At CES 2016 Judie and I both received a review sample of the new Huawei Mate 8. The large Android handset is impressive both in regard to features and design. Their PR department recently shared some of the key aspects of the device with us. In anticipation of the full review we wanted to share a few noteworthy features.
At CES 2016 we had the amazing chance to see Elton John in action. And while the volume at the stage wasn’t as bad as we have experienced at similar concerts it was still loud and required earplugs in order to protect our hearing. Massdrop has an amazing Drop that will get a pair of custom earplugs for under $100!
A once successful Kickstarter program, I finally had the opportunity to try out the Powerstick Mosaic Powerstream, and honestly, I have mixed reviews in regards to it. Designed to be a tool to give you more storage, the Mosaic is essentially a wireless external hard drive that will get you through a long flight by allowing you to stream your media directly through the Mosaic. The model I received is the 16gb version which means I didn’t actually stream very much. My only issue with the Powerstick Mosaic is the fact they even have a 16gb version. Now granted, not…
Let’s face is, if you have an iPhone, chances are you’ve come across a friend with an Android device who brags on and on (cough Judie) about how their devices have external memory that is a MUST. Well what would you say if I told you that there’s a portable USB flash drive for your iDevice that can do the same thing? The iPocket Drive is essentially an external hard drive for your photos and media. Since Apple has a firm hatred towards external memory, the best option we have in terms of external storage is expandable memory. Essentially doing…
T-Mobile is now offering the Android-based BlackBerry Priv for $719 or $30/month for 24 months. Hailed as the (possible) savior of BlackBerry, this qwerty keyboard device has drawn mixed reviews. The keyboard has been welcomed by fat-thumbers. An excess of heat from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and creaking body panels has been mentioned as negatives by a few purchasers. The Priv is available in the U.S. at AT&T and T-Mobile.
We review a lot of Bluetooth speakers here at Gear Diary, in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and beyond, but none quite like the Fugoo Style XL. At $279.99, the Fugoo Style XL is certainly not the smallest speaker on the market, but it’s certainly one of the loudest, and stylish ones. If you’ve followed any of Fugoo’s other product including their popular Sports model, you know that they are notorious for creating Bluetooth speakers that are rugged and have a long lasting battery life. The Fugoo XL certainly means what they say in regards to XL as the 11.33…
The original Scosche boomBOTTLE impressed me. A Bluetooth speaker built for use indoors and out, it pumped out excellent sound in every direction. And it had the added benefit of fitting into a bike’s water bottle cage! Now Scosche has released the Scosche boomBOTTLE+. It keeps a similar design and is a worthy update to an already-impressive Bluetooth speakers.
We looked at the Incipio [Performance] Series Level 1 and 2 cases the other day. They offer thin, light protection for your iPhone 6. For those who want a balance of more protection without too much bulk, there is the middle-ground of the series: the Incipio [Performance] Series Level 3 Dual Layered Drop Protection For iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S.
I spent ten years living in a relatively rural area of New Jersey. Cell reception was terrible. Even now I find that I often have just a bar or two when in my new apartment. That’s where the SureCall EZ 4G 5-Band Cellular Signal Booster enters. It sets up in seconds and makes weak signals a thing of the past.
We reviewed Decibullz earphones last year and were impressed. The company has found a way to let people create a pair of custom earphones that are molded to their specific ears without having to incur a huge cost or see an audiologist. (Read the review.) Now the company is going wireless with their new Decibullz Custom Molded Wireless earphones.
You know what it’s like to be out and about, looking at an ever sinking phone battery percentage. The Knomo Dering is a classic and fashionable wristlet with an integrated 3,000mAh battery; not only can you carry your essentials in its two main internal sections, your phone will sit inside a padded compartment safe from scratches while charging. The water and dirt resistant nylon and Saffiano leather trimmed Dering measures 8.5″ wide by 5″ tall by 0.75″ thick, but it has gusseted sides so that it can expand a bit to hold your necessities inside its grosgrain lined interior. Gold…
While in Las Vegas for CES, traveling from booth to booth, there was one thing I went without quite often: Battery Life. Luckily I was able to stumble upon the Go Puck Booth who supplied me with a stylish, wearable power solution in their Go Puck 5x; it not only kept me going but actually looked quite nice on my badge as well.
