Home 2018 July

These socks are worn outside your shoes

NEWS – You probably take an umbrella or a hoodie with you when you know it’s supposed to rain right? But how can you protect your favorite pair of sneakers from getting wet or muddy on a rainy day? Check out Rain Socks from ONFAdd of Japan. These disposable “socks” are made of thin black rubber and are designed to fit over your shoes to protect them from the elements. They come in one size fits all for $18.95 each plus $18 shipping and they aren’t reusable. Yikes! I think I’d rather just tie a plastic shopping bag over each of my shoes and call it a day at that crazy price. Or you can head over to Amazon where I found some reusable shoe covers for $11.99. How about you, are you interested in learning more about Rain Socks? Then visit ONFAdd.com

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These socks are worn outside your shoes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 3, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Leitner LH270 Wireless Office Headset review

REVIEW – I’m a remote worker – and no, that has nothing to do with my emotional attachment to the people in my office.  Because I am remote 90% of the time, I need effective communications tools.  For years I have been looking for the perfect Bluetooth headset to use with the various communications apps I use daily, and to me perfect includes wireless.  Is the Leitner LH270 Wireless Office Headset the answer to my quest or just another stop on the journey?  That’s a great question, and thank you for asking…

What is it?

The Leitner LH270 is a professional-grade communications headset designed to work with both a traditional phone line and soft-phone applications like Skype and WebEx.  The LH270 is a monaural headset, meaning it has a single earpiece (the LH275 model is exactly the same except it has 2 earpieces).  The headset itself is wireless, but it connects to a base unit that acts as both the interface to your communications devices/software as well as a charging stand.

There are volume up/down buttons on the headset as well as an indicator light (and button) to let you know when the headset is on or online.  The light and button also act as a call answer/end switch.  The boom mic rotates a full 180 degrees, so you can safely disregard the “left” notation on the earpiece and wear the headset on either the left or right sides.  The middle button between the volume buttons is your mute/unmute switch when in a call.

What’s in the box?

You get the LH270 headset and a replaceable battery pack for the headset (making it relatively easy to get a spare battery and never miss a call).  You also get the base unit/charger, a power cord for the base unit, an RJ-9 phone cord to connect to a handset on a traditional phone, and a type A to mini USB cord to connect to your computer.  That last item is important – the headset is wireless, but the base unit must be connected to your computer and/or your phone.

How it works

Once you have installed the battery in the headset, connected the base unit to power and then charged the headset (normally about 4 hours for a full charge), you are ready to begin.

Plug one end of the USB cable into the base unit and the other end into your computer.  On both my MacBook Pro and Surface Book devices, drivers automatically installed and within minutes I was ready for my first call (or, at least, ready from a hardware perspective).  It has been a while since I had a dedicated landline or VOIP phone, so I made a semi-annual pilgrimage to my office where I have an actual desk and phone.  I try to visit at least twice a year, and this seemed like a way to kill two birds with the single stone.  On my desk phone, I unplugged the handset from the phone base and plugged it into the LH270 base.  Then, using the RJ-9 cord I plugged the LH270 base unit into the phone.

Now I am REALLY ready.

And this is where I found the first quirk.  There is a button on the base unit that determines which device the base is connected to.  By default on power up the base unit selects the phone and not the computer.  So when I received a Skype call I pressed the answer button only to find that the base unit does not switch to the active source automatically.  You will have to get to the base unit, switch to the proper mode and then answer the call.

If you use the LH270 with a regular phone you are going to want to invest in a handset lifter.  Without it (and assuming you are in the proper mode on the base unit), you must be close to the phone in order to lift the handset to answer.  With the handset off the phone base, you can press the answer button on the headset to divert the signal to the headset rather than the phone’s handset.  Oh, and you will also have to hang up the handset when the call is over because – without doing that – you will not get any calls.

WebEx proved to be an interesting quirk.  And note, this is not a problem with the LH270, but rather with the WebEx software on both the Mac and Windows.  About half the time on loading WebEx it would select a different mic rather than the one on the LH270, with the end result being that no one could hear me until I switched the communications device in settings.  I have never had that problem with any other device, but it was consistent with the LH270 over about 14 calls, so if WebEx is the preferred app you might want to check with Cisco about a software update.  Nothing in time to help me, though.

So those are the oddities when answering or ending a call.  As a communications headset, though, the LH270 is close to perfection.  The calls are crystal clear, and people on the call could hear me with the same clarity.  I could move all over the office without any drops in connection or static.  I could get about 30 feet away from my desk without a clear line of sight to the base unit before I had any problems.  That included multiple walls between me and the base.

Did I mention the battery life?  Extraordinary.  I can spend 6+ hours during the day on calls with the LH270 and end the day with over 50% of the battery remaining.

