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How to Install Guest Additions in VirtualBox

VirtualBox is fantastic software, especially for developers, but it doesn’t quite have everything out of the box. You may run into performance problems, and the integration with the underlying operating system (known as the “host” OS) isn’t great. There are some other issues you can run into as well. Fortunately, you can fix this, depending on the virtualized operating system (known as the “guest” OS) you’re running. You can do this by using a series of add-ons known as Guest Additions. Related: How to Import and Export OVA Files in Virtualbox What Are VirtualBox Guest Additions?… Read more

Waterfield Designs Minemo Slim Wallet review

REVIEW – Slim, minimalist wallets have been on the rise for some time, and in fact, we have reviewed several of them here at The Gadgeteer.  Recently, one of the companies whose bags, pouches, wallets, and other products we have come to admire, Waterfield Designs, administered their  Next Generation Wallet community design project, soliciting feedback via multiple surveys directly from customers and fans.  That feedback was used to not only update some of their existing wallet designs but also to create new wallets not previously offered in their wallet product lines.  One of those new wallets was their Minemo Slim Wallet.  Let’s check them out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Minemo Slim Wallet is a small, thin, compact bi-fold style wallet with a minimalist style that is designed to hold a few cards and some cash.

Hardware specs

  • Material options =

    • Oil-tanned, full grain Black, Blue, Brown, or Dark Brown Leather – each $59
    • Heritage Blue, Stone Red or Forest Brown Italian Waxed Canvas (Forest Brown reviewed here) – each $49
  • Capacity = Holds about 8 cards and some folded cash, plus 1-2 cards in the exterior quick-access pocket
  • Optional RFID blocking liner available for an additional $10
  • Dimensions = 4″ x 2.6” x 0.375”
  • Weight = 0.8 oz.
  • Location of manufacture = Workshop crafted in San Francisco, CA, USA

Design and features

The new Minemo Slim Wallet is one of Waterfield Designs’ newest wallets.  It is the direct result of the Next Generation Wallets survey which was administered to customers and other interested folks back in January-February of 2019.

My initial impressions of the Minemo Slim Wallet that I was sent to review were twofold: first, it is indeed slim, and second, the look and feel of its material are quite unique.

While the Italian Waxed Canvas fabric of this review sample was quite unique in look and feel (and available in Heritage Blue, Stone Red, and this Forest Brown color), the Minemo Slim Wallet is also available in Black, Blue, or Dark Brown oil-tanned, full-grain leather.

The Minemo Slim Wallet is available in Black, Blue, Brown, or Dark Brown Leather, or Heritage Blue, Stone Red or Forest Brown (reviewed here) Italian Canvas.  The Italian Canvas material looks and feels almost like a waxed canvas material in both visual an tactile properties.  Furthermore, on close inspection, the fabric has what appears to be a very small “hex” or “honeycomb” pattern.

The Minemo Slim Wallet is not only slim, but it also has a small footprint at only 4″ x 2.6”, which makes it a great option for either front- or back-pocket carry, and in fact would probably work fine for even front shirt-pocket carry (though I don’t tend to carry my wallets this way).  Additionally, the Minemo Slim Wallet has been designed to fit inside some of Waterfield Designs’ larger wallets for travel, such as their Passport Finn Access Wallet or their new Travel Wallet (reviews of both are in-process—stay tuned).

As mentioned above, the Minemo Slim Wallet is indeed slim at 0.375″ thick when empty.

The Minemo Slim Wallet is lined, and has a simple diagonal pocket on either side to hold cards or cash.  For an additional $10, the Minemo Slim wallet can include an RFID protection liner as well, but this feature was not included in the item reviewed here.

To test out the Minemo Slim Wallet, I loaded it up with the above items: 6 bills and 7 cards, which is a fair representation of what I might typically carry in my wallet on an average day.

