Home 2018 April

Ditch the headphone dongle with Master & Dynamic’s new cable

Even though many headphone companies now offer wireless versions, people concerned about audio quality still prefer the wired versions simply because they sound better, despite any recent improvements in Bluetooth. So what do you do when you have a sizable investment in a headphone only to find that your favorite smartphone maker has ditched the headphone jack—use a silly dongle? Master and Dynamic has come up with a better solution by offering a new headphone cable that plugs directly into an iPhone lightning port or an Android smartphone USB-C port—depending on your need. 

Master & Dynamic’s Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable optimizes the connection between headphones and iPhone or iPad. An advanced digital to analog (DAC) converter provides acoustic benefits and a heavy-duty woven fabric covering ensures durability. The 4 ft. cable includes a remote with voice control-enabled microphone, and is compatible with M&D’s MW60, MW50, MH40 and MH30 headphones. 

The (almost) identical USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable connects to an Android device. Like the Lightning cable, the USB-C cable also has a built-in DAC and remote with voice control-enabled microphone—and is also compatible with the MW60, MW50, MH40 and MH30 headphones. Click here for a list of compatible Android devices.

Both versions of cables come in either black or white. The $69 Apple Lightning cable will be available on May 4. The $49 USB-C cable will be available on May 24. 

Visit Master & Dynamic for more information.

The post Ditch the headphone dongle with Master & Dynamic’s new cable appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Ditch the headphone dongle with Master & Dynamic’s new cable originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 1:00 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Go Forth Goods Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll review

Leather products attract my attention, but it takes a really well-made leather product using high-quality materials to maintain my interest and entice me to purchase it. Recently, I received the Go Forth Goods Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll to review. Is it a high-quality leather product? Indeed, it is! But I’m not sure it will appeal to many people because the product itself is a sizeable and hefty travel organizer when empty and even more substantial when carrying your cables and chargers.

What is it?

The Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll is a leather travel organizer for your device cables, chargers, earbuds, etc. It comes in Mocha, Saddle, and Black colors.

What’s in the box?

Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll
Business card from Nathan Martin, the Founder/CEO of Go Forth Goods
Card stating who crafted my leather tool roll
Thank you card

Design and features

I received the Saddle colored Go Forth Goods Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll. It is made from 6 oz. (2.4 mm) full grain leather (the hides are sourced and tanned in the United States). The tool roll measures 3″ high x 7″ wide x 3″ diameter when rolled and weighs 11 oz. (311 g) when empty.It has five pockets: one larger 5″ x 7″ pocket for chargers, portable batteries, laptop cables, etc. and four 3″ x 3″ pockets for storing smaller cables or items like earbuds, etc. You’ll notice in the above photo that the four small pockets are made from one piece of leather with seams sewn in to divide the pockets.

According to their website, Go Forth Goods believes that fewer seams means fewer stress points and thus a stronger more durable product. They also use polyester thread, back stitch at least four stitches, and burnish the ends of the thread to prevent unraveling.

The back of the tool roll shows the Go Forth Goods embossing near the solid brass button stud end. The strap is attached to the roll with a solid brass rivet and the strap wraps around the tool roll and fastens onto the button stud.The length of the tool roll when unrolled is about 19.5″ long x 7″ wide.

The strap used to keep the tool roll closed is about 14″ long x 0.75″ wide (from the rivet to the end of the strap). There is no lining in this leather tool roll. I like it.
As I mentioned earlier, the tool roll is made from 6 oz. leather which is about 2.4 mm thick.

Use


These are all of the items I inserted into the roll: my RAVPower Savior 9000 mAh External Battery Pack, my Essential PH-1 charger, a micro-USB charging cable, my USB type C charging cable for my Essential PH-1, my MPOW Swift Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones, and a Lightning cable.All of my items fit very nicely into the roll. The smaller pockets are really only good for cables or rather small items. Most of my device chargers were not able to fit into those pockets …

… with the exception of a small Apple 5 W USB power adapter which is one cubic inch in size and fits snugly as shown above.

Since this tool roll is made using very supple full grain leather, it is prone to scratches. A few of those are actually very shallow cuts into the uppermost layer of the leather as shown above. When rolled up, the tool roll is about 6″ wide x 7″ long.

And as you can see by comparing the size of the tool roll to my hand, this is a rather large travel organizer. It weighs about 1lb. 8oz
It’s also rather thick – about 2.25″.This is the view from the “open” end.

