Computer Gear | Gear Diary

BenQ Eye-Care Monitor: Is Viewing Experience Worth the Lack of Ports?

After using MacBooks for the better part of twelve years, when I finally received a standing desk, I knew for a fact I wanted a functional monitor that could stand as a larger display for my 2016 MacBook Pro. And I believe I’ve found just that in the Ben-Q Eye-Care Monitor (EW2770QZ). At 27 inches, the BenQ Eye Care Monitor meets most of my needs that I’ll dive into a bit later; for now, here are some of the official specs as listed by BenQ: Panel LCD Size (inch) 27″ Aspect Ratio 16:9 Resolution (max.) 2560 x 1440 Display Area(mm)…

Reviews

Samson QH4 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier Review

Samson QH4 is one of those products designed for professional musicians but also makes sense for non-professionals who simply want to share their music with others while wearing headphones. The Samson QH4 is “a 4-channel headphone amplifier designed to distribute your audio to up to four individual headphones, each with its own volume control.” And there’s much more.

Reviews

The Western Digital My Passport SSD: Tiny Yet Fast and Substantial Storage

If you need to carry a high-capacity external drive with you when you travel or go to work, you’ll likely be interested in making that memory device as small as possible. Take a look at the Western Digital My Passport SSD; it’s 1 Terabyte, rated for 515MB/s, and it measures just 3.6″ long by 1.8″ wide by 0.4″ thick.

Gear Bits

The Dell UltraSharp 38 Curved Monitor Will Give You Display Envy

It’s not often that a monitor really piques my interest, but the Dell UltraSharp 38 Curved Monitor has done just that. The company’s first 37.5 ultrawide curved screen monitor will be perfect for anyone who needs a lot of screen room while using multiple windows.

Reviews

Jabra Speak 710: Great for Conference Calls and Desktop Speaker Use

When’s the last time you had to participate in a conference call? If that’s not something you do regularly, then you might think that there’s no reason for you to be interested in a review of the Jabra Speak 710 … but you’d be wrong.

Reviews

Thanks to the AOC Q2781PQ 27″ Quad HD Ultra Slim Frameless IPS Monitor, I Have a Superb Desktop Computer Again

I stopped using a desktop computer a few years ago and went all-in with laptops and tablets. Still, there are times when a large desktop with a plentiful screen is better suited to productivity. Thanks to my 2016 MacBook Pro and the AOC Q2781PQ 27″ Quad HD Ultra Slim Frameless IPS Monitor I have just that. I’m a happy geek.

Events, News

ASUS Announces ASUS Pro B9440 at CES

ASUS has announced the world’s lightest 14 inch business notebook. Coming in at only 2.31lbs, the B9440 will be available in May 2017 and will retail for $999. Not only is the notebook light, but it also takes up no more of a footprint than most 13 inch notebooks.

News

Dell Has Two Amazing New Monitors for You to Covet

I’ve got a pretty amazing curved 27″ Dell monitor, and I thought it was the bees-knees until I saw these two new Dell monitors! Check out the new Dell UltraSharp 34 Curved Monitor and the Dell UltraHsarp 30 Monitor with PremierColor. Le sigh …

Reviews, Travel

The Satechi 60W Multi-Port USB Charging Station: USB Type-A and Type-C Ports Galore

I finally broke down and bought a MacBook after months of hard-sell from Helena. Being able to carry a full Mac OS X computer that weighs so much less than my 13″ MacBook Pro has been liberating; figuring out how to charge my travel laptop and other devices at the same time has been a bit more of a challenge.

Reviews

LaCie Porsche Design USB-C Mobile Drive: Ready for Your MacBook

If you have a new MacBook, you’re probably still sorting out which gear will work with the USB Type-C port on your laptop. Ready and able to meet your backup needs is the LaCie Porsche Design USB-C Mobile Drive; available in 1TB, 2TB or 4TB, this beautiful USB 3.0 hard drive is a more than capable Time Machine backup drive.

