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BluFixx repair gel kit review

REVIEW – Fixing broken things is one of the Gadgeteer superpowers. We use a lot of different materials for this, and we were recently offered a new product that can fill those patching and repair needs. It’s a series of light-curing products called BluFixx. These are liquids that are designed to repair everything from your phone charger cable to wood floors and plastic pipe. The liquid is cured with a UV light, just like the tooth-filling material your dentist uses.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

A tube of liquid that flows easily, backed by a UV light source at the opposite end, which cures the liquid into a hard material.

Hardware specs

The product is sold both as a full kit (holder with a tube of liquid and UV curing light together) or just the refill of the actual material. (Since any UV light source, even direct sunlight, will cure the liquid, this is an easy entree into trying out this product.)

What’s in the box?

As mentioned, there are two main ways to order: as a kit (including holder and light) or as a refill (liquid in tube with applicator tip. There is also a three-fold brochure on safety and usage tips that is 7”x11” when fully unfolded. The lede photo above shows two kits – one fully assembled on the upper right, and the other disassembled on the lower left. The Refill is just the tube with the white label in the lower center.

Design and features

The design of the product is sheer simplicity. A needle-tipped applicator is used to direct a thin film of product onto a surface needing repair. When the liquid is in the right spot, the user spins the applicator around and activates the UV light on the other end (it’s a push-on/push-off affair), and in 5-10 seconds, the product is hardened into a tough, yet pliable surface.

Setup

While there is really very little “setup”, I thought a few words about how the “pen” aspect of the design. It feels very natural to hold it in your hand, point down, gently squeezing the flexible body of the tube and allowing the gel to flow into the area of application. If it gets too thick, however, the UV light won’t penetrate and cure it. Remember: Thin layers, just like your outdoor adventure guide always told you.

Performance

I found the application and curing process easy to work with, but many repairs have points where the edges do not line up and I needed to build up layers of material to fill in space, or the liquid flows into a deep crevice of the surface, where the UV light cannot penetrate to cure it. Placing just a dab in a deep crack, curing it, and adding another layer is not intuitive to those of us raised on airplane glue. But once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty good stuff.

What I Like

  • No fumes
  • Doesn’t dry out easily if left uncapped
  • Cures instantly
  • Can be shaped after curing

What needs to be improved

  • Not as flexible when cured as some glue/patching products

Final thoughts

If you’re really a Gadgeteer at heart, you are always playing around with stuff, trying to make things do something just beyond the edge of what they were built to do, prototyping, or breaking stuff. If you’re not using a bit of superglue, Sugru, Epoxy, or Duck tape on a regular basis, you’re not living up to your full potential. (As an aside, anyone reading this site regularly needs to know about This to That. It’s a website devoted to helping visitors find the best way to attach one material to another. You’ll get lost in there, so set a timer!) This product is an entry into a new line of connectivity methods that I’ve been exploring. I find it easy, quick, and usually robust. BluFixx’s innovation of different grades of liquid and colors is a needed innovation.

Price: $14.99 for a full kit, $9.99 for refills.
Where to buy Manufacturer’s website and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by BluFixx.

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BluFixx repair gel kit review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 30, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Aluratek 8in WiFi Digital Photo Frame review


REVIEW – This past year, I have tested and reviewed several digital picture frames that all performed well, and they offered both similar and different features. One of the features that I am always concerned about is cloud storage and the possible security risks, especially when some digital frames make that the only choice. The Aluratek 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame with Touchscreen IPS LCD Display and 8GB Built-in Memory offers local storage features and options while still allowing you to send pictures to the frame from anywhere in the world. Let’s see if it keeps its promises.

What is it?

The Aluratek 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame with Touchscreen IPS LCD Display allows you to instantly share your photos by connecting the picture frame to any WiFi network and binding it to your Facebook or Twitter accounts or both. You can also use the IOS/Android Photo Partner app to send photos from your mobile device directly to the picture frame from anywhere. An FTP function is available to send photos from your PC.

