Benefit of the Doud

This month, we're talking to Des Smith, Director of Creative Content for Devices and Products at T-Mobile, but you might know him as the "Unboxing Guy" at T-Mobile. Des's unboxing adventures have taken him onto 60MPH zip lines, swimming with sharks, and even a trip to the "moon". But before he was risking life and limb for T-Mobile, he was a system engineer and product manager for the company. He'...

This month, Cliff and I talked about Imposter Syndrome with Cameron Summerson . Following that Cliff and I sat down to talk about the Moto Edge 2021 in a podcast review. In the middle of the month, we got the Apple event, and we talked to Vyyyper , the man about tech. Then, rounding out the end of the month, we sat down with Joe Hindy to chat about the long days on the job. Patreon bonus for this...

This week was a wild one. Facebook went down and then Facebook went down. Google released Android 12, but only a little bit. It's been weird, which makes our Pixel 5a review a little weird as well. This phone is the combination of the Pixel 4a5G and the Pixel 5, hence the Star Trek reference. We had hoped to review this phone with Android 12, but it wasn't meant to be.  Our Tech Yeah item is prett...

This week we have a pair of top stories coming at you. First, Amazon held its annual fall event and dropped a ton of hardware, including drones, robots, video conference projectors, and more. A lot of it is by invitation only, so not awesome, but there is some cool tech in there. Then we have a mini-review of the Apple Watch SE. This device has been absolutely eye-opening to me, and I'm going to t...

This week, we have a pair of top stories for you. First, we sit down with the TCL MoveAudio S600 TWS earbuds. I've been using them for weeks and I'm ready to share some thoughts. Are these $99 earbuds a sweet deal or a bust? Then, we sit down with Joe Hindy to talk about the worst part of his day. It's another peek behind the curtain as we show you a day in the life of a tech writer. So how bad is...

This week was Apple's iPhone event where we saw the iPhone 13, 9th Generation iPad, iPad Mini (pro but not really), and the Apple Watch Series 7.  There's a lot to digest from this event, so we have Vyyyper, an Apple-focused Youtube creator on to talk about everything Apple had to show off. What did Vyyyper order from the event? What did I order from the event? You'll find out! Plus, we have a Tec...

For this month's Beyond a Doud, we're talking to Alli Goldberg who indirectly influenced the creation of this podcast. A while back, she had a web series called the Best Weekly Tech Show Ever...sound familiar? Alli brought humor to technology in a fun way, and inspired me to do the same. These days, you can find Alli in the stand-up circuit in Los Angeles, and hosting her tech podcast, 2 Girls 1 P...

This week, we talk to co-producer Cliff about the Moto Edge 2021. He's been using the phone for some time and he's ready to share some thoughts. Find out if Moto's latest flagship is for you. Also, we take a look at the iPhone 14 rumors that came out this week and judge whether they're likely to happen or not.  Links to news of the week available at benefitofthedoud.com Patreon bonus for this epis...

This month on the Douding Thomas monthly recap, we talked about Helm audio , including an interview with the founder. We got our review of the TCL 20 Pro . Then we talked about Samsung Unpacked , and in a separate episode talked about the Samsung's foldables coming out of it with Mr. Foldable himself, Michael Fisher. We talked about a pair of Lenovo laptops that Cliff and I have been testing and w...

This week is a packed show. Cameron Summerson sits down with us to talk about Imposter Syndrome in an all-new segment. That's a feeling of inadequacy that is crippling and also startlingly common in the tech industry. Next, I have my very first projector review. I've been writing about projectors for months, but now I get to put one through its paces. Add in news and a Tech Yeah, and you've got a...

This week, we sat down with Michael Fisher to discuss foldables in general. In the world of foldables, there's Samsung, then everyone else, so naturally Samsung took up the bulk of the conversation, but we finally have a foldable under $1,000 and that is significant. So join us as we take a look at the state of foldables in 2021. Tech yeah: Morphie Powerstation Rugged Flashlight Links to News of t...

This week, Cliff and I sit down to chat about a pair of Lenovo laptops we've each been testing. Cliff has been putting the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 through its paces, while I have been working with the ThinkPad Carbon Gen 9 . Both of these laptops are a plus-up from the previous computers we tested and they are strong candidates for our next laptops.  Plus, I take a look at a couple of mophie...

