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Reviews, Yum Log November 23, 2014

Tip ‘N Split Calculator and Lighted Magnifier Sheds Light on Diners’ Problems

I can tell you from personal experience, it’s tough getting old. As I approach 50, I often find myself in low-light situations where there is just no way to read the small fonts on menus. In my full-time gig as a food writer, that can be a real problem. Fortunately, the Tip’N Split calculator and lighted magnifier offers a solution. I’m not a big fan of “unitasker” tools in the kitchen or in the rest of my life. I look for versatility in gadgets before I’ll dedicate any of the precious space in my kitchen drawers or my already overstuffed…

Reviews October 30, 2014

Amped Wireless’ REC15A High Power Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

The REC15A High Power Wi-Fi Range Extender from Amped Wireless extender offers decent range extension that can boost the range up to 5000 square feet. This three-inch tall by five-inch wide extender plugs directly into an outlet and requires some configuration. It works with any Wi-Fi standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and transmits via single band (2.4GHZ) or dual band (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz).

Reviews October 26, 2014

D-Link DCS-825L Wi-Fi Baby Camera Review: A Stellar Device

Being new parents, my wife and I are always on the lookout for new and innovative baby products. We recently received the D-Link DCS-825L Wi-Fi Baby Camera for review, and we are absolutely floored by the 720p HD video quality along with the number of features jam-packed into this little camera. The DCS-825L retails for $179.99.

Reviews, Travel October 11, 2014

Lumsing 5 Port USB Travel Charger Review

Can you ever have too many USB ports available? That’s a silly question; of course you can’t, and that applies whether you are at home, at work, or traveling. So here’s something that’ll help take some of the burden off of your laptop’s ports, allowing you to travel with just one power source: the Lumsing 5 Port USB Travel Charger. Measuring approximately 5.3″ long x 2.75″ wide x 1.25″ thick, the Lumsing charger is compact enough to fit into a pocket in your laptop bag, gear bag, larger purse, or briefcase, but it is powerful enough that it can charge up to five devices at once using USB…

News & Features October 9, 2014

Tomorrowland Preview Video – Where Gear & Gadgets Dreams Come True!

Disney has released an amazing preview for their upcoming mystery adventure film Tomorrowland starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy and Hugh Laurie with Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) directing, co-producing, and co-writing. Tomorrowland will release on May 22, and it offers a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

Reviews, Yum Log September 22, 2014

Smart Sizzors Are Like a Swiss Army Kitchen Knife

If you’re like me, you probably don’t treat that pair of scissors in your kitchen junk drawer very well. At best, you keep an extra set that you abuse by cutting wire, chicken bones, blister pack or heavy cardboard boxes, and they just continue to get duller and duller over time. With Smart Sizzors, now you’ll only need one pair!

News & Features September 17, 2014

Epson Expression Photo XP-860 Small-in-One Printer is Huge

I’m a big fan of Epson’s printers, so I was excited to check out the brand new Epson Expression Photo XP-860 Small-in-One printer. It leverages Epson’s MicroPiezo printing technology, and it offers much, much more in a compact, affordable printer. We have a full review on the way, but I wanted to serve up a first look.

News & Features September 16, 2014

Quirky Pickup Power Provides Portable Power in a Strip of Brilliance*

Here’s a product that seems so brilliantly obvious that I wish I’d thought of it: the new Quirky Pickup Power is a three AC outlet power strip with a built-in external 4000mAh or 6000mAh battery charger that’s always ready to go. Starting at $99.99, you can keep your portable battery charged and ready, then pop it out when needed.

Crowdfunding September 16, 2014

Tilt My Blinds Brings Automation to Window Treatments

When we moved into our house, the seller’s realtor presented us with a small remote for the blinds in the living room; the prior owners had installed electronic blinds there. We thought it was a silly gimmick, but we have found it quite useful. Now you can automate your blinds, too! Just back Tilt My Blinds on Kickstarter!

