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IRL: A tablet holder for using your device in bed
There are times when I just want to lie in bed and surf random YouTube channels on my phone or tablet, but it's impossible to hold the device above my head for a prolonged period (we've all been there, right?). Luckily, I stumbled upon this neat kit in Shenzhen one day: a swing-arm tablet holder by some random brand called Usiabu, and it only cost me CN¥80 or $13, as it was from a wholesale dealer (retail price is around $25 in Hong Kong, and Amazon's start from around $30). As you can tell from the price, this product doesn't involve any groundbreaking technology: you've probably already come across desk lamps that use this type of spring-loaded mechanism.
IRL: Tracking bike rides with the Garmin Edge 510
I'm all about minimizing the amount of stuff I need to carry with me, which is why smartphones have been great -- they can double as a camera and even a portable gaming handheld. But when it comes to riding my bike, I still prefer a dedicated device. This is why I picked up a Garmin Edge 510, and now I don't think I'd ever go back to using a smartphone to track my workouts.
IRL: Giving Firefox OS a second chance
When I reviewed the original ZTE Open last year, the Firefox OS experience was -- to put it modestly -- rough around the edges. The device was stripped down even by the standards of low-end phones, while the software was missing features other platforms have had for years. You didn't even get new email notifications, for crying out loud. Jump ahead a year and it's another story. The Open C is a much more powerful device, and Firefox OS has received a few vital upgrades. But does that mean Mozilla's web-based mobile software is finally ready for prime time? I spent two weeks with the Open C to find out if it can hold its own against budget rivals -- and to see if I'd be comfortable using it as my only phone.
Adventures with a homemade standing desk
I, Dan Cooper, am today going to review some cardboard boxes. Not Google Cardboard, nor Luckies' Cardboard Smartphone Projector (which is coming in a few weeks), but some honest-to-goodness cardboard. More precisely, the box for my Nintendo Wii + Wii Fit starter pack, the packaging for a Dyson DC19 T2 Exclusive and an Image Business five-ream printer-paper box. I should add that I haven't been paid by any of the above companies, and each one came with the implement it was purchased with -- oh, except for the paper box, which my wife brought home from her office one day.
IRL: Nokia Lumia 1020 (one year later)
A year later, and strangers still ask. "Is that the Lumia with the crazy camera? How do you like it?" And, after a year, I still offer up the same basic response. "Great camera, solid phone." But after 12 months, and with a slew of new handsets on the way, it's time to reevaluate if my bright yellow Lumia 1020 is still the best choice as my daily driver. Is being great good enough?
IRL: A week with the thinnest phone on the market
Ever since the original Moto RAZR V3 came out 10 years ago, the smartphone industry has had a strange obsession with skinny phones. Not because shaving a millimeter or two off a device will give it more functionality, but because it's an effective marketing tactic. In emerging markets in particular, slimmer phones at slimmer prices enjoy a distinct advantage. Gionee, a handset maker based in China, isn't very well known, but it's looking to make a name for itself with devices like the $375 Elife S5.5. At 5.55mm thick, this svelte beauty currently claims the title for the thinnest smartphone on the market. To put that in perspective, that's a full two millimeters skinnier than the iPhone 5s. I spent a few days with the device to see if thinner really is better.
IRL: Could a custom laptop bag be worth the splurge?
I've always thought it's better to spend more on something once than to buy cheap and replace time and again. Because of this, I've owned exactly two bags in the last nine years: a Wenger Soho backpack and now a custom, $184 Timbuk2 Laptop Messenger. Last spring I decided it was time to retire the trusty Wenger that got me through college and my first three E3s for something a little more modern.
Catching waves with Rip Curl's SearchGPS surf watch
"Track every wave and know every tide." That's the concept behind Rip Curl's SearchGPS, a location-tracking wristwear that combines your typical fitness-tracking features with a waterproof, wave-counting watch for surfers. The final hardware will arrive in black and white color options this October for $400, but we managed to get our hands on a pre-production unit just in time for a little summer fun.
IRL: Two weeks with Samsung's Level portable audio line
Samsung's plan to launch its own "premium" portable audio line was unveiled long before Apple nabbed Beats. I must admit I did an eye roll reading the announcement, given the names of the products in the Level line: On, Over, In and Box. The group offers options for all listening preferences, with appropriately named on-ear, over-ear, in-ear and Bluetooth speaker options at prices that certainly rank at the higher end. After two weeks with the lot, I'm not ready to part with my Beats Pill XL or B&O H6s for Sammy's new kit. Here's why.
IRL: Taking HTC's One M8 for a test drive
The original HTC One was one of my favorite smartphones from 2013, but it was easy to see why you'd pass it up in favor of an archrival like Samsung's Galaxy S4 -- it just didn't have the battery life, camera quality or expansion to keep up. Fast-forward to 2014 and it's a different story. Most of those headache-inducing flaws have been fixed in the new One; indeed, my colleague Brad Molen suggested it was an all-around better device. But is that enough to avoid a twinge of buyer's remorse, especially with the Galaxy S5 and Sony's Xperia Z2 upping the ante? I spent a few weeks with the new One to find out whether I'd still be pining for features from those other devices.
