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Modarri car building sets review

If you think back to your favorite toys when you were a kid, were they video games or were they toys that let you use your imagination like construction sets and other building toys? I’m going to show my age here, but some of my favorite toys when I was a budding gadgeteerling were Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, and an Etch A Sketch. I spent hours playing with these toys because each time I built or drew something, it was new. You can still buy those classic toys today, but if you’re looking for a new toy for your kids that promotes creativity and open-ended play, check out Modarri. They call it the Ultimate Toy Car. Let’s see if that’s true. 

What is it?

Modarri are car building sets designed for kids and those who are still young at heart. Each car building set comes with at least one car and individual parts that you can mix and match to create different looks.

In the image above, you can see what is included in a single car set. The single car set includes 6 frame pieces, a set of wheels, and a hex screwdriver.

Although it’s not obvious, you can even mix and match tires and seats if you have more than one car.


The wheels feature real suspension and shock absorbers.

The Modarri car frame parts stack on top of each other and are held in place with two screws.

The hood goes on first.

Then the fenders.

And then the metal frame that has the screws which are retained in the frame so that they won’t fall out and get lost.

The whole idea of the Modarri car building system is that you can mix and match the parts to create new cars.

Three car sets like the one shown above contain extra parts like the traffic cones and additional screwdrivers. And of course, the more pieces you have, the more variations of cars you can build.







All of the car parts except the metal frame with the screws and some of the wheel mechanism are made of plastic. The parts feel rugged enough though, so they should be able to stand up to some rough play.

Building the cars isn’t the only fun kids can have. You can also “drive” the cars by putting your finger in the seat. Since the wheels have built-in suspension, you can actually steer the cars, which is fun.

Modarri also offers a carrying case so you (I mean your child) can keep the cars, parts and tools organized and tidy.

The case can hold a dozen cars and has a removable tray and a handle for easy transport.

Final thoughts

So is Modarri the ultimate toy car building set? Yes, it is. These cars are a lot of fun to assemble, disassemble and “drive”. The system is very LEGO-like, but the Modarri cars look a lot more like a real car than any LEGO car does.

If your child likes to build things and likes race cars, Modarri car building sets are sure to keep them (and you) entertained for hours.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $19.99 and up
Manufacturer: Modarri
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Promotes creativity and imagination
  • Many possible design combinations
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • Screws attached to frame
Cons:
  • Can get expensive if your kid wants to collect them 😉

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Modarri car building sets review originally appeared on on July 13, 2017 at 10:39 am.

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Kingston HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse review

The next stop on my gaming gear journey has us looking at a gaming mouse. Now, Kingston is not a brand I usually associate with gaming peripherals, rather, I think of internal components instead. When the Kingston HyperX Pulsefire FPS gaming mouse was offered up for review, I thought I would give it a chance. Would their name live up to my expectations? Time to find out.


Inside of the box you’ll find the HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse and a quick start guide.

This mouse is meant to be plug and play. There is no special software to customize the buttons, and there are four DPI settings that cannot be changed. Each preset DPI setting is indicated by the button color, ranging from 400 DPI to 3200 DPI. I ended up using the third highest setting for day to day and gaming use, but could switch easily to whichever I wanted with a push of a button. I really liked the color indicator feature so that I would know which DPI setting that I was on.

The mouse is lightweight and would glide smoothly across my mouse pad. It is a hair larger than my previous mouse, but weight wise, it was around the same. There are tactile, textured grips on each side of the mouse to theoretically keep your hands from slipping around. I’ve never had a problem with slipping, but it felt nice under my fingers either way. The Pixart 3310 optical sensor had no problem working on the wood of my desk or on my mouse pad. I never felt any hesitation due to the sensor; it always worked perfectly regardless of whatever game I played.

It took about a week to get used to the slight differences between my old mouse and the Kingston one, but once I did, it was very comfortable and felt normal to use. There are six buttons on this mouse; the left and right standard buttons, the scroll wheel, DPI button, and two thumb buttons. The layout of the thumb buttons were perfectly placed and easy to press, and it was easy to customize them using in game settings for what I used them for.

After getting my key bindings set up, (my previous mouse has software that sets the key bindings for each game) figuring out which DPI setting worked best for me, and getting used to the feel of the mouse, I have had no desire to switch back to my old mouse. The ease of gliding across my mouse pad is the main reason, as my old mouse would catch on the bottom from time to time due to a bottom pad wearing down.

I also liked the look of the mouse. The black and red color scheme is simple, yet you get that splash of color. The durable, braided cord is also black and red, and made it easy to figure out which cord was which in the back of my computer.


Overall, I really liked the Kingston HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse and it definitely lived up to the expectations I had for it. The quality and comfort level is great, and it is simple and easy to use. The biggest downside I see is that you lack any customization outside of pre-sets, and that can be a deterrent if you can’t find a DPI level on the mouse that suits you. For a casual gamer though, this mouse is worth looking into.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $49.99
Manufacturer: Kingston HyperX Gaming
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • – Easy to use
  • – Well made with a nice aesthetic design
Cons:
  • – Not able to customize DPI

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Kingston HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse review originally appeared on on July 13, 2017 at 7:55 am.

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Focal focuses on Dolby Atmos with its newest line of Sib Evo home theater speakers

As I’ve said in my reviews of Focal’s excellent headphones and earphones, French speaker maker Focal is primarily known for their expensive (but also excellent) speaker line. However the audio news coming out of Focal this week is not about their crazily expensive speakers, but a more reasonable line of home theater speakers. Focal’s new generation of Sib speakers is shaking up the market with their Sib Evo line featuring Dolby Atmos technology.

