Year: 2015

  • Installing CyanogenMod on my Moto X made me want to switch to an iPhone

    Installing CyanogenMod on my Moto X made me want to switch to an iPhone

    My Moto X is working fine but over time, like all Android phones, it became slow. Instead of performing a factory reset, I decided to install CyanogenMod. For those unfamiliar, Cyanogen is a small software company that makes a fork of Android called CyanogenMod. It’s completely customizable and has a ton of innovative features not…

  • Review: Nameless Axelback with 5″ offset mufflers for BRZ/FR-S/GT86 [UPDATE w/ video]

    Review: Nameless Axelback with 5″ offset mufflers for BRZ/FR-S/GT86 [UPDATE w/ video]

    The stock exhaust on the BRZ sounds asthmatic. You can tell Subaru and Toyota wanted the car to be a relatively quiet daily driver but for us enthusiasts want a bit more sound. Subaru and Toyota engineered a sound pipe that connects to the intake tube to pump induction noise into the cabin but sounds…

  • Why I wear a normal watch

    Why I wear a normal watch

    I’ve always loved technology because it’s done so much to make our lives better. But when smartwatches started taking off, I was less than impressed. Even today, I do not wear a smartwatch. Instead, I wear mechanical watches, a technology that was superseded by battery-powered quartz watches and now smartwatches. For me, smartwatches don’t solve…

  • This Pokéball shift knob cover will make me the coolest kid at the car meet

    This Pokéball shift knob cover will make me the coolest kid at the car meet

      My stainless steel WC Lathe Werks shift knob combined with the hot California sun add up to create a molten ball of pain when left baking outside. I love the weight, look, and feel of my metal shift knob but its biggest downside is that it gets too hot to the touch if I…

  • The LEGO Ferrari F40 is a masterpiece

    The LEGO Ferrari F40 is a masterpiece

    The new LEGO Ferrari F40 model did justice to the car I obsessed over as a kid. At the time of its release, Ferrari was known for its V12 engines, which made the twin-turbo V8 F40 a bit of an oddball. The car made 471 HP and only weighed 2,400 lbs, which is about 300…

  • Mountek nGroove vs. Koomus CD-Eco: comparison and review

    Mountek nGroove vs. Koomus CD-Eco: comparison and review

      There are a ton of ways to mount your smartphone in your car from suction cups to vent mounts. However, not all vent mounts work in every car and suction cups may fall off when the temperature changes. The best solution for me has been CD slot car mounts, which cannibalize the CD slot…

  • 11 reasons why I still love my Subaru BRZ

    11 reasons why I still love my Subaru BRZ

      The Subaru BRZ isn’t perfect. I’ve already written about the 12 most frustrating things about the BRZ but after three years of ownership, I’ve never been tempted to sell or trade in the car. The BRZ has always been a controversial car with critics lamenting its lack of power and its fans lauding its…

  • WatchBuys San Francisco road show: a new appreciation for Sinn

    WatchBuys San Francisco road show: a new appreciation for Sinn

    WatchBuys, an online retailer that specializes in German watches, stopped by San Francisco for a road show to show off some of the watches it carries. Some of the brands represented at the show included Nomos, Hanhart, Bruno Sohnle and Sinn. I’ll be honest and say I was most excited for a chance to try…

  • 12 most frustrating things about the Subaru BRZ

    12 most frustrating things about the Subaru BRZ

    I love my Subaru BRZ but it’s not without its frustrations. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise since the car is a cheap Japanese sports coupe after all. There are always compromises that manufacturers make when creating a car. Family sedans compromise fun and handling for luxury and utility. Sports cars compromise utility and…

  • Why I choose to drive a manual transmission

    Why I choose to drive a manual transmission

    My left leg is tired. It’s 10PM on the 4th of July and I’m stuck in traffic on Interstate 80 heading towards San Francisco. I glance at my Waze app and it’s a sea of red. I slowly inch off the clutch, add a tiny bit of gas and repeat. Clutch out, gas, clutch in.…

  • How to drive on a two-lane backroad

    How to drive on a two-lane backroad

    Summer’s here and you’ll likely find yourself driving along some beautiful backroads on your way to your vacation destination. But unlike the highway, there are specific rules and etiquette for driving on backroads that you may not realize. Here are my tips on how to drive safely and courteously on two-lane backroads. Be aware of what’s…

  • Review: Anker TC930 Ultra-Slim keyboard for the iPad Air 2 and Air

    Review: Anker TC930 Ultra-Slim keyboard for the iPad Air 2 and Air

    The Apple iPad is now a legitimate productivity machine but that wasn’t always the case. When the first iPad debuted, I remember explaining to customers at the campus computer store where I worked why they were better off buying a laptop. But times have changed and my iPad is now powerful enough for my needs…