This here is the Cadillac of blenders. The Vitamix 5200 has a 2 horsepower motor (that's one-third the power of my Craftsman lawnmower out back). My wife and I saved up for this thing so we could make our own baby food for Noah, but the perk is that you can make so much more: smoothies, soups, rice milk, powdered sugar... the…
It's only been a week since your new LTE-equipped iPad arrived, but no doubt you've already been taking it out more and more just on its own. But the Smart Cover by itself doesn't make for a very good case. The X Pocket iPad Case from Hard Graft, however, does. It's made with heavy duty wool felt and vegetable tanned leather. It…
Two of the greatest movies ever made, and then, well, who knows what happened for Part III. Right now the trilogy bundle is on sale on iTunes for just $18. It's not HD, but it is cheap. And, in a way, watching these movies in their original, standard definition almost seems like the way it should be. Or, if you do prefer…
In my five years as an iPhone owner I have never once used a case (well, except for the Morphie Juice Pack Air) — I prefer my iPhone sans-case. But, many an iPhone owner prefer or need a case. And if you (or your friend) want something that is sleek, snug fitting, and minimal then I highly recommend the Barely There case…
Editor's Note: TextExpander is one of those staple apps on my Mac that when it's not running I feel handicapped. I have over 60 snippets I use -- from email signatures, to Amazon and iTunes link codes, to custom replies for emails, to common miscapitalizations of certain words, and more. Moreover, those snippets sync to my iPhone and iPad via TextExpander's iOS…
This glass bowl in the shape of a wide-open Ziploc baggie sits flat and holds about 10 ounces worth of jelly beans, Skittles, peanuts, or just plain water in case you want to use it as a home for your pet goldfish.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson, The Adventures of Tintin, is an adventure story about a boy and his dog on their quest to uncover hidden treasure. This is one that Anna and I never got to see in the theatre. It's available now to rent or own, and so the Blu-Ray version in the queue for our next…
Do you type the same things again and again? TextExpander will save you time and keystrokes. Just assign short abbreviations to your frequently-used snippets of text and TextExpander does the work for you. You can also use one of the included snippet libraries for HTML, CSS, autocorrection, accented words and URL shorteners. Try it out — there's a free demo at Smile…
A new style book by Bernhard Roetzel (who has written quite a few fashion guides) is due out on May 15. A Guy's Guide to Style is 240 pages of "practical tips for all situations from business meetings and festive occasions to recreational activities". The only thing left for you to do will be to dress like you mean it. For a…
Okay, okay. I admit, I'm lousy at writing out reviews for movies. But that won't stop me from recommending a good flick when it comes across my living room, and Hugo is one of those. I saw it in the theater and rented it again with Anna on Blu-Ray and loved it both times. It's fun, it's well written, and the cinematography…
Sturdy. Beautiful. Hand made from a solid sheet of bamboo with leather straps, CNC machined parts, and two coats of poly. That describes the heavy-duty cases made by Silva Limited for your MacBook or your iPad 2. (Thanks, Dave!)
Discover better internet video without all the searching. Create personalized video channels by connecting your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Google Reader accounts. You can also bookmark videos with your Instapaper and Readability bookmarklets to watch on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone. We also integrate with Evernote, Youtube and Vimeo. Browse from our carefully curated list of channels which have an eclectic…
And speaking of favorite children's books, Amos: The Story of an Old Dog and His Couch, is another one of my favorites. This one was published in 1992, and 20 years later it's is still hilarious — even for adults (trust me, I've still got my copy, and Anna and I read it just a few weeks ago).
The Eleventh Hour is a hardcover, fully-illustrated, children's mystery book that was one of my favorites growing up. Written and illustrated in 1988 by Graeme Base this is an entertaining and puzzling work of art. Each page has clues hidden within the text and in the drawings and the borders as to what curious case took place on Horace the Elephant's 11th…
TinyLetter is the simplest way to send email newsletters. Creating signup forms is a breeze, and TinyLetter even makes it easy to reply to your readers individually. It's also free. TinyLetter doesn't have all the features most email services offer. It's built for people, not business. Just compose your message, send it to your readers, and find out what they think. That's…
After I bought my MacBook Air last summer, I decided I would never again buy a peripheral that didn't support Thunderbolt. Many of us have been waiting for Thunderbolt hard drives and docks to become mainstream and affordable. And the LaCie Little Big Disk is the first consumer-level external hard drive to (mostly) reach that goal. LaCie's Little Big Disk is little…
The Gerber Steady Tripod Multi-Tool is the ideal companion for today's modern hunting, fishing, Netflix watching, hiking, Instagramming, fire-building man. This multi-tool for the digitally-connected nature lover features 12 components, including both a fine and a serrated blade, bottle opener, pliers and wire cutters, screwdrivers. But it also serves as a tripod for your camera and/or iPhone thanks to its screw-on attachment…
The UI prototyping phase of the design process is crucial to get right. It's about figuring out how your product will work, and ensuring everyone is aligned before moving into building. InVision is a web-based prototyping tool that lets you paint an accurate and realistic picture that anyone can understand. InVision is beautiful on Mobile as well. Simply navigate to your project…
This new-to-me, Austin-based coffee roaster, Summermoon, roasts their coffee beans over a wood fire. The Swinging Lantern blend is a "tri-roast" that literally includes three separate roasts: their dark French Roast, their full bodied Velvet Roast and their light cinnamon Roast. And, I know from experience, that the Swinging Lantern blend makes for an excellent cup of french press. (Thanks, Seth.)
When at my desk, my MacBook Air works in clamshell mode while connected to an external display, an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, and a Magic Trackpad. For the times I want to do a lot of writing on my iPad I have to un-pair the Bluetooth keyboard from my Mac and re-pair it to my iPad. And so I bought this AmazonBasics Bluetooth…