Home 2018 May

Cooking is easy as pie with this smart kitchen scale

The Drop Scale, paired with its app, is the easy way to find and prepare what’s for dinner.  The Drop Recipe app has hundreds of recipes to choose from, and the app guides you, step-by-step, through adding each ingredient as you go.  Weighing and measuring with the scale is interactive with the app, so if you find you are short of an ingredient, the app can rescale the amounts of the other ingredients so you can still make the recipe.  If you are missing an ingredient, the app can suggest a suitable substitution.

The app works with most Android 5.0 or later devices and most Apple iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches running iOS 9 or later.

  • Units: Weighs in ounces or grams
  • Capacity: From 6 kg (13 lbs) to under a gram (0.1 oz)
  • Material: FDA approved non slip Silicone.
  • Battery: Coin Cell (included).
  • Expected Battery Life: 1 year of normal use.
  • Dimensions: 5.5 x 6.5 x 1 inch
  • Weight: 10oz

You can even use your device to photograph your results to share on social networks.

The Recipe app is free, and the Drop scale is $79.95 directly from Drop or at Amazon.

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Cooking is easy as pie with this smart kitchen scale originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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BenQ PD2710QC DesignView 27-inch Designer Monitor review

I’ve been using the same 29-inch monitor from LG that I reviewed four years ago but about a month ago I started thinking about upgrading. The universe must have been listening to my thoughts because BenQ contacted me to ask if I would like to review one of their monitors. Truth be told, BenQ had not been on my radar when I was dreaming about a new monitor. But when they offered the 27-inch PD2710QC DesignView Designer Monitor I decided to take a chance but wondered if I would regret losing 2-inches of screen real estate. Let’s find out.

What is it?

The BenQ PD2710QC monitor is a 27-inch monitor that has extra features including a built-in USB-C docking station for your laptop that includes a variety of connections.

Hardware specs

Screen Size: 27 inches
Resolution (max.): 2560×1440
Panel Type: IPS
Backlight Technology: LED backlight
Brightness: 350 cd/㎡
Native Contrast(typ.): 1000:1
Viewing Angle (L/R;U/D) (CR>=10): 178/178
Response Time: 5ms (GtG)
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Display Colors: 16.7 million colors
Color Gamut: 100% sRGB/Rec. 709
Display Area(mm): 596.7(H) x 335.7(V)
Pixel Pitch (mm): 0.2331
PPI: 109

For the full specs listing, visit the spec page for this monitor on BenQ’s site.

What’s in the box?

  • PD2710QC monitor
  • Power supply
  • USB-C cable
  • DP to mini DP cable
  • Quick start guide
  • CDrom with drivers

Design and features

The BenQ PD2710QC monitor has a grey and black plastic shell. The front of the monitor is completely flat, but the back is curved with the support connection in the center, control buttons on one side, a 12. Kensington lock slot on the opposite side, and video and power connections in a recessed area.

The connection panel has a power switch, power connector, HDMI socket,  DisplayPort socket, Mini DisplayPort socket, DisplayPort output socket (for Multi-Stream Transport, MST), and a Headphone jack. The bottom of the monitor also has downward firing speakers built into it.

The monitor comes has three main parts. The main monitor, the base/docking station, and the monitor support.

Assembling the parts is easy and does not require any tools at all other than your hands. First, you need to do is place the monitor face down on a flat clean surface.

Then you take the monitor support which has a metal plate on the piece that snaps into the back of the monitor.

Attaching the two pieces is very easy because the support clicks and locks in place with minimal effort.

Next, you take the base/docking station which has metal arm protruding from the back, and you slide it into the bottom of the support arm.

A metal thumbscrew on the bottom tightens to secure the base to the support.

Here we can see the back of the assembled BenQ PD2710QC monitor. You’ll notice a circular cutout in the support arm. That cutout is a pass-through for the cables. Unfortunately, that’s the only built-in cable organization feature for this monitor. And since you have to connect 2 cables from the monitor and 2 additional cables from the base, it really needs better cord management.


The BenQ PD2710QC’s base is 12 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep and provides a perfect home for my 12-inch MacBook.

The base of the monitor not only a convenient shelf to place your laptop, but it’s also a USB-C docking station. On the back of the base, there’s an Ethernet (Local Area Network) port (RJ-45 connector), 2 USB 3.0 ports, USB Type-C port, DisplayPort socket, and a power switch for the base.

You’ll also notice that there are more ports on the side of the base/docking station. I didn’t even notice the additional 2 USB ports and headphone jack until about 2 weeks after I’d been using the monitor. The location of these ports provides easier access than the back of the docking station and is useful for flash drives and headphones.

