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Helikon Baseball Folding Cap literally fits in your pocket

NEWS – I wear baseball caps a lot, and sometimes I wish I could just stuff my hat into my pocket without destroying it.  The Helikon Baseball Folding Cap appears to have been designed and built just for this purpose.  Made of ripstop 60% Cotton, 40% Polyester in multiple colors and with a one-size-fits-most Velcro closure in back, its special feature is a seam down the center of its bill along which it can be flexed, allowing the hat to be folded down nearly flat, as seen in the images above.  In addition, it also includes three Velcro loop fields (front, top and back) for affixing your favorite hooked-backed morale or identification patches.  The Baseball Folding Cap is currently available from Helikon.com for $10.19 or Amazon for $14.99.

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Helikon Baseball Folding Cap literally fits in your pocket originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 12, 2019 at 8:08 am.

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Hover Domains Review – Should This Be Your Go-to Domain Registrar for 2019?

Hover Domains have a lot to offer, and are an attractive option for anyone thinking of registering a new domain name. In this in-depth review, we’ll look into what their offering includes, who should consider using them and what makes them stand out from all of the other domain name registrars out there. Here’s everything… View Article

The post Hover Domains Review – Should This Be Your Go-to Domain Registrar for 2019? appeared first on WinningWP.

Hover Domains Review – Should This Be Your Go-to Domain Registrar for 2019?

Hover Domains have a lot to offer, and are an attractive option for anyone thinking of registering a new domain name. In this in-depth review, we’ll look into what their offering includes, who should consider using them and what makes them stand out from all of the other domain name registrars out there. Here’s everything… View Article

The post Hover Domains Review – Should This Be Your Go-to Domain Registrar for 2019? appeared first on WinningWP.

6 gadgets that can protect you from hackers

ARTICLE – You might have gadgets that charge your phone with solar power or help you find a lost set of keys, but what about those that safeguard you from hackers?

Here are six items to put on your to-buy list.

1. Mic-Lock Gen 2 Microphone Blocker

Many people know hackers can break into webcams and spy on them. Therefore, covers that slide onto the built-in webcams on laptop screens became popular, and concerned individuals started covering webcams with tape, too.

But, there’s a possibility of hackers listening in through microphone ports. Apple’s second-generation T2 chips even disconnect the mics at the hardware level when people close the lids of newer MacBooks.

You can also buy a Mic-Lock Gen 2 microphone blocker that stops hackers from listening through any device that has a microphone port. Its design plugs into the 3.5 mm audio jack and allows you to still listen to music through your computer. ($10.99)

2. Firewalla Red Smart Cyber Security Firewall Appliance

Although the internet has many advantages, it features associated risks, too. The Firewalla Red gadget is a firewall for today’s connected world that features both intrusion prevention and intrusion detection.

The gadget plugs into your router and continually scans to check for abnormal behaviors.

You can also access specialized functions and get specific information via the complementing app. Since Firewalla Red also offers a built-in VPN service for mobile devices, you can enjoy enhanced protection anywhere. ($109.99)

3. Titan Security Key

An unsecured email account is a hacker’s playground, but the best hackers convince people to give up information they’d ordinarily keep secret.

Online lottery scammers target victims by convincing them to reveal private details to collect their “winnings,” and scams that initiate in an inbox can be just as convincing. That’s especially true if they appear as order confirmations or other documents that people can’t access unless they divulge information.

The Titan Security Key is a security measure developed by Google and used by its employees. As a result, Google says phishing problems have been eliminated. The Titan has a hardware chip that includes Google-engineered firmware to verify the key’s integrity.

The key also gives cryptographic proof a person is interacting with legitimate services where they initially registered their Titan gadgets and that they remain in possession of the key. Think of the Titan as a physical aspect of two-factor authentication. It replaces a text message or email a hacker could intercept in transit and complements your password. ($50.00)

4. Dojo

The rising popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) devices makes some manufacturers rush their products to the market and not prioritize security. The Dojo is a small gadget born from the need to secure those devices in a home. It’s a product you can move around your abode to get an idea of which internet-enabled products you use might be introducing vulnerabilities to your network.

