Quantcast
Channel: Rubin Recommends
Viewing all 165 articles
Browse latest View live

Anker: PowerCore+ USB Battery Pack

0
0
image

Anker: 10000mAh PowerCore+ portable battery pack to recharge your USB devices.

At a huge powerful 10000mAh, you can get around 4 charges (iPhone 6) out of the battery pack at up to 75% faster than normal charges with the Qualcomm Quick Charge. It’s small, weighs a little under a pound and is great to throw in your coat pocket, backpack or purse. 

At only $27 on Amazon (sometimes even less) it’s a great purchase for someone on the go and for travel.

Purchase over at Amazon


Coffee Cone Filter For Pour Over

0
0
image

Osaka Stainless Steel Cone Filter (For Chemex, Hario and other pour over coffee makers)

I’d been interested in ditching my paper filters for my Chemex every time I have to buy more. The stainless steel filter options were always $40-50 dollars and that seemed insane. So at the price of $24 (right now at least) and 25 - 5 star reviews, I couldn’t resist getting it for my next refill.

Check it out over at Amazon.

Video for Kevin Morby’s new song “I Have Been To The Mountain”...

0
0


Video for Kevin Morby’s new song “I Have Been To The Mountain” on his upcoming full length.

Loving this new Pinegrove record, “Cardinal” that came out last...

Holiday Gift Guide 2016

0
0
image

Here is a quick Holiday gift guide based on anything I’ve personally tried or own. Hoping it can help anyone at the end of their list (or anyone who hasn’t started). 

Please contact meif you need any personal assistance figuring out a gift for anyone on your list and I’ll be glad to help!

Last updated 12/21/2016

Electronics:

  • Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones $350 - So far my favorite headphones. I haven’t taken them off since purchasing. Easy wireless connection over bluetooth, noise canceling, comfortable (great earmuffs for NYC winter), good battery life and signature Bose sound (which I didn’t used to love but have loved these)
  • UE Boom 2 Mobile Bluetooth Speaker ($150) - The best sounding, most durable, waterproof, great battery life, bluetooth speaker I’ve tried.
  • Amazon Echo or Dot ($130 or $40) - I’ve really enjoyed having Amazon Echo’s in my house. Mainly for music, controlling Hue lights and other random tasks. They work great, easy setup. Echo has a speaker so it can be used as a nice bluetooth speaker or playing music through connected services to the Echo. The Dot has a speaker for voice commands but can be plugged into other speakers or paired with a bluetooth speaker. I think they’re both great.
  • Sonos Play:1 ($199) - Sonos keeps improving year to year. With beautiful sound, new improved app (now you can even play directly from Spotify) it’s a great gift for a small apartment or place of work. If you need a line input (eg. plugging in a record player) I suggest the Play:5 ($469)
  • Google Wifi System- Google’s new Wifi router. Use one or multiple to cover your entire house.
  • Anker PowerCore 10000 ($23) - I don’t leave home without it. Can charge an iPhone 7 up to 4 times on a single charge and fast IQ for speedy re-charging as well.

Coffee and subscriptions:

  • Sudden Coffee - The newly improved “No Brew” (instant) coffee. Individual tubes with a cup of coffee in each. Grab a subscription for easy coffee at home or on the go. It actually tastes really great for instant coffee.
  • Blue Bottle (Subscription) - Always a great gift.
  • Alkemy Brew Lab Cold Brew Coffee Kit - Made downstairs from my house. This awesome cold brew kit allows you to make your own iced coffee right in the bag. Great for quick home, travel, camping, etc. Tastes great too.
  • Alkemy Brew Lab Chai Concentrate - Also made downstairs. Wonderful tasting chai. I pair it with Almond milk.
  • Repetition Coffee - Kansas based coffee roaster by some friend’s of mine. Grab a bag or two.


Coffee Making Tools:


Personal Products:

  • Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser- My daily face wash. Very gentle and non drying with good ingredients. For men and women.
  • Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturizer- Great for all year round.
  • Malin + Goetz Deodorant- Daily and my favorite deodorant. Fairly orderless, lasts (in daily coverage and product itself) I approve of mostly everything they make.
  • URSA MAJOR Essential Face Wipes - Perfect for lazy nights and adventures. Natural ingredients and convenient.
  • Aesop Skin Care - Anything, really. It all smells amazing and feels great. Shampoo, Deodorant, Hand Wash (so expensive but smells perfect), Lotion, etc. Unisex.
  • Birchbox - A great subscription gift for men or women to try out different products if they don’t know where to start. Also a great idea to shop at Birchbox for beauty and personal products as well. With their points system and free shipping it’s a great to save.

