Punkt Gen 2 is finally out… It’s a dumb phone that makes you smarter. Trust me… If you haven’t given a “dumb” phone a test drive for a week or so, you have no idea how much it actually increases your quality of life. Seriously Try it.

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The Cube is a single device to charge your phone, watch, and AirPod.. Apple tried to make the same device years ago, failed, and gave up. Anker broke the code I guess… and it’s gonna cost you $150.

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I think this is a limited release, but I dig it. Fully manual and belt driven with a Shibata stylus. Even at $1200, this isn’t a terrible value. Plus, it looks fantastic.

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Those of you that have followed The Gear Journal long, know that I loathe Leica. I mean, sure… I have thousands of dollars wrapped up in Leica products, but the company itself drives me bat shit. Sincerely.

When a tool company transitions from their core competency to high margin fashion, I have grievances… and that’s exactly what Leica has done.

BUT, Leica does have a saving grace. In this day in age… In 2022, they are still serving the film camera market. And that’s something. It’s not everything, but it is something. And I appreciate it.

Introducing the new Leica M6 35mm rangefinder. It’s not gonna replace the M6 I’ve been shooting with for over 20 years, but it is RAD that Leica released this camera. I don’t even care that they priced the damned thing at over $5,000. Assholes.

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A number of years back, I reviewed a Microsoft Surface Book. The innovation of the product and the build quality were only let down my the Windows operating system. Otherwise, I thought, the product was a slam dunk and ready to take over the world.

It’s close to five years later… and what do I think?

I now have a lightly used Surface Book that is out of warranty and a fire hazard so dire that Microsoft can’t tell me how to properly dispose of it without exposing themselves to legal trouble. The lithium battery that Microsoft chose to use is prone to swelling. A simple Google search shows how devastating this problem has become. Fires, mayhem, and other crazy repercussions from taking a chance on early tech.

Obviously, I don’t want another Surface product – not that Microsoft would replace this thing (I tried). But, I did want them to tell how to properly dispose of it… They couldn’t. Think about how absurd that is.

Obviously inspired by “Off White” design elements, the Mojo68 is a plastic cased keyboard with all your basic “keyboard guy” features. I’ve never fondled one, but the reputation is solid.

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Keychron, well known makers of decent mechanical keyboards, is offering their first mouse. Basically, it uses cheap plastics to keep the weight and costs down, but high end sensors to keep the motions accurate and fast. In fact, I think this is the cheapest mouse on the market that uses the 3395 optical sensor.

Good for gaming or productivity really…

Details here.