When I was in Barcelona, a “steampunk gastro-bartender” named George made me one of the foulest-tasting alcoholic concoctions I’ve ever tried. It didn’t matter, though. After watching all of the steps he took to create my gorgeous drink, capped with the flavored ice balls he was rationing out as if they were gold, I sipped and pseudo-savored that sucker.
The biggest challenge with televisions these days, at least in most cases, is the lousy sound they offer. A huge television with a beautiful big screen and smart functionality may be great, but if the speakers stink watching it won’t be enjoyable. The ZVOX SOUNDBASE.420 fixes that for surprisingly little money, and it’s simple to set up.
I love to cook, but there is one part of the process where I regularly drop the ball. and I have a lifetime collection of burn scars on my right hand to prove it. I can’t seem to help myself, but now I have a solution: Jaz Innovations Oven Rack Guards. No more painful wrist and hand burns for me!
My search for an iPad mini case that strikes the right balance between style, protection, and bulk brought me to the Speck DuraFolio for iPad Mini. It offers unique styling, food protection and despite initially looking a bit bulky, it is surprisingly svelte. Would it become my daily driver and go-to case for my iPad mini? Only time would tell.
Lighting a fire in your barbecue pit or pot belly stove is not always a simple task; sometimes that wood just will not ignite no matter how much you baby it along. For all of you who’ve ever sprayed a pile of hardwood with lighter fluid in frustrated defeat, I give you the Bison Airlighter — your own personal flamethrower.
My search for a case for the Sony Xperia Z2 led me to the Poetic FlipBook. I was initially skeptical. After all, the case has an MSRP of just $14.95. Still, for that price I figured it was worth checking it out. When the case arrived I was more than pleasantly surprised by what I discovered. Inexpensive doesn’t mean cheap.
I love my 15″ MacBook Pro retina, but I still kick myself for settling on the 500GB model when I should have waited and bought the 750GB version. Now the MBPr is available with 1TB, but I’m not ready to upgrade. External memory is my best option, so I’ve been trying the Leef Copper Edition Surge 64GB USB Flash Drive.
Just two days before my first marathon in 2012, Garmin sent me their new ForeRunner FR-10. It’s an entry-level watch with the right amount of tracking features for most casual runners and racers. I jumped at the opportunity to check out the new entry-level Garmin Garmin Forerunner FR-15 GPS and Fitness Watch!
I was impressed by the Element Case Soft-Tec Ducati Folio for iPad Air when I reviewed it last month. The folio case, which sports the co-branding of Element Case and Ducati, looks great, offers terrific protection and includes an integrated stand. Thanks to Element Case we also had a chance to check out the version for the iPad Mini.
If you are looking for a folio-style case that looks good, protects well and won’t break the bank you’ll want to check out the Case Logic SnapView Folio for iPad Mini. This case, which combines a synthetic book-style cover and a protective polycarbonate shell, serves up just enough protection and functionality to make it worth consideration.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a powerful smartphone that has Samsung at the top of their game. A device this powerful and feature-packed deserves better than the cheap plastic case Samsung continues to insist upon using. The Toast Wood Covers for Samsung Galaxy S5 helps correct this shortcoming. It looks great and protects in the process.
Monster Products (aka Monster Headphones) make an assortment of fashionable headphones that actually sound great. The company now offers a number of speakers. The Monster Superstar High Definition Bluetooth Speaker is one such offering. It is a small, colorful speaker that actually sounds surprisingly good. Currently available for under $130, it lets you take Monster Music on the go.
It seems that I can almost always categorize my iPhone’s status as either “charging” or “needing to charge”. Being a mobile user is rough on my battery life! I recently got the chance to review the Duracell GoPower Wireless Charging Kit. Not only is it a battery case, but also includes wireless charging. The kit only costs $119.95 from Apple.
2014 has definitely turned into the year of the “wearable” and the smartwatch has been leading the pack. Android Wear is on the way and Apple has yet to announce, let along release their offering. That means there’s much more to come this year. There are already some compelling options on the market and they have a range of prices.
How many of you are still using your original Lightning cable? Not me. The one that came with my iPhone 5S bit the dust months ago. Frayed and damaged original cables seem to par for the iOS course, so why not replace yours with an Apple Certified Incipio Charge/Sync Cable with Lightning Connector?
If you are always on the go and love your music, the JBL Clip is the “ultra-portable rechargeable speaker” for you. At under $50 and sporting an integrated carabiner, it is an affordable way to enjoy your music anywhere you go. Whether connecting via Bluetooth or the integrated 3.5mm cable, you’ll be ready to rock on the go.
There are all kinds of cases out there for tablets these days-rugged, leather, pleather, vinyl, rubber, folio-style…if it’s a material that can be tablet-sized, chances are someone’s made a case out of it. Papernomad has an interesting twist with cases made from brown paper and felt, allowing you to feel like your iPad is a childhood textbook.
I’m setting up a home theater and, in the process, discovered how much I hate having multiple cables running from the back of my television. Still, when I connect an Apple TV, a gaming console etc each needs its own cable right? Wrong. The Kanto Link 3X HDMI Auto Switcher is one HDMI cable that connects three devices.
If you like the idea of an iPhone case that can double as a wallet, but also tend to prefer minimalist cases, the Incipio Watson Folio Wallet for iPhone 5S is the case for you. It is a functional wallet-style case that, within seconds, transforms into a minimalist case so you can go light, and it is under $45.
Judie has reviewed a number of different offerings from Oberon Design and been impressed by them all. The gorgeous designs, quality leather, and impressive craftsmanship come together to create some beautiful cases and bags. This time out we are looking at the Oberon Design Samsung Galaxy S5 Leather Case. It is gorgeous, and at under $40, it is surprisingly affordable.
As you may have read here on Gear Diary, Speck was recently purchased by Samsonite. I’m curious to see what new products begin to appear as a result. Even before this happened however the lineup of Speck cases continued to increase. One of the newest cases is the Speck DuraFolio for iPad Air; it comes in five different color combinations.