This leather tool roll is simple, well-made using high-quality materials and craftsmanship, and organizes my basic device accessories well. I also like how easy it is to roll it up (because the leather is supple and not stiff), its rugged good looks, and its smell – ahhh, yes, the wonderful smell of leather. However, it is large and heavy when full and it is prone to scratches but then all full grain leather products are.

What I like

  • Made using 6 0z. (2.4 mm) full grain American leather, polyester thread, solid brass rivet and solid brass button stud
  • Backstitched at least four stitches and burnished thread ends to prevent unraveling
  • Carries and organizes my device accessory needs
  • Lifetime warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing (it is thick, but leather needs to be thick enough to be durable)

Final Thoughts

I really liked the Go Forth Goods Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll. It is really well made using soft supple 6 oz. (2.4 mm) full grain leather sourced and tanned in the U.S., polyester thread, with a solid brass rivet and a solid brass button stud. It organizes my basic accessories well, is easy to roll up, and smells good too. Everything about this simple tool roll indicates a high-quality product. However, this is a substantial travel organizer in size and weight and if you are only using it to organize your cables and chargers, then it might suit you; but if you are using it to travel, it will definitely take up a lot of space.

Price: $75.00
Where to buy: Go Forth Goods
Source: The product used in this review was provided by Go Forth Goods.

The post Go Forth Goods Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Go Forth Goods Leather Charging Cable Tool Roll review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

BDI media cabinets incorporate ventilated shelves and cord control

We recently bought a new media cabinet for our living room.  I was tired of the old, dark veneered, 14″-off-the-ground DIY unit we had for years.  I wanted something of furniture quality, and I wanted a style that would complement the Mid-Century modern decorating style of my house.  I looked no further than BDI, because their Venue 8649W media and storage had everything I wanted.

The Venue has curves and more curves.  You can see in the photo of my own Venue (above) that the bottom curves up at the ends and the legs swoop and curve.  What you can’t see is how the top is also curved like a surfboard.

The cabinet is available in white and in black.  I was tired of dark cabinets, so you’ll see I ordered the white.  Had I gotten the black, the two center doors would have been made of black glass, which allow the passthrough of IR remote controllers.  With my white version, all four front doors are made of wood.  Most of my components have Bluetooth or WiFi remotes, but I had to buy an IR repeater so I could control my cable box without opening the doors.

The cabinet is beautiful, but beauty is more than skin deep in this product.  The interior and the back is designed to make connecting all your equipment easy and neat.  I already loaded up everything in my cabinet, so I took a stock image of another BDI cabinet interior so you can see how the interior shelf, the bottom of the cabinet, and the back of the cabinet are ventilated to keep everything cool inside while you are marathoning shows.  What you can’t see is that the back of the center shelves have divots in the back to allow easy passage of cables from top to bottom.  The vertical divider walls also have cutouts to allow passing cables from section to section.  The back walls have cutouts to guide the cables up to the TV or down to the power or cable hookups.  The back panels also lift off so you can easily access the backs of your components for easy hookup.

Combine all this cable guidance built-in to the Venue with my Samsung TV’s little control box, and I only have a few cables to control outside of the cabinet.  I have a single cable going from the control box up through the metal stand of the TV.  Coming up into the bottom of the Venue is a single power cable to the surge protector I put inside the cabinet, the cablevision co-ax, and an Ethernet cable to my Apple TV.  A couple of cable guides keeps those cords routed down the Venue’s legs.  You can still see a few cables on the floor, but it’s not the dangling snake nest that was wadded up behind my old media cabinet.

I was able to fit the cable DVR, Blu-Ray player, Apple TV box, Samsung TV control box, a huge surge protector, a couple of Bluetooth transmitters, and two charging stations for charging Bluetooth headsets inside the center two compartments.  The two end compartments have about 12 of those DVD organizers that look like photo albums.

The body of the Venue is made of painted wood veneers, and the base is made of powder-coated steel.  The cabinet weighs a couple hundred pounds, so attaching the legs is a two-person job – unless you get white-glove delivery, like we did.  It measures 29″ tall (the same height as a dining table) x 79″ long by 20″ deep and is designed to accommodate a TV up to 85″ (up to 175 pounds).

There was actually a local brick-and-mortar store that carried some BDI furniture, but they didn’t seem to offer the Venue.  We purchased our cabinet from Modern Essentials for about $2200.00.  It’s worth every penny!

