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Squatty Potty: A Gear “Dare-iary” Review

News & Features, Reviews

Squatty Potty: A Gear “Dare-iary” Review

It’s an age-old question: (put delicately) does a bear go to bathroom in the woods? Of course the answer is yes, but until a few generations ago, so did humans. The makers of the Squatty Potty toilet stool believe the progress that is indoor plumbing may be harmful to your colon health. Here’s a quick look at their proposed solution: First a little background. The team here at Gear Diary has a pretty lively online chat community where we discuss tech trends and possible review topics. But we also are friends who like to support each other when someone needs…

Synology DS415play 4-bay NAS System Coming Soon!

Gear Bits

Synology DS415play 4-bay NAS System Coming Soon!

Synology has recently announced the new DS415play, a four-bay Network Attached Storage system targeted at home media streaming. The DS415play has built-in video transcoding so that you can stream your media to any media streaming device much more easily. This powerful NAS system can accept up to 20TB of raw storage! The DS415play will be available in August for $539.99.

The Pill Might Just Cure What Ails Your Golf Game

Outdoors, Reviews

The Pill Might Just Cure What Ails Your Golf Game

Like gearheads, fishermen, and cooks, golfers can’t ever seem to have too many gadgets, especially if they promise to help lower his or her score. The Pill is a new training aid that has a novel design to improve your game all the way from tee to green. Lord knows I need the help, so I gave it a try.

WokMon Aims to Revolutionize Stir-frying at Home

News & Features, Yum Log

WokMon Aims to Revolutionize Stir-frying at Home

Admit it, you probably got at least one wok as a wedding present or a random gift from somebody who exalts the health benefits of stir-frying. And now it’s taking up a lot of space in a cupboard or closet because you never figured out how to cook with a round wok on a flat stovetop. WokMon can help out!

A New Monster EZ1XL Steam Jet Sweeps Clean

Reviews

A New Monster EZ1XL Steam Jet Sweeps Clean

The Monster EZ1XL Steam Jet floor cleaner depends on two key equations. 1.) Kids/pets + carpet/hardwood floors = dirt. 2.) Dirt + steam = no dirt. Or (dirt x 0), mathematically speaking. Besides having the coolest Jetsons-sounding product name ever, does the Monster really make the math work? Read along as we run it through its paces to find out.

Leef Flash Drive Review: Magnet 3.0 and Ice 3.0 16GB Copper Edition

Reviews

Leef Flash Drive Review: Magnet 3.0 and Ice 3.0 16GB Copper Edition

These copper-colored Leef flash drives with white soft-glow LEDs are supremely attractive and small, to boot. They each hold 16GB data, while being less than the size of a battery. Both flash drives are also said to reach USB 3.0 data transfer speeds. The Leef Copper Edition Ice and Magnet flash drives retail for $18.99 and $19.99, respectively.

Oregon Scientific Ultra Precision Weather Station Review - Accuracy Matters

Reviews

Oregon Scientific Ultra Precision Weather Station Review – Accuracy Matters

Checking the weather compulsively is not considered odd where I live, and when people talk about what the weather is doing, it’s not just to make idle chit-chat. It’s also common for locals to measure and record their rainfall to the hundredth of an inch, and many use sophisticated tools like the Oregon Scientific Ultra Precision Weather Station.

Bison Airlighter Review: A Flamethrower Almost Anyone Can Handle

Reviews

Bison Airlighter Review: A Flamethrower Almost Anyone Can Handle

Lighting a fire in your barbecue pit or pot belly stove is not always a simple task; sometimes that wood just will not ignite no matter how much you baby it along. For all of you who’ve ever sprayed a pile of hardwood with lighter fluid in frustrated defeat, I give you the Bison Airlighter — your own personal flamethrower.

Edyn Smart Garden Launches Kickstarter Campaign

Crowdfunding

Edyn Smart Garden Launches Kickstarter Campaign

It seems like everything these days is hi-tech, except for the great outdoors. Maybe it’s time to change that. The folks at Edyn want to give you a “smart garden” with their new Edyn Kickstarter campaign. Using a combination of WiFi connected devices in the garden and an iOS app, Edyn hopes to revolutionize the way we all garden.

Stinger, Because the Best Bugs Are the Dead Ones

News & Features, Outdoors

Stinger, Because the Best Bugs Are the Dead Ones

We recently received almost 5″ of rain at our house, and although we desperately needed it, the tradeoff was made in bugs, bug, and more bugs! No problem, though, as I had recently received a package from Stinger. Inside were their No Touch Fly Trap and their On-the-Go Zapper Racket. Bugs beware; I am now on the prowl!

Wally Home Smart Monitoring System

Reviews

Wally Home Smart Monitoring System

Our lake house in Pennsylvania has had its share of issues. Hit by lightning a minimum of 4 times, the electrical system had to be entirely replaced and a surge system installed. Then there was the water heater that burst, ran for a few days and destroyed the first floor. OUCH! The Wally Home will help prevent such future issues.

INSTEON Connected Home System Gets Some Microsoft Love

News & Features

INSTEON Connected Home System Gets Some Microsoft Love

I’m currently working on a review of the INSTEON Connected Home Control and Monitoring system. Simply put, I’m impressed and I think you will be too. This morning comes news that the company will be releasing Windows and Windows Phone Apps for the system. Moreover, INSTEON products will soon available in Microsoft Stores and at MicrosoftStore.com.

Thecus N2560 NAS Review - Great Specs on a Budget

Reviews

Thecus N2560 NAS Review – Great Specs on a Budget

The N2560 Network Attached Storage system by Thecus is a mid-level NAS system and it packs an Intel Atom-based Dual-Core processor as well as 2GB of DDR3 RAM. It’s got HDMI and SPDIF Audio outputs on the back for direct media streaming, and can hold 2 HDDs. The N2560 is expected out in May/June 2014 and will retail for $339.

Heartbleed Security Issue Prompts Password Change Notices

News & Features

Heartbleed Security Issue Prompts Password Change Notices

The Heartbleed Security Issue is here. I tried out the Leap Motion controller last year; it’s a “hands free” device (small box) the connects to Mac and PC computers with accompanying software where hand gestures look to replace the traditional computer mouse during interactions. This service recently sent me the following notice regarding the Heartbleed Security Issue:

Wake Up Rocking with the Soundfreaq Sound Rise

Gear Bits, News & Features

Wake Up Rocking with the Soundfreaq Sound Rise

Last year Soundfreaq released a number of nicely priced Bluetooth speakers and docks with impressive features and excellent sound for the money. Now they have announced the availability of their newest speaker, the Soundfreaq Sound Rise. The Sound Rise is a modern take on the bedside alarm clock; it has all the features you want and then some.

Synology Launches Version 5.0 of their DSM Disk Management Software

Gear Bits

Synology Launches Version 5.0 of their DSM Disk Management Software

When I reviewed the Synology DS213j, I was impressed with not only the physical device, but also Synology’s Disk Management software called DiskStation Manager AKA DSM.  Today, Synology released DSM version 5.0 which includes a revamped user experience, overall performance boosts, optimized multimedia and mobile experiences, and more.  Check out the full list of features at Synology’s website.

Maxxeon WorkStar 340 Pocket Floodlight Review

Reviews

Maxxeon WorkStar 340 Pocket Floodlight Review

Flashlights are one of those items you don’t give much thought to until you need one. Once you do, you’ll want it to work correctly, casting a bright light where you need it. Good build quality and comfortable to hold are also key for a great flashlight. If this fits your flashlight needs, you might need a Maxxeon WorkStar 340.