Home 2018 May

Zerotie shoes tighten and loosen the laces without using your hands

Did you catch Howard’s post about the Kizik handsfree shoes last week? I was surprised when he posted it because I’d been sitting on a handsfree shoe post of my own for Zerotie Shoes. Like the shoes that Howard wrote about (and will be reviewing soon), the Zerotie shoes don’t require you to bend down to manually tie or untie the laces.

The shoes look like traditional sneakers and are available for men, women, and kids in a variety of styles and colors. But they differ from traditional shoes because they feature a unique wheel mechanism on the heel that tightens the laces when you roll back on the heel. Here’s a video that demonstrates how the Zerotie shoes work.

The concept is interesting to me but I’m not sure how robust it is and then there’s the question, what if you break a lace? Do your shoes become “broken” and unusable?

As mentioned, Zerotie shoes are available in different styles and colors and they are priced from $98.80 and up per pair. Visit zerotie.com for further details if you’re interested in checking them out.

The post Zerotie shoes tighten and loosen the laces without using your hands appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Zerotie shoes tighten and loosen the laces without using your hands originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 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.

DrinKup smart water bottle review

I have never been a big water drinker unless I was working out or physically working on something that was making me sweat.  Now living in south Texas that can be easily achieved by stepping outside.  However, working in a cubicle farm every day in my 7:30 – 4:30 office job never really required me to drink much if any water.   When I did make myself drink more water I seemed to be more focused on it in the morning hours and just before lunch.  Once I came back from lunch, I rarely ever drank any water.  I do know that I was finding myself to be very tired at the end of a work day which was probably a byproduct of being dehydrated.  Luckily for me, I received the opportunity to try out the new DrinKup smart water bottle.  It is supposed to remind you when to drink and keep you hydrated for the time periods you specify.  Let’s see how that worked out for me.

What is it?

The DrinKup Smart water bottle is a water bottle that is supposed to track your hydration levels throughout the day.  It tracks them by using a ‘smart’ bottle cap on the bottle that measures how much water you have drunk.  It has an associated app that works on iOS and Android that allows you to enter in drinks you have outside of the bottle and track things like exercise so it knows if you need more or less water during the day. Please excuse the line you see going through the middle of the box.   I apparently overindulged when it came to opening the outside packaging and cut through a bit too far into the actual item box.

Hardware Specs

It comes packaged in a really nice box and is available in four different colors (yellow, red, white and blue).  The aluminum bottle cap includes a touch sensor screen with a LED display and a rechargeable battery.  The bottle is stainless steel with a 316 double wall vacuum insulated body.  It is supposed to keep cold water cold up to 24 hours and hot water hot up to 12 hours.  I have left water with ice in it at 4:30 pm and come in the next day at 7:30 am and there is still ice in the bottle.  The bottle is also BPA free.  The bottle will hold 17oz or 500ml of liquid. The battery is rated to last up to 2-3 months depending on how much you use it.  The app does show a battery level indicator in it.  You can see that you charge the bottle cap via a USB port in the lid.  This port is covered by a rubber cover and you then must twist the lid to fully cover the port when charging is complete.

What’s in the box?

Inside the box, you will find three items.

  1. The water bottle with the lid attached.
  2. A quick user manual
  3. A USB cable for charging the lid

Design and Features

The first thing I had to do was to charge up the water bottle cap.  I plugged the USB cable into the port on the bottle and put the other end into a USB socket on my wall outlet.  You can see from the image above what it looked like when charging.    When charging was complete the display no longer showed the battery.   Once the cap was charged I downloaded the app onto my phone.  I am currently running a Samsung S9 so I downloaded the Android version.

The first screen asked me to log in or create an account.  I clicked the create account button and received the following screen below.

I entered my email, password and agreed to the terms and conditions.  Once done I clicked the ‘next’ button.

The next page asked me to fill in basic profile information.  I do have a couple of issues with this page.   The height would only allow me to enter in my height in decimal feet.  It would have been much easier to enter 5ft 7in rather than 5.58.  I am sad to admit I had to find a Google converter to figure that one out.  I really do not like math!   My other complaint has to do with the record period.   This is the period of time in which the bottle will nag you to drink if it feels you are dehydrated.   It only lets you put in whole hours.  I wanted to track from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm but had to stick with 7 am to 5 pm.  It should be noted that the ID field is how you can get friends to find you on the app.  Once set it cannot be changed.  The display name is just the name the app will display on the home page of the app.  I then chose the option to pair the bottle.  At this point, I had to put the cap on the bottle to activate it.  The app found the bottle pretty quickly and I gave my bottle a name.   Note that it is on the bottle settings page where you can apply firmware updates to the cap itself.

