Hardware Reviews

Review: Pale Blue Batteries Pale Blue Batteries seek to help our pale blue planet survive a bit better by bringing a new battery technology to the market. This Kickstarter funded project created USB rechargeable lithium-polymer (LiPo) AA and AAA batteries. Overview of Pale Blue batteries When I opened them, the …

Review: VogDuo 57W Car Charger–PD $49.99 The VogDuo 57W Car Charger–PD: Many might ask why review a chart charger: aren’t they all the same?  The answer is no. Most car chargers trickle a charge into devices, keeping minimally discharged devices topped, off, but taking forever to charge a device from scratch. …

Review: iPad Pro 12.9 Cases from UAG, Twelve South and Otterbox The iPad Pro 12.9 case dilemma. Apple doesn’t get device cases. Its weird battery bulge for the iPhone case and the elegant but not very protective Smart Keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro leaves plenty of room for additional …

Review: HP EliteBook 830 G5 Current listed price: $1,249 Intro The HP EliteBook 830 G5 Notebook may well be looked back upon as a missing link in the HP product line. The HP EliteBook 830 G5 balances the edge between a modern ultrabook that embraces USB-C as the universal port, …

Review: Twelve South Journal CaddySack, PowerPic and Compass Pro Twelve South continues to come up with niche products that fit lifestyles and technology needs. At CES this year I saw their latest offerings. I was intrigued by their QI-charging frame, their leather accessory book, and their new iPad stand. Here …

Review: Nixplay Seed 10.1 inch Widescreen (Wi-Fi) Nixplay Seed 10.1 inch Widescreen (Wi-Fi) $149.99 Nixplay sells several types of digital frames—the company provided a Nixplay Seed 10.1-inch Widescreen frame, one of their most advanced and stylish models, for evaluation. This Wi-Fi enabled frame brings a wireless interface the display of …

Reviews: Solo and Thule Convertible Duffles and Briefcases Coming out of CES 2019 some big boxes arrived at the office. Those boxes weren’t carrying technology. They were holding some nice new bags from Thule and Solo designed to carry my technology. Of the bags that arrived, three of the four …

Review: Lume Cube Brings Light to Video, Video Conferencing, and Photography Light is crucial to technology capturing a true image of what we see, or perhaps more pointedly, what we want to see. But light is a tricky thing. Too much of it and the image we see washes out. …

Review: Cleer Flow Price: $279 American Airlines used to offer Bose Quiet Comfort 2 (QC2s) noise-canceling headsets to First Class on loan during flights. So like many American Airlines flyers, as I accumulated toward what is now my Million Miles (lifetime Gold status) I spent some of those miles at …

Review: Jabra Elite 65t Price: $169.99 (discounts often available on e-commerce sites) I have new go-to headphones in the Jabra Wireless Elite 65ts.  Although Apple has created some new aesthetic with headphones that dangle, I like a tighter, less intrusive style. I also own a pair of the Jabra Elite …