What’s in the box


1 x 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame with Touchscreen IPS LCD Display
1 x USB 2.0 Cable
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Quick Start Guide
1 x Installation Manual (English)
1 x Installation Manual (French)
1 x QR Code Card
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Contact Card

Design and features

Specifications:

  • Memory: Built-in 8GB / SD, SDHC memory cards up to 32GB
  • Connectivity: WiFi, USB 2.0, SD/SDHC Card
  • Resolution: 1024 x 768 (4:3 aspect ratio)

Features:

  • Touchscreen IPS LCD display
  • Connects to any WIFI 802.11 b/g/n wireless network
  • Photo sharing from Facebook and Twitter accounts directly to the frame using a smartphone or tablet
  • 8” TFT true color LCD at 1024 x 768 resolution (4:3 aspect ratio)
  • Built-in speakers
  • Photo slideshows can play in various display and transition modes set to background music
  • Connect a USB flash drive or SD card to easily access and share your favorite pictures, music, or videos
  • Transfer and store files quickly and easily from your personal computer to the frame’s 8GB built-in memory with hi-speed USB 2.0
  • Includes built-in clock, calendar, alarm and weather apps with auto on/off timer
  • Security slot – securely lock your frame to prevent theft
  • Frame adjustable for vertical orientation
  • Wall mountable

The picture frame is a sleek black frame with a glossy finish and no buttons on the front. The screen is a touchscreen.


On the back of the picture frame, there are the controls, the security lock and the mounting options for the stand and for wall mounting. The diagram below illustrates the manual control functions.



On one side of the frame, there are the connectivity options. As shown below from left to right they are the SD/SDHC card slot, the headphone jack, the USB 2.0 port, the mini USB port, and the AC power adapter port.



On the bottom right-hand corner at the back of the frame, there is a mount that the stand connects to.

Performance

This digital picture frame is very sleek looking and setup from beginning to end is very easy. The instruction manual provides clear instructions for binding the frame for use with your Facebook and or Twitter accounts and you can also use the IOS/Android Photo Partner app to send pictures from your mobile device to the phone. In addition, there is an FTP option to load pictures from your PC. The FTP option is the only one that I am still playing around with and trying to get right. I downloaded the Filezilla FTP client and was able to see the frame and send pictures to it. However, I could not do so when I tried from a different network which is strange. It is likely that there is something that I missed and I will provide an update when I figure it out.

I also do not like the design of the stand that is round and only supports one side of the frame. If you accidentally bump the frame, it falls over very easily.

The following are some photos of the various screens that you encounter are you go through the settings:





The next set of photos show the screens after you load your pictures including individual pictures of the slideshow:


The last photo below is a screenshot of one of the screens on my cell phone as I selected the pictures that I sent to the frame:

If you would like to read more about this digital picture frame, click here to read the manual.

What I like

  • The sleek look of the frame
  • The build quality
  • The features
  • The connectivity options that include local storage option

What can be improved

  • The stand

Final thoughts

The Aluratek 8 inch WiFi Digital Photo Frame performs very well and it is very easy to set up and get going. The features make it easy to share pictures and the display is quite nice. Other than the design of the stand and my pending issues with the FTP file transfer for a different network, I have no complaints and I do like this frame very much. Considering that some of the other frames that I reviewed are 4 times the price of this one, I do think that is is a good bang for the buck. Nicely done!!

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

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Aluratek 8in WiFi Digital Photo Frame review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 30, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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iZotope Spire Studio review

REVIEW – There’s no right or wrong way to record music. In fact, taking you out of the zone is the main thing that should be universally avoided. Spire Studio from iZotope is a new product that seems to have been developed specifically to make sure that doesn’t happen.

What is it?

Spire Studio is a recording interface that harnesses the power of your phone touchscreen while minimizing the typical interactions to let you focus on your music. They’ve also packed in a bunch of cool features and portability to boot. Sound good? We agree, so together with my son Satchel, we gave it a run through to see if it lives up to its claims.

