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How to Monitor Nvidia GPU in Linux

Even with one of the best Linux distros for gaming installed, you may still struggle with the performance of your GPU if it isn’t properly configured. Checking the management tool for your particular graphics card could help you determine if there are any problems or issues. If you have an Nvidia GPU, there are two tools on Linux to help you monitor its performance — NVTOP and Nvidia-SMI. Using NVTOP If you want to monitor the usage of your GPU in real-time, you’ll need to give NVTOP a try. You’ll need to be using the… Read more

TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 active noise cancelling headphones review

REVIEW – TaoTronics SoundSurge60 headphones have a comfortable design, Bluetooth connection and built-in microphone.

What is it?

These over-the-ear headphones come with noise-canceling capabilities and fold up nicely to fit inside their hard-shell carrying case. 

What’s in the box?

  • Headphones 
  • Carrying case  
  • User guide 
  • 3.5mm audio cable 
  • Charging cable

Hardware specs

  • Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 or 3.5 mm audio cable
  • Playing time per full battery charge: 30 hours
  • Charge time: 5 minutes for 2 hours of playing time
  • Battery: 2 lithium metal batteries included
  • Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.4 x 3.1 inches
  • Item weight: 9.8 ounces
  • Shipping weight: 1.15 pounds
  • Model: TT-BH060
  • ASIN: B07L5LPSQT

Design and features

Setup

Our headphones arrived charged and ready to use. 

Pairing them with Bluetooth was quick and easy, almost as simple as plugging in the audio cable (which also came with it). Of course, the nice part of the Bluetooth connection was that it made them wire-free, certainly a bonus for anyone using them for exercising or gaming.

The headband is adjustable and fits everyone in my family, from my husband who has a larger-than-average noggin to my 11-year-old. We agreed that the over-ear cushioning was very comfortable, even cushy enough to sleep with them on during a long airplane ride or road trip. 

The charging port is located on the left earpiece.

On the right earpiece are all of the other controls: The volume up/down toggle, the power button, the audio input jack and noise-canceling on/off switch.

Performance

The overall sound quality was pretty good. They weren’t as striking or awe-inspiring as higher-end models, but for this price point, the sound was good. There wasn’t any static, and music quality was clear and consistent.

Similarly, the microphone was embedded into the design, and it was clearer and easier to hear than just using a phone or computer mic when we tested it on a Facetime call.

You can flick the switch for noise-canceling, which glows blue to let you know it’s on.

Again, it wasn’t 100 percent perfect. My son could still hear road noise while we were driving, though it certainly softened the sound and kind of felt like you were in a tunnel. However, if he turned his music up, the road noise was effectively canceled out. 

Inside our house, it does a good job muffling but not completely eliminating household noises like the air conditioner, ceiling fan or water running. When my husband had music on, he couldn’t hear the ambient noise around him at all, but could still hear me clapping my hands behind him and our voices were audible but hushed. 

There is some residual noise if you are standing next to someone wearing these headphones, so if your tunes are cranked up, the folks around you will hear some of it. Take note if you’re planning to travel with these!

Besides that minor issue, the headphones are a good choice for travel, work or school because they’re good quality yet aren’t so pricey that losing them would cost you hundreds of dollars. 

Plus, they come with a zip-close, hardshell carrying case with a mesh compartment perfect for stashing your cords and chargers.

The battery life is amazing, which is another bonus for taking them on a road trip or even an overseas flight. We’ve been using the Surge 60 for weeks, among all four of my family members, and we’ve only had to recharge once. The website says these run for 30 hours per battery charge, and I believe it. They also say that 5 minutes of charging time gives you 2 hours of playing time, another great benefit for traveling, taking to class or work, or really for anyone who’s often on the go.

What I like

  • Comfortable fit
  • Long battery life
  • Convenient, high quality carrying case

What I’d change

  • More effective noise-proofing

Final thoughts

These are a solid pair of headphones, with decent noise-canceling and easy Bluetooth pairing.

Price: $69.99 ($5 off coupon available now on Amazon)
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by TaoTronics.

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TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 active noise cancelling headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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toddlermonitor lets you know when your child opens their bedroom door

NEWS – I’m not a parent and don’t claim to know anything about raising children, but if I was a parent, I’d probably have every baby and kid gadget known to man for both safety and entertainment purposes. The toddlermonitor fits in the first category – safety. It’s a cute motion detector that hangs on a doorknob and sends a notification to your smartphone when your little rugrat escapes opens their bedroom door.

