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Krossblade’s SkyProwler2 gives you a lot of drone to play with

NEWS – Quadcopters are popular these days not in small part because they are easy to fly.  If you’re looking for a step up in complexity and capability, take a look at Krossblade’s recently announced SkyProwler2.  It’s a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, which means that four arms with horizontal propellers, just like a quadcopter, come out for a vertical takeoff or landing, and then the arms then retract, allowing it fly fixed-wing like a plane.  And it can fly, reaching speeds up to 80 mph.

The SkyProwler has a range of 55 miles and a max ceiling of 16,500 ft.  It can fly for about an hour while carrying a 1.1 pound payload, and its radio controller works up to 10 miles away.  The drone can be upgraded with a nose-mounted, stabilized camera for taking 4K video at 30 fps or 16 MP stills.

If the SkyProwler is a step up in complexity, it’s also a step up in price.  When you submit an order on Krossblade’s website, it will arrive in 4 weeks and set you back three grand; yep, the retail price of this gadget is $2,999.  This price does, however, give you a lot of bang for your buck, as it includes the radio controller, two Android tablets (one with ground control software and another for the video feed), a briefcase-like carrying case, two batteries, and a charger, and various spare parts.  The camera upgrade is another $999. You can put in your order at Krossblade’s online store.

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Krossblade’s SkyProwler2 gives you a lot of drone to play with originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 11, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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OptinMonster Review: Exploring the New Features of the Leading Optin Form Plugin for WordPress

The release of the OptinMonster email sign-up form plugin was one most developers could only dream of, with nearly every WordPress news-and-review blog publishing glowing coverage of this premium popup lead-generation tool almost as soon as it became available. However, now that OptinMonster has been available for some time, it’s worth taking another look to… View Article

The post OptinMonster Review: Exploring the New Features of the Leading Optin Form Plugin for WordPress appeared first on WinningWP.

The Fluance Fi20 portable wireless speaker immerses you in 360-degrees of sound

NEWS – Wireless speakers are certainly nothing new, but the Fluance Fi20 portable wireless speaker is one of those speakers that stands out in today’s somewhat saturated market. It features a sophisticated wood design and delivers immersive 360-degree sound.

While most speakers are directional, the Fi20 radiates music in every direction, providing a room filling and immersive sound experience. It does so by using a powerful up-firing driver in conjunction with an acoustic dispersion lens in the top of its enclosure that disperses sound 360 degrees.

The speakers handcrafted wood cabinet not only looks good, but it’s also engineered to give your music increased warmth and an overall more natural sound. And it’s available in 3 elegant finishes Black Ash, Lucky Bamboo, and Natural Walnut.

The Fi20 is packed with features including a carry handle, LED accent light, speakerphone, Bluetooth w/aptX, 3.5mm aux input, and touch button controls.

When fully charged the speakers lithium-ion battery delivers 24-hours of cord-free listening.

The Fluance Fi20 can be purchased for $149.99 from their website or Amazon.

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The Fluance Fi20 portable wireless speaker immerses you in 360-degrees of sound originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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CheerGiant alligator watch strap review

REVIEW – I have been a watch guy my entire life, always having some sort of timepiece on my wrist. Even in today’s modern world of smartphones and Dick Tracy watches, I still prefer something classic telling me the time. Over the past decade, I have dipped my toe into the world of horology and luxury watches. As the story goes, I recently purchased a pre-owned Cartier Santos 100 on a crazy bright orange band and wanted/needed to swap the strap out for something a bit more my style (aka subdued). During my searches, I found a leather craftsman based in Taiwan who created me a gorgeous handmade band worthy of a Gadgeteer review.

I know some of you are questioning why I am reviewing something as simple as a watchband. My answer is simple: I consider the pocket/wristwatch to be one of the original gadgets and since we review accessories for tech and gadgety things here @the-gadgeteer all the time, I thought what the heck. Add in the fact that the leather work CheerGiant produces is some of the best I’ve seen, I thought you guys might want to check it out.

What is it?

This CheerGiant alligator watchband is handmade by George Lan specifically for my midsized Santos 100 and sized for my 7 inch wrist. I found the CheerGiant storefront on eBay and with further research discovered George is a well-known craftsman creating fine leather pieces for folks around the world.

Design and features

After much internal debate and string of emails with George, I decided to splurge and have him create my watchband out of alligator leather. This band is the first alligator leather I have ever owned or worn and hope it’s as luxurious to wear as it looks.

I went with a dark chocolate brown and black nylon stitching color scheme which turned out absolutely gorgeous and just as I envisioned. George tailors each band to perfectly fit the watch and person he is creating the strap for.

In my case, the band needed to be 20mm wide and 6mm thick on the sides that attach to the watch and 18mm wide and 1.5mm wide for the clasp. George was excellent to work with throughout the entire process: exact sizing, colors, shipping, and instructions/things to consider during installation.

The inside of the straps are lined with a soft pigskin and embossed/signed with the CheerGiant logo.

The thickness tapers in the middle to accommodate the watch and its associated Cartier clasp mechanism. Overall the band works very well with the watch’s lug spacing, how it wraps around my wrist, and clasp.

The quality of materials and workmanship put into this strap are awesome. Here you can see the old world craftsmanship and gorgeous leather of this band. The leather is perfectly stained and finished. The side edging is sanded and ever so slightly beveled.

The Cartier Santos 100 comes with a very nice clasp that has to be considered when purchasing a watch strap. Each strap has to be created with just the right shape, width, and thickness to use the clasp.

George was spot-on and the bands work very well with the clasp. The clasp takes a tiny bit of force on one side to close but I’m guessing that is more a factor of breaking in the leather than being too thick. During the process, he even took the time to send pictures of the bands and their thicknesses.

What I like

  • Handmade with old world craftsmanship
  • Absolutely gorgeous
  • Excellent material and construction quality
  • Perfectly fitted for my watch & wrist
  • One of a kind

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive

Final thoughts

I have zero buyers regret splurging on this handmade alligator watchband. Like I said, it is just what I had hoped for, exceptionally made, and perfectly fitted for my watch and wrist. CheerGiant creates watchbands for a large range of watches from Rolex to the Apple Watch and everything in-between. George Lan is an excellent leather craftsman, creating me a high quality, handmade band that is one of a kind and much better made than the OEM one that came with the watch for a fraction of the cost. So, if you’re considering upping the game on your timepiece, you should check out his creations on eBay.

Price: $200
Where to buy: Available on the CheerGiant eBay storefront.
Source: The sample of this product was purchased with my own funds directly from CheerGiant via eBay.

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CheerGiant alligator watch strap review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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EcoQube Air lets you grow your favorite plant on your desk


Working in an office cubicle can be a bit drab and I’m always looking for ways to liven it up a bit. The EcoQube Air does just that by providing a desktop greenhouse for you to grow and maintain your favorite plant while providing beneficial air quality improvements.

The EcoQube Air not only will oxygenate the air around you with the plant growth, but the base contains a HEPA filter and fan that will reduce mold and dust in your environment. Everything you need to grow the plant of your choice is included and it’s maintenance free. The kit includes the plant medium and pebbles to put in your grow tray as well as the full-spectrum LED lighting, water pump, and filter. Since it is a closed system, the water will only need to be changed once per month.

EcoCube Air is an ideal fit for those of us who don’t necessarily have a green thumb or who would like the benefit of having a plant nearby without the mess and maintenance required to keep it alive. It will cost $199.99 from the manufacturer website, but can be found for as low as $179.99 on JoyUs.com.

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EcoQube Air lets you grow your favorite plant on your desk originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2019 at 8:39 am.

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