Some people might think that the monitor’s large base is not attractive and dare I say clunky looking. I’m not one of those people. I like it a lot. But, I also have a large desk. So desk size is something to consider before buying the PD2710QC.

Let’s take a closer look at the control buttons. Guess what? The buttons do not have any labels except for the bottom button which is the power button for the display. How do you know how to change the monitor’s settings if the buttons aren’t labeled?

Pressing any button (other than the power button at the bottom) will cause a menu to pop up on the display. Then you can press the corresponding physical button on the back of the monitor to show that menu and navigate the settings.

It takes a little practice, but this method of going through the menus works fine as long as you don’t accidentally press the bottom button which will turn off the display and you’ll have to start over to find the setting you want to customize.

There are a LOT of display settings you can change on this PD2710QC monitor. From basic settings like brightness, contrast, sharpness and input choice, to individual RGB color levels and to choosing different display modes.

Display modes

The BenQ PD2710QC is a monitor that has modes for several different use cases. I’ve listed the modes with a brief description taken directly from the monitor’s manual.

sRGB

For better color matching representation with the peripheral devices, such as printers, digital cameras, etc.

Animation

Enhances the contrast of the dark shades so you could work on the details easily when making an animation.

CAD/CAM

Enhances the contrast if a CAD / CAM software is used.

Darkroom

For image editing and viewing in a post-processing environment with a dim light. This mode enhances the sharpness and clarity of shades and shows more details.

Rec. 709

For better color matching representation with Standard Rec. 709.

Low Blue Light

Decreases the blue light emitted from the display to reduce the risk of blue light exposure to your eyes.

M-book

Minimizes the visual differences between the monitor and the connected MacBook series product.

Standard

This is the default setting which basic PC application.

User

Applies a combination of picture settings defined by users.

I used the Standard display mode for weeks and then switched over to the M-book mode since I did all my testing with my 12-inch MacBook. I immediately noticed that the M-book mode is a lot brighter than the Standard mode but I’ve left it set to M-book and I think I prefer it.

As already mentioned I tested the PD2710QC monitor with my 12-inch MacBook connected via the supplied USB-C cable to the monitor’s base/docking station.

I have to say that I’ve fallen in love with the docking station which provides 4 additional USB connections, a headphone jack, Ethernet port, as well as a connection directly to the monitor.

I’ve used 3 different adapters and docks with my MacBook since buying it and the BenQ dock and I like this one the best yet just because it’s all one unit. That said, the base does not have a card reader for SD or micro SD cards and it only provides 61W of power delivery, so it might not be suitable for other laptops which use USB-C for power like the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Again, that’s something consider before purchasing this monitor.

Something else that should be mentioned is that you can use the USB ports on the dock to charge other devices, BUT, charging is only active when your laptop is connected to the dock. When I disconnect the USB-C cable from my MacBook, my Pixel 2 XL stopped charging when connected to one of the other ports on the dock.

When I use my MB with the monitor, I use it a couple different ways. Sometimes I raise the monitor and use the MB’s display below it like you see above. The monitor can be raised up a maximum of 11 inches from the bottom of the display to the top of the desk. You can tip back the screen and get a box to rest your keyboard and you have a standing desk! At the lowest level, the bottom of the screen is about 4 inches to the desk.

I will also place the monitor on the base and use it all by itself. Note that the monitor can tilt back as much as 20 degrees, and forward as much as 5 degrees.

You can also rotate it a full 90 degrees like you see here. This is great for web designers who want to check out the layout of their sites.

The BenQ PD2710QC’s display is gorgeous. I know it’s not 4K, but it’s sharp as a tack and everything I look at on it looks beautiful, vibrant, and crystal clear. I’ve used the monitor for everything you typically use a monitor for. I’ve surfed the web, watched movies, played a few games, edited images in Photoshop, read documents, typed out documents and more.

Like other BenQ monitors, the PD2710QC has been Technicolor Color Certified and individually factory calibrated and validated against industry color standards.

I’ve found that the monitor’s viewing angle is excellent and the non-glare coating makes it easy on my eyes and I enjoyed using it no matter what task I was doing.

Extra features that I didn’t test

If you’re a Windows user, can also install the BenQ Display Pilot software which will allow you to partition the screen. I’m a Mac user, so I didn’t test this.

I also didn’t test the display daisy chain feature that will allow you to connect up to 4 monitors using MST (multi-stream transport technology) to span your laptop’s screen across the monitors.

