Home 2017 October

Apple quietly introduces its new MacBook leather sleeve

Friday while many of us, including myself, were pre-occupied with staying up late or getting up early (depending on which time zone you’re in) in hopes of scoring the newest iPhone, Apple quietly introduced another new product. In fact, it’s the first of its kind ever made by Apple. The new Leather Sleeve for the 12‑inch MacBook.

Now we all know Apple makes all manner of cases for the iPhone and iPad, but this is the first case/sleeve they’ve ever made for a MacBook. The Sleeve is crafted from high-quality European leather with a soft microfiber lining. Its design also allows you to charge your 12-inch MacBook while it’s kept protected inside the sleeve. And it even has the iconic Apple Logo emblazoned on the top. The New $149 12-inch MacBook Leather Sleeve is available right now in two colors, Saddle Brown and Midnight Blue. Visit apple.com for more info and to order.

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Apple quietly introduces its new MacBook leather sleeve originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 28, 2017 at 8:30 am.

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Shinola + Zieba New York MS3 Manhattan Special Pocket Knife review

Along with gadgets and tech-toys, I’ve been a watch guy forever. Shinola is a US watchmaker that I have had my eye on for years. They are based out of Detroit and create fine timepieces and other luxury items. In this case, Shinola has partnered with New York based knife maker, Michael Zieba to create a high end pocket knife, the New York MS3 Manhattan folder. I’m looking forward to seeing if it has what it takes to make my EDC gear short list. 

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

The New York MS3 Manhattan Special pocket knife is made from high-quality titanium and M390 stainless steel held together with blue anodized screws all hand assembled. Every part of this flip-folder pocket knife is perfectly machined, featuring a solid minimalistic design with a nearly instantaneous deployment/flip mechanism.

A Bit of Background:

About SHINOLA:

Shinola is an American manufacturer based in Detroit creating everything from watches, clothing, bikes, to fine leather goods. Their goal is to “…create a community that will thrive through excellence of craft and pride of work. Where we will reclaim the making of things that are made well. And define American luxury through American quality.”

About ZIEBA KNIVES

Michael Zieba is a knife maker based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York’s industrial Park. With a long tradition and experience in high end metal work and custom knife making, all knives are made by Mike by hand.

The New York MS3 Manhattan pocket knife comes in a rugged, padded, protective case designed for shipping and storage.

Specifications:

  • BLADE — 2 5/8 in | 6.7 cm
  • CLOSED — 4 1/6 in | 10.7 cm
  • OPEN — 6 3/4 in | 17.1 cm
  • WEIGHT — 2.2 oz.

The handle is crafted from a lightweight, matte titanium with blue anodized screws that stands out nicely against the flat gray metal. The handle measures just over 4 inches, with an overall length of 6.75 inches when the blade is extended.

The MS3 Manhattan pocket knife features an M390 stainless steel  blade. At 2 5/8 inches, the blade is relatively short (and very pointy) but nicely shaped and wickedly sharp. As you can see, the Zieba Knives logo is engraved into the left side of the blade.

The flip mechanism and frame-lock are both simple and easy to operate one-handed. With minimal moving parts and high quality materials, this pocket knife is definitely engineered to stand the test of time. The belt clip has the Shinola logo etched in it.

The precision frame-lock secures the blade into the open position with zero blade wiggle and little chance of the blade accidentally closing.

There are ridges machined into the backspacer, thumb ramp, and blade flipper for added grip-ability. The beltclip is stiff and does a good job of keeping the knife securely on your belt or in your pocket.

As mentioned above, when closed, the New York MS3 Manhattan pocket knife measures just over 4 inches and weighs 2.2 ounces. It has a very dense, solid feel with good heft to it.

The Shinola + Zieba New York MS3 Manhattan pocket knife has an excellent material/build quality and weight to it. Its matte finish, form factor, and overall size both open and closed feel awesome in the hand. Being the smallest knife I have reviewed thus far, I find it very pocketable and choose to carry it in the watch pocket of my pants vs keeping it in my EDC bag. This high quality flip-folder is currently my favorite knife in my collection. Its overall craftsmanship, size, and weight makes it ideal (at least for me). The Shinola + Zieba MS3 Manhattan pocket knife is without a doubt an expensive, luxury item but if you’re looking for a great splurge holiday gift, it is definitely worth your consideration.