Adventures:

Clothing/Bags:

  • Everlane - Great for their $100 cashmere sweaters and other clothing staples (button up shirts, etc). Their snap Backpack is one of my favorite backpacks I’ve ever owned. Things for Men and Women.
  • Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket ($50) - Is it the coolest? No. But for $50, it’s an amazing layer to add for extra warmth or on it’s own. Comes in men’s and women’s and is so simple and light.
  • Pansy - Women’s organic cotton undergarments. Great for adventures, summer, camping, etc.
  • Valentine NYC - More women’s undergarments. Made by friends.
  • Land of Women - Women’s undergarments. Really nice stuff based in NYC.

Misc:

  • W&P Design Peak Ice Works Large Ice Cube Tray ($12) - For the wiskey/bourbon drinker.
  • Simply Curated Smoke + Embers Candle ($32) - This amazingly good smelling candle also has a crackling wood wick which just adds to the wonderful experience. It’s made with 100% soy wax that is grown in the USA, burns for 60 hours, dermatologically tested, skin safe, domestically sourced wood wicks and 100% phthalate free. I found this candle at Hops Petunia in Kingston, NY. Go visit their shop for more amazing stuff and to smell this candle in person!
  • Olivia Kane Jewelry - For the special women in your life. Rings and necklaces.
  • Kevin Morby - Singing Saw(Vinyl) - One of the best records of 2016.
  • Woods - City Sun Eater in The River of Light (Vinyl) - And another great record from 2016.
  • Ready Player One (Book) - I read one book this year all the way through. I know it’s sad. But this one hit every tech, scifi, 80′s pop culture trivia bone in my body and I couldn’t stop reading. Recommended (and Spielberg is making a movie out of it.)
  • Steven Weinberg Paintings - Steven makes some beautiful water color paintings and children’s books too. Check it all out.
  • Dallas Clayton (Children’s Books/Art) - Just buy them all. You can also visit his online store for clothing and prints of his inspirational art here.

MR O.K - Classic Men’s Wedding Rings

0
0

Are you a groom in need of a wedding ring and you wish it was easy to find the timeless classic style, online, good quality with great customer service? Look no further.

MR O.Kis aiming to solve decision paralysis if you know what you want. Though you might not know your finger size (they’ll send you a ring sizer to measure your finger) and can help with what width and metal combo.

Give it a shot or tell a friend.

https://www.mr-ok.co

(disclaimer: I started MR O.K, it’s the coolest. Let me know if you need anything.)

Rubin Recommends for 2.2019

0
0

A recent list of things I’ve been recommending lately:

Electronics:

  • Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3  ($350) - So far my favorite headphones (which used to be Bose). Amazing sound, 30-hour battery life, noise canceling and USB-C charging. Flew to Japan with them, use them on my commute and in the office.
  • AUKEY Power Delivery Power Bank, 10000mAh($29) - With USB-C fast charging, which if you get a USB-C to Lightening will charge your iPhone X, XS, XR, XS Max, up to 50% in 30 minutes. It also has mini USB and normal. It charges with USB-C as well so you don’t need to carry around anything extra.
  • Fujifilm X100F 24.3 MP APS-C - An incredible compact camera (built-in lens) that made me want to carry a camera with me everywhere. Honestly, I’ve tried so many. This is light, easy to use and takes incredible photos. This sold me on Fuji.
  • Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Digital Camera- Just as enjoyable as the X100F but with interchangeable lenses and (so I hear) incredible video capabilities.

