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Turn your clutter into functional furniture

NEWS – Does your home have a problem with clutter? I’m not too proud to say that mine does. Right now I’m staring at a 3.5 foot tall stack of magazines in the corner of the room. I’m sure there is some valid reason why the magazine has been saved instead of thrown in the recycle bin. Wouldn’t be nice to turn an eyesore stack of magazines into something useful? The Hockenheimer M makes that dream a reality.

The Hockenheimer M may have an odd name, but it’s a genius idea that combines a wooden birchwood base, 2 leather belts, a pillow, and your magazines to make a small stool or footrest.

All you have to do is stack your magazines or newspapers on the base, place the pillow on top and cinch up the belts to create a piece of furniture.

The only downside to the Hockenheimer M is the price. It’s 128,00 – 140,000 € which works out to about $145-158 US. Interested? Head over to njustudio.com or make one yourself. I bet it wouldn’t be difficult.

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Turn your clutter into functional furniture originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2019 at 12:01 pm.

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What Computer Worms Are and Why They’re Still Dangerous

It seems like every week you hear of some sort of cyber attack on a business or government agency, but it shouldn’t really be news to us. These type of attacks are as old as the Internet itself. Since the time of the earliest computer worms, like the Morris Worm in 1988, these little parasites have been infecting computers and networks around the world. But what are computer worms and why should we pay attention to them? What are computer worms? Computer worms are similar to real parasites because they can duplicate themselves across as many hosts as possible. Yet, they do it without causing… Read more

Cheerble Wicked Ball pet toy review

REVIEW – Cheerble Wicked Ball is a “smart toy” aimed at keeping your pet active and engaged, especially when you’re not home.

What is it?

With three different activity level settings and a spot to stash treats, this pet toy alternates between play and rest mode to entertain your dog or cat for hours with built-in breaks.

What’s in the box?

Mine arrived only with the ball itself in heavy-duty bubble wrap. However, the web site says it should have come with:

  • The ball
  • An instruction manual
  • USB charger

My instruction manual and charger may have been missing because I received a review sample. However, it wasn’t a problem because the Wicked Ball Web site has extensive instructions, including videos.

And I was able to easily charge it with my Kindle charger.

Hardware specs

  • Sensor: 6-axis MEMS
  • Processor: ARM Cortex-MO
  • Material: Polycarbonate and TPU
  • Motor: High-Torque DC
  • Charging time: 1 hour
  • Battery Life: Up to 8 hours, depending on mode/activity level
  • Model: C1801
  • Weight: 200 grams
  • Dimensions: 77mm/3 inches across
  • Battery: 3.7v 300mAh
  • Operating Temperature: 0-40 C / 32-104 F

Design and features

First, you need to unscrew the outer shell in order to reach the power center that controls the toy. This is also where you find the charging port.

Setup

It’s pretty simple to set up. To turn it on, you press the little dog-bone button for 3 seconds. Then you hold down the button to select your mode. As you press it, it will switch from green (gentle) to blue (normal) to purple (active). Just leave it on your preferred color/mode selection.

Also, rest assured that it won’t start twitching and vibrating until you’ve safely screwed the outer shell back together.

Performance

I was surprised at how turbulent even the most gentle mode was. Because of this, I’d suggest starting on green and then deciding if your dog wants more. With its wild movements, I wasn’t comfortable with the Wicked Ball gyrating across my new bamboo floors or around my antique furniture. I know it has sensors, but even so, I’m very protective of our family heirlooms, and it just wasn’t worth the risk. For my own piece of mind, I kept it in our carpeted lower-level.

The sensors did a good job of preventing the ball from getting wedged in tight spaces. My dog has a different (non-motorized) ball that releases treats but it’s forever getting jammed in awkward corners and under the couch.

I love the concept of entertaining a lonely dog, but in all honesty, my own canine companion didn’t much care for it as a toy. (We found another valuable use for it, but more on that later). My dog isn’t afraid of the ball. She just has no interest. Maybe my house full of boys and their friends has desensitized her to lights and motion. Maybe it’s her robot-vacuum pal, Rosie. But sadly, the Wicked Ball simply didn’t engage my own pup. Chasing chipmunks and bunnies in the backyard is more her jam.

The Web site claims “lazy dogs” could be lured by sticking treats in the inner-shell. My dog isn’t lazy, in fact, she’s very active. Regardless, even stuffing it with her favorite goodies wasn’t enough to entice her.

