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Jul 08

Must-Have Travel Gadgets to Make International Trips Stress-Free

Bringing your own laptop, tablet or phone along while traveling internationally makes everything a lot easier.

You can serve as your own travel agent; scoping out activities, curating restaurants, making bookings and reservations and navigating unfamiliar areas. Plus, with some companies maintaining remote-work flexibility into 2022, you can work a bit while traveling so you don’t have to use up all your allotted time off for one trip.

But packing your tech isn’t as simple as stuffing it into your suitcase. You also need to find a way to keep it charged, connected to the internet, safe and easily accessible. On top of that, different regions use different types of electrical plugs and voltages; if you haven’t brought along the right adapter or converter, your tech is rendered useless.

I encountered these challenges in early May when I traveled from the US to the UK, tagging along with my partner on a business trip. We incorporated both work and leisure into our travels — a practice becoming increasing common in the form of the digital nomad lifestyle. To keep our devices functional and secure, we relied on a number of tech accessories.

Here are the gadgets that enabled us to stay online during our international trip. For even more tips, check out this list of travel tech recommendations from CNET contributor Geoffrey Morrison, a seasoned traveler.

Mary King

Before I purchased this handy little case, I would store my small electronics and wires by simply cramming them into my backpack. I’d have to dig around and pray I’d pluck the one I needed from the heaps of tangled chargers without having to dump everything out.

No more of that. Outfitted with pockets and zip-up compartments, the Thule Subterra PowerShuttle is perfectly suited for organizing small tech-adjacent doodads: AirPods, adapters, a webcam, small charging cables, spare earbuds and dongles.

One particularly helpful feature is a hidden cutout in the exterior pocket that allows a cord to pass through: You can stick a phone in that pocket for easy access while you charge it up using a powerbank you’ve placed inside the case.

If you have a larger assortment of chargers and long cables, upsize to the Subterra PowerShutte Plus or this double-layer option from Amazon.

Mary King

This portable charger saved my iPhone’s arse on numerous occasions, adding hours and hours to its battery life. Though the chunky 5.9-inch unit (which weighs just under a pound) bogged down my backpack a bit, it certainly pulled its weight, refueling my phone’s weary battery while eliminating the need to duck into a cafe in search of an outlet.

While traveling, I needed to recharge my phone much more often than I’d expected to. I put a real strain on my iPhone’s battery, mapping out public transit routes, cueing up boarding passes, snapping photos, researching nearby attractions and food, scanning QR codes and religiously refreshing the West End’s virtual ticket booth for dirt-cheap last-minute seats . I’d gulp each time the battery icon turned

Jul 07

The best fitness recovery gadgets

A lot of us have been on post-pandemic health kicks or just relishing a return to the sports and fitness regimens we enjoyed before COVID-19 derailed everything. Subsequently, many of us (raises hand) might have overexerted ourselves.

Unfortunately, a few minutes of post-workout stretching isn’t always enough to relieve the aches and pains of a Couch to 5K excursion. While several popular massage gadgets have hit the market over the last few years, the pandemic has led to many seeking out recovery methods that don’t require coming face to face with a massage therapist. These gadgets might not measure up to a professional’s hands, but they may help. We’ve researched and tested all of the following picks, including percussive therapy guns, compression therapy tech, and even some analog accessories that don’t require charging.

About me

I’m not an athlete, but I’ve had several chapters in my fitness journey over the years. I have a black belt in Judo, and am currently trying to perfect a backflip. I sweat my way through HIIT and weight training classes five times a week. And because of all these things, I have my own particular aches and pains, especially with my knee, neck and shoulders.

When testing some of these devices, I used them daily for over a week. Depending on what kind of recovery gadget it was, I would spend at least 15 minutes targeting stiff areas, alongside stretches. I’ve intermittently been using some of these accessories, like a foam roamer, for years.

The basics

Foam roller

There’s no vibrating function here, just a cylinder-shaped piece of foam (sometimes plastic or rubber) for you to gingerly roll yourself across. I’ve personally enjoyed some relief from knee issues (combined with recovery exercises and guidance from my physio) and found that it helped loosen up tight quads.

