You know about crowdfunded products, but the Pro Executive Laptop Backpack from WaterField Designs is a crowdsourced product. 2000 WaterField Design customers participated in the design process to help create this bag and it looks like they did a great job. First of all, it doesn’t sag on your back when you’re wearing it and it keeps its shape even when it’s empty. It also stands up straight and won’t fall over when you place it on the floor or a desk.
Made of black ballistic nylon with a full-grain leather panel and handle, the Pro Executive Laptop Backpack comes in 4 distressed leather colors that will only get better looking with use and age.
The backpack features 4 quick access pockets, a large padded laptop pocket that’s large enough to hold a 15-inch MacBook Pro, shoulder straps that can pack away to make it a nice carry-on bag, a built-in wheeled suitcase handle slot, and more.
The Pro Executive Backpack is priced at $349 and is available now from WaterField Designs at sfbags.com
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If you’re a guy sporting a beard (like myself) one problem you face is what to do with those nasty hair trimmings after you groom it. Despite your best efforts they usually end up all over the countertop and in the sink. Clean up is time-consuming and more hair ends up down the drain than you’d like. And over time that can lead to clogged pipes. Yikes!
BeardMat has come up with a simple solution that will keep your countertops clean and your pipes clog-free. The BeardMat is a three-foot square non-stick fabric that attaches to your mirror and covers the sink and countertop while you’re grooming.
Simply attach the BeardMat to your mirror (or any other smooth non-porous dry surface) using two suction cups, then drape it over your countertop and sink. Now you’re ready to trim your beard or hair.
The BeardMat’s slick polyester material allows hair to slide off easily, making clean-up a breeze.
No fuss no muss.
The BeardMat sells for $14.99 and is available at thegrommet.com.
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I had the opportunity to review another Papago! dash cam not long ago, so I had a little bit of an idea of what to expect. When the less expensive Papago! GoSafe S37 Dash Camera arrived, I was still surprised by the quality of this camera.
What is it?
The GoSafe S37 Dash Camera is a Sony sensor based dash cam that records high quality 1080p HD videos at both day and night. Even though it doesn’t have quite the specifications as its more expensive sibling cam, the S780, this one still has a quite a few nice features.
MicroSD card (Class 10, 8GB or above. Supports up to 128GB)
Battery
Built-in super capacitor
Weight
.10 lbs
Dimensions
2.2″ x 2.2″ x 1.2″
What’s in the box?
GoSafe S37
Car Charger
Suction Cup Mount
8GB Micro SD Card
User Manual
Warranty Card
Design and features
The Papago! GoSafe S37 Dash Camera turns on automatically when power is applied and begins recording immediately. It records 5-minute segments of video, replacing the oldest files when the memory card is full. Embedded supercapacitors provide enough power to save the recording when power is lost, either from turning off your vehicle or in the event that a crash disrupts power to the camera. A 16gb memory card holds approximately 90 minutes of video files before the files are overwritten, depending on the file format that is chosen.
While recording you can press the down arrow button for 3 seconds to capture a picture without interrupting the video recording. These are saved to a separate “photos” folder on the memory card and are not overwritten.
There’s also an emergency mode, which is activated by pressing the far left button while the device is recording. This mode will lock the current file so that it is not overwritten when the memory card is full. The locking of the file will also occur when the g-force sensor detects a crash – something I declined to test.
The camera features a SONY Exmore sensor and a 140-degree ultra-wide angle lens. The lens has an anti-reflection coating as well to eliminate flaring when facing bright lights.
The unit supports a GPS antenna (sold separately) to record speed and for GPS logging on your videos, to automatically correct the time, and for other related functions. Also available is an optional accessory called the TireSafe D10E (sold separately), which enabled the unit to display your tire pressure and temperature in real-time. However, you can only use one of these at a time.