What I like

  • Clear, crisp and vibrant colors
  • The built-in USB-C docking station
  • 3-year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Needs better cable management
  • Needs an SD or microSD card reader in the base
  • The base may not be able to charge the battery on some laptops
  • Power delivery on dock’s USB ports deactivates when the laptop is disconnected
  • Built-in speakers are only ok
  • Requires two power cords. One for the monitor and one for the base. I wish it only needed one.

Final thoughts

I’ve been using the BenQ PD2710QC monitor for the last month and I’ve been more than happy with it for all the tasks I do on a daily basis. The display provides my 12-inch MacBook with a place to sit and a selection of ports. But it’s also easy on my eyes and gives me great color and crispness for everything I look at.  I may not have had BenQ on my radar for monitors before, but now I’m impressed and will make sure to check out their monitors the next time I need to upgrade.

Price: $599.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BenQ.

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BenQ PD2710QC DesignView 27-inch Designer Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2018 at 4:50 pm.

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The Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head aims to travel light


Getting back for a moment to the news stories about travel tripods, there is a new release coming soon to join the existing bunch of existing solutions. The Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head (Lever Locks, Sony Alpha Edition), is a relatively compact travel tripod measuring 59.1 inches when fully extended, but just 15.7 inches when collapsed. This tripod was specifically designed for the Sony Alpha a7 and a9 cameras, but I do believe that since it is compatible with both RC2 and Arca-type systems, it is likely that it can be adapted to be used with other DSLR cameras with the correct Arca plate. Since it was designed specifically for Sony, it does feature matching graphics and a dedicated release plate.

The legs consist of four sections featuring OPL lever locks, and a side button gives you the versatility to set up the tripod at three different angles. The ball head that is included “offers a dedicated knob for panoramic movement as well as a friction control knob for precise control over the tension during use.” The tripod is constructed from an aluminum alloy, weighs only 3.6 pounds, and has a load capacity of 17.6 pounds.

The Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head (Lever Locks, Sony Alpha Edition) will be available soon and can be currently pre-ordered from B&H Photo Video for $189.99.

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The Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head aims to travel light originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2018 at 11:11 am.

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CreaClip will save you money and a trip to the salon

I like to keep my hair short because it’s easier to take care of and I think it looks better that way. Heck, I even loved it when I was bald due to chemo 7 years ago. It was liberating not having to shampoo and blow dry my hair every morning and pay $20 or more every few weeks for a haircut. Not that I want to go to that extreme for hair care convenience now.

To save money and time, I sometimes have Jeanne trim my hair in between haircuts. She does a pretty good job at trimming bangs and around my ears and neck, but I’ve not had her try cutting the rest of my hair because she’s not trained and doesn’t feel confident. I’m thinking that maybe the CreaClip might be just the gadget to turn that around.

The CreaClip will let you cut your own hair or someone else’s hair. It’s a snap together clip with a built-in level that provides a guide so that you can trim bangs and even layer hair. You can check out their video on the CreaProducts website and you can buy a CreaClip set which comes with two sizes of clips for $24.95 on Amazon.

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CreaClip will save you money and a trip to the salon originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Nonda ZUS OBD-II Smart Vehicle Health Monitor review

The ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor is a Bluetooth adapter for an OBD-II Data Link Connector. The adapter communicates with custom software for iPhone and Android and can debug problems, check engine data for potential problems and display real-time information. Read on to see what I think!

What is it?

The ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor belongs to a class of devices known as OBD-II adapters. The adapter fits into the OBD-II Data Link Connector standard on all gasoline cars manufactured in the United States since 1996. (It is compatible with diesel cars since 2004.) The automobile’s on board computer powers the adapter and transmits coded digital information about the car’s status, features, and information to the adapter. The adapter, in turn, transmits this information to the connected Bluetooth device. The connected device can analyze the data, log the data, provide trends, as well as use the trip data in combination with other sensors, such as the phones accelerometers or GPS to provide even more information.

What’s in the box?

ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor
User Manual

Design and features

Specifications

Input: 12-24V, 0.1-0.2Amp
Weight:0.88oz / 25g
Max Output Power:-9dBm
Size:1.65 x 1.63 x 0.85 in / 42 x 41.5 x 21.7 mm
Operating Frequency Range:BT2.4Ghz

Unboxing

The ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor (SVHM) comes in a fairly standard printed cardboard box. The front and rear of the box lists the main features of the device, which includes engine health monitor, EzzySaver Dashboard, mileage log and Safety Center.

The ZUS SVHM sits inside a cardboard tray inside the box. The user manual / warranty is packaged below the cardboard tray.  The instructions and the warranty card are in the English language only.

