Gear Bits



Qualcomm Brings Powerful Speed and Visuals with Snapdragon 4 Gen 2!

We depend on our phones for so much, and the baseline expectation of what you expect just keeps getting higher. Luckily, Qualcomm is ready to keep up with the demand, and they’re consistently refining their Snapdragon platform, from the highest flagships to everyday devices. Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is coming to bring the power to more budget-friendly devices worldwide!


DCV Airbase Quad & Airbase Duo, World’s First Swappable Battery Solar Generators, Soon to Be On Kickstarter

Some of the issues people see with Solar Generators are the heavy weight and the lack of swappable batteries. Decarbon Venture has introduced a new line of power products, the DCV Airbase Quad and DCV Airbase Duo, which are half the weight and deliver twice the power of other similar products. Co-founder Geoff Elwood developed the idea while living off-grid in the Australian Outback during the pandemic.



Vivint Expands Smart Home Lighting Options

Vivint has been a leader in home security for years and keeps adding to its smart home options. As smart lighting has become one of the most requested products, Vivint has announced three core products to their service. These products will integrate seamlessly with Vivint’s automation capabilities bringing smarter security and peace of mind.





RIP Amazon Halo in All of Your Invasive Glory

Amazon has abruptly announced that they’re discontinuing their Halo fitness and sleep trackers. If you’re still using one, you’re good until July 31st, after which you should give your privacy-invading little friend a Viking funeral. Or, you know, send it to Amazon for proper recycling.


Watch the EcoFlow Live Stream for Their Newest Smart Devices, the Blade, Glacier, and Wave 2

During CES, Judie was able to visit with EcoFlow to see some early versions of their new battery-powered smart devices. The EcoFlow Blade is a lawn sweeping mower, the EcoFlow Glacier is a portable refrigerator with an ice maker, and the EcoFlow Wave 2 is the next version of their popular portable AC and heater. These latest products are finally ready for sale, and they’ll be revealed in-depth during the EcoFlow live stream on April 26th.



Qualcomm Brings Flagship Performance to Their Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 Series!

It seems like what we want and expect from our phones just keeps increasing. What started as just making phone calls on the go has rapidly evolved into a video game console, high-end camera, and even artificially intelligent digital assistants. Our phones need to work even harder to keep up with us, and Qualcomm‘s new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor is aiming to outrun the competition!


Lenovo Lets the Speed of the Inside Be Reflected on the Outside with ThinkStations Co-Designed with Aston Martin

Sometimes the goal of new computers is to make things smaller, sleeker, and more portable. And sometimes, the goal is to make something that’s fully “blow your hair back” fast. Kind of like how some cars are commuter boxes, and some cars are Aston Martins. Lenovo was thinking along the same lines, hence why they’re rolling out new ThinkStation PX, P7, and P5 for intense computing needs that sport an attractive new chassis build co-designed with Aston Martin!


The All-New Ring Battery Doorbell Plus Offers Significant Battery and Field of View Improvements

Eight years ago, I reviewed the Ring Video Doorbell. This was such a new product category at the time that I wrote, “knowing who’s standing at your door when you are or aren’t at home is a pretty handy superpower.” Honestly, I still think that’s true. The all-new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the brand’s most significant update to its battery doorbell lineup yet, and one of the features being touted is battery life that can last up to three times longer than that first-gen Ring Video Doorbell I reviewed, but that’s just the start.


Qualcomm at MWC Reminds Us That Their Connectivity Runs The World

Qualcomm quietly powers so much of our lives, from the processors in your phone to the connectivity in your house. They never stop innovating, though, and they came prepared to show off at MWC! We’ve gone from SIM cards down to eSIM, but Qualcomm looked at that and thought, “needs to be smaller.” Enter the iSIM, which takes the eSIM to the next step by integrating the SIM directly into the processor. This may not sound like a big deal to the end user, but it will save significant space under the hood. That means more room for your phone…


MediaTek and Bullitt Team Up to Make Rugged Satellite-Capable Smartphones

Now that most areas are blanketed in 5G, companies like MediaTek are looking to the next big thing in connectivity-satellite. Satphones have existed for some time, but satellite to mobile has become a much bigger focus as of late. MediaTek has teamed up with British mobile phone manufacturer Bullitt to power several new rugged satellite-capable devices!