Articles by David Goodspeed

Snoppa Atom 3-Axis Gimbal Rocks Steady!

It amazes me at just how much technology has advanced the camera world. What used to involve carrying a shoulder-mounted equivalent of a TV studio camera now fits in the palm of your hand. Trouble is, handheld video suffers being handheld, and therefore is usually very shaky. Enter Snoppa and its new Atom three-axis gimbal.



2019 BMW X4: Call It Whatever, I Call It Good

This week we reviewed another coupe from BMW. Another sports activity coupe that is, and in BMWspeak that means, well, it’s not a coupe. The EPA calls it a small SUV, and I pin it somewhere in the crossover utility/activity vehicle genre. Either way, this is the 2019 X4 from BMW.



Kenu Airframe and Airbase Wireless Chargers Are Two for the Road

Qi Wireless charging is changing the technology landscape, cleaning up the clutter of cables and plugs. Makers of smartphones have been including this – dare I say – revolutionary technology for several years, and even automakers have gotten in on the act. For those who don’t have wireless charging capability in their vehicle, there is the Kenu Airframe Wireless and Airbase Wireless.


2019 Jeep Cherokee Is a Whole New Animal

Dear Jeep, I recently tested your new 2019 Cherokee model, and I have two words – Thank You! The redesign has addressed many of the styling issues folks have not been shy about rendering opinions on, and that new engine with the turbocharger on it? Fuhgeddaboudit!


Accessorize Your New Ride, Right at the Factory

In recent weeks, the test driveway has hosted a couple of models that we have already reviewed in the past year. Much of what we have found in the Jeep Cherokee and Volkswagen Atlas is pretty much a repeat of our favorable impressions we reported. So let’s talk about accessorized versions of these two, right from the factory.


Plux Wireless Charger Recharges All of Your Digital Life

Standalone, uni-functional gear is fine, but a piece of equipment that can multitask is even better. The Plux wireless charging pad from Vinpok is one such item. It can wirelessly charge not only your phone but your Apple Watch and Airpods too, all at the same time and doing it standing up or laying flat.


2019 Volkswagen Jetta is the ‘Betta Jetta’ Yet

Volkswagen is one of the leading automakers in the world, and right now is a great time for product here in the U.S. We have seen a great new 3-row SUV (Atlas) and a total makeover of the Tiguan crossover. Now we see the next-generation Jetta compact sedan, and what a winner this is.


Bmmpr Protects Your Car Where Others Don’t

You finally got that new car you’ve always wanted and you even sprang for the connected car services. So when you come out and find the window shattered or a large dent in the fender, why didn’t your car tell you (or anyone for that matter) that something had happened? That’s where Bmmpr steps in.


2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Ushers in New Era

Toyota did something a bit unusual to debut the 12th generation of one of its most popular models. The 2019 Toyota Corolla arrived first as a hatchback. And while this is not the first subcompact hatchback from Toyota, it is the first to carry the name Corolla Hatchback here in North America – and it’s a good one.



2018 BMW X2 Is the New Sports Activity Something

BMW and I are going to have to agree to disagree on the all-new X2. The Bavarian automaker is billing the new model as a sports activity coupe, but I fail to see much coupe-ish about it. What is offered is a great combination of a hatchback and crossover utility vehicle, just not a coupe.





2018 Toyota RAV4 Ready for ‘Adventure’

Toyota is getting ready to roll out the next-generation RAV4 compact utility vehicle later this fall, a vehicle we introduced to you earlier this year. So it came as a surprise when the 2018 RAV4 Adventure model rolled into our test driveway just barely ahead of the 2019 arrival.


WITTI Design CANDI Wireless Charger ‘Stands’ Out in the Crowd

With Apple finally jumping on the wireless device charging bandwagon, most of the phone users in the world can now take advantage of this cool inductive charging technology. The Qi wireless standard seems to have become the most popular of these and one of the newest chargers offering this is the CANDI from WITTI Design.


Mimish Sleep N’ Pack Lets You Carry Bedtime with You Anywhere

Mimish Designs is a company that knows about multitasking. Just take a look at the portfolio of products they have released since coming on the scene in 2013, specializing in household items that double as storage. Now they have released a backpack that converts into a sleeping bag in the Sleep N’ Pack.


2019 Toyota Avalon Leading a New Revolution for Cars

Toyota has just launched the new flagship of its North American fleet in the form of the fifth-generation Avalon mid-premium sedan. Designers and engineers have addressed nearly every aspect for the 2019 model year, but is it enough, especially given these troubled times for sedans?