Review: 1byone Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor

Today we will be taking a look at the 1byone Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor.

Amazon Link:




I have genetic hypertension so I take my blood pressure whenever I am able. It helps to have a quick and easy way to check it without having to run to the store. This little unit by 1byone is the perfect little blood pressure companion.

Now, I will start off by saying that this is not an IOT (Internet-Of-Things) device and the price reflects that, though having an upgraded version would be nice (I am not aware of one anyways).

The monitor uses 4 x AAA batteries or a power adapter (which is not included). First off, I thought it was kind of strange that it used AAA batteries over the more common AA batteries or even better yet, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery would have been really nice. I would like to have seen a power adapter included, even if it would have added an extra $5 to the overall cost it would have been worth it for this device.

The build quality is very good, but still noticeably plasticky feeling. The cuff is high quality and the velcro is surprisingly strong. The screen is a standard backlit LCD screen and has extra large numbers and icons making it super easy to read. I must say that the screen is very nice and one of the best features.

The interface is very simple and there's a memory for two users, making it easy to track progress over time, which is important for tracking over time and having an accurate history. There's only 3 buttons so it's confusing to navigate around, however, the instructions (amazingly) are quite good and I was able to navigate some of the setup with ease.

One thing I really like about this particular cuff is that it calculates that systolic and diastolic pressure while inflating rather than inflating and calculating on its way down. This means that the time your arm is under pressure is quite a bit less than other cuffs. This feature, along with being accurate (checked against other cuffs) makes it worth the price and makes it extremely easy to recommend. If your looking for a more connected device (IOT), then this is not for you, but this gets the job done and very well.

Christmas Goodies: What Fun Gadgets were in Your Stockings?

How was everyone's Christmas and Holidays? Things were pretty darn good over here save some sicknesses, myself included.

I got my usual foray of electronics and accessories including a PS4 controller and a Wii U Pro Controller. Sound off below on any Christmas/Holiday tech goodies you may have received. Did you get a tablet, laptop, or GoPro?

Recommendation: Laptops Less than $250

This time of year I am often asked what laptops I recommend. Ultimately, it comes down to budget and requirements. Today, I'll share some of my recommendations on laptops (mostly) for under $250.

HP Stream 7

HP Stream 7
While not a laptop, it's a full-featured Windows 8.1 tablet with a 8.0" 1280x800 screen with Intel Atom processor, 32GB storage, and 1GB RAM. You can connect a mouse and keyboard through bluetooth (or USB through an adapter) to get a laptop-like experience. If you want Windows on the cheap, there's really not a better solution than this.

HP Stream 11

HP Stream 11
If you're wanting more of a traditional feel laptop on the cheap, it's hard to beat the HP Stream 11. It's sports an 11.6" 1366x768 screen, Intel Processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB SSD and 1 year of 1TB CloudDrive. The nice thing about this option is the inclusion of Microsoft Office 365 for a year.



Acer C720 Chromebook

Acer C720 Chromebook

The Chromebooks should certainly not be overlooked, especially if you're looking primarily for something for web browsing as your primary function. If you understand the limitations of Chrome OS (no, iTunes, no Microsoft applications, etc) then this option is tough to beat. It has an 11.6" 1366x768 screen, Intel processor, 2GB RAM, and 16GB SSD. The battery life is also rated at 8.5 hours!

Acer Aspire E 15 ES1-512-C88M

Acer Aspire E 15 ES1-512-C88M
The Acer Aspire is a no-frills laptop. It sports nothing fancy and doesn't come with special offers of cloud storage, but for a basic laptop to do 99% of what the average user will need, this laptop will fill that need. It comes with a 15.6" 1366x768 display, Intel processor, 4GB RAM, and 500GB HDD (which is plenty of storage for photos, videos, etc). If the basics are all you need, this little guy will do the trick.

Stay tuned for different price ranges and product types coming up!

Discussion: Apple Watch

Source: Apple, GSM Arena

Let's face it, the Apple Watch has been a long time coming. It's been one of the longest rumored devices by Apple that I can remember, second to the iPhone. So what's all the fuss about with this new wearable by Apple.

The Apple Watch was September 9, 2014 with a "Spring 2015" release date, which some rumors of that being around Valentine's Day 2015 with a starting price point of $349. Apple Watch comes equipped with an Apple made S1 processor.

Looks and Variations

It will come in two sizes: 38mm and 42mm. There are also six varieties including: silver aluminum, space grey aluminum, stainless steel, space grey stainless steel, 18K yellow gold, and 18k rose gold. There are also six types of watch straps. There are technically three separate Apple Watches: Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition.