The accompanying app gives three alert levels, and you’ll get smartphone notifications about the most severe issues. Plus, Dojo learns the characteristics of the network so it can understand what constitutes unusual traffic. ($199.00)

5. Everykey

Many people intentionally set passwords that are easy for themselves to remember, but that typically also makes them easy for others to guess. Then, it becomes potentially simple for hackers to break into devices such as laptops or smartphones. Everykey is like a physical version of an online password manager.

It automatically generates passwords for the websites you visit, plus enters them for you when you reach the website. If you lose an Everykey, there’s a way to freeze its functionality, making it useless in the wrong hands.

And, Everykey isn’t just for your computer and smartphone. Its military-grade security even works for your front door. The product is a Bluetooth-enabled device that looks like a small tile. Like many of the other things on this list, it pairs with an app. ($69.00)

6. 3M Privacy Screens

Have you ever worried someone sitting on either side of you might watch as you deal with confidential information on your laptop or enter it into form fields on your smartphone? If they do, all the information needed to gain access to your accounts or other things you want to keep private would be available. Fortunately, 3M makes privacy screens to hide content unless people look straight on at the screens.

You can find them for most of the devices you own, ranging from smartphones to laptops. (Prices vary depending on the type and third-party seller chosen)

Stock Up on Products That Give Peace of Mind

In this extremely connected world, hackers know various attack points exist. These six gadgets help you keep cybercriminals at bay and rest assured your information stays safe.

Lead photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash

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6 gadgets that can protect you from hackers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2019 at 12:31 pm.

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Tom Bihn Maker’s Bag review

REVIEW – One of my resolutions, goals, aspirations, or whatever you want to call it, for 2019 is to completely update my EDC and one of my main upgrades is going to be a new everyday gear bag. The first bag that I’m trying out as a contender is the Maker’s Bag from Tom Bihn. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The Tom Bihn Maker’s bag is a messenger style bag with lots of pockets to keep your gear organized.

Design and features

The Maker’s bag is available in a variety of colors for the exterior of the bag as well as the interior of the bag. You can also choose from two different types of material: 400d Halcyon or 1050d High Tenacity Ballistic Nylon. I was sent a Maker’s bag made of the lighter weight 400d Halycon in Nordic blue with an Ultraviolet 200 Halcyon interior and black seams.

The bag has a Tom Bihn-esque diagonal flap which is held closed with a large pinch buckle clip. The flap tightness of the flap can be adjusted but only by about an inch.

I love the classic good looks of this bag. It has clean lines and isn’t gaudy in any way.

If you flip the bag over, you’ll see that it features a flat webbing grab handle at the top. I typically like a padded grab handle, but you won’t be carrying an extreme amount of gear in this bag, so a thinner handle is no problem.

By default, the Maker’s bag comes with a standard shoulder strap, but I opted for their Absolute Shoulder Strap which is a $20 upgrade. The Absolute strap is very comfortable and well worth the upgrade. But if you already have another favorite shoulder strap, you can probably attach it to the rings on the sides of the bag.

Towards the bottom of the bag, you see an adjustable stabilizer strap which you can use to secure the bag around your waist if you ride a bike. This strap is removable if you don’t need it.

When you open the flap, you’re greeted with a happy checkered purple interior. If you’re not a fan of purple, you can choose other options like blue, grey, green, and red. Opening the flap also reveals the first pocket.

The 12 x 8 inch horizontal zippered pocket opens to provide access to a roomy storage area that has 4 open topped 2.5 x 5.5 inch slots. Note that these are rough dimensions. These pockets are narrow but are still large enough to hold a variety of pens, multi-tool, flashlight, cables, etc. The area in front of the slots is plenty roomy enough to hold items as well.

The main compartment of the Maker’s bag is large open “bucket” with open-topped pockets around the sides. The front area has 3 elastic topped pockets. The center pocket is the largest at around 6 x 7 inches and the pockets on either side are narrower. All 3 pockets are roomy instead of tight pockets that can only hold flat items.

