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Bond smart Wi-Fi ceiling fan remote hub review

REVIEW – If your home is anything like mine, remotes rule your life, especially for your home audio/video. If you have ceiling fans with wireless control, it only adds to the clutter.

I have been searching for a solution to both eliminate my remote clutter and also add voice control to my four ceiling fans. Olibra has a solution. Enter Bond. Bond Home.

What is it?

Bond is a hub that adds remote control for wireless ceiling fans, both from Android or Apple devices and from Amazon Echo or Google Assistant.

What’s in the box?

Bond comes with the hub itself, a micro USB cable, wall plug, a very basic setup guide, and a future feature card.

Hardware specs

  • Width: 3.75″
  • Height: 1.1″
  • Network connectivity: Wi-Fi only
  • Power: micro USB
  • Remotes supported: Radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR)

There is no network port on the Bond. It connects to your network via Wi-Fi.

Design and features

The design is fairly typical for a device hub. It is glossy black plastic and feels sturdy in the hand. The top center ring lights up various colors, depending on the mode. It shines white when first plugged in, flashes green when ready, shines blue when online, flashes blue in learning mode, flickers blue when learning a remote and shines red when there is a problem.

The hub itself doesn’t really do anything but send out signals. The real magic is in the Bond app. Available from both iTunes and the Google Play store for no cost, the Bond app drives all the functions.

Setup and installation

First, connect the Bond hub to the network. If you have ever added any type of hub to your network, you already know the drill. Install the app, set up an account, connect the hub to your network by providing your network name and Wi-Fi password in the Bond app. Once you do that, the hub indicator ring will change from green to blue, indicating that the hub is online. This is where the fun begins.

Click “Add a Device” in the Bond app. The app prompts for the type of device to add.

Currently, Bond supports ceiling fans, some electronic fireplaces and is in beta for some air conditioners. If the app is to be believed, support for a bunch of other devices is in the works.

After choosing Ceiling Fan, the app prompts to choose a specific button on the remote and press it while holding the remote within a few inches of the Bond hub. The indicator flashes blue to indicate it is ready to learn.

The indicator will flicker as it reads the wireless signal from the remote and then flashes green to acknowledge it read it correctly. Bond maintains an extensive database of fan remotes and their associated signals. Once the hub reads the signal and the app looks up the specifics in the database, it will return a list of functions it thinks the remote has. Confirm that by testing the fan functions by hitting the remote button icons in the app. The app supports multi-speed fans and fans with upward and downward facing lights, with or without dimmers. Once the functions are confirmed, provide a name for the device and it is ready to be controlled from the app.

In this screenshot, “Living Room” is the name of the Bond Hub. I have four devices added to that hub, my four fans.

Bond can control up to six devices per hub. You can add as many hubs as needed and switch between hubs in the app.

Bond supports voice control via both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. I integrated with Alexa for this review. Alexa supports Bond via an Alexa skill that needs to be added in the Alexa app. The skill needs your Bond username and password. Once linked, have the Alexa app discovers devices and the Bond devices show up in Alexa. With my four fans, each with a light, eight new devices showed up as expected. Once they were there, I could turn my fans on and off, change speed, and turn the associated light on and off by voice.

One of the issues with a device like this is that many ceiling fans remotes toggle the lights on and off. What this means is that the remote doesn’t know if the light is on or off, it just sends a “change state” command to the fan and the fan changes the state of the light. If it is off, it turns on and if it is on, it turns off. Since the app functions essentially like a remote, that isn’t an issue. But, if you add voice control, Alexa or Google Assistant won’t know if the light is on or off, so a voice command to turn it on or off, may not work.

Bond has a solution for that with Light State Tracking.

Basically, the Bond app remembers the state of any light. So, when you tell Alexa to turn on the light and Bond thinks it is on, it does nothing. The caveat here is that if you use the physical remote, Bond has no knowledge of that. So, if you turn a light on or off with the physical remote, be sure to change it back again, also with the remote, or Bond will be out of sync and think on is off and off is on.

