Reviews

I like to pack light when I travel. If possible, I even try to only bring a carry-on bag on flights. Therefore, I welcome anything that allows me to carry less stuff. The ShaveTech USB-powered razor is just such an item – it has most of the functionality of a full-sized electric razor, yet it’s about the size of a smartphone. Over the past several days, I’ve had the chance to try the thing out.  Read More

The BMW K1600GTL is a luxury mega-tourer. It falls into that category of bikes that has next to zero relevance to me at this point in my riding life cycle, as I've got no current plans to circumnavigate Australia or have a crack at the Saddlesore 1000. And yet I've actually been hanging out to get my hands on one of these things, because it features what I'd call the single coolest innovation I've seen on a motorcycle since I first put aside my prejudices and felt just how good the Piaggio MP3 tilting 3-wheeler is to ride. It's the second coolest thing I've thrown a leg over this week.  Read More

“What the hell is a phablet?” There’s a good chance you’ve either heard this phrase or uttered it yourself. And for good reason: “phablet” may be one of the silliest words in the English language. But it appears this portmanteau of the words phone and tablet is here to stay. Scratch that: Samsung’s hot-selling Galaxy Note – the only significant product in the category – is here to stay. Is it the real deal, or just a flash in the pan? Read on, as we review the Samsung Galaxy Note II.  Read More

Whether you call it a quadcopter, quadrocopter, quadrotor, UAV or (gasp) a drone, DJI’s new GPS-equipped Phantom is certainly a nifty little radio-controlled aircraft. We first heard about the Phantom when it was officially launched this January and since then I've had a chance to try out the, uh – let’s call it a quadcopter – for myself. Here’s a quick look at my experiences with it, and I'll say this right now: the thing was more fun than a barrel full of flying monkeys.  Read More

I've tested a fair few gadgets in my time at Gizmag – from upmarket beanbags to high-powered motorcycles and smart pens. But I've never been asked to go this far outside my comfort zone for a story – even though our esteemed editorial team will probably tell you my whole life has been building to this. Today, I'm road testing a masturbation device. And I've decided to put my name to it because despite all the squeamish details you're about to read, this is a significant piece of technology – a big step down the path of remote sexual interaction. Tally ho!  Read More

The connected living room has been the next big thing for several years now. The fruition of that promise, though, has been mostly limited to set-top boxes, game consoles, and Smart TVs with confusing software. In other words, the "connected living room" looks about the same as it did two years ago. But that hasn’t stopped companies from pushing out new devices that try to shake things up. Read on, as we review one such device: the FAVI SmartStick.  Read More

I think it's fair to say that if you want a Bluetooth loudspeaker to stream music from your phone or player, the marketplace is somewhat generous with its choices. To stand out and be noticed, manufacturers need to add something extra to the pot – such as being able to change shape like the novel Transformative Bluetooth Hi-Fi System or really feeling the beat with the ONBEAT-X1 portable speaker. Taiwan's Yantouch has taken a decidedly more visually-stimulating route with its third-generation Black Diamond speaker, and Gizmag spent the last few weeks being mesmerized by its stunning light show.  Read More

The first Dead Space game was something pretty special. Its setting of a deserted spaceship infested with seemingly endless hordes of "necromorph" human/alien mutations pushed the boundaries when it came to evoking a sense of isolation and foreboding, interspersed with periods of outright terror. The game was successful enough to warrant a fully fledged sequel along with numerous related titles. We join Isaac Clarke in his latest outing in Dead Space 3. We looked at the game on Xbox 360.  Read More

Though ready and willing to take full advantage of all that the digital tone modeling revolution has to offer, like many guitar gearheads, I fall back on my trusty tube amps and analog stomps when it's time to get serious. Color me intrigued, however, when Yamaha's two-strong THR Series solid state combo amps hit the shelves at the beginning of last year – featuring the company's Virtual Circuitry Modelling (VCM) technology for authentic-sounding tone, even at low volume. Three new models made a U.S. debut at the Winter NAMM Show back in January 2013, and I've been discovering exactly what VCM tubes sound like with the THR10C solid state boutique home/studio amp.  Read More