The post BDI media cabinets incorporate ventilated shelves and cord control appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

BDI media cabinets incorporate ventilated shelves and cord control originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

The Vello DSLR Battery Grip adds life and safety to your shoot


One of the worst experiences for a photographer/videographer is being in the middle of a shoot with your trusty DSLR camera, and you run out of power. While this sounds like a simple issue, it occurs very often and usually at the most inappropriate time. As professionals we strive our best to not let this happen, either because it just looks bad in front of our clients, or because we miss a shot at a once in a lifetime photo/video opportunity.

Vello is a company that makes a lot of reasonably priced photography gear, and I especially like their extended battery grips that not only provide a longer time between changing batteries but in a pinch, there is an included adapter that works with AA batteries to provide power. The grips create a larger surface for gripping the camera and work well in both a horizontal and vertical posture. There is also a Vertical Position Shutter Release Button, an On/Off Switch for Battery Grip Controls, Vertical Position Control Buttons, a Hand Strap Eyelet, and a 1/4″-20 female accessory thread for direct connection to a 1/4″-20 mount. There is also a Canon ACK-E6 AC Adapter Kit that allows the battery grip to remain attached to the camera and be powered externally via AC power.

The Vello battery grips are available for several makes and models of cameras. You can pick one up (bare grip with no accessories), from B&H Photo Video for prices ranging from $60 to $100.

The post The Vello DSLR Battery Grip adds life and safety to your shoot appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

The Vello DSLR Battery Grip adds life and safety to your shoot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Baseus Wireless Charging Gravity Car Mount review

Mounting your phone where you can see it while driving has become the norm. Whether you’re using it for a GPS system or entertainment, everyone wants their phone easy to get to, or at least within their visual field. I was recently sent a one-hand air vent clip from Baseus in black to test.

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

What is it?

The Baseus wireless charger incorporates a clip-on air vent holder with a one-hand operation gravity holder, and then adds the secret sauce of wireless charging to the mix. The charger itself has a cable that runs to a power source, and the arms are activated by the downward pressure from the weight of the phone in the holder.

Hardware specs

  • Wireless charger
  • Gravity car mount
  • Safe and quick charging
  • One-hand operation

What’s in the box?

  • Clip-on charger
  • USB-A to microUSB cable
  • Instruction sheet

Design and features

The Baseus Wireless charger at first glance is a bit confusing. The two side arms and the bottom cradle are geared together inside somehow and don’t lock into place. While unboxing it, I moved them around, trying to find the “lock point,” but never got it to work. I plugged it into a spare microUSB cable at my desk and then placed my iPhone 8 Plus into the cradle, just to see if maybe having power would make it lock. When the phone got close to the clip, I felt and heard the familiar “ding” indicating charging. I was a bit surprised that it contacted so easily since I had read and heard on podcasts about how finicky many chargers are.


I was still a little confused on how it would lock into place until I put it in the proper orientation. The slight weight of the phone pulled the side arms around the device just enough to hold it firmly. When you grasp the top of the phone and lift it up, the base’s spring-loaded action draws it up slightly, and the arms are pushed outward, releasing the phone. I drove over some pretty bad road construction while testing, and never got large enough bumps to where the phone bounced out of the holder.


The spring on the air vent clip is quite tight. I could barely get it to open enough to get the prongs onto the vent slat. There is a slight “tooth” sticking up on the lower prong that prevents the clip from vibrating off over time, and foam glued to the inside of the jaws cushions them from scratching your dash. When it’s removed, there is no evidence it was ever there.

Setup

I recommend deciding where you’re going to place the holder first, then deciding on wiring routes. Also, connecting the wire before clipping the holder in place will make your install less stressful. It’s quite difficult to get the angle right on the wire once the clip is installed.

Performance

I cannot overstate how well this unit performed. It started charging every time my phone got within range, and never gave me a moment’s trouble when adjusting it. Once set into place, it is rock-solid, and just became part of my instrument panel, which is exactly what I want from a unit like this.

What I Like

  • One hand operation
  • Charging starts immediately and never stutters
  • Very adjustable, yet sturdy, with no vibration

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

As mentioned, I have several iPhone holders for in-car use. None were active when I was sent this unit. I’ve not taken it out since getting it, except to get a few photos of the back that I forgot to get before installing it. I use it almost every day and would buy another one if this one got broken or stolen. Much of that is because it’s so easy to put the phone into and take out. Even though I have to plug in a cable since I don’t have Bluetooth, it’s still far less hassle than any other car mount I have ever used, bar none.

Price: $27.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Baseus.

The post Baseus Wireless Charging Gravity Car Mount review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: , , ,

Baseus Wireless Charging Gravity Car Mount review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.