The toddlermonitor device is easy to move from room to room and you can use up to three toddlermonitors at once if you have more than one child.

I can see how some people might think that this is just a gadget for over-protective helicopter parents, but I can see how it would be useful for parents who have kids that are known to sleepwalk or have other sleep issues.

The toddlermonitor is available in 3 colors and can be purchased individually for $89.99 or in 2 and 3 packs at toddlermonitor.com and Amazon.

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toddlermonitor lets you know when your child opens their bedroom door originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Pad & Quill Lowry Cuff Edition Apple Watch band review

REVIEW – The Pad & Quill Lowry Cuff Edition Apple Watch Band is a tribute to the Lowry Ave Bridge that spans the Mississippi just south of PQ’s headquarters in Minneapolis. The band’s design is inspired by Bund-style aviator bands that protected WWII pilot’s wrists from extreme temps in the air. I recently received one of these stylish bands to review for The Gadgeteer. Here are my thoughts.

What is it?

The Pad & Quill Lowry Cuff Edition Apple Watch Band is an American full-grain leather watch band for the Apple Watch.

What’s in the box? 

  • Lowry Cuff Edition Apple Watchband

Design and features

I don’t usually comment on packaging, but love how Pad & Quill packaged this Apple Watch band. The Lowery Cuff Edition arrived packaged in a black wooden box with a tongue and groove sliding top. It just feels like you’re getting something special when you open it up.

The Lowry Cuff Edition is made for 42mm & 44mm Apple Watch gens 1-4. The band is designed to fit wrist as small as 125mm and large as 215mm.

The Cuff style look is classic, yet modern, I chose to go with the Gallop black leather band w/polished nickel hardware. It’s also available in Whiskey and Chestnut colors and Matte black hardware.

The band is constructed with American full-grain leather. The white precision UV-resistant marine-grade stitching (the same thread used in parachutes and sails) is a nice contrast to the Gallop black leather and polished nickel hardware. 

Soft pigskin leather lines the back of the band. There’s also a cutout for the Apple Watch Optical Pulse Sensor.

Discreetly embossed on the cuff underneath the watch strap is the initials from the artisan that crafted the band.

The band also comes with Pad & Quills insane 25-year leather warranty.

Fit and comfort

The band is comfortable to wear right out of the box. The cuff is contoured to fit your wrist, so it hugs your wrist and doesn’t feel stiff.

The soft yet strong pigskin leather lining makes the band instantly comfortable against your skin. I wore the band outside in 80+ degree weather and noticed that my wrists didn’t sweat like they do when wearing my rubber sports band. Overall the band is extremely comfortable. 

The only issue I had with the band was charging my Apple Watch. The band has a cutout as I mentioned, but because of its thickness, I couldn’t get it to stay attached to my Nomad Base Station Apple Watch charger. However, since the band is easy to remove, this is little more than a minor inconvenience. Just be aware that it may not work with all charging stands.

What I like

  • Classic styling
  • Full-grain leather
  • Handcrafted 
  • Comfortable 
  • 25-year leather warranty

What I’d change

  • Doesn’t work with all charging stands

Final thoughts

The combination of Classic styling, quality materials, craftsmanship, and comfort makes the Lowry Cuff Edition tough to beat. If you’re looking for a leather band for your Apple Watch, your search should begin and end with Pad & Quill.

Price: $99.95 pre-order price $89.95. Shipping in late August.
Where to buy: Pad & Quill
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Pad & Quill.

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Pad & Quill Lowry Cuff Edition Apple Watch band review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Zendure SuperTank Portable Charger review

REVIEW – It’s a problem all gadget-loving folk deal with, the more gadgets you have, the more power you need. The solution, of course, is to buy yet another gadget, one that can supply power to all of those hungry devices, large and small. But, portable power supplies by their nature are quite limiting. The Zendure SuperTank may just be the holy grail of portable power. This aptly named tank of a battery pack can crank out over 100 watts of power, enough to feed four devices simultaneously, including USB-C powered laptops. The design, capacity, and various power modes, which include a low power option as well as a UPS pass-through, make this device a great buy at $179.99.

What is it?

The Zendure SuperTank is a very large, 27,000mAh external battery pack that can deliver over 100 watts of power to four devices simultaneously.