As my day went along I would periodically be reminded to drink up.  The bottle cap will vibrate pretty quietly 3 times and you will get a notification on your phone.   It is pretty quiet, but I have to admit if you are in a meeting and only one person is talking everyone around me did notice.   Fortunately, there is a setting under the bottle settings that lets you turn off the lid vibration.  Each time I drank, I put the lid back on.  Within 5 seconds or so, I would hear a high pitched electrical whine and then the display would show how hydrated I was.  The above picture is showing the display indicating I was 80% hydrated.   Notice the black dot on the top of the display.  I actually put that there with a permanent marker.  There is no way to tell which way is the right way ‘up’ so when the devices display the percentage, half the time I was trying to read the results sideways or upside down.  You are supposed to be able to tap on the cap with your finger at any time to display your hydration level.  I found this to be a bit hit or miss.

The above picture shows my hydration graph for a single day.  You can see when it starts to drop around 80% it will notify me to drink up.  At that point, you see the jump in the hydration level.

What I like

I love that the lid will stay charged for such a long period of time.  I have used it for a little over a week and it just lost one of the bars on the battery.  It does do an excellent job of keeping me hydrated.  I forgot to mention that the app will connect to Fitbit and Apple watches.  I have neither one, but according to the website, once connected the app will prompt you to drink more if it knows you are being more active.   It does give you the ability to manually enter an exercise in 30-minute intervals from 30 to 300 minutes in categories of low, medium or high intensity.  I used that and did notice the amount of nagging to drink did increase.  The other thing I like is the app gives you the ability to enter in drinks taken without the bottle.  Maybe you go to lunch and have a glass of water for lunch.  You can manually enter that into the app.  The app also lets you connect to friends who also have a DrinKup bottle which could make staying hydrated a bit more fun.  Finally, the app will let you know if the water in your bottle has gone stale.  I left the bottle over the weekend at work.  When I got back on Monday it was flashing an X to indicate that I had stale water and should refresh it.

What needs to be improved

This bottle is pretty darn pricey for what it is.  I could only find this water bottle for purchase on the DrinKup bottle website and they charge $79 for the bottle.   I know there are apps out there that will remind you to drink no matter what device you are drinking from, but this could be good for those times you don’t have your phone with you.  The couple of issues I mentioned with setting up my profile in the app could be corrected – allow half hour increments in tracking period, allow height in feet and inches.  Another thing that could be made to work better is the ability to tap on the cap and display your hydration level.  I found myself tapping multiple times with the flat of my finger as described in the FAQ before I could finally get it to display.   Finally, they could put an indicator on the top of the bottle to show where the top of the display is located.

Final thoughts

I can say for certain that this bottle did an excellent job of keeping me hydrated.  I think a few things could be fine tuned in the app that would make it a whole lot more usable.   I do think the bottle and app are priced quite a bit higher than I would ever pay to get one.   I would recommend this to folks who feel like they have the $79 to burn, but I don’t think too many people would be jumping at the opportunity.

Price: $79
Where to buy: DrinKup Website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by DrinKup.

The post DrinKup smart water bottle review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

DrinKup smart water bottle review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 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.

Enjoy convenient with wireless charging with the FurniQi – Bamboo Qi Wireless Charging Side Table


Some days when I wake up in the morning, I often wonder to myself: “where will technology take us next?” From smart locks, to smart cars, to entire smart homes, innovative designs and gear are continuously stretching the boundaries of what we can do, when we can do it, and how we can do what we do.

A few days ago, I was in my usual browsing mode when I came across the FurniQi – Bamboo Qi Wireless Charging Side Table. Now I am used to the small Qi wireless charging devices that I use to charge my phones, but I never even thought that a table existed somewhere out there that incorporated the wireless charging feature into the tabletop.
This table is a very nice and simple looking side table and it has a built-in USB port that is colored to blend into the table. You can use any USB cable and wall adapter to provide power to the table. The electronics are well hidden so that it looks like a normal table, with the charging spot discreetly marked on the surface, and an optional audible indicator to notify you when you have made the appropriate contact. The charging spot is also visible in the dark.

If you would like to purchase the FurniQi – Bamboo Qi Wireless Charging Side Table, you can head over to the Fone Salesman website and pick one up for $199.

The post Enjoy convenient with wireless charging with the FurniQi – Bamboo Qi Wireless Charging Side Table appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: , ,

Enjoy convenient with wireless charging with the FurniQi – Bamboo Qi Wireless Charging Side Table originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 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.

Keep it on the level with this waterproof torpedo digital level

If you’re hanging pictures or building furniture, you need to keep things on the straight and level.  You probably have one of those spirit bubble levels, but those can be hard to judge when you have to eyeball the placement of the bubble while you’re trying to hold everything together.  With this tool from The Grommet, you won’t be guessing when you’re level, because this Digi-Pas torpedo digital level beeps to let you know when things are level.

Features include:

  • Measuring range from 0° to 90° (use for any angle—360°)
  • Resolution of 0.05° (1.0 millimeter/meter); Accuracy of ± 0.05° at 0° & 90°; ± 0.2° at 1° to 89°
  • Digital display of angle in degrees, slope (%), millimeter/meter, and inches/feet
  • Built-in magnet at the V-groove aluminum base
  • Wide operating temperature range: -4°F to +140°F
  • IP67 certified—water, shock, dust, and freeze-proof
  • Inverted digital display feature uses bright LED display
  • Easy to recalibrate without special fixtures required
  • Dimensions: 9″ x 2″ x 1″
  • Weight: 0.73 lb.