Last week at CES I had the opportunity to test out a pair of headphones that are truly ahead of the curve when it comes to audio. With Apple likely to remove the headphone jack from their devices, Phaz Music announced the industry’s first-ever universal headphones in the Phaz Music P5 Headphones. The Phaz P5 Digital Headphones will be the first versions available on the market, but they are truly innovative as they will be the first on the market to pull digital audio content directly from the MicroUSB/iOS Lightning cable on your smartphone. Essentially, the Phaz headphones will simply plug…
When the summer faded away last year, I wondered to myself how I would go without my grilled veggies and meats now that I could no longer grill outdoors. I’ve tried many options in the past, from George Foreman Grills, to even stovetop grill pans for $20 on Groupon that honestly do not work. So when Kenyon sent over their Revolution Grill, I knew that I had a product that would make the neighbors in my building jealous now that the outdoor grill has been shut up for the winter. Let’s start by saying this: The Kenyon Revolution Grill gets…
The other day we published my review of the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones. I love those headphones. They are comfortable, sound amazing, and work just as well whether you use them in wired or wireless mode. During CES 2016 we met with Val Kolton, the founder and CEO of the company. Take a look!
You’ve probably tried out bluetooth headphones that either have a collar, or sit over your ear before right? While that might seem practical, but when you’re in the gym, or even casually walking, they bounce around and still don’t solve the problem that plagues bluetooth headphone users. If you’re tired of that problem, you need to be checking out the Jaybird Freedoms. You’ve probably seen them in Best Buy or your favorite electronic shop and they probably have them. But after the announcement they made at CES 2016, I had the opportunity to try them on for size and put…
It has been coming for a while but, with the introduction of the Harman Kardon OMNI+, brings Wireless, Multi-Room True HD, I think Harman Kardon is truly ready to take over and dominate the multi-room audio market. As one would expect, the new OMNI+ speakers bring HK’s audio prowess to a variety of rooms. That, however, is just the beginning.
Synology, my top-rated NAS manufacturer, announced their new DS416j NAS this week. The DS416j is a budget-friendly 4-bay network attached storage (NAS) server built for home and small business use to store data, media, and more. The DS416j is ideal for storing as well as streaming media to all of your screens and speakers. The DS416j is now available!
If you’re a coffee drinker like myself, you know the struggle of waking up in the morning, creating your own brew, and even worse, finding that mug of cup that will keep that House Blend warm as you go on your daily commute. Well over the course of CES, as well as a few weeks prior to that, I had the pleasure of reviewing the HeyJoe Coffee Mug which solves a lot of problems we all have throughout the morning. Originally a Kickstarter that has since been in full production, the HeyJoe Coffee Mug is the first coffee mug to…
It’s no longer enough to just tie on your sneakers and head out for a run. Now you need your watch, footpod, headphones, heart rate monitor, and smartphone. We’re about a week away from SPIbelt including a battery in their products just to keep everything charged. Kuai has a much simpler solution: Kuai Multisport Biometric Headphones. That’s a very long and fancy name for a very simple concept. Kuai took headphones, added sensors for heart rate and cadence, threw in 8Gbof memory for music and coaching downloads, and even added connectivity for Bluetooth and ANT+, so you can easily connect…
I have said many times if I win the Powerball the first thing I’m doing is buying a Tesla Model S, for one reason: I would love an electric car but I need decent range for my daily commute. GM has a much better plan than Powerball, though, with the new Chevy Bolt EV, which has a 200 mile range!