Coffee and Coffee Tools:

  • OXO On Barista Brain 9 Cup Coffee Maker- How I make my coffee every day. “Microprocessor-controlled brew cycle replicates the pour-over method to produce 2 to 9 cups of SCAA-certified perfect coffee. Water is heated and held at the perfect temperature for coffee (197.6-204.8 Degrees F), Rainmaker shower head evenly disperses water over coffee grounds for uniform saturation and full flavor extraction” Even if it feels bad to grind your beans the night before and set a morning timer, it’s been a life changer waking up to well-brewed coffee.
  • Kinto Tumbler (Small) - I love this thermos. Simple to use, keeps things warm/cold, perfect size to even put in my coat pocket. I don’t know what it is but I haven’t used a travel mug this much in my life. I’ve used it every day for 4 months.
  • Trade Coffee - A newer site that allows you to order and discover coffee from the top roasters. With clever onboarding to help you find the beans, you’ll love to, subscriptions and text message reorder, I’ve loved getting new coffee every 2 weeks. If you re-order within 15 days of your order there’s free shipping, so you can manually control when you get your next bag. Also found one of my favorite roasters, Tandem Roasters in Portland, ME from it. 

Personal Products:

Clothing, Bags, Exercise:

  • Lo & Sons Hanover Travel Backpack - I randomly found this bag when looking for the simplest most thoughtful bag. Laptop compartment, side pockets for keys, passports, etc. Nice pockets inside and even a removable liner when you just want to carry your gym gear.  I originally wanted to get it for travel to Japan at the end of last year but now it’s my daily backpack.
  • Myles Momentum Short 2.0 (w/ Liner) - My perfect exercise shorts. Light, with a built-in breathable boxer brief liner and a durable water repellent treatment, these are perfect for the gym to running outside.
  • Classpass - If you live in NYC (or where available), try it for a month or two. I’m on month two and I’ve been using it just to mix up the routine. It made me actually start to like exercise since I can try so many different things out. Try it out for a free month with the link above.

Websites, Apps:

  • Qapital - An actual fun way to save for your money goals. Use things like roundup, “walk 10,000 steps in a day” and other actions to make your money sneakily move into your Qapital savings goal.
  • Simplecast - “is the easiest way for a podcast creator to publish and distribute audio on the internet.” This is what I get to do everyday working with an amazing team. Need to get your Podcast online and out to the world? Come to us!

The Financial Lives of the Poets: A Novel

0
0

I don’t read a lot (ok almost never but like I try whatever….) but I started reading this book finally the other day and I haven’t stopped except when I had to. So I am recommending it for making me read after a long hiatus of not being able to fall into any new books. It came out in 2010 so I am a little late to this one.

Jess Walter writes like my brain thinks and I think that’s why “the stream of consciousness inner dialogue” style of writing gets me. It’s an awesome coming of age late late type tale of being an adult and trying to make things work.

The Financial Lives of the Poets: A Novel (Amazon)


All Dogs - Buddy (acoustic) I like this band a lot. Maryn rules...

0
0


All Dogs - Buddy (acoustic)

I like this band a lot. Maryn rules too. (She also plays in Saintseneca)

Check out their stuff via Spotify or Bandcamp for purchasing.

I’m excited for the new season! Check it out over here.

0
0


I’m excited for the new season! Check it out over here.

Shyp: The Easiest Way To Send A Package

0
0

image

Shyp: The service that picks up your items, packs, and sends them anywhere in the world using the lowest cost, most reliable option.

I’ve been shipping very often for a long time, but sometimes there are items that are harder to ship because you have to find the right box, bubble wrap, international customs forms… it gets expensive and it can get confusing if you don’t do it often. From finding the best/cheapest shipping method, to having to use weird shipping stores (especially if you’re in NYC) that charge you extra, and dealing with lines at the post office, most people just give up.

Shyp is an on demand shipping service in SF, NYC and Miami (Soon LA). Once you download the app, Shyp makes it so easy to ship an item or multiple items, just by taking a photo of what you’re shipping and entering the destination (international or domestic). A ‘Shyp Hero’ picks it up from your house within the hour (sometimes as fast as 15 minutes) and for $5 + shipping they pack and ship it for you. You can specify cost/speed of shipping in the app and see price estimates in real time.

It almost feels like magic being able to hand off an old Alarm clock you sold on eBay (I literally tested it out by selling an old, heavy iPhone alarm clock that I didn’t have a box or bubble wrap for) to a Shyp Hero, who places your item in an individual canvas bag before driving off into the night (Shyp will pick up items from 8am-8pm). Like Uber, you can track your Shyp Hero until they arrive for pick up; they then send notifications as your item is being packaged and shipped, with the total price and a tracking number. The four packages I’ve sent (including one to New Zealand) have arrived safely, with no issues.

