Editorials

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Camera Showdown: Did Samsung Make the Right Move?

Like its predecessors, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra still comes packed with enough camera lenses to trigger someone with trypophobia, but this year, that comes with a pretty major change. Most of the hardware is still the same as the previous generation, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but there’s one significant change in the telephoto camera. In 2024, Samsung decided to go with a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with a 5X optical periscope lens. This replaced the 10-megapixel, 10X optical sensor from the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

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A Reminder: Buying a Massage Gun Shouldn’t Mean That You Have to Break the Bank!

We received a pitch for a massage gun that clocked in at a jaw-droppingly cheap $26.31 (or as low as $22.10 if you buy in bulk!). In an email to me, Judie questioned whether a massage gun that cheap could possibly be effective. While we plan to review this inexpensive massage gun to see how it does, I pointed out that while $26 does seem overly cheap, the reality is that a massage gun is a relatively simple device that probably shouldn’t cost $300 and up, either!


Pride 2022: The Fight for Equal Rights Still Isn’t Over

A few years ago, I ranted about how commercialized Pride has become. That hasn’t changed; if anything, “rainbow capitalism” has tripled in the last four years. Unfortunately, so has discrimination, and there’s been a rise in legislative actions designed to chip away at the rights of the LGBTQ community.


How to Avoid Misinformation and Scams While Trying to Help Ukraine

As the heartbreaking situation continues to unfold in Ukraine, it feels like there’s a lot of information flying around and a lot of organizations saying they’re there to help. If you’re not sure what news is legitimate or which charities and groups are actually getting resources to Ukraine, you’re not alone. We’ve put together a resource with verifiable organizations working to help Ukraine and resources to help determine fact from fiction in a very chaotic situation.


ZAGG Protect Phone Insurance Offers to Pick up the Slack When Cases and Screen Protectors Fail

Our phones are our lifeline to everything that connects us to each other, which means that a broken phone is far more than just an inconvenience. Adding carrier or manufacturer insurance can be expensive, and that’s why ZAGG Protect might be worth considering as an alternative. At just $99 per phone per year with a $49 deductible, ZAGG Protect won’t replace your lost or stolen phone, but it does include coverage for drops, liquid damage, cracked screens, and more.



Flik Me? Maybe You Should Think Before You Flik-Off Other Drivers!

I’m a bit of an eternal optimist, so I always try to look for the “good idea” in the pitches we receive. Even if I can’t figure out how I might use something, I can usually put myself in the shoes of someone who would. Then there’s the pitch we received for the delightful Flik Me, an LED hand that can be set to either wave at other drivers … or flip them the bird as you drive by.


The Unexpected Nostalgia of Finding an Original iPhone in My Junk Drawer

I recently went digging through a junk drawer looking for some old photos; I found several USB cables, a calculator watch, some unidentified flash drives, and … an original iPhone. As in, the iPhone that I sat in line outside the Apple Store to buy on launch day back in 2007. Fourteen years have passed, and it’s honestly shocking to hold the original iPhone in one hand and my 12 Pro Max in the other!


Call Screen Is Google Pixel’s Killer Feature, and It Will Completely Spoil You

There are plenty of good reasons people develop a fondness for a particular brand; maybe it’s because the company’s hardware is always top-notch, their pricing is reasonable, or they have excellent customer service when something goes wrong. But the singular feature that’s made it hard for me to consider using any smartphone other than a Google Pixel as my daily driver isn’t related to hardware, pricing, or customer service. As I mentioned in our Google Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, and Pixel 5 reviews, beyond Pixel’s excellent cameras and pure Android experience, their killer feature is Call Screen.


Convertible Laptops: Lenovo’s Yoga Line Has Changed My View on Them for the Better!

Has anyone ever really looked at their laptop and thought, “man, if only this could also be flipped into a tablet!”? I’ll admit, I’ve always seen convertible laptops as a cool idea but one that seemed to be a solution in search of a problem. But I’ve learned the error of my ways this summer, as I experienced a few times where convertible laptops offered so much flexibility that it completely changed my workflow!


Think Before You Share That “Deep” Quote on Facebook

Recently my attention was drawn to an issue on social media that I have a feeling many of us may have experienced. A friend of mine had reposted a statement that resonated with them on their Facebook page. Someone else attempted to rebut that statement by using a quote that they misattributed to Voltaire when in fact, the quote came from a neo-Nazi. Here’s the statement that started the exchange.


Freedom Phone Is a Dumb Purchase, but You Do You

Here’s a fun fact for you: Toyota designs their Lexus and Toyota logos to be the same size; it’s so they can easily swap the designs. Yes, a Lexus will be nicer, but why design two different steering wheels if the same dimensions can work for both brands? At the same time, you’d probably feel pretty dumb and angry if you bought a Lexus from a dealer only to discover they had charged you Lexus prices for an old Corolla with a Lexus badge. And if that sounds far-fetched, well, just ask anyone who was suckered into buying a Freedom…


Could the M1 iPad Pro Function As Your Only Computer?

When Apple announced that the latest iPad Pro has the same M1 chip as the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro, I had some thoughts about that, and I figured the rest of the Gear Diary team might too. Is the iPad Pro finally ready to be a stand-alone computer or perhaps function as your only computer?