My 11″ iPad Pro is a fantastic tablet. It’s fast, light, and powerful. I use it for reading and games, but it doubles as a powerful productivity device. And now, thanks to new accessories, including the Nomad Modern Leather Case and the Modern Leather Folio, it’s even better.
Heading to the airport after the Snapdragon Summit in December, a friend noticed that my 6-years-old (and very well-traveled) Rimowa trunk had a massive new crack just below the handle on its front side. Thankfully, the luggage and its contents made it home without self-destructing, but it will need to be sent in for repairs (assuming they are even possible). With many upcoming trips planned, I was thankful for the opportunity to review the 28″ LEVEL8 Luminous Trunk. How does it stack up against the more than twice as expensive Rimowa trunk? Read on to find out.
The messaging about Covid has been a mess; people don’t understand the role vaccines play (i.e., they don’t cure Covid or even prevent catching it), and many have stopped appreciating the importance of masks and social distancing. But why wouldn’t we use every possible tool to fight this? FEND Airway Cleansing Mist wants to be part of that arsenal. But should it be?
One of the first upgrades my 2017 Jeep Wrangler got was a replacement for the stock radio. Since this is my vehicle and a personal build, I installed a Pioneer touchscreen stereo with Android Auto connectivity. Still, the wired connection was buggy at best and a real pain to operate. I found AAWireless on Indigogo, and I now have a real upgrade.
If you own a dog, you know the worst part of an otherwise wonderful experience is having to walk the pup in lousy weather. As a matter of fact, I just got back from a long walk with my older dog Nava in the freezing rain. However, I was toasty warm thanks to BN3TH Merino wool base layers.
Nomad has made a name for itself by releasing some of the best mobile accessories on the market. Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, Nomad has something for you. Now, with their new Nomad Pen, they’ve gone in a new analog direction; sure, it’s “just” a pen, but it is all Nomad.
Like most people, I’ve managed to get pretty well settled in my home gym. I have a good arsenal of kettlebells, some dumbbells, a rowing machine, and other ancillary equipment. Everything I have has to be relatively compact to be stored away in my small space. As a result, while I love boxing, it’s hard to find the space to hang a bag or set up a stand. This is a pretty common issue, and the folks at Liteboxer have a creative solution — box in virtual reality with Liteboxer VR and Oculus!
The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar packs a 2K video camera, a microphone array, stereo speakers, and a light into a small package for under $220. After trying more video cameras for Zoom calls than I would like to admit, I can honestly say that Anker is about to have a hit on its hands.
Have you got a Google Pixel 6 series? If so, I’ll bet you love its flagship build, the pure Android experience, the Pixel exclusive features, and the excellent cameras. It may seem like a shame to cover up such a beautiful device, but a naked Pixel 6’s glass body is slick, slippery, and just waiting to be dropped. With that in mind, we’ve got five protective Pixel 6 case options for your consideration, including the Incipio Dual, the Vena vCommute, the Kate Spade New York Defensive Hardshell Case, the Gear4 Havana, and the Incipio Grip.
I tried out the original Muse EEG-Powered Meditation headband; it looked like something out of Star Trek, but it worked as promised. I was amazed that a simple band could read my brain activity and, using biofeedback, help me meditate. The new Muse S brain-sensing band has a more refined design, and it now comes with Sleep Support technology. It promises to offer EEG-powered meditation and sleep support, but does it work?
There are many ways to track your overall health, but most focus heavily on physical markers like heart rate; this is helpful, for sure, but that doesn’t always tell you how your body is doing when you’re not actively working out. You can track what you eat and guess pretty well, but being able to quantify whether you’re burning fat or carbs and how your body responds to workouts can make a huge difference — enter Lumen, which aims to “hack your metabolism” to maximize your health.
When Raina and I purchased our home, we did a massive renovation on the upstairs. Eventually, we got to the point of ordering shades. They were fine, but we never loved them. Then PowerShades offered the opportunity to review their products. Our new shade just went in the living room, and I’m quite pleased with the result.
Anker was founded in 2011; since then, the company has become a powerhouse in the mobile accessory market and the world’s number one charging brand. We included a number of their new offerings in our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide, but I wanted to dig deeper into the Anker 633 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo), a 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station.
One of the results of working from home during the pandemic has been a total changer in what qualifies as “workwear.” A decent shirt, sweatpants, and slippers have been appropriate for the last two years; the Rockport Men’s Rhyder Tie Slipper strikes a nice balance between casual work-from-home slippers and something you can wear to run errands.
Last July, I reviewed the TravelPro PLATINUM ELITE Compact Business Plus Carry-On. It’s a superb carry-on that will give me years of use. I recently received the TravelPro Platinum Elite Large Check-In Expandable Hardside Spinner to review. It has all of the great features that made me a fan of their carry-on, but this checked luggage offers plenty of room for an extended trip.
Not long ago, Apple stopped including AC adapters with their phone and tablets. As annoying as it was, that move prompted numerous companies to jump in and fill the vacuum; Kovol is one such company. The Kovol Sprint 120W 4-Port PD GaN Desktop Charger and the smaller Kovol Sprint 65W 4-Port GaN Desktop Charger share a similar compact design; they also put Apple’s old chargers to shame.
If you are one of the many who now has to work remotely, or if you regularly commute and need a bag that can hold it all and then some, you’ve come to the right review. Finding a well-made backpack that looks professional, has intelligently designed compartments, and that’s comfortable to carry when fully loaded is no easy feat; the WaterField Pro Executive Backpack handles it with élan.
With all of the technology we carry around in our pockets or on our wrists these days, we need a way to keep them all juiced up and ready to go when we wake up in the morning. This is why I wanted to check out the INTELLI StepUp Magnetic Wireless Charging Station.
Judie reviewed the TROVA GO Smart Safe last year. As she explained, the TROVA GO is “a biometric physical storage device that is large enough to hold certain items that you want to keep private, yet is compact enough to fit inside a larger pocket.” For those who need something larger, there’s the TROVA GO+plus.
Before CES, Zek and I got offered the chance to try Kizik Shoes. As you can imagine, wearing the right shoes is critical when you’re going to be on your feet all day. Thinking that we would be doing our usual 15K+ steps per day while walking to meetings and attending events around Vegas, we were eager to see if Kizik styles could possibly be as comfortable as promised. We didn’t make it to Vegas for CES, but Zek and I still managed to put the shoes to the test; here’s how it went.
The most important part of smoking meats and outdoor cooking is temperature. Many people ask how long something takes, and my answer is always, “What temp does that food needs to be?” With that said, a tool that monitors those temps is essential; if you can make that tool completely wireless, then you have something special. The MeatStick Wireless Meat Thermometer is just that, a wireless probe that works flawlessly.