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How to Use Windows Defender from the Command Prompt

Windows Defender is the default antivirus software in Windows 10 and is no less than any third-party antivirus software. In fact, when it comes to system resource usage, Windows Defender is one of the best. Though the Windows Defender GUI is pretty easy to use, you can also use the Windows Defender via command prompt. This is especially useful when you are creating your own scripts or scheduled tasks. The Windows Defender command line lets you do all the basic things like performing different types of scans, listing and restoring quarantined files, adding dynamic signatures and removing or updating the virus definitions. This article will… Read more

PlayShifu Plugo STEM kit review


REVIEW – Earlier this year, my son was diagnosed with ADHD, and since then I have been in pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) type kits and devices to aid in his growth, learning, and expression. It was very obvious that his creativity was one of his strong skills. He has the ability to put together or to fix just about any assortment of parts that seem unrelated to many but in fact do belong together. I have purchased a few different STEM kits and after seeing him actually become attentive for very long periods of time, I have been seeking as many kits of this type as I can possibly acquire. I am elated that I have the opportunity to test and review the PlayShifu Plugo STEM kit. Here is a summary of my experience with it.

What is it?

The PlayShifu Plugo is described by the manufacturer as “An AR gaming system to stimulate STEM skills”. The entire suite offers the power of AR and education combined in 5 gaming kits: Quest, Count, Link, Steer, and Piano.
This kit contains the Plugo Count which stimulates your child’s interest to solve mathematical questions and the Plugo Link which uses magnetic hexagon building blocks in the form of games to stimulate your child’s mental abilities with puzzles and constructional challenges. It is recommended for ages 5+.

What’s in the box





1 x Plugo Count Set
Includes:
1 Count Spike
2 sets of 0-9 numerals
4 Operators
4 games on Plugo app

1 x Plugo Link Set
Includes:
15 Hexagon blocks
4 games on Plugo app

1 x Plugo Gamepad

Design and features


The PlayShifu Plugo kit parts are made of plastic. The Count kit comes with 2 sets of 10 blue numbered game pieces with numbers on each side. One side in white and one is brown.

It also comes with two additional yellow pieces with a plus, minus, divide and subtract symbols, one symbol per side are included with each set of number pieces.


The Count central base piece is yellow and connects magnetically to the gamepad. One side has brown dots to direct how the piece should be used based on the game requirements and the side of the game pieces that should be used.


The gamepad is blue and folds out flat. On one end there is the spring-loaded mobile device holder that accepts the tablet or the phone. On the back, there is a purple PlayShifu logo.

Performance

Setting up the Plugo is very easy. Once you lay the gamepad flat and insert the tablet/phone into the spring loaded device holder slot the gamepad is ready to go. You then download the PlayShifu Plugo app and follow the setup instructions. Despite the compatibility instructions, I decided to try my 2nd generation iPad first because it is the only 9″ iPad in the home. The others that I have are 12.9″. I also knew that the IOS version was older but I gave it a shot and it initially worked all the way through the setup. It is only when I tried to play the games that the app crashed every time and I eventually had to reluctantly switch to my iPhone. This also explains why some of the pictures below are with an iPad and some with my iPhone.

Once you load the app it asks a math question which is the same every time you start the setup process. After that, you are prompted to select the grade level of your child. Then you are prompted to give the app access to the device camera and after that, there is a sync process to sync the modules. Once the syncing process is completed for each module, in this case, the Count and the Link are the modules that I have, you are ready to play.







In order to start using the plastic game pieces for the Link and the main control piece for the Count, they have to be paired with the gamepad. The following screens are the instruction screens for placing the required pieces on the gamepad so the pairing process can be completed.




Once the game pieces are paired to interact with the gamepad, you can select a game and a level. To select the module and the game you can either touch the screen and in the case of the Count module, you can place the game piece over the center spike of the base control piece. For example, if you place the game piece marked “3” over the center spike, it will select game 3. How it works is better explained in the following

As shown below, the game that I selected has 28 levels.




The pictures below show a link game that displays a word and requires you/child to connect the game pieces to match what is shown on the screen and spell the word.



The screens below show a game my child played using the Count module. and also below there is a video showing how the screen displays the confirmation for choosing the correct answer.

There are several games and levels that your child can play and interact with for hours of fun and learning. I am looking into buying additional modules like Quest and Steer that I know my children will love.

