Earlier this year I reviewed eBags Professional Slim Junior Laptop Backpack, and I loved everything from its minimalist approach to carrying your everyday items, to its unique straps, zippers and overall comfort. But for those times where I carry a bit more than just my iPad Pro and a battery pack, I wanted a bit more.
What goes on in your home when you’re gone? Hopefully nothing unexpected. Chances are, nothing will happen, but if someone were to be in your home without your permission, wouldn’t you want to know? With the Guardzilla 360 Live Video Security Camera, you can.
We have many musical instruments at our house, but we have always lacked a drum set. My youngest son has begged to learn how to play, so when I had the chance to review the Yamaha DTX400K electronic drum set (MSRP $799), we jumped all over it. I was not sure what to expect, but this thing has blown us away.
When Raina saw the CleverPet game console on Facebook, she said, “We need to get Nava one of these.” (Nava is our eighteen-month-old miniature golden doodle.) I asked why the dog needs a game console. Raina replied, “Not need… want… she’ll love it.” This is the first in a series of posts about Nava and her app-controlled game.
If you’ve got a phone with wireless capabilities, you’re hopefully taking full advantage of the fact that you can charge your phone wirelessly in your car, at certain coffee shops, and in your home. So, what are you using at your desk? You could Prop your phone up for max visibility in an inexpensive yet powerful Seneo Fast Wireless Charger!
I purchased the first generation Amazon Echo thinking it was the best Alexa-enabled speaker available — at the time, anyway. While the Echo does all right in a smaller room, the speaker is anemic at best. But I’ve had the opportunity to check out the KitSound Voice One Smart Speaker recently, and I’ve found it to be much better.
Do you live on a busy street? Have noisy neighbors? Do you have a housemate who snores in an adjoining room? All of these things may be no big deal during the day, but at night, when you need to sleep, they aren’t exactly conducive to a solid 8+ hours, are they? You need the Nightingale Smart Home Sleep System.
In some areas of life, “winging it” isn’t always the most effective option. You don’t guess at how much gas your car needs, so why are you guessing at the quantities of ingredients in your food?
Now and then a product comes along that doesn’t fit into an established category. The JBL Soundgear wearable audio device is one such product. The Soundgear isn’t a pair of headphones. It isn’t a Bluetooth speaker. It is a wearable music delivery system that creates an entirely new category. But I’m left to wonder, does it have a future?
It has only been a couple of months since OnePlus released the OnePlus 5, and here they are with the newer, larger 5T. The 5T ups the ante by packing in a large 6” phablet size display with thinner bezels.
Apple’s latest commercial for the iPad Pro highlights the fact that the tablet is powerful enough, and apps sophisticated enough, that it can replace a laptop. I’m not convinced I can go without a laptop, but the ZAGG Slim Book for the Apple 10.5-inch iPad Pro certainly moves the productivity of the iPad Pro in that direction.
Readers who have read my reviews here at Gear Diary or over on my site know that I travel. A lot. The bulk of my career has seen me travel to every lower 48 state and to many other destinations around the globe.
My current home computing setup includes a 13” MacBook Pro connected to two 27” monitors. They look great and get the job done. But there is little that compares to the Dell UP2718Q 27” 4K HDR Monitor. With amazing resolution and remarkable color accuracy, it is a monitor built for professionals. It’s truly impressive with a price to match.
For the holidays I wanted to get my dog Sparky something other than cheap Amazon squeaker toys that he typically destroys in under an hour, so when I was presented with the chance to review the LINK AKC Smart Collar for Dogs, I was excited at testing a new product on Sparky that he couldn’t possibly rip to shreds.
For all my grumbling about switching from Android to iOS, it’s really not so bad. The one thing I really missed was Google Assistant, but the JBL Link 20 is doing an excellent job of filling that gap. It’s a portable Bluetooth and WiFi speaker with Google Assistant built-in, so I can take my “Hey, Google” obsession all over the house!
I’m a huge fan of Ultimate Ears speakers. The UE MEGABOOM was close to perfection. It delivers huge, amazing sound, has great battery life and is waterproof. It is an amazing Bluetooth speaker and one I highly recommend. Now, however, the UE MEGABLAST is here. It improves on the MEGABOOM, which is still a great speaker, in almost every way.
I do a lot of holiday cooking, and it doesn’t take much for my oven and stove-top to overflow. Since mashed potatoes are usually part of the menu, I’ve got a recipe that involves making them a day before and then reheating them in a slow cooker. This year, I gave the Midea Locking Lid 6-Quart Slow Cooker a try.
We’ve reviewed many portable battery packs here, but the SYNAVOLT is the first I’ve ever seen that is both expandable and modular. Currently raising funds on Indiegogo, SYNAVOLT starts with a 20,000mAh base unit; it has two slotted expansion bay ends that can handle a variety of power-enabled modular attachments.
I’m an audiophile. And like most audiophiles, a good vacuum tube HiFi system makes me drool. But unfortunately, nobody told my pocketbook. Tube receivers sell for several hundred dollars on eBay. Even DIY kits are generally over $300. For a piece of equipment that my ears and budget could agree on, I decided to purchase this HiFi buffer.
The trend for some time has been for phones to have bigger and bigger screens, which generally means bigger and bigger phones. But what if you want something smaller? A smartphone so small you can slip it into your jean’s coin pocket, or small enough to slip into the tiniest evening bag? Then you need a Unihertz Jelly Pro!
Now that the holidays are in full swing, and your home is cycling through visiting friends and family, you might find yourself trying to come up with a fun group activity that includes dinner. I’ll bet you’re thinking “it shouldn’t be this hard”, and you’re right! So, I’ve got the solution for you — Punch Bowl Social!