Gadgets: Stay ahead of car trouble
How annoying is it to get in your vehicle and your check engine light or other alerts suddenly flash in your face? The BlueDriver Pro Scan tool will tell you almost instantly what the problem is, and potentially keep you ahead of a breakdown.
This pocket-sized diagnostic tool does big things. Just plug it into your car's OBDII port to get live data and professional-grade diagnostics. It helps you identify potential maintenance issues with your vehicle. Using it is simple. You don't need advanced mechanical knowledge. The tool provides information to help you decide whether your vehicle needs your trusted mechanic.
If you're like me, you don't know about your vehicle's OBDII connector port or where to find it. Google gave me a quick answer: The OBDII connector is a standardized diagnostic port. It's mandatory in all 1996 and newer vehicles. It is under the dashboard on the driver's side. This port enables communication between a scanner and the car's electronic control unit to read diagnostics, clear codes, and provide power.
The BlueDriver Pro Scan tool has over 9,000 diagnostic codes. It sends results via Bluetooth to its companion app. The device reportedly works with up to 90% of cars, SUVs and light trucks sold in North America since 1996. The compatibility chart on the BlueDriver site is easy to navigate and lists makes like Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, BMW and more.
The BlueDriver app is straightforward to read codes, view the vehicle's history, check warning lights, view recalls, vehicle information, and service bulletins. There's a whole lot more, and the app's home screen dashboard is as easy as any to navigate. Once you have the information needed, just email it to yourself so you can pass it on to your mechanic.
It works subscription-free for reports on your engine, fuel system and transmission, among others, and even provides directions for simple tasks like resetting your oil light.
And the uses aren't limited to just your own vehicle; think of plugging it into a used vehicle you might purchase, showing any current issues along with its maintenance history.
https://us.bluedriver.com $89.95
Devialet, a French audio company that touts itself as driven by the unsilenceable pursuit of acoustic excellence, hit my inbox with an announcement about its Devialet Gemini II premium true wireless earbuds, now available in two new colors: light pearl and deep forest.
The colors, along with the original three (black, gold and white), are all new to me since I've never tried or even heard of the luxury earbuds. Devialet engineered last year's launch of the Gemini IIs for 15 years and came away with big sound, full of punch and clarity for all playlists. In fact, not long ago, a reader emailed me with an interesting idea: "Why don't you listen to playlists you don't normally listen to while reviewing earbuds?" So I gave that a try with these and went for playlists of big bands, featuring music from the 1940s.
And the Gemini IIs delivered; while not making me a fan of big bands, the sound that reached my ears was more than appealing. I was hooked on the earbuds and did enjoy how the big band sounded. After testing them for the last few weeks, there's no doubt in my mind about the advanced quality of the sound coming from custom titanium-coated 10mm drivers in each ear.
Helping Devialet reach the level of excellence they strive for were advanced features such as active wind reduction, adaptive noise cancellation and multipoint pairing via Bluetooth 5.2. Other features include clear, hands-free calls and 5 hours of playtime per charge, with a total of 22 hours with the included wireless charging/storage case. And an IPX4 water and sweat-resistant body.
On-ear touch controls are all responsive and can be customized with the Gemini companion app. The app has an equalizer to set the sound you like and audio presets.
The second generation of the Gemini earbuds is 40% smaller than the first and features a high-quality build. Once in your ears, they have a comfortable, ergonomic feel, which is a feature I find as critical as the sound they produce. Four ear-tip sizes (XS, S, M, L) are included.
https://www.devialet.com/en-us/true-wireless-earbuds$499
One thing is for sure about portable power: It gets smaller and smaller while offering more features and more power. The Cuktech Power Bank 15 Air is a perfect example of that.
The pocket-sized portable is built with advanced GaN and silicon-carbon technology for faster, cooler and safe charging. It has intelligent power distribution, delivering up to 100 watts from a 15,000 mAh internal battery.
On the front is a smart TFT digital display that provides real-time monitoring of each port, current voltage and temperature, estimated recharge time, and other smart charging features.
It has three ports (two USB-C and one USB-A) that can all work simultaneously. Data supplied by Cuktech had it charging an iPhone 17 Pro Max about 1.7 times or a Samsung S25 Ultra approximately 2.2 times. The USB-C fast charging port provides up to 65 watts of power for charging some laptops and tablets.
A 240-watt USB-C cable is included.
https://cuktech.com/products/cuktech-15-air-power-bank$79.99
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 2:05 AM.