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6 solar-powered gadgets that are too convenient to ignore

ARTICLE – Electricity is something we often take for granted because using it is as easy as finding the nearest electrical outlet. But that approach isn’t always possible. In that case, these six gadgets let you tap into solar power from anywhere.

1. Damaanda Solar Book Light

This streamlined, solar-powered book light ensures you can keep enjoying the pleasure of the best page-turners wherever you are. It weighs less than 2 ounces, making the light an excellent choice for stashing into a backpack during your travels. The three LED bulbs offer both a low and high-brightness setting, giving you flexibility that increases your overall reading enjoyment.

During cloudy days, you can power up the book light with the included USB charger and cable. The wide width of the clip section makes it easy to attach the light to reading material of various thicknesses.

Buy: $14.99 on Amazon

2. GoSun Chill Solar Cooler

One of the potential hassles about conventional coolers is that things get messy when the bags of ice melt. Additionally, ice can take up too much room inside and leave less space for your food and beverages. But, this Indiegogo project will make you the star of the next beach trip or tailgate party. Solar power keeps your stuff cold without ice for up to 24 hours, and you can tweak a temperature setting feature.

Besides chilling your consumables, this cooler has USB ports to charge portable electronics. When you need to charge the cooler, do so in several ways, such as getting power from solar panels or plugging the gadget into a wall outlet.

Buy: $549.00 on Indiegogo INDEMAND

3. Alpine Bluetooth-Enabled Rock Speaker

The gadgets mentioned here have limited power-generation capabilities. So, if you’re trying to get power to host a community family day in your neighborhood, you’d need to invest in a more robust option, such as a commercial-grade generator. But, if you’re on a camping trip with family or friends and want to set the scene with music, look no further than this cool Alpine speaker.

It offers a Bluetooth range of 50 feet, plus has a weather-resistant body. Since the speaker gives up to 12 hours of use on a full charge, it’s the ideal choice for any of your festivities. The rock-inspired design fits right in with the natural environment, too.

Buy: $89.99 on Amazon

4. X-DRAGON Solar Charger 15000mAh Power Bank

Consider this product your must-have power bank for gadgets like smartphones and tablets. It charges popular smartphones like the iPhone X at least three times after a full charge, making it an ideal product for a weekend getaway. This power bank lets you feel free to take a break from your usual grind while staying connected to gadgets for safety or social reasons.

Rubber caps on the USB ports keep them protected from dust, dirt, and water. An integrated LED light with multiple operating modes also serves as a handy flashlight alternative.

Buy: $25.99 on Amazon

5. SolSource Sport Solar Camping Stove

Going off the grid doesn’t require going hungry when you invest in this camping stove. The stove is compact and easy to manage due to only weighing 10 pounds. Once you get to your destination, set it up in only 3-5 minutes. The stove comes with a backpack-style carrying bag, too. This gadget functions with high-performance parabolic reflector panels that heat the bottom of your cooking containers. It starts getting hot in minutes once you aim it at the sun.

Buy: $389.00 on SolSource

6. Vollebak Solar-Charged Jacket

A list of solar-powered items isn’t complete without a piece of apparel. The most outstanding characteristic of this jacket is that it glows in the dark. Plus, you can power it up with any light source — whether the sun or your car’s headlights — and enjoy a glow that lasts for 12 hours.

And, if you want to impress your friends at a party, start drawing on the highly reactive fabric by using a flashlight like a pen. You’ll see glowing lines wherever the light hits. This waterproof and breathable jacket does an excellent job of keeping you protected from harsh winds. It’s also a fabulous purchase for adventure hikers since the packable design rolls up to fit in one hand.

Buy: $445 from Vollebak

The Sun Is Nature’s Power Source

There’s no need for pesky electrical cords when you buy any of these six gadgets. Powering them up is as easy as going outside and giving them plenty of sun exposure. Whether you’re enjoying the Great Outdoors for a weekend or dealing with an unexpected power outage, these products can help.

Lead image via Dua Chuot

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6 solar-powered gadgets that are too convenient to ignore originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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How to Secure a Linux Home Server

There are plenty of reasons to set up a home server. You might use it as a media server, a file server, or even a local backup server. Basically, any files of yours that don’t need to be online are good candidates for a home server. Setting up a Linux-powered home server is relatively easy, especially these days. That said, keeping that server secure is another story altogether. Security can be as tricky, as it is important. Only Install What You Absolutely Need One of the easiest ways to keep your home server secure is to keep security in mind from the very beginning. This… Read more

Cecilia Lambert 12L camera bag review

REVIEW – My ideal travel camera bag is a messenger/satchel style bag. Whether I’m walking, cycling or riding a motorcycle, this style of bag allows me to easily swing the bag around, get out my camera gear, take the shot, replace my camera and then swing the bag back around. Much easier than having to remove a backpack, open it, get the gear out, close the backpack, put it somewhere, take the shot, replace the camera gear, close up the backpack, put the backpack back on….you get the idea.  In the past I’ve just used standard messengers (e.g Timbuk2) so when Cecilia offered to sent one of their line of camera bags I put my hand up to review. How did it work out?  Read on:

What is it?

