Reviews

VisionTek USB 3.0 120GB Solid State Drive Review: Portable Convenience

My otherwise excellent 500GB MacBook Pro r serves as my desktop computer, but I wish it had a larger SSD. To compensate, I’ve perfected the art of juggling media around via a collection of external SSD devices of various shapes, sizes, and purposes; the VisionTek USB 3.0 120GB solid state drive (SSD) is the latest tool in my arsenal.


Divoom Airbeat-10 Water-Resistant Bicycle and Shower Bluetooth Speaker

In an ever-more-crowded marketplace it is difficult for companies to make their small portable Bluetooth speakers stand out, but that doesn’t mean manufacturers aren’t trying to do just that. In the case of the Divoom Airbeat-10, they have pretty much succeeded. This isn’t an audiophile-grade speaker, but if you want your music on-the-go it is a great little option.


Alcohoot Puts Police Grade Breathalyzer Technology in Your Hand

It is a simple formula… or should be… if you are going out for the night and planning to drink you shouldn’t drive. It isn’t just about avoiding a ticket or jail time, it is about keeping yourself and other safe. That’s where the Alcohoot can come in handy. It, “puts the power of police grade technology in your hand.”


X-Doria Engage Folio for iPhone 6 Plus Review

We recently took a look at an inexpensive folio case for the iPhone 6 Plus. This time out we are looking at a similar case with a nice design twist. The X-Doria Engage Folio for iPhone 6 Plus is remarkably thin and nicely protective. It also lets the great looks of the Apple Phablet shine through.


See and Protect with the X-Doria Scene for iPhone 6 Plus

If you are into having as minimalist a case as possible on your iPhone while still actually HAVING a case on it you will want to check out the X-Doria Scene for iPhone 6 Plus. At under $20 this case is thin and light. It protects but doesn’t hide the iPhone behind a wall of black plastic or brown leather.


Magnetic Organizational System (MOS) Review: Fab Cables That Stay in Place

I’ve made no bones about my disdain for OEM Apple cables, but I’ll reiterate: they are cheaply made, they fray, they fail, and they are not inexpensive. That’s why I love quality aftermarket cables, and right now I am really digging the Magnetic Organizational System (MOS) I was recently sent. Their quality is outstanding, and the work perfectly.


X-Doria Dash Folio One for iPhone 6 Plus Review

Over the next few days we will be looking at a few different offerings from X-Doria that are designed to help protect the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. First up is the X-Doria Dash Folio One for the iPhone 6 Plus. At just under $30 it’s a surprisingly nice folio case, and it even doubles as a viewing stand!


Alpine Over-the-Ear Headphones Keep the Music Going

We’ve reviewed a number of impressive pair of headphones over the course of 2014, but none that pack the special sauce found in the new Alpine Over-the-Ear headphones. Alpine claims these $300 headphones let you “feel the music.” They do, and that’s just one small part of the reason these headphones are standouts in an ever-more-crowded market. Let’s dig deeper.


ZAGG Rugged Folio Keyboard Case for the iPad Air

When I first pulled the Zagg Rugged Folio Keyboard Case for the iPad Air out of its box I was unimpressed. It is thick. It is heavy. It is bulky. It takes the thin, light iPad Air and makes it totally unAiry. Then I started using it. It is thick, heavy and bulky but it is also pretty great.


7″ Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet: Not Ready for Prime Time

When the Amazon Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet was announced, I was intrigued by the “Everything Kids love. Everything Parents Want.” tagline, and I immediately preordered. These 6″ and 7″ HD Fire tablets come with a 2-Year Guarantee, a kid-proof protective case, and the setup seemed perfect for a child’s first tablet.  After fiddling with one, I’m not convinced.


Incipio Highland for iPhone 6 Plus

If you have been looking for a folio-style case for your iPhone 6 Plus that protects the entire phone and doubles as a landscape viewing stand, the Incipio Highland for iPhone 6 Plus may be the case for you. At under $40 it is a relatively inexpensive way to protect your pricey pocket computer.


Casetify Review: Turn Your Photos into Cases

With the excitement of receiving my iPhone 6 plus, I knew immediately I had to put a case on it. It just so happened that a review opportunity arose from Casetify for a custom case made with my photos. Using the Casetify iPhone app, I was easily able to produce my own custom case. Let’s take a look.



The Brinell Private Cloud Device Is the German Swiss Army Knife of Travel

The sophisticated design of the brinell Private Cloud makes it the perfect travel companion for business trips. This private cloud creates a private WiFi network that allows you to share data wirelessly via the detachable large capacity USB stick. It also provides a mobile recharging station while on the go. It’s available in many styles and capacities, starting at €179.


Jabra Move Wireless Headphones Brings Wireless Music on the Cheap

You could call the Jabra Move Wireless Headphones “cheap” but you would be wrong. These sub-$100 wireless headphones are inexpensive, but there’s little about their comfort and sound that would qualify as “cheap.” When I first saw them I wasn’t expecting all that much. After using them I was surprised and impressed enough that I can highly recommend them. Available in three colors the bright pair I was sent for review would probably be better suited to someone quite a bit younger. Thank goodness I don’t have to see myself when I’m wearing headphones. The sub-$100 price means you don’t get…


Ventev Powercell 3015 External Battery Review and Giveaway

The Ventev Powercell 3015 External Battery is not the most powerful external battery we’ve reviewed, but its small size, light weight, and low-price make it a good option if you are looking for something inexpensive that will keep you from running out of juice three-quarters of the way through the day. Here’s our review and a chance to win one. As we have seen with other products from Ventev, the packaging is nothing to get excited about. That’s really not an issue, since this is all about having the practicality of a small, light, inexpensive external battery. Fancy packaging would…


Beware Things That Go Bumpies for iPhone 6 in the Night

I have to hand it to the people who created the Bumpies for iPhone 6 smartphone protection system. They really thought out of the box when coming up with their product. Then they found a way to actually USE the box. The result is a rather unusual un-case that offers minimalist protection while still actually protecting… sort of.


Amped Wireless’ REC15A High Power Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

The REC15A High Power Wi-Fi Range Extender from Amped Wireless extender offers decent range extension that can boost the range up to 5000 square feet. This three-inch tall by five-inch wide extender plugs directly into an outlet and requires some configuration. It works with any Wi-Fi standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and transmits via single band (2.4GHZ) or dual band (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz).


Incipio offGRID Backup Battery LED

I’m hesitant to describe the Incipio offGRID Portable Backup Battery 4000mAh as “cute” but it’s actually kind of cute… for an external backup battery. The bright colors, soft-touch material and cable-holder come together in a rather attractive way. Add in the accessible price of $49.99 and you have an impressive way to stay charged on the go.


The Hashtag Cube: A Long Overdue Kickstarter Project That Finally Delivered

In late 2012, along with 3400+ other people I backed a Kickstarter project called Instacube (which has since been renamed Hashtag Cube, or #Cube). The premise was simple: it was to be a stand-alone Android-based device that would wirelessly stream and display Instagram photos, when you could only view Instagram photos on iOS or Android devices.  I backed at the early adopter $99 level, and the wait began.


With ‘Eeps’, Marco Minnemann Shows the Many Ways He Can Rock!

It didn’t really occur to me when I reviewed Levin-Minnemann-Rudess, but Marco Minnemann was the brilliant drummer behind Trey Gunn’s Modulator – both of which are important for this review. Now he is back with ‘Eeps’, a solo effort in the truest sense of the term – playing all of the instruments and writing the songs, he delivers a breathtaking experience.