When in the right mode, starting and ending computer-based calls was easy.  Moving around was also easy – if I ever strayed too far, the headset would beep but the call would not drop.  To get back in the conversation, all I had to do was move back within range and the headset automatically reconnected to the call.

What I liked

  • Amazing clarity on calls
  • Outstanding battery life
  • Easy setup
  • Little touches like call retention when out of range

What needs improvement

  • No handset lifter in the box (important if you use a regular phone)
  • No automatic switch between PC and phone mode based on the incoming signal

Final thoughts

If business communications are important to your work, you can’t do much better than this headset.  It is pricey at $288 and I wish it came with a handset lifter, but it also comes with a 5-year warranty out of the box so the clarity you get in your calls today will be with you for a long time to come.  Should Leitner solve the lifter issue along with the active mode issue, I could see this – and the LH275 dual earpiece version – becoming the gold standard for business communications.

Price: $288.28
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Leitner.

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Leitner LH270 Wireless Office Headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 3, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The toasTEA insulated tumbler from Adagio turns tea making upside down

NEWS – How do you travel with tea?  Brew it up at home and have one cup in a travel mug to last until you get home again?  Constantly stop in at coffee and tea shops to buy over-priced cups of tea?  Would you like a way to brew loose tea leaves right in your travel mug?  You can do just that with the toasTEA insulated travel tumbler from Adagio Teas.

The toasTEA’s double-walled stainless steel construction keeps your tea hot for hours.  (Of course, it can keep it cold for hours, too.)  It has a leak-proof sipping lid with a spring-loaded cover that operates one-handed.  A stainless infuser basket attaches to the bottom of the sipping lid.  To brew, you put hot water in the tumbler, tea leaves in the infuser, screw the infuser to the lid and the lid to the tumbler, then turn the toasTEA upside down.  When steeping is completed, turn the tumbler right-side up to prevent bitterness from over-brewing.  You may want to remove the infuser before drinking the tea, but it isn’t required.

The travel tumbler holds 17 ounces and is sized to fit most car cup holders.  Its double-walled construction keeps the exterior cool to the touch.  And all parts of the tumbler are dishwasher safe.  The toasTEA is available in blush, charcoal, and lemongrass.  Adagio sells the toasTEA for $29.00.  Amazon also offers the toasTEA in all three colors for the same price.

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The toasTEA insulated tumbler from Adagio turns tea making upside down originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 3, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Here’s an automatic umbrella for your car

NEWS – Don’t make your car sit outside without protection it deserves from the sun, rain, snow, bird poo, and more when you can keep it covered with this automatic car tent umbrella from Lanmodo. Just put the Lanmodo car tent on the top of your car with the built-in weighted base, stand back, and press the keyfob remote to electronically extend the umbrella. The tent has fiberglass poles and can withstand winds of 30MPH. The Lanmodo car tent even comes in a version with a tripod style stand so you can use as a beach or patio umbrella. You can find more information and buy the car tent for $399.99 from Amazon.

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Here’s an automatic umbrella for your car originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor review


REVIEW – When editing photos or videos, a reasonably sized display with great color reproduction is really essential. I have always been a fan of the quality of BenQ monitors, but I have not purchased a new one for quite some time. When I was offered the opportunity to review one of their newer curved monitors, I jumped at the chance to see if they could keep me as a fan. Here is how it went:

What is it

The BenQ EX350IR is a 21:9 35″ Vertical Alignment MonitoCurved Monitor, boasting a  3440 x 1440 resolution.

What’s in the box

Unpacking

As you can see from the pictures below, the monitor and the accessories arrived well-packed and in a very large box that was cushioned in every way with styrofoam. The screen also had additional protection.




Contents


1 x BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor
1 x System CD-Rom
1 x Power Cord
1 x Power Adapter
1 x DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort Cable
1 x HDMI Cable
1 x USB Type-C Cable
1 x Back Cover
1 x Quick Start Guide

Specifications

Size: 35″
Screen Area: 32.26 x 13.62″ / 81.94 x 34.59 cm
Panel Type: VA LCD
Native Resolution: 3440 x 1440
Aspect Ratio: 21:9
Pixels Per Inch (ppi): 103 ppi
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 2500:1
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 20,000,000:1
Refresh Rate: 100 Hz
Adaptive Sync Technology: FreeSync
Bit Depth / Color Support: 8-Bit (16.7 Million Colors)
Color Gamut: 100% sRGB
Response Time: 4 ms (GtG)
Viewing Angle: Horizontal: 178°
Vertical: 178°

Connectivity:
2 x HDMI 2.0
1 x DisplayPort 1.4
2 x USB (USB 3.0) Output
1 x USB (USB 3.0) Input
1 x USB Type-C
1 x 3.5 mm Output