So if you need a little extra help shipping and you don’t mind paying an extra $5 (which you’d probably spend anyway getting the right supplies if you don’t have any boxes or tape on hand) it’s a really amazingly helpful service. Also, I have had the same 'Shyp Hero’ pick up my packages three times; we high five now and I wonder what he thinks about my random packages.

Another great way to use it is returning online purchases. A lot of places like J.Crew, Amazon, etc will give you return labels but maybe at that point you’ve thrown the box away (recycled it I hope) or don’t find time to get to a drop off location or print out the label at home, so you never return your item. In this case you can request Shyp to pick up and package your item for $5 – but they will use your FREE return label to ship it for you. So if you have a lot of holiday returns and just can’t find time, I’d say it’s 100% a great service to help you get that all done. Read more about that here.

Shyp is currently available for pickups in San Francisco; New York City in Manhattan and Brooklyn (see coverage area); and in Miami and Miami Beach (see coverage area).

Click here to signup to get a FREE shipment to try it out (up to $30 value).

Please send me a tweet to @mattrubin if you end up using it and like it or have any other comments!

P.S. There’s always those reviews in the app store that say they never sent a package, lost things or used too expensive of shipping. I can only go off my experience and I’ve enjoyed it a lot for those moments I wanted a little extra convenience. 

UrbanStems: On Demand Artisanal Flowers, Delivered in Under An Hour

0
0
image

UrbanStems: Artisanal Flowers Delivered in Under An Hour (DC/VA/NYC)

Usually when ordering flowers online you’re in a rush. It’s your mom’s birthday today, you have 10 minutes before the 10.30am same-day delivery cut-off. You’re given a lot of choices (most of which aren’t good), confusing up-selling of vases, shipping fees and service charges. It’s never a great experience.

UrbanStems fixes all of that. With its beautiful design, even more beautiful flowers – delivered in an hour or less, transparent pricing and simple three-bouquet offering, it makes all of this so simple. Each month or so UrbanStems will offer three new bouquet options, priced at $35, $45 and $55, which all include free shipping within the hour. Right now the Snowfall Mix (pictured above) is $45 shipped, and my favorite. The delivery person will even photograph the flowers before they hand them off to let you know they’ve made it.

I’ve never had an easier time sending flowers (and, to be honest, an easier time being in the good books with my girlfriend). The bouquet arrived exactly as pictured, and the quality is impressive, too (the flowers lasted almost two weeks). The website is clean and easy to use on desktop and mobile; and should anything go wrong, customer service is on hand to answer any sticky questions. I would highly suggest this company if you live in Washington, DC, Arlington, VA or NYC (Manhattan only for now.)

image

(Photo from my girlfriend after she received her’s from me)

Give it a shot by using this link for $10 off your first orderAvailable in: Washington, DC, Arlington, VA or NYC (Manhattan only for now.)

Any questions? Send me a tweet. Also if you use it let me know via twitter as well! @mattrubin

Listen to Kevin Morby

UE Boom Mini Bluetooth Speaker

0
0
image

Ultimate Ears Boom Mini: A tiny bluetooth speaker that sounds really good (even the bass is clear and it’s loud), has great battery life, far Bluetooth range and costs $99.

I don’t think anything will replace my dreams of putting Sonos speakers in every room, but when it comes to having something compact around the house that you can travel with (to the beach, on camping trips etc), the UE Boom Mini is perfect. (The bigger UE Boom is also a great sounding speaker, if you want a little more oomph and fullness, and are ok spending a little more money.)

In the past I’ve had an original Jambox and even recently tried the new Nude Audio Super-M and from the size, sound and price, my favorite is still this UE Boom Mini.

Answers to FAQ about the UE Boom Mini below:

  • You can wirelessly connect two UE MINI BOOMs together in stereo via the UE MINI BOOM app to double up the awesomeness with even huger sound
  • The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to 10 hours (tried and tested, the battery life is great)
  • You can stream music from any Bluetooth enabled device from up to 50 ft. – which is 50 per cent further than most other Bluetooth speakers

Buy it over at Amazon ($99 sometimes on sale for $80 from time to time) (And feel free to read more reviews, it has a lot of great ones.)

Parcel: Never Miss A Delivery Again

0
0
image

UPDATE: Parcel is no longer available.

