Home 2017 March

See people moving around inside your home without using security cameras

Most home security systems involve setting up cameras and a variety of sensors like motion detectors, door and window opening/closing sensors, temperature sensors and more. The Xandem system is more like something straight from a Mission Impossible style movie. Xandem uses a gateway and a set of modules to create a mesh network that puts a security blanket over your home that can detect when people are moving around inside it.

Xandem offers Home and Pro systems. The Pro systems are more for commercial installations while the Home system has been designed for… homes. Both systems can be purchased with modules that plug into standard wall outlets or are hardwired.

You can buy systems with 6, 10 or 15 modules. Of course, the more modules you need, the more the system will cost. Luckily, the mesh created by the modules can go through walls and furniture.

After you set up the gateway device and plug in all the modules you can then use the web client to draw the floor plan of your home. The client will also let you create alarms that will fire based on certain criteria and can notify you or others via email. The system can also be programmed to sound a siren or activate lights to scare away an intruder.

According to the FAQ on Xandem’s site, tracking is accurate to within 5-10 feet for most installations and can be adjusted to disregard small pets.

The 6 module system runs $430, and the 10 and 15 module systems are priced at $495 and $595 respectively. The systems come with one free year of Xandem’s cloud service. After the year is up, you don’t have to renew if you don’t want to as the system will work without the cloud service. You’ll just lose certain remote functionality.

DIY geeks will be happy to learn that Xandem provides API info so you can program your own apps to interact with the system.

For more info visit Xandem.com.

Filed in categories: Home and Kitchen, News

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See people moving around inside your home without using security cameras originally appeared on on March 23, 2017 at 5:06 pm.

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Sandman 4 Port USB Charging Alarm Clock review

How many of you wake to sounds from your smartphone, charging on or near your bed? How many of you still have a clock in your bedroom for timekeeping (not for decoration)? These two questions will determine your interest in the latest gadget to cross my review desk: the Sandman Alarm Clock.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.


We all sleep, and most of us are cursed with the necessity of having to be awakened at a specific time. For this, most of us use some sort of alarm clock or alarm app. While we’re sleeping, most Gadgeteers also plug in their phone, tablet, watch, or another device for charging. The result has made for a lot of tangled confusion on and under nightstands the world over. A company called Palo Alto Innovations has developed something to tame some of this with the Sandman alarm clock. They sent one to me for testing, and I’ve done so with great enthusiasm. (Anything that includes me sleeping is met with great joy.)


The clock itself resembles any of the thousands of LED clocks you’ve seen over the years: black plastic face with large numerals and small dots nearby to indicate alarm status and AM/PM. There are buttons to allow you to change the time, set the alarm, etc., on the back. There’s also a built in backup battery in case of power outage. The Sandman, however, features a multi-level brightness adjustment on the display, which means you’ll actually have a dark room to sleep in once more. (My youngest actually puts an index card over her current clock to dim the display.)


The other secret superpower this clock brings to market is four USB charging ports across the back. No longer do you have to flail about under the bed and nightstand for that cable to plug in your device(s) at the bedside. In fact, since it’s right there on the nightstand, using a short cable or one with several tips makes lots of sense.


With these features, what’s not to like, right? Well, a few things. First, the buttons have no way to lock. So, in the middle of the night, you reach to turn the clock around and read it, and you’ve grabbed the button to change the time. Or you’ve turned off the alarm if you grab the other side. Second, setting the alarm takes a lot of twiddling to get the hang of. With only three buttons, you’d think they could have made some other location for them, or built up a collar around them to make it more difficult to change or add a lock button. And holding the snooze bar while holding one of the buttons on another plane means this is never a one-handed operation.


The sound is loud enough to wake me, but I’d like to change the sound or make it louder on those days I’m going to need some added encouragement to rise. These things should be easy enough to add for the next version, but without them, the addition of USB ports is not quite enough to make me change from my current clock.
How has what you keep on your nightstand changed in the last 10 years? How about the last 15? That question brings into sharp relief the changes brought about by cell phones, iPods, smartphones, and our move from needing clock radios to using phones to wake us. This could be an interesting social science study, actually. Let’s discuss it in the comments.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Palo Alto Innovation. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $44.99
Manufacturer: Palo Alto Innovation
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • AC outlet
Pros:
  • Variable brightness levels
  • USB port allows charging up to 4 gadgets
  • Backup battery
Cons:
  • Time and alarm status are easily changed when picking up clock
  • No control over alarm sound or volume level
  • Fiddly controls for setting alarm and time

Filed in categories: Reviews, Watches and Clocks

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Sandman 4 Port USB Charging Alarm Clock review originally appeared on on March 23, 2017 at 12:23 pm.