One more thing: a good friend (Hi Dave) at my day job is quite the knife connoisseur. Whenever I receive a new high end knife to review, I bring it into work for us to analyze (aka play with) and discuss. He is very knowledgeable and often critical but definitely knows what he likes (and dislikes) in a knife. Well when I showed him the MS3 Manhattan, it was love ❤️ at first sight. Like me, he thought the feel, form factor, and build/material quality were without a doubt top-shelf. So much so, he kept holding/futzing with it for a VERY long time (almost awkwardly so 😉) and I was wondering if I was going to have to tackle him while trying to escape with it. All that said, just another testament on just how very nice this knife is…

Source:  The sample for this review was provided by Shinola. Please visit their site for more information and to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $295
Manufacturer: Shinola + Zieba
Pros:
  • Excellent craftsmanship
  • Premium materials
  • Nicely sized with solid feel/weight
  • Engineered to last a lifetime
  • Smooth opening and closing action
  • Stiff, secure pocket clip
Cons:
  • Expensive

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Shinola + Zieba New York MS3 Manhattan Special Pocket Knife review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 27, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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QCY Wireless Sport Earphones review

Can you ever really have too many sets of earbuds?  Right, I didn’t think so.  I mean, you need some in your office, car, and all over the house.  What I don’t like about earbuds is that they are always falling out of your ears.  So the $24.99 QCY Wireless Sport Earphones intrigued me because of their over-the-ear design.  But would the sound quality pass muster, and would that cord not get in the way?  Let’s find out.

Before we get into the review, let’s look at the specs from the manufacturer:

Weight:  .5 oz

Speakers:  10mm speakers built-in (other buds mostly use 6mm or 8mm speakers) to deliver the Deep Bass as well as the accurate midrange and treble frequencies for real HD quality.

Battery:  90mAh lithium polymer battery can deliver you a max 8 hours at 50% volume. Standby up to 8 days, while only needing 1.5 to 2 hours to get a full charge.

Controls:  Built-in control buttons on the earbuds.

Warranty:  1-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty and 30 days no-questions-asked return policy.

Bluetooth 4.1

Included in the box:  QCY earphones, a USB power cable, and some extra tips for the earphones

What I liked

These earphones sound great!  In fact, I can’t listen to them on max volume because they are simply too loud.  They paired quickly with both my cell phone and my tablet.  The buttons on the earbuds are great and work really well.  I love not having to fumble to find the in-line controls that a lot of other earbuds have.  And the over-the-ear design is awesome.  These earphones have never fallen off, or even come close to falling off. Finally, the battery life is pretty much what QCY says.  I do use them a little louder than the recommended 50% level though, so I don’t quite get 8 hrs of use.  But I did test it at the 50% level and did get about 8 hrs.

What I didn’t like

They do function as a Bluetooth headset to answer your phone calls, but I wasn’t that impressed.  My wife told me that it sounded like I was in a tunnel, so the sound quality isn’t that great for phone calls.  But really, that is pretty much what I have experienced with other earbuds that are promoted as being able to answer calls.  Answering calls is really secondary to what they are made to do, which is listen to music. So I am not that worried about this feature.

I am disappointed that there wasn’t something in the package to help with storing the earphones.  The over-the-ear design is great for wearing, but they are a nightmare when you have to store these or transport them somewhere.  The cable gets tangled up in the earphones and I have yet to find a way to not spend 2 minutes untangling the cord.

I usually use the earphones with my cell phone when I am walking the dog.  And I have found that I need to hold my cellphone in my right hand when walking or I get skipping in my music.  I can’t put the phone in my left pocket or it just skips too much.  I imagine that if I had one of those straps on my arm to hold my phone it would be fine, but I don’t.  So that is kind of annoying.

Bottom line

I love these for the sound and ease of controlling the music with the buttons on the earbuds, and they are so light you already don’t know they are there.  And for the price of $24.99, it is hard to complain.  But I don’t like the struggle of keeping them untangled and the skipping when my phone is on the left side of my body.  So I only use them in certain situations when I don’t have to deal with the possibility of skipping, like sitting in my office or at home at my desk.  I can recommend these, as long as you can deal with the downsides.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by QCY. Please visit Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $24.99
Manufacturer: QCY
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Bluetooth enabled device
Pros:
  • Very affordable
  • Great sound
  • Very light and comfortable
Cons:
  • Sometimes I got skipping sound
  • Easily tangled cord
  • Mediocre quality when used for phone calls

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QCY Wireless Sport Earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 27, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Samsung and ADT launch a DIY home security system with some extra tricks

Samsung and ADT have partnered to come out with an ADT-Monitored DIY Security and Home Automation Solution. The partnership brings together the best of both worlds – Samsung’s robust SmartThings smart home eco-system with ADT’s expertise in home security monitoring. Unlike ADT’s previous offerings, this new system is designed to be an easy DIY system that you can set up all on your own. 

In the box, you get the ADT Security Hub with its 7-inch touchscreen control panel and built-in siren, along with easy to install wireless detectors and alarms that can be used on doors and windows. The system also works as a SmartThings Hub, which means that it’s compatible with hundreds of compatible devices like lights, cameras, doorbells, door locks, thermostats, sensors, voice assistants, and more. Integration with SmartThings means that the SmartThings app can be used to control not only your smart home system but your home security system too. So in addition to getting security alerts, you can use the app to do things like unlocking the door remotely and watch video through your web camera.

