2019 – Page 318

Mousetrapper 2.0 alternative mouse review

REVIEW – By now, many of us that use computers frequently and as part of our daily lives have felt the discomfort that can occur when using a conventional mouse. The Mousetrapper Advance 2.0 is classified as a Wellness mouse that alleviates the inherent stresses of using the conventional mouse. Let’s see if this is true.

What is it?

The Mousetrapper Advance 2.0 is designed for ease of use, and to eliminate the stresses that are inherent with the use of a standard/conventional mouse. It is available in two versions with stylish accent colors: white or turquoise. There are six programmable buttons that allow you to customize the settings according to your needs. The reconfiguration of the buttons is accomplished via the MT Keys software which is available for download via the manufacturer’s website. The software lets you easily reconfigure all the button functions, add standard texts, create user profiles and more. MT Keys software is available for both Mac and PC.

What’s in the box

1 x Mousetrapper Advance 2.0
1 x Mini USB Cable
1 x User Manual

Design and features

Features

Super-slim, ergonomic design
Accent colors in white or turquoise
Control pad with click and scroll functions
6 programmable buttons for customization to your needs, using MT Keys
Replaceable wrist supports
Height adjustment with folding non-slip surface
2000 dpi

Specifications

Control pad with click function and scroll on the right side
6 programmable buttons
USB connection
2,000 dpi
Compatible with all PC and Mac computers with a USB port. MT Keys requires Windows 7 or later, or Mac OS 10 or later
Width: 480 mm; Height: 20 mm; Depth: 110 mm; Weight: 670 g

In the immediate mouse control area, there is the mouse in the center which is a ribbed control pad surface that moves as the mouse, and it is surrounded by the six programmable buttons.

On the bottom of the Mousetrapper, there is a rubber pad that can be used in a few ways such as a surface grip, for height adjustment or in my case I extended it under my laptop. On the hard surface of the bottom, there is a basic instruction diagram.

On the left side of the Mousetrapper, there is a mini USB port that allows you to connect to the computer, The device is USB powered.

Performance

The laptop that I tested this mouse with has Windows 7 installed. Once I connected the Mousetrapper, Windows automatically downloaded and installed the driver. For my use, I placed the rubber pad under the laptop and I was ready to go.

No matter how much I try, I find the control mouse pad to be stiff when moving it and its movement is also very jerky and inconsistent. The control pad does move in every possible direction just like you can a conventional mouse, but to me, it feels really strange and it is a feeling that is a bit difficult to explain. In my mind, it feels somewhat like moving a piece of silicone on a smooth and somewhat lubricated surface. Using it along with the buttons just seems completely awkward to me. Nevertheless, I continued testing and proceeded to the next step to download the software that allows you to program/reprogram the buttons. As shown in the picture below, there are 3 options to download the appropriate MT Keys software. Since I am using Windows 7, I selected the middle option.

No matter how many times I tried, the picture below shows the result I get when I select the Windows 7 option shown in the middle. I was able to get to a proper download screen if I selected the Windows 10 option, but that is not the OS that I am using, and Windows 10 uses a Windows app.

What I like

Ease of install
The built-in wrist pads

What can be improved

Functional application and use as a mouse
Website support options/availability

Final thoughts

When I first saw this mouse, I was very eager to try it and to experience its functionality. While I have a feeling that some people may have a better experience than me, I find it awkward and not very practical or functional. There are a large variety of mouse styles and options available to consumers, and based on the Kensington mouse I currently use, in my opinion, many of the available options work better and cost way less. This device is expensive.

Price: $245.63
Where to buy: Amazon
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by Prestige International

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ergonomics, Mouse

Mousetrapper 2.0 alternative mouse review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2019 at 12:22 pm.