Hardware specs

Weight: 1.6lbs
Dimensions: ~4.8 x 4.4 x 3.4″
Inputs: 2 XLR/TS combo jacks, 48v phantom power
Outputs: 2.5mm headphone jacks
Sample Rate/Bit Depth: 48kHz/24-bit
Wifi: 802.11 b/g/n w/ 2.4GHz
Power Supply: Universal power adapter
Battery: Internal rechargeable lithium ion
Battery Life: 4+ hours
OS Support: Android, iOS

What’s in the box?

  • Spire Studio
  • Power supply
  • Quickstart guide

Design and features

Straight out of the box, the quality is evident. Spire Studio is cylindrical design with a metal construction and some significant heft. The combination of materials and surfaces feels balanced and intriguing at the same time. The rubber feet give it a solid stance on any surface.

The top or face has a circular, segmented LED panel that’s angled toward you, along with five physical buttons. Record and Play buttons are most prominent, being evenly split in the center of the device. At the bottom, you’ll find buttons for New Song, Soundcheck and Volume easily accessible and still easy to press.

On the front, a built-in microphone is behind a protective metal grill with a 3.5mm jack just below for easily connecting a pair of headphones.

The back panel sports a pair of combo inputs that combine XLR and 1/4 inputs expanding your connection possibilities. Input 1 disables the front mic if you connect a microphone and there’s a corresponding push button for toggling 48v phantom power should you need it. An additional headphone jack at the top, power supply jack and power button round out the panel at the bottom.

The built-in battery is an excellent addition as it means you can record for up to 4 hours, even if you’re nowhere near an outlet. Now creativity really can strike whenever it wants. Possibly the coolest and most useful feature is the Soundcheck button. A single press and Spire Studio listens to your surroundings and optimizes the microphone settings to your surroundings for the best possible recording parameters. Very cool. Here’s a video of that.

Setup

Getting started is pretty easy. Download the app from the requisite store for the OS on your phone or tablet and follow the prompts. It will ask you to power on Spire Studio (Make sure the Studio is fully charged or at least plugged in) and then go into settings on your device to connect to the Wifi broadcast by Spire.

Bounce back to the app and give it the permissions it requires. You’re now set up. If you need to adjust anything you can make adjustments within the app settings shown here on the left, or the device settings on the right.

Performance

Spire Studio is pretty fun to use and also very visual as the LEDs provide visual feedback as to what’s going on. Take a look.

Powering Up

Powering Down

At startup you will be dropped right into recording mode. You’ll want to connect any electrical instruments to the combo jacks on the back of the unit or just rely on the built-in mic if you’re singing or playing acoustic. Hit record and the onboard mic does its magic and the input jacks do the same. When you’re finished hit record again to stop. Here’s how that looks, with a demonstration of the New Song button which also starts recording mode.

If you hit record again, it will create a new track which you can then later mix within the app. To listen, make sure your project is selected in the app and then hit play on the app or on the device. You will need to connect headphones to one to be able to hear playback.

If you’re looking for some help keeping time, there’s a built-in metronome that is loud enough to hear through while playing and yet magically does not get captured in the recording. Here’s how it works.

When it comes time to mix some tracks together, the trim function is pretty key. Here’s how the app handles that.

Spire Studio recognizes different devices, or at least different accounts. When I connected there were no songs in the project library, but my first recording showed up as Project 6 which makes sense later as Satchel said he saved a handful of things. Your recordings are tied to your account, so you can switch back and forth between a tablet and a phone if that’s your thing. Just know that on the second device you’ll need to “register” with the same account info as you did your first device since there’s not a “login” option.

Satch was able to feel comfortable with the system pretty quickly and worked up this little Sandman mix complete with eight tracks. It’s cool that in the video you can see the segmented LED display correspond to the different tracks.

As for listening to what you’ve recorded, you ideally want balanced audio playback. Headphones are best for this and it makes sense that Spire provided 3.5mm jacks for connecting them. However, the circumference of the Studio is large enough where some extra height could have accounted for a down-firing speaker to provide some kind of on-device playback. You can definitely plug in an aux cable to a portable speaker as I did in the above video, but a built-in option would have been nice.