Cecilia is an American company with a 160-year heritage in the leather industry, which shows in the quality of the quality materials used in its products. For their camera messenger line, they offer two options: the Tharp 8L  or the Lambert 12L.  Of course, you don’t have to use it as a camera bag, it can also be used as an EDC, something I’ve been doing for the last few weeks during the week and then as a camera bag on the weekends. In the end, I opted for the Lambert as the larger size made it just a little bit more flexible.

Lambert Specification

  • Exterior: 10.75″H x 15.25″W x 5.75″D (27.3cm x 38.7 x 14.6cm)
  • Interior: 10″H x 14.75″W x 4.25″D (25.4cm x 37.5cm x 10.8cm)
  • Weight: 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) (Cotton twill)
  • Weight: 2.8 lb (1.27 kg) (Leather)

What’s in the box?

The Lambert came in a nice reusable cloth bag.  It was really nice not to get something in a plastic bag that’s just going to be thrown away (recycled). I’m sure I can find a use for this bag somewhere in the future.

Design and features

Given their heritage in leather they offer both lines in either a black or chestnut leather and also a charcoal cotton twill. I decided to go for cotton twill as I really like cotton/canvas type bags and I thought it was (to me) more aesthetically pleasing with its charcoal twill and chestnut leather trim. The leather trim on the main flap and on the shoulder pad really offsets the charcoal twill nicely.  The strap is nice and strong and all hardware is painted metal.

On the back is a nice closed cell foam pad for both comfort and or airflow.  On the top of the pad is a zip so that you can use it as a pocket to store say documents or magazines but if you also open the bottom zip then it becomes a pouch to put on the handle of your roller luggage.

Open up the flap and there are 2 big pockets on the front.  Perfect to store all those little bibs and bob that you don’t want tumbling around in the main compartment or that you want easy access to.  There’s also some airflow padding on the shoulder pad.  On the back is a laptop/tablet sleeve for up to a 13.3″. The positioning of this is very handy because you can just open the flap and get your notebook out, especially useful if you’re going through the x-ray machine at the airport.  You don’t have to open the main compartment to get your laptop out for scanning.  When closed the main flap is held in place with magnets.  You can see the two magnets on the bottom of the front pockets. This is great as, while velcro is probably stronger, you don’t get that “RIIIIP” sound when you open the bag.  Nice and discrete especially if you’re taking photos or using the bag in a quiet environment.

The front pockets are nice and big and zippered so things won’t fall out. They’re perfect for things like battery packs or sd cards, a pen, a notebook or similar. For me, they’re big enough that I can fit my whole hand in if I need to “rummage” around in the pocket to find something small.

There are also two pockets on the sides.  They are quite deep and not overly expandable so ideal for a small notebook or your phone.  You wouldn’t want to put something too small in there though as they’d drop to the bottom and would make it hard to get it out.

The bag comes with two “modes”. Firstly there’s secure mode.  Do up the main zipper and no matter what you do nothing will come out of the main compartment.  Again your notebook is in the back of the bag and can be easily accessed in this mode without opening the main compartment.  Also, note the two leather tags on the zippers which makes it easy to access the zippers. Note the 3 round magnets on the top of the main compartment.

The other mode is “shooting” mode.  This is where the magnets indicated above come into play.  With the main compartment unzipped, the corresponding magnets on the flap mean that opening the flap also opens the main compartment.  This is great if you’re in a situation where you’re putting your camera in and out of the bag frequently. You get quick access to the main compartment and your equipment without having to muck around. The inside is nicely padded and has a soft fleece lining. Because of the foam padding the bag stands by itself.

Equipment

So there’s my collection of camera gear I normally carry around with me: a Panasonic G3 micro 4/3rd mirrorless,  2 Takumar circa 1970s prime lenses passed down  to me from my father ( 50mm/f1.4, 25mm/f2.5)  the standard Panasonic 14-90 zoom, a Nillkin flash (hardly use), my Gorilla pod  and a Canon S120.  A bit of a sad collection of (old) gear for a Gadgeteer to have, but they do the job and do it well.

Inside is three removable velcro attached dividers. When I use a messenger, everything just “rattles around” in the main compartment meaning I have to rummage around to find what I want. In this system, everything in its place and a place for everything.  Additionally, the bag being padded means that I can put all my gear in “naked” whereas with a standard messenger each component goes into some sort of individual protection. This makes it quicker and easier to grab and use something and then put it back in the bag.

