Home 2018 June

Brydge bridges the gap between the iPad and MacBook with the new 12.9 Series II Bluetooth keyboard

Have you found yourself wanting to ditch your Macbook for the convenience of an iPad Pro but dread typing on a screen? Brydge might help you decide with their new 12.9 Series II Bluetooth keyboard. This keyboard gives you a MacBook-like experience you can’t get from any other iPad keyboard. When combined with the 12.9” iPad Pro, it creates a perfect balance between tablet and laptop, allowing you to be productive anytime… anywhere.

The 12.9” iPad Pro is Apple’s most powerful iPad—it’s more powerful than many PC Laptops. With the new Brydge 12.9, you can use the iPad Pro 12.9 like a laptop. Anywhere. Any how. Any time. 

You can have a true typing experience with it’s aluminum body, full sized keyboard and beautiful 3-level LED backlit keys. The butterfly keyboard has only 1.5mm of travel for a smoother typing experience. Plus, no matter where you are or how dark it is, the Brydge 12.9 delivers the perfect typing experience in low light conditions.

The Series II now features longer battery life and faster connection, zero lag and greater security with Bluetooth 4.1. There’s an integrated iOS Battery Management for less power drain.

Why get an iPad and a Macbook when you can have the best of both worlds? The Brydge 12.9 gives you the functionality of the iPad in the body of a Macbook. It comes in either silver or space gray to perfectly match the iPad. It sells for $149.99 US and will ship in July 2018. Visit www.brydgekeyboards.com for more information.

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Brydge bridges the gap between the iPad and MacBook with the new 12.9 Series II Bluetooth keyboard originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 19, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Denon C820 Dual-Driver In-Ear Headphones review

I’m a big fan of high-end headphones and jumped at the opportunity to review Denon’s C820 ear candy. Just the specs alone made me want to pull up my most sublime musical selections.

What is it?

The Denon C820s are “dual-air compression” dual wired earbud type headphones that fit snugly and deliver sweet, sweet music into your ear-holes.

Hardware Specs

  • Impedance – 16 ohm
  • Sensitivity – 115 dB/mW
  • Frequency response – 4-40,000 (Hz).
  • Maximum power input – 250 mW
  • Weight – 10.4 g (not including cable)
  • Aluminum, die-cast resin construction

What’s in the Box?

  • C820 Headphones
  • Rubbery earphone holder
  • Four extra ear tip pairs of various sizes
  • Instruction manual
  • Cord clip

 

Design and features

The C820 headphones arrived in blue and white boxing nestled into a rubbery-feeling holder. A number of different size ear tips are included.

I tried several pairs and decided the default memory-foam ones were the most comfortable and provided the best sound isolation. I was a little worried that the angled metal bits that the cords connect to would cause some discomfort, but I was pleasantly surprised. No problem there. Please excuse my scruff.

The cords are heavy duty and should hold up well for years of being tossed into my pockets or day bag. These headphones FEEL sturdy. They are metal and have some decent heft to them. Rapid head movements might make them pop out, but I had no troubles even when using them while mowing the lawn. I used the cord clip for a bit of added security, Good sound isolation means I can keep the sound at a safe level even with the mower blades engaged. The 1/8″ stereo jack is narrow enough to fit into most cases without the need of an adapter.

I pulled up a relatively eclectic parcel of tunes. Music of the Koto, Eric Clapton, Handel’s Messiah, and Kenji Kawai’s “Making of a Cyborg” from the 1995 Ghost in the Shell anime film were a few of my choices.

These headphones are impressive. Even at reasonable volumes the bass booms. In fact, I had an odd sensation during a particularly bass-filled passage. The specs indicate full spectrum sound down to 4Hz and Denon wasn’t kidding. These headphones produce sound you can feel. You know that sternum-vibrating bass you feel when you go to a live concert? These headphones gave me that bass-shaking felling in my ears that I expected to feel it in my torso. Delicious!

Treble is also well-represented with crystal-clear highs. I was easily able to pick out tiny details featuring the triangle in the percussion section of orchestral pieces.

Great sound, tough construction, and good sound isolation, what more could one ask?

What I like

  • Metal construction
  • Tough cords
  • Extremely wide frequency response
  • Comfortable

What needs to be improved?

  • Nothing. These headphones are works of art.

Final thoughts

While testing these headphones, I accidentally bumped the volume bar while listening to Family Force 5’s “Put Ur Hands Up.” I actually scared myself! I felt the same way I did as a kid when I visited the stereo section in the department store and turned on a stereo to find someone had spun the volume knob all the way to the upper limit and everyone in the entire store knew some unsuspecting chump had punk’d.

I’ve been a long-time fan of balanced-armature headphones with their flat frequency curves, luscious bass, and crisp highs. For many years my Etymotic ER-4 headphones have been my go-to choice. I believe Denon’s C820 headphones with their comfortable fit and “dual air-compression” drivers may have usurped my beloved ER-4s as my new audio buddy.

Price: $159.00 and worth every penny
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Denon.

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Denon C820 Dual-Driver In-Ear Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Life is too short for dumb nightstands – Part Deux!

A couple months ago, we told you about the Indiegogo project for the Sobro Smart Side Tables, complete with nightlight, Bluetooth speakers, built-in wireless charger and USB, USB-C, and AC outlets, locking drawer, and refrigerator drawer – and all controlled with an app.  The biggest drawback is the wait time for the project to be funded then completed.  The Smart Nightstand from West Elm has almost as many features, minus the refrigerator drawer, and it’s available right now from West Elm.

