Gear Bits




RIP Amazon Halo in All of Your Invasive Glory

Amazon has abruptly announced that they’re discontinuing their Halo fitness and sleep trackers. If you’re still using one, you’re good until July 31st, after which you should give your privacy-invading little friend a Viking funeral. Or, you know, send it to Amazon for proper recycling.


Watch the EcoFlow Live Stream for Their Newest Smart Devices, the Blade, Glacier, and Wave 2

During CES, Judie was able to visit with EcoFlow to see some early versions of their new battery-powered smart devices. The EcoFlow Blade is a lawn sweeping mower, the EcoFlow Glacier is a portable refrigerator with an ice maker, and the EcoFlow Wave 2 is the next version of their popular portable AC and heater. These latest products are finally ready for sale, and they’ll be revealed in-depth during the EcoFlow live stream on April 26th.



Qualcomm Brings Flagship Performance to Their Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 Series!

It seems like what we want and expect from our phones just keeps increasing. What started as just making phone calls on the go has rapidly evolved into a video game console, high-end camera, and even artificially intelligent digital assistants. Our phones need to work even harder to keep up with us, and Qualcomm‘s new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor is aiming to outrun the competition!


Let the Speed of the Inside Be Reflected on the Outside with Lenovo ThinkStation Co-Designed with Aston Martin

Sometimes the goal of new computers is to make things smaller, sleeker, and more portable. And sometimes, the goal is to make something that’s fully “blow your hair back” fast. Kind of like how some cars are commuter boxes, and some cars are Aston Martins. Lenovo was thinking along the same lines, hence why they’re rolling out new ThinkStation PX, P7, and P5 for intense computing needs that sport an attractive new chassis build co-designed with Aston Martin!


The All-New Ring Battery Doorbell Plus Offers Significant Battery and Field of View Improvements

Eight years ago, I reviewed the Ring Video Doorbell. This was such a new product category at the time that I wrote, “knowing who’s standing at your door when you are or aren’t at home is a pretty handy superpower.” Honestly, I still think that’s true. The all-new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the brand’s most significant update to its battery doorbell lineup yet, and one of the features being touted is battery life that can last up to three times longer than that first-gen Ring Video Doorbell I reviewed, but that’s just the start.


Qualcomm at MWC Reminds Us That Their Connectivity Runs The World

Qualcomm quietly powers so much of our lives, from the processors in your phone to the connectivity in your house. They never stop innovating, though, and they came prepared to show off at MWC! We’ve gone from SIM cards down to eSIM, but Qualcomm looked at that and thought, “needs to be smaller.” Enter the iSIM, which takes the eSIM to the next step by integrating the SIM directly into the processor. This may not sound like a big deal to the end user, but it will save significant space under the hood. That means more room for your phone…









EcoFlow’s Love-Powered Valentine’s Day Sale

As much of Texas thaws out from the recent cold snap, where thousands (once again) went without power for several days, the writing on the wall says it’s never been more necessary to have an emergency off-grid power source. We’ve covered several EcoFlow power stations, and they’ve consistently impressed us with their design and quality. And now, from February 8 through February 14, you can save up to 30% off EcoFlow products. Don’t wait for the next natural disaster; now is the time to do something about it if you haven’t already got an emergency power source.




Lutron Diva Dimmer and Claro Switch Are Smarter than Ever!

Lutron makes all kinds of great devices to keep your home lights going. Their Caséta system aims to make sure you can customize your lighting controls wirelessly, and they’ve expanded that lineup at CES with the new Diva smart dimmer and Claro smart switch in a variety of colors to match your decor!