What I like

  • The learning options that it provides
  • The ease of use
  • The smartphone/tablet compatibility
  • The design that appears attractive to children

What can be improved

  • A gamepad that can accommodate more of the popular and regularly used tablet sizes including the 12.9″ iPad

Final thoughts

Over the past few months, as I have become more familiar with STEM learning tools, I have also become a fan. Using various STEM kits, I have watched in amazement as my son explores and showcases his creative abilities. The PlayShifu Plugo has added to his world and his ability to learn and grow via a mechanism that he understands and identifies with. Just like my other STEM kits, I give this one two thumbs up!!

Price: Plugo Link – $49.99; Plugo Count – $49.99
Where to buy: PlayShifu and Amazon
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by PlayShifu

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PlayShifu Plugo STEM kit review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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How to Enable, Disable, and Use the Preview Pane in Gmail

Gmail has various options to help you customize your inbox to your liking. For example, you can add different themes to your inbox and save time thanks to the Smart Compose feature that suggests what it thinks you’re going to type. Another useful option is the preview pane where you can see the content of an email and the list of emails at the same time. If you have this option disabled, as soon as you click on an email, you lose visual contact of your inbox and only see that particular email. How to Enable Gmail’s Preview Pane By default, the Preview Pane… Read more

The new Heated Razor from Gillette Labs is hot – literally

NEWS – In an effort to make shaving more comfortable, many razor companies have added more blades, taken away blades, or made their razors with handles that vibrate. Gillette’s latest entry in the ongoing razor race is to add heat to the equation. Specifically, in the form of a wirelessly charging razor with a warming bar.

The one thing that most folks do when shaving, aside from making sure they have a razor and some type of lubricant, is to heat up the area they are intending to shave. As I shave in the shower, I usually run my face under the water for a few minutes to soften up my beard. Now, with the heated razor from Gillette, I can skip the face soaking and go straight to shaving.

To heat the warming bar you simply press the power button. According to Gillette, it takes one second to reach full temperature. On first use, it will heat to the higher of the two available settings. This can be adjusted by pressing and holding the power button to cycle between high and low heat. Once set, the razor will remember your preference.

The handle is a bit bulkier than the normal Gillette Power, or other vibrating razors, but not uncomfortably so. Although you can’t use your existing cartridges, as the handle has a different connection, it uses the same Fusion ProGlide blades.

The Gillette Heated Razor comes with the handle and charging base, along with a pack of cartridges. It started as an Indegogo campaign, which sold out, and is now available for preorder from Gillette On Demand for $200 (expected to deliver in time for Father’s Day).

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The new Heated Razor from Gillette Labs is hot – literally originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Edifier W860NB Bluetooth Active Noise Canceling headphone review

REVIEW – As wireless headphones and earphones are becoming the norm rather than a luxury, it only makes sense that customers will keep asking headphone makers “How can you top that?” with each new headphone. Now that wireless is common, the next step is making ANC or Active Noise Canceling standard. Currently, it seems Bose and Sony have ANC locked down, but more headphone companies are incorporating ANC into their product line with varying degrees of success. One of those companies is Edifier—a maker of first-rate (and expensive) home speakers, downright inexpensive computer desktop speakers and everything in-between. They also make good sounding headphones that provide a lot of bang for the buck.

What is it?

The Edifier W860NB headphone combines a warm sound signature, ear pad tracking and ANC into a successful mix of good sounding tech. It’s an affordable headphone that sounds better than its price might indicate.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 20Hz～20kHz 
  • Impedance: 32 Ohms (easy to use with smartphones)
  • Input sensitivity: 100dB
  • Bluetooth: 4.1 
  • Bluetooth profiles: HSP HFP A2DP AVRCP 
  • Connection distance: 33 feet 
  • Battery capacity: 1400mAh rechargeable battery
  • Battery standby time: About 800 hours 
  • Charging time: About 3 hours 

In the box

  • W860NB headphone
  • Hard case
  • Micro USB charging cord
  • Mini plug cord
  • Airplane adapter

Design and features

The Edifier W860NB headphone loosely reminds me of Bose ANC headphones. They don’t look like them, but there are similarities. The W860NB is mostly plastic but feels solid and not cheap—like Bose. The ear pads are quite soft and comfortable with head clamping that holds securely without being too tight—also, like Bose. It’s a mama bear approach—just right. These are the kind of headphones that can be worn for hours with no issues—with or without glasses. The ear pads are tilted at the same angle as human ears, so the fit is more “eargonomic” than many other headphones. Because of this, the W860NB headphone looks and feels perfectly natural when wearing—so why is this a rarity?

