Home 2019 January

Mute+ adds an extra level of privacy to your smart speaker

Let’s face it, if you use a smart speaker in your home privacy has become a meaningful and valid concern. So, if you own an Amazon smart speaker and are a little paranoid about having the device listen to you 24/7 the Mute+ from Smartē might be the perfect answer to those concerns.

The Mute+ is a device that fits directly on top of your Echo, Echo Plus, or Echo Dot that provides an extra level of privacy. It uses noise-canceling technology similar to that used in headphones to keep Alexa from hearing everything you say. It’s kinda like a set of earplugs for Alexa.

NEWS – Mute+ is powered by 3x AAA batteries and is very easy to use. Just place it on top of your speaker and turn it on when you need a little privacy.

A press of the devices center button sets the six-lighted privacy timer in increments of 10 minutes, for up to an hour at a time.

When the device is turned off your smart speaker works like normal. There’s even a clear ring around the bottom of the Mute+ plus that allows you to see the speaker’s motion light.

The Smartē Mute+ comes in black or white and is available from mysmartlife.com for $24.99.

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Mute+ adds an extra level of privacy to your smart speaker originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Monowear Contemporary Leather Apple Watch Cuff and Travel Fold Up review

REVIEW – Monowear makes great accessories for the Apple watch and I personally reviewed two of their bands not all that long ago and wear them frequently. Today’s review is for their Contemporary Leather Cuff as well as a travel organizer.

What are they?

The Contemporary Leather Cuff is a clean take on a watch band that minimizes the hardware to focus on the leather. The Travel Fold Up is an organizer that keeps up to four bands and your charging cables protected and at the ready when you travel.

Hardware specs

Contemporary Leather Cuff
Watch sizes: 42/44 or 38/40 to fit the two Apple Watch sizes
Wrist sizes: SM or ML
Watch color: Space Grey Aluminum, Silver Aluminum, Gold Aluminum, or Silver Stainless Steel
Colors: Saddle or Taupe

Travel Fold Up
Dimensions: Pocket Area = 12 x 8″, Folded = 4 x 8 x 1″ (depending on what’s inside)
Material: Soft Polyurethane
Colors: Black w/ grey interior and a choice of Grey, Red or Black nylon ties

What’s in each box?

  • One contemporary leather cuff

  • One travel fold up organizer
    (note: these are sold separately)

Design and features

Let’s look at the watch band first.

I selected the Taupe color with silver aluminum for my daughter to try out on her hand-me-down generation 1 Apple Watch as I personally like darker watch bands. It’s cool that Monowear gives you the option of choosing the watch connector colors in addition to band colors and sizes.

Right out of the package, the leather is nice and soft with a natural looking grain. The sides are edge painted in a perfectly matched color and the back of the band is a smooth, light natural leather color that’s very comfortable against the skin.

The top and bottom layers finished with a through stitch that matches the respective color of each size.

The band is wider overall but tapers towards the middle where the overlap employs the same pin and tuck process as the stock silicone bands that come with Apple Watch. The pin here is a polished silver and sits just below their debossed logo which is not visible when the band is fastened.

The watch connectors match the silver aluminum of the Apple Watch a lot better than this photo shows but it is definitely not a direct match.

As for the Travel Fold Up; it’s pretty self explanatory. There’s a simple nylon tie that when released lets you unfold and discover four watchband pockets along with a wider pocket that’s perfect for the charging cable.

The whole pouch is smooth and well constructed.

Setup

Contemporary Leather Cuff: Press the watch band removal buttons on the back of your watch to slide your current band out and then slide your new Monowear band into place.

Travel Fold Up: Untie, unfold and load in the watchbands and charging cable you want to travel with.

Performance

As mentioned, the cuff is nice and soft. It’s easy to put on and stays put due to the tucked end. Because of the freedom of rotation from the watch connectors and the fact there’s no buckle and tang, the band has a nice round curve as it sits on the wrist making it very comfortable.

During the review period it never caused irritation or accidentally came undone which is what one would hope.

The color is very friendly and a good mix between a pale tan and a pink that looked really good on the wrist.

The travel organizer works as one would expect. I tend to keep both sides of a band attached to each other when not on a watch to make them easier to sort through. They slid right into each pocket easily like that. The larger pocket accepts even the long charge cable with a gentle wrap instead of having to kink it into a narrow pouch. Nice touch.

The double stitch lines between the big and first band pocket, and band pockets 2 and 3 help the pouch fold easily where it should, while that top flap folds down and protects the bands from hitting each other.

The only issue I experienced was that the nylon tie would easily fall out of the grommet when untying. Easily solved with a quick knot.

What I like

  • Contemporary Leather Cuff
  • Soft supple leather band
  • Gentle, comfortable curve on the wrist
  • No bulky hardware
  • Travel Fold Up
  • Soft and flexible
  • Pretty compact overall

What needs to be improved

  • Contemporary Leather Cuff
  • No dark colors
  • Travel Fold Up
  • Nylon tie kept falling out

Final thoughts

Leather watchbands feel great and look distinguished, maybe even more so after time. It’s great to see additional style options besides what Apple makes available and Monowear does a great job of providing new ones to choose from at good prices. The Contemporary Leather Cuff is a great example across the board there. If you need a travel organizer for your watch bands, this is a great option. Personally, my extra band or two is usually in my kitbag, but the Travel Fold up could easily double as a tool,  pen or cable organizer as well depending on what you need to carry.