The SuperTank arrives in a sturdy white box, snugly set inside along with a Zendure 5A/100W SuperCord and a somewhat useless instruction manual.

What’s in the box?

  • Zendure SuperTank
  • Zendure 5A/100W USB-C to USB-C SuperCord
  • Instruction Manual

Hardware specs

  • Capacity: 27,000mAh
  • Internal Cells: 3.7 V Premium Lithium-ion Power Cells
  • Dimensions: 4.7″ x 2.8″ x 1.6″
  • Weight: 1.06 pounds / 481g
  • Available Colors: Black, Silver, Blue
  • Material: ABC / PC Composite
  • Maximum Input: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3A, 20V/5A, 100W Max
  • Output: USB-C, USB-A
  • Maximum Output:
    • USB-C (1): 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3A, 20V/5A, 100W Max
    • USB-C (2): 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3A, 60W Max
    • USB-A (1): 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A, 18W Max (ZEN+ 2.0)
    • USB-A (2) 5V/3A, 15W (ZEN+)
    • Total DC Output: 138W Max
  • Warranty: 2 Years

Design and features

The SuperTank feels heavy and sturdy when being handled despite being constructed of relatively cheap composite plastic. The ports are clearly labeled and the LED display is clear and easy to read.

There are four ports on the SuperTank: a 15W USB-A, an 18W USB-A, a 60W USB-C, and a 100W USB-C that functions as both a power output and input port.

The maximum output of the SuperTank is listed as 138W.

On top of the SuperTank is the device’s only button. This power button turns on the SuperTank and also activates the different battery power modes.

The back of the SuperTank details all of its important technical specifications. The large 27,000mAh capacity of the SuperTank is deliberate in that this is the maximum airline safe battery capacity approved by TSA/EASA for air travel.

The SuperTank comes with a USB-C to USB-C Zendure SuperCord.

The power rating of the SuperCord is 5A / 100W for proper charging of the SuperTank as well as most laptops that charge via USB-C.

The SuperCord is extremely durable because it’s wrapped in Nylon and reinforced with Kevlar woven in a chevron pattern, surrounding a Kevlar fiber core.

The SuperCord is complimented nicely by a brown leather strap with a small metal clasp.

Setup

The Zendure SuperTank needs to be fully charged before using it for the first time. Depressing the SuperTank’s sole button will activate the battery and display its current charge level. In order to charge the SuperTank properly, you need a power supply that can deliver at least 5W of power over the included Zendure SuperCord. It’s incredible to me that a device that costs as much as the SuperTank does not come with an appropriate USB power block for charging.

After several unsuccessful attempts at charging the SuperTank where the display would either display nothing or a code of 188, I was finally able to get the SuperTank to take the charge. It did take over 18 hours for the device to charge from 0-100. During charging, the LED screen will flash and display the charging power level.

Performance

The SuperTank performed very well in all of my testing, flawlessly charging every device I could connect to it.

The SuperTank has a low power mode for charging low-consumption devices like wearables that sometimes draw less current than is necessary to keep some portable chargers from automatically shutting off. This mode is called X-Charge and it is engaged by double-pressing the power button. The SuperTank will enter X-Charge mode and display the “X” icon. Double-pressing again will turn off X-Charge mode.

The SuperTank also comes with a power delivery direction switch feature. By giving the power button a long 3 second press, you’ll switch the direction of SuperTank’s power flow to ensure that a connected laptop is being charged instead of the laptop charging the SuperTank. You can allow the laptop to charge SuperTank by long-pressing the power button again.

What I like

  • Simultaneously charging several devices at once is super useful
  • UPS and pass-through modes add greatly to device’s functionality
  • Low power mode for charging wearables

What I’d change

  • Requires a powerful power block to charge properly
    • Does not come with a power block for charging
    • Takes very long to fully charge
  • Instructions are vague and don’t fully explain features

Final thoughts

The Zendure SuperTank is a well designed, powerful, highly functional portable power supply that is useful in many ways. From simply charging all of your devices at once while on the go, to working as a quasi-UPS system, the SuperTank can do it all. The manual could be a bit more detailed and it would be great if the SuperTank came with a proper power block, but for $179.99 the SuperTank is a great deal.

Price: $179.99
Where to buy: Zendure and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Zendure.

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Zendure SuperTank Portable Charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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