News & Features September 10, 2014

Updated: Finally, We Can Get “The Ex” Voodoo Knife Holder in a Metal Edition

I’ve wanted “The Ex” Voodoo Knife Holder set since I first saw the red one years ago, but … for whatever reason I held back, and now I’m glad I did. The original was made of plastic, and its blades were made in China. This Kickstarter project brings ‘The Ex’ to us in a solid metal stand with German blades.

Reviews September 3, 2014

Kwikset Kevo Is the Door Lock for the 21st Century and Beyond

A few years ago I set out to turn my mid 1970s home into an “after-market smart home.” At that time, I turned to a specific company. Since then I’ve taken a more individual approach that focuses on specific “best-in-class” products that work well, but are not part of an overall integrated system; the Kwikset Kevo is one such product.

Reviews August 24, 2014

“Theater To Go”, Thanks to the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 – Part One

I’ve heard of churches using projectors to beam words to songs, images, and page numbers onto a screen during services, and we’ve been considering it for our sanctuary; we wanted to test it out during the summer. Fortunately, I had a review sample of the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 2D/3D 1080p 3LCD Projector in hand. It turns out that the projector is phenomenal for home use, and it held its own during services as well.

Reviews, Yum Log August 22, 2014

NEAT Glass: Ultimate Spirits Glass Opens Up a World of Aromas

Most Gear Diary readers probably don’t know, but my regular day gig is as a food and drink writer for online and print media outlets. Through that job, I am lucky enough to sample many different wines and spirits. But sometimes it’s difficult to detect the subtle nuances of spirits. Well, it was difficult until I discovered the NEAT glass.

Reviews August 21, 2014

Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver

If you care about your music, then you simply must check out the $189 Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver. And since Audioengine offers a no-strings attached “30 Day Audition”, there’s no reason NOT to check it out and add high-quality Bluetooth streaming to your current sound system. Easy to set up, it will be music to your ears.

Reviews August 17, 2014

Dyson Cool AM07 Tower Fan: Is a $399 Fan Ever “Worth It”?

I’ve been intrigued by the Dyson series of bladeless fans since they were introduced, but like many people, there was one little thing that kept me from purchasing — the price! A desktop fan retails for $299, and the pedestal fans start at 399! Needless to say, when the opportunity arose to review the Dyson Cool AM07, I jumped.

News & Features August 15, 2014

SWASH May Free You from the Dry Cleaning Cycle

Have I mentioned that I live about 40 minutes from the nearest dry cleaners? And of course I have items which are “dry clean only”, so once or twice a week (when I make the drive to San Angelo) I bring along and pick up my weekly dry cleaning. It’s inconvenient and time-consuming, so I’m about to try SWASH.

Reviews August 15, 2014

Netatmo Weather Station: Keeping an Eye on Your Comfort

While I generally do a really good job of keeping up with the weather conditions outside of my home, I can’t say that I have ever considered what the conditions inside my home might be like, beyond whether it was cool or hot enough for comfort, of course. That’s all changed since I’ve been testing the Netatmo Weather Station.

Reviews August 11, 2014

The Synology DS415play NAS System Is a Powerhouse Data Storage Unit

Synology’s new DS415play is a 4-bay Network Attached Storage (NAS) system that was designed with the home theater in mind. With room for 4 SATA hard drives, the DS415play can hold up to 24 Terabytes of data. Combined with Synology’s excellent user interface, DiskStation Manager, the Synology DS415play is an excellent buy. The MSRP for the DS415play is $539.99.

Crowdfunding August 5, 2014

Meet Emberlight – The Device that Turns Any Light into a Smart Light

In your quest to make the entire home “smart,” check out emberlight. Emberlight is a brand new device that allows you to turn even your most boring light fixture into a smart light fixture. Emberlight will automatically turn the light on when you walk into the room and connects to your existing WiFi network. Check out the emberlight Kickstarter campaign.

News & Features, Reviews July 26, 2014

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…

Gear Bits July 23, 2014

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.