Price: $52 (Contemporary Leather Cuff), $35 (Travel Fold Up)
Where to buy: Monowear
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Monowear.

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Monowear Contemporary Leather Apple Watch Cuff and Travel Fold Up review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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It’s a nickel, it’s a knife, it’s a covert nickel knife

NEWS – How many times have you daydreamed about a knife hidden inside a nickel? Never? Me neither. But for those of you out there that have this dream, this post is for you. You can now own your very own nickel knife. It looks like a nickel and will probably spend like a nickel (not recommended). But hidden in the edge of the coin is a tiny flip out stainless steel razor blade. Practical? Doubtful. Useful? Again, doubtful. Conversation starter? Yes. If you want to buy one, it will cost way more than a nickel, but if you’re interested it’s priced at $39.99 on Amazon. Check out the video below that shows it in action.

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It’s a nickel, it’s a knife, it’s a covert nickel knife originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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SnapCap lets you securely hang your cap almost anywhere

NEWS – As I’ve shared previously, I’m a fan of caps—I have several of them that I wear in heavy rotation and many of mine are either fitted or elastic-fit, so they don’t have that adjustable strap in the back.  For my fitted or elastic-fit ones, I often wish I had a way to attach them to the outside of my bag for EDC or travel, rather than having to jam them inside.  Recently I stumbled upon the SnapCap, made by DSPTCH.  It’s a combination hook/clamp that grips your hat in a way that won’t damage it, and lets you hang it from just about anywhere that you can attach its carabiner-like spring-hook.  It even allows you to carry more than one hat at a time, and clamp them all securely.  SnapCap retails for $9.99.  Visit SnapCap.com for more info or to order.

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SnapCap lets you securely hang your cap almost anywhere originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 22, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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Douchebags The Backpack review


REVIEW – For many years I have been continuously looking for that gear bag that is just right for me to run around with and carry enough photography gear. Over the years I must have collected 30 gear bags and I still don’t feel like I have the right one. I now have the opportunity to test The Backpack by Douchebags. Let’s see if my search is finally over.

What is it?

The Backpack by Douchebags is a versatile backpack that can accommodate the daily needs of a photographer via the available camera/photography insert, as well as for school, work, exploring the trails or if you are just out and about.

What’s in the box



1 x The Backpack
1 x Camera Gear Insert (This is extra and not included with the Backpack)

Design and features

Specifications
Volume: 21 liters
Laptop pocket fits a 15″ MacBook Pro

Features:
Hook-up system
Top pocket
Tripod Straps
Fully openable compartment
Inside mesh pockets
Compatible with The CIA Camera Insert.

Material:
Main material: Polyester 600D
Lining: Polyester 200D

Dimensions:
Height: 48 cm / 18.8 in
Width: 29 cm / 11.4 in
Depth: 15 cm / 5.9 in
Weight: 1 kg / 2.2 lbs

On the front of the Backpack, there are 2 straps across the width of the bag at the top and bottom that you can use to attach additional supplies like maybe a folded blanket or even to attach the bag to the handles of a suitcase. The front is also padded to provide added protection.

On the back, there are the padded shoulder straps, and the back is also padded to provide comfort and air flow between the backpack and your body. There are clips at the top of the straps that allow you to attach the bag to another via a molle system.



On one side of the backpack, there is an upper strap and a lower pocket that can accommodate a small travel tripod/monopod or even an umbrella. On the opposite side, there are 2 straps for additional gear.


On the top, there is a zippered section that has a mesh pocket on the opening flap for storing small accessories and opens to a pocket that provides a relatively deep storage area.


On one side of the backpack, there is a zippered laptop/tablet pocket.

On the inside, there are 2 zippered mesh pockets on each side for additional accessory storage.


On the front opening cover flap, there are 3 additional mesh pockets for even more accessory/supplies/extra items storage.


The camera insert has a velcro strap on each side allowing you to secure it in various ways. On the inside, there are velcro dividers for customizing the storage space for your camera gear.


The camera insert fits perfectly inside of the backpack. The camera insert is not very deep and can only hold small lenses if they are standing up. It is also quite small, so if the lenses are on their side, it still can only hold 2 or 3 small lenses, with a smaller DSLR. It cannot hold my pro body DSLR with the extended grip attached.


The pictures below show my model wearing the backpack. She indicated that it is very comfortable on her back and that the shoulder straps are also very comfortable.


What I like

  • The build quality
  • The storage options
  • The relative versatility

What can be improved

  • The size and depth of the photography insert to accommodate professional DSLR cameras and lens

Final thoughts

This backpack is a nice size and well made with several options for carrying and attaching various types of gear and/or everyday items. While it will work well for the normal daily supplies, I tested it specifically as a solution for my everyday photography gear needs. If carrying pro gear as I do, it is not the ideal solution. Many of my pro lenses are large as are my camera bodies that all have extended grips attached. I never remove the extended grips, so there is a size requirement to carry such large gear. This backpack is not the answer for me. However, do not let that deter you. If you are looking for a daily backpack or one to take on an adventure, this bag will work. In my opinion, the only other consideration is how you feel about the price.

Price: $231.40 or €179
Where to buy: Douchebags website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Douchebags

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Douchebags The Backpack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 22, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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