News & Features

Muzik Socially Integrated Headphones – Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

“Just because you can include some technological advance in your consumer product, it doesn’t mean you should.” That’s really the thought that came to mind when reading about a pair of new, upcoming headphones. Muzik (while I’m on a rant… I hate it when companies intentionally spell words incorrectly) just announced their first product – a pair of “smart headphones”. As the company release notes the company is, “pioneering a new space called social smartware”. The term describes their goal of connecting consumer electronic devices to content and social media platforms with the goal of making “music instantly discoverable and…

Crowdfunding, News & Features

Adventure Underwear – Useful Travel Product and the BEST Kickstarter Pitch Ever

When we received the email telling us about Adventure Underwear, my interest was immediately captured. I mean, how often do we get pitched for underwear? (Okay, it actually happens more than you might realize.) Then I saw this… Yeah, one of the project creators actually had a hose shot at his privates in order to show how waterproof the waterproof pocket is. Now THAT’S commitment. Then I watched to video pitch on Kickstarter. And I was sold. Seriously. Then there is the product itself. Made from 100% superfine Australian Merino Wool, these travel underwear are soft, lightweight and breathable. And the…

News & Features

Jillian’s Drawers Makes Trying Cloth Diapers Economical and Fun!

My son may be small, but he has quite a bit of gear amassed already. Bottles, pacifiers, “soothing vibration” in just about any accessory he can lay or sit on…he’s got quite the stash of baby stuff, all of which is constantly being refined and retooled by manufacturers as design and technology improve. Even items that most people think of as “old-fashioned”, like cloth diapers, have undergone a major revolution and style change. Since disposable diapers are both pricey and not great for the environment, Sarah and I are anxious to try our hand at cloth diapers. However, there’s what…

Events, News & Features, Outdoors, Vehicles & Gear

Down and Dirty with the 2014 Toyota 4Runner

During this week’s Press Preview of the 2014 Toyota Tundra and 2014 Toyota 4Runner, we had a chance to spend some “quality time” in different models of each truck. And while we spent some time with the trucks on nicely paved roads, we also had a chance to go off-road with both vehicles. The event took place on the grounds of the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA, a gorgeous resort set on 2,000 wooded acres in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Here’s a small taste of what it was like off-road in the 4Runner. Toyota had a series…

News & Features

Thoughts on the ChromeCast

A few days ago Google let the ChromeCast out of the bag. For those who don’t know, the ChromeCast allows you to send Netflix, YouTube and other content to your TV from your laptop, phone or tablet. More applications are sure to come, but people are already snapping up this tiny dongle so fast that Google has had to discontinue including 3 months of Netflix. At $35 dollars it is a steal of a deal for what people can do with it. Some are saying that it’s a big game changing device. I am not totally convinced that it is….

News & Features

Traveling with the Nokia Lumia 928 – Good Enough to Be My Only Camera?

Before leaving on our recent trip to NYC, I was given the opportunity to try out a Nokia Lumia 928. I wasn’t expected to review the phone — Carly had already thoroughly done that. Rather, the idea was that I see how well the Lumia 928 could do as my primary camera while traveling, and to see whether I liked it better than some of the other phones I had also brought along on the trip. Ordinarily when traveling I’ll bring either my Canon G11 or 5D; on this trip I brought nothing but a bag-full of phones. Although I…

News & Features, Outdoors

TrackingPoint Super Gun Technology Enables 3,100 Yard Shot Consistency

In January we brought exciting new firearm news with the TrackingPoint precision guided rifle technology. Read the news release here and read about their iPhone game here. The TrackingPoint technology allows rifles to be amazingly accurate up to 1,000 yards. The precision guided XactSystem allows shooters to tag a target, track it and fire the round making perfect shots despite moving the weapon slightly. The same sort of technology is used in fighter jets ensuring only the intended target is engaged. This is exciting technology that can only be found from TrackingPoint. The company was not satisfied with democratizing the…

Game Diary, News & Features

EA Games New Cash Cow? The iTunes App Store!

Electronic Arts (EA) launched the Origin content delivery service called Origin in 2011 to combat Steam in the exploding digital game delivery market. The big concern apparently wasn’t about games themselves as much as the highly profitable in-game DLC purchases. EA could deal with paying a chunk to market the main game – after all they’d been doing that with GameStop for ages. What they wouldn’t do was sacrifice any of the DLC profits – and that has proven to be a very strategic decision, only not related to Origin. In the most recent earnings call, Electronic Arts announced that…

Gear Bits, News & Features

New App Channels ‘SETI @ Home’ Technology for Android Smartphones!

Do you remember the heyday of ‘SETI @ Home’? The program was very popular just over a decade ago, and it made use of the millions of desktop computers that were not continuously hooked up to the internet via early broadband but sat idle much of the time waiting to chime ‘You’ve Got Mail!’. Now the folks at Berkeley are putting the same core computing principles at work with a project called BOINC. BOINC stands for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, and is known for the software that allows unused CPU cycles to be tapped by as many as…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness, News & Features

Sweat Machine from UNICEF Turns Perspiration into Drinking Water

I have never had a problem perspiring – and given that I am also a distance runner who doesn’t shy away from the heat and humidity, and you have the recipe for some drenched workout clothes! All of my Dri-Fit stuff is still wet after several hours! Imagine if there was a way to harness all of that perspiration and convert it back to drinking water? Well, there is, and it is called simply the Sweat Machine and it is part of a UNICEF campaign to raise awareness for the 750 million people around the world without access to clean…

