Product Reviews

Tokyo Flash
Kasai Adjust
tokyoflash.com

Wearing a watch used to be a necessity, until almost everyone on Earth got a cell phone, and then it became an accessory. If you want a watch that makes a statement, the Kasai Adjust is a perfect addition to your wardrobe. The LED display appears like a futuristic bracelet made for sci-fi television, but is actually a visual code that displays numbers. The watch itself is simplistic, giving you the date, time and an alarm—allowing you to set everything including the display color to customize it to whatever you’re wearing. To be blunt, like any piece of jewelry, it’s meant to be shown off and talked about, which you won’t have much issue with because the sleek, black metal appearance (or silver steel, if you prefer) fits with practically any ensemble, casual or formal. The only real issue is the price, coming in at $179, which is actually quite reasonable if you look at any pimp watches on the market today. If you want to stun the present while feeling like you live in the future, definitely take a look at this item from Tokyo Flash. –Gavin Sheehan

Ultimate Ears
UE Boom
ultimateears.com

For being almost as tall as a wine glass, the UE Boom pours out a lush cascade of sound. Its Bluetooth capabilities are perfect for quickly throwing on Hooded Menace while cooking dinner—after the initial sync with a phone, the only other step is to turn it on, and presto: I’m getting my death metal on while stirring noodles! The most impressive aspect of the UE Boom is its balance of different tonal registers. The bass is well rounded and the speakers distinguish it enough to let those sweet grooves shine through. The mids and highs sound crisp and bright, but not blaring or blown out. Now, I know that merely having this technology and being able to enjoy music in this manner are nothing short of wizardry, but I do have one gripe: The Bluetooth connection starts to cut out at about 30 feet. I know—this is totally #whitegirlproblems, but it would be nice to keep my phone in my pocket when I go into the kitchen while the speaker functions as the hearth of my party in the living room. That aside, the UE Boom is a solid product that has served as a speaker that I’ve directly connected with a quarter-inch cord to replace my shitty MacBook speakers; I’d say $199 is a fair price point, given how new the speaker is on the market—it helps that the battery lasts for a couple hours, too. Overall, the UE Boom typifies a quality-focused product. –Alexander Ortega

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