Posts about a variety of topics which are not news and are not reviews.
I recently returned from an epic vacation to California where Jeanne and I explored 3 different locations over the course of 7 days. As with most trips, I always struggle with the gear that I want to take with me. I am a minimalist at heart, so I like to pack the least amount […]
Julie’s gadget diary – 5 lessons I learned from my last vacation Read More
My condo is a rectangle, with the HVAC unit and thermostat at one end and the bedrooms at the opposite end of the condo on the long axis. The air flows out and has a straight path to the living and dining room areas, but it has a 90° turn to the hallway towards the
My first experiences with the Nest Temperature Sensor Read More
Depending on the terms of your rental agreement and the flexibility — or lack thereof — displayed by your landlord, it may not be possible to install smart home items in your abode if they require making permanent alterations. Fortunately, there are still plenty of high-tech items that cater to your apartment-based lifestyle. 1. Belkin
5 Smart tech gadgets for apartment renters Read More
There are only 13 shopping days until Mother’s day on May 13th. You haven’t forgotten dear ol’Mom have you? If you haven’t even begun shopping, I can imagine that knowing that the big day is so close is stressing you out. But there is still plenty of time and we have a few ideas to
Mother’s Day 2018 gift guide Read More
I’ve been seeing a lot of headlines this afternoon about Google updating the web-based Gmail interface for the first time in years. I can’t remember any changes to Gmail since I switched to it as my only email client back in 2009. Software updates are usually something that I enjoy and look forward to, but
Julie’s gadget diary – Gmail will be updated soon and I’m worried Read More
Stephen Hawking, a renowned theoretical physicist, and well-known author passed away on March 14, 2018. He may have been one of the more famous and brilliant scientists of our time, but isn’t it wonderful to know that he had a fabulous sense of humor? It makes him a bit more human to the rest of us. I
The arrival of spring means it’s time to put the flannel sheets and heavy jackets away in favor of items made for warmer weather. It’s also a time which often inspires people to get in the spring cleaning mood. You can probably relate, but may not be looking forward to the task. That’s because
Spring cleaning has never been so easy with this robot vacuum Read More
Verizon Wireless was kind enough to send me a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone to test for a few days and it’s an all around awesome phone. From the look of the hardware to what’s under the hood, this is a phone that many Android fans would love to own, but for some reason, I
Julie’s gadget diary – The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a great phone, so why don’t I love it? Read More
In my last gadget diary post from over a week ago, I announced that I was going to give up my paper notebooks in favor of a digital To-Do system to help me manage my tasks. After I published that post, quite a few of you gave me ideas for different apps to try (thanks!).
Julie’s gadget diary – Update on my plan to ditch my notebooks Read More
I have been using a very simple Bullet Journal style of task management for the last 4 years. It has worked out well for me because I can keep a notebook open next to me all day so I am able to see a daily list of what I need to do and I get
Julie’s gadget diary – I’m ditching paper and going back to a digital To-Do system Read More
Children are rapidly growing up which implies they can get bored quickly with any toy or gadget. Because of that, it is an awesome plan to get them a toy which can keep them involved for a long time. If you plan to search for that sort of toy, search for something that will empower
5 awesome gadgets for your kids that they won’t outgrow too quickly Read More
I’m a naturally curious person. Or maybe a better word is nosy. I love reading articles where people describe how they work or show the gear that they use. I also enjoy seeing how people setup their computer home screens and their phone home screens. I thought it would be fun to share the Gadgeteer
Gadgeteer team: Our mobile home screen setups Read More
I have been happily using a Pixel 2 XL smartphone that I bought back in October. At least I’ve been happy with it until recently when I started having issues with Bluetooth connectivity. At first, I thought the issue was with the gadgets that I was reviewing and not the phone itself. But when the
Julie’s gadget diary – I just ordered an Essential Phone Read More
Netflix is great. There’s nothing like being able to binge your favorite series or call up a classic movie you haven’t seen in forever. But let’s face it, the search and discovery interface is a train wreck. The rows of recommendations and random categories are seldom useful, and if your kids or someone who doesn’t
Flixable is the best Netflix search tool around Read More
So, it finally happened. It’s not like I didn’t want to transition, but am I ready. What happened you may ask? My Windows computer crashed after a long hard fought life. To be honest, I was expecting it to happen, the signs were there, really. I woke up every day to a warning message saying
Life without Windows, transitioning to iOS only Read More
According to Nathaniel Bullard and Adam Minter, writing in the CT Post, we are using fewer, lighter, more energy efficient, and easier to recycle gadgets. This trend has been going on all century but with all the fear-mongering and hand-wringing and news photos of boatloads of e-waste going to developing nations, the truth is much
Our obsession with gadgets lowers energy use and waste! Read More
Heaven’s Gate is a well-produced and thought-provoking podcast that takes a deep look at the cult of the same name. Over 20 years ago, this group emerged from obscurity and captivated the world when 39 members took their own lives in a mass suicide. Host Glynn Washington offers insight through interviews with the departed’s loved
‘Heaven’s Gate’ podcast a personal journey through an alien cult Read More
Every year either on or around December 31st, I like to put together a list of our most popular news, reviews and articles from the past year according to Google’s traffic statistics for the site. It’s interesting to see which articles and topics have been the most popular with our readers. Any ideas what the
The Gadgeteer’s top 12 posts of 2017 Read More
I switched from an iPhone 7 Plus to the Pixel 2 XL back in October, so I’ve been using it for almost 3 months now and feel like I have a really good handle on how it works and performs. When people were complaining about the phone’s display issues, I shrugged my shoulders because the
Julie’s gadget diary – One reason why I love the Pixel 2 XL that you’ll never guess Read More
We’re back this week for the final installment of The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gadgets of 2017. Don’t forget to check out the earlier posts too!
The year in review – Favorite gadgets of the Gadgeteer team for 2017 (part 3) Read More