I finally replaced the old monochrome clock radio that is sitting next to my bed for the past decade or so. The tiny green LED display was hard to read, setting the time was a pain in the butt, and the alarm was really obnoxious, so much so, I stopped setting the alarm. But now, I suddenly have a renewed interest in a bedside clock. Why? Because I just set up the new Lenovo Smart Clock which has integration with Google Home and has Google Assistant built in. I was a bit worried about having a bright, 4” screen in my bedroom, but in the end, I was quite pleased with how this smart clock works in the bedroom. (*Disclosure below.)
Read MoreAdobe Creative Cloud – A Pefect Platform to Test, Learn, and Create
For many, many years, I cobbled together apps that attempted to mirror Adobe Creative Suite. These ranged from Open Source to other paid Mac applications that had many of the functions of various applications contained within the Adobe Creative Suite of products. And, for the most part, I was able to mimic much of the functionality. But, the experience using multiple apps by multiple software vendors was disjointed and somewhat crippled. I found, through a lot of trial and error, numerous installs and other tests, that the functionality was simply not the same. Adobe Creative Cloud, a subscription-based service offering many of Adobe’s flagship products, offers designers, creators, artists, and anyone with any type of creative instinct a way to test and experience an onramp to creativity in general. This was, in fact, my experience as I used many apps to unleash creative at work and on personal projects.
Read MoreKanex Foldable Bluetooth Travel Keyboards Bring Your Office Desk On The Road (Review)
Tiny little smartphone keyboards are great…if you are a teen or tween or even a Millennial. I watch my kids simply fly over the on-screen keyboards at lightning-fast speeds, writing vast amounts of text in literally seconds. I, being an “old dad” (ancient if you ask my kids), can type reasonably quickly on my iPhone but not at the levels and speeds they can. My wife hates on-screen keyboards and has quite a few Bluetooth keyboards that she uses. The problem is, many of those Bluetooth keyboards are bulky and not practical for carrying around in a purse or bag. Then I showed her two new portable, Bluetooth keyboards from Kanex, the MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard with Full Number Pad and the MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard. (*Disclosure below.)
Read MoreGrads, Dads, Travelers – The North Face Borealis Backpack is Perfect for your Next Journey
June and summer itself are rapidly approaching, and this means you need to start thinking and planning for upcoming travels and adventures, as well as recognizing those dads and grads in your life. These could be finding that perfect gift for high school or college graduates, or for that dad in your life who has wanderlust or just preparing for your next vacation or globe-trotting experience. Luckily, Backpacks.com has you covered with a vast assortment of backpack types and styles. In fact, they sent me out The North Face Borealis to test out and review. By the way, I have a coupon code at the end of this backpack review! And, I must say, this is a great, all-around backpack for short trips or longer excursions. (*Disclosure below.)
Read MoreLike High-End Speakers for your Stereo, the 27″ BenQ PD2700U 4K Monitor Makes Your Computer Excel – Review
I remember when record players and vinyl records were popular that a sales person told me that much of your investment should be made on the actual needle for the record player. (And, since vinyl is back, that same advice holds true.) The needle is what brings out the quality of the groves in the record. And, obviously, having a bad set of speakers means that you are not getting the best quality sound. Needle and speakers. In much the same way, if you have a great computer (Mac or PC) but your monitor is sub-par, you are not getting the best multimedia experience possible. And, you could possibly be causing eye strain and fatigue. My advice for computer users, get a great monitor like the BenQ PD2700U. (*Disclosure below.)
If you work in an office, you probably spend more than eight hours a day staring at your screen. And, if you are like me, your eyes get tired, red, dry, and irritated, and you may even get headaches. This could be due to many factors like stress or too much work or something as simple as not blinking enough to moisturize your eyes. (I actually now use moisturizing drops.) But another cause may be your monitor. If the refresh rate is too low or there is some flicker going on (sometimes you can’t even see it), this can be causing eye strain. A high-quality monitor, like the BenQ PD2700U, can actually relieve some eye strain.