Since my dog wasn’t cooperating, I had a friend test the Wicked Ball on her Jack Russell Terrier. He had the same reaction: Not interested.

As I mentioned earlier, we did find another important use for the Wicked Ball that turned out to be just as valuable to us as entertaining our puppy girl. It helped distract her when she was having an episode of separation anxiety. We’re working through her anxiety with several treatments and vet supervision. However, at her worst moments, my pup fixates on our backdoor, where she’s scratched the heck out of the doorframe, hurt her teeth by repeatedly biting the door handle, and has even dug up the carpet and metal doorframe. And that’s where the Wicked Ball saved us! We keep it by the backdoor when we leave, and we’ve seen on our security camera that when puppy starts to approach the door (where we now keep the Wicked Ball), the toy’s jerking motion is just enough to break her focus, which prevents total panic mode from taking over.

What I like

  • Easy to us
  • Keeps my dog distracted

What needs to be improved

  • Suggest a lower setting option
  • Perhaps a treat-release feature or something similar to entice uninterested pets

Final thoughts

The Wicked Ball is easy to use and a sound concept. How your pet will react and engage with it is very much dependent on your individual dog or cat.

Price: $34 for one Wicked Ball/ $89 for a three-ball set (Cat-specific version and cat/dog combo packs are also available)
Where to buy: Indiegogo Indemand
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Cheerble.

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Cheerble Wicked Ball pet toy review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Soundcast VG5 weather resistant Bluetooth speaker review

REVIEW – Recently I reviewed the Bunktrunk footlocker for my daughter.  It came with a cute, little Bluetooth speaker about which I wrote, “It may not be loud enough to fill my house with sound, but it will be plenty loud in a dorm room.”  Looking back, I think this is how I thought about all Bluetooth speakers.  They are nice, and they are cute, but there’s nothing earth-shattering about their sound.  And then a box from Soundcast arrived, and my perspective has changed.

What is it?

The VG5 is a large, portable Bluetooth speaker intended for outdoor use.  It’s very little about quiet, introspective moments alone, but very much about thumping, rocking parties with your friends!

What’s in the box?

  • The speaker
  • A wall charger with 5 outlet adapters
  • Two battery packs, one smaller and one larger
  • 3.5 mm audio cable
  • An instruction manual with 3 pages of English instructions

Hardware specs

  • One 6″ long-throw woofer, two 3″ full-range drivers
  • 50-watt bi-amp amplifier
  • Rechargeable internal battery pack
  • Bluetooth 4.2 and Qualcomm® TrueWireless™ Stereo
  • Capacitive touch keypad

Design and features

When the box first arrived, I didn’t know what it was.  It was so huge!  It took me a second to realize that this was a Bluetooth speaker.  Pulling it out of the box did nothing to diminish its massive size.  The VG5 is 17 inches tall and weighs over 11 pounds; it even comes with a built-in handle for carrying, a feature that is very much needed.

Installation and setup

The first step in the setup process was to install a battery.  I unscrewed a panel on the base—this requires a medium-sized Philips screwdriver, which is not included—plugged in one of the battery packs, and then tucked in the wires.

The second step was to select the appropriate wall adapter and put in into the wall charger.  I used the typical North America adapter, but it’s pretty cool that the VG5 is ready for wherever you want to take it, whether nationally or internationally.

The third step was to plug it into the wall and just let it charge.  The manual recommends that you give it 5 hours, so I let it charge for the full duration.

One interesting item of note is this threaded hole in the bottom of the speaker.  I couldn’t find any explanation for it on the manual or Soundcast’s website.  It looks a lot like the mount point on the bottom of my DSLR camera, so I’m going to assume that this is for mounting the speaker onto a tripod.  If you plan to do this, make sure you get a hefty tripod.

The final setup step was to connect the VG5 to a music source.  Although it comes with an audio cable for a wired connection, I chose to use Bluetooth and pair it to my iPhone, which was easy to do.  I simply turned the speaker on, pressed the Bluetooth icon, enabled Bluetooth on my phone, and then selected “VG5 by SoundCast” from the menu.

