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Brad Moon

Brad Moon
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I’m a long-time electronics and gadget geek who’s been fortunate enough to enjoy a career that lets me indulge this interest. I have been writing about technology for several decades for a wide range of outlets including Wired, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, MSN, About.com, Kiplinger, and GeekDad. I’m in my 10th year as a senior contributor for Forbes with a focus on reviewing music-related tech, Apple gear, battery power stations and other consumer electronics. My day job is with the Malware Research Center at AI-native cybersecurity pioneer CrowdStrike.

The coolest toy tech for father’s day fun

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One of my favourite things about Father’s Day is how it lets me be a kid again. When my kids were younger, this often meant building a LEGO kit together. Now that they’re older and into high tech toys like drones, robotic kits and R/C vehicles, Father’s Day means I get to relive being a kid while playing with gear I find genuinely fascinating —all while bonding with my own kids. If there’s a dad in your life who’s just waiting to unleash his inner child, I’ve put together some high tech toy suggestions from Best Buy’s extensive selection of gear that will have dad (and his kids) pretty happy on Father’s Day.

Review: ZAGG folio for ipad and ipad mini

Now that Microsoft is offering a version of its ubiquitous Office productivity suite for the iPad, Apple’s tablets are even closer to being a device that can be used for getting serious work done. Mouse support and multi-window functionality in a future iOS version would be nice, but with a decent Bluetooth wireless keyboard, an iPad does a pretty good job these days. I took one of the best-known iPad keyboard solutions for a test run and was impressed by just how good the experience can be. The ZAGGkeys Folio not only offers a compelling Bluetooth keyboard, but it mounts it in a clamshell enclosure that transforms the iPad into an ultra-portable laptop. How well does the ZAGGkeys Folio work? I wrote this post (over 1,000 words) using a ZAGGkeys Folio and my iPad Mini with Retina Display and it was virtually as fast as my usual PC-based writing setup.  

Review: D-Link DIR-862L AC 1600 Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Router

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D-Link’s DIR-862L is a new entry in the class of next generation of wireless routers and should provide a boost to your Wi-Fi network, even if all your devices aren’t yet 802.11ac capable. I tested the DIR-862L and found it delivers a solid upgrade to an older network, while D-Link’s optional mobile app-based configuration and network management made setup and fine-tuning a breeze.  

ZAGG Invisible Shield Glass for iPad reviewed

Mobile electronics like smartphones and tablets are great, but it doesn’t matter who makes them, they all share one weak spot: the display. That big, bright screen is prone to scratches and with touch operation, it’s a magnet for fingerprints. Annoying as they are, the smudges can at least be cleaned off, but once your display is scratched, it’s scratched. The only real option you have is to replace it —and that is an expensive proposition. The ZAGG Invisible Shield Glass is an ultrathin slab of tempered glass you apply on top of your display for complete protection against scratches and resistance to fingerprints. I tested out versions for the iPad Mini with Retina Display and iPad Air and ZAGG Invisible Shield Glass is now on my must-have list for future device purchases.

Review: D-Link Wi-Fi Upgrade Kit improves your existing router

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Wi-Fi has become the common link between a huge range of the devices we use at home, but it can also be the weakest link. Especially if your router is an older model. If your Wi-Fi network doesn’t seem to be performing up to snuff and there are dead zones where the signal is weak, then you could replace the router. Or you could turn to an alternate solution, such as D-Link’s DAP-1650 Dual Band Gigabit Range Extender/ Wi-Fi Upgrade kit. That name is a mouthful, but in a nutshell, this is a device you can use instead of replacing that router. It’s a less expensive option, for most people it will mean less fuss than having to configure a new wireless router and it delivers many of the upgrades available in the latest Wi-Fi technology.

D-Link wireless network cameras reviewed

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There are many reasons you might want a wireless networked camera for your home. The primary attraction is security, of course. Being able to record or get a live view of what’s going on inside or outside your home at any given time makes for peace of mind. Being able to open an app on your smartphone or tablet and pull up a live view —from anywhere and at any time— is even better. The cool thing is you don’t have to invest in having a professional security system  installed or pay monthly monitoring fees. D-Link offers wireless cameras to cover just about any home use scenario. In this post, I review the DCS-2330L Outdoor HD wireless camera and the Cloud Camera 2200 HD Day/Night network camera. Both are from D-Link, both are easily configurable and both offer 720p video on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Father’s Day gift suggestions

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Time is ticking on that most important of holidays —Father’s Day! As the father of three kids, it’s possible that I may have a slight bias toward where the day should fall in the ranking of officially celebrated holidays. However, since Festivus has yet to be recognized and May the Fourth gets snubbed by most major greeting card manufacturers, Father’s Day is definitely up there. If your dad is anything like me (or the dads I know), Best Buy is a pretty solid bet when it comes to finding the perfect gift by June 15th. Here are a few suggestions. Note to my wife and kids: some of these may or may not be hints, but you won’t go wrong with any of them…

Intel NUC Review: Big Possibilities in a Tiny Package

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Intel doesn’t usually get involved in PC manufacturing. Components —especially the CPUs that power computers and mobile devices— are its bread and butter. But with the NUC (or Next Unit of Computing), Intel is going most of the way towards offering its own, intel-branded PC. I say most of the way because what you get out of an Intel NUC box isn’t a functioning PC, but a kit that provides much of what you need to build a capable computer, in a tiny package. Lacking essentials like storage, RAM, Wi-Fi card and an operating system, the Intel NUC is about as barebones as retail PCs get, yet its elegant design and powerful CPU make for a very capable little mini PC —once you assemble the pieces you need and install them.

Look forward to summer road trips thanks to car audio technology like CarPlay

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Chances are you’re too young to remember this, but there was a time when car audio was limited to AM radio or even 8-track tapes. Even today, many new cars ship with a standard entertainment system that doesn’t get much fancier than an in-dash CD player. Fortunately, Best Buy has an entire department dedicated to upgrading your ride with the latest in audio and other high tech gear, including emerging new platforms like Apple’s CarPlay. Whether you want a subwoofer powerful enough to rattle your entire block, Bluetooth handsfree capability, a navigation system, video playback or the ability to use Siri to find a favourite tune, Best Buy has you covered.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Aims to Be “The Tablet That Can Replace Your Laptop”

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Microsoft held a press event in New York today and while all the buzz was around the possibility of a smaller Surface tablet, Microsoft went the opposite direction. The Surface Pro 3 was unveiled and instead of shrinking, Microsoft’s latest professional tablet got bigger. At 12-inches, it rivals the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2, but uses a fourth generation Intel Haswell processor to run Windows 8.1 Pro. Despite the massive display, it’s thin, lightweight and Microsoft is positioning it as not just a tablet, but a full-fledged laptop replacement.