On the sides are two stretchy mesh pockets that are perfect for a water bottle or other items that you don’t want floating in the center of the bag.

The on the back wall is a large dual zippered 12 x 9 inch pocket that can hold a tablet or a small laptop. Note that the back wall of the bag and the front of this pocket are not padded so you’ll want to keep that in mind and use a separate pouch to protect it. Luckily Tom Bihn has that covered with their optional Cache which I will show you below. Also in the main compartment are 4 o-rings that you can use to attach items. There are two on the front wall of the bag and two on each side above the mesh pockets.

Let’s load it up!

Here you can see the main items that I carry with me every day (minus the Wildflower calendar – I just had that on hand to take to work at the first of the year when I took this pic). Clockwise: Pixel 2 XL, A5 sized hardbound notebook, Ti Pocket pen, 2019 Wildflower calendar, comb, my Cummins ID badge, a little zippered pouch that holds eye drops, nail clippers, packets of stevia sweetener, and a small Altoids tin of ibuprofen. Then there’s a wallet, tiny click flashlight, Leatherman Squirt multi-tool, Carmex lip balm, DUNU wired earbuds, TicPods Free wireless earbuds, candies, zippered gear pouch that holds cables, micro SD cards, etc.

And here we have everything from the previous image stowed neatly in pockets so that the center area is open (my Pixel 2 XL is just in there to show the space) and free to hold my lunch and other items I might need to take with me for the day.

Now the great thing about the Tom Bihn Maker’s bag is that it is small but still roomy enough to carry a lot more while also standing up without flopping over which is a feature that I absolutely have to have in a bag.

I don’t typically take my 12MB with me to work at my day job or a tablet, but if I did, Tom Bihn’s Cache or Freudian Slip would make perfect accessories for the Maker’s bag to protect those devices and hold even more gear.

Tom Bihn Cache

The Cache is a black neoprene sleeve that has a dual zipper that goes around 3 sides of the sleeve. It’s available in different sizes that can hold an iPad mini up to a 13inch laptop. The sleeve provides just the right amount of padding to protect the tablet or computer without being bulky. The price for the Cache is $30 – $45 depending on the size.

Tom Bihn Freudian Slip

Another optional accessory is the Freudian Slip which adds quite a bit of extra organization and storage in a lift out “bag”. It comes in 4 different colors including the Swift Cloud color (otherwise known as grey) which was sent to me.

It features two large zipped and gusseted pockets that each have 2 open topped pocket slots inside them that can hold pens and other items.

Along the bottom of the Freudian Slip is a long horizontal zippered storage area that can make a great pen holder.

If you flip the case over, there are two flat pockets. The top one which has the magazine in it in the image above can hold your tablet or laptop and the one below it is a mesh pocket that you can use to hold power adapters and other bulkier items. The Freudian Slip is priced at $50.

But wait, there’s more!

Tom Bihn also sent me a bag of their cord zipper pulls which they sell with different colored cords.

What do they do? You can use them to make the zippers on the bag even easier to open by adding a longer pull.

There are different ways to attach them, but you can see what I’ve done with one of them. They are really handy! A pack of 8 pulls is $5.

What I like

  • A medium sized bag that holds a ton of gear
  • Stands up without collapsing or falling over
  • Pockets, pockets, pockets
  • Well made, no Velcro!

What needs to be improved

  • I’d love to see a different flap clip option instead of the plastic squeeze style clip.
  • A bit of padding on the bottom would be nice.

Final thoughts

I have enjoyed using the Tom Bihn Maker’s Bag. It’s a well-made bag that is compact and much less bulky than the Timbuk2 messenger bag that I’ve been carrying for years, but it’s still roomy enough to hold all my gear with enough room to spare for my lunch and other items. It has lots of pockets that keep my neat freak personality happy and it sits upright without falling over. For those reasons, it’s become my new favorite daily gear bag.

Price: $130.00
Where to buy: Tom Bihn
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tom Bihn.

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Tom Bihn Maker’s Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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