Feature

Many of us work 24/7, thanks to the endless connectivity of our smartphones. Do you want to truly relax one weekend this spring or summer? Try leaving your tech at home! Yes, some research suggests you can maximize your relaxing by unplugging from those endless little tasks like responding to texts and emails as they come in. Wondering how you’ll find your campsite, and what you’ll do when you get there? I have a whole gadget-free list of ways to spend your unplugged weekend! 

We rely on, and come into contact with, so many modern conveniences on a daily basis that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that not all that long ago many of those conveniences had not yet been imagined, let alone invented. Take the electric mixer for example. Can you fathom making cookie dough or whipping cream entirely by hand? I certainly can’t. Electric mixers are a staple in almost every kitchen, but have only been around for about 100 years, and surprisingly, their history is much more interesting than you would have thought.

I’ve done a fair bit of traveling already this year, and couldn’t help but notice Best Buy Kiosks in quite a few airports that I ended up in. I never imagined buying electronics out of a vending machine, but actually it is a brilliant idea. Having done hundreds of business trips over the years, I inevitably had occasions where I forgot my headphones or an important cable. I hate arriving at the airport too early so I usually don’t have much time to spare. A kiosk is a perfect solution because it is a quick and secure way to quickly pick up important necessities.

One of my favourite summer activities is grabbing my clubs and heading to the driving range (and then complaining about how sore I am the next day). I don’t golf on a full course much. I wasn’t blessed with the greatest short game, and to call my putting atrocious would be an understatement. However, I’m keen to get back out on a course just to try some of the new golf wearables out there. From swing coaching to a GPS watch that tells you how far you are from the green, there’s a helpful wearable waiting for you to take for a spin this golf season.

So, you’ve made the big decision—you’re moving! As anyone who has moved before can attest to, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to physically transporting your belongings, such as how to best pack up your kitchen, or move your TV and home theatre. Perhaps the most significant consideration when moving however, is what do with your large, very expensive major appliances. If you’re moving and have been thinking about this, read on as I have some helpful tips!    

Lego has to be one of the best toys available for kids, and it’s a toy that grows with your child and lasts a lifetime. Both my sons have always played with some form of Lego, and now at 9 and 14 they enjoy a lot of the older Lego themed sets like Technic and Mindstorms. I had a chance to try the new LEGO Pirates so I thought it would be great to look at some of our favourite sets, old and new.  

At Sony Canada’s recent VIP product preview event, which included showcasing the new stunning Sony BRAVIA 4K TV lineup displayed, the Japanese electronics manufacturer also showed the a popular selling category this time of year: cameras. One model I took great interest in is Sony’s super portable, mountable and wearable Action Cam.  

If you had to choose only one device to take with you, be it a smartphone, tablet or laptop, which would you go with? There is perhaps no more personal—or versatile—a device as a smartphone. I would argue that the increasing power, screen size and app selection make it hard not to consider it as the go-to choice above all others.

Upscaling and upconverting features, which help make non-native video look presentable on larger resolution displays, have been with us for a while now but have become more important considerations for 4K and Ultra HD TV buyers. With various models are coming down in price, there’s a greater range of display sizes available, making 4K and Ultra HD TVs more viable for consumers

I knew it was time to buy my mom a cell phone when I couldn’t get a hold of her when I had a question and needed advice. To buy the perfect phone for her, I had to figure out exactly what she would like and dislike in a phone, and as I discovered, it was completely different from what I liked.