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Monday is National Dog Day so take your dog for a walk and count your steps with a free Huawei Band 3e fitness tracker!

CONTEST NEWS – Next Monday (August 26th) is National Dog Day, which is a day to honor every breed of dog and to be aware of how many dogs need to be rescued.

To celebrate this day, Huawei encourages dog owners to get active and take their four-legged friends on a walk and while you’re walking, you can track your activity with a Huawei Band 3e fitness tracker. This wrist or shoe worn fitness tracker is a watch that also collects fitness data like steps, distance, calories burned, and sleep details using the Huawei Health App.


If you opt to wear the tracker on your shoe using the included clip while you’re on a walk/run with your dog, it will also record step length, landing impact, total time, and more. The Band 3e pairs with your phone and buzzes when you receive a notification or if you’ve been sitting too long and need to get up and move.

For an entry-level fitness tracker, the Huawei Band 3e has a nice set of features and Huawei has offered 2 free bands for The Gadgeteer to give away today to our readers! To win one, see the details and rules below.

Prizes:

Two people will be chosen to win one Huawei Band 3e fitness tracker watch.

How to enter (please read carefully – any missed steps and your entry will be disqualified):

Between now and 08/23/2019 midnight EST leave a comment on this page answering the question below.

If you have a dog, what’s its name and breed? If you don’t have a dog, what breed would you get if you could have one?

 

Get a 2nd bonus entry by tweeting:
The Gadgeteer is giving away 2 Huawei Band 3e fitness tracker watches to celebrate National Dog Day! Entering is easy! https://the-gadgeteer.com/2019/08/21/win-a-free-huawei-band-3e-fitness-watch

Get a 3rd bonus entry by subscribing to our newsletter:
You’ll receive 3 emails a week with our latest post info. Subscribe here.
If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, let me know and you’ll still get a 3rd bonus entry.

Get a 4th bonus entry by liking The Gadgeteer on Facebook and leaving a comment on the Facebook page that you liked it.

Make sure you come back to this page and leave a separate 2nd comment stating that you subscribed to the newsletter, a 3rd comment with a link to your tweet and a 4th comment with a link to your Facebook post. To get the links for Twitter and Facebook, just click the time stamp of your post and it will give you the page with that post so you can grab the link.

At some point on 08/24/2019, I’ll pick two random winners using random.org. The winners will be contacted by email and will have 48 hrs to claim their prizes. If I do not receive an answer to my emails in that time period, I’ll do other random.org drawings till the prizes are claimed.

Rules:

1. Only one entry per person (warning: I check IP addresses).

2. Gadgeteer writers and their immediate family members may not enter this contest.

3. the-gadgeteer.com is not responsible for any lost packages due to incorrect shipping addresses.

4. the-gadgeteer.com is not responsible for the winner not accepting their prize offer within 48hrs. The winner will be posted on this contest page, in the contest page comment section and will be emailed using the email provided in the comment section. Check your spam folder.

5. Winner must have a US shipping address.

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Monday is National Dog Day so take your dog for a walk and count your steps with a free Huawei Band 3e fitness tracker! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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EP Design Lab E.P.Light review

REVIEW – Lightbulbs have been around for years.  Thanks to Thomas Edison and his publicity and marketing genius, we are all familiar with the traditional, screw-in incandescent lightbulb. Of course, lately, incandescents have fallen out of favor due to their inherent energy inefficiency and have been all but replaced by LED bulbs.  These satisfy our basic lighting needs.  But…what if you have some decorative lighting requirements?   What if you’re looking to get something of a quirky, funky look without breaking the bank?  EP Design Lab might have the answer for you with their line of E.P.Light colorful resin bulbs with cool internal designs and colors.

What is it?

E.P.Lights are resin lightbulbs with LEDs in the base and various colors and design elements embedded in the resin.  Each bulb is unique.  EP Design Lab offers a wide variety of bulbs in several different color schemes and shapes. They are designed to screw into a standard Edison-style (E26 or E27) socket.

What’s in the box?