All my fans are three-speed fans. The app says that I should be able to control the speed by saying, “Alexa, turn on central fan, speed <1, 2 or 3>”. That has never worked. Alexa acknowledges the request, but the hub does nothing. Instead, I have to say, “Alexa, turn on central fan <33%, 66%, 100%>”, for low, medium or high speeds, respectively. It’s a minor quibble, but “…speed <1,2,3>” makes more sense to me than “speed <x>%”.

One ongoing issue is that Alexa and the hub seem to have occasional spats where they aren’t talking to each other. I can’t identify any cause or repeatable series of events that cause it. Eventually, they kiss and make up and everything works as designed.

All my fans are RF devices, meaning that the remote uses radio signals for communication. My Bond device is in the living room, near both the central fan and piano fan. It works perfectly with the bedroom fan and bathroom fan that are in different rooms. Bond also supports infrared (IR) devices. Of course, this means that the Bond device has to be able to physically see the device to be controlled, as IR signals are light and require a line of sight from the hub to the device.

Another nice app feature, at least on Android devices, is widget support.

You can add one widget for each fan, including one or more buttons on the widget.  If you include a single button, the widget shows that one function button.  I chose to add most of the features – light on/off, fan power and all three-speed settings.  The widget produced is a clever scrolling widget, allowing access to all the buttons from a single, scrollable widget.  Pretty slick.

Finally, Bond supports IFTTT (If This Then That). I set up automations with my Ecobee 4 thermostat. If the temperature in the living room is under 75 degrees, IFTTT has Bond set the fan to low (30% is IFTTT’s speed 1). IFTTT triggers Bond to bump the central fan to 50% (speed 2) if the living room hits 77 degrees and 100% (speed 3) at 79 degrees.

What I like

  • Attractive design
  • Easy setup
  • Alexa & Google Assistant support
  • Wide range of supported remotes
  • Widget support for one-touch control from my phone

What needs to be improved

  • Limiting the hub to six devices seems short-sighted, but the app does support multiple hubs
  • Minor usability issues with fan speed voice commands
  • Occasional Alexa/hub communication failures

Final thoughts

This was the only solution of this type that I could find. It brought voice and/or phone control to my fans, and eliminated clutter in the living room and on the nightstands. Sitting in the chair after playing a couple hours of pickleball and being able to say, “Alexa, turn central fan on, 100%” is a real asset to my automated house lifestyle. Having the fan automatically speed up and slow down with the temperature when we have the windows open is a real plus as well.

Lutron has just announced a potential competitor in this space, the Caséta speed controller, although Lutron’s website makes it look like the fan needs to have a wired controller. That doesn’t help me as my fans are all wireless. We shall see once more details are released.

Overall, I really like the Bond hub and what it has added to my automated home. It is a bargain for the price.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Bond, Amazon or Home Depot
Source: I purchased Bond with my own funds.

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Bond smart Wi-Fi ceiling fan remote hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Garmin Speak Plus Dash Cam connects you to Alexa and gives you additional safety

NEWS – Today’s new cars are coming equipped with more and more safety features and applications that work hand-in-hand with our cellphones. However, this doesn’t do much for those of us driving older model cars that did not come with now standard safety enhancements. Garmin has set out to help those of us who would like those features without buying a new car with the Garmin Speak Plus Dash Cam. This small camera (smaller than a deck of playing cards) packs a considerable number of features for its size.

Garmin has incorporated their navigation system to include lane departure, forward collision warning, and an HD dash camera; all while adding the capabilities of the Amazon Alexa app to help get you where you need to go safely via Bluetooth connection to your phone and/or vehicle via AUX cable connection. Also, there is a “Go” alert that will let you know when traffic has started moving at an intersection in case you’ve been distracted in some way. Navigation and other commands are executable simply by speaking to the Garmin Speak Plus just as you would to any Amazon device. You can create shopping lists, play music, or even check for the closest gas station without taking your hands off the steering wheel.