Technical Specs
There are still some unknowns at this point since the device is not yet available, but here's what we do know:

• Processor - Apple S1
• RAM - 512MB
• Storage Capacity - 4GB
• Battery Capacity - Unknown
• Battery Life - Unknown (Though it's been heard that a daily charge will be required.)
• Resolution - 38mm @ 340 x 272 px and 42mm @ 390 x 312 px
• Sapphire-Crystal Display
• Mag-Safe Charging
• Compatible with iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6+

Features

The Apple Watch comes equipped with a variation of iOS software that works closely with your iPhone. Here's a list of features from Apple's website:

• Messages
• Phone
• Mail
• Sketch
• Walkie-Talkie
• Tap
• Heartbeat
• Fitness
• Apple Pay
• Calendar
• Maps
• Passbook
• Music
• Apple TV Remote
• Remote Camera
• Timer
• Stopwatch
• Alarms
• Stock
• Weather
• Photos
• Siri
• Glances
• Actionable Notifications
• Third-Party Webkit Apps (The SDK was released 11/17/14)

Thoughts

The truth is, Apple is entering a market that is already starting to crowd, with devices already available from Samsung, Microsoft,  Asus, LG, Sony, and Motorola. These other smart watches are typically $250 or less while Apple's comes out on top of the heap, starting at $349. They have been in this situation before with the iPhone however and we all know how that played out. 

There's a couple of concerns that I keep coming back to: battery life and water resistance. A daily charge for your phone is one thing since you don't actually wear it, but a watch on the other hand (no pun intended), is typically something you put on and forget it's there type of device. Also, if you're charging it overnight, it's kinda hard to do sleep metrics which I think Apple may have missed the boat on.

Then the issue of water resistance, it's likely that you'd have to take it off before baths, showers, and swimming. Again, the inconvenience is pretty high, you could be taking your watch on and off twice a day, potentially. In a first world problem sort of way, you should not need to be taking your watch off that frequently.

Will I buy one? The answer is yes, but that's probably the engineer in me wanting to get my hands on first article builds more than anything. What Apple did right for sure is playing the fashion side of it. A watch is supposed to look good, something Apple excels at and the competition seemed to not focus on as much (I'm looking at you Samsung). I have not seen one in person, yet, but from what I've seen it's a remarkable looking device.

The jury is still out there for me on the Apple Watch. On one hand, you have cutting edge technology, style, 3rd party apps, Apple Pay, and usability. On the other hand, you have a high entry point ($349 is up there), battery life, and possible lack of water resistance. I personally cannot wait to try one.

Stay posted for a full review when they come out.

News: New Q&A Section

Check out the new Q&A section! Feel free to ask your burning technology questions or request reviews on certain products. Ask for advice on devices and services that you are debating on I want to know!

How To: Tether your iPhone via Wi-Fi or USB.

Welcome to my first how-to guide! This is a question I get quite frequently amongst my iPhone toting friends and family. "How do I use my phones data (or internet) on my computer, laptop, or tablet?" This is was is commonly known as tethering, or simply using another device's data to connect to the internet on another device. I would say about 50% of my friends and family know that this option even exists. This guide assumes that tethering is part of your smartphone plan, if you are not sure you can contact your wireless provider. It also assumes you are using iOS 8 (check Settings > General > About > Version) as well.

1. On the iPhone you wish to tether the data from and set up as a hotspot, go to Settings (that gear that I have in the lower right corner of my homepage, your's may be on a different page depending on how your's is set up). Then select "Personal Hotspot"

2. Tap on "Wi-Fi Password" to set your password. You'll need to remember this for when you connect your other device to the iPhone.

3. Set the slider under "Personal Hotspot" to the "On" or green position.

4. If you do not have Bluetooth enabled, you will get this pop-up. You do not have to use Bluetooth to tether, it's simply another option. If you didn't have it turned on before, you probably don't want it enabled again since it is an additional battery drain so I usually just tap the "Wi-Fi and USB Only" option. (Note, no matter which option you tap, you'll still be able to tether no problem.)

5. USB Tether - This is the simplest option assuming there is a USB slot available on your device. Simply plug your iPhone into your laptop or computer and it should be connected and ready to go.

6. Wi-Fi Tether - At this juncture, your iPhone is already broadcasting a hotspot signal that can be seen by any Wi-Fi enabled device. On your device, connect to the iPhone the same as you would any other Wi-Fi device. It will usually have the name like this "Matthew's iPhone" or however your phone was set up.

7. Once you have a successful connection, your iPhone will show a blue bar at the top[ showing how many devices are connected.

