Articles by Zek

STM Grip 2 for the HTC One M8: Minimal Perfection!

I’ve made no secret of how much I love my new HTC One M8, except how very, very slippery it can be. Since I don’t love big bulky cases, I’ve been hunting for slim but grippy solutions. STM asked us to take a look at their STM Grip 2 for the One, and it might just be the perfect minimalist solution!


Slickwraps Carbon Fiber Wrap for the HTC One M8 Review

I have never been enamored of skins for my smartphones. Over the years I’ve tried several, but I always found them to be too tacky, or they peeled immediately, or I couldn’t get the bubbles out. But when Slickwraps offered the chance to review their new HTC One M8 skins, I figured it was time to give skins another shot!


Fun with the HTC One M8 Camera!

The HTC One M8 camera is actually a twofer-there’s the main lens and then a secondary one, designed to allow for depth of field and other fun editing tricks. The result is that the right photo can go from nice to WOW in just a few clicks!



Own a Mazda CX-9 or Honda Pilot? IIHS Has a Horror Movie For You

This year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety started a new crash test, the “small overlap test“. Effectively, this tests what happens when a front corner hits an obstacle, like a light pole or tree. Many, many cars have failed this test, but the videos of the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-9 may scare you away from driving all day! Check out the CX-9 crash test: And here’s the Honda Pilot test: Scary, right? Drive safely out there, and you can see how various cars have performed in these tests at the IIHS site. Via Jalopnik



Kanex Multi-Sync Bluetooth Keyboard Review – Keyboard Multitasking!

Bluetooth keyboards are a dime a dozen; we’ve covered scores of them here at Gear Diary. Most are variations on the same old keyboard, but the Kanex Multi-Sync Bluetooth Keyboard falls into the “how did I live without this” category very quickly. Do you have an iPad and a Mac or PC? Then you need this keyboard.


Noreve Debuts New Leather Cases for the HTC One M8

I have been gushing about the quality look and feel of my new HTC One M8 for the last several days. It feels exactly like you’d expect a flagship phone to feel, with solid construction and beautiful cool metal exterior. A phone this nice needs quality protection, and our friends at Noreve have gorgeous leather offerings for the new One.


First Impressions of the HTC One M8

Over the weekend I marched into my local Verizon store and snapped up the new HTC One M8. It’s been a few years since I used Android, but the look and feel of the One were calling my name. We’ll have a full review soon, but since this phone is so new, I wanted to share a few first impressions!


Iconic TV Snark Site ‘Television Without Pity’ Gets Cancelled

  I have a specific morning reading routine. While I eat breakfast, I quickly browse Feedly for news, and then I head to Television Without Pity to catch up on the television shows I never have time to watch. Replace Feedly with Google Reader, and that’s been my routine for 10 years. On April 4th, though, TWoP is shutting down!



The Uneven Glass Could Make Drinking Social Again!

Smartphones can be evil when you’re drinking; you might look at your phone instead of talking with friends. or you could be tempted to call or text people who aren’t drinking to tell them the brilliant ideas that came to you after a few rounds. If you’re in the right bar in Brazil, the solution is simple: the Uneven Glass.




Have You Had Error Code 80c805e2 Email Sync Issues on Windows Phone?

If the error code 80C805E2 means nothing to you, you probably don’t use a Windows Phone. I’ve seen it crop up twice, with two different email addresses, and the fixes have been different for both. For my GMail, I had to delete and re-add the whole account; for Outlook, I had to wait for a text message backup to complete.


Spy Tec Inventio-HD Sunglasses – Agent 99 Would Approve

When I was a kid, my favorite show was “Get Smart”. I really wanted to be a spy, until I found out it wasn’t all bumbling around talking into your shoe and hanging out with Agent 99. But I’ve been testing the Spy Tec Inventio-HD Sunglasses the last few weeks, and it’s brought back my old childhood love of spying!


How Far Would You Go to Watch March Madness ?

I have a friend who joked he wanted his wife to go into labor during March Madness, so he could watch the games during paternity leave. Then there’s the dedication some men show towards being home for college basketball; according to CNN there’s high demand for vasectomies during March! How far would you go to watch March Madness?


How do You Solve a Problem Like In-App Purchases?

Apple added a big change to iOS 7.1 when it comes to app purchases. Previously, once you entered your password for an app purchase the system automatically didn’t ask for it again for 15 minutes. To prevent in-app purchases by accident, you can now set it to ask every time. But how else can in-app purchasing be fixed?


911 Versus the Family Cat

A rather unusual 911 call has been making the rounds of the Internet today. Apparently, a family in Oregon had a baby, and their cat was most displeased. The cat went on a reign of terror, scratching the baby and scaring the family so badly they locked themselves in the bedroom and called 911. To catch their angry cat.


Rejoice, Math Nerds; Square One TV Lives on Through YouTube

If you’re a nerdy child of the 80’s, you probably have fond memories of SquareOne TV. There has never been and will never be a better math-themed kids show. Sadly, it’s hard to find these days, but someone has uploaded several full episodes to YouTube. Math man, Mathnet, that creepy probability song … it’s all there!


SipSnap Turns Any Cup into a Sippy Cup

Babies not only require a ton of stuff, but they constantly rotate in and out of all that stuff. Just when you’ve mastered bottles, it’s time to move on to sippy cups. It’s a never ending parade of plastic pieces, but the Kickstarter project SipSnap hopes to make the transition easier with universal sippy cup covers!