When WaterField wanted to design a laptop for professionals, they went to the pros for input. WaterField designed the Pro with input from a couple thousand of their customers who know what they want in a work bag. The result is a backpack that’s at home in any business setting and loaded with every feature you could need.
The exterior is 1050 denier black ballistic nylon accented with a full-grain leather front panel and grab handle. It measures 13.5″ wide x 16.5″ tall x 7.0″ deep, weighs 2.9 lbs, and has a volume of 25.5 liters. Other features include:
Two main chambers: back chamber zips down to carry laptop or tablet, documents, and the optional Executive Folio. Front chamber is spacious enough to hold other items needed for a day at the office or travel.
Two zip pockets on the front panel to quickly access items when swinging the backpack from the shoulder.
Two large side pockets for water bottle and small items.
Top front pocket that’s deep enough to hold items securely.
Back slot for slipping onto suitcase handles.
Sleek, waterproof zippers throughout.
Comfortable shoulder straps and wicking panels on the back to prevent sweating.
Stands upright when it’s set down and doesn’t sag while you’re wearing it.
The optional Executive Folio fits in the back chamber and can serve as a laptop sleeve. The Folio can be taken out for shot meetings, as it can hold a laptop, note pad, documents, and pens. The leather panel is available in black, chocolate, gray, or crimson leather. The Pro Executive laptop backpack is $349.00. The Executive Folio is sized for a 13″ MacBook or a 15″ MacBook. It’s $89.00, but it can be added to the Pro for an additional $49.00 at the time of original purchase.
You can order the Pro Executive laptop backpack today. Shipping is expected to start June 15. Learn more and order at WaterField’s website.
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I have used many different screen protectors on my phones, watches and digital camera screens over the years. The majority have been the peel and stick type that you apply with a water base. I have used tempered glass screen protectors and a couple of phones and currently on my Garmin Fenix 5s. I do not, however, have a screen protector on my current phone which is a Samsung Galaxy S9. I have been hesitant to put one on because I figured that curved screen would give me issues. Does the new InvisibleShield Glass Curve Elite from ZAGG make this an easy task? Let’s find out!
What is it?
The ZAGG Glass Curve Elite is a tempered glass screen protector. The one I have was made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy S9. They make it for the S9 Plus and several other models of Samsung including the S8, S8 plus and the Note 8.
Hardware Specs
It has a custom curved fit to specifically fit the model of phone it was made for.
It has a built-in shock absorbent layer that helps prevent the impact of an unexpected drop from shattering your phone.
Smooth tempered glass that does not impact the clarity of the screen.
Provides impact and scratch protection
Provides for precision touch sensitivity (you do have to increase the touch sensitivity in your phone settings before installing the protector)
It has a smudge-resistant finish
What is in the box?
The screen protector
A micro fiber cloth
An alcohol wet wipe
Instruction book
Plastic template to help install the protector on your phone
Dust removal sticker
A stiff card with cloth on one end to help set the glass to the phone.
Installation process
First off, and I cannot say how important this is, please be sure you are in the most dust free area in your home. Unlike the peel and stick type protectors, if you get a dust particle under the middle of the protector you will have little to no chance to get it off without breaking the protector. You can pull back the edges pretty easily to fix bubble and remove dust, but to pull it back all the way to the middle really risks cracking the glass. That is essentially what happened to me on the first time I tried to install it. The next time I used the tried and true method of using the bathroom. I ran the hot shower for a few minutes to steam up the room and remove the dust particles from the air. I then followed the next steps of shutting the phone off, wiping it down with the alcohol wipe and then wiping with the micro fiber cloth. I finally used the dust removal sticker and went over the entire screen with it.
The next step was to place the red plastic template over the phone. In the picture above it goes over the top of the phone exactly in that layout. It really does help you to position the protector exactly where it should be on the phone. I then peeled the back sticker off the protector and used the two tabs on the top and bottom of the front of the protector to position the protector. Once in place, I pulled the top sticker off the top of the template holding it in place on the bottom of the screen.
At this point, you take the hard card and using four fingers, slowly slide the cloth side of the protector towards the top of the phone. Once the middle of the protector is set, you flip the hard card over and use the non-cloth covered side to slide up the edges. Watch the video below to see how the installation should work. They certainly make it seem easy!
What I like
I love the idea of having a tempered glass screen that will fit the curve of the newer Galaxy phones. I often find that the peel and stick type protectors leave the screen feeling slightly ‘funny’ and it was really noticeable on my Note phones when I used the stylus. Glass protectors also tend to be much clearer and less susceptible to scratches and ‘dents’ that the plastic type protectors would often get.