The exterior of the Minemo Slim Wallet has a single easy-access diagonal pocket on the front, which allows the user to insert an oft-used item for quick access, such as an ID or some cash.  Note that if this Minemo Slim Wallet had included the optional RFID protection, any item placed into this exterior pocket would be outside of the RFID protection, which can be both a risk or benefit.  The risk is that someone with malicious intent could access the data on a card stored in this exterior pocket without your knowledge via wireless technology. The benefit is that if you use a certain card often via wireless means—a chipped credit card, and so forth—you could use this card without removing it from the inside of the wallet, or even removing it from this exterior pocket.

Above, I’ve loaded the Minemo Slim Wallet with the remaining 5 cards (my ID being in the outside pocket) in the top pocket, and the 6 bills in the lower pocket.  One drawback to the Minemo Slim Wallet here is that, if you want to put cash bills into it, you have to double fold them, which adds a lot of thickness to it.

I think the number of cards and bills that I placed in the Minemo Slim Wallet were probably just a bit more than it was designed to carry regularly; while  I’m certain I could have put more cards and/or bills into it, this would continue to increase the thickness, and with the word “Slim” right in its name, I think the Minemo Slim Wallet is intended to provide a more svelte, minimalist carry for your wallet items, which means you should probably be carrying less in it than you would in a typical wallet.

As seen above, the Minemo Slim Wallet is very suitable for back-pocket carry like just about any traditional wallet.  I barely know it’s there!

Where the Minemo Slim Wallet excels, however, is in front-pocket carry, where its very small footprint, super thinness, and very soft material make it quite comfortable.

And finally, the Minemo Slim Wallet is actually quite suitable for front shirt pocket carry as well, as long as you don’t put too much into it, which will make it heavier and can pull your pocket downward.

What I like

  • Very small, very slim, very suited for either front or back pocket carry
  • External quick-access pocket is handy
  • High-quality materials and construction

What I’d change

  • Perhaps make the footprint just a bit larger—cash bills must be double-folded to fit, which increases the thickness

Final thoughts

The Waterfield Designs Minemo Slim Wallet is an excellent slim, compact, minimalist wallet if you want to carry a handful of cards and cash.  It has a classy look and feel and although it is a bit on the pricey side, its materials and construction give me the impression that it will last a long time and only get better with age.

Price:

  • Italian Waxed Canvas styles are $49.99
  • Oil-tanned, full-grain leather styles are $59.99
  • For RFID protection liner, add $10 to any wallet price

Where to buy: Waterfield Designs (AKA SF Bags)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Waterfield Designs

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Waterfield Designs Minemo Slim Wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 12, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Flösku Remote Case and Halo Apple Homepod stand review

REVIEW – Flösku is a relatively new company based in England and their first accessories are precision crafted for Apple products. We’re taking a look at their Remote Case for Apple TV and the Halo Stand for Apple Homepod.

What are they?

The Remote Case is aptly named as it’s a two-piece case that encloses the Apple TV 4k remote. The Halo Stand is a perch specifically for the Apple Homepod. Both products being reviewed are made entirely from wood and more specifically, walnut.

What’s in the boxes?

  • Each product is lovingly packaged in the equivalent of a jewelry box and includes instructions.


Hardware specs

  • Both products are 100% walnut and assume you own the corresponding Apple product; the Apple TV remote for the Flösku Remote Case and the Apple Homepod for the Flösku Halo Stand.

Design and features

Flösku clearly both enjoys and is proficient working with wood as evidenced by these two accessories. They also create in aluminum which they use for a stand machined for the Apple Pencil, but let’s look closer at these wooden gems individually.

The Remote Case is made with two separate pieces.

A recessed frame allows the remote to nestle into place with a cut-out windows for the IR blaster at the front and the lightning charging port at the bottom. The back is perfectly flat with a machined edge that slides into grooves along the inside edges of the frame and closes completely flush. The Flösku logo is recessed into the back panel very tastefully.

Flösku added a neodymium magnet in the back panel for attaching the remote to metal objects nearby.  You’ll notice the installed remote will now have a walnut lip around the top surface, but you’ll still have full access to all the remote’s controls.

