Raoul Björkenheim is one of those artists who has been around for years, but has not seen the recognition he deserves. I first heard of him through work with Bill Laswell a few years back, and more recently with Scorch trio. Now he is back with his group ‘eCsTaSy’, and the results are powerful and engaging.
The rumble of the train as it rolls down the track or the roar of the plane’s engine is enough to give anyone a headache. The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC70 QuietPoint Active Noise-cancelling Headphones are designed to give you an island of quiet no matter where you are. Read on to see if they should they be your new traveling partner.
Outdoor Technology sells products for people who like to enjoy being in the great outdoors. I had a chance to review the Turtle Shell 2.0, a totally rugged Bluetooth speaker and was very impressed. This water-resistant, dust-proof speaker is a great way to bring your tunes along wherever you go; it retails for $129.95.
What happens when you pit headphones that cost under $23 against premium headphones costing 7 times more? More specifically, can Monoprice Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphones hold their own against Scosche’s $150 RH1056mds or $200 HR1060s? Are the Monoprice headphones a bargain, or do you get what you pay for? Here’s our first in-depth Monoprice Challenge.
Tomb Raider Definitive Edition is a definite addition for next-gen console game libraries thanks to a strong narrative, poignant character development, and enhanced connections with Lara Croft’s gear, motivations, and background. A promising start that showcases the original 2013 Tomb Raider game from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics that hopefully brings many more high quality installments in the near future.
I love my digital media, so I built my own Home Theater PC that streams all of my movies and TV shows to my HDTV. So, a Network Attached Storage system is perfect for me. The Thecus N2310 is an entry-level NAS with two Hard Drive bays, RAID support and a slew of other features. It retails for $159.
Two years ago I reviewed the Kia Rio, and I was pleasantly surprised. Later that year I reviewed the Kia Optima Hybrid, and I was impressed. This past week I’ve had the chance to review the 2014 Kia Soul, and I think I am in love. It was hard to say goodbye to our review car!
For years, professional photographers and filmmakers have been using light meters to tell them just how bright or dim the scene being recorded is but these handheld meters are rather pricey. The Luxi system from Extrasensory Devices is a diffusion dome attachment that clips on your iPhone and provides a very good, very affordable alternative to those expensive professional meters.
If you are in the market for a new messenger bag, you might want to check out the booq Boa Nerve graphite messenger. This $155 bag is designed to look great but, more importantly, protect your gear and get the job done whether you are a bike messenger or not. Order now, and it ships March 1.
When the Custom SLR ProDot arrived, I wasn’t sure what sure what to think. A small white dot with adhesive on one side and a soft, brushlike material on the other? I initially thought it was a solution in search of a problem. I was wrong. This dot designed to go on top of a camera’s shutter button actually works.
I was long a fan of using the most minimalist iPhone case possible. And while I still love thin, light cases, I now lean more toward heavier cases with more personality. But were I using a super-thin case, Bodyguardz The Slim would be my case of choice. It’s inexpensive, comes in a variety of colors, and gets the job done.
The past two years I have tried GPS watches from Nike to Garmin(s) to Magellan to Polar. Each has positive and negative attributes. Ultimately the design comes back to ‘how much can we stuff into this and keep it wearable’. Magellan Echo answers this by offloading functionality to the smartphone we carry, and acting as a display and controller. Brilliant!
I’ve long been a fan of Livescribe’s smartpens. I purchased the very first one and used it constantly. Updates to the hardware and software since then have been notable evolutionary steps forward. With the Livescribe 3 Smartpen, the device takes a huge leap forward, and in the process becomes an extension of your phone or tablet. It is awesome.
Beginning in mid-December, I spent four weeks traveling non-stop. It began with a trip to Israel and ended with two days in Detroit. I wish I had the Gate 8 Trifold Cabin Bag at the time. The $200 garment bag keeps clothes and toiletries organized and your laptop and tablet safe; it will make your next trip far less stressful.
Dan likes to tease me that when we’re together working, he never sees me wearing headphones; he says he just doesn’t see me as the type person to wear them. Well Dan, I may use them differently than you do, but I most definitely do wear headphones. These days the Harman Kardon Soho headphones are my favorites; here’s why …
While reviewing the Magellan Echo, I needed a fitness app on my iPhone. There were a few supported, so I tried the popular ones. They didn’t expose much functionality, so I tried Wahoo Fitness, which was detailed in a document from Magellan. Turns out it the perfect partner for the Echo, and it’s the best fitness app I’ve ever used!
The Blend and Cook Soupmaker by Cuisinart lets kitchen culinarians make hot soup on a chilly day, then totally switch to frozen mixed drinks in the summertime with this flexible right in the glass blender jar. The black finish design looks great and helps with stains, while other advantages include BPA-free materials and the familiar spill lip on the base.
I was an immediate fan of the Jabra Solemate Bluetooth speaker and said so. I was impressed by the Jabra Solemate mini I reviewed last month, and I said so. And I am also a fan of the big brother of the aforementioned speakers. The Jabra Solemate Max is big … and impressive. Here’s our look at this larger Bluetooth speaker.
Every now and then a device accessory comes along that simply stands out in a crowded market. That is the case with the Flote M2 Tablet Stand we recently reviewed and it is the case with the Henge Dock Gravitas Lightning. Simply put, if you have an iOS device equipped with a Lightning connector this is the best dock around.
Polar built its reputation on heart rate monitoring technology starting in the late 1970s designed to let you REALLY listen to your body. I have friends who swear by their products, and with the RC3 GPS they offer up their latest hardware and software for tracking all of your workouts, and it represents some of the best technology for runners.
Just a few weeks ago that we took a look at STM’s studio for the iPad mini. The company was kind enough to also send one of their larger cases, the STM studio for iPad air. With the same design as its smaller sibling, the $45 studio for iPad air protects your iPad air with color and simplicity. Order now.