The camera records at up to 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second onto an included MicroSD card. These videos are downloadable onto your phone via the Garmin Speak app instantly should an incident occur on the road.  There are just two apps required to be downloaded to enable all of the features of this device: Amazon Alexa and Garmin Speak.

Currently, the Garmin Speak Plus Dash Cam can be found on Garmin’s website for $179.99. These are available at many popular online retailers like Best Buy, so it may be worthwhile to shop around to find the best deal.

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Garmin Speak Plus Dash Cam connects you to Alexa and gives you additional safety originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Mobile Edge Graphite messenger bag review

REVIEW – I am always on the lookout for my next bag.  Whether it be to carry a laptop, camera equipment or a traveling bag.  I currently have a bag that I am using to carry my laptop at work.  Where I work we have three separate buildings and trying to carry a laptop, mouse, power cord and water bottle is just too unwieldy without a bag.  So when I was given the opportunity to review the new Mobile Edge Graphite Messenger Bag I jumped at the chance.  Let’s see how it worked out for me.

Design and Features

  • Exterior Dimensions – in inches 17.5 x 13 x 4.25
  • Holds computers up to 16 inch widescreens
  • Weight 2.1 pounds
  • Has a padded computer compartment
  • Has a padded shoulder strap and a grab handle
  • Ballistic Nylon exterior

The picture above shows you the front of the bag.  The main flap is secured with two heavy duty plastic clips.  I like that Velcro is not being used to secure the main flap.  It can often be really noisy to open a bag in a quiet office environment.

This next picture shows the back of the bag.  You can see the grab handle at the top.  It is made of some kind of thick nylon that is double stitched to the back and has a rubber grip handle at the top.  You can also see there is a flap in the back that leads to a large exterior pocket.  This flap is secured with Velcro.  I would use this compartment to store paper documents or magazines. The second picture shows this compartment opened up where you can see the Velcro tab at the top.  Another thing to note on the back of the bag is the extra padding in that black area.  I assume it is there to protect the laptop since the compartment directly on the other side of the back panel is the laptop area.

The next picture above is a close up of the carry strap.  The clip attaching it to the bag is heavy duty plastic but with a metal flange.  It swivels which makes getting the strap in the right position really easily.  You can also see they provide a nice padded piece that you can move around on the strap or even take off completely if you wish.  The next picture is a closeup of the ballistic nylon.  It is a nice grey color.  The bag does not come in any other colors but the black/grey combination you see in this review.  I think it looks really nice and professional.  I love bright colors, but carrying a bright purple bag around work is not something I want to do.

The next picture is a closeup of the bottom of the bag.  You can see where everything is double stitched.  The bottom is not leather but some heavy weather-resistant type of canvas.  It seems like it could really take a beating.  I also like out they strengthened the sides of the bag by adding the extra strapping.

This next picture is a shot of the bag with the main flap open.  There are multiple compartments and features in this area.  Next we will walk from left to right on this part of the bag.  The next picture shows the ID holder and it is detached from its Velcro holder.  This is a nice feature if you want to carry your id around without having to carry your purse with you.  It also has a metal key ring to attach things like keys or maybe your work badge.  I like that you can just detach it completely and save a little weight if you are not going to use it at all which is what I personally did.

The next two images above try to show you how the pockets in the front of the bag are laid out.  The first one on the left is a larger pocket right in the middle of the front of the bag.  The picture on the right shows a smaller pocket and then the larger pocket behind it that runs the entire width of the bag.  This messenger bag gives you plenty of pockets to organize your stuff.

This next picture shows my Samsung Galaxy S9 in that far right pocket.  You can see it just barely peeks out of the pocket.  It could easily hold something like a Note where more would be sticking out, but the front flap of the bag would protect it.