The nightstand stands 16″ wide x 11″ deep x 20″ tall, and it’s available with a white or black lacquer finish over engineered wood.  Other features include:

  • Wireless charging capability on the table top plus 2 USB ports.
  • Motion activated LED light to guide you to the bathroom without turning on a room light.
  • Hi-Fi stereo audio system plus microphone.
  • Bluetooth + NFC pairing.
  • iOS + Android OS app integration.
  • 1 electric lock drawer.

It’s perfect to stand by your bed, or you can remove the legs and attach it to the wall.  The Smart Nightstand is available to order now; it will be shipped from the vendor to your home and will arrive in 1-3 weeks.  It’s $450.00 at West Elm.

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Life is too short for dumb nightstands – Part Deux! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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VAVA E-Touch Phone Holder for Car, Electric Auto Lock iPhone Mount review

These days, our phones are an extension of our daily lives, and we take them with us everywhere we go. I am no exception, and when in my car, I usually lay mine on my center console/armrest and just have the charging cable draped wherever and plugged into my USB power jack. Whenever I need to glance at my phone, it has been an issue since I would either quickly glance down at my center console while driving, or grab the phone as soon as I am at a traffic light or stop sign. While many dash mount phone holders are available, my issue has been that I have always hated fiddling with the buttons that need to be depressed to remove the phone, or fiddling to depress the phone correctly in the holder to engage the manual mechanism to lock it in securely. The VAVA-Touch Phone holder aims to resolve these issues, so, let’s see how it did.

What is it?

VAVA E-Touch Phone Holder for Car, Electric Auto Lock iPhone Mount, is a dash mountable cell phone holder that electronically manages to secure and release your phone.

What’s in the box


1 x Phone Holder
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

This is a typical vehicle cell phone holder, with a suction cup at the bottom, that in this design is secured by pressing the base onto the dash and turning the gray colored part of the base clockwise to secure and counter-clockwise to release.
At the bottom part of the holder mechanism, there are two ports, one USB, and one micro USB. The micro USB port is used to power/charge the battery that is built into the holder, and the regular USB port can be used to power/charge your cell phone or any other USB accessory. The built-in battery means that once charged, the holder can operate and charge your device without being plugged into a power source.


Just below the phone holder, there is the arm that holds the phone holder mechanism, that can be extended to move the phone and holder closer to you or further away from you.

 

To the right and left of the ports, you will notice a “bulge” on the surface of each side. These “bulges”, are actually the touch-sensitive areas that disengage the arms of the holder to release the phone. When the phone is placed in the holder, the arms automatically and electronically close. This is accomplished by the pressure that is placed on the back of the holder when the phone is inserted.
The picture below shows the accessory charging cable plugged into the bottom of the holder. This cable can be used to charge any accessory that can be charged via USB, or to power any such device.


VAVA E-Touch Phone Holder mounts to the dash or windshield if so desired. The following picture shows the side view of the holder, mounted to my dash with both the power cable and my iPhone lightning cable attached. On the top of the arm behind the holder is the knob that secures or releases the extension arm.

To the right of the top knob is another knob that releases and secures the arm so that you can raise or lower it to the desired position.

This next picture is just a front facing view, with the cables attached. This is what you see from the Driver’s perspective before you attach the phone. Notice the gray pad at the surface of the back of the holder. That surface is the pressure pad that is engaged when you place your phone into the holder. The pressure on the pad activates the arms to securely close onto the sides of your phone


Once the phone is seated in the holder, the securing arms automatically close. In the following picture, I have my iPhone in the holder, with the lightning cable attached to charge the phone.

What I like

I like that the holder mounts in a very sturdy way to the dashboard, and when I tested it while driving on very rough NYC roads, the vibration was minimal. It is well built, and the electronic mechanism for opening and closing the securing arms works well.

What can be improved

What can be improved and what is my biggest disappointment with this holder, is that QI wireless charging is not built-in. The ability to place my phone in the holder, and have it charge wirelessly would make this a 5-star review.

Final thoughts

The VAVA E-Touch Phone Holder for Car, Electric Auto Lock iPhone Mount is a well-made mount, and it adds ease and convenience to secure your cell phone to the dash or windshield while maintaining it within proximity for easy viewing and access. The fact that it stays well secured to my dashboard and is not very affected by vibration makes it easy and practical for me to use. I currently have it installed in my car, and I use the charging port to power/charge my iPhone. I do believe that I will continue to use it at least until one with QI wireless charging is available. However, I am not convinced that the convenience of the powered security arms makes it a great value at its current price point when compared to other available holders that while not powered, are much cheaper.

Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by VAVA.

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VAVA E-Touch Phone Holder for Car, Electric Auto Lock iPhone Mount review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Maximize your shoe storage space with the elfa utility Door and Wall Rack for Shoes

Over the last few years, I’ve shown you how we use various elfa systems in our home.  We have three elfa desks, a huge shelving unit that serves as both a bookcase and a desk for our 88-key Yamaha keyboard.  Plus, we have two over-the-door racks that we use for storing and organizing cleaning supplies and bathroom toiletries.

The elfa Door and Wall racks can be accessorized with a variety of shelves and baskets to serve as DVD and CD storage to a gift-wrap organizer.  Their newest accessories are shoe racks.  Each rack measures 17.13″ x 5.13″ x 4.5″ tall and can hold 2 pairs of shoes; each vertical bar can hold 6 racks for up to 12 pairs of shoes.

Each rack is made with epoxy-bonded steel construction for strength that lasts.  They are available in white or platinum, as are the vertical bars.  You can custom design a behind-the-door or wall-mounted system using the component parts from the elfa utility line, or you can select a complete system with vertical bar and over-the-door hooks, 4 shoe racks, and 2 large mesh baskets for bags or other accessories for $119.92.  Learn more at The Container Store.

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Maximize your shoe storage space with the elfa utility Door and Wall Rack for Shoes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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