Mike Carrall

Mike Carrall is a tech executive by day in Silicon Valley who writes under a pseudonym. Mike's passions include extreme sports, testing audio gear, trying (not so successfully) to restore a vintage 70's McIntosh receiver and spending time with his seven year-old daughter.
Nintendo Switch Hybrid Game Console

Switch console helps drive 150% growth for Nintendo’s top line

Comeback kid: 2 million Nintendo Switch units sold. Nintendo revenue surges to $1.37 billion with gross profits of $578 million.
Atari Flashback 8 Gold

New retro Atari & Sega gaming consoles available Fall 2017, priced from $59.99

Fall 2017 is going to be nirvana for fans of classic gaming. That's when a flurry of new, relatively compact Atari and Sega consoles hit the market. Both systems come packaged with HD versions of favorite library games and include advanced features we're told, such as wireless controllers. The line-up features 6...
T-Mobile Digits replaces phone numbers

What is T-Mobile Digits?

On May 31, 2017 all T-Mobile phone numbers become Digits. What does that mean?
Review: IdeaUSA AtomicX Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (ANC V201)

In Review: IdeaUSA AtomicX Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (ANC V201)

Tested in the Stark Insider labs: IdeaUSA AtomicX Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (ANC V201). Have you heard the news? It seems as if our dear friend, the headphone jack, is not long for this world. Too bad. I'll definitely miss the audio fidelity and old school simplicity of just...

Asus VivoTab Note 8 tablet runs Windows 8.1, targets mobile productivity

Asus unveils Windows-based 8-inch tablet with quad-core processor and Wacom digitizer pen for $329. Ships March 25.

Holiday Gift Idea: For the Person Who Needs Directions, But Never Asks

There is just no excuse these days to be lost. Maps are everywhere. In cell phones, on the Internet and even on some MP3 players. But the best in my view are still the dedicated systems from companies such as Garmin and Magellan. I've done a lot of testing, being...

Holiday Gift Idea: Making Delicious Espresso the Easy Way with Nespresso

There's making espresso the hardcore Italian way with levers, pullies, lots of hand waving, machine-like whines and grinds, and then there is Nespresso. If you're...

‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ by Timothy Ferris Review – Don’t Read this Book, Outsource It and Save Yourself 4 Hours

The 4-Hour Workweek "Escape 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich" Timothy Ferriss 320 pages, 2007 (Amazon) While reading the 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss I kept asking myself: what world does this guy live in? Then deja vu hit. I've seen this world and actually lived in it for a few years. It...