Pebble Steel - It's For Real

Way back when I did a bit of a review for the Pebble that I backed on Kickstarter. I've since had to part ways with that Kickstarter Edition version and got the mass-produced original Pebble as a replacement. I've enjoyed my time with it ever since and have loved getting notifications on my wrists. So after almost a year with the original Pebble, there's now a new one in town. The Pebble Steel.

The Steel was announced at CES this year and I immediately ordered a pair, one in Stainless Steel, and one in Matte Black. When I got them, I sent the stainless version to my dad and kept the black for myself. Here are some images and afterwards, my thoughts on the new, premium version of the Pebble.

The new packaging for the Pebble Steel screams premium. It comes in what looks like a jewelry box.

When you open up the box you're greeted with the Pebble and the instruction book on pairing it to your phone.

Opening the box unveils the additional strap, the charger, and the instruction booklet.

There are two bands that come with the Pebble Steel, leather, and steel. Both feel very premium, but are proprietary, so not any strap will work like on the original Pebble.

Old and new Pebbles side-by-side.  The Steel is sleeker, takes up less wrist space, and overall just looks like a much more quality device. I do somewhat miss the rounded edges though.

Fuzzy time on the Pebble Steel.

So there you have it, the new Pebble hotness. As for the new device itself. I am on Android so I do not have version 2.0 of the Pebble App, meaning my Pebble cannot use the tri-colored LED that is on it. That's OK, it's only there to remind me that I have notifications. As far as the notifications go, the new Pebble Steel works a lot like the old one, whenever I get an incoming text, call, or email the back-light turns on and the watch vibrates. One of the things I like about the Steel is that the vibration seems a bit less "harsh" than on the original Pebble. It feels a bit more subtle, and slightly less jarring, which is a welcome change.

Overall it's a great watch and continues in the fashion of the original Pebble. It's great for notifications and as an extension of your phone. A few other companies are working on their own smart-watches, Sony and Samsung have watches that are currently out, and HTC is currently working on their own designs. I've played with the Sony and Samsung watches and while they do work well, they end up doing a bit too much. I love the idea that my Pebble is an extension of my phone, it gives me useful information in real-time. I don't want to be able to make calls, or record video, or do anything else with my watch, that's what the phone is for. I like that Pebble doesn't try to do too much, and because of its reserved build, it allows for 5-7 days of battery life, and still remains open enough for developers to write interesting apps on to it.

In summation: if you're going to be buying a smart-watch, take a look at Pebble, and if you have an extra $100, do yourself a favor and buy the new Pebble Steel.

Dollar Shave Club - Care Package For My Butt

I wrote about Dollar Shave Club  a little while ago when I got my first order of razors and blades at the start of my "fancy shaving journey". As it turned out I wasn't good at shaving, and lots of cuts ensued. I stuck with it though and I'm not a bit more formidable with a razor blade. I've been a customer for about 8 months now, since last June.

At the end of that "review" I posted that I would try out their new product, the One Wipe Charlies. I never did write about it after I got my first batch, but suffice it to say that they were...soothing.

Out of the blue yesterday I received a package at work. It was from Dollar Shave Club, was the largest package I'd ever received from them. Immediately I thought, "crap, did I drunk order something from DSC? Am I about to get 20 bottles of shaving butter?". It turns out that wasn't the case. This was a PSA package. The letter in the package read:

"Last year we launched One Wipe Charlies, the amazing-and tingle-butt wipe for men...but Dollar Shave Club cares about your butt inside and out, so this month, for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we're sponsoring the Colon Cancer Alliance."

And what was inside this mystery butt package? A crossword book, a Sade Cd, a package of One Wipe Charlies, a scented candle, and some matches.  Dollar Shave Club wants me to poop in style.

The Dollar Shave Club Stylin' Poop Box

A CD, crosswords, butt wipes, candle and some matches.

 I thought about how weird this was for a while, but then I realized that it actually made perfect sense. Dollar Shave Club wants everyone to get their colons checked out and screened. They state,

"We're using our platform to raise awareness about the importance of getting a colonoscopy because Colon Cancer is 90% curable when found early."

As someone who has cancer running in the family, I think this is a pretty noble endeavor. Many folks think that getting a colonoscopy is pretty shitty, and they're right. I've had one, and I almost called this blog post: Colon Cancer: Give a Shit. It was quite a sobering experience, going to the pharmacy and picking up the pre-colonoscopy medicine, and having the pharmacists tell me, "Buy wet-wipes, you'll need them". Indeed I did, but after my colonoscopy it turned out that I was OK. Which is good, but a lot of men and women aren't.

Having this care-package during my colonoscopy times would have made the entire experience a lot more pleasant, or at least, as pleasant as it could have been. Butt health is important, so make sure that you get checked out, and if you do need to get a colonoscopy, buy wet-wipes. I recommend the One Wipe Charlies, they leave you minty fresh, and leave you feeling like you're in butt nirvana.

By your powers combined...butt nirvana!