Reviews

Tempour from Soiree Review – One Wine Tool to Rule Them All

As a food and drink writer, I get the opportunity to try out a lot of gadgets that purport to make my drinking life easier. Not that I don’t appreciate them, but the drawers of my liquor cabinet are full of things to cool my drinks, tools to aerate and decant wine, strainers, bottle stoppers, collars that fit around bottlenecks to prevent dripping and strainers to filter out the sediment in aged wines. It’s frankly getting to be a bit of a mess in there, and I usually just keep the drawer shut. So I was quite excited to hear…

Reviews

Griffin Survivor + Catalyst Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 Review

Let me start off this review by admitting that I am somewhat biased when it comes to iPhone cases. I carry my phone in my pocket at all times, I rarely drop my phone, and I rarely bring it near water. With that in mind, I’ve always leaned towards bumper-style cases that are small enough to protect my phone and do not to add too much bulk to my pocket. Still, I think I’ve found a great option for those who carry their phone in their pocket and also want great drop and water protection. The Griffin Survivor + Catalyst…

Reviews

Spigen SGP Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4 Review

Do you need Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? No. Are they worth the $9.99 price of admission to get three of Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? That depends. If you want to bring a bit of customization to your Samsung super-phone or prefer a Home Button with a bit more tactile feel the SGP Home Buttons might be a good choice for you. If, on the other hand, you don’t need to add bling to your S4-thing you may want to save the ten bucks. Here’s a look at what they offer….

Reviews

Scosche RH1060 Bluetooth Headphones Review – Cut Cords Not Corners

We recently reviewed the Scosche RH1056md Headphones. I was impressed with the wired, over-the-ear headphones and thought them to be a decent value at under $150. Scosche was good enough to also send a pair of their RH1060 Wireless Bluetooth headphones for review. The RH1060 headphones look quite similar to the RH1056md sample we have been using; in fact, then you use them in wired mode they are pretty much the same. Comparing the specifications of the two headphones reveals that both have 40mm drivers and an impedance of 32?. The frequency response of the RH1056md headphones is slightly better,…

Reviews

Accell Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station Review

Surge protectors are not the most interesting of accessories. At the same time they are an important part of getting your gear up, running and protected. Most of the time power strips with surge protection come in a straight line of outlets, but that is not the case with the Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station from Accell. It has a most unusual shape, and it is designed for today’s multi-device setups. Let’s take a look. First and foremost, the Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station has room for six different plugs to connect at the same time….

Reviews

Lumia 928 Windows Phone Review – Slight Learning Curve Leads to High Rewards

About a month ago, I made the radical decision to move from my iPhone to Windows Phone. I’ve always liked Nokia products, and when the Lumia 928 came to Verizon the temptation was overwhelming, so I took the plunge. You can check out my first impressions here. Since this was such a radical change, and since Windows Phone has so many proponents and detractors all by itself, I’ve broken this review down into two sections: Windows Phone itself, and the Lumia Hardware. Windows Phone: Before I get into the phone itself, I think it’s worth spending some time initially on…

Reviews

Satechi LED Desk Lamp Review – See What You Are Working On

It has been some time since I felt the need for a task light while working at my desk or at our kitchen island. The reason for that is quite simple, my house was renovated by my father-in-law, and he has a thing about putting tons of lights in any room has designs and rebuilds. Still, there are times when I really could use some easily directed light. That was the reason I took an interest in the Satechi LED Desk Lamp. This didn’t look like any desk light I had ever used, and it is not. No, the Satechi…

Game Diary, Reviews

GRID 2 Review on PlayStation 3

GRID 2 is a motorsport masterpiece game sequel was worth the wait featuring two main modes for one player and online plus a two player split screen racing option. New features include a reverse action button and gameplay video uploading/editing/posting to YouTube. The Hype An extensive and separate online campaign redefines multiplayer racing games plus full RaceNet integration Powered by Codemasters’ EGO Game Technology Platform for jaw-dropping damage and stunning visuals, GRID 2 sets the standard for technical excellent in racing. Race a handpicked selection of iconic cars that represent the best in automotive engineering from the last 40…

Reviews

Synology DiskStation DS213j NAS Review

Lets talk about NAS, dear readers. “What the heck is that?” you may be asking yourself, but don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for! It stands for Network Attached Storage. NAS is the term generally used for an enclosure that contains one or more hard drives which is connected to a network and can be accessed by multiple computers on that network. Compared to a traditional file server, NAS devices typically provide faster read/write speed and a more simple setup and configuration. The nice thing about an NAS is that you can set the hard drives up in a RAID…

Reviews

NuGuard GripStand Review – Simple yet Effective

When Dan assigned me another iPad stand to review, my first thought was, “Oh great, another stand. How can this one be any better than all the others?” The stand seemed overly simplistic, and I wondered how effective and useful it could truly be. When I got home and tested out the case, I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, the simplicity of Newer Technology’s NuGuard GripStand is one of its major strengths. Unlike some other cases on the market, the GripStand focuses less on appearances and more on its functionality, which I’ve come to appreciate. In order to remove the…

Reviews

Serenity Plex Media Server Client for Android and GoogleTV Review

Since getting the Roku box, one thing I have loved about it was that I could use the Plex Media Server to stream my personal content at home to my TV. Plex Media Server is a media streaming server available for Linux, Windows, and Mac; it is also supported on select Network Attached Storage(NAS) boxes like those available from Qnap, Synology, ReadyNAS, ASUSTOR and unRAID. Plex is an awesome piece of software that works wonderfully in conjunction with the Roku, however I am not always in front of my TV. While Plex does have a web server built in that you…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Cobra iRadar ATOM Radar Detector Review- A Small Package With Big Protection

