Best Wearable Technology
Stay connected with call, text & calendar alerts and notifications from your favorite apps like Gmail, Facebook and more (when phone is nearby).Start a FitStar workout on your wrist and get step-by-step instructions and graphics to ensure you complete each move correctly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"PROs: - Large screen, easy to read display. - Nice gorilla glass screen that doesn't get scratched. - Accurate heart rate monitor without the need for chest strap. - Automatically tracks steps, sleep, workouts, heart rate. You really don't need to manually start activities like running, walking, or elliptical, the watch automatically picks up these activities and logs them based on movement and heart rate. CONs: - Hexagonal design may not be aesthetically pleasing (but not bad once you get used to it). - No built-in GPS to map runs and bike rides (need to carry phone to map). - Not waterproof so can't be worn in the pool. - Watch needs to be removed from frame every time for charging. - Screen doesn't always come on when I raise my wrist. **. SCREEN – I am used to wearing somewhat large watches like the Garmin 920XT, and the Blaze is just fine. Yes, the design may seem odd a bit at first given the width and the space between the frame and actual watch, but the benefit of a large size is that the screen is super easy to read without having to pull your wrist up, a simple flick and you can view all snapshots and smart notifications in a discrete way (useful when you're sitting in meetings). The screen, similar to the Apple watch, stays off, and can be turned on with the simple turn of a wrist. I have found that raising the wrist doesn't always turn on the screen (this works flawlessly with the Apple watch), however if you "flick" your wrist towards you, the screen will turn on right away. I have extensively compared heart rate shown by the Blaze to that shown by the Apple watch (which is usually WAY off) and that shown by my Garmin chest strap HRM, which is considered the most accurate. With the built-in heart rate monitor, it automatically tracks your activities and calories burnt in case you forget to manually start a workout on the watch. With the Blaze, it has an Auto-Sleep feature that doesn't require you to turn on the sleep mode, it will automatically detect that you are sleeping based on lack of movement and heart rate. I did notice that if I am using my phone like listening to music (and not looking at the phone screen), notifications do not show on the watch. I charger like the Apple watch would have been ideal where you can simply drop the watch on the charging pad and it will charge right away. That being said, I have accidentally worn the Blaze in the shower a few times already (I'm probably still used to my Garmin watch which I didn't need to take off) and the watch held up just fine. QUICK COMPARISON WITH APPLE WATCH: - Apple watch is sleeker and feels more comfortable on the wrist. - Apple watch has a better and crisper resolution compared to Blaze's screen. Apple watch doesn't track sleep and requires you to manually start logging an activity. - Both have smart notifications and show text messages, calls, calendar appointments, but Apple watch lets you do more like view WhatsApp messages and other phone notifications, and answer calls right on the watch. - Blaze has a 5-6 day battery life with normal use compared to Apple watch which needs to be charged every 1-2 days. - Blaze - $199, Apple watch - $349 for base model. BOTTOM LINE: - If you have an older fitness tracker band like the Fitbit Flex or Jawbone Up, the Blaze is a great upgrade with all its new features (heart rate monitor, auto activity/sleep tracker, smart notifications). - If you have an Apple watch, I guess the Blaze doesn't offer that much more to make it worthy of a switch (though I'm a huge fan of the accurate HRM and auto tracking in the Blaze). Just adding a few minor observations in addition to the initial review: - If you let the watch automatically track a workout, it starts logging it after the first 5-10 minutes, basically only once your heart rate picks up. Minor issue, immaterial in my opinion - if you want a precise log of your workouts, you can manually start the workout on the watch and it will log it as a 1-hour workout. - The watch automatically detects when you're sleeping based on movement (lack of) and heart rate, however it doesn't automatically turn off notifications during this time. To turn off notifications when sleeping, you can either put your phone in sleep mode, or switch off notifications on the watch by simply swiping down on the main screen."
"It continually tracks your heart rate, your steps, stairs climbed, calories burned, active minutes, miles, exercise, and sleep. It seamlessly works with the FitBit app, which can also help you keep track of your calories consumed (works with apps like MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, etc), water intake, and weight. All of them have been the Milanese style bands and the ones that came from china caused major hives/break outs on my wrist, one of which required a prescription cream to resolve. One milanese band has worked consistently well for me without skin issues and no problems with the magnet slipping. Please note this is NOT an affiliate link and none of the things in the post are sponsored. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01J0RAP3U/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1. -As of the date of this review, the watch does NOT have "reminder to move" functionality. Doing some reading, it looks like FitBit plans to have a firmware update in the future to include this, but as of now, it does not. What I would like to see is a reminder to move during hours that you set based on the amount of steps you want to achieve in a day. I had a fitness tracker several years ago that would buzz if you had been sedentary for 10 minutes. This functionality would be great for people with office jobs that sit all day. FitBit has a proprietary charger so you can't just use any standard cord to plug it in. You have to take the face of the watch out of the band and put it in a boxed-frame like charger to charge. I haven't had a problem with it, but I did have a couple of glass screen protectors on it and they both broke within a day, but my watch face is still fine without scratches."