Now you are connected to the internet through your iPhone! But remember, you are using your phone's data so monitor your use. Please leave your comments and questions below!

Poll: Which music streaming service do you prefer?

I have had several people ask me which streaming service I use to listen to music while I am at work. Some people are surprised at how many services there actually are. I am curious to see what my reader base uses.

Which music streaming service do you primarily use?

Spotify

Google Play All Access

Pandora

Amazon Prime Music

iTunes Radio

Beats Music

Grooveshark

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

Poll: How many GB is your mobile data plan?

I have to admit, I am a heavy user of cellular data. I stream music, watch YouTube videos, do mobile banking, texting, e-mail, browsing, and even tether to other devices frequently.

I am curious to see what my readers have for their data plans. (In case your wondering, I fall into the > 10GB category.)

How many GB are on your shared cell phone data plan?

< 2GB

2GB

4GB

6GB

8GB

> 10GB

Poll Maker

Update: It appears there's a PHEV minivan around the corner.

Source: Auto Blog

Well, now that I have been searching for information on hybrid minivans, there appears to be one coming up on the horizon, which Chrysler is saying is "Late 2015."

This is supposed to be the first hybrid minivan targeted for US release, which is still 14 years after Toyota released their first hybrid minivan in Japan. One surprise, however, is that this will be a PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) which should have an electric range of 74 miles before going into hybrid mode. For reference, the Chevy Volt has a 38 mile electric range before kicking over into hybrid mode.

Here's some reference shots of the current Chrysler Town and Country minivans which could look similar I would think (photo credit to www.autoblog.com):

2013 Non-Hybrid Exterior

2013 Non-Hybrid Interior

I was unable to find a proposed price of the vehicle, but Toyota sells their hybrid minivan for 3,918,437 Yen in Japan (About $34,190) for the base model. Also, Toyota's Plug-In Prius carries an additional $5,000 on it's price tag for it's plug-in feature, which would make it safe to assume that these could go for $40,000+. I hope I'm wrong.

Hopefully this will be a catalyst for other HEV/PHEV minivans in the US market. What would be the price point you would be willing to purchase a PHEV minivan? How about for a HEV minivan?

LWT: Nest Learning Thermostat 2.0

Buy Nest Learning Thermostat 2.0 from Amazon

This is a new series of articles called LWT, or Living With Technology. These won't neccesarily be reviews per se, but rather a look at day-to-day usage of technology in our lives with real world scenarios and numbers. The first installment of these articles will be on the Nest Learning Thermostat 2.0.

Let's just get it out there, the Nest Learning Thermostat is a very cool device, and a very practical one at that. Nest manages to take something as boring as a thermostat and turns it into a beautiful, connected device. The real beauty of it is that it does so much more than just look good, it serves as an energy saver which translates into utility and money savings. So here's the question: Does it save money? In my scenario, yes, and I'm well on my way to saving more.

Here's our scenario: we bought a new house near Boise, Idaho in 2011 with 2500 square feet, four bedrooms, and standard thermostat in the stairwell. My wife and I have three kids with a fourth on the way. That last bit plays a role in my monthly energy savings.

First off, the Nest retails for $249, so it's not too hard to calculate where the savings break-even point is. We bought and installed our Nest in June 2014. This is how are current savings so far have been calculated:

$0.079675	2013	2014	Difference	Savings
June kWh	842	880	-38	-$3.027650
July kWh	1386	880	506	$40.315550
August kWh	1604	1478	126	$10.039050
September kWh	1670	960	710	$56.569250
October kWh	889	539	350	$27.886250
Total	6391	4737	1654	$131.782450

According to the numbers, we are already slight more than halfway to having the Nest pay itself off. Here's what I think contributed to our overall savings.

1. Lock - This is where I learned how much our kids mess with things and the thermostat was no different. With the Nest, you can lock in a certain temperature range so that if the kids mess with it the Nest will not go outside of those bounds. I most certainly could not do this with my old thermostat. Gone are the days of the "mystery" temperature spikes and drops.

2. Schedules - This is an area that really shines for the nest. This is ultimately what prevents some of the wasteful cooling in the summertime (I've really only had it for warm weather seasons). Instead of just leaving it at a constant 70 degrees the whole winter, whether people were home or not, you got exactly that, 70 degree all summer long. Here's the thing though, during the middle of the day is when most of us weren't in the house anyways, but the old thermostat would work hard to bring those temperatures down to 70 degrees all day long. This is really is quite wasteful. There's really no better way to explain it than by showing our schedule during the summer which my wife said she didn't even notice (in other words, worked for her):

3. Auto-Away - This is one of the neatest features and one that worked rather well. The long and short if it is that the Nest determines when no one is home and will simply shutdown the unit all together. This once proved incredibly useful when we left on a trip and I had forgotten to turn it off. While not perfect, it definitely proved useful.