Sib is Focal’s ‘lifestyle’ speaker line that fits with every interior and will match the volume you’re looking for. The audio will perfectly render dialogue with the full intensity of action. All the key elements of movies are conveyed with clarity and precision, giving the impression of being in the heart of the action.

The audio quality of Focal’s Sib speakers is impressive considering their size. This Sib range of speakers comprises a complete home theater system of satellite speakers with an active subwoofer.

Focal chose to expand its range of home theater products by providing an extra feature to its Sib line—the two-in-one Atmos enabled speaker. “The Sib Evo Dolby Atmos speaker is the second generation of Focal’s iconic Sib range that launched in 2002, and keeps in line with the design codes of the range with a style that is futurist, but timeless,” said Ben Jensen, president of Focal North America. “Our Sib range of compact speakers has been a reference in the home cinema universe. It became the go-to system in the 5.1 home cinema sector with its timeless design which has set the trend for nearly two decades.”

The Sib Evo line is a system for first time or pre-existing installations. It’s available in various configurations depending on needs and budget. It tops out with a system comprised of five bookshelf speakers, two Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers and a 200 watt active subwoofer.

Sib Evo is a two-way bass-reflex satellite speaker equipped with a 5″ Polyflex woofer and a 1″ silk dome tweeter. It’s ABS housing has a matte and lacquered finish. Everything is integrated into a sizeable enclosure giving it extended frequency response. This gives Sib Evo an advantage of being ideal for reproducing music with or without a subwoofer.

In addition to the Evo speaker, the Sib Evo Dolby Atmos features a 3″ full-range Polyflex speaker driver dedicated to reproducing only Atmos effects. It was designed with more rear volume than the Evo speaker to give it even more extended frequency response.

The Cub Evo subwoofer has an 8” speaker driver driven by a 200W Class D amplifier. The Cub Evo is equipped with a crossover, phase inverter, ON/OFF auto power function, and LFE input. The Class D amplifier allows Cub Evo to deliver powerful, controlled bass with a frequency response that extends as low as 35Hz. (that’s low). Cub Evo is an ideal companion for all varieties of home theater systems.

Extensive research has gone into making Sib Evo easy to install. The speakers are equipped with a connector system with push buttons to make it easier to hook up to an amplifier. There are also double connectors instead of single connectors for the power supply.

Focal’s Sib Evo products are made up of five differently priced packages:

Sib Evo Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 system – $1,299 US. It has 5 Evo Bookshelf speakers, an Evo powered subwoofer, and 2 Evo Dolby Atmos enabled speakers.

Sib Evo 5.1 – $999 US. It has 5 Evo bookshelf speakers plus an Evo Powered Subwoofer.

Sib Evo Dolby Atmos 2.0 system – $599 US. This add-on package has 2 bookshelf Dolby Atmos speakers with ceiling directed speakers. These speakers can be added to any 5.1 Theatre system.

Sib Evo 2.0 (2 Bookshelf Speakers) – $299 US.

Cub Evo powered subwoofer – $379 US.

All Sib Evo products will be available in August, 2017. Visit www.focal.com for more information.

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Focal focuses on Dolby Atmos with its newest line of Sib Evo home theater speakers originally appeared on on July 13, 2017 at 6:53 am.

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Deal: Fitbit is having a summer sale!

I bet you’re sitting in a chair as you’re reading this. It’s time to stand up and get moving, and Fitbit is going to help you get motivated because now through 7/28, you can save up to $30 off of select fitness tracking devices AND they will throw in 2-day shipping on orders $50 and over for free.

Fitbit is one of my favorite fitness tracker makers and we’ve reviewed almost every device they’ve made.

The Fitbit Charge 2 is priced at $129.95 right now, which is a savings of $20. Check out our Fitbit Charge 2 review for more info on that one. It’s one of my faves.

You can also save $20-$30 on the Fitbit Alta. We haven’t reviewed this one – yet. But a review is currently in the works.

The Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip aren’t on sale, but if you order one, you’ll get 2-day shipping for free, so you won’t have wait too long to start recording your activity. For more info on these trackers check out our Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip review.

Head over to Fitbit to read more about their fitness trackers and take advantage of their summer sale which ends on 7/28.

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Deal: Fitbit is having a summer sale! originally appeared on on July 12, 2017 at 4:32 pm.

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SmartHalo adds GPS navigation and more to your bicycle

SmartHalo is a device that attaches to your bicycle’s handlebars to provide visual GPS navigation, a headlight, alarm, and even fitness tracking. The SmartHalo device was a successfully funded Kickstarter project from 2015, but it looks like they just now starting to ship to their backers and offer the device to the public.

The device features an LED ring that lights up in different colors and sections to provide turn-by-turn visual cues while riding to a destination that is set through the companion app on your phone.

SmartHalo will automatically log your activity as you ride – including your traveling time, distance, average speed, elevation and more.

If you get a call or text while you’re riding, the unit will light up so you won’t miss an important notification.

Other features include anti-theft alarm, a double LED headlight, bike locator, and more.

The SmartHalo is priced at $149 through smarthalo.bike where you can read more about it. You also might want to head over to the Kickstarter page to read the user comments before you order because there appear to be some growing pains with this new product that the company is still trying to work on.

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SmartHalo adds GPS navigation and more to your bicycle originally appeared on on July 12, 2017 at 10:25 am.

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