FREE CONTENT WITH PURCHASE - On Viveport, HTC's global VR app store, get a free trial for Viveport Subscription plus Google's Tilt Brush, Everest VR, and Richie's Plank with your purchase.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you were like me, you might be a little hesitant about tech like this, because you tried a GEAR VR, or think 3d desktop gaming and 3d movies are kinda of cool, but certainly not worth this kind of investment. Kind of like that first time you picked up that wii controller and "bowled" and thought "hey, this is pretty cool." Once you complete the setup you'll enter the tutorial and blow up a balloon.. You'll (without instruction) think.. What happens if I try to hit this floating balloon.. Probably nothing.. but you'll immediately realize how intuitive and accurate this "new world" is when the balloon flies in the direction and velocity you would expect it to based on your hand movement. You separate when you realize you can (literally) walk underneath the balloon, look up at it, jump and swat it down to the floor. I can't imagine how silly it looks in real life with your hand just jerking up and down, left to right, ducking, spinning.. etc. But in the game it really feels like you're in a serious situation and your hand needs to dodge these incoming blobs at all costs. When I realized that I could walk closer to my boundary wall that the desktop was on at that time, and the text got closer/clearer, it was an additional level of "that's friggin cool." Once you've got a Steam account set up, be careful, it's easy to blow through 80 dollars (of real money) in a 4 minute virtual shopping spree. Plug in ear buds and "mirror" the sound so you can rock out hard to audioshield without waking the neighbors. So you can control the session for them (get them into a game, get them started, etc) without having to walk them through everything - but again, it is pretty intuitive and should be easy to pick up for 90 percent of people. There are several "full" games available, and I haven't even gotten to them, because The Lab, Zombie Trainer, The Brookhaven Experiment, and (especially) AudioShield have me completely satisfied for the time being. We're all still waiting on the "major" releases of Doom, Fallout 4, Serious Sam, Arizona Sunshine etc. The action of "teleporting" in large scale games seems to be the goto method for moving around in the world. I'm interested to see how games like "Don't stop talking and nobody explodes" work and bring a "crowd" together with one headset. When you feel like a freaking rockstar defending yourself from incoming musical notes, you won't be thinking about the slight pixilation, or how the graphics in the background aren't super detailed. Keep in mind.. That while the software is pretty polished and works well, this type of thing probably isn't for someone who isn't at least a moderate "power user." I've had some minor issues like weird Steam crashes, VR world disappearing if the CPU is under a lot of stress, computer not completing POST when the link box was plugged in. The mass population isn't exactly tech savvy so that excludes a major percentage of potential buyers. Honestly, I've got a lot of cool stuff but this is ABSOLUTELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY the coolest tech I've seen or played with in my entire life."
"Sitting in front of a desktop PC doesn't do my body any good at all. I feared that I would use the Vive as a form of escape and ignore my real world responsibilities and kill my social life. There are sensors to set up, a good amount of space needed, a LOT of cable management. It works best if you have an entire room dedicated to VR, but not all of us are fortunate enough to have that kind of space. The last thing you want to see when you return is a sink full of dishes, dirty laundry, clutter or anything that would cause you disappointment. I have a welcoming, clean open space complete with yoga mats. :) She used to be an avid scuba diver but can no longer dive due to health issues. My friend's wife was trying to plan a small surprise birthday for him but they're new in town and don't know many people. I'm planning on having people over most weekends to have fun and explore the possibilities the Vive offers. You will need a top of the line computer with a powerful graphics card in order to run the Vive properly. Being a big gamer, I already had the computer ($1100 about six months ago) but I still had to upgrade to a GeForce 1070, which currently runs just over $400."
Stay connected with call, text & calendar alerts and notifications from your favorite apps like Gmail, Facebook and more (when phone is nearby).Start a FitStar workout on your wrist and get step-by-step instructions and graphics to ensure you complete each move correctly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"PROs: - Large screen, easy to read display. - Nice gorilla glass screen that doesn't get scratched. - Accurate heart rate monitor without the need for chest strap. - Automatically tracks steps, sleep, workouts, heart rate. You really don't need to manually start activities like running, walking, or elliptical, the watch automatically picks up these activities and logs them based on movement and heart rate. CONs: - Hexagonal design may not be aesthetically pleasing (but not bad once you get used to it). - No built-in GPS to map runs and bike rides (need to carry phone to map). - Not waterproof so can't be worn in the pool. - Watch needs to be removed from frame every time for charging. - Screen doesn't always come on when I raise my wrist. **. SCREEN – I am used to wearing somewhat large watches like the Garmin 920XT, and the Blaze is just fine. Yes, the design may seem odd a bit at first given the width and the space between the frame and actual watch, but the benefit of a large size is that the screen is super easy to read without having to pull your wrist up, a simple flick and you can view all snapshots and smart notifications in a discrete way (useful when you're sitting in meetings). The screen, similar to the Apple watch, stays off, and can be turned on with the simple turn of a wrist. I have found that raising the wrist doesn't always turn on the screen (this works flawlessly with the Apple watch), however if you "flick" your wrist towards you, the screen will turn on right away. I have extensively compared heart rate shown by the Blaze to that shown by the Apple watch (which is usually WAY off) and that shown by my Garmin chest strap HRM, which is considered the most accurate. With the built-in heart rate monitor, it automatically tracks your activities and calories burnt in case you forget to manually start a workout on the watch. With the Blaze, it has an Auto-Sleep feature that doesn't require you to turn on the sleep mode, it will automatically detect that you are sleeping based on lack of movement and heart rate. I did notice that if I am using my phone like listening to music (and not looking at the phone screen), notifications do not show on the watch. I charger like the Apple watch would have been ideal where you can simply drop the watch on the charging pad and it will charge right away. That being said, I have accidentally worn the Blaze in the shower a few times already (I'm probably still used to my Garmin watch which I didn't need to take off) and the watch held up just fine. QUICK COMPARISON WITH APPLE WATCH: - Apple watch is sleeker and feels more comfortable on the wrist. - Apple watch has a better and crisper resolution compared to Blaze's screen. Apple watch doesn't track sleep and requires you to manually start logging an activity. - Both have smart notifications and show text messages, calls, calendar appointments, but Apple watch lets you do more like view WhatsApp messages and other phone notifications, and answer calls right on the watch. - Blaze has a 5-6 day battery life with normal use compared to Apple watch which needs to be charged every 1-2 days. - Blaze - $199, Apple watch - $349 for base model. BOTTOM LINE: - If you have an older fitness tracker band like the Fitbit Flex or Jawbone Up, the Blaze is a great upgrade with all its new features (heart rate monitor, auto activity/sleep tracker, smart notifications). - If you have an Apple watch, I guess the Blaze doesn't offer that much more to make it worthy of a switch (though I'm a huge fan of the accurate HRM and auto tracking in the Blaze). Just adding a few minor observations in addition to the initial review: - If you let the watch automatically track a workout, it starts logging it after the first 5-10 minutes, basically only once your heart rate picks up. Minor issue, immaterial in my opinion - if you want a precise log of your workouts, you can manually start the workout on the watch and it will log it as a 1-hour workout. - The watch automatically detects when you're sleeping based on movement (lack of) and heart rate, however it doesn't automatically turn off notifications during this time. To turn off notifications when sleeping, you can either put your phone in sleep mode, or switch off notifications on the watch by simply swiping down on the main screen."