Design of the ZUS OBD-II SVHM

The ZUS OBD-II SVHM is an unobtrusive black plastic adapter.  Its small size is useful if the OBD-II connection is towards the front underside of the dash. The front has a gently curving face with the stylized “a”  logo of the Nonda company. Below the logo are three LED that indicate the status of the automobile and Bluetooth connections.  Honestly, the adapter is better looking than it needs to be considering it will spend most of the time plugged in underneath the driver’s front seat. Installation is easy; the adapter fits firmly into my car’s connector so that it will not fall out unintentionally. Removal only requires a simple tug.

Installation

Operation of the SVHM is straightforward assuming that you can find your OBD-II Data Link Connector. On passenger vehicles it must be within two feet of the steering wheel.

The adapter only works with the Nonda app for iPhone or Android. The app is a common control and user interface for the entire Zus Connected Car System. It not only controls the SMHV but smart car chargers,  smart tire safety monitor, smart backup camera, key finder, and car audio adapter produced and sold by Nonda.

The app requires a login for use. This functionality allows Nonda to determine if you have a mileage log subscription or are operating on the free version. A login also permits Nonda to upload your mileage to a server so that it can be viewed on the web. It doesn’t appear that the program can be used without a login, although if you prefer not to give out your information, a mailinator address will work just fine. If you don’t have one or more of these items the welcome screen also takes you to the Nonda.co website to purchase an adapter.

The software has some permission prerequisites to enable geolocation services. The explanation below implies that the Zus system will provide an option to find the car after parking. However, I found that this is not the case. The smart car finding function is only available with the smart car charger adapter.  The app does not require location awareness for the functions that the smart vehicle health monitor provides.

Even though the software cautions against operating without the geolocation on it will still function adequately and will not provide additional warning messages.

Operation

The dashboard screen provides some indication of the different functions that the Zus Connected Car suite provides. Each peripheral below provides a unique set of features:

  • The Smart Car Charger – Car Finder, Car battery Health Monitor, Mileage tracker, Car finder
  • Zus Smart Tire Safety Monitor – Tire Pressure monitor, Slow Leak Detection
  • Smart Vehicle Health Monitor – Safety Center, Engine Heath Monitor, Savings Dashboard*

* Upon syncing the SVHM with the app, a window informs that the EzzySaver Savings Dashboard has been “upgraded” to the PRO Dashboard.

Once connected and paired the app shows the info in the image above. Despite the claims that the app includes an upgrade to the EzzySaver function, there is, in fact, no indication of the instantaneous fuel consumption.  Furthermore, the only record of the values captured are the speed, revs, turbo pressure, load and coolant temp. None of the other 235 sensor values supported by the ECU standard are available, and no logs of data are available either. Without logs, it is necessary to consult the data while driving, but it is difficult to see the small text and graph on the screen while driving.

The Safety center performs a number of checks but does not provide any indication of the measured results. Many of these checks, if not all of them are either true or false. I don’t believe the SVHM can predict when an item may malfunction simply by the car’s ECU returning a working or failed indication. So, I’m not really sure what this safety check is doing. The results of the check came back fine on my car. The manufacturer’s website includes a couple of videos where the ECU returned an out of tolerance EVAP condition because the fuel cap was left off. Unfortunately, my car doesn’t include a gas cap (it has a capless gas tank fuel-filler) so I couldn’t test this feature.

All in all, I expect that the items checked vary per vehicle; the screenshots below are the results of my scan.

Performance

The screenshot below indicates that the top speed is 166 MPH, but in reality, the top speed is probably the speed pictured. If the only record of speed the app provides is the top speed, it should be accurate.

Except for the erroneous top speed, during my test drive, the speed and revs were very close to the values the car displayed on the dash.

It seems that keeping the device in the OBD-II Data connector may be convenient, but constant installation may drain the car’s battery. Also, keeping this installed precludes using other OBD-II items, like you may get from your auto insurance provider.

What I like

  • easy to pair
  • small

What needs to be improved

  • does not do what the manufacturer’s website and box indicate
  • poor logging features
  • ambiguous safety check features
  • erroneous data logging

Final thoughts

The most flagrant issue with this item is that it claims that the PRO Dashboard is an EzzySaver functionality upgrade, but in reality, the functionality is no longer a product offering. Also, while the package states that the SVHM includes mileage log functionality, in my experience this is simply not true. I believe that a safety scanner is not necessary if the car has a check engine light.  Consequently, I’d like to know what condition this can identify ahead of the car’s own ECU and check engine circuitry. If real car data is what you are looking for, this will disappoint. I’d recommend an OBD-II scanner that can log data as well as provide systems analysis.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Nonda.

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Nonda ZUS OBD-II Smart Vehicle Health Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2018 at 9:07 am.

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