Garry Kolb

After a successful 35-year career in information technology in mid-Michigan, I am now happily retired and living the dream life in The Villages, Florida with my fun-loving and very tolerant wife of 39 years. When not playing golf, pickleball, or water volleyball, I like amazing our neighbors with our automated home and fiddling with new gadgets.

Olive Pro earbuds review – earbuds and hearing aids in one device

oliveunion olivepro 8

REVIEW – If you’re a regular reader of The Gadgeteer and my reviews, you’ll know that I have been on a quest to find the perfect earbud.  I’ve tested several, but so far, none have had that ‘wow’ factor that ended my search.  The latest contestant is the Olive Pro from Olive Union.  These aren’t […]

Olive Pro earbuds review – earbuds and hearing aids in one device Read More

Add some pizzazz to your wrist with a new hybrid mechanical watch by The Electricianz

elz ecircuitblackcover

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Watches seemed to be a dying thing a while back.  With everyone carrying cellphones, there didn’t seem to be much use for another way to tell time.  Innovative watch manufacturers are turning the tide by introducing interesting and unusual new timepieces that are as much fashion as they are function. The Electricianz

Add some pizzazz to your wrist with a new hybrid mechanical watch by The Electricianz Read More

WLWYB Ambient light Lego letter lamp review – personalize your light with Legos

wlwyb ambient 4

REVIEW – Are you info creative lighting?  Are you also into building things with Legos?  If the answer to both of those questions is “yes”, then read on!  The Lego enthusiasts at WLWYB (we love what you build) have come up with an interesting USB-powered feature light built from Lego bricks.  Let’s check it out!

WLWYB Ambient light Lego letter lamp review – personalize your light with Legos Read More

Twinkly Line review – not your father’s boring old LED strip

twinkly line 11

REVIEW – LED light strips are cool.  They can add accent colors to your home decorating.  Most LED strips display one color of your choosing.  Twinkly, a maker of app-controlled, addressable LED lights recently released Twinkly Line.  Let’s see why this isn’t your father’s boring old LED light strip. What is it? Twinkly Line is

Twinkly Line review – not your father’s boring old LED strip Read More

Goodpapa K1 4-in-1 All Purpose Spin Scrubber review – a different spin on kitchen cleaning

goodpapa k1scrubber 12

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – Spending time cleaning, sucks, am I right?  I’m all for anything that can reduce cleaning time and effort, especially if it also improves cleaning performance.  Goodpapa is putting its spin on kitchen cleaning with its new Kickstarter campaign for the K1 4-in-1 Spin Scrubber. They have some history with spinning cleaning products

Goodpapa K1 4-in-1 All Purpose Spin Scrubber review – a different spin on kitchen cleaning Read More

Thrunite Catapult Mini flashlight review – over 600 lumens in the palm of your hand

thrunite catapultmini 6

REVIEW – Flashlights are important safety items.  If you need bright light, it usually means carrying a big light with you.  Big light = big light, right?  Not if you’re carrying the new Catapult Mini from Thrunite! What is it? The Catapult Mini is a high-powered flashlight styled after Thrunite’s Catapult V6 SST70 flashlight, just

Thrunite Catapult Mini flashlight review – over 600 lumens in the palm of your hand Read More

WP Standard wine tote review – tote your Two-Buck Chuck in style!

wpstandard winetote 7

REVIEW – Do you ever take wine with you to a gathering?  Imagine showing up with a classy bottle of wine wrapped in a tacky plastic bag.  Oh, the horror!  WP Standard, maker of fine leather bags, wallets, and accessories offers up their wine tote as a means to class up your arrival. What is

WP Standard wine tote review – tote your Two-Buck Chuck in style! Read More

Twinkly Flex app-controlled LED light strip review – get creative with your indoor accent lighting

twinkly flex 2

REVIEW – I’m into interesting indoor and outdoor lighting and have written too many reviews of different products to link here.  One of my favorites is the Twinkly series of app-controlled lights, like the Twinkly Strings. Twinkly is back at it, bringing new products to market.  This time, it is indoor lighting with Twinkly Flex. 

Twinkly Flex app-controlled LED light strip review – get creative with your indoor accent lighting Read More

Amazon’s connected soap dispenser – why?

amazon soapdispenser 5

NEWS – Prompting the question, “Why?”, Amazon recently introduced a connected soap dispenser. Don’t get me wrong – I love internet-connected things.  My whole house is automated.  I even tried an Alexa-enabled device for the shower, but that crashed, quite literally. But not everything needs to be connected. Amazon is back at it with their

Amazon’s connected soap dispenser – why? Read More

SunJack 25W solar panel with batteries review – power your portable life with the Sun

sunjack solarpanel 6

REVIEW – I’ve talked before about how reliant we Gadgeteers are on power.  We love gadgets and gadgets love power.  How about a gadget that doesn’t run on power – it creates power!  Let’s take a look at the SunJack 25W foldable ETFE monocrystalline solar panel charger with two 10,000mAh power bank batteries system.  How’s

SunJack 25W solar panel with batteries review – power your portable life with the Sun Read More

BioLite AlpenGlow 250 & 500 rechargeable lanterns review

biolite alpenglow 7

REVIEW – We all need a little light in our lives.  For your consideration, here are two little lights from BioLite, the AlpenGlow 250 & 500 rechargeable lanterns. These LED lights are designed to sit on a flat surface or hang from their built-in hook.  They also double as USB battery packs, providing on-the-go charging

BioLite AlpenGlow 250 & 500 rechargeable lanterns review Read More

Atowak Ettore Drift wandering hour watch review – Channel your race car desires

atowak ettoredrift 13

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – At some point in our lives, many of us have fantasized about driving a race car at breakneck speeds, whipping around an oval, or perhaps conquering a road course, effortlessly drifting around a tight curve, keeping the vehicle in perfect alignment for that expert exit at full throttle.  Put that thrill on

Atowak Ettore Drift wandering hour watch review – Channel your race car desires Read More

Oiiwak 5MP wi-fi wireless endoscopic camera review

oiiwak 5mpborescope 9

REVIEW – Endoscopes are tools that let you peer into hidden spaces – down into pipes, through holes, around corners, and such.  Today, we’re looking at one from Oiiwak, specifically a new 5MP version that promises high-resolution images and video. What is it? An endoscope is a camera mounted on a cable.  This allows you

Oiiwak 5MP wi-fi wireless endoscopic camera review Read More

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 smartphone gimbal review

zhiyun smoothq3 3

REVIEW – Content creators are everywhere these days.  Photos are great, but video still rules for compelling content.  Nothing destroys a clip more quickly than jerky video.  It can make the content borderline unwatchable. Zhiyun has released their new Zhiyun Smooth Q3 smartphone gimbal.  Let’s check it out and see if this can smooth the

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 smartphone gimbal review Read More