Home Tech | Gear Diary

Arlo Adds Essential XL Spotlight Camera and Essential Camera to Round Out Your Home Security System

Arlo makes one of the best DIY home security systems that you can buy, and I’m excited that they’ve just announced two new wire-free devices in their Essential Series, the Arlo Essential XL Spotlight and the Arlo Essential. What sets the Essential Series apart from their Pro series is that these devices connect directly to your home’s WiFi, with no need for a SmartHub, and they can act as a standalone security solution or complement your existing Arlo home security system.

Reviews

The Friday Smart Lock Is an Almost Perfect, Non-Permanent Solution for Apartment Living

Since we’ve been home for the last few months, we’ve attempted to make our apartment a bit smarter and a bit more secure; the Friday Smart Lock was an intriguing, non-permanent solution for our front door.

News & Features

Made In Announces Gorgeous New Tabletop Collection for the Home Chef

We here at Gear Diary are fans of Made In Cookware. We loved their stainless steel pots and pans as a cost-effective way to outfit a kitchen with high-quality cookware. Now, Made In is expanding its portfolio with a gorgeous collection of tableware for serving. Not only can you purchase bundles, but you can also customize your own tabletop set.

News & Features

ZVOX AccuVoice AV157 TV Speaker Boosts Dialogue and Clarifies Voices

We’ve reviewed quite a few ZVOX soundbars, and one thing I have always appreciated about them is how they use technology to make it easier to understand what people are saying onscreen — even when explosions are happening in the background. Their latest is the ZVOX AccuVoice AV157 TV Speaker, and it adds the power of Alexa to their already powerful speakers.

Gear Bits

Up Your Home Theater Experience with Fluance’s Reference Series Speakers

In a year where almost nothing is guaranteed, one thing you can count on is that you probably won’t be going to many movie theaters. However, your video-on-demand experience can still be theater-quality; you just need some microwave popcorn, your tv, and the Reference Series speakers from Fluance!

News & Features

VIZIO Partners with Square Enix to Become the Official HDTV and Soundbar for Marvel’s Avengers

VIZIO announced today that they’ve teamed up with Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics to be the official HDTV and soundbar partner for the highly anticipated Marvel’s Avengers video game. VIZIO’s HDTVs are optimized for gaming thanks to their IQ 4K HDR processors as well as the ProGaming Engine. Paired with a VIZIO soundbar, you’ll be ready to game.

Reviews

Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System Proves It’s as Powerful and Versatile as Its Predecessors

You may remember my previous review of the Ninja Intelli-Sense Kitchen System blender and food processor and how we loved its power and versatility. Well, Ninja has made improvements over the years and was kind enough to send us their latest Kitchen System for review. The newest Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ retails for $199.99.

Reviews

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera Expands Your Security Camera System with a Bright Light and Tracking

Last year, I reviewed the Arlo Pro 3 2K QHD Wire-Free Security Camera System, which is still going strong. One of the best things about the Arlo wireless system is how easy it is to set up and how customizable the app has been over time as my specific needs have changed. The Arlo system is, of course, expandable, and I recently added the new Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera.

News & Features

TCL Brings Your Television Experience to a New Level with Roku and 4k in Their 5 and 6-Series!

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us all, it’s that streaming is an essential service. It’s also taught us to wash hands better, but that’s more life advice and less relevant to why you’re probably reading Gear Diary. In any case, if you’ve been working your TV to the limit, check out the new TCL 5 and 6 Series 4K smart TVs with Roku!

Health and Fitness, News & Features

Carbon Trainer Is a Magic Mirror on the Wall That Makes You the Fittest One of All

Most of us are learning to navigate at-home workouts these days. You can go super minimal with a bodyweight workout, or trick your garage out better than the neighborhood gym. But working out at home also involves finding the drive to push, and the skill to get your form dialed in properly. The Carbon Trainer Smart Mirror aims to solve that gap!