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A Complete List of Google Drive Clients for Linux

Google Drive is a fantastic online storage space that provides up to 15GB for free so you can back up and sync your files. It also syncs with several third-party services, and you can access it on major operating systems like Windows and macOS. However, on Linux the process is different. While there is no official Google Drive client for Linux, you can still browse your Google Drive files in the File Manger if you’re using a GNOME-based desktop, thanks to the integration within the Files app. Otherwise Linux users would have to resort to third-party options to access Google Drive. Below is a complete… Read more

Put a dry erase board on your desk instead of your wall

Here’s a clever idea to help improve productivity and reduce paper waste. It’s the Glass Dry-Erase Desktop Computer Pad from Quartet. It’s a 18 x 6 inch glass dry erase board that you can position between your keyboard and your monitor so that your ideas, task lists, and doodles are right where you can see them instead of on the wall.

The Computer Pad features an easy to clean white glass surface, a pull-out drawer that you can use to hold small items like paperclips and extra dry erase markers. It even comes with one marker to get you started.

Put the sticky notes in the drawer and use the Computer Pad which is priced at $29.28 and can be purchased directly through Quartet and Amazon.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Office

Put a dry erase board on your desk instead of your wall originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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totallee iPhone Xs Max screen protector review

REVIEW – I am definitely a firm advocate for the use of screen protectors, going back to the cr@ppy thin plastic films I applied on my Palm Vx. I even pressure many friends and family members to use them. I even go so far as to supply and apply them…obsessive, compulsive I know. Today’s multilayer, precision-crafted tempered glass screen protectors do an incredible job protecting your smartphones and have become impressively inexpensive/cost-effective to use. For this review, totallee has sent me their new edge-to-edge screen protector for the iPhone Xs Max to see how it compares to an insanely crowded field of competition.

BACKSTORY – I’ve reviewed and used all types of tempered glass screen protectors over the years, ranging in price from $2 all the way up to an eye popping $50+. The one you see in this picture is a generic one I purchased from Amazon.com for all of 3 for $10. I’ve had it on my iPhone Xs Max since day one and it has done a fine enough job…though thankfully never truly tested. But as you can see, it doesn’t cover the entire screen, sitting several millimeters off all four of the edges. I actually felt bad taking it off, more or less destroying it in the process, to do this review…hopefully this totallee edge to edge screen protector makes it worth the effort/carnage .

What is it?

This totallee screen protector is an edge to edge piece of tempered glass, engineered specifically for the iPhone Xs Max.

What’s in the box?

Tempered glass screen protector
Installation card
Alcohol prep pad
Cleaning cloth

Design and features

As I mentioned, this screen protector is made from a very thin (0.33mm) sheet of glass that has been precisely cut to fit over the entirety of the iPhone’s OLED screen. Other than its edge-to-edge fit, the only two design features of note are the speaker cutout at the top and 2(ish) millimeter black band encircling protector’s edge.

Setup

Installing the totallee screen protector was easy enough. You more or less lineup the speaker cutout and sides correctly and then let go (see video here). Though like any glass screen protector, you have to be careful to not have or let any bits of dust sneak between the two pieces of glass during installation. I did have to use scotch tape to remove a few myself and the screen protector withstood the force of me lifting an edge or two several times to get it perfect. The only thing I might suggest is that totallee include an installation tray which would help place the screen protector more precisely since it is so exactly fitted. If you’re off just a fraction of a millimeter, you may need to reseat the thin sheet of glass which could break or get dust under it.

The totallee screen protector fits the iPhone Max perfectly. The black bezel makes the screen protector almost disappear (much more so than the previous one I had on my smartphone).

The totallee is relatively thin, thinner than some other tempered glass screen protectors I have used in the past. There has been no impact to screen sensitivity or FaceID accuracy.

Performance

While I haven’t tested its strength, hardness, or protection factor, the totallee screen protector is doing a perfectly fine job protecting my screen. It marks off all the typical boxes for a tempered glass screen protector these days: completely clear, extremely thin, 9H hardness rating, and oleophobic coating. Add in the fact it covers the entire screen, the totallee screen protector does not disappoint.

