Gear Bits



3 Essential Personal Safety Devices for Travelers

If you live in a major city, you know that tourists are easy to spot. There’s something about their clothes, their behavior, the way they try to take in the sights and read the map on their phones all at once, that makes them stand out in a crowd. Unfortunately, there are people out there who try to take advantage of travelers; if someone isn’t careful, they may end up in a scary or dangerous situation. When you travel, it can be hard to hide your tourist side (though Reader’s Digest has a few tips on the subject). However, you…



Nest Now Sends a Photo with Your Nest Cam Email Alert

I have a Nest Cam setup in my living room which notifies me every time something moves or makes a sound. I love it and even though at $199 it’s not the least expensive camera you’ll find, I do like that it displays an image within my Nest app alongside my thermostats and Nest Protect.


Oral-B Genius: Brush Like Your Dentist Recommends

While at Mobile World Congress, I caught a demo of the new Oral-B Genius, the world’s first toothbrush that “sees what you don’t”. Using a combination of Oral-B’s Position Detection Technology with Triple Pressure Control and a professional timer, the Genius helps you brush like your dentist recommends. Take a look …



Philips Fidelio Soundbar with Dolby Atmos Announced at CES

There are many new products that get amazing sound from a compact package when it comes to television audio. Gibson Innovations has announced the Philips Fidelio Soundbar that includes Dolby Atmos technology. I have three televisions with stock speakers and need something to improved the sound. This soundbar could be exactly what I was looking for.






Oh, How Our Tech Has Changed #RabbisInIsrael

I’m currently in Israel on a rabbinic mission with seventeen other rabbis. We spent some time on top of the second tallest building in Tel Aviv taking pictures, getting a sense of geography and strategic concerns. In the process, I came to a realization …



iOS 9 Public Beta Available Now

Apple just released public betas of both  iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan. There’s no requirement to be a developer or do anything except visit this link to sign up with your Apple ID. Before loading this (or any) beta software  be certain you have a complete backup of your data. This is the fourth beta release of Apple’s  iOS 9 which is expected to release in Fall 2015.



IK Multimedia releases UltraTuner for Apple Watch

For anyone who plays a guitar, when AmpliTube arrived with a built-in tuner it was a revelation. Suddenly you didn’t need a tuner – just your phone, which you already had! Then IK Multimedia introduced UltraTuner and things got even better. Now they have introduced UltraTuner for Apple Watch, and the convenience factor is through the roof!



Gmail (Finally) Gets One Inbox

Will miracles never cease? Google just announced  their Gmail client now offers a universal inbox experience. Finally! Now instead of flipping between multiple accounts in the native Gmail app, you can click “All Inboxes” and view email from all your Gmail and non-Gmail accounts.