IRL: A 24-inch AOC monitor that doubles as a gigantic Android tablet
What can you do with 24 inches of Jelly Bean that you can't do with 10? Manufacturers like Acer, Asus and ViewSonic have been building oversized Android-powered devices for a couple years now; I was determined to find out why, so I spent a few weeks with AOC's own all-in-one. The hybrid external monitor will run you $370 on Amazon -- more than twice what you'll pay for a comparable 1080p screen -- but this pricier model adds stock Android 4.2.2 with a touchscreen interface. With the tap of a button, the integrated quad-core processor and eight gigs of storage spring into action, effectively converting this otherwise ordinary monitor into a complete Android-powered machine. There's even an integrated 720p webcam, and with stock Jelly Bean on board, you can install whatever apps you'd like from Google Play.
IRL: The Retina display MacBook Pro and Sony's SRS-BTX300 Bluetooth speaker
We've got a twofer this week, folks. As that lead shot up there suggests, we'll be revisiting the Retina display MacBook Pro -- the 13-inch version, to be exact. And then, past the break, we'll also give you a mini-review of Sony's SRS-BTX300 Bluetooth speaker.
IRL: Living with the Cocoon Slim, a backpack made for gadget hoarders
When you run around town with a lot of technology, a good bag isn't just nice to have -- it's a necessity. In any one given day at Engadget, we might be attending a product launch, interviewing people or taking all those lovely sample shots you see around the site. A regular courier bag or rucksack will likely do the job, but do you really want all your work-essential kit rattling around in a cross-city spin cycle? No, us neither.
Giving Samsung tablets another chance with the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4
Samsung's tablets haven't done much for me in the past; outside of the slick Galaxy Tab 7.7, they've rarely had exciting designs or brisk performance. However, the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 caught my eye. It has an iconic (if very Galaxy Note 3-like) look, solid specs and the sharpest display on a tablet that size. With that in mind, I tried this smallest of Tab Pros for a few weeks this past spring to see if it could lure me away from the land of iPads.
IRL: IK Multimedia's iLoud portable Bluetooth speaker
I've secretly desired a portable Bluetooth speaker for a while now, particularly the Beats Pill. But the problem was (and still is) that I can't justify adding yet another wireless music streaming option to my relatively small abode, which is already outfitted with an Apple TV and Pioneer SX-218. Sure, a Bluetooth speaker is handy for the occasional barbecue cookout on your front porch. But any other time, I'd rather just pop in a pair of 'buds and get the entire stereo effect. However, being the fan of IK Multimedia's Apple-centric iRig line that I am, I bit the bullet and opted for the iLoud.
IRL: A few rounds with Babolat's Play Pure Drive smart tennis racquet
The market for connected, stat-tracking tennis gadgets has blossomed seemingly overnight. Some companies offer motion-sensing, snap-on attachments; others sell fancy racquets with built-in sensors. The French company Babolat is taking the latter route with its pricey but capable Play Pure Drive racquet. I took advantage of Tennis Warehouse's demo program to see if the $400 sensor-laden racquet could help me up my game.
IRL: Choosing the Nexus 5 over the Moto X (and the Galaxy Note, too)
I enjoyed using the Nexus 4 during my time with it last summer, but its short battery life, glass back and quirky camera behavior made it tough to truly love. The Nexus 5 is theoretically a different beast: it addresses all those flaws while introducing huge leaps in performance and display resolution. I was tempted enough by those upgrades to buy the new phone and give it a spin on Rogers' network here in Canada. Would it be the Nexus phone I'd always wanted, and make me forget about other Android flagships that launched at the same time, like the G2 and Galaxy Note 3?
IRL: Roost's portable, foldable (and kinda pricey) laptop stand
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. As someone who spends an abnormal amount of time glued to an LED display, I jumped at the chance to back the Roost portable laptop stand on Kickstarter last year. My MacBook Pro found rest on its carbon fiber shoulders only moments after it arrived at my doorstep, and I've rarely taken it off.
IRL: Letting IFTTT automate my life
I've come to rely on different services to help power me through the day: Foursquare to find new coffee shops, Pocket for my reading habits and Instagram and Flickr for photo sharing. As great as these apps are, though, I find myself wishing they could do more -- especially when it comes to how they all talk to each other. Being programming-inclined, I've been turning to If This Then That (IFTTT) to connect these various services, as well as automate some of my more basic tasks.
IRL: Trading in the MacBook Pro for Dell's Precision M3800 workstation (updated)
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. I know what you're thinking: isn't Dell's Precision M3800 workstation for graphics pros or architects? Yes, but just look at it: it's gorgeous in aluminum and carbon fiber, weighs a mere 4.15 pounds, has a fourth-gen Intel Core i7 chip with 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA Quadro K1100M pro graphics and -- get this -- a 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen. The frosting on the gateau, as it were, is the price: it runs $2,554 with a 512GB SSD. If you were eyeing a Retina display MacBook Pro or another high-end 15-incher with discrete graphics, that'd be pretty tempting, right? Maybe yes and maybe not –- let's take a closer look.
