SOLIUM G1 360 degree dual dashcam review

REVIEW – With all the dash cams on the market, how do you make one that stands out from the rest? You can be like Soliom and make a dashcam with two cameras. One that points out the front of the vehicle’s window and one that points inwards into the car. Why would you want to record what’s going on in the car in addition to outside the car? Maybe you’re a Uber driver or maybe you want to create your own karaoke videos like James Corden. Either way, let’s take a closer look at the G1 360 degree dual dashcam from Solium.

What is it?

The Solium G1 is a 360 degree dual dashcam with a camera that points out the front of the car and one that points inside.

Hardware specs

Processor: Dual Sunplus 6350A processors
Image sensor: Dual Sony Exmor IMX323 sensors with 6 lens fixed f/2.0 apertures
Record both cameras at 190° 1920x1080P@30fps or the front camera only 1920x1080p@60fps at 190°
Display: 1.5 inch TFT LCD display

What’s in the box?

  • Soliom dual cam dash cam
  • Windshield mount
  • 12V power adapter
  • micro USB cable
  • USB card reader
  • Reset pin
  • User manual

Design and features

The Soliom G1 is the first dash camera that I’ve reviewed that has two lenses. There’s the standard lens that points out your front windshield to record your travels and there’s an additional camera that points inside the car.

The front camera that points out the windshield is fixed in one position and has a 190° lens that captures 1920×1080 resolution.

The back (interior) lens has the same viewing angle and resolution, but this lens can pivot in its socket sort of like an eyeball.

For example, here we see it pointing up.

And here we see the lens pointing down. The ability to adjust the angle of the lens is a helpful feature as it helps you get the most coverage inside the car. For example, if I left the lens centered, my rearview mirror would be in the way since I mount my dashcams directly in front of the mirror. You can check out the video clip below to see what the interior video looks like.

The camera is medium-sized with a soft black coating.

The side has a micro USB port for the power cable, a micro SD card slot and a connection for a GPS module. Soliom did not include a GPS module with the camera that they set me to review. They don’t even sell them on their site so I’m not sure of pricing or availability.

Also note that a micro SD card is NOT included with the G1 dashcam.

The G1 has a decent sized 1.5in TFT color LCD that you’ll use for a live view of the cameras and navigating the menus to customize the settings. The LCD is not touch capable, which means you’ll have to use the 5-way nav button on the right to scroll through the settings and make changes.

There’s also a small power button, a status LED, and an emergency button which will lock the current video clip if you press it.

By default, the G1 captures video from both cameras in one split screen .MOV video file as soon as you start up the engine of your vehicle.

You can customize the camera to just record video from the front (windshield) camera if you like and you can change the record length from 1, 3, 0r 5 minute length video clips.

Another option will let you capture time-lapse video which will put all the video from 4, 8, or 12 hours in one video file. See the example video below where I include a short timelapse clip at the end.

The Soliom G1 has most of the features that people want in a dashcam including a G-sensor which will detect an accident and automatically lock a video file so that you can use it for personal or insurance purposes.

The G1 also has a Parking monitor with motion detection so that it will automatically capture video if there is a motion collision to your car or motion is detected. To use this feature you will need to hardwire the camera to car’s battery so it’s always powered on.

See it in action

As you can see from the video clip above, the video quality is decent except that the interior camera does not have night vision. That means video captured while driving at night will not show the driver.

What I like

  • Records video inside the car as well as outside the car
  • Both video in one split screen file

What I’d change

  • Add night vision capability to the interior camera
  • Allow separate video files to be captured at once. One for inside and one for outside
  • Add 4K capability
  • Add wireless capability for offloading video without removing the camera or SD card

Final thoughts

I have enjoyed testing the Soliom G1 dual camera dashcam. It’s a unique camera that allows both exterior and interior video capture. Except for that feature, the rest of the functionality is basic. The camera lacks 4K video, wireless video sharing/downloading, and GPS. If those extra features don’t matter to you and you want the ability to automatically capture split-screen video of your travels inside and outside your vehicle, the Soliom G1 is a decent camera worth checking out. I plan to leave it in my car – at least for now.

Price: $109.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Soliom.

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SOLIUM G1 360 degree dual dashcam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 27, 2019 at 9:37 am.

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Waterfield Designs Micro Wallet review

REVIEW – We love wallets here at The Gadgeteer, in all shapes and sizes.  One of my favorite types is the zipper wallet, because it holds its contents very securely.  Recently, Waterfield Designs, who has been producing some really nice zipper wallets for some time now, updated their Micro Wallet product line with some new colors and an additional size. Let’s it them out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Micro Wallet is a small, thin, compact zipper style wallet with a minimalist style that is designed to hold a few cards and some cash or even act as a small tech gear pouch.

Hardware specs

  • Size options =
    • Compact = 4.0” x 2.9” x 0.75″
    • International = 4.25″ x 3.375″ x 0.75″
  • Material and color options=
    • 1050 Denier Ballistic Nylon in Black only for $25
    • Waxed Canvas in Brown only for $25
    • Full-grain, deer-tanned leather in Brown, Red, or Blue (Blue reviewed here)  each for $39
  • Capacity = Holds about 8 cards and some folded cash, plus 1-2 cards in the exterior quick-access pocket
  • Zipper = YKK self-locking
  • Location of manufacture = Workshop crafted in San Francisco, CA, USA

Design and features

The Micro Wallet has been in the lineup of Waterfield Designs for some time but has recently undergone an update in available materials and sizes.