"It continually tracks your heart rate, your steps, stairs climbed, calories burned, active minutes, miles, exercise, and sleep. It seamlessly works with the FitBit app, which can also help you keep track of your calories consumed (works with apps like MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, etc), water intake, and weight. All of them have been the Milanese style bands and the ones that came from china caused major hives/break outs on my wrist, one of which required a prescription cream to resolve. One milanese band has worked consistently well for me without skin issues and no problems with the magnet slipping. Please note this is NOT an affiliate link and none of the things in the post are sponsored. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01J0RAP3U/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1. -As of the date of this review, the watch does NOT have "reminder to move" functionality. Doing some reading, it looks like FitBit plans to have a firmware update in the future to include this, but as of now, it does not. What I would like to see is a reminder to move during hours that you set based on the amount of steps you want to achieve in a day. I had a fitness tracker several years ago that would buzz if you had been sedentary for 10 minutes. This functionality would be great for people with office jobs that sit all day. FitBit has a proprietary charger so you can't just use any standard cord to plug it in. You have to take the face of the watch out of the band and put it in a boxed-frame like charger to charge. I haven't had a problem with it, but I did have a couple of glass screen protectors on it and they both broke within a day, but my watch face is still fine without scratches."
Best Wearable Tech Accessories
The latest Rugged Armor is designed to bear the same rugged protection and also compatibility with all the Apple Watch Series. Apple Watch Case Compatible with Apple Watch Series 3/2/1/Original(2015)/Nike+ Sport Edition 42mm.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enter the Spigen Apple Watch "bumper" case for my 42mm iWatch Sport. Lets get this out of the way: honestly, it's silly to call this a "case", its more like a "bumper" because uhh, it prevents damage from bumps! Because I'm a clumsy oaf and tend to cut corners around corridors and walls, its wierd. So I take a left turn around a wall or corner then "bang" I hit my watch going around the bend. I look down and wipe off the white scuff the wall left on the bumper and carry on, all for $15! So lets go over some common questions I'm hearing that little voice in your head asking while you read this and debate to push the "Buy Now" button. But unless your dainty wrist has been wearing nothing but a yellow Livestrong band for years, the watch with the bumper on is NOTHING compared to a good ol men's watch or, in my case, a big 'un G-Shock. Again, it doesn't hinder any way possible, I can slide up, down, left, and right with my bloated sausage fingers with ease. --> Cause I'm a geek and need to see texts messages instantly and also to be reminded to stand my big butt up to walk around instead of my wife having to do it. SO, here comes the typical Amazon Pro's and Con's Summary: PROS: - Its a bumper for the Apple Watch. - Its made out of rubber that will protect the metal sides that aren't as "unscratchable" as the glass. - Its black. - Says "Rugged Armor" on the top of the face."
"I just recently pulled off this case to clean and inspect (photos below) and it had not caused any damage(but did protect it from a number of bumps and drops). The case isn't super well designed, but it works, it goes on and off fairly easy with moderate effort (does not shift or move or warp much during wear). It doesnt have to be aircraft grade aluminum with bezel screws and a custom band... it works fine, especially for the price."
"Great fit and allows me to wear the watch while working with my hands, so I'm not worried about scratching it."
"This case is great, it protect the sides, and it is easily to be mistaken as a part of the watch strap."
"Great product to protect your Apple Watch."
"I love my Apple Watch and this thing compliments it greatly! I had thought at first that this case might possibly make my watch bulky and uncomfortable but because of the very low price I said... what the hell? The next watch I buy, I will be purchasing another Spigen Case, unless of course that new watch is the same 42mm size and in that case i'll just use this same one!"
Best Smart Clips, Arm & Wristbands
Why Choose Us: Professional After-Sales Service: 24 hours E-mail support. Lifetime Warranty: For any possible defective products, please contact us first, we will offer you a replacement or refund you. Safe and Durable. In order to ensure the safety and protect your favorite Fitbit, our charging cable is approved by FCC & RoHS. Furthermore, the built-in Voltage Regulator(PTC) will protect your Fitbit Charge HR from being damaged by overcurrent. If you connect fitbit charge hr power cord to the adapter, the current must not exceed 1A. This Fitbit charge hr charging cable provides fast and stable charging speed. One fitbit hr charger cable is never enough, you will get 2* 27cm charging cables.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"this charger cord fits/works with the Fitbit HR, I love that its a 2 pack, which means I can lose one or have one and not worry or have it in my work bag/purse."
"Sometimes my USB charger doesn't have a ledge or table nearby and with the extra cord length I've been able to set my HR on top of the charger."
"Not sure what was going on but it might have been that their fitbit port had gotten gunky, so I would recommend cleaning your fitbit often!"
"I now have a charging cable as well as a back up charger cable in case anything happens to the first one."
"I reviewed the product and the seller actually read my review and contacted me via email offering a replacement."
"And I got two of them for a good deal."
"I lost my original charging cable for my Fitbit Charge HR, and ordered a cheap one from a different company here on Amazon."
"I have NEVER had any issues with the quality or sturdiness of my FitBit. Here was the oh so sympathetic response to my issue that I received from their 'customer service specialist': "Subject: Re: Return policy inquiry from Amazon customer **** ****. Reply-To: VicTsingDirect - Amazon Marketplace. Best regards, Jennifer. VicDirect Customer Service. ~ Customers always come first! Jennifer. VicDirect Customer Service ". So Jennifer, here is my reply since you had no desire to address my issues I sent regarding this problem in my initial e-mail: You have horrible customer service skills!"