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Android Wear 2.0 Vapor smartwatch coming from Misfit this summer

We’ve been covering Misfit fitness tracking wearable devices since the original Misfit Shine that I reviewed back in 2013. Misfit trackers have evolved since the Shine and in the next few months, we’ll be seeing a brand new device from Misfit that looks like their most ambitious activity tracking wearable so far. The Misfit Vapor is a true touchscreen smartwatch powered by the Android Wear 2.0 operating system. 

First announced at CES 2017 in January, the Vapor was called the best smartwatch and best fitness gadget of 2017.

The Vapor smartwatch has a lot going for it. It has a 1.39” full round 326 PPI AMOLED display, is water resistant up to 50 meters, so you can swim and shower with it. It has a built-in optical heart rate monitor, and GPS so you won’t need to carry your phone with you when you’re out on a run or walk.

Don’t think that the Vapor is all workout and no play. because it also can be used as a stand-alone music player and you can install hundreds of Android Wear apps on the watch to really make it your own.

Priced at $199, the Misfit Vapor will be compatible with phones running Android 4.3 or iOS 9 or higher. For more details visit Misfit’s Vapor page and be sure to sign up to get notified as soon as they become available this summer.

Filed in categories: Health, Fitness, Sports, News

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Android Wear 2.0 Vapor smartwatch coming from Misfit this summer originally appeared on on March 23, 2017 at 10:48 am.

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Mpow Bluetooth Over-the-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review

These Mpow Bluetooth headphones are a decent, moderately priced option for people who prefer traditional over-the-ear headphones versus earbuds. They are stylish, portable and offer the choice of a wired connection as well as Bluetooth.

In the box:

  • Mpow Bluetooth Headset
  • 3.5mm Audio Cable
  • USB Charging Cable
  • Packing Bag
  • User Manual

Specifications:

  • Bluetooth Version: 4.0
  • Range: 33 feet (10 meters)
  • Talking Time: Around 15 hours
  • Playback Time: Around 13 hours
  • Charging Time: 4 hours
  • Charging Voltage: 5V
  • Battery Capacity: 420mAh

Design:

It is very obvious that Mpow mimicked the design of the more expensive Beats Studio Wireless headphones when designing this unit. It has similar curves and angles to the Beats and a shiny black plastic exterior with plastic silver inlays over cups.

I did appreciate the small but clear indicators on the inside of the headband denoting the left and right cups.

Comfort:

The inside of the headband is matte red plastic with a very thin “memory-protein material” cushion for the top of your head and the same “material” on the cups for your ears. The cups are oval and quite narrow so these may cause discomfort for users with larger ears. The headphones were very uncomfortable for me after about thirty minutes of continued use. The headband has seven notches for adjustment, but even with that range I experienced some pressure on top of my head and ears. My ears also felt very warm after a short time.

Use:

Following the included instructions I was able to connect via Bluetooth to both my Android Nexus 5X and Apple laptop very easily. Setup is aided by a female voice which tells you when the headphones are powered on or off, when in pairing mode and when you’ve reached the maximum volume.

The controls are on the outside of the right cup and are a little difficult to access when you are wearing the headphones. You have to feel around a bit for the buttons and the clicks on the controls are very loud and require some pressure. The controls include volume up and down, next and previous track, power, play/pause, and call. The buttons don’t light up and are marked in very light grey on the black headphones, so they are difficult to see. The only lit area of the controls is a small ring around the center play/call button which blinks blue when powered or red and blue when pairing.

You can also connect the headphones to your device with an included male-to-male 3.5mm audio cable and an audio port on the bottom of the left cup. It is nice to have the option to use these as wired headphones, but once connected by wire neither the controls nor the microphone work. The sound quality of the wired connection and Bluetooth connection was the same in my testing. The bass was a little light on most tracks and on higher volumes the sound suffered from slight distortion and a loss of clarity. There were occasional dropouts in sound when connected through Bluetooth.

There is significant sound leak at all volumes. You would not be able to use these in an office environment or in public without annoying those around you. This is most likely because these headphones are designed to be passive noise isolating, as opposed to having active noise cancellation. Passive noise isolation simply means that once you have the headphones on and are listening to content, you can’t hear any outside noises. Active noise cancellation counteracts outside noises by creating an inverted waveform to cancel out the noise waveforms and requires extra power.

For phone calls or chatting via computer, there is a small microphone hole on the lower right cup, but maybe because of the design, my voice was muffled on all calls. The sound quality of the caller was fine, but I would not use these as my main headphones for calls or chatting on my computer.

Storage:

The headphones fold at hinges just above the cups for storage in the included case. When fully opened, the cups lock into place with a satisfying click.

Power:

The headphones charge via a micro USB port on the outside of the right cup with included USB cable. The unit takes about four hours to attain a full charge. In my tests, the battery life for playback was right along with Mpow’s specifications, about 12-13 hours. This amount of playback time is great for a set of headphones you plan on using a lot during the day.

Final thoughts:

The Mpow Bluetooth over-the-ear headphones aren’t a great piece of audio equipment by any measure, but for the price, portability and option of a wired or Bluetooth connection, they are a good back-up set to have around.