What I like

Perfectly fitted for the iPhone Xs Max
Edge-to-edge protection
Easy to install
Oleophobic coating

What needs to be improved

Expensive
Lacks installation tray

totallee makes tempered glass screen protectors for a multitude of smartphones, ranging from the Pixel 2 to the latest and greatest iPhone Xs Max. They offer a 30-day money back guarantee and 2 year warranty on all their gear.

Final thoughts

With countless screen protectors under $10 on Amazon, justifying a $25 screen protector is pretty tough these days. That said, the totallee tempered glass screen protector certainly isn’t the most expensive one on the market either. totallee has created a very well done, nicely thought out iPhone Xs Max accessory that does an excellent job protecting your $1000+ smartphone. With its edge-to-edge design and oleophobic coating, you hardly know it’s there while providing solid protection.

Price: $25
Where to buy: The totallee tempered glass screen protector is available directly from their website and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by totallee.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cases and Covers, iPhone Xs Max

totallee iPhone Xs Max screen protector review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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MoviePass tries unlimited again – with limits

NEWS – MoviePass – once the darling of movie lovers everywhere – then the bane – is back at it again.

First a refresher

MoviePass disrupted the movie industry with their unlimited movie plan. For ten bucks a month, paid annually, you got yourself a spiffy red debit card like this:

When you were jonesing to see a flick, you got yourself within 100 yards or so of your favorite cineplex and fired up the MoviePass app on your phone. Once your location was verified, you picked the movie you wanted to see at that theater. MoviePass loaded the full price of the ticket on to your debit card and you then used it to purchase your ticket. You could do this once per day, every day. Taken to its logical limit, and assuming $10 tickets, you could see $310 worth of movies for a meager $10. What a deal!

Much like the car dealer – “We lose money on every car we sell – but we make it up on volume!”, this model was not sustainable. The real dollars were supposed to be in the metadata about the consumers, their viewing habits and so on. But, that didn’t pan out so well either and the company bled cash like…well like a company losing money on every transaction.

Being recently retired when MoviePass came out, my wife and I jumped on it and used it. A lot. Not 31 times a month, but we saw nearly 40 movies in about five to six months.

Then the bottom fell out. MoviePass restricted available movies, forced you to take photos of your tickets, limited the number of movies you could see per month, and so on. And, they did all this, changing the terms of the deal, even though we paid for an entire year. We were given the option of canceling, so we did, and recovered just under 50% of our money back. All in all, we were out a total of about $120 – $60 each. Not bad for 40 movies – each.

MoviePass was dead, or so it appeared. But, just like this guy,

it appears it was just a flesh wound.

The here and now

MoviePass is back with a new “uncapped” plan. While that sounds like “unlimited”, there are caps.

For a limited time, MoviePass Uncapped is available for $9.95 per month for a 12-month subscription period when paid in advance via ACH payment. Monthly subscribers take a 50% hit at $14.95 per month via credit card payment – also a limited time deal. MoviePass says the standard full price will be $19.95 per month via credit card payment, once the limited time deals expire.

You can see an unlimited number of 2D movies, but only the movies MoviePass determines are available on any given day. One positive change is the ability to reserve tickets three hours before showtime and check in at the theater between 30 minutes before showtime up until ten minutes after showtime. MoviePass is good at over 30,000 screens across the country.

MoviePass’ Select, All Access and Red Carpet plans, introduced in December 2018 are no longer available but will be honored for the duration of a user’s paid subscription.

The verdict

That’s really up to you. If you love movies and want to see a lot for a little scratch, MoviePass is a great deal. But that’s only if you can live with MoviePass telling you what movies you can watch. From their website:

Your movie choices may be restricted due to excessive individual usage which negatively impacts system-wide capacity.

For someone that likes to see movies, especially not the latest blockbusters, MoviePass can be a real windfall. And, if you can be flexible, the blockbusters should eventually be on the list and available to see with MoviePass.

You can learn more at MoviePass.com.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

MoviePass tries unlimited again – with limits originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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