Skip to main content

The Manual’s Guide to Tech

Recently we have been posting tips from people in the know on various industries. Today we let tech have it’s turn with Drew Prindle. 

Our thoughts on the subject: 

Recommended Videos

It’s a fact, men love things. They love cars, gadgets, cufflinks, fishing poles and bike helmets. So we have a category on The Manual dedicated especially to them. Granted, their are copious amounts of products on the market so we have our writers test some and knock others around. Nick Jaynes is our resident car expert and he often will text, “My post may be late, I’m in a Porsche.” This irritates and delights us all at once.

Tips from a Techie:

Drew Prindle is our resident tech nerd. He’s spent most of his life trying to be James Bond, so naturally he’s developed an unhealthy obsession with cutting-edge gadgets, top-shelf liquor, high thread counts, and well-timed puns. When he’s not composing articles for TheManual and our brother site, Digital Trends, Drew prefers to spend his time on the outskirts of Portland, buried in neck-deep powder at Mt. Hood. Here he geeks out on the top five tech items every man should own:

  1. Earbud headphones- Gargantuan over-ear headphones, while preferable in your home or office, are unbecoming when you’re out and about in public. Stick to earbuds if you’re going anywhere – they’re easier to transport and don’t make you look like an angsty teenage punk.
  2. OBD 2 dongle- This is the standardized on-board diagnostics port built into your car’s dashboard. A dongle (in addition to being really fun thing to say) is a little receiver you can plug into this port to extract detailed diagnostic information about your car. It’s the best way to stay on top of mechanical issues. Newer ones can even wirelessly beam the data to your smartphone. Speaking of which…
  3. A Smartphone- It doesn’t matter what kind. So long as you can use it to look up driving directions, quickly find a good restaurant or bar on the fly, and a keep a music playlist for every situation; it makes no difference if you’re rocking a boxy first-gen Droid or the latest Samsung Galaxy whatever. Also, never wear a phone holster – they’re like the fanny packs of the tech world.
  4. Waterproof Speakers- Usually electronics and water don’t mix, but thanks to miracles of modern engineering, they now make Bluetooth speakers that can withstand stuff like water, mud, motor oil, and spilled beer. That means the party won’t stop when your drunk girlfriend accidentally knocks the boombox into the pool – it’ll just get crazier.
  5. Cordless Drill/Driver- Even if you’re not the handyman type and you rarely use power tools,  it’s still a good idea to keep a cordless drill around the house. They’re just so versatile. With the right bits and attachments, a cordless drill can be used not only as a drill/screwdriver, but also as a rotary sander, paint mixer, garden tiller, or even an egg beater if you ever feel like making the manliest omelette.
Cator Sparks
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…
F1 fashion: limited edition movie merch and Cadillac F1 team partners with Tommy Hilfiger
F1 teamware lets fans show support for real and fictional teams
F1 Movie merch sampler.

There were two announcements related to F1 teamware this week, both related to F1 teams that aren't in the 2025 season. Teamware is a big deal with Formula 1 racing fans who show their support by wearing team colors at Grand Prix races worldwide, where grandstands are packed with spectators sporting hats, shirts, and all manner of apparel in Ferrari red, Red Bull blue, and McLaren orange. Mixing media and reality, building on the trend, F1 recently started selling limited edition apparel with the APXGP logo of the fictional F1 team in F1 The Movie,  due to launch later this month.

In a related note, fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger announced on X a new apparel partnership with the upcoming 2026 Cadillac F1 team. Hilfiger has a long history of partnering with F1 teams.
Limited edition merch from F1 The Movie

Read more
Dystopian TV at its best: 8 must-see shows like The Handmaid’s Tale
These shows will make you think about the world in a new way
Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid's Tale

If you're like me, you might have been taken by surprise to find out that one of Hulu's biggest original hits of the last decade was finally coming to a close this spring. The Handmaid's Tale dominated dystopian television discourse in the mid-to-late 2010s. It proved Hulu's worth in the streaming space and adapted Margaret Atwood's novel for a new generation of fans. While the first season was award-winning and fawned over by audiences worldwide, further seasons saw a decline in pop culture relevance.

What started out as a brilliant take on the consequences of women being forced to manipulate their bodies for the United States government teetered on repetitive as the characters maneuvered the same plot lines, and the themes bordered on stale. The final season just came to a close, and most people were happy with the sixth season and its finale. If you're already missing it and want other contemplative, post-apocalyptic shows, these are the shows like The Handmaid's Tale to watch next.

Read more
The first teaser for Apple’s new Matthew McConaughey movie is here
The movie suggests a mix of drama and action
Matthew McConaughey in The Lost Bus.

In between stints where he flirts with running for governor of Texas, Matthew McConaughey apparently found enough time to make a new Apple movie with American Ferrera. Now, we've got our first teaser for that movie, which is titled The Lost Bus. The film is centered on California's 2018 Camp Fire.

The film is based on Lizzie Johnson's fact-based novel Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, which chronicles the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. McConaughey plays a bus driver and Ferrera a teacher, and the two of them are focused on saving a bus full of children amidst the chaos of the fire.

Read more