Misc Gear

SmartWallit Review – Time to Upgrade Your Billfold

SmartWallit is a new gadget that helps you keep track of not only your spending, but also the location of your wallet.  This intelligent accessory has many functions, including a spending log, loss prevention, and a way to find your lost phone or wallet.  You can order the SmartWallit from Amazon for $60 plus shipping. I was very excited to get my hands on this neat little device and stick it in my wallet.  Unfortunately, the SmartWallit was a little bigger than I thought it would be.  Like 90% of the guys I know, I stick my wallet in my…


13.56 Multifunctional NFC Wristband Hits Kickstarter Today

This is a pretty cool concept for all those NFC fanatics out there.  This wristband, designed by ThirteenFiftySix out of Spain, can control many functions of your smartphone including turning off your alarm, unlocking the phone, unlocking private folders, sharing your contact information, controlling your music, and more.  A £25 pledge will land you an NFC wristband of your own. Also, for a very limited time, the first 200 backers who choose the “Pay What You Wish” category can pay whatever they think is fair for the 13.56 NFC wristband.  This wristband seems to have unlimited possibilities since the NFC technology…


Everki Atlas Checkpoint Friendly Backpack Review – a Wearable Mobile Office

Traveling for business is a common occurrence in today’s world. That travel requires lugging a computer and other devices which makes checking baggage difficult. Everki has become the default for designing stylish gear bags with tons of functionality that are checkpoint friendly while traveling. The Atlas, at $169.99, is one of the newest offerings to the Everki lineup. The Atlas backpack joins an already awesome line of checkpoint friendly gear bag options. Airport checkpoints can often ruin a trip before it has started, so a bag option to alleviate this problem can be important. The laptop compartment opens up 180…



Mindshift Gear Contact Sheet Review – a Clean Photography Surface Anywhere

Mindshift Gear, an offshoot of ThinkTank Photo, is now offering the Contact Sheet. This multi-purpose photography accessory is specifically for photographers working in wet or dirty settings. In seconds the sheet extends to 3.5′ by 5′, and it provides a neat and clean surface for photographer’s gear or themselves. Just $39.99 you can find it here. The Contact Sheet is a great example of “the right tool for the right job”. This isn’t a “can’t live without” product, but it has already come in handy for me — and I’m not even a professional photographer, and I don’t work in…


GearTag Helps Ensure You Never Lose Track of Your Gear Again

GearTag, now funding on Kickstarter, is a neat way to keep track of your gear.  These small wireless tags can be clipped to a purse, tucked into a wallet, or attached to your keyring.  From your smartphone or computer, you can ‘page’ your tag or view it’s last known location.  Reserve yours for a $30 pledge. GearTags use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to communicate with your smartphone.  This uses little battery life while also giving you a range of 100 yards.  Each GearTag has it’s own unique QR code printed on one side, like a fingerprint.  If the tag…


MyTVChoice Review – How to Watch Live TV Without Commercials

Are you a sports fan who can’t stand sitting through annoying TV commercials?  Or are you afraid of your children seeing some of the more explicit commercials airing these days?  MyTVChoice monitors the live broadcast and automatically switches to a “safe” channel whenever your preferred program goes to commercial.  The MyTVChoice service costs $9.99 per month. Hardware MyTVChoice comes with a free gateway device, which is powered by an AC adapter plugged into the wall. You’ll want the gateway to have a clear line of sight to your cable box since it is what will eventually change the channel automatically for…


It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a…Flying Car!

I have a 32 mile, 50 minute commute to work.  Even the slightest delay on the roads, will cause me to be late.  What could improve my commute, you ask?  Well, the answer is a flying car!  Terrafugia, a Massachusetts company, created the TF-X which is described as a cross between a Google self-driving car, a helicopter, and a plane. Supposedly, I only need to wait another eight years until I can pay a projected $270,000 for a brand new TF-X.  When the flying car concept was first founded by MIT in 2006, developers announced that we would be driving…


Redverz Gear’s Series II Expedition Tent Includes a Garage

I’m not big into camping, but Redverz Gear’s Series II Expedition Tent could change all that. Its design shelters riders, bikes, and assorted other gear under a single roof. Made from expedition-grade ripstop nylon, the sleeping bag’s double wall design eliminate’s condensation. The bay can be used for cooking, hanging, storage or even as a dressing room. $449. Get it. via WERD


Back to School Time! Classrooms Have Definitely Changed

Summer is officially over in Texas! That’s right, back to school. The classroom you remember as a kid has greatly changed. An article at Edudemic discusses 5 big changes in the classroom. As a tech geek, I find the changes exciting, and I welcome new methods. These changes are coming slowly to my school, but the ball is rolling. The five items becoming outdated according to the author are: Paper Parent teacher conferences Impersonal professional development Attendance Traditional age based learning Today’s student will likely have a much different experience than most adults remember in their education. What are your…


Coravin Help You Preserve That Fine WIne

If you’re a wine drinker that occasionally can’t quite finish that great bottle, you’ve probably been confronted by the problem of vino that just isn’t so keeno the next day. Luckily, Coravin is here with a novel new solution. Thanks to the manufacturer’s ingenious invention, it’s argon to the rescue! I recently got a note from a p/r agency that read, in part, “Don’t you hate it when you just can’t drink all of that bottle of great wine and worry that it will go bad before you can finish it?” Wait, what? “Can’t drink all the bottle?” I am…


