With over 1.5 billion people on this planet without electricity, it’s hard for those of us in developed nations to even fathom how anyone can read, write, repair, or do anything else that we take for granted without any lights. While some of our First World problems pale in comparison, they remain issues nonetheless, one of the biggest being constant battery drain from portable electronics.

With the WakaWaka Power, you can easily take care of the bigger problem of lack of light in the world, and the relatively smaller problem of charging your gadgets, all in one handy solar-powered device… more

Animal lovers, especially dog owners, know that pets are a part of the family, but it’s often incredibly frustrating to know if and when something just isn’t right with our furry companions. If you’re out and about most of the day, your dog will be so happy to see you when you come home that you may have no idea they were tired and listless all day long, which can be a sign of health problems for your pup. This is where FitBark comes in.
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Don’t miss all of our CES 2015 coverage!

FitBark tracks movement (and rest), like most activity trackers, and that data can prove invaluable when it… more

Battery life is extremely unpredictable on an Android. Finding the right ROM and kernel combo can make or break having the kind of battery that will last you all day long. Even if you do find the perfect pair, you then have to worry about apps, widgets, and other processes constantly waking your phone and draining your juice. While your media scanner isn’t the biggest battery hog out there, it can definitely take a chunk out of it.

Now, thanks to XDA user thomashofmann, we have Xposed Media Scanner Optimizer which allows you to better schedule or completely shut off your media scanner. This… more

NFC, or near-field communications, is a hardware feature that has been built into most Android phones for the last four years. It’s essentially a low-power data connection that can be used to initiate a quick command by bringing your device within range of a compatible receiver, be it tap-and-pay with Google Wallet, a file transfer via Android Beam, or a Tasker profile triggered by a specific NFC tag.

That last example has quite a few practical implementations. NFC tags can be purchased for less than a dollar each, and when combined with an automation app, can trigger a series of events on… more

Wearables were everywhere at CES 2015… you literally couldn’t walk 10 feet without seeing some new and innovative device. Among the sleep, fitness, dog, and baby wearables, we came across one with a different, more important purpose—the Linx IAS injury prevention headband.
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Don’t miss all of our CES 2015 coverage!

Created by BlackBox Biometrics, the Linx IAS (Impact Assessment System) headband and its companion app for Android and iOS, can provide athletes, parents, coaches, and sports organizations with real-time data and analysis of impact-related head injuries. And it all starts… more

Each morning, we spend a significant portion of our time staring into the mirror. From choosing clothes and accessories to perfecting our hair, we try to make ourselves attractive. Yet catching others’ attention doesn’t have to rely on preening and primping. There’s some truth to the maxim of beauty in confidence—all you need to make yourself more attractive is spray on your favorite scent.

Your Nose Is the Best Judge

We all have our favorite scents—and often wear them to make ourselves more appealing to others. But does this smelly method of catching others’ attention really work?

In… more

Korean electronics giant LG maintained a large presence at CES 2015. While their TVs and home appliances were heavily showcased, my interest was primarily on one device—the new LG G Flex 2 Android phone.
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Don’t miss all of our CES 2015 coverage!

The successor to the original G Flex and next-in-line after the LG G3, the G Flex 2 sports impressive specs, including a Snapdragon 810 processor, either 2GB RAM (on the 16GB model) or 3GB of RAM (on the 32GB model), expandable storage with microSD card support, a massive 3000mAh battery (with fast charging), and 13-megapixel rear camera with… more

In the weeks before Apple officially released iOS 8, consumers were abuzz over rumors that a new feature would password-protect your photos and text messages from prying eyes. Unfortunately, this ended up being untrue, though we did cover some alternatives to protecting your important information using some built-in features and a third-party app. Now, there’s a new iOS app that can do it all.

Keeply, from Gasper Cvenkel, takes privacy to another level by PIN-protecting your photos, videos, log-in credentials, credit card numbers, and more, all in one beautifully designed app. Not only that… more

If you’re going exercising, either at the gym or outside, you’re going to need a backpack, gym bag, or pockets to hold your water bottle, wallet, keys, smartphone, and anything else you’ve got on you.

Health Emporium US LLC looks to ease some of the trouble with carrying all that crap around with their Next Bottle, the Swiss-Army knife of water bottles.
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With Next Bottle, not only can you carry the liquid of your choice, but you can also store and charge your smartphone, place credit cards and/or cash in a secret compartment, and hook your keys to a holder at the top of the bottle… more

There are hundreds of delicious ways to enjoy caramel, from chocolate confections to sticky caramel apples and carnival bags of caramel corn. Caramel might be the special sauce that makes every dessert taste better, but it’s also surprisingly simple to make.

In about 7 minutes and with just a few ingredients, you can actually whip up a killer batch of homemade caramels at home. And it turns out that the microwave is the perfect appliance to use to make quick, fuss-free caramels. We break down the hows and whys for you right here. You create caramel syrup just by heating up sugar slowly to… more