Product Reviews

The MINIKIT Neo is a small, voice-controlled, hands-free Bluetooth set that slides onto your car’s sun visor. Once paired with up to two phones, the Neo downloads your full contacts list, enabling you to make and receive calls using your voice. There are also two buttons and a rotary knob that allow you to answer, hang up and scroll your phonebook manually. We all know voice recognition is far from seamless, but this unit really tries to understand names and commands. I prefer to keep the voice controls off because sometimes the unit will mistake music for commands and call people while I am unaware of it, until I notice that the little green light is lit—that can make for some awkward calls. The sound on this thing is bold on both ends, no matter your speed. Parrot also developed an app for the device that helps you find where you parked your car and lets you know when you’re out of time on a parking meter. As long as your phone is paired, it will automatically activate once you get in your car and disconnect once you are about 30 feet away. You can check the battery life of the unit from your phone, by voice command or by the side toggle switch. If you drive an older car without built-in Bluetooth capability, $70 is a small amount to ask for such sleek hands-free talking. –Granato

I will never naysay gaming on a phone again. The MOGA Gaming Controllers have made my tablet and phone into a machine that competes with every major handheld I own. Within 20 minutes of unpacking the controller, I had turned my phone into an emulating monster. It is true that the controller does not “officially support emulators,” but I can tell you from firsthand experience that emulators officially support them. The sleek and comfortable design of this controller (which has improved over the last two iterations) and its rechargeable battery keep you playing on the go. They are purely an act of genius. If you don’t feel like setting up emulators, the controller’s “B” mode also supports games that weren’t designed specifically for the controller, which unlocks the potential of every title in the Play Store. For a minimal entry price, this gadget lets you play games built to run perfectly with it and play games that aren’t designed to utilize it. The only thing it doesn’t do is answer emails for you. This is a must-have accessory for Android gamers—I’m sad to think I tried gaming on my phone without it. –Thomas Winkley

The SmartWool Next-to-Skin Baselayers are a godsend. Although temperatures haven’t dropped to what they were this time last year, the NTS Mid 250 Pattern Crew Top and the NTS MID 250 Bottom insulate my body to the point where riding my bicycle in about 20 degrees with a couple layers between my coat and the thermals became a bit too hot—which is a good thing, since I hate being cold. Additionally, because these base layers are merino wool (sorry, vegans), the odor that one would expect from such intimate layers is nonexistent, aside from the normal stink that my bag of bones produces in normal clothes. Also expected of this material, I have experienced a minimal amount of retained sweat moisture after I get my blood pumping for a comfortable ride up the hill back to my house. What’s more is that I’ve worn the crew top as a normal shirt on those lazy, “I don’t feel like changing” days—the grey stripes on black make for a casually stylish shirt! After wearing these puppies for a couple of months, I don’t understand how one lives in Utah without SmartWool—they’re a purchase well worth making. –Alexander Ortega