Is Pebble’s Time Up?
The Verge reported on some ominous news from Pebble today; they’re apparently laying off 25% of their staff. Combine that with a competitive wearables market, and it doesn’t look great for Kickstarter’s biggest success story.
Misc Gear
HP OfficeJet 4650 MultiFunction Printer with HP Instant Ink Review
I’ve been intrigued by HP’s new line of connected printers that anticipate when you’ll need ink refills — and they send them to you before you run out! The service is called HP Instant Ink, and to try it, I was sent the new HP OfficeJet 4650 MultiFunction Printer.
Withings Smart Body Analyzer Wi-Fi Scale and Health Tracker: Stay on Top of Your Weight Loss
Over the past couple of years, I had managed to gain some very unwanted pounds rather rapidly. I thought at first that my weight gain was hormonal, or perhaps I had a thyroid problem. I was running and walking long distances regularly, and I was (sporadically) writing down what I ate, but I wasn’t seeing any results.
Hang Out with Some Pups While Charging up at SXSW
It seems as if SXSW is in FULL SWING this week, as there’s plenty of news to go around regarding the very popular event!
Oral-B Genius: Brush Like Your Dentist Recommends
While at Mobile World Congress, I caught a demo of the new Oral-B Genius, the world’s first toothbrush that “sees what you don’t”. Using a combination of Oral-B’s Position Detection Technology with Triple Pressure Control and a professional timer, the Genius helps you brush like your dentist recommends. Take a look …
Barbarian Bar Tools’ Simple Tool: Make Your Bottle Opener Work for You
We all have a bottle opener or two in our kitchen drawers, but most of them are pretty straightforward: bottle opener on one end, can opener on the other. The Barbarian Bar Tools’ Simple Tool can open bottles and cans, but it also has a few other tricks up its sleeve.
What’s the Point of Those Sticky Card Holders for Your Phone?
In the last year or so, I’ve noticed smartphone/tablet adjacent accessories have become big giveaway items. Instead of a crappy free pen, you get a crappy free pen with a rubber capacitive stylus tip on one end. Yay? At least pens are useful…the sticky card holder I received today is just weird, ugly, and useless.
Synology Launches Its First WiFi Router, the RT1900ac Today
Synology Inc., manufacturer of award-winning Network Attached Storage devices (NAS), has launched its first router, the RT1900ac, in the US. The 802.11ac WiFi router broadcasts both 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals for combined data transfer speeds of up to 1900mbps. Boasting a slew of software features, the RT1900ac is perfect for home or office and comes with an MSRP of $149.99.
The Logitech Harmony Elite Advanced Universal Remote and Hub Review
If your TV watching reality includes a basket filled with six or seven different remotes, then I understand your pain. That was how things were at my house before Logitech sent their Harmony Elite Remote to review. I have to say that after a relatively painless setup, the results of consolidating have been so worth it.
Tiltcard Fits in Your Wallet but Holds Up Your Phone
It’s easy to find a tablet case with a built in stand, but most phone cases with kickstands tend to be pretty bulky. Tiltcard offers a better solution than choosing between a bulky case and propping your phone up against an assortment of objects by offering a collapsible stand that fits in your wallet.
Get More out of Your Laptop Charger with the Zolt Charger Plus
Apple’s MacBook MagSafe Charger is big, clunky, and gets in the way. From the large white cube, down to the all-white cable being just an eyesore from across the room, I wanted a bit more, so when Zolt sent me over their Zolt Laptop Charger Plus, I knew I’d never use the charger that came with my MacBook Air again.
The Proper Power Is the Last Battery Pack You’ll Have to Buy
You can never go without enough power for your smart devices, and one company by the name of Proper gets this. I’ve followed them for a while and finally got my hands on their Proper External Battery Pack and honestly, it’s the slimmest and most stylish battery pack I’ve ever used. The Proper Power is a battery pack that speaks for itself in its look. If you’ve ever used a battery pack before, you know how bulky they tend to be, according to how much mAh you actually get out of it. I’ve reviewed plenty of 6000mAh and above battery…
LaCie’s Rugged Mini Is Everything You’d Want in a Portable Hard Drive
I’ve had the pleasure of being able to review LaCie’s 4TB Rugged Mini, and I love it! A Portable external hard drive, the Rugged Mini is everything you saw from the original (and larger) LaCie Rugged Raid, but in a smaller design that maximizes its portability, all while giving you a nice flashy orange bumper that protects the device from being dropped. While the Larger Rugged dons both a Thunderbolt connection option, and a USB 3.0 connection which obviously connects to your computer, the Rugged Mini stuck to having just a single USB 3.0 port which sits at the top of…
Unboxing the Litter-Robot Open Air Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box for Cats
It’s been exactly eight years since I unboxed my first Litter-Robot and reviewed it. Since then, I have convinced several friends and family members to buy one, I’ve purchased two more, and I’ve given the two older versions I had to friends with cats — all of these Litter-Robots are still going strong!
The Withings Aura Connected Clock + Sleep Sensor Accessory Review
Sleep and I have a sometimes erratic relationship. Some nights I deal with insomnia, and I might sleep 4 or 5 hours at best; other nights I’ll need to catch up on sleep so badly that I’ll pass out for 12 or more hours. Ideally, I should get 8 hours sleep per night. Obviously, what I’ve been doing isn’t ideal.
Powerstick’s Mosaic Powerstream Will Let You Have Expandable Storage
A once successful Kickstarter program, I finally had the opportunity to try out the Powerstick Mosaic Powerstream, and honestly, I have mixed reviews in regards to it. Designed to be a tool to give you more storage, the Mosaic is essentially a wireless external hard drive that will get you through a long flight by allowing you to stream your media directly through the Mosaic. The model I received is the 16gb version which means I didn’t actually stream very much. My only issue with the Powerstick Mosaic is the fact they even have a 16gb version. Now granted, not…
IllumiBowl Takes the Guesswork out of Nighttime Bathroom Visits
Have you found that it’s pretty jarring to deal with bright overhead bathroom lights when you get up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself? Bright lights can wreck our sleep ability and cause health issues, it’s proven, but you still need to be able to see where you’re going and what you’re doing.
The Etymotic Bean Quiet Sound Amplifier, Because You Shouldn’t Have to Keep Saying “What?”
Is the phrase “I’m sorry, what did you say?” a common part of your day? It is for me. My hearing is…questionable, or, as my wife put it, “It’s not normal to be 34 and need the closed captioning.” The good folks at Etymotic have clearly experienced this too, and that’s where the Bean Quiet Sound Amplifier can shine.
Grill Indoors This Winter with the Kenyon Revolution!
When the summer faded away last year, I wondered to myself how I would go without my grilled veggies and meats now that I could no longer grill outdoors. I’ve tried many options in the past, from George Foreman Grills, to even stovetop grill pans for $20 on Groupon that honestly do not work. So when Kenyon sent over their Revolution Grill, I knew that I had a product that would make the neighbors in my building jealous now that the outdoor grill has been shut up for the winter. Let’s start by saying this: The Kenyon Revolution Grill gets…
Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid- Does Anyone NEED a Smart Water Bottle?
Do I really need an app-enabled water bottle? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since Judie and I each received a Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid at CES. This looks like a regular water bottle, but it’s Bluetooth-enabled and monitors your water intake over the course of a day. Is this something worth purchasing? You decide.
Avia Stride Activity Tracker Review
CES is now over and activity trackers and other wearables were all the rage at the show this year. With Under Armour, Casio, and others releasing devices, it looks like almost everyone has a tracker now. Avia, who I know more for sneakers than electronics even has one, and they sent me an Avia Stride; I am underwhelmed.