The great thing about a foam roller is its versatility. There are exercises for the shoulders, back muscles, the iliotibial (IT) band and every other part of your leg. Many rollers come with basic diagrams to try out, but you can also follow along with many YouTube videos; just search for a specific tight area.

If you’re new to foam rolling, I’d suggest this one from Trigger Point, which is gentler on your tender muscles than some of the plastic-molded options.

Buy foam roller at Amazon – $35

Trigger point massage balls

These rigid massage balls, usually the size of a tennis ball, offer a trigger point massage that helps tackle knots in your shoulder blade, or that tight corner of your glutes. Place the ball on a yoga mat (or carpet) and position your problem area over the ball, using your body weight to apply force. Relief isn’t just limited to the floor either. Try positioning the ball between your back – or shoulder – and a wall. There are several guides online, but this set of balls, with differing levels of stiffness, should ensure you feel the pressure at just the right level.

Buy

Jul 07

15 Best Kitchen Gadgets Available on Amazon 2022

Ezra BaileyGetty Images

Whether your goal this year was to strengthen your skills in the kitchen or you’re obsessed with testing out viral trends from TikTok, we found incredible kitchen gadgets on Amazon that allow you to cook smarter, not harder. Amazon is filled with everything you need to improve your cooking prep time no matter the meal (so you can rest easy until your dinner guests arrive). Thankfully, Amazon’s fantastic coupon page and outlet section includes finds you won’t think twice about purchasing.

We searched high and low to find clever kitchen gadgets and appliances that can shorten how long it takes you to prepare dinner. From the ever-popular salad spinner to a rapid egg cooker, these clever gems make the perfect hostess gift for any season! A majority of the must-haves on this list are under $50, so you won’t break the bank while elevating your cooking style.

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7-Blade Vegetable Slicer

Gift this to the veggie lover in your life or use it as an innovative way to get your kids to eat more veggies. The adjustable blades can slice any vegetable and even includes four recipe Ebooks!

Snap N Strain Pot Strainer and Pasta Strainer

Enjoy a steamy facial from hot paste without worrying about burning your hands thanks to this silicone paste strainer that attaches to your pot.

For one reviewer, the pasta strainer is worth the purchase. “This thing is so handy! No more pulling a stainer out when you have this little gadget. It fits on all size pots and pans. When you are done you just pop it in your dishwasher and put it back.”

KitchenAid KHB1231IC 2-Speed Hand Blender

If you are low on counterspace, you can quickly whip up a delicious milkshake, smoothie, or soup with a hand blender. The S-shaped fixed blade effectively chops up fruits and veggies.

Ninja BL660 Professional Compact Smoothie & Food Processing Blender

Or, if you can spare some room, invest in Ninja’s 72-oz. blender. It even includes reusable, dishwasher-safe to-go cups and spout lids.

Here’s a best-selling purchase you can’t knock until you try it. With a six-egg limit, you can boil, poach, or scramble eggs—or better yet, create an omelette with one press of a button! The gizmo auto shuts off, so you don’t have to run back and forth from the kitchen.

With over 100,000 ratings averaging 4.7 stars, this egg cooker is an absolute must-have. One reviewer states, “If you are on the fence about getting one of these, GET ONE. It really is as easy as it sounds to have a perfectly cooked egg—no guesswork.”

Smooth Touch Electric Automatic Can Opener

Using a manual can opener can cramp your hands and be pretty intimidating to use. This automatic can opener has a push-down lever and includes stainless steel scissors. What more could you want?

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner

You’ve likely seen this salad spinner everywhere—and for about $30,

Jul 06

Two retiring faculty members reflect on how they changed UofL’s graphic design program

Steve Skaggs and Leslie Friesen are both retreating from the graphic design department.

If you put Steve Skaggs and Leslie Friesen in the same room, chances are they’ll tag team entire conversations with enthusiasm, finishing each other’s sentences and frequently lobbing compliments back and forth.

This was the case recently when the two gathered in the “red chair room” in the basement of Schneider Hall to talk about UofL’s graphic design program. They talked about what defines a visual object and semiotics and other granularities unfamiliar to those not actually in the world of graphic design.

They also talked about the history of the program – its ups and downs – and how each other’s strengths ushered the department into a modern era.

