The IONA dock from LandingZone is a premium charging dock for the iPhone and iPad. IONA was designed by the renowned industrial designer, Mike Nuttall, and it shows. It’s a sleek attractive dock, one of the best I’ve ever tried. It’s constructed of aluminum and glossy white plastic with a heavily weighted swivel base. It works with […]
01
Oct
Oct
Ditto is hot! This tiny little device alerts you to incoming calls, texts and messages, and it’s selling like hotcakes according to several insiders. It clips to your shirt or underwear and emits a discreet vibration. It connects to your phone by Bluetooth and relies on a free app (iOS and Android) to set it up. You […]
28
Sep
Sep
Sep 28th 2015 TRIANGULATION 218 PHIL BAKER: THE PRODUCT GUY Hosted by Leo Laporte Phil Baker is an expert in new product development. Records live every Monday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 18:00 UTC.
28
Sep
Sep
When I tried the Apple Watch several months ago when it first came out, I found it to be a technology gadget that had no compelling value over the short time I used it. But the Watch is one of those products not lending itself to a quick review. It’s not like an iPhone whose […]
28
Sep
Sep
The idea of wirelessly charging our phones has been a promise for more than a decade. In concept, you just place your phone on a flat surface or pad and the phone automatically charges. No cables to plug in. While it sounds great, it has failed to catch on and has cost companies millions of […]
28
Sep
Sep
Living in San Diego, it’s not often I have a chance to get a close look at a the hotel scene here. So I was excited to attend an introduction to the the 211 room Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar. I’ve stayed at hotels all over the world, particularly in Asia, and the Palomar made a really positive […]
28
Sep
Sep
Homeland Security personnel ran a test a few weeks ago to determine how effective the screening is at U.S. airports. The results were dismal. The Transportation Security Administration failed to detect fake guns, bomb parts, and explosives in 67 out of the 70 attempts, failing 95 percent of the time. Something is terribly wrong when […]
14
Sep
Sep
The cellular companies are losing some of their hold on our cellular services and that’s a good thing. Much of this began when the FCC disapproved the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. As predicted by the FCC and the consumer groups opposing the merger, this has resulted in more competition. Left on its own, T-Mobile, […]
08
Sep
Sep
Several months back I reviewed Uber and described how much I liked using it. In fact, I compared it to having a driver at your disposal, being able to call for a ride whenever needed. But there’s another side to Uber that surfaced last week. I first learned of it when a good friend of […]
24
Aug
Aug
Chevy Volt Here’s my final update on the 2013 Chevy Volt I bought nearly two years ago. I’ve driven 12,800 miles and just took it in for its scheduled free maintenance — still no cost for any service. The car continues to perform well with no real mechanical or electrical issues. There are no rattles […]
23
Aug
Aug
I’m pleased to announce that the following column was selected as Column of the Year by the San Diego Society of Journalists: Why can’t the US build consumer electronic products? I recently returned from a short trip to Shenzhen, the large Chinese city less than an hour’s drive north of Hong Kong. When anyone wonders […]
17
Aug
Aug
We’ve seen some astounding developments in consumer technology since I began writing this column 12½ years ago, but also have had to put up with many of the issues that are associated with these advancements. As we near the final print edition of The Daily Transcript, I take a look at some of the important […]
17
Aug
Aug
We’ve seen some astounding developments in consumer technology since I began writing this column 12½ years ago, but also have had to put up with many of the issues that are associated with these advancements. This week I take a look at some of the important developments in consumer tech, both good and bad. Among […]
10
Aug
Aug
I’ve been trying out two products that perform completely different functions yet have many similar elements. They represent the new wave of products called the Internet of Things, devices that use a wireless connection to the cloud to provide services in the home. Echo Echo is a clever product developed by Amazon that falls into […]
03
Aug
Aug
Printers can produce a love-hate relationship. We love the utility they provide and their low cost. But we hate the high cost of ink cartridges, sometimes priced at more than the printer itself. Epson WF-4630 I’ve been using the Epson Multi-Function Printer WF-4630 for about four months. The all-in-one inkjet printer scans, faxes, copies and […]
20
Jul
Jul
I’ve been trying out a product that’s designed to improve cell service, both data and voice, in the home. It’s called the Cel-Fi Duo Signal Booster from Nextivity, a San Diego-based technology company. I’m using the model designed for T-Mobile cellular phones. A second version is available for AT&T phones. While there are not yet […]