Gear Bits

Honor Magic 3

Gear Bits

Honor Magic 3 Series Takes Smartphone Cameras to the Next Level!

It’s safe to say we’ve hit a point with smartphones where what makes a phone stand out is created on the margins. In other words, all phones are big slabs of glass with nice big screens, so what makes them stand out is what else they bring, from battery life to amazing cameras. Honor Magic 3 series is taking that to a whole new level with a camera they’re calling IMAX-enhanced for filmmaking, unlike anything you’ve been able to do before on a smartphone!

Flowtime

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness

Flowtime Biosensing Meditation Headband: Wearable Stress-Relief That You Might Want to Try

NO, I’M NOT STRESSED OUT, WHO SAYS THAT?! Ahem. We all have stress issues. I was talking to my therapist the other day about just how much the Plague Year increased the stress levels of everyone in general. So what do you do to cope? Meditate? Yoga? Dig into a big bag of weed? Well, being nerds here, maybe you need a gadget and an app, right? Maybe you should try the Flowtime Biosensing Meditation Headband.

Trek Project One ICON 'First Light' Paint Scheme Featured in Tokyo Olympics

Gear Bits

Trek Project One ICON ‘First Light’ Paint Scheme Featured in Tokyo Olympics

When I was a lad, we had one-speed bikes with banana seats* and sometimes big high backrests, like the kiddie version of Zed’s chopper, Grace,  that Butch makes off with in Pulp Fiction. Sure, there were 10-speeds and the standard 1-speeds that Schwinn was famous for. And…um…that was pretty much it. Not any longer, baby! Now you’ve got so many different types of bikes it makes my head spin! And now we have word that Trek has expanded its premium custom bike program, Project One ICON, with a brand-new paint scheme called “First Light.”

MediaTek Helio G96

Gear Bits, News

MediaTek Announced Helio G96 and Helio G88 Chips to Make Your Next Phone Zippier!

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you don’t need to know what’s under the hood of your phone. It makes calls, and it takes pictures; what else do you need to know? But phones are the center of so much of our lives that getting the best bang for your buck matters, even if it’s not a flagship phone. And that’s why MediaTek has the new Helio G96 and Helio G88 chipsets.

Lexon Flip Premium

Gear Bits

Lexon Flip Premium Alarm Clock: A Stylishly Simple Way to Wake Up When Staying in Bed Isn’t an Option

Back in the day (my day, anyway), everyone had an alarm clock or clock radio by their bedside. My dad’s was so loud it once woke me at 5:30 am one morning, but that’s another story. Now, with everyone having an alarm on their phone, watch, and running shoes for all I know, the call for alarm clocks would seem to be minimal. “Ha!” says Lexon design to us, with the Lexon Flip Premium Alarm Clock.

spyderx kits

Gear Bits

New Datacolor SpyderX Kits Include Specialized Tools for Photography and Graphic Design

When I was a kid, I considered a career as a photographer. I imagined being Ansel Adams, with a giant Hasselblad camera, or the next Dorothea Lange. Or a sports photographer, catching the thrill of victory or agony of defeat. I even took a year and a half of photography classes in middle school, and still toy with the fantasy by playing with such gizmos like the SpyderX Kits for photography and graphic design.

robomart

Gear Bits

Robomart: The Mobile Mini-Store That Comes to You

I’ve tried a few shopping apps, and I’ve had a friend that worked a grocery order-and-delivery service back around 2000. Now, there’s Robomart, a company with an app working to provide you a hail-to-purchase-to-delivery experience through an app and delivery service in record time.

Nokia G20

Gear Bits

Nokia G20 Keeps Going and Going with 3 Days of Battery Life!

It can be hard to balance features and reliability with budget-end phones. Plus, all too often, anything that isn’t a flagship can sometimes be forgotten or behind the curve in terms of security updates and other features. Nokia isn’t making you choose between features, security, and budget with the Nokia G20!

Rockport Offers Amazing Deals This Memorial Day Weekend

Deals, Gear Bits

Rockport Offers Amazing Deals This Memorial Day Weekend

I’ve become a huge fan of Rockport’s shoes. Both the Total Motion Active Mesh Sneaker and the Men’s Total Motion DresSport Slip-Ons look great and are amazingly comfortable. I’ll be adding dress shoes shortly. If you want to try out some Rockport’s, you’re in luck! The company is offering huge savings this weekend on a wide assortment of shoes.

higher standards x revelry stowaway bag

Gear Bits

Higher Standards x Revelry Stowaway Bag Review: Well-Made Bag That Blocks Odors of Anything Contained

There are very few times in life where things aren’t improved with a solid bag. Admittedly, “I need a really solid, smell-proof bag” isn’t necessarily the first thing on everyone’s shopping list, but you never know when you might need to transport some onions. Or, more realistically, when you realize you want to travel with the kind of plant matter that’s legal in more and more states. You need a bag that doesn’t make people look up and say, “weird, why does it smell like college in here all of the sudden?” That’s where the Higher Standards x Revelry Stowaway…

MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G SoC

Gear Bits

MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G SoC Raises the Bar on Smartphone Power Yet Again!

If you’re a regular reader of Gear Diary, you might find the name MediaTek vaguely familiar. It’s ok if you don’t, though; they’re one of those companies that operate quietly behind the scenes. Their logo may not be splashed all over your phone, but chances are they’re providing some important connectivity options for you. If your next phone has a MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G SoC, you’re definitely going to enjoy the experience!

WESN Samla

Gear Bits, Crowdfunding

WESN Samla on Kickstarter: A Friction Folding Knife That’s Both Beautiful and Useful!

Small knives are arguably the most useful pocket item you can have. They can do everything from slicing up an apple to whittling little figurines or cutting you loose if you get stuck in some vines. Admittedly, of these, slicing the apple is probably (hopefully) most likely what you’d need a small knife for, but we don’t judge here at Gear Diary. Go ahead and whittle to your heart’s content. In any case, if you need or want a new knife for everyday carry, check out the WESN Samla; it’s now live on Kickstarter!

Lutron Caseta Outdoor Smart Plug

Gear Bits

Lutron Caseta Outdoor Smart Plug Makes Your Outdoor Lights Smart

So many of the things in your home are smart, but wouldn’t it be cool if the exterior of your home was smart, too? Imagine if you could control your backyard landscaping lights, the lights you have hanging under your patio, your pond, holiday inflatables, up to 1000′ of holiday lights, or other outdoor items with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Homekit. With the new Lutron Caseta Outdoor Smart Plug, you can.

Incipio Organicore Cases Save Your Phone and the Earth!

Gear Bits

Incipio Organicore Cases Save Your Phone and the Earth!

I recently started cleaning out a junk drawer, and I’ll admit, I was pretty ashamed of how many old phone cases I had squirreled away. I can’t tell you where some of those phones are, but if you need a case for a 6-year-old Motorola phone…you should have asked me last week before I tossed a bunch of junk. All joking aside, the reality is that our gadgets have a pretty big ecological footprint. It’s possible to protect your phone and ease your environmental guilt all at once with Incipio Organicore cases.

Jabra Elite 85t firmware update

Gear Bits

Jabra Elite 85T Firmware Update Brings Amazon Alexa to Your Ears

Some weeks ago, Jabra did something amazing. When they released the Jabra Elite 85T, they also released a firmware update that brought ANC to the Jabra Elite 75T. It was a small touch that showed the company’s commitment to its consumers. Now they’ve done it again with a Jabra Elite 85T firmware update that delivers one-touch access to Alexa.