A monthly fee is required for the ADT monitoring service, and it will cost $24.99 for security monitoring and an additional $14.99 for life safety monitoring, which includes more extensive monitoring for things like carbon monoxide detection. And while ADT is notorious for their contract commitments, for the first time ever, there will be no contract involved or any sort of commitment. Instead, customers can subscribe to the ADT monitoring service on a month-to-month basis, and they can even sign up for it right from within the SmartThings app, without ever making a phone call.

It’s worth noting that the Security hub operates over wi-fi by default, but it has an LTE connection integrated as a backup. ADT says that unlike most other security monitoring solutions, they are not charging extra for the LTE service.

The ADT Home Security Starter Kit retails for $549.99, with an expansion pack retailing for $199. The expansion pack includes smoke, water leak, and carbon monoxide detectors.

Fun fact: ADT is older than the automobile.

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Samsung and ADT launch a DIY home security system with some extra tricks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 27, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Lioe Titan business card holder review

Having a good business card holder is a necessity to make a proper business introduction. While carrying a card loose in a pocket or wallet may at the onset seem sufficient, there are a number of drawbacks to this approach. The cards often become tattered and worn or dirtied in a pocket. This is unacceptable because a business card is a reminder of your first impression and should be presented to the business contact in pristine condition; an example of your own professionalism. Another downfall of a loose card is that it may become easily mixed with another person’s information. Having to sort through bunch of cards in front of a new contact is a bad first impression because 1) it distracts you from the conversation 2) It shows a lack of organization 3) it implies, by your collection of other cards, that the current contact is potentially not the most important meeting you are having. One option for carrying your cards is The Lioe Titan card holder. Read on to see what I think!

The Lioe Titan business card holder comes in a black box with an outer sleeve. The sleeve can be removed and the box offers a nice presentation for gift giving.

The first impression is that the holder is extremely well designed. There are many aluminum shell style wallets that imitate the style and design of Rimowa luggage but are flimsy sheets of aluminum that bend and dent with the slightest pressure. The Aluminum pieces used to fabricate the Titan are not stamped – they are machined – and they are at least 2 mm thick. Because the holder is made from Aluminum it is lightweight and only weighs 90 gram when empty. The case is 66 mm wide, 99 mm long and a little less than 9 mm tall.

There are lots of stylistic cues on the Titan that makes it an attractive and yet still functional gadget. The top has a truss pattern that the manufacturer says was inspired by the nose of the B-29 Superfortress but it reminds me more of The John Hancock Center. The sides and bottom are detailed with flutes which make it easy to hold, open and close.

The picture below is a view of the bottom when open. You can see here that all parts are bead blasted and anodized for a uniform gunmetal grey finish.

The sides have some flutes as well and an opening which shows the cap screw that keeps the top and bottom halves attached

The front is etched with the Lioe brand

The inside bottom edge has a 45 degree slope at the front which makes it easier to get cards out of the inside. In the picture below you can see a Western European sized business card fits within the 55 mm interior. Apparently, Egyptian cards can be up to 57 mm wide, but all other sizes should fit within this holder. Nine standard thickness cards will fit in the holder, or 2 embossed credit cards and 1 laser engraved card. Credit cards inside the case should be shielded from RFID since the metal enclosure acts as a Faraday Shield. If the case is open like below it may be possible to read the RFID information.

The Titan has press fit magnets in the base and a steel set screw in the top which acts as a magnetic closure. The closure is enough to keep the unit from opening during normal handling but will not keep it closed if it is jostled in a pocket or stored loosely in a bag.

One last thing I noticed is that the Titan can be bit loud when opening and closing. It registered 57 dB on Decibel X when measured about 3 feet away. That’s not really loud if your having a conversation, but will be noticeable if you are trying to keep quiet during a presentation. I made a movie demonstrating the noise below.

In conclusion, the Lioe Titan has plenty of style. The metal design and finish, construction and operating mechanism set it apart from other holders. The Aluminum parts are thick and resilient and will last a lot longer than a stamped sheet metal alternative. However, The closure may open unexpectedly and the operation of the holder may be a distraction if it is meant to be done discreetly during a meeting or presentation. Lastly, the Titan retails for $70, which is almost three times the cost of a hinged door design or leather folding design. If you’re looking for a conventional design to store business cards look elsewhere, but if you want a unique and durable holder the titan may be just what you’re looking for.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Lioe Designs. Visit their website for more information or to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $70
Manufacturer: Lioe Design
Requirements:
  • Conventional style business cards
Pros:
  • unique design
  • durable
  • style
Cons:
  • price
  • closure may not remain closed
  • may be noisey

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Lioe Titan business card holder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 26, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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