Best Smart Glasses
The perfect complement to your DJI drone, Moverio BT-300FPV smart glasses redefine First-person View (FPV), with a transparent display that makes it easy to view your drone’s video feed and key flight statistics, while keeping the aircraft in sight. Maintain a clear line of sight — transparent display allows drone pilots to see key flight statistics, while still maintaining visual line of sight with the aircraft.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I tried the goggles with a cell phone inserted and found that to be uncomfortable due to the heat generated by the cell phone. You can not use the Play store yet, but you can "side-load" apps by downloading the apk's. Right now apps like Litchi are not designed for the Bt-300, but the DJI Go & DJI Go 4 app's work fine, and I am sure as the usage grows many more FPV apps will become available."
"Initially I wasn't happy as it did not come with the Rochester shade which was a $70 goody that was only included in first few hundred reviewer and early customer shipments. The android operating system is very hard to use with the trackpad, Constantly you start apps or video you don't want during scrolling, each program has somehow a different layout of the important functions. Software side is a major hazzle and instruction from Epson are largely useless (at least what I could find)."
"This review is long overdue because we have tested this system with multiple drones over the past several months. I would like to see an update where the touch pad could be changed in the settings from vertical to horizontal configuration for different mounting options."
"I can recommend it for DJI drone pilots."
"Works as described, allowing line of sight and FPV."
"Awesome gear must have for DJI UAV operators."
"However, I was sent an obviously returned/refurbished pair as replacement with a dirty box, and scotch tape curling up off of the box where the original manufacturer seal was on the first pair I received."
Best Smart Rings
Every Ares smart ring goes through hours of moulding, hardening and refined metallurgical processes to give it that perfect touch of smoothness and finesse - all the while making it a durable product. The flashing colors on the stone can be customized for specific apps like Calls, Messages, WhatsApp, Facebook and more so that you can do more without having to pull your cellular device out of your pocket every single time at the drop of a hat. Ares also comes with an instant Simple-Tap SOS feature, letting your loved ones reach out to you by simply taping the ring a few times in succession, alerting you of their need of your attention. The Ares comes with a dedicated App for both iOS and Android, letting you customize your notificationsa nd features like SOS Alert, Anti-lost, colored notifications and more. The app features an amazingly simple user interface, which doesn’t let you realize the very fact that you are using such a powerful multi-purpose product with such ease and grace. It is also seen that the basic concept of modern day SOS feature is flawed as an individual is expected to pull out their smart phone from the pocket, unlock it and access an App to sendout a distress call. This required hundreds of man hours of dedicated team work and several iterations of hardware and software changes to make the product as perfect as it is now. Not only did the product turn out to be beautiful and worth flaunting, it also houses features that appeal to the best of tech enthusiasts looking for more futuristic wearable technology. Smart notification.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this ring looking at its uniqueness and it indeed is very innovative."
"Loved the functionality and the design, very futuristic with the SOS functionality and colored notifications."
"Its best feature is that it is waterproof where the rest in the smart ring world is not and it's actually a pretty nice design (minus the plain white/pink square they call a "stone"). I was excited to choose from 7ish different colors and my app/ring show only 4 (and plain ole' white isn't 1 of them?). For true SOS functionality, that is putting all your eggs in one basket. In reality, the true SOS functionality works like this: 1.Spam the hell out of tapping the stone (the way you would in a panic emergency). Just go about your day by doing normal activities like typing, doing laundry, or driving over a few road bumps and it guaranteed sends an SOS signal. On the plus side it sends the text message out in 0.0001 secs flat. But not enough for VIP specific alerts, social media, and phone function. The remote camera function is a bit touch and go but still works."
"• The included manual is a joke, with much of the text cut off and therefore useless. • Don’t bother trying to download a copy of the manual from the manufacturer’s web site; it’s not there. • Nor is there any troubleshooting section, contact info, or much else for that matter. • The ring box mentioned above in Pros would be nicer if the lid fit on it while it was plugged in. • The ring is pretty top-heavy and has a tendency to tilt off to the side."
"The ring finally charged but would not pair with app."
"The "stone" on the ring is white white (I thought the picture with the description tried to make it look a little pearlized but it is not). The color notifications appear in the middle of the "stone" which was fine with me (with other smart ring makers the color notifications appear on the side)."
"bought this item twice and returned twice as it would not pair!"
"DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY ON THIS."
Best Wearable Tech Virtual Reality Gear
FREE CONTENT WITH PURCHASE - On Viveport, HTC's global VR app store, get a free trial for Viveport Subscription plus Google's Tilt Brush, Everest VR, and Richie's Plank with your purchase.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you were like me, you might be a little hesitant about tech like this, because you tried a GEAR VR, or think 3d desktop gaming and 3d movies are kinda of cool, but certainly not worth this kind of investment. Kind of like that first time you picked up that wii controller and "bowled" and thought "hey, this is pretty cool." Once you complete the setup you'll enter the tutorial and blow up a balloon.. You'll (without instruction) think.. What happens if I try to hit this floating balloon.. Probably nothing.. but you'll immediately realize how intuitive and accurate this "new world" is when the balloon flies in the direction and velocity you would expect it to based on your hand movement. You separate when you realize you can (literally) walk underneath the balloon, look up at it, jump and swat it down to the floor. I can't imagine how silly it looks in real life with your hand just jerking up and down, left to right, ducking, spinning.. etc. But in the game it really feels like you're in a serious situation and your hand needs to dodge these incoming blobs at all costs. When I realized that I could walk closer to my boundary wall that the desktop was on at that time, and the text got closer/clearer, it was an additional level of "that's friggin cool." Once you've got a Steam account set up, be careful, it's easy to blow through 80 dollars (of real money) in a 4 minute virtual shopping spree. Plug in ear buds and "mirror" the sound so you can rock out hard to audioshield without waking the neighbors. So you can control the session for them (get them into a game, get them started, etc) without having to walk them through everything - but again, it is pretty intuitive and should be easy to pick up for 90 percent of people. There are several "full" games available, and I haven't even gotten to them, because The Lab, Zombie Trainer, The Brookhaven Experiment, and (especially) AudioShield have me completely satisfied for the time being. We're all still waiting on the "major" releases of Doom, Fallout 4, Serious Sam, Arizona Sunshine etc. The action of "teleporting" in large scale games seems to be the goto method for moving around in the world. I'm interested to see how games like "Don't stop talking and nobody explodes" work and bring a "crowd" together with one headset. When you feel like a freaking rockstar defending yourself from incoming musical notes, you won't be thinking about the slight pixilation, or how the graphics in the background aren't super detailed. Keep in mind.. That while the software is pretty polished and works well, this type of thing probably isn't for someone who isn't at least a moderate "power user." I've had some minor issues like weird Steam crashes, VR world disappearing if the CPU is under a lot of stress, computer not completing POST when the link box was plugged in. The mass population isn't exactly tech savvy so that excludes a major percentage of potential buyers. Honestly, I've got a lot of cool stuff but this is ABSOLUTELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY the coolest tech I've seen or played with in my entire life."