This week, there's a lot to tackle. I take a long look at the privacy bomb that Apple dropped on us last week. Now that I've had some time to digest it, I have thoughts. Also, Samsung Unpacked dropped this week with watches and foldy phones, so I sat down with Joe Hindy to talk about the event and the devices within. Plus, I've got some tech for you in the form of Raptic Rise headphone stand . Lin...

This month, I sat down with Cameron Summerson, the Editor in Chief of Reviewgeek and one of the few editors who has fired me. No hard feelings tho. Cameron is a cyclist and musician, but mostly he's a smartwatch fanatic, so that takes up a lot of the conversation. We also chat about Samsung Unpacked and the fate of the Galaxy Note.  Discussed in the show: Ice to Hardwood: United Center Photo Timel...

This month, join Covid-19 positive Adam and Covid negative Cliff as we run down the past month, accompanied by cicadas! This month, we looked at the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano . After that, Cliff and I chatted about the TCL 20 SE and S . Then we sat down with Hank Adams from Rise Gardens to talk about sports and hydroponic gardens. Finally, we finished the month off with a look at the CAT S62 rugged...

This is my TCL 20 review which is a great evolution of TCL's flagship phone. This $500 beauty has the great build and screen that we expect to see in TCL's flagship. That's bolstered by excellent software and a very decent camera. TCL is punching above its weight class with its latest flagship phone, and we've got a full look here for you. Plus, Cliff takes a look at the Microsoft Duo, and answers...

This week on the podcast is a very HELM-centric episode. HELM audio is an audio innovation company dedicated to removing barriers between you and your audio. Adam sits down with Eric Johnson, CEO of HELM Audio to talk about bringing earbuds to the masses, and specifically to first responders with a 50% discount. To pair with the interview, Adam reviews HELM audio's TW5 true wireless earbuds in a m...

This week, we're taking a look at the CAT S62 rugged smartphone. This is a phone that's just as tough as the trucks and forklifts that bear the CAT name. This phone can put up with dust, water, soap, chemicals and more. Simply put, it's a tough phone and I put it through its paces, mostly so I could see what was new in the rugged phone industry. Long story short, rugged phones are getting pretty d...

Rise Gardens is an indoor connected hydroponic garden. It allows you to grow your own fruits and veggies inside even during the hottest summer or the harshest winter. Adam sits down with Hank Adams, CEO of Rise to talk about using the garden and what problems it solves. Plus, as a bonus, Hank used to be CEO of the company that drew the "magic yellow line" across the line of scrimmage in football,...

This month, we sit down with Gary Sims who runs the channel Gary Explains on YouTube. Gary takes super complicated and technical devices, terminology, and processes and breaks them down into understandable concepts for the layperson, and Adam is very much a layman. So let's talk about mining cryptocurrency with solar power, and dive into the world of CPUs and benchmarks, and talk about the Raspber...

TCL introduced a trio of smartphones two weeks ago. Cliff and Adam have gone hands-on with the TCL 20S and the TCL 20SE and they're ready to share some thoughts. Are they top contenders in the budget smartphone space? Should you put your hard-earned dollars toward them? They answer those questions and more. Links to News of the week available at benefitofthedoud.com Patreon bonus for this episode...

Cliff and Adam meet up to chat about the month that was. First up, we talked a lot about Adam's new Lego Space Shuttle set . Didn't plan to, but we did. Then we got into the OnePlus 9 Pro review . OnePlus has come a long way since its origins and it has largely fixed a lot of its camera issues. Then we chatted about the concept and execution of being a reviewer versus being an influencer. There is...

This week, Adam has his full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano. It's a featherweight laptop that weighs under two pounds. But it's tiny and powerful and fun to use. Adam digs into it and talks about what it's like to use a laptop that you can't feel in your bag. Plus we have a reliable Tech Yeah item from Hoo Too #DongleLife Links to News of the week available at benefitofthedoud.com Tech Yeah...

Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 this week and it's the first time Adam has been excited about a Microsoft event. Microsoft really brought the sexy to Windows 11, including a new layout, new features, and Android apps, whaaaat? It was a jam-packed show, and Adam gives you his take. Also, Adam takes a look at the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro in a tech yeah/mini-review segment.  Tech Yeah: Samsung Galaxy Bu...

This week, we have two mini-top stories. First, we pull back the curtain and show you a bit of Adam's process as a reviewer. How does he get things to review? Does he have to pay for them? This and more are answered on our look behind the scenes. Then, Adam talked to Dr. Don Vaughn, a neuroscientist who works for Invisibly about sleep and sleep tracking, and why you should sleep a whole lot more t...