Reviews

Upgrade Your Kitchen Gear with the Ankarsrum Assistent Original Stand Mixer

The Ankarsrum Assistent Original is a beautiful machine that’s ready to help complete many kitchen tasks. Best known as a high-end mixer that’s perfect for mixing and kneading bread dough, it can also mix cake batter, churn butter, mix cookie dough, whip cream, and much more all without any additional accessories. This powerful mixer with an excellent warranty may be the last one you ever need to buy.

News & Features

Introducing Bonbowl, a Low Maintenance, High Tech Method of Cooking

Chances are you’re spending a lot of time at home these days, resulting in doing a lot of your own cooking. But why not do it in a more time-efficient manner, eliminating the need for extra dishes and clean-up with Bonbowl?

News & Features

Pantheone Audio Launches the Pantheone I, an Elegant and Powerful Alexa-Enabled Sound System

If you absolutely love your Amazon Alexa digital assistant, but none of the Alexa-enabled speakers you’ve seen look elegant enough, powerful enough, or frankly — big enough to fill your living space, you’ll want to take a look at the Pantheone Audio Pantheone I.

Reviews

The 15.6″ Lepow Portable Monitor Is a WFH Must-Have

Back in March, when I was told that I would be working from home for the foreseeable future, I knew that I was going to need a monitor to get work done. The issue is that most larger monitors and displays cost a fortune, or have been sold out for months. Then I discovered the Lepow Portable Monitor.

Reviews

Hoop Cam Plus Is an Excellent Security Camera That Moves to Your Touch

Home security cameras are quickly becoming a commodity these days, and they all follow the same basic formula – the more you pay, the more you get. The Hoop Cam Plus seemingly breaks that mold by offering a very affordable camera that is attractive, easy to both operate, and setup that even includes panning and tilt in its feature list. The Hoop Cam Plus has no right to be this good for this price, and I’ve been impressed with how good it truly has been.

Reviews

Lutron Caséta Is the High-End Smart Lighting System You’re Looking For

There are so many smart home products on the market; tech companies or small startups make many, but who knows who you can trust? Lutron has been making quality lighting accessories since the 1950s, and they’ve become a highly-regarded name in the lighting industry. With the Caséta Wireless series, I’ve finally found a smart home brand I can trust.

Reviews

X-Chair X3 Management Desk Chair: Quite Possibly the Most Comfortable Chair Available

For the past three months, I’ve been working from home; now, I sit at my kitchen island for hours on end. About two weeks ago, I started having chest pains because of my terrible posture, and the majority of that stemmed from the chair I was using. This changed when I received the X-Chair X3 Management Office Desk Chair.

Game Diary, News & Features

Stern Pinball Is Craving Pizza with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Pinball is one of those nostalgic games that you’re just drawn to when you see it in a bar. Who can resist dropping in a few quarters and watching the laws of physics torture them with a tiny silver ball? Stern Pinball has always known how to mix the nostalgia of pinball with the fun of pop culture, and they’re looking to capture that magic again with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed Stern Pinball machine!

Crowdfunding, Gear Bits

The 21.5″ Lenovo Smart Frame Will Be Pre-Selling on Indiegogo; Here’s How You Can Get 50% Off

The Lenovo Smart Frame was one of my favorites new products announced at CES this year. Styled like a professionally matted portrait, the 21.5″ Smart Frame uses AI to curate your photo collection and build custom digital collages. A smartphone app will be available with hundreds of artworks that can be displayed on your Smart Frame, but you can also load your own photos. You can use hand gestures to play, pause, or continue the displayed photos or videos.

News & Features

Introducing the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

August Home, one of the leaders of smart and secure front door solutions announced today their long-awaited August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is now available.

Reviews

Roborock’s New S6 MaxV Vacuum Comes Complete with Intelligent Camera Technology

Roborock has extended its S-Series lineup of robot vacuums with the Roborock S6 MaxV, a leap forward in home robotics that allows you the ability to KNOW that you’ve cleaned in areas where your normal robot vacuum would pass through but not necessarily complete the job.