Last October I reviewed the Cobra iRadar iOS 200 radar detector. This system is a combination of an iRadar application and accompanying hardware. It is an interesting solution in that the radar detector itself works quite well on its own but becomes far more powerful when paired with and connected to a mobile device. It obviously impressed me since I continue to use it on a daily basis. (You can read the full review here.) Now the company has come out with the next generation of the hardware/app combination. The iRadar ATOM radar detector is smaller and more powerful. Let’s…

Reviews

Etymotic ETY•Plugs HD Review- Protect Your Precious Ears

The other day Judie reviewed the VitaSound Personal Audio Enhancer PAE-300. This great little gadget is perfect for the person coping with some degree of hearing loss. Even Judie was surprised by how well it works and the fact that her daughter Sarah, the actual hands-on reviewer, is using it constantly. (Read the review.) It is fantastic that technology can help those with hearing loss. Better still however is taking steps to not have hearing issues in the first place. Sure, as Judie pointed out in the review, some hearing loss is genetic but there is a growing epidemic of…

George Benson - Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole

Music Diary, Reviews

A Trio of Terrific Tribute Albums!

I recently reviewed Al Di Meola’s ‘All Your Life’ album, which is a tribute to his lifelong love of the music of The Beatles. Tribute albums have been made since the dawn of recorded music, but have been especially popular since Hal Willner introduced the current formats in 1981. It has become a cliche for older rock and pop singers to put out their version of the ‘Great American Songbook’ at this point, and while tributes are often heartfelt, theme albums like that are usually a more cynical ‘cheap to make, easy to sell’ affair. So when a group of…

Reviews

Sir Lancelot’s Armor Holy Grail Screen Protector Review

Screen protectors. They aren’t the most exciting of smartphone accessories. They are, however, rather important if you want to keep your smartphone’s screen pristine. The Holy Grail of screen protectors? One that is easy to install, nearly invisible when in place and uber-protective. After all, replacing an iPhone 5’s screen can cost well over $200. That’s where Sir Lancelot’s Armor Holy Grail Screen Protector comes in. This screen protector, which started as a Kickstarter project, is made of bullet proof glass. Is this a screen protector worthy of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table? Read on to…

Reviews

Booq Boa Squeeze Graphite Backpack Review – Looks Cool, Gets the Job Done

I was on a train headed to Washington DC last year and saw someone getting off the train wearing a most unusual backpack. Instead of a square or sack-shaped backpack this one was curved. Moreover it was entirely black… my favorite. I sped up to get a closer look and was not surprised to discover it was made by booq. A bit more research when I got to my hotel revealed it was the booq Boa squeeze. I almost bought one at the time but never followed through. Then we got word that a new version, the booq Boa Squeeze…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Georgetown Dry Pannier from Detours Bike Bags Review – Keeps the Elements at Bay

I like to try to ride my bike whenever I can in an effort to burn off some of the extra pounds that I put on in my gig as a food writer. I have a Litespeed Titanium road bike that I ride for fitness, but it’s not very practical for in town use, especially since I use Speedplay pedal clips that make it almost impossible to walk in the specialized shoes when you’re not on the bike. So for just getting around town or riding to the YMCA and back (where I then go to a spin class ……

Reviews

Spigen SGP Ultra Fit for the Samsung GALAXY S4 Review – Puts Your S4 On a Diet

If you are looking for a case that will give a bit of scratch protection to your Samsung GALAXY S4 while adding as little bulk and weight as possible, then you will want to check out the Spigen SGP Ultra Fit for the Samsung GALAXY S4. On Amazon for under $10, this case is just about as minimalist a case as you are going to find. No, it is not for the accident-prone S4 owner but those who tend to be careful with their smartphones and want a bit of extra protection will likely be quite happy! As you can…

VitaSound Personal Audio Enhancer PAE 300-012

Reviews

VitaSound Personal Audio Enhancer PAE-300 Review – Hearing Help Where It Is Most Needed

There are several people in my family who have hearing troubles, some more severe than others. For instance, my mom started having degenerative hearing loss when she was in her early 20s, and for as long as I can remember she has worn hearing aids. My daughter, Sarah, has always had problems with certain tones; she has trouble discerning what people are saying if they don’t speak clearly or if they mumble, and she has used the closed caption setting on her TV to watch movies since she was 15 or so. I’ve had Sarah’s hearing tested, and although it’s…

Reviews

Phiaton Bridge MS500 Headphones Review – They Offer Style, Comfort and Excellent Sound

Sexy and stylish are the only way I can describe the Phiaton Bridge MS500 headphones. That came as a surprise, considering I have been impressed with the sound of previous Phiaton headphones I’ve reviewed, but I would not have described any of them as particularly stylish. (The Moderna MS200 did come close.) The Bridge MS500 headphones bring style to the Phiaton lineup even as they bring a premium price tag of $299. Does high style merge with great sound when it comes to the company’s marque headphones offerings? Read on to find out.

Health and Fitness, Reviews

First Impressions of the Merrell Vapor Glove Minimal Running Shoes

Carly did a great job reviewing Merrell’s philosophy of running shoes and some of their line-up earlier this year. This week the company sent me a pair of their most recent addition – the minimalist Vapor Glove. These are Merrell’s lightest shoes at a specified 5 oz per shoe (my scale in the video has them at 6oz … I blame the lousy scale), and have an ultra-light, breathable barefoot construction that puts barely anything between you and the ground. I decided to do a quick hands-on video while in the midst of my first run using the shoes –…

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