The sturdy aluminum body has rubber end-caps, and it uses the same technology found in models used from NASA to Boeing for accuracy.  The Digi-Pas Waterproof Torpedo Digital Level is $79.99 at The Grommet.

The post Keep it on the level with this waterproof torpedo digital level appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Keep it on the level with this waterproof torpedo digital level originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 2018 at 8:00 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.

Gym in your pocket, portable ultrasonic cleaner, portable air pump, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

This week we are bringing you five crowdfunding campaigns that are currently running on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. This week’s campaigns are for people who like to create media, people who like to workout, people who don’t like smudges, and more. Check out our picks for this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

GRIP&SHOOT CAGE- Pro mobile rig

What is it?
The GRIP&SHOOT CAGE is a specially designed aluminum frame that turns your smartphone into a mobile media rig that can use lenses, microphones, lights, Bluetooth remote, and more.

Why do I like it?
More and more, smartphones are becoming the primary tool for media creaters, and I like the GRIP&SHOOT because it’s device agnostic. Instead of only catering to the iPhone crowd, this device can be used with most smartphones on the market.

Where can I find more info?
The GRIP&SHOOT CAGE campaign ends on 5/31/2018 and they are just starting their journey towards their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order a GRIP&SHOOT CAGE starting at $175. After the GRIP&SHOOT CAGE campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Smartclean Vision.5: A Portable Ultrasonic Cleaner

What is it?
Smartclean Vision.5 is a small ultrasonic cleaner that can be used to clean the dirt, smudges, and oil from eyeglasses and other small items without using chemicals.

Why do I like it?
I like the Smartclean Vision.5 because it looks like an easier and better way to clean my glasses every morning. As it is now, I either use an alcohol-based spray cleaner or regular soap and water. Sometimes my glasses come out clean and other times they look worse than before the cleaning. I like the idea of putting my glasses inside the Smartclean Vision.5, hopping in the shower and having perfectly clear glasses when I get out a couple mins later.

Where can I find more info?
The Smartclean Vision.5 campaign ends in 24 days and they have already reached their funding goal of $15,000. You can pre-order a Smartclean Vision.5 starting at $66. After the Smartclean Vision.5 campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2018. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

Max Pump 2 – the World’s Most Powerful Portable Air Pump

Blurb by Howard Sneider

What is it?
Max Pump 2 is a small rechargeable air and vacuum pump that can be used for inflating and deflating air mattresses, yoga balls, and the like.

Why do I like it?
I like the Max Pump 2 because when you’re camping or traveling, small, well performing, convergent devices are always appreciated. The pump is tiny; smaller than a soda can and only 150 grams. The rechargeable battery in the pump provides up to an hour of use. The pump performs with 10.6 CFM and up to 0.21 kPa of pressure to make life easier when life involves air beds, air mattresses, rubber boats, swimming pools, yoga balls or anything else that’s inflated with low pressure. The pump can also be used along with garment vacuum bags to compact items that normally take up a lot of room, such as sweaters and blankets. Strategically using these vacuum bags on a business trip may save you from needing to check luggage. If that wasn’t enough, the pump is IPX7 rated and can be used to charge other devices.

Where can I find more info?
The Max Pump 2 campaign ends on 6/13/2018 and they have already met their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a Max Pump 2 starting at $25. After the Max Pump 2 campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

A Gym in your Pocket | MONKII

What is it?
Pocket MONKII is a tiny gym that fits in your pocket for fitness on the go.

Why do I like it?
I like the Pocket MONKII because it’s a convenient way to carry workout gear with you when you travel. It’s more compact than a bunch of fitness bands and you can do a lot more with the MONKII than you can with bands.

Where can I find more info?
The MONKII campaign ends on 6/28/2018 and they have already vaulted past their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order a MONKII starting at $99. After the MONKII campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Braza Bro EDC | The Must-Have Pocket & Keychain Mini Tool

blurb by Andy Jacobs

What is it?
The Braza Bro is a locking, keychain-sized, folding-blade knife that is small, lightweight, quickly deployable and razor sharp.

Why do I like it?
I find many folding knives intended for EDC to be too large for me to carry on a daily basis. However, the Braza Bro not only looks to be a perfect size for me to carry daily, it also contains several features that appeal to me, such as a stainless steel, ergonomically-contoured handle, a pocket clip, one-hand “flipper”-style deployment (with ceramic ball bearings), and a frame lock—all in a small, keychain-sized EDC knife.

Where can I find more info?
The Braza Bro campaign ends on 5/31/2018 and they have already met their funding goal of $6,500. You can pre-order a Braza Bro starting at $34. After the Braza Bro campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

The post Gym in your pocket, portable ultrasonic cleaner, portable air pump, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Gym in your pocket, portable ultrasonic cleaner, portable air pump, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 1, 2018 at 1:11 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.