  • The bulb

Hardware specs

  • Light source type: LED
  • Wattage: 3W
  • Voltage: 95VAC-264VAC, 50/60Hz
  • Dimmable: No
  • Color temperature: 3000K (warm white)
  • Base: E27-E26 (Edison)
  • Lifespan: >100,000 hours
  • Operating temperature: -20 to +50 degrees Celcius, -4 to +122 Farenheight
  • Material: polyethylene
  • Weight: 5.3oz (Blue Hydrangea); 8.6oz (Nebula)
  • Dimensions: 4.33″L x 2.36″W (Blue Hydrangea); 5.75″L x 2.52″W (Nebula)

Design and features

I was sent two different bulbs.  The blue bulb is their Blue Hydrangea bulb.  It is a light blue color with a flower-like internal design in a standard bulb design.  The brown/orange bulb is their Nebula bulb. The color ranges from reddish-orange to yellow to blue, depending on where you look. It has a spacey, cool, swirly look to it. It comes in a water drop bulb design that is larger than a standard bulb.

The first thing I noticed was how heavy and solid the bulbs feel.  The fact that they are solid is due to the fact that they are solid polyethylene resin. They feel almost unbreakable, but I wasn’t about to test that.

One issue I had in testing these is that I don’t have many plain-old lamps sitting around.  Luckily, I do have an arc lamp in the living room that takes a standard screw-in bulb. The bulbs are really designed to be on display, so a lamp with a lampshade simply won’t do justice to these bulbs.

Let’s take a look at the bulbs themselves.

One cool feature is the three-dimentionality of the bulbs.  Depending on which side you look at, they take on very different looks.

Here’s a look at the Blue Hydrangea from a couple of different angles.

And, the Nebula:

Putting the bulbs in a lamp is where they really shine. (See what I did there?) 🙂

Blue Hydrangea

Nebula

These are not reading lights.  They are accent lights designed to provide nice, soft accent lighting on a desk, in a corner, or hanging from a pendant fixture.  The soft glow from the bulbs is quite pleasing.  They provide just the right amount of accent lighting without being too bright to look at directly and enjoy the visually interesting internal designs. With the wide variety of bulb shapes, internal designs, and colors available, almost anyone should be able to find a design that can fit into their decor.

EP Design Labs has a couple of tabletop bases available, but, alas, I was not sent one.  The first is a basic wood base to set on a table with the bulb screwed in, facing up.  The second base has LEDs in an exposed cup. You place the bulb upside down on the cup in the base and let the LEDs in the base light up the bulb.  I really like this as it leaves the bulb’s screw-in base exposed for a really funky, contemporary art look.

What I like

  • Well made
  • Visually very interesting
  • Wide variety of shapes, colors, and styles available

What I’d change

  • If I had to come up with something, I guess I’d say they are a little heavy

Final thoughts

I like these bulbs.  I can easily see these becoming part of our home decor. I wish that EP Design Labs had included a base for testing as well.  I might take a swing at making one myself, or perhaps just order one. My next step will be to find a final location for these in our home. Then, I will need to get a couple of smart plugs so I can schedule these to turn on each night. Having these provide a nice glow in our living room will certainly be a nice accent.

Price: $29.95
Where to buy: EP Design Lab
Source: The sample of this product was provided by EP Design Lab.

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EP Design Lab E.P.Light review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Optoma NuForce BE Free6 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds review

REVIEW – Today I take a look at the NuForce BE Free6 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds from Optoma.

What is it?

The NuForce BE Free6 is a pair of tiny, Bluetooth wireless earbuds and charging case.

What’s in the box?

  • Left and Right earbuds
  • Charging case
  • USB–C Charging cable, about 12-inch length
  • Instruction manual

Hardware specs:

  • Battery Life: Up to 6 hours on a single charge; up to 24 hours with charging case
  • Bluetooth Profile: Version 5.0, HSP V1.2, HFP V1.7, A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6, SBC, AAC
  • Codecs: SBC, AAC
  • Audio Drivers: Dynamic, 5.6mm, Graphene diaphragm
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20 kHz
  • Impedance: 16 Ohms
  • Microphone Sensitivity: -38 dB +/- 3 dB
  • Earphone Sensitivity: 95dB ± 3dB at 1KHz
  • Range: Up to 33ft (10m)
  • Weight: Earphones 0.44oz, Charging case 2oz

Design and features:

The headphones arrive well protected in an attractive white box.