Performance

The main question is certainly, “How does it sound?”  Unsurprisingly, it sounds loud!  The VG5 can put out a lot of volume.  When I first turned it on and played a rocking song, it shook the kitchen table!  When I took it outside, it shook the porch!  When I put it out in the garage, I could still hear the bass thumping from my living room.  Much of this can be attributed to its 6″ long-throw woofer that can really move some air.  When I put my hands in front of the 4 openings along the bottom, I can feel the air it’s pushing.

As this is an outdoor speaker, I took it outside every chance I got, washing the car, grilling steaks for dinner, woodworking in the garage, and enjoying homemade ice cream on the back porch.  I was never disappointed by the amount of sound.

The quality of the sound is, perhaps, a little bit of a different story.  Overall, the sound is very good.  The mids are solid, and the highs are clear; however, as one might expect for an outdoor, party speaker, Soundcast has cranked the bass on the VG5 way up.  This results in a sound that “thumps you good” but tends to be muddy and distorted.  I listened to a variety of music genres, and the distortion is most noticeable with techno/electronica, pop, rock, or anything with a pulsing beat and a heavy bass.  Just to make sure that I wasn’t imagining the excessive bass, I listened to the same music in my Mustang, cranked up to ear-splitting levels.  It sounded very different; the bass was present, but not overpowering.  There’s no doubt that the VG5 significantly alters the sound of your music.  Whether or not you consider this to be a good thing is largely dependent upon your personal tastes.  If you’re an audiophile or a musical purist, you probably won’t care for this speaker.  If, however, you just want to party, I think you will absolutely love this design choice.  Go ahead and drop the beat!  Personally, I wish that Soundcast had added an equalizer or a few presets for various music genres; this would make it more flexible by accommodating a variety of musical tastes.

The VG5 comes with a pair of rechargeable, lithium-ion battery packs.  At first glance, it’s not obvious why there are two packs.  The manual only mentions the smaller one, and the larger one comes with a slip of paper saying that it’s a bonus battery.  The Gadgeteer did confirm that everyone gets two batteries; it’s not a perk for reviewers.  The manual says that the play time varies depending upon the volume, so I ran a couple of tests to see how long the battery packs last.  On one-fourth volume, the smaller pack lasted 5.5 hours with continuous play over Bluetooth and the larger pack lasted 10 hours.  The Amazon website says it should last 10 hours, so my guess is that Soundcast added the larger pack because the smaller one wasn’t lasting long enough.  Whatever the reason, hey, it’s a free battery and a welcome addition!  If you’re going to spend all day at the beach, start with the larger battery and bring the smaller one (and a screwdriver) for a spare.

I’m really glad that Soundcast designed the VG5’s battery pack to be replaced; however, this feature is only helpful if you can procure another pack once you wear out the ones that come with it.  Unfortunately, Soundcast does not appear to sell spare packs for the VG5; there’s no mention of them on the Soundcast website (though they do sell them for the VG7) or on Amazon.  I sent a request to Soundcast via their contact page, asking where I could purchase a spare battery pack.  The replies that I got were prompt and courteous but didn’t actually answer my question.  Unless Soundcast clarifies, I can only assume that there’s no way to purchase a replacement battery pack; that’s a tough pill to swallow for a speaker that costs $400.  Hopefully, Soundcast will fix this soon by offering the larger size battery packs on their website.

Extra Features

Soundcast’s website notes that the VG5 has a “weather-resistant exterior.”  Looking on the bottom of the speaker, I found that it has an IP64 rating.  This means that it provides complete protection against dust and is protected from water that is splashed against it.  Feel free to take this speaker to the beach, onto your boat, or to the pool; just don’t throw it in!

The VG5 doesn’t really have any buttons in the traditional sense; instead, it has what Soundcast calls a “capacitive touch interface.”  This means that I simply have to touch the surface in order to activate a feature.  It’s a slick-looking interface and undoubtedly contributes to its IP64 rating.  It does take a bit of getting used to, as you have touch and hold the interface for a couple of seconds in order to activate each feature.

The VG5 supports NFC, so if your mobile device also supports it, you can just put it near the top of the speaker and it should instantly sync.  The good news is that NFC takes less power than Bluetooth; the bad news is that it has a very short range (about 4 inches), so you’ll need to leave your mobile device on top of the VG5.

If you want even more volume, you can buy a second VG5 and pair them together using Qualcomm’s TrueWireless Stereo (TWS) pairing.  This allows one VG5 to connect to a mobile source and to another VG5, effectively doubling the sound.  Additionally, you can configure them so that one VG5 acts as a left speaker and the other as a right, thus giving you true stereo sound.

