Harvesting and preparing our food is an integral part of my family’s life; a successful deer season helps provide us with food that lasts the entire year. Our favorite way to process the meat we hunt is to make sausage. I recently needed to clean out the last of our venison, which presented the perfect opportunity for testing the AAOBOSI Electric Meat Grinder.
A few years ago, I bought a Kenmore window unit air conditioner that touted being smart, app-controlled, and able to connect to Alexa and Google Home. After Kev had securely installed the AC in my office window, I powered it on only to find that the app and smart features were incompatible with my WiFi mesh system. :facepalm: Long story short, for the past three years, I’ve had an otherwise excellent window unit that’s never lived up to its potential. However, that all changed when I received a Cielo Breez Plus review unit; with it, my AC is finally smart!
We’ve reviewed several electric standing scooters over the past few years; most have been quite decent, but all of them are mere playthings when compared to the upcoming Maxfind G5 Pro dual-motor scooter. The G5 Pro is big and powerful; it is an electric scooter for people who need to go far and fast, and it is definitely no toy!
I’m going to come clean; I bought this game because I thought I’d hate it. Out of the box, Days Gone read as “an open world game with shallow mechanics that tried to be too badass and edgy.” With bikers vs. cultists vs. bandits in a zombie apocalypse as the setting, can you blame me? For the first two hours, the game did nothing to suppress my acid reflux, but the more I engaged with it, the more pleasantly surprised I became.
I have a soft spot for small computers. If it’s got a compact footprint and can help me work wherever I go, I probably want it. So when we were offered the chance to check out the slim and light Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, I leaped at the opportunity. On paper, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is my ideal laptop. It’s a diminutive 11.76 x 8.13x 0.53 inches but manages to sport a 13.3″ screen thanks to thin bezels. At 2.35 pounds, it’s almost too light — I’m pretty sure I have some books that are heavier than this computer! The touchpad…
It breaks my heart, but the cold weather has arrived here in New Jersey. The leaves are turning. The days are shorter. And it is getting COLD. Before we know it, winter will be in full swing. Thankfully, I’ll be warm this winter thanks to the Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V. It’s comfortable, and it’s heated. Yep, it’s heated.
The EcoFlow Delta Series is no stranger to Gear Diary, as I love the Delta Max with an extra battery. The recent release of the Delta 2 is a huge step forward in the company’s smart battery lineup by using LiFePO4 technology. With faster charging and a huge AC output, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Portable Power Station is perfect for emergency use or portable power.
In August, I posted a first look at the OnePlus 10T that covered the OnePlus 10T 5 G’s design, features, and hardware. In this follow-up, I’ll cover the smartphone’s cameras, battery life performance, carrier compatibility, and other things I’ve noticed while using it for the past couple of months. If you haven’t already, read the first part of this review, and then come back to read the rest of the story.
If you’re in the market for a good pair of wireless earbuds, Jabra’s Elite 5 should be at the top of your list. These earbuds offer great sound quality, comfort, and active noise cancellation; they are also very affordable, making them a great value. Let’s take a closer look at what these earbuds have to offer!
Vivo may be an unfamiliar smartphone brand to many in the United States. Still, as of August this year, it is the sixth largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide with a 4.29% market share¹ and 149 million smartphones shipped². Since 2011, Vivo has made a name for itself by creating smartphones that offer high-end features at mid-range prices. Available now in India, the Vivo V25 Pro is their latest model, and it happens to be the first Vivo product I’ve ever tried. Let’s take a look.
Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment) is a post-apocalyptic merger of “Zelda:Breath of the Wild” and Transformers. You play as Aloy, a former outcast tasked with solving the problems of the community that ostracised her. The twist that differentiates this product from the pile of open-world, map clearing, objective hunting games is that in this one, the large majority of your obstacles will be in the form of giant machines shaped like animals. These machines are big, these machines are aggressive, and these machines want to kick the tar out of you.
If you travel internationally, you know the #1 rookie mistake is arriving at your destination and finding that you either forgot that country’s correct adapter or you didn’t bring enough adapters for all of your gear. I recently traveled to Berlin for IFA, followed by a week in Spain. I only brought two adapters with me, the OneAdaptr OneWorld 65 for charging all of my gear and a basic US to EU adapter that was kept attached to my curling iron’s US plug. Thankfully, this proved to be the perfect setup.
LIVSN Designs is a relatively small company, but their products are great, and I’ve become a huge fan. I reviewed their Flex Canvas Pants and Flex Canvas Shorts, and they have become two of my favorite garments. They are tough, comfortable and, I think, look great. Now, the LIVSN Designs Reflex Shorts have also earned a place in my closet.
Fire Department Coffee has been serving up specialty beans roasted and crafted by a team of veterans and firefighters since 2016; Judie wrote about their roasted coffee beans last year. But sometimes, you don’t have time to brew on the go, and that’s where a ready-made cold brew is quite handy. Fire Department Coffee is taking their signature tasty roasts and sending them on the go with ready-to-drink versions, and we had the chance to check them out!
We’ve reviewed several power products from EcoFlow, including batteries, solar panels, and a Smart Generator. The company has branched out and added a new device that takes advantage of this portable power to keep you cool. The EcoFlow Wave is a 4,000 BTU portable air conditioner sold with or without an add-on battery; with the battery, it is perfect for keeping a smaller space cool, even when the power is out.
I carry a WaterField bag, backpack, or pouch every day; that’s no exaggeration. Lately, I’ve been using the Sutter Slim Backpack I recently reviewed or, when traveling, the Air Porter Carry-On Bag. The company recently sent me their new WaterField Essential Crossbody Pouch to check out; it’s a nice addition to my WaterField kit and fills a fairly specific need.
Even if you don’t consider sitting to be the new smoking, daily sitting for long periods can cause negative health issues; many of us don’t have a choice. We buy adjustable desks that can go from sitting to standing height with the press of a button. But now what? Standing still for long periods, especially on hard floors, is uncomfortable. And surprise! Standing all day comes with its own host of health problems. The WalkingPad A1 Pro Foldable Under Desk Treadmill might be the perfect solution, as long as you can master the fine art of walking as you work.
I think we can all agree that the last few years have left everyone a little … on edge. It’s been exhausting lurching from one disaster to the next, and we’re all looking for ways to ease those frayed edges. One of the techniques that can soothe your anxiety and help your sleep is a weighted blanket, so when we were offered the chance to review the Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter, we jumped on it!
Fall is on the way, and that means jacket time arrives soon. I’ve had a well-loved leather jacket Judie bought me as a gift, but when Angel Jackets reached out and offered a review sample of their dark brown men’s leather car coat, I jumped. Even so, I couldn’t help but wonder how nice a <$300 leather jacket could possibly be, especially when it is currently selling for just $199. The answer is, “Very nice!”
Thanks to the folks at TVape, we recently had the opportunity to review the Zeus Arc GTS Hub. It’s a great portable vape, but what impressed us the most was the new pod system that lets you quickly change out your dry herb load. TVape also sent the Arizer Argo, which offers a different approach to quick loading and swapping.
My son is very hyperaware of germs right now. He’s worried about things being dirty, and we spend an inordinate amount of time sanitizing everything. So when PhoneSoap brought their impressive UV light technology to a larger device called the PhoneSoap HomeSoap, I immediately volunteered to test it!