The oval case has a slightly grainy feel which aids in keeping a good grip.

The left and right earbuds are small!

The case is about 3 X 1-1/2 inches and smooth with no protrusions. I found them easy to carry in my pocket.

The lid opens smoothly and is held closed using a small magnet.

The earbuds are securely held in place using magnets. No amount of shaking I could muster could dislodge the earbuds from their nests.

The case is equipped with a USB-C power connection. It took about an hour to fully charge straight from the box.

Setup:

Pairing is as easy as holding the button on the right headphone for a few seconds, then selecting “BE Free6 R.” To use both headphones independently, the left earbud needs to be paired as well and appears as “BE Free6 L.” The earbuds automatically connect after pairing with a pleasant female British voice. If the left headphone is connected, then the right is connected, both need to be placed into the case and removed again to pair in stereo mode.

Performance:

The headphones fit snugly in each ear, with the bulk of the earbuds facing upward. I use the term “bulk” loosely as these are really tiny and quite comfortable and fit completely in the area surrounding the car canal. The rubbery tips fit into the ear canal and, if fitted properly, do an excellent job sealing the wearer from outside sounds.

I made a call to my mom and she told me fidelity on her end was excellent, among the best of any headset on which I’ve used her as a guinea-pig. I consider that a pretty big compliment!

Over the course of the next week, I used the Be Free6 earbuds to watch movies, make calls and listen to lots and lot and lots of music, from bluegrass to Beethoven, Rap to religious, and I can say these are among the best-sounding wireless headphones I have used to date. Treble is snappy without being overtly sharp and the bass is booming, luscious and rich without being muddy, distorted, or over-modulating. The specs indicate 20-20,000 Hz as the frequency response and I believe it! I listened to many old favorites with new ears, hearing both sparking and ear-vibrating tones that would be lost on inferior playback equipment. Great job, Optoma!

The only issue I encountered was the buttons. Each earbud has a large button on its outward face. Removing the earbuds from the charging case and inserting them into each ear almost always resulted in pressing the button and stopping playback, advancing a track, disconnecting a call or even entering pairing mode if the button is held too long.  Once they are in place, this is not an issue, unless your intention is to sleep or have your head against something as you listen.

What I like:

  • Excellent audio
  • Reasonably priced
  • Comfortable
  • Good battery life

What I would change:

  • The button is easy to accidentally operate, particularly when inserting the earbuds.

Final thoughts:

With lovely, lovely audio, good battery life, and comfortable fit Optoma’s NuForce BE Free6 earbuds are an excellent all-around choice in the flood of headphone competing for your ear-holes.

Price: $99.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Optoma.

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Optoma NuForce BE Free6 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Turn paper into light with the Bare Conductive Electric Paint Lamp Kit


NEWS – As a self-confessed gadget nerd, I always feel that after so many years of seeking out the newest and coolest gadgets, that I have seen just about every concept that I can expect to see for a while. And just when I think I have, another creative gadget surfaces and captures my attention all over again.

The latest to do so the Bare Conductive – Electric Paint Lamp Kit. This DIY electronics lamp making kit allows you to convert paper templates into lamps using electric paint. It boasts three lamp possibilities that are the Touch, Dimmer, and Proximity lamps that all show off different aspects of Electric Paint. At the very least, this certainly looks like a cool gadget type thing to try.

If you would like to check this out and purchase it, you can head over to Amazon and pick one up for $42.39.

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Turn paper into light with the Bare Conductive Electric Paint Lamp Kit originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Apple Plans More Protection for Kids’ Apps, Leaving Industry Concerned of Their Business Model

This just seems like a case of “damned if you do; damned if you don’t.” If Apple offers no protection for kids’ apps, they get heat for caring more about profit than children’s welfare, and if they offer protections, then they aren’t doing well by app developers. Starting next month Apple planned to implement new rules for children’s apps: they would be banned from external analytics software and prevented from adding ads. But this has app developers asking how they’ll make money if they can’t collect information on kids and can’t advertise to them. Apple’s Rule Changes … Read more