Articles by Zek

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!


Maxxeon WorkStar 340 Pocket Floodlight Review

Flashlights are one of those items you don’t give much thought to until you need one. Once you do, you’ll want it to work correctly, casting a bright light where you need it. Good build quality and comfortable to hold are also key for a great flashlight. If this fits your flashlight needs, you might need a Maxxeon WorkStar 340.



Creoir Debuts Ibis Smartwatches-Beauty and Brains Together!

Smartwatches are the hot gear of 2014, but they still have an aura of “geek” around them. If you’re craving something stylish AND smart, check out Creoir’s new Ibis watch. It features Bluetooth, touchscreen, iOS and Android integration and notifications, but also showcases a fashion-first design. Stay tuned for more from Judie on Ibis at Mobile World Congress!


Lenovo Unveils New Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ Android Tablet

Lenovo’s Yoga line has been a huge hit, and the company is keeping the momentum at Mobile World Conference with a new Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ Android tablet. These will have an updated HD screen, plus a number of proprietary apps called DOit, SHAREit, and SECUREit to add productivity. These start at $350 this April, watch Lenovo’s site for more!  



Kobo Shows There’s Plenty of Life in the eBook Market

If you’ve heard of or use Kobo Books regularly, there’s a good shot you are not alone. Kobo has come a long way in a few short years, from starting as Shortcovers in 2009 to being purchased by Rakuten in 2012. Now they have some truly brag-worthy news-according to The Digital Reader, revenues are up 44%!


Nokia Adds More Value to the Lumia Line with Treasure Tags

There’s no doubt that Nokia makes amazing phones. You may not like the operating system, but Nokia does a great job of bringing everything together into a very polished package. Their newest accessory is another “little thing” that makes Lumias better; the “Treasure Tag”, an NFC and Bluetooth-enabled accessory to insure you never lose your keys again.


Sno Brum Review – a Must for Snowy Winters

We have had an unusually high amount of snow in my area this winter. It means I’ve spent what felt like hours cleaning off our cars, but hopefully cleaning off our vehicles will be a bit easier with our newest purchase — a Sno Brum!


The Definitive Opinion on Michael Sam, Straight from Texas

Civil rights and courage go hand in hand. It takes courage to stand up and say “I am a gay man and I play football” like Michael Sam did just last week. He’s taking a risk with his career, challenging the internalized homophobia of professional sports, and he’s getting help from an unlikely source: Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen.


First Impressions of the Lumia Black/GDR3 Update for the Nokia Lumia 928

I’ve overall been quite pleased with my Lumia 928 Windows Phone. In fact, almost all of my complaints are hardware and not software related (the screen is far too fragile, and the phone has some earpiece issues). What I like about the software is that it’s constantly improving, and the new Nokia Black/Microsoft GDR3 update brings some excellent new features!


Oyster Books Subscription eBook Service: Great Idea, Awful Execution

One of the hardest things about quitting my job in a bookstore was giving up on easy access to and an employee discount on books … lots and lots of books. I love to read, and I’ve deeply embraced eBooks. So I was very excited to try Oyster Books, the so-called “Netflix of eBooks”, with a similar all-you-can-read flat rate concept.


Kia Announces an All-Electric Kia Soul

Earlier this week, we reviewed the 2014 Kia Soul; if you looked at that car and thought “it needs to be electric”, then you’re in luck! Kia has announced an all-electric Soul, with a range of 80-100 miles between charges. This is in line with other electric vehicles, but the Soul makes being an EV look good.


Apple’s Missed Opportunity — the Family Tablet

A coworker came to me recently for advice about buying a tablet for his family, one that he and his wife could use and share with his toddler. Specifically, he wanted a way to create timed parental controls, and he wanted to make sure he was right in believing the Kindle Fire was a better fit than the iPad.


Laugh Away the Winter Blues, Because Misery Loves Company!

(Image courtesy NJ.com) Are you sick of winter yet? Have you been stuck inside for days? Does the sight of your snow shovel make you do a full body shudder? Cheer up with this hilarious video highlighting the dangers and pratfalls of all things wintry, snowy and icy! Hat tip to Severe NJ Weather for sharing this video instead of more bad snow news.