Amazon just announced a device called the Amazon Echo. What exactly is the Echo? Well, imagine Google Now or Siri combined with a Bluetooth Speaker and you get the idea. Is it more than that? Yes. Will it make it easier to spend money on Amazon? Undoubtedly. Will it give you the creeps? Maybe, but it depends on your view.
In late 2012, along with 3400+ other people I backed a Kickstarter project called Instacube (which has since been renamed Hashtag Cube, or #Cube). The premise was simple: it was to be a stand-alone Android-based device that would wirelessly stream and display Instagram photos, when you could only view Instagram photos on iOS or Android devices. I backed at the early adopter $99 level, and the wait began.
Women’s fertility is rapidly becoming a fruitful and multiplying business. There are medicines to control fertility and plenty of calendars, apps, and other gear to help track it (for both reproductive and non-reproductive purposes). Now there’s even a smartphone accessory to help monitor your reproductive help: Wink by Kindara.
It never fails: I travel somewhere that is known for its wine, and I find myself with a bottle to bring home. Packing the bottle safely can be tricky, though. I’ve had bottles break that were inside the bubble wrap bags that some wine stores sell, but I think I have found a solution in the inflatable VinniBag travel accessory! It’s marketed for wine, but you can also use the 22″ x 8″ inflatable VinniBag to safely transport anything that fits inside — things like camera lenses, coffee cups, and other small breakables. Think outside the box, too; the VinniBag floats, so you can…
Lesson 1: External batteries are a must-have item when traveling. Even if it just for a day. Lesson 2: Pay attention to lesson 1. Each time I disregard Lessons 1 and 2 I have issues. Most recently I DID have an external battery, but it was too small for my needs. The Juno Power Konnect Two 9000 External Battery isn’t.
It’s my goal to make sure my son appreciates learning. He’s shown an early love of science, as his favorite CD is They Might Be Giants “Here Comes Science“. It’s great to see that as he grows he will have more options, like the soon to be released Trobo, the Storytelling Robot who focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math!
I spent a week in Israel this past summer and pretty much everywhere we went, my friends Robyn, Menachem and I took a selfie and shared it on social media. (If there is more than one person is it called an “Us-ie?” just wondering…) I really wish we had the Satechi Smart Selfie Extension Arm with us at the time!
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…
My MacBook Pro is also my desktop. At work that means I use the laptop as a laptop. At home, however, I connect it to a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and assorted peripherals. The new Belkin Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD is a great way to get all the connections I need with speed that is simply mind-blowing.
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.
One of the things that each of our gorgeously screened mobile devices has in common is that they are all fingerprint magnets; by the end of the day those devices which may have started with clean glass expanses will inevitably become barren wastelands of oily fingerprints and face grease. Ew. Obliterate those grease tar pits with products from Toddy Gear. I was recently sent a sample of their brand new 9×9 Toddy Smart Cloth and Pocket Toddy. Both products are dual-sided — with plush premium microfiber on one side for cleaning and a bright and distinctive silky microfiber design on the other to polish. Toddy Gear…
Gear seekers can choose from many activities and purchases for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) that help support cancer awareness and help people take action for treatment and cures. Health screening, seminars, sponsored events (October 11-12 bike event), and various apparel/gear help us take a proactive stance against the second most common type of cancer.
I love the show Last Man Standing. One reason why I love it is Tim Allen’s character, Mike Baxter, is also depicted as being an Ham Radio operator like me. Well, last week at the Hollywood Hamnado special event sponsored in part by the show, it was announced that Tim has truly earned his license and is now KK6OTD.
If you usually carry a bottle opener keyring, as so many of us do, then you could be getting so much more utility out of that doodad. A Kanex GoBuddy+ adds an emergency sync and charge cable with either a lightning port or microUSB connector, and yes — a bottle opener. Pretty nifty, right? It will charge your device, open your cold beverage, and attach via included carabiner clip to your keys. The Kanex GoBuddy+ is $24.95 for the Lightning version and $19.95 for the microUSB version; both come with that bottle opener keyring.
Imagine charging your device and when done, automatically turning off power to prevent overcharging and protect battery life. What if the charger looked stylish and wasn’t an ugly block? How would you like an app that allowed you to see and monitor information about the level of charge your device was receiving? With the Velvetwire Powerslayer Blu, it’s possible. At its heart, the Powerslayer is an extremely intelligent charger that rapidly charges both phones and tablets. It is UL certified with built-in surge protection, and continuous temperature monitoring. Built in microprocessor control “protects against overcharging and eliminates wasted power by turning off automatically when charging is…
The HD Black Box Car DVR is a nifty little dashcam that’s a great budget pick for those looking for good quality video recording at a budget-friendly price. It comes with a suction cup mount and cigarette lighter adapter for easy installation. You can order your 1080P HD Black Box Car DVR today for around $79.95.
I had knee surgery last week. I am fine, but part of the recovery included a prescription for Vicodin. My one year old thought the Vicodin bottle was an awesome rattle, so now that I am finished with the pain pills I have disposed of them safely using the Pill Terminator!
This is a first for me; we’ve covered plenty of external battery packs on Gear Diary, but never one that was able to serve as both “an emergency vehicle jump-starter and portable power bank”, which is exactly what the Viatek’s new Pocket Jump does. You can back on Kickstarter for as low as $40 or get two for $70.
If you have a lot of data that needs regular backup, then once you’ve experienced Thunderbolt, nothing else will ever seem fast enough again, not even USB 3.0. I’ve been using the AKiTiO Neutrino Thunderbolt Edition 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD) Portable Drive for the past few weeks, and it’s a good thing it’s a keeper, because I’ve become spoiled.
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.
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.