The picture above is a close-up shot of the pen/pencil storage area.  I like how they provide a small pocket below the pen holder to slide the ends of your pens inside.  That way you don’t have to worry about losing your pens if they are too narrow for the nylon holding slots.

Now let’s start to walk through the interior of the bag.  The first thing I noticed was the material they used on the inside.  It is a nice light color combo of white and light grey.  It makes finding things inside the bag pretty easy.  The first picture is a shot of that main pocket on the very front of the bag inside the flap.  You can see it goes almost all the way across the bag.  The next shot is a picture of the first storage area behind the front of the bag.  The black area is a hard plastic divider.  This pocket is the narrowest in the main compartment area.

The next picture shows a large compartment that is right after the black plastic and just before the main computer storage area.  You can see it has a spot where a nylon flap from the computer area will attach.  That will help to hold the computer in its place.  This is a nice deep compartment.  I use it to put my power supply and mouse inside.  I have even put a water bottle in this area at one time.  Picture a standard bottle of water you would buy at a convenience store.  The picture on the right shows the actual computer compartment.  The flap to attach over the area back to the Velcro area in the picture on is lying in the middle.  This compartment is padded on all 4 sides including the bottom of the bag.  I had no worries about damaging my computer by setting it down hard on a table.

This next picture shows the computer area with my Dell XPS 15 inside.  I have the flap over the top to secure the laptop.  You can see that I do have at least an inch more in width and maybe a quarter inch or so at the top for a larger computer.

This last picture shows a slim zippered area that is fronted by some mesh that is on the back of the main flap.  This is another area to put small items you may want to carry.

What I like

I love that this bag has so many compartments.  I like to try to organize my stuff and this bag gives me plenty of opportunities to do so.  A lot of messenger bags I have used before tended to have a single main compartment and maybe one or two additional storage areas.  I feel this bag is very sturdy and should last me a long time.  The materials and double stitching make me feel secure that my stuff won’t be falling out of the bag.  The colors are professional and should not show stains or scrapes like some lighter colors would.

What can be improved

Really the only suggestion I would make is to possibly make a slightly smaller bag.  At least where I work, I don’t see anyone carrying around a larger 16 in laptop anymore.  If anything, people have downsized to things like a Surface Pro.  My 15 inch laptop is now one of the larger ones in the company.  Having a smaller version that would handle up to a 15 inch bag would save some weight.

Price: $69.99
Where to buy: Mobile Edge and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mobile Edge

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Mobile Edge Graphite messenger bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Razer adds more gaming gear to their Quartz Pink product line

NEWS – Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Razer recently announced that more of their gaming products have been added to their Quartz Pink product line.  Last year Razer refreshed four products in their lineup of high-performance gear with this new pink color; this year they added eight new items, including a mouse, a headset, and a laptop computer.  Razer is best known as a lifestyle brand for video gamers, and with these products they’ve promised gamers girls will find an “unfair advantage in both performance and looks.”

These pink power products are available exclusively on Razer’s online store, and several are sold together in bundles, which slightly reduce the cost.  Here’s the complete list of products available in Quartz Pink:

  • Razer Basilisk mouse
  • Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma mouse mat
  • Razer Huntsman keyboard
  • Razer Kraken headset
  • Razer Raiju Tournament Edition controller for PS4
  • Razer Seiren X microphone
  • Razer Base Station Chroma headset stand
  • Quartz case for Razer Phone 2

The price of these specially-colored items are same as their black and venom green counterparts; there’s no “pink tax” for the girls. Head over to razer.com for more info.

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Razer adds more gaming gear to their Quartz Pink product line originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Mission Workshop Renan alpaca knit pullover/hoodie review

REVIEW – Last year the folks at Mission Workshop sent me a pair of their Icon City Pants to review. While not very techie or gadgettie, they are definitely a finely made, high-quality piece of clothing. Though, I hate to say it, I have passed them onto the Gadgeteer Kid who can pull off that modern look much better than I can. That said, recently Mission Workshop has sent me their Renan alpaca knit pullover to checkout…hopefully it stays in my closet vs his 😉 .