What I like

  • I really do like the cotton twill with leather trims.
  • The foam back pad makes it comfortable to carry.
  • The compartments and padding make it easier to store and use my equipment.
  • The “secure” and “shooting” modes are really convenient.
  • It’s easy to get access to your notebook/tablet.
  • The bag stands by itself.
  • When used as an EDC rather than a camera bag, it limits how much I carry (12L).

What needs to be improved

  • With my previous canvas/cotton bags, the bottom corners tend to be the first to go. Given their heritage of leather, perhaps some leather corner protectors would add some additional protection and longevity.
  • Having a briefcase/grab handle would make it just a little bit more versatile on the go.
  • While the twill is coated to make it water resistant, if it got caught in a big downpour, your expensive camera gear would get soaked and water would stay in the padded foam.  A (built-in?) rain cover would protect against this. 
  • You can see the magnets are imprinting on the twill. Not sure what will happen longer term.

Final thoughts

As mentioned, I’ve been using this as an EDC for work during the week and carrying around my Surface Pro, an umbrella, my lunchbox, and various little bits and pieces.  As an EDC, this is a great bag for that.  However, because it’s a fix shape and size as an EDC for me it’s not flexible enough. Often a package might arrive or I need to take some additional stuff to or from work so I need a more flexible size/shape bag.

During the weekend however, it’s been used as a camera bag.  My biggest disappointment is that I don’t have enough gear to properly fill the bag 🙂 That being said, the smaller amount of gear makes it much easier to see, grab and use the correct gear.

These aren’t the cheapest bags around but they’re well thought out and well made, and if you’re looking something a bit fancier than that old ballistic nylon bag these certainly fit the bill.

Price: $289 – Cotton Twill / $439 – Leather
Where to buy: Direct from Cecilia
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Cecilia.

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Cecilia Lambert 12L camera bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2019 at 10:07 am.

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LEVOIT LV-H134 Air Purifier review

REVIEW – When you combine a pet with a wife that has asthma, you’ll find yourself in need of air purifiers. The chance to review the Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier came along and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

What is it?

The Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier is a large air purifier with a true HEPA filter that is capable of filtering a very large room.

What’s in the box?

  • Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier
  • Power cord
  • Quick Start guide and warranty info

Hardware specs

  • Rated Space: 710 ft2 / 66 m2
  • Air Flow: CADR rating of 312 CFM (530 m3/h)
  • Item Weight: 27.7 pounds
  • Dimensions: 12.5″ W x 12.5″ D x 29.5″ H

Design and features

The Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier is certainly a large unit, and as such, it can filter a lot of air without making as much noise as smaller units. Unlike smaller units that I’ve had, this one moves so much air at the high fan setting that you can actually feel the airflow in the room, something my wife really likes. At 29.5″ tall, it will be primarily a floor based unit for most people, however, I found that putting it on my fireplace mantel was a nice location for it. The unit has wheels on the bottom to make moving it easier, although I didn’t feel as though it was so heavy that it would require it.

The filter is 14″ (35.56 cm) tall and 10.5″ (26.67 cm) in diameter, its installation was as easy as pulling the door open, sliding in the filter, and popping the door back on. This is a large filter and the unit is designed to take in air 360°, fully utilizing the cylindrical filter design. The filter is rated to remove 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns including Allergies and pets, smokers, mold, pollen, odor, mold and dust. The filter construction has a fine screen on the outside to trap large particles such as hair, dander and dust. The main part of the filter has a true HEPA filter, and the inside has activated carbon to handle odors.


One of the neat features of this unit is that it has an indicator ring on the display that changes color based on the quality of the air. Red = Bad, orange = moderate, green = good, and blue = very good. During use, it has run at blue most of the time and only occasionally displaying green. The laser sensor for this feature seems to be located after the air has been filtered and detects the number of particles in µg within a cubic meter within 30 seconds for real-time air quality feedback.

The touch display makes operation easy, a light touch is all it takes to change settings. It has three fan speeds, an auto setting, a sleep setting, display brightness, filter replacement warning, and a timer function that will turn off the unit in 1 to 12 hours.

The lowest fan speed only produces 25dB noise that you can hardly hear. The auto mode adjusts the fan speed settings automatically according to the real-time air quality while saving energy. The top of the unit features a fin design that optimizes airflow throughout the room. The unit draws in air at the bottom and expels filtered air out the top.

I’ve got several smaller air purifiers, but they don’t move nearly as much air and are not as easy to operate as the Levoit LV-H134 air purifier. I’m so happy with it that I’ll probably get one of their smaller units for our home offices.

