News & Features





BuilderBots Are Toys That Teach Coding

Learning the basics of coding is becoming as important as reading and math skills for young children. There are a number of ways for kids to learn, but the best is sneaking learning exercises into doing fun stuff, and speaking as the parent of a 5-year-old, it’s nearly universal that trucks and building things will attract children. Enter UBTech’s BuilderBots.


SureCall N-Range Uses ERT to Boost Your Cellular Signal on the Road

Have you ever held your phone up above your head (just a little higher!), hoping that the added height would improve your cell signal? No judgment; I think we’ve all tried it at least once… and then realized it doesn’t work. Something that actually will help you improve your in-car signal, though, is the SureCall N-Range cellphone signal booster.


Withings Is Back, and Now There’s a New Steel HR Sport!

Once, we had Withings, makers of fab health tracking devices and Health Mate, my favorite weight and fitness tracking app. Withings was acquired by Nokia in 2016, but four months ago the original co-founder, Eric Carreel, bought Withings back from Nokia. So now there is a new Withings logo and we get a new product, the Withings Steel HR Sport.


Nomad Is Ready to Protect Your New iPhone in Style

Nomad has already rolled out a series of new cases for all of the new iPhones Apple announced last week. In keeping with what we’ve come to expect from Nomad, the cases are tough, look and feel great and are designed with serious iPhone users in mind. I know because I have three in hand.



Rocketbook and Think Board Team Up on Kickstarter for a Rocketbook’d Whiteboard

The folks at Rocketbook make an awesome product. Jot down your thoughts, snap a photo with the app, and upload it to the cloud service or email of your choice. Wipe your notebook clean, and do it all over again. They’ve teamed up with the folks at Think Board to combine Rocketbook’s magic with Think Board’s peel and stick whiteboards to create the Think Board X, so even your murderboard can be properly immortalized in the cloud.


Make Your Fall Hike Even More Enjoyable with These Gadgets

It’s kind of sad that summer 2018 is already behind us – but being able to open the windows in our house and enjoy some cool, fresh air is really lovely! To make the transition into fall a little cheerier, and to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, why not treat yourself to one (or more!) of these terrific outdoor-friendly items?



Gear Diary’s Best of IFA 2018 Awards

The annual IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin covers about 160,000 square meters and almost 2,000 exhibitors. Whether it was on the floor, at a press conference, at the media-only Showstoppers event, or in private meetings, we scoured IFA to find the latest and greatest to make up Gear Diary’s Best of IFA 2018 list.


Alcatel Proves Small Tablets Aren’t Dead Yet

For a market that’s supposedly dying, tablets are getting an awful lot of attention again. There’s still demand for a screen that’s bigger than a phone, smaller than a computer, and able to entertain you or be productive. Alcatel’s new 3T 8 isn’t flashy, but on paper it’s a solid workhorse tablet for a very good price.




Neato Robotics Has New Robots to Keep Your Home Neat(o)

Robot vacuums are one of the greatest inventions ever. It’s like having Rosie from the Jetsons, but without the dusting or conversational skills. In fact, I have one at home and my son seems to be under the impression it is some kind of robot pet. Neato has some new vacuums at IFA that take cleaning to a new level!


Lenovo’s Star Wars Jedi Challenges Embraces Its Dark Side

Lenovo knows that deep down, we all want to be Jedis. Who doesn’t look good with a laser sword and a bathrobe? They’ve already tapped into that primal desire with their Star Wars Jedi Challenges Augmented Reality game, and now they’re adding more features, plus a chance to play as everyone’s favorite moody emo darkside guy, Kylo Ren.




Samsung Gives Us 8K Resolution Televisions with the New Q900FN!

We have more and more ways to enjoy cinematic experiences right at home. Streaming services are offering better and better content, soundbars and other speaker system enhancements bring the audio to life, and televisions just keep improving. Samsung is intent on taking this to the next level with their new Q900FN TV with an absolutely futuristic 8K resolution.