I’m on the fence about constantly rebooting classic movies, but the more I hear about the new Ghostbusters reboot the more excited I get. The latest news from the AV Club is pointing to a dream cast; Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon!
Do you have trouble focusing on tasks that need to be done? Did you try setting reminders and timers, only to get distracted by your phone, a call, your DVR, or facebook? Hit up Kickstarter, and check out Esington Glass; it’s a fancy hourglass timer that wants to keep you on task!
I have mentioned this before, but my son is severely allergic to sesame seeds. We found this out the hard way, after one small bite of hummus landed us in the ER. Unfortunately, companies do not have to label if sesame is an ingredient or cross contaminant in the US, so it’s time to petition the FDA to change that and add sesame to allergy labels!
Do you know how to tie a knot? Me neither. Well, I know how to make a basic knot, but not the fancy kind. If I did need to know, I’d probably consult a survival reference app or a book. The last place I would check would be a bandana, but that’s the solution Colter Co pitched to us!
Regular readers of Gear Diary may remember that I’ve mentioned before that I played a lot of rugby in my college/post college years. Besides blood and dirt, the defining substance of rugby is probably beer. Ruggers love their beer. So the Handle This Cup Kickstarter project has my attention as a way to hold beer AND keep it cold!
Rumors are swirling from CNBC that Samsung is looking to snatch up Blackberry for their patent portfolio (and presumably whatever positive goodwill still exists in the Blackberry name). Several suitors have been rumored for Blackberry, but Samsung certainly has the cash, and the incentive in the form of their ongoing arms race with Apple.
If you’ve been looking for a fitness tracker, your budget is probably in the $50 to $150 range. That’s reasonable for a connected pedometer/fitness data collector, but Pivotal Living disagrees. They see the value of fitness tracking in the service, not the hardware, so they sell a subscription model instead. $12 gets you one year of service and one Pivotal Life 1 band!
I am starting to worry my phone is becoming sentient. See, on a typical day, the battery holds up just fine all day. But if it’s a busy day, that’s when my phone drains the battery like a hungry vampire. Luckily, Bracketron is working on their Snap2.0 chargers, an affordable way to snag fast charging with compatible phones!
I admit, as much as I love my 7 year old Prius, I get a little jealous hearing about the amazing ways smartphones are being integrated with newer cars. Satechi clearly feels my pain, and they’ve come up with a much more cost effective solution than a brand new car in their newly announced BT Button Series.
CES isn’t just about the latest fun gadgets. It’s also a showcase for all sorts of breakthroughs, including incredible medical ones. Dan and Judie caught up with the CEO of ReWalk, a company that is working on exoskeletons to help people with lower limb disabilities walk again! Check out their video interview!
For most people, a typical set of everyday items includes phone, keys, wallet, maybe a notebook or pens and other small items. If you (or your child) have food allergies, an Epipen or similar product is the top item on that list. Aterica has just announced an app/case combo for EpiPens called Veta to make that everyday carrying much simpler!
Lenovo has been on fire the last few years with some amazing consumer offerings. They’re expanding even further this year at CES, announcing 10 new devices, from YOGA tablets and laptops to ultraportables, smartphones, and even a smartwatch/fitness tracker. You can check out their full lineup at their CES 2015 site, but here are a few of my favorites!
The Apple Watch isn’t here yet, but Standzout is ready for early adopters with their new Bandstand. It’s an Apple Watch cradle that will let you charge the watch and two USB devices at once. There are no details yet on price or availability, but the mockup looks darn cool! Keep your eyes peeled to Standzout’s website for availability news!
If you like the look of a regular wristwatch but want the benefits of activity tracking, you’ve probably heard of the Withings Activité. It’s a beautiful Swiss watch with a second analog hand that indicates your activity levels, and syncs to your phone. But it’s a bit rich at $450, so Withings is aiming for the mainstream with a $149 Activité Pop!
Being a parent comes with a healthy side of worry. Are you feeding your child the right foods? Are you teaching them how to be a good person? Are they safe? SAFE Family is trying to address some of this with their new Paxie band wearable for children.
It may feel like everyone sells a bluetooth speaker these days, but the folks at NYNE are doing their best to stand out at CES 2015 with three new speakers that offer bluetooth and NFC! EDGE, VERGE, and ROCK are all waterproof and designed to share your music with the great outdoors. Just make sure the bears like Taylor Swift!
For the past month I’ve been reviewing the future. As it turns out, the future is cheap, reliable, and nearly indestructible. It’s not terribly flashy, but it gets the job done. The future is a Motorola E on Republic Wireless, a prepaid carrier using WiFi calling to lower the monthly cost.
Did you forget to buy a gift for that Scientologist relative who shunned you as a suppressive person? Show them you care with this amazing list from Drew Magary at Deadspin, who helpfully (and bravely) read the entire Scientology Christmas Catalog so the rest of us didn’t have to. Scientology is a scary concept, and not just for the $5,000 e-meters or L. Ron Hubbard’s singing. And after you read what Deadspin has covered, head to Amazon and buy or download a copy of “Going Clear“. It is the single most horrifying non-horror book I’ve ever read. Via: The Scientology Christmas…
I found a stack of old CDs in our attic a few weeks ago, and I was enjoying the nostalgia of listening to mix CDs I made 10-15 years ago. But as I’ve gone through the various tracks, I noticed a disturbing trend; many of the social issues being addressed in this CDs are still issues a decade later.
I’ve never used Uber, but I am familiar with it. They’ve had their fair share of issues related to their “surge” pricing, where the price of a ride can double, triple, or even quadruple depending on demand. But their response to their surge pricing during the hostage situation in Sydney, Australia showed Uber’s true attitude towards the communities they claim to serve.
A few weeks ago, I was reminiscing about my favorite science fiction book from my childhood. It was an anthology of short stories, and some intense Googling determined it was out of print. My search led me to the local library, and after poking around for just a few minutes, I canceled my Kindle Unlimited subscription.