Many of the Papago! cameras have the Papago! Driver Assist Features, which include Stop Sign Recognition, Stop and Go, Driver Fatigue Warning, and Headlight Reminder to help you stay safe on the road. For example, when the unit “sees” a stop sign, it will display a stop sign on the screen and give an audible beep. These features are able to be turned on and off in the settings. The stop sign feature worked well, picking up every stop sign, but if you’re going over 25mph you won’t stop in time. I would be nice if it could pick them up a little farther away. The stop and go feature worked well also, giving a lower toned beep when it detects the car in front of you has started moving, but you haven’t.
The S37 has three recording modes: Automatic Recording (Loop recording), Monitor Mode (1 picture per second to save storage space), and Motion Detection(motion-activated recording). The monitor mode is useful to make a hyperlapse video with, as it saves the pictures as frames of the video.
What I like
I’m not sure if the Sony Exmore sensor isn’t quite as good as the S780’s Starvis sensor or if it’s the difference between the S37 using a .MOV file format instead of .mpeg, but the video wasn’t quite as clear as the S780. However, I think for what it’s designed to do it performs extremely well.
I really liked was the extensive menus and settings, if there’s one thing I like its options and more options. Disabling features you don’t want is really nice.
The S37 comes with its own power plug and separate USB cord, which allows you to use an existing plug if you happen to have one that has a couple of ports on it. The cord is 13 feet long, plenty long enough for you to route it behind panels and out of view.
What needs to be improved
The Monitor Mode starts a new video every five minutes, instead of every five minutes of recorded video time. This results in a ton of 10 second video clips.
I felt the buttons on the camera were a little too hard to push. Being that the camera is normally going to be mounted up and out of the way, I think they could have gotten by with buttons that were a little easier to push so that the unit didn’t move when pressing them.
Final thoughts
Overall I thought this was a really nice dash camera. It’s really a set it and forget it type of device, with subtle audio cues to let you know it’s working.
Price: $139.99 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample of this product was provided by Papago!
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I am always intrigued by the various shapes, and sizes, and specifications of the Bluetooth speakers that are available on the market today. I have listened to Sony, JBL, Pioneer, and a bunch of others, and generally they all sound at least acceptable. For many years, I was a big fan of Altec Lansing computer speakers, so much so that I owned several at one time. Today I decided to see what they offer in the Bluetooth speaker market, so I did my research and I came across the Altec Lansing Sonic Boom Bluetooth Speaker.
This Bluetooth speaker looks like the typical Altec Lansing speaker with its clean lines and generally nice rugged design. It features IP67 water and dust resistance, and the rugged frame is shock resistant, and buoyant. Internally, it has two subwoofers, a midrange driver, and a tweeter. It has an impressive 100 foot Bluetooth range, and with its app, it allows you to connect to as many as 50 additional “House Party Mode-enabled speakers all playing the same music for even bigger sound”. It has a built-in microphone that provides audible voice caller ID, and it allows you to respond to the calls. There are three USB ports, and two 3-prong AC outlets built in, so that you can power and charge other devices from it. When fully charged, its internal battery provides up to 50 hours of use.
If you would like to purchase the Altec Lansing Sonic Boom Bluetooth Speaker, you can pick one up at Amazon or B&H Photo Video for $149.99
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The HyperChiller can reduce the temperature of any drink (other than carbonated beverages) by up to 130°F in sixty seconds. Imagine being able to chill freshly-brewed coffee or tea enough for an iced beverage without watering it down by pouring it over ice cubes. And it’s not just for hot beverages; you can also cool whiskey, wine, juice, and other non-carbonated beverages.
The HyperChiller is made of BPA-free plastic and food-grade stainless steel. Prepare the chiller by filling the inner and outer chambers with water and freezing it in advance. The cooling chamber holds 12.5 ounces. The HyperChiller is designed to fit under most coffee makers, so you can brew directly into the cooling chamber.
The HyperChiller rapid drink chiller is $29.95 at The Grommet.
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