The Halo Stand is a remarkably clean and elegant donut shape (yes, there are elegant donuts out there) with a rounded surface that faces up toward the Homepod and a flat side for resting against your table.

Flösku added a small round sticker just to help easily identify which side is down as the two sides are pretty similar in profile.

Setup

Remote: Slide the back from the case towards the end where you can see there are two parts to the case. When removed, gently place your Apple TV remote face down into the frame with the charging port on the open end.

It’s a precision fit, so you may need to push the remote around the edges to seat it evenly. When done, slide the back panel back into the case from the charging end.

Halo: Place the stand flat side down and then place your Homepod on top making sure that its foot sits inside the top surface of the Halo.

Performance

When the Homepod originally launched it wasn’t too long after that there was rumbling on the interwebs of the elastomeric foot leaving discolored rings in the surfaces of wooden furniture. I didn’t experience that issue myself, but can tell you that the Halo would definitely prevent that from occurring since you’ll now have a wood-to-wood relationship. Additionally, I prefer the look of the Homepod with the Halo underneath. We have a large selection of dark woods around our house and it fits right in.

There’s no further adjustments or interactions required, unless you’re moving your Homepod from room to room for some reason, so performance critique is really deciding if anything has changed with Homepod use. I haven’t noticed any issues with the stand affecting Homepod’s sound for one. I was originally concerned that foregoing the soft rubbery foot might lead to some vibration or other rattle. Nothing of the kind presented itself. No issues either when it comes to moving the Homepod when dusting. If anything, it’s actually easier as I can slide it out of the way and back again without having to upend the Homepod and clean the rubber foot.

As for the remote, there’s a little more performance to consider looking at the case as it’s now in your hand constantly.

The walnut just feels great to hold. It’s warm and smooth and the raised perimeter allows you to hold it without accidentally  hitting the touchpad area until you’re ready to actually do so.

The IR blaster at the front of the remote lines up with the hole beautifully, as does the charging port with enough clearance for lightning connectors with overmolds larger than Apple’s own cables. The remote doesn’t need to be charged often, but it’s certainly nice to not need to remove the case for charging.

The magnet feature in the case doesn’t offer much functionality, as it’s not strong enough to hang the remote on any surfaces and doesn’t seem to aid keeping the back cover in place either. It could provide some stability if your side table is metal, but even that’s a stretch.

What I like

  • Warm walnut color and feel
  • Quality precision build
  • Compliments the Apple products they’re for
  • Remote case can stay on for charging

What I’d change

  • Remove the magnet on the Remote Case (no benefit)
  • Offer more wood and color options on both products

Final thoughts

Making accessories for accessories can be really hard for many different reasons. Flösku has found a way to create a family of products that are beautiful, compliment each other and enhance functionality (or at a minimum without impeding it). If you’ve got some of the aforementioned Apple accessories and like natural materials, these are worth a look.

Price: $43.81 – Flösku Remote Case for Apple TV, Walnut | $50.08 – Flösku Halo Stand for Apple Homepod, Walnut
Where to buy: Flösku
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Flösku.

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Flösku Remote Case and Halo Apple Homepod stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 12, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Underwater Audio Swimbuds MP3 review

REVIEW – Earbuds that can withstand sweat and weather are getting pretty common on the market, but what about waterproof sources for that sound you’re listening to? I was recently sent a set of waterproof earbuds with a built-in MP3 player designed for swimming. Is such a thing possible? I took the plunge to test the Swimbuds MP3 from Underwater Audio to find out. Let’s dive in, shall we?

What is it?

Earbuds and a built-in MP3 player designed to work while swimming.

What’s in the box?