The sample for this review was provided by Mpow. Please visit their website or Amazon to order.

 

 

Product Information

Price: $36.69
Manufacturer: Mpow
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Bluetooth Version 4.0
Pros:
  • Moderately priced
  • Bluetooth and wired connection
  • Included carrying bag
  • Passive Noise Cancellation
Cons:
  • Significant sound leak at every volume level
  • Cheap plastic build
  • Poor sound quality at higher volumes
  • Controls difficult to use when wearing
  • Uncomfortable after prolonged use

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

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Mpow Bluetooth Over-the-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review originally appeared on on March 23, 2017 at 7:08 am.

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Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard review

If you can touch type on your mobile device faster than you can tap type (I just made up that new term), then a Bluetooth keyboard is a useful productivity tool when you have a lot of text to enter. There are already eleventy billion different travel sized Bluetooth keyboards on the market, so let’s look at another one. It’s the MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard from Kanex. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard is a universal folding travel sized keyboard that is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows devices. It uses Bluetooth 3.0 to wirelessly connect to and switch between up to four devices.

Design and features

The Kanex keyboard is the perfect travel sized keyboard because it’s only 4.0″ x 6.5 inches when folded. For scale, I show it in the image above next to a Nexus 6P.

It has a dark gray soft touch plastic cover that is a dust magnet. And speaking of magnets, the two halves of the keyboard are held closed with one.

The keyboard opens into a unique V shape that’s 4.0″ x 13.0″ inches. You might be wondering about the big gap between the two halves of the keyboard. Do touch typists have to stretch their fingers to type? No, they do not. The left-hand types the letters on the left side of the keyboard and the right-hand types the right keys. There is no obvious learning curve if you’re already a touch typist other than just getting a feel for the key spacing. The gap in the center of the keys is actually kind of nice because it makes this keyboard feel roomy and comfortable unlike some cramped travel keyboards that I’ve tried in the past.

The keys are made of hard plastic and are slightly smaller than the keys on a full-sized keyboard like the Apple Wireless Keyboard. The keys are nicely spaced, have good travel and good tactile feedback.

On the top edge above the 6 key are two status LEDs. One blinks blue during pairing and the other one will glow red while charging and green when charging is completed. The battery capacity can be checked at any time by holding down the FN and R keys. The right LED will then blink 1 to 4 times to signify if the battery is only 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% (4 flashes) full.

I could not find any information on Kanex’s site about battery life but I’ve been using the keyboard on and off for a few weeks and it’s still on the first charge.

You can click the image above for a larger view of the keyboard key layout.

I didn’t have any issues with the layout. I could type without looking at the keys and didn’t have problems pressing the wrong keys for characters like ;/@? etc.

Using the Kanex Multisync Foldable Travel Keyboard

The first thing you have to do before you can use this keyboard is to pair it with an iOS, Android, Windows, or macOS device. If you want to use this keyboard with more than one device, you’re in luck as it can pair and switch between up to four devices. I tested it with a Nexus 6P and my MacBook Pro (I’m typing on the Kanex right now as I am writing this review).

When you pair a device you assign it to one of four keys (Z, X, C, or B) by holding the desired key with the Fn key. Then you just check for the keyboard in the device’s Bluetooth settings to connect it. Pairing is easy and quick. But switching between multiple devices, which is done by pressing the Fn + the desired device key (Z, X, C, or V), is slower. It takes several seconds for the switched device to “wake up” when you press the Fn + the desired device key. At least I found this to be the case switching between my MacBook Pro and an Android phone. Switching to the MacBook is faster and only takes about 2 seconds for it to recognize a key press. With the Nexus 6P, it can take as long as 10 seconds for it to finally wake up.

Final thoughts

I like the Kanex Multisync Foldable Travel Keyboard because it has a nice form factor. It’s small and flat, so it easily fits in my gear bag.

There is one small gotcha though. You have to use the keyboard on a flat surface because it’s not designed to be used on your lap, which is a bummer. But this isn’t a huge issue since most travel keyboards have this limitation.

At $49.95, the Kanex keyboard is a little spendy. But I noticed when I was searching Amazon for the price, that iClever offers a version of this keyboard for $20 less on Amazon as long as you don’t need multiple device pairing capabilities and only plan to use it with one device.

If you need to be able to switch between four devices when you’re on the go, then the Kanex Multisync Foldable Travel Keyboard will do that for you and you’ll barely notice it in your gear bag.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kanex. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.

 

Product Information

Price: $49.95
Manufacturer: Kanex
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Compact folding design
  • V shape feels roomy
  • Pairs with up to 4 devices
Cons:
  • Switching between some devices is a little slow

Filed in categories: Computer Gear, Reviews

Tagged:

Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard review originally appeared on on March 22, 2017 at 4:31 pm.

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