Mark Vorenkamp, Author at GeekDad

Freewrite Traveler, Hands-On at Last!

October 28, 2020October 27, 2020Mark Vorenkamp9

Getting the traveler in my hands, my first thought was how surprised I was at the weight, specfically the lack thereof.

Inateck Tomons Lamp Review

July 14, 2017Mark Vorenkamp1

I never thought I’d be reviewing a lamp, but when Inateck pitched me their Tomons Lamp, I knew it was gorgeous enough that I had to check it out.

The last handful of weeks I’ve been testing a pair of sleep headphones. I have a long history of being a light sleeper, often using white noise to eliminate disruptive noises while I’m sleeping. When the other person in the room needs to be able to hear a toddler, however, it’s impossible to keep white noise to a level that’s capable of blocking out external noise without also blocking out the telltale sounds of a toddler stirring.

SmartOmi Hybrid – The Bluetooth Headphones Battery Solution

March 9, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

For the last few months I’ve been living with a unique pair of headphones. The SmartOmi Hybrid manages to be both a traditional pair of plug-in headphones as well as a pair of bluetooth headphones.

TimoLabs Corbett Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

March 5, 2017December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

The Corbett speaker is far from the only waterproof Bluetooth speaker I’ve reviewed. (It seems lately as if GeekDad has been flooded with Bluetooth audio requests.) Aside from the common feature of being waterproof, there’s very little that this speaker bears in common with the others.

‘Lessons From an Imperfect World’ – A Book for the Bad Days

February 19, 2017December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp1

I know I’m far from the only one of us who had a bad 2016. Heck, I know I’m not the only GeekDad who had a bad 2016. I was looking for anything that would raise my spirits and show me that I wasn’t alone in my troubles. It was around this time that a client of mine introduced me to Harry Grether and his book ‘Lessons From an Imperfect World.’

Direct Sound EX-29 Headphones – Extreme Isolation

February 2, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

I was pretty psyched to try out Direct Sound’s EX-29 headphones. When working in a crowded space, trying to catch the nuances of sound as you mix or master, isolation is key.

Hear Your Shows Better With the Grace Digital Speaker

October 2, 2016December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

For the last few months, my family has been testing the Grace Digital GDI-BTTV100 Digital Bluetooth Speaker. The speaker is optimized to enhance the sounds of the human voice, allowing it to pop out from the background sound.

Inateck Bluetooth Headphones: Connected Without the Hassle

September 29, 2016Mark Vorenkamp2

For the last couple of months I’ve been living life with the Inateck BH1001 Bluetooth Headphones and they’ve pretty much replaced my other headphones. It should be known that, before these, I hadn’t used a pair of bluetooth headphones before, so this review will be talking about my experiences but cannot comment on whether they are better or worse than other models.

EasyAcc Bluetooth Speaker Is the Easiest

August 4, 2016December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

The EasyAcc Dp100 is true to its name as the easiest of the Bluetooth speakers I’ve reviewed. While not the best sounding, I’ve found myself occasionally turning to this speaker over the others because of convenience.

Edifier Headphones: Good Sound for Mid-range Price

August 3, 2016Mark Vorenkamp

For the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time checking out the Edifier H850 over-ear headphones and the H210 in-ear headphones.

Bespoke Post’s Frontier Box Is Like an Instant Hemingway Kit

February 27, 2016Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the Bespoke Post Frontier box, part of the Bespoke Post lineup of monthly high-end boxes. Including a Kaweco fountain pen, an Opinel No. 8 knife, a notebook, and a machined bottle opener.

Freewrite (Formerly Hemingwrite) Now Available

February 25, 2016December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp2

A preview of the Astrohaus Freewrite portable writing device. Available now.

Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: ‘Overlords of Infamy’

February 18, 2016Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the new Kickstarter board game ‘Overlords of Infamy.’ It’s a fun and funny board game for 2-4 players.

SyFy’s ‘The Magicians’ Pilot Evokes Mixed Feelings

December 18, 2015Mark Vorenkamp4

A review of the SyFy pilot episode of ‘The Magicians’ based on the book series by Lev Grossman.

‘Heroes Reborn’ Novella Goes In-Depth

December 17, 2015December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the first novella in the ‘Heroes Reborn’ event series.

‘Doctor Who’ – The More Changes, The More It Stays the Same

December 10, 2015Mark Vorenkamp7

This season of ‘Doctor Who’ has proven a couple of things to me: Moffat was playing the long-game when it came to ‘Doctor Who,’ and Moffat really is an old-school Whovian at heart.

EasyAcc’s All-Weather Power Bank: For the Techie Woodsman

December 2, 2015Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the EasyAcc All-Weather Power Bank, a phone battery that can stand up to anything you throw at it.

Dice Masters: Spider-Man Is Amazing

November 18, 2015Mark Vorenkamp1

This set, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” introduces 132 new characters and several unique card abilities that may or may not be seen again outside of this set. Most notably are the “underdog” and “ally” abilities.

‘Doctor Who’ Zygon Two-Parter Gets Emotional About War

November 13, 2015Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the ‘Doctor Who’ two-parter, “The Zygon Invasion” and “The Zygon Inversion.”

‘Doctor Who’: “The Woman Who Lived” Gives Insight Into the Doctor

October 31, 2015Mark Vorenkamp

A review/commentary of last week’s ‘Doctor Who’ episode, “The Woman Who Lived.”

Elivebuy Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Brings the Jams to Shower Time

October 27, 2015December 13, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the Elivebuy waterproof bluetooth speaker.

Elivebuy Power Strip Solves All Your Power Needs

October 26, 2015Mark Vorenkamp

Review of the six-port power Elivebuy strip with USB ports.

Steve Jobs Graphic Bio Is Insanely Great… For Older Kids

October 25, 2015December 14, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the graphic biography ‘Steve Jobs: Insanely Great.’

Doctor Who ‘The Girl Who Died’ Answers the Big Question

October 22, 2015Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the Doctor season 9/35 episode 5 story “The Girl Who Died,” guest starring Maisie Williams.

Doctor Who ‘Before the Flood’ Brings the Time-Travel Theory

October 16, 2015Mark Vorenkamp

A review of the ‘Doctor Who’ episode ‘Before the Flood’ from season 9/35.

Review: Life With the Belkin PowerHouse Charging Dock Duo

October 11, 2015Mark Vorenkamp1

A review of the Belkin PowerHouse Duo charging dock, a minimalist dock built for charging two iOS devices simultaneously.

‘Welcome to Night Vale’ Novel Brings the Podcast to Your Bookshelf

October 9, 2015December 14, 2017Mark Vorenkamp

There is a small town, in the middle of a vast desert. That town has a Community Radio Station to tell you all of the day’s mundane disasters. It is a town where everything is slightly wrong, but it makes the whole just right. Welcome to Night Vale.