The VG5 also has a couple of lock features that prevent “un-intended or accidental operation.”  I suppose if your party is getting a bit too crazy, or if you have mischievous friends (or little kids), this might help keep the music going without interruptions.

What I like

  • Booming sound
  • Easy Bluetooth connectivity

What needs to be improved

  • An equalizer or some presets
  • The option to purchase additional battery packs

Final thoughts

I like this speaker.  I really like it.  I listen to it all the time.  It has completely opened my eyes (or my ears?) to what is possible with a portable, Bluetooth speaker.  Summer is here; it’s the right time of year for pool parties, grilling burgers, and picnicking at the park.  Whatever your plans are, the Soundcast VG5 is a great choice for filling your event with loud, thumping music.

Price: $399.97
Where to buy: Amazon

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Soundcast.

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Soundcast VG5 weather resistant Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Enklov Air Fryer review

REVIEW – You’re not going to find a bigger fan of fried food than this writer. Growing up, I regularly attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is famous for having booths of fried food including twinkies, snickers and oreos. Needless to say I’ve consumed my fair share of fried goods. I’ve been intrigued about air fryers for a while, as I get older and my cholesterol levels require me to cut back on the deep fried goodies. So I got the chance to review the Enklov 5.5 quart XL Air Fryer and let me tell you: this one might be a life saver!

What is it?

The Enklov air fryer is a cooking device that allows you to “fry” food by using heated air instead of submersion in grease.

What’s in the box?

  • Air Fryer with removable basket
  • Instruction Book
  • Recipe Book

Design and features

The Enklov air fryer has a sleek black matte design, with a pull out basket that further disassembles for cleaning. Touch controls on the front panel allow you to adjust the temperature, set a timer and turn it on and off. The actual operation is fairly simple, set the temp to allow it to preheat, then put the food in the basket and set the timer. Many of the recipes and food types require you to either shake the basket, turn the food over or adjust it within the basket half way through cooking to ensure it doesn’t stick to the basket and that it cooks evenly.

Setup

Setting up the air fryer couldn’t be easier, it’s ready to go out of the box – simply plug it in, set it and start cooking.

Performance

We have tried multiple recipes and cooked a variety of types of food in the fryer. Here is a before and after of your standard fare tater tots:

The tots went in frozen at 400 degrees and after a shake half way through they came out perfectly brown and crispy. In fact, we absolutely loved the way they came out. Unlike when baked, they were not mushy on the inside and they kept the crispness until eaten. Definitely our new favorite way to cook tater tots, fries, and sweet potato fries.

Next, we tried a recipe for apple pie egg rolls:

You may be able to tell, they didn’t quite come out as pretty as the picture in the recipe guide, however they were still very tasty and definitely a healthier option than a deep fried apple pie. In the few weeks we’ve had the fryer, we have tried the fries mentioned above, the pies, as well as fried apricot glazed chicken, fried tofu, fish sticks and surprisingly we used the fryer to reheat pizza. The pizza came out especially well and using the fryer will be the only way I reheat pizza ever again. The cheese is reheated to a perfect gooey texture while also keeping the crust with some crispness. I always hated putting pizza in the microwave to reheat and now I won’t do it again.

What I like

  • Great crispness and texture on cooking frozen food compared to other cooking methods
  • Easy to set timer and temp, cook food and prep
  • Faster to preheat than an oven or cooking oil
  • Less greasy and oily food – healthier cooking overall.

What needs to be improved

  • When the drawer is open after preheating or when adjusting the food, there is a VERY loud repetitive beeping – this could be toned down a bit.
  • In cleaning the basket the bottom grill is rather difficult to get clean during hand washing, this can be rather labor intensive depending on how messy the food is that was being cooked. For most basic frozen foods, it’s not bad but the apple pie egg rolls for instance took quite a bit of time to clean with all the gooey overrun.

Final thoughts

Overall, this unit has me wishing I had invested in an air fryer a long time ago! It’s a great cooker, easy to use and fast to cook our meals. It has a wide variety of uses, recipes and will be a highly used item in our kitchen. I think it’s a quality device at a great price. I love that it gives us a healthier option for cooking foods like french fries and tater tots as well. I definitely recommend the Enklov Air Fryer.

Price: $89.98
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Enklov.

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Enklov Air Fryer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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