The Cybertruck front truck (“frunk”) has a safety feature that looks mighty unsafe to me.
Gadget or gimmick? The truth behind viral tech products
ChatGPT
Oh, it’s Friday. Let’s lighten our tech brains and hearts.
Every week, some new gadget promises to make your life easier. There’s a fine line though between “tech that improves your life” and “tech that ends up in a junk drawer next to the USB lava lamp.”
I ran them through the highly scientific Kim Scale™ so you don’t have to. Let me break down the viral tech everyone’s talking about.
👓 Blue Light Glasses
Claim: Reduce eyestrain and improve sleep by filtering blue light from screens.
Reality: Studies show these glasses might help with sleep, but most digital eyestrain comes from not blinking and staring too long, not blue light itself.
Kim Scale: ★★☆☆☆
Verdict: A little helpful if you’re doomscrolling at night, but don’t expect miracles. Honestly, blinking more often is free. Your move, capitalism.
📴 EMF Blockers
Claim: Shield your body from harmful electromagnetic radiation.
Reality: There’s no solid scientific proof that EMF-blocking stickers or necklaces actually do anything, but they’re big business.
Kim Scale: ☆☆☆☆☆
Verdict: Science and I both say skip it. It’s giving a “tinfoil hat, but make it on Etsy” vibe.
🖥️ Anti-Spy Screen Filters
Claim: Keep people from viewing your screen from side angles.
Reality: These actually work! If you’re checking email at a coffee shop or handling private info on a plane, they’re a smart choice.
Kim Scale: ★★★★☆
Verdict: Privacy win. Good for privacy, or for pretending you’re working when you’re definitely not.
🛏️ The Self-Making Smart Duvet
Claim: Makes your bed with the push of a button.
Reality: This thing literally inflates inside your duvet to straighten your sheets every morning. Cool? Yes. Practical? Depends how lazy you want to get.
Kim Scale: ★★☆☆☆
Verdict: Equal parts impressive and ridiculous. Coming soon: a Roomba that brushes your teeth and tells you you’re special.
🍌 The Banana Phone
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
How to take Apple’s hearing test – and what to do if your hearing loss is more than mild
Apple.com, hear.com
Apple really pulled off a great feat. You can now test your hearing with your AirPods Pro 2 and an iPhone running iOS 18. It’s a groundbreaking feature, FDA-approved and perfect for catching mild to moderate hearing loss early.
Hiring? 5 LinkedIn myths debunked
© Bartpeereboom | Dreamstime.com
Fact: Hiring the right person can be challenging. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With the right tools, hiring can be simple.
Kim’s pick when it comes to adding to the team at Komando HQ? LinkedIn. Keep reading to find out why LinkedIn can help businesses of any size add the right people. Visit LinkedIn.com/Kim.
Wireless charging is finally in your car - Here’s what you need to get started
Amazon
Are you still buying gas station charging cables for your phone? Stop plugging it into the cigarette lighter and leaning it in the console (we all know it will slip between the seats anyway).
Magnetic-safe wireless charging is finally here for your car. Keep your battery full, your eyes on the road and charge smarter without dropping your phone. Here are our top picks.
Best cordless electric ratchet sets and how they can replace all your wrenches
You have a big task ahead, but you don’t have the tools to handle it. Electric ratchet sets save time, strain and headaches. These sets provide excellent RPM, torque and overall power without leaving your wallet feeling cold. Here are our top picks.
Scan a document faster than ever with these portable, handheld scanners
Do you have important documents that need digitizing? It’s easier than ever to scan documents with safety and ease. The solution fits right in the palm of your hand. These portable handheld document scanners make it simple, fast and effective to scan documents. These are our top picks.
5 best earplugs to get a better night's sleep on the cheap
We could all use better sleep. Small sounds and bumps in the night can disrupt your slumber without realizing it. If you’ve ever been sensitive to sounds and felt them wake you up in the middle of the night, it’s time to lean into high-quality earplugs to help you stay asleep. These are our top picks.
Stop wasting money: These rechargeable batteries will save you tons
How fast does your house burn through disposable batteries? We’re willing to bet that it’s a lot. These rechargeable batteries save you money over time with low-cost, low-priced recharging. Stop throwing money into the trash with disposable batteries. Here are our top picks.
These simple desk-mounted cable conduits save so much hassle
Nothing is as frustrating as a mess of cables running across your desk. Your phone charger, mouse cable and keyboard wire take up lots of desk real estate. That’s why cable conduits exist. These inexpensive add-ons make it fast and simple to organize your wires with clips and desk attachments. These are our top picks.
These rechargeable lighters mean no more lighter fluid
Get rid of those dangerous butane lighters: the future is electric, whether you’re lighting a lantern, cigar or just some birthday candles. These USB lighters are entirely flameless, providing better safety and efficiency while saving you money in the long run. They’re also highly green compared to butane, so it’s a win-win. These are our top picks.
PC need a repair? You need one of these affordable tool kits
Whether your hard drive bit the dust or you need to fix the IO panel on your PC, you need the right tools to get the job done. These compact PC repair kits include nearly everything you need to dissect and fix your PC and avoid all the usual headaches. These are our top picks.
Best wrist rests to help with carpal tunnel and hand cramping at your PC
Many of us collapse our wrists between different blocks of typing and lean them against the corner of our desks. That’s not good for your tendons. Wrist rests help prevent additional damage and reduce fatigue during long work days.
10 helpful desk gadgets to make your home office more efficient
Amazon
We could all stand to be a little more efficient at our desks. Getting organized and optimizing your workspace is difficult, so we’ve built this list. These gadgets and add-ons make it easy to make the most of your space.
Shopping guide: Ben's best-reviewed products of 2021
Over the past year, I’ve reviewed dozens of products, from battery chargers to motorized standing desks. While not every new gadget managed to wow me, quite a few made a positive impression.
They might do the same for you. There could even be a few that would make an excellent gift for someone you know — especially those who are difficult to buy for.
Review: This compact power station makes a great gift - How to get it at a lower price
This past summer, I had the chance to review a portable power station from Jackery. I say portable, even though it was a bit on the heavy side and came with four folding solar panels. That’s fine since it’s designed to charge your devices and power major appliances if necessary.
Review: A flip phone made to withstand the toughest working conditions
Courtesy: Cat
I think of the mid-90s to the mid-2000s as the golden age of cell phones. It was that period between bag phones and smartphones when you really had the classics like, well, any phone that had the word Nokia emblazoned on the front.
Review: Jackery solar generator can power appliances or tag along on trips
Courtesy: Jackery.com
Not interested in a portable generator that’s awkwardly large, loud and smells of gasoline fumes? That’s where portable power stations come in. These are similar to the backup batteries you might keep around to charge up a cell phone but much larger and more powerful.
Review: Klipsch Cinema 1200 Sound Bar System
Buy a new TV these days and you’ll be amazed by any number of advancements from screen technology and size to colors and number of pixels. But if there’s always been one constant, it’s that the built-in speakers just don’t cut it.
Is this portable power station for your outdoor adventures worth the price?
Last month, I took a camping trip to the Grand Canyon. We had the typical gear you would expect: a tent, tarp, cots, sleeping bags, camp stove, flashlights and more.
I also brought along a home theater of sorts that included a projector, Apple TV and a 100-inch screen designed to attach to a portable canopy. It was all powered by a high-end Lithium-ion power station and four solar panels.