TheQ Camera Creates Instantly Shareable Photos

It’s nearly impossible to take a picture any more without immediately thinking, “this needs to go on Facebook (or Tumblr, Twitter), so why not just get a camera that can take a great photo and immediately post it for you to the social network of your choice? Say “Cheese”, and preorder the $199 socially acceptable theQ Camera.   Every aspect of the pocket-sized camera can be controlled, from the social media settings through to the built-in photo filters. In addition to the one-button upload for social sharing, theQ users receive unlimited storage on their theQ LAB personal photo archive page. TheQ camera…


Purse n’ Boots Keep Your Money and Gear Safely Stashed

Ladies, how often have you wished that you had a pocket when one wasn’t available, or wished you could go without a bag when carrying one wasn’t practical. If you are wearing a pair of Purse n’ Boots by Elizabeth Anne, you’re set! Pockets inside the boots hold your cellphone, passport, money, and other similarly sized items; these are brilliant! Built in cell phone, credit card and passport pockets (new) Holds everything from your ID, passport, makeup, cell phone, cash and change The first boot in our catalogue with a cushy, comfortable flat heel Ideal for dancing, travel, shopping & riding Fully functional riding heel for horse lovers…


The Fail Button Perfectly Punctuates Failure

Experiencing more than your share of “brilliant” moments lately? Have you heard the classic trombone “wa – waaaa” in your head at least once? Then why not share the FAIL? Archie McPhee’s big blue FAIL button is perfect for those times when it all goes wrong. Of course, with this kind of luck yours won’t be handy when needed. =P $12.03 FAIL button via Archie McPhee’s Geyser of Awesome


eBay My Gadgets Lets You Track and Sell Your Gadgets With Ease

eBay’s new My Gadgets website lets you quickly gather all your gadgets in one place and then see just how much it is actually worth. Better still, with My Gadgets selling the items you no longer use is easier than ever! All of this is possible Thanks to eBay’s extensive database of electronics and a well-designed web portal.  Click here. Last night Judie posted about eBay’s new My Gadgets portal. As she was sharing the news, I was in Manhattan for the eBay My Gadgets Announcement Party. While there, I had a chance to talk a bit about Judie and…


eBay Launches My Gadgets, a Way for You to Catalog and Value Your Gadget & Tech Collection

If you have been keeping up with Dan’s and my eBay posts and the massive contest connected to the products we’ve reviewed, then you know that eBay has been in the process of launching their now-live site, My Gadgets, where users can “easily catalog their tech collections and see the current value of each of their tech items.”  My Gadgets helps users organize and save all of their gadgets and tech items in a single location; the idea is to make it easy for users to “view the individual and collective values” of their items, “based on eBay’s unique data on current sales…


PetziConnect Lets You Send Your Dog Remote Treats and Praise

Petzila is rolling out the PetziConnect, a webcam and treat dispenser designed to let you interact with your pet, even when you’re not home. Hey, it beats dogTV! My dog routinely outsmarts us. He figured out long ago that he gets treats for two reasons: someone’s at the door, and we don’t want him to eat them, or we’re leaving, and we want him to go lay down on his bed and be a good boy. Bribing him when guests are over is easy since we can keep an eye on him, but the problem with the treats+leaving combo is…


Twelve South HiRise Review – A Perch for Your iPhone 5 and iPad mini

Twelve South only makes products for Apple devices, and their newest offering is a fantastic addition to their lineup. The HiRise is under $35 ,and it is a dock that works with both the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini. It also lets you use either device with most cases! Check it out here. The HiRise is an elegant way to raise your iPhone 5 or iPad mini up off your desk or countertop, and it will securely hold, charge and, if so desired, sync with your computer. I love the look of the HiRise and it works exactly as promised. I…


MindShift Gear’s Contact Sheet – an Item Photographers Will Want

If you are an outdoor photographer, you may find times when you need a clean, dry place to lay out your gear. MindShift Gear’s new Contact Sheet lets you do just that. Pull out the lightweight tarp and you have a place to work anywhere you go. It is $39.99, and it is available here. MindShift Gear, a new company founded by the creators of Think Tank Photo and conservation photographer Daniel Beltrá, are ready to make a splash in the photographic accessory market. Their first accessory product (they also have two photographic backpacks available — more on them soon) is…


The Traktorfahrn Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand

This is the $79 Tobago pear – desk organizer & tablet stand by ETSY seller Traktorfahrn. It will hold your tablet and a few other desktop items, and it is made to work in several configurations. Evidently the maker discovered an unexpected benefit to the stand, too — the solid wood base “amplifies musik if  [the] speaker is facing [the] bottom.” Handcrafted in Dusseldorf Germany from pear wood, which has a beautiful reddish grain, the Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand measures 20 x 12 x 3 cm (7.9” x 4.7” x 1.2”), and it will fit the iPad2, iPad3, Samsung Tablet, ASUS Tablet as well…


Waterfield CitySlicker Tablet Case Review – Protect Your 2013 Nexus 7 In Style

If you are looking to protect your 2013 Nexus 7 in style, then you’ll want to check out Waterfield’s CitySlicker Tablet Case for the Nexus 7. It is a gorgeous combination of leather and other materials, holds a few key accessories, and does a great job protecting the latest Google tablet. The Waterfield CitySlicker Tablet Case is a gorgeous case for carrying your 2013 Nexus 7 and a few key accessories. It might be a bit of overkill, but it is so nice to carry that the added bulk and expense may well be worth it. Here’s a look on…