This friendly, thoughtful dialogue has been happening between them for over 20 years now, sometimes in the red chair room, sometimes over a cup of coffee at McDonald’s. But these conversations will soon become less frequent as both faculty members recently announced their retirement.

Professor Skaggs is the head of the graphic design BFA track. He earned his degree from UofL in 1973, then worked in design in Atlanta before heading off to grad school at the Pratt Institute in New York. He then spent three years as an assistant professor at the University of Kansas before taking over the UofL program in 1983.

Skaggs followed a pretty deep bench. In fact, the first graphic design professor hired at UofL was Malcolm Grear in 1950 (if that name sounds familiar, it’s because Grear designed the look for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta). Grear was followed by Robert Doherty, under whom Skaggs studied, and Daniel Boyarski.

By the time Skaggs took over, he immediately identified changes he wanted to make and was able to conceptualize how he wanted the program to grow.

“There weren’t a lot of changes made to the curriculum before then and graphic design was boxed together with media,” he said. “It wasn’t meant to be a graphic design program but rather a design thinking series of courses.”

Skaggs spent years scribbling down his ideas and was finally able to articulate them to then-President John Shumaker. He wrote his first vision statement in 1984.

“I didn’t think our students were fully prepared and I wanted to guide them to do more than just think and figure life out on their own,” Skaggs said. “I knew if we were going to do this right, the minimum we needed was curriculum that required either four or five adjuncts or a second full-time person.”

The vision statement finally becomes a reality

His vision, however, didn’t become a reality until nearly 18 years later. Enter Friesen, who joined the department in 2002 as the Power Agency Designer-in-Residence. Skaggs calls her hire the “big turning point of the program.”

Friesen, also a UofL graduate, said her role was specifically focused on three objectives – teaching, facilitating internships and serving as a professional liaison. That latter directive was the catalyst for

Jul 06

Gadgets Were Hot. Now They’re Not.

A lot of companies have been caught off guard by changes in our spending choices this year. Americans eager to travel and party after two years of staying largely at home are gorging on plane tickets and fancier clothes — and ignoring the patio furniture and soft pants that we splurged on in 2020.

Consumer electronics may be the flaming center of Americans’ flip-flopping shopping habits. Gadget buying has suddenly switched from hot to not, a change that will most likely bring pain and confusion for many companies — and potentially some great deals for people who still want to buy electronics.

In the early months of the pandemic, many of us were so eager to buy internet routers, laptops, video game consoles and other tech gear to keep us productive and cozy from home that some products were impossible to find. However, experts cautioned that people would definitely pull back on buying some types of gadgets until they needed them again.

The magnitude of change after two flush years of gadget purchases has surprised many people. From January through May, electronics and appliance stores make up the only retail category for which sales fell compared with the same five months of 2021, the Commerce Department disclosed last week. Best Buy said last month that purchases at its stores dropped across the board, especially for computers and home entertainment, and are likely to stay meh. And the research firm IDC expects global smartphone sales to decline this year, most sharply in China.

What’s bad for electronics manufacturers and stores could be good for us, but value hunters will need to be careful. Nathan Burrow, who writes about shopping deals for Wirecutter, the product recommendation service from The New York Times, told me that prices for some electronics are already being discounted. But a sale when inflation is at a 40-year high in the US may not always be a good deal. A discounted product might still cost more than similar models a few years ago, Burrow said.

The whipsaw in shopping habits has led Walmart, Target, Gap and some other retail chains to be stuck with too much of the wrong kinds of products. That’s true about some types of electronics, too, which means that more price chopping is likely during summer shopping “holidays” from Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Walmart.

Burrow predicts significant price breaks are coming for tablets, internet networking equipment, Amazon devices and some laptops including Chromebooks.

The research firm NPD Group said this year that consumer electronic sales would most likely decline in 2022 and again in 2023 and 2024 — but two previous bonkers years of electronics sales would still leave overall sales higher than they were in 2019. Despite the overall higher sales , this phenomenon of electronics sales unexpectedly going through the roof and then suddenly sinking is disorienting for gadget makers and sellers.

“It’s the unpredictability that makes everything worse,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager at IDC.

Making long-term predictions is