Review

Whether good or bad, the weather is the one thing we all have in common. Probably why we talk about it so often. The Netatmo Weather Station bills itself as the the first personal weather station. It lets you monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, air quality and even noise from your phone, tablet or computer.

The Pioneer X-CM32BT Micro System is a relatively compact little unit that can be deceiving. If asked to describe where it lands in the crowded arena of audio playback systems, I’d have to say it lies somewhere between massive amplifier/receiver systems and compact all-in-one mobile device docking stations. It reminded me of hi-fi systems of a couple of decades ago, but in a much smaller package. The system will play many audio formats and media. Radio, CD’s and digital audio files (MP3/WMA) are all supported.

Can the Wagan Tech Ion Boost V8, a portable emergency roadside kit that claims to jumpstart a dead car battery all on its own, help protect your loved ones? I asked an aircraft structural mechanic to check out the device and give me her professional opinion. What will an engine expert think of the Wagan Tech?  Check out our video test.

When it comes to projectors, I’m what you would call a rookie. I like to think of myself as tech-savvy, but anytime I’m in a meeting where a projector needs to be set up for a presentation, I defer to my colleagues. When I’m at my parent’s house and my nieces and nephews ask me to put a movie on in Grandpa’s theatre room, I defer to Grandpa. So when I was asked to review the BenQ 1080p DLP Home Theatre Projector (HT1075), I was a little nervous. However, as it turns out, BenQ’s claim that with this projector, “home entertainment is only a push of a button away!” is pretty spot-on.

Samsung makes the world’s the best-selling Android flagship smartphone in the Galaxy S5, but not everyone is a fan of the device. Among the most frequent complaints are its large size and its all-plastic design. Samsung was obviously listening because the Galaxy Alpha addresses both of those issues with a premium metal-framed body and compact design. The Galaxy Alpha is Samsung’s best-looking smartphone to date, yet still offers a high performance Android experience.

    I have always been a big fan of GoPro cameras – well the Everio Quad Proof video camera is sort of the GoPro of “camcorders.” Unlike the GoPro, which has a separate case that makes it waterproof, the Everio Quad Proof camera is so durable that the camera as it is can go underwater, in snow, dust storms, and won’t get damaged if it is accidentally dropped. A great camera for all you outdoorsy types that don’t want the elements to prevent you from getting the perfect shot. I had a chance to test drive one and here’s what I found.

        I was pretty excited to review this Audio Technica turntable, as it was a good opportunity to digitize some of my older classic vinyl records. This turntable is also a higher quality machine that is full of the features that I was looking for. It has a lot of flexibility since you can digitize LPs, play them through a receiver, a computer or directly through speakers. It also has DJ capabilities to create a lot of special effects, whether you are a DJ or not.

Sony has been making waves with its latest smartphones, the Z3 Compact and the flagship Xperia Z3. I just sent a loaner Xperia Z3 back to Sony after several weeks of enjoying its big screen Android experience. This is one nice-looking smartphone and just in time for winter snow showers, it’s waterproof. And don’t get me started on the battery life. Read on for my full Sony Xperia Z3 experience.

For the past week, I’ve been rocking a new accessory on my left wrist – the Jaybird Reign Activity Tracker. Introduced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Reign goes above and beyond what other activity trackers offer by encouraging balance and prompting those who wear it to improve their habits. It tells you when you need more sleep, when you need to take it easy, and when you are your optimal self, and I recently got a chance to take one for a test drive. Here’s my take after wearing Reign 24/7 for one week.

Is your tablet a big part of your daily routine? If so, you’ll be interested in the Otterbox Agility Tablet System. Available for Apple iPads and coming soon for several Samsung Galaxy models, the Otterbox Agility is designed to put an end to the routine of struggling to pop tablets in and out of different cases for different tasks, propping the devices up in an attempt to get a good viewing angle and even eliminates cable clutter.