What needs to be improved
Unfortunately for me, even with three different tries on installing this protector it just did not work for me. The first time I will totally blame myself. In my excitement, I tried to install the protector in my breakfast area. We have a Shetland sheepdog in our home and he is a walking dust magnet. Even going through the whole alcohol wipe, microfiber wipe, and dust sticker, I still had a ton of dust under the protector. The sides also failed to seat at all and that could have been due to the amount of dust. My second attempt I used the bathroom process described above. I was getting bubbles under the corners and having some difficulty again trying to get the sides of the protector to seat on the phone. Somehow in the process of trying to seal it the screen cracked on the side. You can see a picture of it below.
Third time is a charm, right? Well NO, darn it. Things were really going well this time. I was still having issues trying to get the sides to seal on the phone. I had flipped the card around to the non-cloth covered side and was repeatedly trying to push down and get those sides to de-bubble. I guess I must have been too firm and I got a crack again. You can see where I had bubbles on the sides of the phone on the top right and just above the other crack on the left. For a protector that costs $50 you want to get it right the first time.
Final thoughts
I really wanted this screen protector to work. Even with three attempts, I could not make it work. This screen protector is extremely expensive at $50 and I would have spent $150 and still had no protection on the screen of my phone. The video makes it seem effortless, but I did not find it to be that way at all. I just can’t recommend this protector unless you feel like you have that special touch and really want to try it yourself.
Price: $49.99 Where to buy:ZAGG and Amazon Source: The sample for this review was provided by ZAGG.
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Over the past few months, I have written a few news stories about Bluetooth controlled door locks. Those locks either replace a part of an existing lock or install over an existing lock. In some cases, the installation can be a bit tricky and may require someone with a bit of experience to ensure that it is installed correctly. Since we live in a world where security should always be one of the priorities on our minds, I am always on the lookout for new and innovative security products.
The Haven Lock Connect is exactly such a device. It is installed on the floor at the base of your door, and according to the manufacturer, it is made of steel, nylon, and industrial strength polycarbonates, and is 10 times stronger than a deadbolt. It can be powered by either the included wall adapter or by batteries, and it can be controlled by the included key fob or a Smartphone app. Both the key fob and the app use Bluetooth to connect to the lock. Its features are similar to other Bluetooth locks, and it allows you to create temporary digital keys for visitors.
If you would like more information on the Haven Connect Lock, you can check it out on the Haven Lock website. You can also purchase one via their website for $349.
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My friend has three cats, and they exhibit the alpha/beta/omega pack rankings. The omega cat often loses her meal to the other cats, who gobble their food and then take hers. If Leah had the SureFeed Microchip feeder for cats and small dogs, she could make sure that Pixel got to eat her own food.
You program the SureFeed feeder to open only for your pet’s unique microchip. If your pet doesn’t have a chip, you can use an RFID collar tag (which the cat must then always wear) to program the feeder. When the cat with the correct chip approaches, the feeder opens. If that cat gets pushed away, the bowl closes and the greedy cat can’t steal the food. This system is also ideal for animals eating a prescription diet.
Because the feeder is sealed, the food will stay fresher longer, and it can be used for wet or dry food. The SureFeed feeder is made of plastic, holds 13.5 ounces, and is battery powered. Batteries aren’t included, but each feeder comes with one RFID collar tag.
The SureFeed Feeder is $139.99 (list price is $149.99). Order today at the Chewy website.
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Wireless speakers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The Scosche BoomBottle MM is no exception. The speaker has a unique bottle design, hence the name. However, that’s not the only thing that makes this wireless speaker unique. The speaker’s bottle design makes it perfect for placing into cup holders, water bottle cages, or even backpack water bottle compartments.
Features include 2 x 6W 45mm speakers, 2 x passive subwoofers, a built-in mic for hands-free calling and Dual Pairing for True Stereo Sound.
There’s also a rechargeable battery that will give you up to 12 hours of music playback on a single charge.
Its rugged design is IP67 rated for dust and water. And it’s fully submergible in up to 3 feet of water.
It does what?
But two things make the BoomBottle MM standout from other wireless speakers. You might be wondering what the MM in the name stands for, well, it stands for MagicMount. That’s because there are magnets built into both the top and bottom of the speaker. So you can magnetically mount your device to the BoomBottle MM while also magnetically mounting it to most metal surfaces. Perfect for mounting it onto a metal cooler or vehicle at the beach for example.
The other unique feature of this speaker is its built-in bottle opener. Yes, I said built-in bottle opener. Now you can pop the top off your favorite beverage while listening to your favorite tunes.
These unique features alone might make the BoomBottle MM the perfect summertime companion.
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The optional Executive Folio fits in the back chamber and can serve as a laptop sleeve. The Folio can be taken out for shot meetings, as it can hold a laptop, note pad, documents, and pens. The leather panel is available in black, chocolate, gray, or crimson leather. The Pro Executive laptop backpack is $349.00. The Executive Folio is sized for a 13″ MacBook or a 15″ MacBook. It’s $89.00, but it can be added to the Pro for an additional $49.00 at the time of original purchase.