Parcel (currently Manhattan and Brooklyn only): A new way to never miss a package, for $5 per delivery.

Instead of having packages sent to your home address, where you miss your deliveries, you can use the Parcel mailing address with your unique user number. Once your package arrives, Parcel will deliver it to you – on demand – for $5 at the specific time you’ve requested. Parcel delivers Sunday through Friday from 7am-11pm, assuring you will never miss a package again.

How it works: 1. Once you sign up for Parcel you’re given a unique Parcel mailing address. 2. Next time you order that package on Amazon, input your new Parcel address. 3. Once they receive your package, Pacrel will notify you by text and ask when you’d like it delivered. You’ll be charged $5 for each on-demand delivery, which can include multiple packages if you decided to stock up, and have them all delivered at once.

image

So in the end I think it’s worth the price for important packages, the heavy ones (no more walking home from work with oversize boxes!), and the fact that you can have multiple shipments delivered all at once for $5. No to mention never needing to call UPS to work out when you’ll be home, ever again. Instead you just get notified from Parcel, request a time, and you’re done.

Try out Parcel with your first delivery FREE by signing up here.


Andy C. Jenkins - Hazel Woods

0
0

image

Today I’m so excited I got to resurrect my record label Paper Brigade again to release a single by Andy C. Jenkins, called “Hazel Woods”. Two songs to bring on Spring that you will listen to over and over.

Purchase over at iTunes or Amazon
Stream over at Rdio and Spotify or Soundcloud

Read more about the record and Andy C. Jenkins over at Paper Brigade!

Canopy: Amazon, Curated.

0
0
image

Canopy: is a curated, beautiful version of the best products on Amazon. It truly has made it possible to find really amazing things that I can buy with the ease of Amazon /Amazon Prime. It gives it the polish and beauty that let the products stand out and every time I can’t believe some of the stuff they find (but really how do they make all look so good!?)

Curated by category, price, collections, save things to your own Canopy for later, etc.

You can use it on the web or their beautiful iOS app.

Go check out Canopy.co

Frog - Kind of Blah

Digit - Automate Your Savings

0
0

Digit: Save Money Without Thinking About It.

That’s exactly what it is. Digit is the easiest way to save for a rainy day or a specific purpose. It’s all done over SMS with easy updates and commands to text it for updates and changes.

Once you connect Digit to your checking account, Every 2 or 3 days, Digit transfers a little bit of money (usually $5-$50) from your checking account to your Digit savings. It will take only the amount possible based on the amount you have, income, the trends it learns, etc. They promise it will never overdraft your checking account, so you don’t need to worry about that. And when you’re ready to withdrawal, you just text message Digit “withdraw” and how much, it’s that simple. If you want to login they do have a web Dashboard was well.

It’s really has been amazing to see it grow to $500, sometimes it’s even hit $800 before I ever withdrew. Did I notice that money was gone? No, not unless I checked via SMS or read the texts it sends with updates in detail. I think that’s the magic of it. My most recent transactions were messaged to me as “The last 3 times I saved for you were $0.23 6 days ago, $39.08 8 days ago, $11.33 9 days ago.” It just proves that little bits here and there can really help when needed.

I really suggest this if you just really can’t figure out how to save. This is NOT a high interest savings account (which barely exists anymore), this is meant for short term goal oriented savings. A makes a nice little safety net that accidentally grew and grew that sent you messages that were really fun and made you feel like saving was all a game.

Get started today. Learn more and start using Digit by going to digit.co. Good luck savings! Feel free to tweet at me how it goes to @mattrubin.

UE Boom 2: Bluetooth Speaker

0
0
image

UE Boom 2: ($199)

Since it’s the gift giving time of year I wanted to let you know about my favorite portable bluetooth speaker. The UE Boom 2 (also love the Megaboom but it’s huge) has amazing 360 sound, waterproof/shockproof (yes, I use it in the shower), super durable and has up to 15 hour battery life. I’ve tried all different ones and for what you get at this price, it’s a very strong recommend.

Features:

  • Loud 360 degree sound with deep bass
  • Waterproof*, shockproof, designed for adventure (* IPX7 rated waterproof up to 30 minutes and a depth of one meter)
  • 15 hour battery life and 100 ft. Bluetooth wireless range.

Buy now over at Amazon.

Viewing all 165 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images