"Sitting in front of a desktop PC doesn't do my body any good at all. I feared that I would use the Vive as a form of escape and ignore my real world responsibilities and kill my social life. There are sensors to set up, a good amount of space needed, a LOT of cable management. It works best if you have an entire room dedicated to VR, but not all of us are fortunate enough to have that kind of space. The last thing you want to see when you return is a sink full of dishes, dirty laundry, clutter or anything that would cause you disappointment. I have a welcoming, clean open space complete with yoga mats. :) She used to be an avid scuba diver but can no longer dive due to health issues. My friend's wife was trying to plan a small surprise birthday for him but they're new in town and don't know many people. I'm planning on having people over most weekends to have fun and explore the possibilities the Vive offers. You will need a top of the line computer with a powerful graphics card in order to run the Vive properly. Being a big gamer, I already had the computer ($1100 about six months ago) but I still had to upgrade to a GeForce 1070, which currently runs just over $400."
Best Body Mounted Video Cameras
HERO4 Black takes Emmy Award-winning GoPro performance to the next level with our best image quality yet, plus a 2x more powerful processor that delivers super slow motion at 240 frames per second. Professional 4K30, 2.7K60 and 1080p120 video, 720p240 video for super slow-motion playback and 12MP photos at up to 30 frames per second.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In daylight, a GoPro with protune is actually surprisingly comparable to a dSLR (I do aerial cinematography for film sets). But if you already own a version of the 3, and just film things for fun....save your money for adventures :). ==TWO==. If you do decide to upgrade (or this is your first GoPro), you have three good options BESIDES the Black: The $130 barebones HERO: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NIYNUXO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NIYNUXO&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=6RGQWHRXFRZSLFPY. The $300 HERO3+ Silver: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F3F0EIU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F3F0EIU&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=74K5GFVCEONUONTG. The $400 HERO4 Silver: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NIYJF6U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NIYJF6U&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=UMGB6UAI466WOP6K. The GoPro website has a huge spreadsheet comparing all their features... but here's how I think about it: If you're using the GoPro to just capture memories, save your money for the memories and get the HERO. If you /think/ you're interested in using your GoPro to make more serious footage (but don't have any experience yet), pick the version of the Silver that best suites your budget. And if you're already a heavy GoPro user (or filmmaker in general) with paying customers or past successes, get the Black. If you have a once in a lifetime trip approaching, and you have deep pockets, you might also consider the Black - but, for a lot of people, there are more meaningful things you can do with that extra money :). ==THREE==. Especially if you're filming in 4K protune, you're gonna want the fastest card you can get your hands on."
"Considering my satisfaction with the hero3, picking up a hero4 was inevitable. **UPDATE: Took off a star for questionable issue: While i haven't come across any major glitches, it does seem to hiccup here and there (my hero3 did the same), the heat that comes off it can be more than warm, but it seems others are experiencing rather hot temperatures. While not entirely reassuring, i've heard some folks have positive experiences dealing with gopro on their overheating matters. What i like about the hero 4 black: -4K at usable framerates (hero3 could only do 15fps). -Sweet 120fps slow motion at 1080. -More wireless connectivity(some hiccups, but can work). -More slowmotion. -Sharpness is satisfactory. -Lowlight is decent enough. -More manual control. What's not to like? Yea, it's odd and i would have much preferred the flagship get the screen, that being said, i've gotten along very well with my screen-less hero 3, because i have a cautious understanding of the angles it can capture at narrow/medium/wide settings. heat wears electronics down, reducing their life, if this thing's average temperature is 130degrees, how long will it live? The 4k from the hero4 looks pretty satisfying, maybe not as sharp as bigger/professional cameras, but this is a tiny actioncamera, and i don't see it reasonable to hold it to quite the same standards. Bitrate: 4k gives you up to 60mpbs, which may sound low, but other more expensive cameras use a similar setup and get nice results, and the gopro does pretty well here as well."
"I travel allot and do crazy adventures and having this go pro has been great to help me video tape these moments I wouldn't be able to with my iPhone or video camera."