What I like

  • Quality and precision build of the device
  • Easy to use controls
  • Battery for recording on the go

What needs to be improved

  • Printed manual – Felt missing at this price
  • Speaker option for playback

Final thoughts

There’s a lot more to discover with the iZotope Spire Studio. It’s a powerful tool and really does streamline the recording experience, letting you just get down to the creative task of recording. It’s solidly built and I can see this outlasting other options out there by a good bit. Satch will continue using it over the next few weeks and we’ll update this post with some additional thoughts and sounds soon. In the meantime, here’s a parting vid I wasn’t expecting to see that had me laughing.

Price: $349
Where to buy: Spire and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by iZotope.

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iZotope Spire Studio review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 29, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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New Age Enclosures Raspberry Pi 3 Tinker Case review

REVIEW – You can find Raspberry Pi 3 cases all over the Internet.  They are mostly all good, and mostly all priced the same – $15.  New Age Enclosures is looking to break out from the pack with a high quality, durable case that costs less.  Is that possible?  Read on to find out…

Most people buy a Raspberry Pi bundle when they are getting started.  Bundles usually include the board itself, a power supply and heat sinks, a micro-SD card with NOOB, and the same basic black case that comes in 3 parts.  If you are a school or other organization who buys the Pi in bulk, you are almost always on the lookout for a solid case that’s a bargain.  New Age Enclosures – already selling some pretty nice specialty cases like weather-proof utility enclosures – has created a Pi case that starts at $6.50 and goes down from there, depending on how many you want to buy.

Personally, I prefer a 2 part case over the ubiquitous 3 part cases that come in every bundle.  In my opinion, there are fewer opportunities to mount the Pi incorrectly with the 2 part case.  It does require, though, a more exacting manufacturing process because the board has to fit without having too much “free space” inside the case.

The next few pictures show the board mounted and the case made ready to deploy.

As you can see the case is a perfect fit for the Pi 3+.  The board went in smoothly and easily, and the top snapped in without a struggle.  The unit feels secure.  And there are a couple of very nice touches – first, there are mounting holes in the case so you can secure the board to the case itself.  Most other cases on the market rely on everything being properly set and then the tension from the case snapping together.  If you are using a Pi in an industrial or educational setting, this added bit of security is a very good thing.

The other nice bit is the inclusion of mounting holes on the bottom of the case.  Your Pi can now be mounted on a wall or other surface.  If I could add anything, I would love to see New Age make a VESA mounting plate that would use these mounting points to put 1 or more Pi cases on the back of a monitor.

I did have one concern, though – on initial examination, I did not see what I thought would be adequate ventilation.  Your average Pi case has a top that looks like a raspberry that has been shot through with buckshot.  So I hooked my Pi up to my monitor and played Donkey Kong for nearly an hour.  That’s called research, and I am happy to take the bullet for you.  After many barrel mishaps, the Pi did not overheat and the case was no warmer or cooler than any other case I’ve had.  So the two ventilation grooves on the top of the case seem to be a nice compromise.

The case comes in black, white, clear, translucent blue, translucent smoke grey and translucent red – the color I have.

What I like

  • Precisely engineered for the Raspberry Pi 3 series
  • Sturdy
  • Comes in colors other than black and clear

What needs to be improved

  • None, really

Final thoughts

If you are looking for a case – or a case of cases – New Age Enclosures has you covered.  If I could get a VESA mount this would be the perfect solution for all my Pi needs.

Price: $6.50 (lower pricing in quantity)
Where to buy: New Age Enclosures
Source: The sample for this review was provided by New Age Enclosures.

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New Age Enclosures Raspberry Pi 3 Tinker Case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2018 at 12:21 pm.

