Right in time for Hour of Code Week 2019, Mattel is launching a new educational dimension to one of this year’s hottest holiday toy launches, Hot Wheels id. Hot Wheels id melds physical and digital play using NFC-enabled Hot Wheels cars to allow kids to test their cars in a virtual environment, including speed challenges and track building.
While video game consoles have advanced tremendously over the last several decades, one thing has never changed – in the end, they’re a box that sits under your TV. Google is changing this with Stadia because there is no box at all, instead, your console lives in Google’s cloud and can be accessed from anywhere and more importantly, anything.
It’s been a while since we had a regular Gear Diary podcast but, when we did, we all used microphones from Blue. One of us had a Blue Yeti while two others used a Blue Snowball. All of them worked perfectly. We’ve been discussing starting up the podcast again, and, if we do, I’ll be using the Blue Yeti X.
Ecovacs DEEBOT 920 is a combination robot vacuum as well and floor mop. We’ve tested many robot vacs these before, but the new trend is that not only do they dust floors and carpets, but now they mop. But exactly how well can they possibly do it?
The terrible truth is cleaning your house after working hard all week is dreadful. No one enjoys doing it, but it must be done. But if you want to clean effectively, leaving little to no doubt that you’ve completed the mission, Shark’s UpLight & the Shark IQ Robot vacuums are the way to go.
Who says buying wallets for a family member has to be boring? For the dad who has everything to the student who constantly loses their ID card, Bellroy has a little something for everybody to check out over the holidays.
Complete with an all-new design and a host of upgrades that users of the previous NVIDIA Shield, Nvidia’s new SHIELD TV is faster, smarter, and even more portable. I’ve had my hands on one for the past few weeks, and it’s becoming one of my favorite streaming devices.
As a guy whose sister loved jumping rope, I’ve always watched in amazement, but honestly, I never got it. Then I turned thirty, found out my metabolism wasn’t what it was and looked for the best ways of burning calories without running nowhere on a treadmill. Surprisingly, I found out 15 minutes of jumping rope could effectively burn 300 calories. But what if you’ve never jumped rope before? Here’s where Crossrope comes in.
If you are like me and have an overloaded home connection due to things like smart home products, smartphones, tablets and more on a congested network, the Beacon 1 Mesh Router by Nokia is an affordable means to decongest your home’s Wi-Fi.
Earlier this year, I reviewed the Huawei Watch GT; I was a huge fan of its long battery life and sleep tracking, but I felt its larger size might be an issue for those with smaller wrists, and I lamented the limited selection of watch faces. Well, the updated Huawei Watch GT 2 is here, and I’ve been wearing it for the past month. How does it compare?
Listen, we all have better things to do than stressing over making the perfect espresso, right? For those who love espresso but don’t want to spend hours fidgeting with difficult to use equipment to end up with a mediocre espresso drink, the Philips 3200 LatteGo is for you. The Philips 3200 LatteGo retails for $799 and makes a great cappuccino.
The HOMI Pro Jacket is currently on Kickstarter. The project has already passed its goal, but there are still a few days left for those who want to get in on this project at substantial savings compared to what it will cost at retail. I was sent an early version and am pleased to share some initial thoughts.
If you’ve got a Pixel 4, you’ve no doubt noticed that the square-shaped camera lens on the back protrudes a bit. As tempting as it might be to carry this surprisingly non-slippery phone without a case, you need to protect its screen, its corners, and the protruding camera lens on the back if you’re prone to dropping things; Gear4 can help!
My new lease vehicle has Qi wireless charging built into the console; it works fine but requires the phone to be hidden away in the center console. There are, however, times when I need my phone within view for navigation, and there’s no better way to do that than with the new $49.99 Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Magnetic Car Mount Charger.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to try out the Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station. With a solar generator available at an additional cost, the Explorer 500 should come in very handy during power outages or when camping.
I love the fact that thanks to Gear Diary, I’m able to check out products from companies with whom I’m not familiar. AUSOUNDS is one such company; they sent a pair of their $199.95 AU-Flex ANC WIRELESS Neckband Earphones for me to try. I’m so impressed that I’m seriously considering purchasing their true wireless earphones.
You know the feeling you get when something just works right out of the box? That’s the feeling I got when I did my first engraving with the new Flux beamo laser cutter and engraver. The relatively small footprint beamo uses frickin’ laser beams at different intensities and speeds to engrave or cut multiple materials for DIY projects.
What’s worse than being stuck at a desk for hours in an uncomfortable chair? Nothing. Autonomous is here to fix your aching back with their ErgoChair 2. The ErgoChair 2 is perfect for desk work, video gaming, and more when you’ll be sitting for hours at a time. The ErgoChair 2 is made of quality, long-lasting materials and is selling now for $319.
My son is 6, and his favorite subject in school is coding — mostly because he gets to play with little robots, but it’s still a very worthwhile and useful life skill. He also loves all things Star Wars, so when Kano offered us the chance to review their Star Wars The Force Coding Kit, we had to give it a shot!
BBQ is actually a simple idea. Get perfect seasoning and perfect meat temperature and you create great food. While the idea is simple, getting those temps perfect can be tricky. The GrillEye Pro+ ($99.99) is a hybrid wireless Bluetooth smoking thermometer which will ensure perfect temperatures every time without babysitting your smoker. Let’s take a look.
We’ve followed Braven from the company’s first appearance on the scene. Back then they were a small company looking to make their mark in the crowded Bluetooth speaker market. They succeeded. The company, now owned by ZAGG, continues to innovate. Their latest? The Braven BRV -X/2. It’s small, gets great battery life and is tough as nails for under $100.