On Gear Live: Circuit Breaker: The Tech Newsletter that Elevates Your Gadget Game

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Canary All in one home security best buy

Where I live, it’s a typical safe neighborhood. Nothing too crazy happens all that often (stolen UPS packages that are left on doorsteps not withstanding.) I do subscribe to Vivint though, a home security service that ties in home automation. Of course, that required a team to come out and install things all over the house—but what if that’s overkill for you? Maybe you live in an apartment or condo, or maybe you just don’t want the monthly bill.

That’s where Best Buy comes in. Rather than shelling out monthly for a monitored home security system, you can now take those matters into your own hands for what I’d consider to be a fair price. Best Buy sent over the Canary Home Security System for me to check out. If you’re unfamiliar, the Canary is an all-in-one unit that you put in a high-traffic area in your home. It’s a small package, but packs in the features.

Click to continue reading Canary: All-in-One Home Security review


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Adobe Photoshop Elements 14 review

Here at Gear Live, reviewing gadgets, putting together gadget photo galleries, and creating image thumbnails for our YouTube videos. The thing is, there isn't much I need to do to make the images look great, and as such, Photoshop has always felt like overkill--a tool that is way more powerful than I need. I recently spent time with the new Adobe Photoshop Elements 14. This is the prosumer version of Photoshop that immediately felt way more accessible upon launching the application than it's more capable big brother.

Click to continue reading Adobe Photoshop Elements 14 review


toshiba satellite radius 12

If you're looking for a 2-in-1 convertible notebook to add to your holiday wish list this season, be sure to consider the Toshiba Satellite Radius 12. Built and designed for Windows 10, the Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 can go from laptop mode over to tablet mode with a quick flip of the display. It sports an amazing 12.5-inch 4K UHD touchscreen, which is one of the best you'll see in this category. On the inside, you'll find an Intel Core i7 processor paired with 8GB RAM, and a blazing fast 256GB SSD.

Click to continue reading The Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 is the convertible PC for this holiday season


Latest Gear Live Videos

Halloween Bathroom Prank

If you wanna kick up your Halloween festivities, you may be able to do so with some of the smart home gadgets and consumer electronics that you already have in your posession. One example is using your Hue lights to simulate a thunderstorm or fire happening in your home, which I've been enjoying for the past few days. The ambiance can be enjoyed both from inside the house, as well as by people passing by (especially with a connected Bluetooth speaker chiming in with sound effects, pointed outside an open window!)

For more inspiration, Best Buy has compiled five videos that show how you can use different pieces of technology that you can use to put together you own scary holiday scenes. The one I liked most is the Haunted House Wicked Washroom, where you use Philips Hue lights, a Bluetooth speaker with ambient lighting, and Belkin WeMo smart plugs to allow you to turn on plugged in gadgets remotely. Head on over to Best Buy to check out all five video tutorials.

Click to continue reading How to use gadgets for Halloween pranks in your home


Thinking about picking up the Apple iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus? Make sure you check out my full review of both Apple 2015 flagship smartphones in this episode! I give you a rundown of all the new iPhone 6s features - things like 3D Touch, Live Photos, the new 12 megapixel iSight camera, 5 megapixel FaceTime HD camera, second generation Touch ID, Taptic Engine, 7000 series aluminum body, Retina Flash, 4K video recording, and so much more!

Join me as I walk you through each new feature, as well as specify the subtle differences between the iPhone 6s and the larger iPhone 6s Plus (spoiler: battery life and optical image stabilization!)

You can pick up the iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus now!

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

 
Here's how to get the show:
[Download] - iPod-formatted H.264
[Download] - 720p HD
[Download] - 1080p MP4

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 549: Apple iPhone 6s Review


It's time for an amiibo blast from the past with the Retro 3-Pack! Included in this set are Duck Hunt (the dog with the duck flying above), Mr. Game and Watch (the predecessor to the Game Boy), and R.O.B. (the robot peripheral for the original NES Nintendo Entertainment System.)

I give you an up-close look at each of these old school amiibo characters, which work great with Super Smash Bros U and 3DS! Let me know your thoughts in the comments - I thought Mr. Game and Watch was pretty cool the way you could change his pose, and the detail in R.O.B. was awesome.

You can order the Amiibo Retro 3-Pack now.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel, and also--we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

 
Here's how to get the show:
[Download] - iPod-formatted H.264
[Download] - 720p HD
[Download] - 1080p MP4

Click to continue reading Unboxing Live 174: Amiibo Retro 3-Pack (Duck Hunt, R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch)


Apple has eliminated most of the fun from Apple Store iPhone launches! In this episode, I am waiting for the iPhone 6S to launch at the Alderwood Mall Apple Store. Typically, there are hundreds of people all camped out, waiting in line, and generally switching between having a great time and hating life depending on the temperature and the rain. This year? For the vase majority of the night it was 3 people. THREE PEOPLE! I was the third to arrive, getting there at 8:00PM the night before launch - last year by then there were 80 people in line. The next person didn't arrive until about 4:30am - 8.5 hours later. I do finally get my hands on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, and bring you an unboxing of the device as well.

You can order the new Apple iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus now.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel, and also--we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

 
Here's how to get the show:
[Download] - iPod-formatted H.264
[Download] - 720p HD
[Download] - 1080p MP4

Click to continue reading Unboxing Live 173: iPhone 6S Launch and Unboxing


backblaze unlimited backup review

Backblaze not only allows access to data from all your devices, but it backs up automatically and continuously so there are zero tasks added to your plate. It’s a simple solution to a complex problem that can often end in disaster.Right now you can grab a one-year subscription for $24.99 from Gear Live Deals. That is half off the regular price!

  • Back up all your photos, movies, music & documents automatically
  • Retain all deleted files for 30 days
  • Back up external drives (USB, Firewall & Thunderbolt)
  • Secure your data in data centers w/ 24-hour staff, biometric security & redundant power
  • Enjoy the security of native Mac & PC coding rather than Java (responsible for 91% of attacks)
  • Back up at optimized speeds so you don’t waste precious hours
  • Locate your lost computer to help recover it

This subscription covers one computer (and any connected external drives) with a year of unlimited backup for new customers at half price. Get this deal now!


OS X El Capitan download

Apple has released OS X 10.11 El Capitan to the public, and all users with compatible Macs are able to download the updated version of Apple’s desktop operating system for free from the Mac App Store. Just launch the Mac App Store to grab the download, or if you don’t see it, you can use this link to take you right to it: OS X El Capitan

OS X El Capitan brings with it a slew of bug fixes and performance improvements, tightening up everything from last year’s Yosemite release. That said, there are still quite a few user-facing improvements as well. These include:

Click to continue reading Apple OS X 10.11 El Capitan now available, here’s what’s new!


Apple's new iPad mini 4 has hit the streets, and in this episode I bring you my full iPad mini 4 review and unboxing. Find out all about what's changed between the iPad mini 3 vs. iPad mini 4, as well as what makes it different from the iPad Air 2. If you're thinking about buying the new iPad mini 4, be sure to check out the review first for a full rundown of the hardware, as well as the new software features found in iOS 9 that bring new multitasking capabilities to the iPad mini 4 as well. Feel free to comment and let me know what you'd like to see me review next!

You can get the Apple iPad mini 4 now!

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

 
Here's how to get the show:
[Download] - iPod-formatted H.264
[Download] - 720p HD
[Download] - 1080p MP4

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 547: iPad mini 4 review


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