Black is the go-to color for headphones that aren’t trying to make a designer statement and the W860NB headphones are no exception. The look is all business with black plastic mated with black protein leather ear pads and a subtle silvery-black trim. It’s a classy look, if a bit forgettable. However, they don’t sound forgettable. More on that later.

All controls are on the right ear cup. Edifier calls the On/off button a Multi-function button. It will power the W860NB headphone on or off, but pressing it longer begins the Bluetooth pairing process. Anyone who hasn’t read the manual may get quickly frustrated trying to pair for the first time. NFC is available for most smartphone users—except Apple, of course.

Next to the Multi-function button is the active noise canceling switch. This slider button is easy to find with fingers without looking while wearing the headphones.

The left ear cup houses both the micro USB charging port and mini-plug port for wired listening. I listened to music both wired and wirelessly. Usually, I can tell the difference between the two sources, but not with the W860NB headphone. That’s rare.

The right ear pad has a touch screen (track pad) built into its slightly rounded surface. Dragging your finger up and down adjusts the volume up and down. Dragging forward will skip to the next track and dragging back go will either go to the previous track or return to the beginning of a track. Double-tapping the center of the ear pad pauses and un-pauses music or accepts/rejects a phone call. 

This is all a nifty feature with a couple of caveats. Sliding a finger up and down changes volume alright, but there’s no finesse. I was either adjusting the volume too loud or soft. I realized that short-flicking my finger on the ear cup rather than dragging changed the volume in more accurate, shorter increments. The other issue I had is that anytime I touched the ear cup to adjust it on my head, I  would perform one of the trackpad functions when I didn’t mean to. I needed to be aware of where I touched the ear cup. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but its a learning curve.

Call quality using the built-in mics is okay—not great. People I talked to could hear me just fine, but when (unfairly) compared to Apple’s AirPods, there is no comparison. I sounded a bit muffled and far away. To be fair to Edifier, I haven’t had any headphones yet that can rival the AirPods in call quality—regardless of price.

The W860NB headphone comes with a hard, protective case. The W860NB does not fold, so the case is a bit large. An additional soft, commuting bag would have been welcome, but at the price of this headphone, I can’t argue that point too much. Also included are a mini plug to mini plug cord and a USB to micro USB charging cord. There’s even an airline adapter, though those are becoming more unnecessary as time goes on.

It takes about 4 hours to fully charge the W860NB headphone. Play time is rated at 25+ hours with ANC on or 45+ hours with ANC off. Note that volume can also affect battery time.

ANC is one of the main features of the W860NB headphone. It’s not quite as effective as either Bose’s or Sony’s ANC but hey—the W860NB headphone is a bargain compared to those two brands and it’s almost as good! When on an airplane or in a daily commute, the W860NB headphone’s ANC will eliminate any drone-like background and adequately muffle vocals so you can either rest or have better concentration. ANC on the W860NB headphone does what it’s designed to do and that’s a good thing.

The W860NB headphone’s ANC does affect the quality of music when on. ANC tends to “flatten” the sound a bit. This has the effect of distancing emotional connection to what music I’m listening to. However, with ANC off, music takes on a more engaging, fuller sound. There’s just the right amount of bass for easy listening with no hint of harshness in the high frequencies. Technically, the W860NB headphone may not be as accurate as it could be, but who cares? They’re fun to use, comfortable and can wirelessly make music sound good. That counts for a lot.

Even if music sounds better with ANC off, I would not hesitate to use ANC if I thought it was necessary.

What I like

The main attraction of the Edifier W860NB headphone is not its comfort, ANC or relaxing sound signature. All that works just fine. The attraction is that Edifier manages to provide all this at the price they do.

  • Well made
  • Comfortable
  • Long battery life
  • Good ANC

What needs to be improved

  • Too bad they don’t fold
  • Case is protective, but big for travel
  • ANC flattens the music a bit

Final Thoughts

Edifier has a winner with the W860NB headphone, It’s not too expensive—especially with all the extras factored in. The headphone can easily compete with Bose and Sony at a much better price—and still look good doing it.

Price: $169.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Edifier.

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Edifier W860NB Bluetooth Active Noise Canceling headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2019 at 9:09 am.

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