A bit of backstory: As I get old(er), I do my best to age with some semblance of grace. And I occasional read threads that help in that effort, saying ‘don’t wear these sort of things’ or ‘these phrases are no longer cool or worse yet not acceptable’. It’s not that I follow trends (at all really). But I seriously don’t want to be the 50-something guy walking down the street with people thinking “OMG what was he thinking” as they stare at my 20 yr old cargo shorts and white socks pulled up to my knees. So as my story goes, one of these articles suggested a list of all-purpose clothes every (aging) guy should own. One of those items was a quality pullover/hoodie. So, I did an internet search and the Renan knit pullover was near the top of the list to consider.

What is it?

The Renan pullover is an extremely nice, handcrafted hoodie made in the Peruvian Andes using 100% Alpaca fleece. It is soft, thick, warm, and feels awesome to wear. (I asked the Gadgeteer Kid to be my model and to smile, this is the best he could muster.)

Design and features

The Renan is handcrafted “from start to finish in the Peruvian Andes using 100% Alpaca fleece”. According to Mission Workshop, the Alpaca fibers provide unparalleled softness, regulate body temperature, naturally repel water, and are odor resistant. And while I haven’t tested the odor resistance, I completely agree. The Renan is constructed better than any knitted pullover/sweater I have ever worn. The Alpaca fleece is finely woven yet very dense, thick and heavy, as you would want, to stay warm on a cold day. During the first month of on and off use, the Renan has held its shape very nicely.

The Renan hoodie is styled and has the look to wear on its own or as a mid-layer piece when things get really cold. I regularly wear it under my leather jacket and personally think it looks awesome. Considering the quality and cost of the Renan pullover, I would not wear it while working on home improvement projects or put it in harms way like I would my Carhartt hoodie. But it is an excellent choice for a winter Friday @work, puttering around town, or a casual get-together.

The Mission Workshop Renan is European cut and is relatively slim-fitted. The Gadgeteer Kid stands 6’3″ and weighs in at about 175 pounds, he’s an ideal model for the Renan (in large).  I’m 6’1″ and 185lbs, it fits me nicely as well but let’s just say you can see the places where I need to workout a bit more.

The back of the Renan has a rear facing touring pocket to hold your phone or keys out of the way while riding your bike or leaning forward. Mission Workshop uses custom YKK zippers to keep your stuff securely in the pocket. The YKK zipper operates smoothly and have yet to get hung-up.

Positives

  • Extremely well made from the finest materials
  • Alpaca is finely woven, soft, heavy, thick, gorgeous
  • Handwoven on manual looms with custom Alpaca yarn
  • Nicely fitted
  • Integrated touring pocket

Negatives

  • Expensive

The Renan is available in Heathered Gray and Black.

Final thoughts

You know it’s funny, the wife and Gadgeteer Kid rarely have much, if any, interest in the gear I receive to review. They might take a pair of wireless earbuds or tech-bag if they’ve destroyed the last one I hooked them up with. But it is more me forcing stuff on them than anything else…yes, crazy I know. I do not believe there has ever been an item that was fought over before it even arrived. Well, long story short, the Mission Workshop Renan alpaca knit pullover has the coveted honor of being the first. This hoodie is definitely a keeper, its ageless style, material quality, and construction should last years, if not decades. If the Kid somehow sneaks it off to college next year, I would most likely order another to replace it…which also say quite a bit as well. The Renan is just the hoodie I was looking for when I started my search.

Price: $325

Where to buy: The Renan alpaca pullover is available on the Mission Workshop website.

Source: The sample of this product was provided by Mission Workshop.

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Mission Workshop Renan alpaca knit pullover/hoodie review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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