, Read This Book!”

We’ve been lucky so far, in that our toddler isn’t terribly picky. He’s not a fan of leafy vegetables, but otherwise he happily chows down on everything from burgers to tofu. I worry about what to do when he isn’t so agreeable, though, and luckily a local mom recently wrote a great book on the subject!



Barnes and Noble Announces New WATERPROOF Nook!

It’s easy to write off Barnes and Noble as the underdog in the ebook space; Amazon has clearly and thoroughly claimed the majority of the marketshare. B&N may be down, but they’re not out, and they’ve stumbled across a niche in ebooks that Amazon HASN’T conquered yet. They made a waterproof, dustproof NOOK GlowLight.


Ford Wins Back to the Future Day, Hands Down!

I know you’re probably sick of Back to the Future Day jokes, but the folks at Jalopnik spotted one from Ford that’s too good not to share. For those of you who AREN’T up on your 1980’s time travel comedies, October 21, 2015 was the day Marty and Doc traveled to in “Back to the Future 2”. And Ford is very excited!



AmpStrip Shuts Down, Issues Refunds to All Backers

This past spring, Greg reported on the AmpStrip, a wearable device that used adhesive to stick to your body and monitor your vitals 24/7. It was being crowdfunded via IndieGoGo, and it sounded like a quantified athlete’s dream. Unfortunately, it’s apparently a pipe dream, as the company is pivoting away from fitness and is refunding all backers.



Good News, the Twilight Reboot You Never Wanted Is Here!

Twilight has been rebooted by Stephenie Meyer. This is not a drill. Head to your nearest bookstore immediately, because for the 10th anniversary of Twilight, there’s a new version of the story out. Where the vampire is a girl and her object of obsession/stalkery affection is a boy. And yes, it’s really by Meyer, and not fanfic like it sounds.



Gear Diary Book Club Discussion of The Martian!

Did you finish reading The Martian in time for its big screen debut tomorrow night? Our own Greg Alston got to see it early, and he loved it (check out his review here), and now it’s time to discuss the book! If you haven’t finished yet, steer clear-spoilers ahead!


Is a $300 Savings on a Smartphone Worth It to YOU?

I asked the Gear Diary team a question last night: if you had an additional $300, how would you spend it? The reason I asked, was that $300 seemed to be the average cost difference between an iPhone/Galaxy phone, and the new Nexus phones (Nexii?) and the Moto X Pure; was it enough to lure switchers?




3D Cartoon LED Lamps Review

My son has a TARDIS nightlight, which I am pleased with because it sets him up well to be exposed to good science fiction early in life. I’m always looking for similar cool ideas for him, so I was very excited to take a look at 3D Cartoon LED lamps in the form of Ironman and Minions…perfect for my son!