HDCP Support: Version 2.2
Dimensions (W x H x D): 32.8 x 19.8 x 8.8″ / 83.4 x 50.4 x 22.4 cm
Weight: 22.93 lb

Design and features

The BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor is a beautiful curved monitor that has a 178-degree viewing angle from each side. It is a 21:9 format that has a HD resolution up to 3440 x 1440.
The picture below shows the back of the monitor with the hole in the stand to pass the connected cables through. I already have holes on my desk to triage the cables, so I did not use this feature. You can also see where the stand with its triangular style platform connects to the back of the monitor. Ths stand can be removed, and an optional VESA wall mount transfer kit can be purchased separately and attached so that the monitor can be VESA mounted.

This angle below shows the tracks on the stand between the stand and the monitor that allow the height of the monitor to be raised or lowered simply by pulling it up or pushing it down. The tracks provide the necessary tension to keep it firmly in place. The visible spring that you see controls the tension when tilting the display.

This monitor has a nice selection of ports. (From left to right as pictured below):
1 x USB Type-C Port
2 x USB 3.0 Ports
1 x DisplayPort
2 x HDMI Ports
1 x Headphone Jack
1 x DC Power Input Jack


If you are facing the front of the monitor, the control buttons are underneath the bottom right side of the display (From left to right):
Button 1 – Power Button: Power On /Off
The next 6 buttons are “Control Keys or hotkeys” (Pressing any control key brings up a menu function)
Button 2 – Input Hot Key: Input Selection
“The Custom Keys perform as hotkeys to provide direct access to pre-defined functions. You can change the default setting and designate different functions for these keys”.
Button 3 – Custom Key 1: Picture Mode
Button 4 – Custom Key 2: Contrast
Button 5 – Custom Key 3: Brightness
Button 6 – Menu: Activates the Main Menu
Button 7 – Exit: Exit On Screen Display Menu
(For the record, I did not change any of the functions of the Custom Keys, since they worked well for me at the factory default settings)

Performance

I connected the monitor to my main workstation where many nights I work into the early morning hours editing videos and photos. (Note: Some aspects of the following pictures are purposely blurred).


In my testing, I worked with Adobe Premiere, LightRoom, and Photoshop, as well as PortraitPro Studio as my main editing tools. This monitor performed flawlessly. The color reproduction was great and extremely close to being 100%”true”. I made sure that I left everything as it was right out of the box, and did not do any color calibration. The added desktop space 0f 3440 x 1440 @21:9 is really great to work with, and this 35″ monitor still seems massive when compared to my previous 29″ monitor.


Here are some screenshots of the actual applications that I work with:




While I am not a gamer, I did test using a few gaming demos to see what they looked like on this display. While it may not be realistically visible in the pictures below, the colors are great from edge to edge, and I did not notice any kind of color bleeding or dead pixels in any scenario throughout my testing.


The refresh rate of this monitor works very well for all of my needs and for all of the applications that I work with. And since I work a lot with editing and rendering videos, that is a major help when rendering and utilizing “live view” simultaneously.

In terms of additional hardware functions, I also tested the audio output jack. The sound is very good and close to the sound I get from my external USB DAC. However, for my purposes, I did not find it practical to have the headphone cable draped across my desk from the bottom of the monitor. If the choice is to use the audio output from the monitor, I would suggest using a Bluetooth audio transmitter and receiver to make the connection wireless.

What I like

First of all, I absolutely love the size of this display. I also love the color reproduction and the refresh rate. The build quality is great and despite its size, this monitor is sturdy and stable. It performs very well for photo and video editing, as well as for watching movies and performing everyday tasks.

The only thing that could make me more overjoyed about a BenQ monitor like this is if/when I get the opportunity to test a 4K version. For me, the 4K capability would make a BenQ monitor like this the “above all” monitor for my use.

What can be improved

Since this monitor has a sizeable bezel, I think the design would work better if the control buttons are on the bottom right front face of the monitor. In my opinion, the design that places the buttons underneath the display where you have to feel for them, and either memorize their position or keep pressing buttons until you get the right ones is not practical unless there is at least a corresponding label on the front.

Final thoughts

Since I have always been a fan of BenQ monitors and their quality, I was expecting a whole lot in the design, build, and performance of this monitor, and it does not disappoint. While there is the issue of the location of the control buttons that I find inconvenient, that is as far as “MY” negatives go. We may all have a difference of opinion about a product like this, especially when it is a major part of the typical workflow experience. However,  I would not hesitate in any way to recommend this monitor. Just like with my previous BenQ monitor that I purchased probably over 12 years ago, I am a fan.

Price: $849.00
Where to buy: Amazon and B&H Photo Video
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BenQ.

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BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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