I am a fan of Apple’s CarPlay. I think it can make driving safer while keeping you informed of new calls and texts, and entertained with podcasts and music, all without having to take your eyes off the road or ever feel the need to pick up your phone while driving. It’s pretty good software, …
Category Archives: reviews
Surprisingly good tech: The weBoost Drive Reach cell signal booster
A couple years ago, I started seeing ads for “cell phone booster” antennas for cars and trucks around the off-roading/4×4 world as a way to stay connected while out in the middle of nowhere, but I was deeply skeptical. How much better could your phone signal be after paying a few hundred bucks for a …
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One year later: The LTE Apple Watch
When the Series 3 Apple Watch came out last year, I decided to try out the new LTE option. I wasn’t sure how it’d change my use of the watch so I bought it to experiment. I bought the Nike+ running model, not because I use or like the Nike+ running app, but for two …
The Eye-Fi mobi card is the real deal
Back in 2006, I was an avid user of Flickr and was asked to help test a new camera card that was going to offer uploading via WiFi. At the time, this meant you could conceivably skip the step of connecting your camera/card to your computer via USB. It was a bit buggy, but eventually …
The Mini Maker Faire kind of blew my mind
I always wanted to attend the original Maker Faire in the Bay Area and the annual shows that followed, but they started soon after I moved to Oregon and they never overlapped with my travel down there. I recently noticed they were touring around Mini Maker Faires to different cities and I was delighted when my …
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Ten months with a Nest
With the recent news of a new version of the smart thermostat Nest coming out, I figured I should finally write up what it has been like living with the first version of the product since last November, when mine arrived. Overall, it's been a great little tool, smart in lots of smart ways and …
Great iOS software: Pillboxie
I have a simple pharmaceutical regime, but a complicated schedule. Three drugs total, one needs to be taken every morning one hour before I eat, a second immediately after I eat (along wth some allergy meds and vitamins at that time). The third one is trickiest, it has to be right before I go to …
Verizon vs. AT&T iPhones in NW Oregon
A friend asked me to review my switch after 3+ years on AT&T to Verizon with the iPhone 4s. I've been using the Verizon phone for nearly 3 months and I spent all summer sitting next to an intern using the first Verizon 4 iPhone, so I got to use them side by side before …
Health Month (so far)
Health Month is a new game (currently in beta) designed to help you find that ever-elusive motivation that you need to improve your health. via healthmonth.com I've been playing the Health Month beta this month and it's been a great motivator to get out of my office chair and onto my bike and into some …
Crap I love: The Tiko portable iPhone/iPad holder
Last fall, I bought a Tiko iPhone/iPod holder to prop up my iPhone while playing movies on planes, after hearing about it on Not Martha. On my way out on the last trip, I decided to throw this barely-larger-than-a-business-card holder in my backpack in case I needed it. After a cross country trip where I …
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A Whole Lotta Nothing 