  • The actual headpiece
  • USB charger for unit
  • 11 pairs of ear tips
  • instruction sheet

Hardware specs

  • All-in-one MP3 player and headphone
  • 8GB of storage (up to 2,000 songs)
  • Impermeable to 10 feet (3 meters)
  • 7 hours of playback time
  • 4 styles of earbuds with various sizes so you can find the fit that works for you

Design and features

The big question with a waterproof electronic device is “How are you going to power this while keeping it sealed?” For this unit, it’s an external USB-equipped clip that holds the main unit’s charging touch-points against a matched set of pogo-pins in the charger. It’s a very tight fit, and there’s an opening in the clip so you can see the LEDs that give you indicators of the charge and power conditions.

Setup

Setup is fairly straightforward. The unit will read .mp3 files only, and they are just placed in the root of the device, just like you’re loading a thumb drive. No folders, no syncing, no frills: just dump them in, and they’re available.
This brings up one of the irritating things – .mp3 files. I never use this old format anymore. To create a bunch of files to listen to, I had to convert the desired files to the format needed, and then delete the old version to avoid having duplicates. Plus, there’s no good way to organize the order the songs would play in.

Performance

I did have a bit of trouble at the start. The unit would not show up on my Mac, which is a brand new Mac mini running MacOS Mojave 10.14.5. The USB port would charge it, but it never showed up alongside the other discs that are attached. I sent an email to the support line, and after they finally got the message that I know how to attach and clip it into the holder and it’s an issue with the unit, they walked me through a hard reset, which was as simple as holding down the power button for 10 seconds. Once it reset, it never gave me a moment’s problem. (Note to support: I’d put hard reset at step one or two, not step 5. And maybe assume folks can figure out how to connect the clip after they tell you the first time that it’s charging.)

Wearing the unit while swimming laps at my wife’s gym was trouble free. I’m not big on laps, but having music to encourage me along made the time seem to pass more quickly. The raised controls for stop, start, volume up/down, or skip/replay are easy to use because the buttons are raised. One side controls volume, the other controls playback/rewind. Easy-peasy.

With a large number of ear tips included, I was able to have my ears sealed off from water, but full of my music. Much more fun than just listening to my labored breathing.

What I like

  • Simple content loading
  • Many various ear-tips
  • Raised controls make adjustments easy

What I’d change

  • Playlists would be nice
  • .mp3 file format is very limiting

Final thoughts

Swimming has been the most enjoyable exercise I’ve ever done. It’s time-consuming and monotonous, however, which makes it boring. Having music or an audiobook to keep your mind occupied while your body does what it needs to do really makes it a better experience. I’m going to try and do more laps, and I’m depending on the Swimbuds to carry me through. They were great to use during testing, and I recommend them to anyone needing a workout soundtrack.

Price: $80.00
Where to buy: Underwateraudio.com
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Underwater Audio.

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Underwater Audio Swimbuds MP3 review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 12, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Shake your way to a healthy campfire snack

NEWS – If smores give you a bellyache and fire-cooked hot dogs don’t please your palate, check out the Traditional Shake and Pop Outdoor Popcorn Popper from Wabash Valley Farms for your next campfire snack.

My son and co-reviewer, Mason, just like his grandfather, needs a daily dose of popcorn. In fact, these guys opt for popcorn over ice cream, which I never quite understood. 

Mason’s also an outdoorsy type who spends at least two weeks a year at summer camp forgoing comforts like indoor plumbing and electricity. 

We considered sending him to camp with a load of Jiffy Pop, but he wasn’t impressed with the disposable packaging, and I wasn’t thrilled about petroleum derivative TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone).

That’s when we found the Shake and Pop for simple popcorn making without the extras. You just screw together the 18-inch-handle, add a little oil and your kernels, and like the name says, you shake it over the fire until it pops for a tasty treat! At less than 2 pounds, the light-weight aluminum isn’t cumbersome or difficult to maneuver.

And you don’t have to abandon civilization to enjoy it. This open-fire popper works just as well in the backyard firepit or even your fireplace.

As of writing this, the popcorn cooker had 4.4 stars out of 5 with 5,610 reviews on Amazon. The Shake and Pop Outdoor Popcorn Popper is available on Amazon for $17.91.

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Shake your way to a healthy campfire snack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 12, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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