4. Remote Access - Really, having remote access to your thermostat is quite nice and really how I set my schedule. It let's you monitor, adjust, and set schedules in real time since the thermostat is connected via your home Wi-Fi. My wife likes to make small adjustments in the middle of the night and can do it without having to get up  of bed at all (or "Honey, can you get up and go change the thermostat for me?"). It's really quite nice to have that kind of control over the thermostat to ensure that you're saving money.

At the end of the day, I am already saving money and halfway toward the Nest paying itself off. It looks good, is fun to play with, and money savings also translate into energy efficiency and reducing waste. In my mind, the Nest is a win-win-win proposition.

Do any of you have a Nest Learning Thermostat? What are your savings if you do have one? Post your comments, questions, and thoughts below!

Discussion: Amazon Echo

Source: Amazon Echo Link

Well, you have to hand it to Amazon, they truly surprised everyone in a day where there are rarely surprises. The Amazon Echo was certainly not on anyone's radar and there's not really anything like it out there. Really, Amazon's R&D is certainly alive and active.

The whole idea behind the Amazon Echo is to have an always connected device in the home that gives you access to music, news, and other useful information. The device actually looks pretty good and appears like it could be useful in sundry circumstances.

The Amazon Echo is not yet available, though Amazon mentions it will inform customers exactly when it will be ready for the masses in "a few weeks." The retail price is set at $199 and $99  to Prime members for a limited time.

It does raise the question though, what problem does it solve that can't be done with a cell phone? Also, how will consumers respond to the Amazon Echo, will it be a smash hit? Or better yet, does Amazon expect these to be a smash hit? It's certainly new and different and time will ultimately tell if it goes the way of the Fire Phone, or it could be the next Kindle for Amazon.

I'll just throw my two cents in. As much as I want to like the Amazon Echo, there just seems to be something missing, I just can't put my finger on it. The bizarre thing is that I actually want one, though more at the Prime member price of $99 than at the $199 price point. I personally don't know what problem it solves, but I would love to be proven wrong. Maybe I just need to give it a try which is what I intend to do when I review it once it's out.

Feel free to share your thoughts below? Do you think it will be a hit? Will you buy one?

Upcoming Review: iOttie Easy View 2

Up on deck for review is the iOttie Easy View 2. I recently did some research to see which dash mount would work best for our vehicles and my iPhone 6 Plus. I'm still taking it through its paces, but should have a report back in the coming days!

News and Upcoming Content and Changes!

Okay, I have let this this site sit for too long and I want to keep it alive and active. I have already changed the look a little bit with hopes of better navigation and content discovery. Life has been crazy as usual, but that is no excuse, especially with all the gear I have been able to get my hands on. So here's what I envision:

1. Minimum one post per week.
2. Minimum one review per month.
3. Minimum one video review via my YouTube Channel (which is embarrassingly empty).
4. Comment and user interaction.

Still trying to decide how I want to organize everything, but I would like to be able to have a review section, a discussion on technology section, and whatever relevant section I can come up with. I will be experimenting with different layouts and am always open to suggestions.

I have bought some gear for myself recently and may just start from there to help those looking for technology that can help in their day-to-day lives. I have also been looking at up-and-coming technologies and what they could possibly mean to us. Let's just say I have been doing a lot of research EV (Electric Vehicles).

Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing more technology with each of you!

Review: Tech Armor Retina Shield Blue Light Filter for iPad Mini with Retina Display

Buy for iPad Mini at Amazon
Buy for iPad Air at Amazon

Like many of you, I use my phone or tablet on a daily basis. Getting the screen covered is crucial to keep the device in pristine shape to handle regular use. Really, you want to protect your hard earned purchase. Well, Tech Armor makes an interesting proposition to protect something else, your eyes. Here are there claims they make regarding this particular screen protector:

• Works with iPad Mini and iPad Mini with Retina Display

• Filters harmful Blue Light from phones and tablets which may damage your eyes and make it more difficult to achieve fast, peaceful sleep

• Ideal for children and adults

• Promotes healthy melatonin levels for better sleep AND protects from digital eye strain

Now, I am by no means an expert on these claims so I can only review them from experience over time, which is why this review will be done in two parts. The first portion will be everything that can be reviewed on the first day of use while the second will be to review of the effects of the blue light filter. All I can say is, I do use my iPad pretty much every night before bed.