My initial impression of the Micro Wallet is that it is essentially a more minimalist version of the Waterfield Designs Finn Wallet.  The leather’s texture is as soft and supple as butter and it is very compact, and I really like the bright blue color.

While the full grain, deer-tanned leather of this review sample was quite impressive in look and feel (and available in Red, Brown and this Blue colors), the Micro Wallet is also available in Black Ballistic Nylon as well as Brown Waxed Canvas (a classic Waterfield Designs style).

The Micro Wallet is a very compact, minimalist wallet, and excels at either back- or front-pocket carry, and I used it both ways with great success.  In fact, the softness of the leather helps the Micro Wallet feeling comfortable in your pocket even in front-pocket carry.   It is also designed to fit inside some of Waterfield Designs’ larger wallets for travel, such as the Passport Finn Access Wallet and the Travel Wallet (reviews of these are in-process—stay tuned).

Although it’s difficult to see in this photo, the Micro Wallet starts out quite slim at only 0.75″ thick, and as seen below, it stays quite slim even when loaded.

One of the main features of the Micro Wallet is its zipper that wraps around two of the sides of the wallet.  As with all of the materials and components used by Waterfield Designs in their products, this is a YKK locking zipper, which means that when the zipper pull is in the above position, it is free to be zipped open or closed, but once the zipper pull is flipped the other way and laid flat, it “locks” into that position.  This helps keep the zipper from opening accidentally in your pocket or purse.

You may have already noticed that the Micro Wallet includes a small loop of nylon webbing on one side.  This is a handy feature that allows the Micro Wallet to be attached and secured to all manner of things, from various hooks and clips to locking carabiners, keyrings and the like.

In the example above, I’ve attached the rectangular carabiner that is included with the Waterfield Designs Travel Wallet (NOTE: not included with the Micro Wallet), but this little loop of webbing will fit many different types of hooks, carabiners, and the like.  This allows the Micro Wallet to be attached to a belt loop, purse or messenger bag strap, backpack webbing, keyring or any number of other places.

The inside of the Micro Wallet is very spartan, with no organizational pockets.  This was done purposefully, in keeping with its minimalist design philosophy as well as intent to keep the Micro Wallet as small, thin, and compact as possible.  Although inside pockets would indeed help with the organization of contents, they would also add to the thickness of the Micro Wallet.  It should also be noted that the Micro Wallet is NOT available with an RFID liner option.

To test out the Micro Wallet, I loaded it up with the above items: 6 bills and 7 cards, which is a fair representation of what I might typically carry in my wallet on an average day.

In the above photo, you can see that the bills and cards essentially just sit inside the Micro Wallet since, as mentioned above, there are no internal organizational features.  The 6 bills and 7 cards fit just fine, and in fact, there was room for some additional items. One drawback to the Micro Wallet here is that, if you want to put cash bills into it, you have to double fold them, which can start to add a lot of thickness to it.  This is a good spot to mention that the Micro Wallet is available in two sizes, Compact, which is designed to hold US bills, and International, which has a slightly larger footprint and is designed to hold foreign (non-US) bills.  I couldn’t help but wonder if the International version might have allowed me to only fold my US bills once, which would have reduced the thickness due to not having to double-fold them.  I should also mention that the Micro Wallet’s open interior allows it to be used to hold cables, adapters, memory cards and so forth—sort of a mini tech gear pouch—if desired.

The above photo shows the thickness of the Micro Wallet with the 6 bills (double folded) and 7 cards inside.  Even with the bills double-folded, the Micro Wallet is still very thin and compact.

As seen above, the Micro Wallet is very suitable for back-pocket carry like just about any traditional wallet.

Where the Micro Wallet excels, however, is in front-pocket carry, where its small footprint, thinness, and very soft material make it quite comfortable.

What I like

  • Very small, very slim, very suited for either front or back pocket carry
  • Locking YKK zipper provides quick yet secure access to contents and could also be used to hold small items like cables, adapters, etc.
  • High-quality materials and construction—the leather looks and feels great and seems very durable

What I’d change

  • Find a way to give it an RFID liner but without adding much thickness

Final thoughts

The Waterfield Designs Micro Wallet is an excellent slim, compact, minimalist wallet if you want to carry a handful of cards and cash securely and you aren’t as concerned about organization.  It has a classic look and feel and is quite affordable for a wallet made from these materials and construction, which give me the impression that it will last a long time and only get better with age.

Price:

  • 1050 Denier Ballistic Nylon in Black = $25
  • Waxed Canvas in Brown = $25
  • Full-grain, deer-tanned leather in Brown, Red, or Blue (Blue reviewed here) = $39

Where to buy: Waterfield Designs (AKA SF Bags)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Waterfield Designs

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Waterfield Designs Micro Wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 27, 2019 at 8:49 am.

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