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The OYO Fitness Gym review


REVIEW – I have lost count of how many portable gyms and gym-like devices I have purchased over the years that have promised to fit into my busy schedule and to provide a relatively quick full body workout that will keep me fit. One way or another they have fallen short of the goal either because they did not live up to their promise or they were not as portable or as easy to use as expected. I have all but given up on these types of devices and I use my treadmill as much as I can. But now, I see a new device that has gained my interest enough for me to try one more time. Let’s see if the OYO Fitness Gym can earn any redemption for its counterparts or if it ends up in the historic pile in the corner of my storage room.

What is it?

The OYO Fitness Gym LE is a total body gym that weighs 2 lbs. but produces up to 25 lbs. of resistance for training and exercise. It can be folded to fit in your EDC bag or large pocket so that you can use it on the go wherever and whenever you choose to.

What’s in the box


1 x OYO Personal Gym LE
1 x Door Attachment
3 x Flexpacks
2 x Leg Attachments
1 x Product Guide

Design and features

When you open the OYO Fitness box, the inside cover reveals a quick start guide describing how to attach the flexpacks.

The picture below shows the OYO Fitness Gym with 2 flexpacks attached. The first flexpack must be a 10lb resistance pack and a total of 3 flexpacks come with the gym. OYO Fitness does not sell additional flexpacks separately. You can also see that in the second picture below, the gym can be collapsed into a very portable package.


In the close-up picture below of the flexpack, on one side there is the center spindle with internal gears that lines up with the other flexpacks which allow them to connect to each other. The red arrow shows the marking for the correct orientation to add each flexpack to the other. There are 3 holes that accept the “legs” from other flexpacks as a part of the securing mechanism. On the flipside of the flexpack, there is the gear spindle with external that protrudes and connects to another flexpack and three notched “legs” that also connect and secure the flexpacks to each other.



The following picture shows the 2 included straps that connect to each side of the OYO gym and allow the gym to be strapped to your legs or arms for different types of exercises.




The other included strap allows you to attach to a door or pole or other objects for various exercises.

Performance

When I opened the OYO Fitness gym box, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of each component and the compact size. The instructions are clear and you can get started right away. Adding and removing the Flexpacks to adjust the resistance is quite easy and the basic exercises can all be performed with just the OYO and the Flexpacks. OYO includes straps that allow you to attach the gym to a door or any such structure to accomplish pulley type exercises that you would normally do with a larger gym system. At first, I was skeptical about whether or not this compact device could actually provide enough resistance to even make most folks break a sweat, but I soon found out that it is quite capable of doing so and very versatile. It gives me a full workout and can be used by the enthusiast, the occasional visitor, or the fitness fanatic.


The following are some of the exercises performed by my model:





One issue I did experience is that the rotation of the spindle with the gears in the center of the flexpack changed and I could not attach it to any other flexpack. Once I recognized what had happened. I used an adjustable wrench to turn it back to the correct orientation. It did take some effort to do so.

What I like

  • The compact size
  • The versatility
  • The build quality
  • The portability

What can be improved

  • Ability to add more flexpacks
  • Flexpack spindles go out of orientation and tools are needed to fix them

Final thoughts

With each day that goes by, life gets even busier and dedicating time to workout without interruptions or within my hectic schedule often leads to a great plan that becomes very short-lived. As I get older, using heavy weights or even many of the machines and equipment that a conventional gym offers is not as desirable or as necessary as it used to be as when I was much younger. While the OYO Fitness Gyum does not replace a Planet Fitness or that type of gym, my experience with it has been great for my goals. I am able to keep my muscles working, do some resistance and cardio (via repetitions) training and there is enough built-in versatility to get a complete fitness workout. It is not a bodybuilding gym but it fulfills its purpose of allowing me to workout whenever and wherever my schedule allows and it is compact enough to go with me without becoming a burden. This is another type of device that is individually subjective, and while it may not be a fit for all, it does a great job for me, and enough so that they get two thumbs up. Looking forward to the next version with the ability to add even more resistance.

Price: $149.95 (Other versions are available at different prices)
Where to buy: OYO Fitness  and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by OYO Fitness

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The OYO Fitness Gym review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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