News & Features

ContourRoam2 Action Cam – Reviewed and Still Used

We’ve reviewed a number of action cameras here on the site over the past year or so, and the one that rose to the top for me was the ContourRoam2 Action Camera. The Roam2 is simple to use. In fact, it is so simple that I actually had to read the manual to figure out just how to start the recording process. It turns out simply powering it on is all you need to do. (Read the original review.) Add in the fact that the ContourRoam2 is waterproof and is less than $200, and you have an action camera that…

Health and Fitness, News & Features, Outdoors

Magellan’s Echo Smart Running Watch – Leverages Your Smartphone and Integrates Fitness Apps

Have you ever stood in your driveway waiting for your GPS to find satellites whereas your phone was set a few minutes earlier? I have done it many times, as has pretty much anyone who has both a GPS watch and smartphone! The realities of power, cost and space make it hard for GPS watch makers to have the same capabilities as a smartphone. To deal with this, Magellan introduces the Echo – let’s take a look! The Echo isn’t like other GPS watches – because it isn’t a GPS! Instead, it is a specialized Bluetooth receiver that works with…

Crowdfunding, News & Features

Ubuntu Kicks Off a $32 Million Edge Smartphone Indiegogo Campaign – Will it Work?

Engadget had a story about how Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has kicked off an Indiegogo campaign to help raise money to build their first Ubuntu Phone, the Ubuntu Edge. You can donate at many levels, but if you donate at least $830 dollars they will send you an Ubuntu Edge once it’s built as well. The phone looks really sharp, and it has what sounds like a decent wish list of features. Specifications Dual boot Ubuntu mobile OS and Android Fully integrated Ubuntu desktop PC when docked Fastest multi-core CPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage 4.5in 1,280 x 720 HD sapphire…

News & Features

Samsung GALAXY S4 Active Review – a Much More Rugged S4 with Few Tradeoffs

I’m going to surprise myself by writing this, but were I in the market for a new phone right now I think the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active would be at the top of my list of possibilities. It’s packed with power, it feels great in the hand, and it overcomes many of the issues I have with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Because the two phones are running the same operating system and have the same Samsung bells, whistles and capabilities such as Air View, Air Gesture and Smart Pause, I’m not going to run down those specifics. Instead, I will…

Editorials, News & Features

What Is NFC and Why Do You Want It?

Today’s rumor mill has it that the next generation of the iPhone will include NFC (Near Field Communication). This will be yet another example of Apple playing “feature catch up” with other devices. After all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.1, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active as well as the BlackBerry Z10, the HTC 8X and even the year-old HTC One X I have sitting here all feature NFC. Apple will be late to the game. But the question remains, should Apple even get into the game? What exactly IS NFC and do you want it in your next phone? Let’s…

News & Features

Snow Lizard Introduces the Rugged, Waterproof and Battery-Boosting SLXtreme for iPhone 5 and iPad

For most, precious few moments are spent enjoying the pristine thin beauty of a new iPhone before stuffing it in a case. That was part of the deal when we got the phones for our kids – always in a case. And one great thing about the iPhone is that innovative case-makers have an amazing array of products. With ski season approaching, I was thrilled to see the new SLXtreme series launched for the iPhone 5 and iPad. Why specifically ski season? Our younger son is on the ski team, which means bus rides, cold temperatures and long days. And…

News & Features

Rayovac Redefines Mobile Charging Category with 2-Hour Power

As smartphones advance it seems there are fewer and fewer things to complain about – they are fast, responsive, thin and light, feature-filled, and the batteries … ok, so there is still one thing to complain about. Because with new features and more powerful chips, advances in battery technology have merely managed to maintain the status quo. So what do we do? Many have battery cases which are phone specific, and I also have a few external battery packs I can connect with a cable to my phone. These are great solutions, but can run into a fair amount of…

News & Features

Logitech Bluetooth Speakers Z600 Promise Big Sound from Small Towers

I didn’t think I would see the day when I wanted to return to having a pair of computer speakers, but a new computer and Logitech’s new Bluetooth Speakers Z600 may change all that. Yes, now that I once again have a MacBook air my MacBook Pro will likely become more of a desktop computer than anything else. Suddenly I want good desktop speakers again. The timing is perfect since Logitech’s new Bluetooth Speakers Z600 are about to hit the market. Tall and thin, the stereo speakers are designed to look good when sitting next to today’s stylish computers. And…

News & Features

HTC One mini Packs the One’s Power into a Smaller Package

It has been a long time since I saw Judie as enamored with a phone as she is with her HTC One. The phone is sleek, powerful, and it shows that one needs not compromise when looking for an Android handset these days. Now HTC has, as expected, pulled the curtain back on the HTC One’s smaller sibling, the HTC One mini. The HTC One mini, is a compact — but not small — version of the HTC One, and it brings everything that has made the HTC One stand out in an ever-more crowded marketplace. The HTC One mini…

News & Features

Amazing Paper Sleeves for iPad mini & kindle

If you own an iPad Mini, you might already have it in a case or perhaps have a SmartCover for your Mini or some type of protection. But many with a Kindle simply toss it in their bag or backpack, and even the SmartCover does little to protect the body of the Mini. There are numerous cases and sleeves you can use for your device, but the folks at t&m have a new idea. That idea? Amazing Paper Sleeves. These are described as ‘Pulp Art’, and are made of solid cardboard. They serve the purpose of “protect(ing) mobile devices against…

News & Features

Chrome Bravo Night Backpack Lets You Safely Carry Your Gear

I have been really impressed with the various Chrome backpacks we have reviewed over the last year or so, and I’m excited about this new offering – the Chrome Bravo Night. The $180 backpack is described as the company’s “ultimate urban roll top backpack”. During the day the backpack is a sharp-looking black bag that carries all your gear. At night a special 3M reflective panel changes its appearance while also making things a bit safer for anyone walking down the street in the dark. Each of the Chrome backpacks we have reviewed has been impressive with regard to both…

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