Best GPS Units
Color: Black/Gray |. Style: Watch Only |. Configuration: New. Battery Life 11 Hours Training, 9 Days Watch, Activity Tracking, Notifications + Heart Rate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With a brightly coloured strap, it could even look like a trendy time piece that doesn’t scream “FITNESS TRACKER!”. --HR recording--. I compared the HR data to that from a Polar H7 Bluetooth Smart HRM and the comparison is shown in the attached pictures. Finishing time. Features like training calendar and my workouts require that you log into Garmin Connect web and do some planning. The FR 235 allows the user to set interval distance, duration and time right from the watch device. As for finishing time, you just need to set a distance and go about your run while the FR235 will display roughly how fast you can complete the distance based on the current pace. The screen during activity tracking can be set to a total of 5 screens of which 2 can be further split into 4 data fields each. So in total you’re getting 4+4+1 (Heart rate) +1 (HR Zone gauge)+1 (Clock)= 11 stats to view during tracked activities. --Smart notifications—. The FR235 allows you to expand and read smart notifications or set the mode of alert, be it audio, vibration or both. --All day activity tracker—. The FR235 tracks steps, distance, calories burned, sleep, all day HR and intensity minutes but it doesn’t track number of stairs climbed due to the lack of a barometer. I was able to set alerts during a tracked activity session to buzz when I go beyond a certain HR. • Measure all day heart rate and heart rate during tracked activity sessions. • GPS+Glonass enabled with smart or per second tracking. • Vibration and audio enabled for smart notifications, alarms, move alerts. • Expand and read full messages on FR 235 display. • Pick up phone calls only. • Heavily customisable. • Garmin Connect IQ compatible for apps and watch face downloads. • VO2 Max score, Race time predictor, Recovery advisor. • Automatic laps for 1km/1 mile or customised. • Auto pause during tracked runs. • Interval run features. • Water resistant to 5 ATM. • Big screen that is not touch enabled. • Sunlight readable screen with back light. • Connect IQ compatible. • Reads lap number and time from Garmin Connect mobile app from connected smart phone. • Shows weather and calender events from smart phone. • Water resistant to 5 ATM. Cons. • Navigation on the FR235 takes getting used to. • No virtual pacer feature. --Updated 28th Jan 2016--. Well I had the watch for a while now."
"I was a runner through the Charge and Surge (GPS) but then had a knee injury and became a gym rat through the Blaze time period. This was an epic fail for me and although Fitbit customer service was awesome and replaced it under warranty, the new unit still did not work on GPS. It had a lot of bluetooth problems including not connecting often so that I could access music controls. It's also MUCH easier to download apps, widgets and watch faces connected to your computer than to your smart phone. I have read lots of reviews here that say this product has a bad hrm, but I have found that to be untrue. Since I have had many fitbits with this feature and experience with Polar heart rate straps (they cut my skin so I had to stop using them), I believe that the heart rate monitor is pretty reliable. It does not show the heart beat moving like the Blaze does, but that's minor and it does take a minute to update. Also, the Garmin does not let you know when you have reached your goal and that feature on the blaze was kind of cute. I wish they made small watch band sizes for women like me. Here is where I agree with the reviewer about making sure that you are buying this watch for the right reasons! -On the first night I had my Garmin, I was 100% sure I was going to return it because the set up process was such a pain in the butt. If Garmin could hire a Fitbit software engineer to sort out their IOS app, I would be a happy camper. I don't see any icon or any indicator that it is charging and I have to just come back in a few minutes to see if the percentage has changed. I charged it fully on Wednesday and then used it only during the day (turning it off at night) and it is Sunday now. I was very sad to leave Fitbit and I will probably go back if they ever come out with a Surge 2 that is not square (hate that look) so I can use their awesome app and do challenges with my friends and coworkers."
Best Running GPS Units
Battery Life 11 Hours Training, 9 Days Watch, Activity Tracking, Notifications + Heart Rate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With a brightly coloured strap, it could even look like a trendy time piece that doesn’t scream “FITNESS TRACKER!”. --HR recording--. I compared the HR data to that from a Polar H7 Bluetooth Smart HRM and the comparison is shown in the attached pictures. Finishing time. Features like training calendar and my workouts require that you log into Garmin Connect web and do some planning. The FR 235 allows the user to set interval distance, duration and time right from the watch device. As for finishing time, you just need to set a distance and go about your run while the FR235 will display roughly how fast you can complete the distance based on the current pace. The screen during activity tracking can be set to a total of 5 screens of which 2 can be further split into 4 data fields each. So in total you’re getting 4+4+1 (Heart rate) +1 (HR Zone gauge)+1 (Clock)= 11 stats to view during tracked activities. --Smart notifications—. The FR235 allows you to expand and read smart notifications or set the mode of alert, be it audio, vibration or both. --All day activity tracker—. The FR235 tracks steps, distance, calories burned, sleep, all day HR and intensity minutes but it doesn’t track number of stairs climbed due to the lack of a barometer. I was able to set alerts during a tracked activity session to buzz when I go beyond a certain HR. • Measure all day heart rate and heart rate during tracked activity sessions. • GPS+Glonass enabled with smart or per second tracking. • Vibration and audio enabled for smart notifications, alarms, move alerts. • Expand and read full messages on FR 235 display. • Pick up phone calls only. • Heavily customisable. • Garmin Connect IQ compatible for apps and watch face downloads. • VO2 Max score, Race time predictor, Recovery advisor. • Automatic laps for 1km/1 mile or customised. • Auto pause during tracked runs. • Interval run features. • Water resistant to 5 ATM. • Big screen that is not touch enabled. • Sunlight readable screen with back light. • Connect IQ compatible. • Reads lap number and time from Garmin Connect mobile app from connected smart phone. • Shows weather and calender events from smart phone. • Water resistant to 5 ATM. Cons. • Navigation on the FR235 takes getting used to. • No virtual pacer feature. --Updated 28th Jan 2016--. Well I had the watch for a while now."
"I was a runner through the Charge and Surge (GPS) but then had a knee injury and became a gym rat through the Blaze time period. This was an epic fail for me and although Fitbit customer service was awesome and replaced it under warranty, the new unit still did not work on GPS. It had a lot of bluetooth problems including not connecting often so that I could access music controls. It's also MUCH easier to download apps, widgets and watch faces connected to your computer than to your smart phone. I have read lots of reviews here that say this product has a bad hrm, but I have found that to be untrue. Since I have had many fitbits with this feature and experience with Polar heart rate straps (they cut my skin so I had to stop using them), I believe that the heart rate monitor is pretty reliable. It does not show the heart beat moving like the Blaze does, but that's minor and it does take a minute to update. Also, the Garmin does not let you know when you have reached your goal and that feature on the blaze was kind of cute. I wish they made small watch band sizes for women like me. Here is where I agree with the reviewer about making sure that you are buying this watch for the right reasons! -On the first night I had my Garmin, I was 100% sure I was going to return it because the set up process was such a pain in the butt. If Garmin could hire a Fitbit software engineer to sort out their IOS app, I would be a happy camper. I don't see any icon or any indicator that it is charging and I have to just come back in a few minutes to see if the percentage has changed. I charged it fully on Wednesday and then used it only during the day (turning it off at night) and it is Sunday now. I was very sad to leave Fitbit and I will probably go back if they ever come out with a Surge 2 that is not square (hate that look) so I can use their awesome app and do challenges with my friends and coworkers."