Ease of Use and Application
One thing I have really come to like about the Tech Armor screen protectors is their ease of application. The instructions that come with it are clear and the same as seen on other Tech Armor screen protectors. I will also direct you to their helpful video for those who have not applied screen protectors, which can be found here:

http://www.techarmor.com/how-to-install.html

I highly recommend you watch it if you have not done this before, especially since this pack only comes with one screen protector. I would rather there be at least two protectors included, just in case of a slip up. Fortunately, I have done enough of these and have the best luck in applying Tech Armor screen protectors that I got it right on the first try.

Look and Feel
Before I applied the screen protector, I did notice there was a slightly darker tint to it than the HD Clear, but that's not a bad thing, it's just an observation. I can say that there is no perceptible change in the overall look once I had it on than that of the HD Clear or with no screen protector.

The feel is very much the same as the HD Clear screen protector I reviewed from Tech Armor in the sense that I do not even know it's there.

Package contents.

Blue Light Filtering
This is really at the heart of this particular screen protector. Again, I am not an optics expert so testing this out quantifiably is rather difficult, so I did the best with what I had. The first day into it, I realized very quickly that in order for this to be effective I would have to minimize my time with my other electronics: laptop, other tablets (yes, more than one), my phone, PS Vita, television, and even the LED lighting in my house. So, my challenge was to try and just use the iPad which proved to be more difficult than I care to admit.

There are other variables that come in to play with my sleep patterns: my wife, my kids, my dog, my day at work, etc. So basing how well I slept on my iPad use really is next to impossible to quantify.

With that said, I did have one of my better weeks of sleep in a while. Whether or not that was the blue light filter technology, or that my kids and wife have been sleeping better is the reason is hard to say. I guess I can say that I don't feet like it impeded my sleep any.

Bottom Line
If you are a heavy electronics user, especially before bed, it may not hurt to grab one of these. I would suggest you go all in however and get a blue light filter for each of your devices if you need to go this route.

Something to keep in mind is no-hassle Tech Armor Lifetime Warranty. I luckily haven't had the need to exercise this, but if you are having problems with your screen saver they will send you another. Really, it sounds like you can't go wrong here, especially if you're having troubles installing it.

A good measure for me is whether I can tell if the screen protector is there or not and again, Tech Armor does very well here. I would recommend these to someone who uses their iPad heavily before bed and may have trouble sleeping. Though I may not be able to perceive it doesn't mean someone else wouldn't, this is still a reasonably priced and high quality screen protector so you can't go wrong really.

REVIEW: iPhone 5S / 5 Case Ultra Hybrid

Let me start off by saying I had never heard of SpiGen before I bought this case, and like you, was looking at the reviews to decide if this was the case for me.

I have been through many iPhone cases in my day and can never seem to be content with every point listed above. I have been searching for a long time for a case that would meet these requirements without compromises.

Form and Function
I'm going clump these to together here because they are usually mutually exclusive, but not the case here (no pun intended). I wanted to be able to show off the iPhone's original beauty while still being able to keep it reasonably protected. While it's not bullet-proof, the SpiGen has a clear and thick TPU on the back that shows off it's original beauty while keeping it away from the elements, scratches, and smudges. It covers the key components and performs wells. The outside band is a nice TPU that covers the power and volume buttons. I must admit, it feels nice and natural and keep those protected. SpiGen hit a home-run here with maintaining what I feel is the best balance between looks and durability. I can also add I have dropped it about three times and the case has done it's job perfectly.

Look and Feel
The thicker TPU feels great in the hand, not too grippy but not a bar of soap either. It maintains the original thin feel of the iPhone and adds minimal bulk. This way key for my search of the perfect iPhone case and SpiGen nailed it here.

Clear back to show iPhones natural beauty while still having excellent protection.

Function
I am able to access all buttons and functions of the hardware without a hitch, I must add though that my studio headphone have a larger audio plug mount and the TPU around the headphone jack is just a tad small for it. With that said, all my other earphones, including the Apple ones, have no problem.

Value
These cost a fraction of other cases you can buy in the store or online. Simply put, SpiGen offers up the best vlaue and bang for your buck.

Conclusion
Is it the most durable case out there? No. Is it the most colorful or is it going to turn lots of heads? Not really. But what is is, it's my perfect iPhone case that gives me the minimalist look without compromising the key durability functions while maintaining a thin profile. I have already recommended friends and family use this case as well and they have loved it too.

I will likely buy more SpiGen products in the future as their products have been stellar quality and will likely become a favorite in the future for other users such as myself.

Hope this review helps. Let me know if you have any questions.