Reviews

Seagate 2TB Backup Plus Ultra Slim: Pocketable Storage with a 200GB Bonus

Summer is here, and the last thing that anyone wants to think about is going back to school, but that time will be here before you know it. One of the tools that every student needs in their arsenal is a good backup drive, and the Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim Portable External Drive is just the ticket.

Reviews

Get Rid of That Netbook, and Get Yourself a Kangaroo Mobile PC!

These days I try to keep it as minimalistic as possible, and even as an avid Mac user there are certain instances where I NEED to use Windows, and I think I might have found the perfect solution, all for under $100 dollars.

News

The Logitech Z533 Multimedia Speaker System Offers Big Sound for Under $100

There are lots of ways to get better sound from your laptop or tablet but perhaps the best, and simplest, is to plug a decent desktop audio system with two speakers and a subwoofer into it. The Logitech Z533 Multimedia Speaker System is just such a system. It offers 120 watts of impressive sound and is under $100!

Reviews

The Brinell SSD EVO Wood 250GB External Drive Makes Your Portable Drive Look Ugly and Slow

There are a multitude of portable drives available, and we’ve reviewed quite a few of them here. Many are light, fast, have large capacities, and they are very capable, but have you ever seen one that was all of the above and looked as good as the Brinell EVO Wood 250 GB external drive?

Reviews

The Brinell Stick Single Action Wood USB 3.0 Flash Drive: Fast and Beautiful

Sure, you could put your files on any old thumb drive, but maybe you’d like something a little bit nicer, a little bit faster, and a little bit smaller. The brinell Stick Single Action USB 3.0 flash drive fits that bill — plus it’s got a lovely design.

Reviews

Logitech’s MX Master Is the Best Wireless Mouse on the Market, Period

The one thing about having a Macbook Air is that even though the trackpad is very handy to have, sometimes after a long day in the office, I’ve gotten so used to using a mouse. I can’t really transition from using one to fully depending on Apple’s Trackpad option.

News

Logitech z533 Multimedia Speakers Deliver Powerful Sound for Under $100

My first computer speakers came from Logitech and are still going strong. My office speakers come from Logitech and fill my larger study. Now Logitech had unveiled the Logitech z533 Multimedia Speakers. A front-facing subwoofer, 2.25” full range drivers and a wired control pod for convenient power, volume and bass control combine to create huge sound for small dollars.

Reviews

Western Digital My Passport for Mac Review: Portable, Stackable, Massive Storage

I have a two-year-old 1TB Western Digital My Book I use for monthly Time Machine backups on my Mac. I paid roughly $150 for it (they’re ~$99 now); at 6.5″ x 5.5″ 2″ it isn’t exactly portable. I’ve been testing a 2TB WD My Passport that measures ~4.25″ x 3.25″ x 0.6″ and costs $99. Hmm, which would you rather?

Reviews

Logitech MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mobile Mouse: The Perfect, Portable Mouse?

There is one device in our computerized world that while being indispensable gets the least amount of respect. I am talking about the mouse. Humorously named, yet this is where many of us made our first connection with a computer. Logitech has introduced the MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mobile Mouse to enhance the portability and productivity of that experience.

Reviews

KLEVV Is Looking to Make a Splash in the Gaming PC RAM Market

KLEVV is a newcomer to the memory game, but they have the pedigree to prove their worth. They’re hitting the market with many levels of premium PC RAM to suit every taste. KLEVV has access to the finest memory chips due to their parent companies and are looking to make a dent in the Gaming PC memory market right away.

Reviews

I Can Hear You Now Thanks to the IPEVO VX-1 Internet Conference Station

My synagogue’s executive director recently asked me to look into purchasing a conferencing device so Board members unable to attend our monthly meeting could still be part of the conversation. I’ll admit it never would have occurred to me to check out the IPEVO VX-1 Internet Conference Station were I not offered one for review. I was and am impressed.