Reviews

SOLIS Debuts Impressive, Gorgeous Speakers

2017 was a big year for SOLIS, who debuted a number of attractive, connected, and stellar-sounding speakers.   From portable, smart Bluetooth speakers to gorgeous vacuum tube amplifiers, SOLIS has every audiophile covered. I had the pleasure of testing two of their offerings in my home and came away impressed. Read on to hear about the SO-3000 and the SO-8000.


JBL Boombox: Say Hello to the Star of Your Next Backyard Party

While at IFA, I had a chance to check out the JBL Boombox, their largest and most powerful portable speaker to date. Available in forest green or black, the Boombox offers a 20,000mAh battery, best in class sound, and up to 24 hours of battery life. Most importantly, it probably sounds better than most home stereo speakers. No, really.



Speck Cases for iPhone X Roundup

If you got one of the amazing iPhone X smartphones for Christmas, Chanukkah, or Festivus you know it’s a great pocket computer. You also know it needs a good case to protect the glass on both the front and the back. Fortunately, Speck has some great options that look great and do a nice job of protecting your pricey iPhone.


Mophie Wireless Charging Base Review

Mophie is no stranger to wireless charging on the iPhone – they managed to bring wireless charging to the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus before Apple integrated it into the iPhone X with their charge force cases. Their new wireless charging base, however, is an ideal solution for the iPhone X/8/8+ and other smartphones that support Qi wireless technology.




IQbuds Are True Wireless Earbuds Packed with Tech

“Intelligent, truly wireless earbuds that give you control to hear what you want to hear in the world around you and connect to your digital devices.” That’s how Nuheara describes their impressive IQbuds wireless headphones. At $299, the IQbuds are pricey truly wireless earbuds, but they offer features that are nowhere to be found with competitor’s products. Here’s a look!



eBags TLS Hybrid Carry-On Is Great Travel Luggage

If you are traveling for the holidays, and want to breeze through the airport with ease, look no further than eBags TLS Hybrid Spinner Carry-On. We had the opportunity to check the bag out, and it’s quickly become my essential carry-on bag.


Aura Home Security System Is a Discreet Way of Monitoring Your Place

If you have an extra couple of hundred dollars ($499 to be exact) and want to save yourself the hassle of monthly bills for home security all while keeping tabs on every portion of your home, you should take a look at the Aura Home. Using your homes Wi-Fi connection and powered by a source outlet, the Aura Home’s sole purpose is to detection motion in your home. Not everyone wants an intrusive camera in their home, and as someone who does, I can say that it does look very mom & pop store-ish to have cameras strategically placed in your…


Distil Union MagLock Folly Sunglasses Stick Around Thanks to Magnets

Distil Union makes great wallets. I’ve reviewed a bunch and use one every single day. Now the company has released two sunglass designs. I received the Distil Union MagLock Folly Sunglasses for review. These aren’t any sunglasses though. They frames are unbreakable. The polarized lenses are good for your eyes. And, thanks to magnets, they’ll hang around for a while.



Professional Slim Laptop Backpack: The Bag That Can Do It All, from eBags

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.



The Yamaha DTX400K Electronic Drum Set Really Rocks!

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. 


Nava Meets the CleverPet, and She’s One Happy Pup!

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.


Seneo Fast Wireless Charger: Prop Your Phone up So You Can See It!

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!


KitSound Voice One Smart Speaker: Better Than Any Echo

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.


Nightingale Smart Home Sleep System: Finally a Good Night’s Sleep!

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.