Best Smart Watch Cables & Chargers
Sophisticated & elegant compatible with Fitbit Blaze. Specially designed for 2016 Fitbit Blaze,more convinient to charge your Fitbit Blaze,no need to take the tracker out any more for charging.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The charging cables are made of good material not made of those thin flimsy wires."
"The ONLY thing that I do not like about it is that when I have it in my rugged watch band (a thicker band), then it does not actually work, I have to change the blaze back to one of my other bands. 25 December 2016: Suddenly, shortly after I posted this, the damned thing stopped charging as effectively as it was, and I am back to taking the face out of the band and charging it with the original device it came with."
"Now I don't have to worry about popping the fitbit out of the band every time I need to charge."
"Now I use the stand for a home charger & use the charger that came with it as an on the go charger, so it works out."
"I am amazed that Fitbit doesn't include it with the purchase of the Blaze."
"I like that I do not have to take my Blaze out of it's band and worry about misplacing the band while it is charging."
"Works great and obviously very simple to use."
"This charger is so much more convenient than the factory Blaze charger."
Best Women's Smartwatches
PurePulse continuous heart rate and multi-sport modes enhance every exercise, while next-generation features like Connected GPS and FitStar workouts on your wrist help you take your fitness to the next level. Stay connected with call, text & calendar alerts and notifications from your favorite apps like Gmail, Facebook and more (when phone is nearby).Start a FitStar workout on your wrist and get step-by-step instructions and graphics to ensure you complete each move correctly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"PROs: - Large screen, easy to read display. - Nice gorilla glass screen that doesn't get scratched. - Accurate heart rate monitor without the need for chest strap. - Automatically tracks steps, sleep, workouts, heart rate. You really don't need to manually start activities like running, walking, or elliptical, the watch automatically picks up these activities and logs them based on movement and heart rate. CONs: - Hexagonal design may not be aesthetically pleasing (but not bad once you get used to it). - No built-in GPS to map runs and bike rides (need to carry phone to map). - Not waterproof so can't be worn in the pool. - Watch needs to be removed from frame every time for charging. - Screen doesn't always come on when I raise my wrist. **. SCREEN – I am used to wearing somewhat large watches like the Garmin 920XT, and the Blaze is just fine. Yes, the design may seem odd a bit at first given the width and the space between the frame and actual watch, but the benefit of a large size is that the screen is super easy to read without having to pull your wrist up, a simple flick and you can view all snapshots and smart notifications in a discrete way (useful when you're sitting in meetings). The screen, similar to the Apple watch, stays off, and can be turned on with the simple turn of a wrist. I have found that raising the wrist doesn't always turn on the screen (this works flawlessly with the Apple watch), however if you "flick" your wrist towards you, the screen will turn on right away. I have extensively compared heart rate shown by the Blaze to that shown by the Apple watch (which is usually WAY off) and that shown by my Garmin chest strap HRM, which is considered the most accurate. With the built-in heart rate monitor, it automatically tracks your activities and calories burnt in case you forget to manually start a workout on the watch. With the Blaze, it has an Auto-Sleep feature that doesn't require you to turn on the sleep mode, it will automatically detect that you are sleeping based on lack of movement and heart rate. I did notice that if I am using my phone like listening to music (and not looking at the phone screen), notifications do not show on the watch. I charger like the Apple watch would have been ideal where you can simply drop the watch on the charging pad and it will charge right away. That being said, I have accidentally worn the Blaze in the shower a few times already (I'm probably still used to my Garmin watch which I didn't need to take off) and the watch held up just fine. QUICK COMPARISON WITH APPLE WATCH: - Apple watch is sleeker and feels more comfortable on the wrist. - Apple watch has a better and crisper resolution compared to Blaze's screen. Apple watch doesn't track sleep and requires you to manually start logging an activity. - Both have smart notifications and show text messages, calls, calendar appointments, but Apple watch lets you do more like view WhatsApp messages and other phone notifications, and answer calls right on the watch. - Blaze has a 5-6 day battery life with normal use compared to Apple watch which needs to be charged every 1-2 days. - Blaze - $199, Apple watch - $349 for base model. BOTTOM LINE: - If you have an older fitness tracker band like the Fitbit Flex or Jawbone Up, the Blaze is a great upgrade with all its new features (heart rate monitor, auto activity/sleep tracker, smart notifications). - If you have an Apple watch, I guess the Blaze doesn't offer that much more to make it worthy of a switch (though I'm a huge fan of the accurate HRM and auto tracking in the Blaze). Just adding a few minor observations in addition to the initial review: - If you let the watch automatically track a workout, it starts logging it after the first 5-10 minutes, basically only once your heart rate picks up. Minor issue, immaterial in my opinion - if you want a precise log of your workouts, you can manually start the workout on the watch and it will log it as a 1-hour workout. - The watch automatically detects when you're sleeping based on movement (lack of) and heart rate, however it doesn't automatically turn off notifications during this time. To turn off notifications when sleeping, you can either put your phone in sleep mode, or switch off notifications on the watch by simply swiping down on the main screen."