The filters are rated for about 6 months and currently cost $64.99.

What I like

  • Moves a great amount of air
  • Air quality display
  • Large filter
  • Ease of operation

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing that I can think of.

Final thoughts

I’m really pleased with the Levoit LV-H134 air purifier. It really helps clean the air as well as move air around the room to keep it from feeling stagnant.

Price: $399.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Levoit.

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LEVOIT LV-H134 Air Purifier review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Targus CityLite Pro Compact Convertible Backpack review

REVIEW – Continuing in the trend of “commuter packs that can hold any screen, so long as it’s skinny”, we’ve got a new contender from an old friend. Add to the required main large, narrow screen sleeve a flexible set of pockets and versatile straps, and you’ve got a winner. This one is from Targus, one of the oldest laptop case makers I’m aware of. Presenting their CityLite Backpack.

What is it?

Streamlined on-the-go style, laptop protection, and backpack-to-briefcase carrying for wherever your day may take you. That’s the website’s tagline, and it fits. You can carry this as a tote, a briefcase, a sling or wear it as a backpack. Let’s dig in.

What’s in the box?

Just the bag.

Hardware specs

  • Works With 16″ Laptops and Under
  • Capacity – 13 Liters
  • Weight – 1.94 lbs
  • Dimensions – 12.60″ x 17.31″ x 4.32″ (W x H x D)
  • Laptop Compartment – 9.84″ x 13.78″ (W x H)
  • Tablet Compartment10.50″ x 11.50″ (W x H)
  • WarrantyLimited Lifetime Warranty
  • Multi-fit cradle fits 12” – 15.6” laptops
  • Tablet pocket fits up to 12.9″ devices
  • Tuck-away shoulder straps to convert backpack to briefcase
  • Contoured, padded shoulder straps & air mesh pack panel for comfort
  • Hideaway bottle pocket
  • Interior file divider and two zippered compartments
  • Trolley pass-through luggage strap
  • Metal hardware with soft-touch zipper pulls

Design and features

The CityLight is a minimal pack with maximal yearnings. There’s only a sleeve back pocket, a central pocket that zips around 70% of the opening with a dual zipper plus a slender front pocket, but you can carry it any way you want.
The outer shell is a grey ripstop nylon, but the texture is almost a linen feel. It’s a much thicker fabric than a parka or sleeping bag ripstop. Across the bottom of the front, there’s a darker coloring, which looks like some protectant has been applied. There is no seam, and it doesn’t feel different, but the fabric is many shades darker.


The outermost pocket is a generous size, and there’s enough dimension to put in things like a power supply, gloves, or all the stuff from your pants pockets when you’re going through security.
The center section is very accessible and has sides all around like a packing cube. There’s a slash pocket across the back that could hold a magazine or some files. It’s not too tight, as these things tend to be. The cover that zips out of the way has a net pocket with a zipper that could hold cables, wallet, or an iPad mini in a case. Behind that is a larger zipper pocket that goes all the way down to the fold (where the outside zipper stops).


The rear pocket has a three-part sleeve divider that is trimmed across the top in royal blue elastic. The two outer pieces are double thicknesses of the inner material. The center section is a very soft stretch material. A 1.5” webbing security strap extends from the top center and attaches to the divider’s center with a generous patch of hook-and-loop fabric. In front of this is another thin area that would hold a tablet, a portable keyboard, or a sheaf of papers. It’s not thick enough for, say, an umbrella or clothing.

Performance

The flexible nature of the CityLite lends itself well to shifting between a backpack, a sling, a tote, or a briefcase. The straps disconnect individually from the lower corners and can be stored in a panel behind the vented mesh back. For a sling, just connect one of the straps to the lower corner opposite. The briefcase handle, opposite the net water bottle pocket on the right side, as you wear it, pulls out a bit, and has mesh padding underneath, while being stitched and attached flexibly at each end. This makes the load bounce a bit, which makes things seem lighter. The haul loop, which offers tote-bag style carrying is probably the least comfortable of the four carry methods. The handle is 1″ webbing with no padding and no give.

What I like

  • Generous cradle holds everything from gamer laptops to iPads
  • Laptop and tablet space available
  • Straps can be used in several ways
  • Flexible hidden net pocket for a drink bottle, small items, phones, etc.

What needs to be improved

  • Front pocket is kinda small, for those wanting longer days.

Final thoughts

I’ve used Targus cases off and on for decades. Their guarantee and customer service is first class. (I’ve had 3-year-old bags be replaced for no charge for customers.) This kind of support over the long haul is rare among bag manufacturers

Price: $74.99
Where to buy: Targus and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Targus. You can visit them on Facebook and Twitter too.

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Targus CityLite Pro Compact Convertible Backpack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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