Smartphones & Gear

The DRACOdesign AERO Dual Protection Metal Bumper Case for iPhone XS Max Review

DRACOdesign used to require a little screwdriver for installing and removing their metal bumper cases, but a lot has changed since our last DRACOdesign review in 2015. The DRACOdesign AERO Dual Protection Metal Bumper Case is now available for the iPhone XR and XS Max; it doesn’t hamper Qi charging or your wireless signal, and it doesn’t require a screwdriver.



The Honor 8X Proves You Can Get a Great Phone Without Breaking the Bank

Some months ago I had the opportunity to review the Honor View 10 smartphone. I was impressed with pretty much every aspect of the device and even more impressed by its price which brings it in at about half of what you pay for a new iPhone. Honor has done some amazing things with even lower cost devices, and today we’re looking at the Honor 8X.


IntelliARMOR Scout Wireless Charger: Everything You Need in One

If you don’t mind using a portable battery pack without built-in charging cables, you’ll have plenty of options. If, however, you want a battery pack with built-in charging cables, your choices will be much more limited along which particular devices that work with that particular charger. Unless you get the intelliARMOR Scout Wireless Charger; it works with everything.




OnePlus 6T Is Still the Best No-Compromise Affordable Phone

As the end of 2018 was beginning to coming into view, OnePlus made it clear that the year was still had some life left. They released the OnePlus 6T, their mid-year iterative update that takes the best of their most recent model and further refines it. The phone won immediate acclaim, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts.



These Sub-$20 OnePlus Type-C Bullets Earphones Sound Surprisingly Great

I’ve been impressed by OnePlus since Judie and I each bought the original offering. Since then, they have continued to deliver ever-more-powerful phones. I’m currently reviewing the OnePlus 6T. The phone is so impressive that my review has taken on a life of its own. In this short review, however, I want to look at the OnePlus Type-C Bullets Earphones.


Gear Diary’s Best of CES 2019 Awards

We found so many great new products this year at CES that we could have easily awarded 20 with a “Best of CES” designation, but alas, we could only pick ten. Here, in no particular order, are Gear Diary’s top 10 picks for Best of CES 2019.


Coal Portable Charger Has Style and a Little Something Extra

When I arrived at my first CES, I quickly discovered that the long days and congested cellular networks caused my phone’s battery to lose its charge in no time. We raced around looking for external batteries. From a design perspective, the Coal Portable Charger is a throwback to the external batteries of that time. But that’s only part of the story.