"It continually tracks your heart rate, your steps, stairs climbed, calories burned, active minutes, miles, exercise, and sleep. It seamlessly works with the FitBit app, which can also help you keep track of your calories consumed (works with apps like MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, etc), water intake, and weight. All of them have been the Milanese style bands and the ones that came from china caused major hives/break outs on my wrist, one of which required a prescription cream to resolve. One milanese band has worked consistently well for me without skin issues and no problems with the magnet slipping. Please note this is NOT an affiliate link and none of the things in the post are sponsored. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01J0RAP3U/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1. -As of the date of this review, the watch does NOT have "reminder to move" functionality. Doing some reading, it looks like FitBit plans to have a firmware update in the future to include this, but as of now, it does not. What I would like to see is a reminder to move during hours that you set based on the amount of steps you want to achieve in a day. I had a fitness tracker several years ago that would buzz if you had been sedentary for 10 minutes. This functionality would be great for people with office jobs that sit all day. FitBit has a proprietary charger so you can't just use any standard cord to plug it in. You have to take the face of the watch out of the band and put it in a boxed-frame like charger to charge. I haven't had a problem with it, but I did have a couple of glass screen protectors on it and they both broke within a day, but my watch face is still fine without scratches."
Best Men's Smartwatches
Stay connected with call, text & calendar alerts and notifications from your favorite apps like Gmail, Facebook and more (when phone is nearby).Start a FitStar workout on your wrist and get step-by-step instructions and graphics to ensure you complete each move correctly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"PROs: - Large screen, easy to read display. - Nice gorilla glass screen that doesn't get scratched. - Accurate heart rate monitor without the need for chest strap. - Automatically tracks steps, sleep, workouts, heart rate. You really don't need to manually start activities like running, walking, or elliptical, the watch automatically picks up these activities and logs them based on movement and heart rate. CONs: - Hexagonal design may not be aesthetically pleasing (but not bad once you get used to it). - No built-in GPS to map runs and bike rides (need to carry phone to map). - Not waterproof so can't be worn in the pool. - Watch needs to be removed from frame every time for charging. - Screen doesn't always come on when I raise my wrist. **. SCREEN – I am used to wearing somewhat large watches like the Garmin 920XT, and the Blaze is just fine. Yes, the design may seem odd a bit at first given the width and the space between the frame and actual watch, but the benefit of a large size is that the screen is super easy to read without having to pull your wrist up, a simple flick and you can view all snapshots and smart notifications in a discrete way (useful when you're sitting in meetings). The screen, similar to the Apple watch, stays off, and can be turned on with the simple turn of a wrist. I have found that raising the wrist doesn't always turn on the screen (this works flawlessly with the Apple watch), however if you "flick" your wrist towards you, the screen will turn on right away. I have extensively compared heart rate shown by the Blaze to that shown by the Apple watch (which is usually WAY off) and that shown by my Garmin chest strap HRM, which is considered the most accurate. With the built-in heart rate monitor, it automatically tracks your activities and calories burnt in case you forget to manually start a workout on the watch. With the Blaze, it has an Auto-Sleep feature that doesn't require you to turn on the sleep mode, it will automatically detect that you are sleeping based on lack of movement and heart rate. I did notice that if I am using my phone like listening to music (and not looking at the phone screen), notifications do not show on the watch. I charger like the Apple watch would have been ideal where you can simply drop the watch on the charging pad and it will charge right away. That being said, I have accidentally worn the Blaze in the shower a few times already (I'm probably still used to my Garmin watch which I didn't need to take off) and the watch held up just fine. QUICK COMPARISON WITH APPLE WATCH: - Apple watch is sleeker and feels more comfortable on the wrist. - Apple watch has a better and crisper resolution compared to Blaze's screen. Apple watch doesn't track sleep and requires you to manually start logging an activity. - Both have smart notifications and show text messages, calls, calendar appointments, but Apple watch lets you do more like view WhatsApp messages and other phone notifications, and answer calls right on the watch. - Blaze has a 5-6 day battery life with normal use compared to Apple watch which needs to be charged every 1-2 days. - Blaze - $199, Apple watch - $349 for base model. BOTTOM LINE: - If you have an older fitness tracker band like the Fitbit Flex or Jawbone Up, the Blaze is a great upgrade with all its new features (heart rate monitor, auto activity/sleep tracker, smart notifications). - If you have an Apple watch, I guess the Blaze doesn't offer that much more to make it worthy of a switch (though I'm a huge fan of the accurate HRM and auto tracking in the Blaze). Just adding a few minor observations in addition to the initial review: - If you let the watch automatically track a workout, it starts logging it after the first 5-10 minutes, basically only once your heart rate picks up. Minor issue, immaterial in my opinion - if you want a precise log of your workouts, you can manually start the workout on the watch and it will log it as a 1-hour workout. - The watch automatically detects when you're sleeping based on movement (lack of) and heart rate, however it doesn't automatically turn off notifications during this time. To turn off notifications when sleeping, you can either put your phone in sleep mode, or switch off notifications on the watch by simply swiping down on the main screen."
"It continually tracks your heart rate, your steps, stairs climbed, calories burned, active minutes, miles, exercise, and sleep. It seamlessly works with the FitBit app, which can also help you keep track of your calories consumed (works with apps like MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, etc), water intake, and weight. All of them have been the Milanese style bands and the ones that came from china caused major hives/break outs on my wrist, one of which required a prescription cream to resolve. One milanese band has worked consistently well for me without skin issues and no problems with the magnet slipping. Please note this is NOT an affiliate link and none of the things in the post are sponsored. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01J0RAP3U/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1. -As of the date of this review, the watch does NOT have "reminder to move" functionality. Doing some reading, it looks like FitBit plans to have a firmware update in the future to include this, but as of now, it does not. What I would like to see is a reminder to move during hours that you set based on the amount of steps you want to achieve in a day. I had a fitness tracker several years ago that would buzz if you had been sedentary for 10 minutes. This functionality would be great for people with office jobs that sit all day. FitBit has a proprietary charger so you can't just use any standard cord to plug it in. You have to take the face of the watch out of the band and put it in a boxed-frame like charger to charge. I haven't had a problem with it, but I did have a couple of glass screen protectors on it and they both broke within a day, but my watch face is still fine without scratches."