Reviews – Page 172

Galen Leather EDC Wallet review

REVIEW – As an every-day carry (EDC) enthusiast, I’m always on the lookout for a way to compartmentalize or simplify the things I take with me wherever I go. So when I found out about the EDC Wallet from Galen Leather, I was eager to get my hands on it.

What is it?

Galen Leather’s EDC Wallet is a minimalist zippered wallet for your pocket size, every day carry (EDC) tools. Equipped with a sturdy YKK zipper. It’s a pocket-sized carrier for cash, credit cards, and business cards.

Hardware Specs

11.5(4.52″)cm x 9(3.54″)cm x 2(0.78″)cm when closed
11.5(4.52″)cm x 15,5(6.10″)cm when opened
It can fit an A7 size notebook, Kaweco sport or similar size pens, or a mini flashlight. Includes an elastic outside pen loop for quick access.

What’s in the box?

Surprisingly, many items!

It’s crazy how much extra stuff they sent.

The Leather EDC Wallet, in a nice box, plus…
A care & cleaning card with date and maker stamp
A small metal 8” ruler with “Measure Twice Cut Once” emblazoned on it
A small, glass Evil Eye with a short story of its origins (more on this later)

Design and Features

I’m an EDC junkie. I love to see what others carry around with them everywhere they go. These photographic pocket-dumps are like glimpses into the everyday lives of fellow enthusiasts and I find myself making little wish-lists of future purchases.

Personally, I always carry at least the following, because you just never know when they’ll come in handy.

pocketknife (currently, the Swiss Army Spartan)
tube of lip balm
black Fisher Space Pen
microfiber cleaning cloth
Herschel canvas zipper wallet

Each individual item typically knocks around in the same front pocket of my jeans or khakis. It doesn’t cause too much of an issue, it just feels a bit sloppy.

So when I was approached with reviewing the EDC Wallet, I thought to myself, now there’s a great concept. Get all that loose stuff in a nice, neat, zippered package! I gave it a shot for a few weeks and here are some thoughts.

You can see the craftsmanship in the piece, and also how quickly the leather picks up scuffs.

The initial presentation on this wallet (and with what I’m assuming every item ordered from Galen Leather) is absolutely top-notch. From the classy boxes and sleeve, everything comes in to the extras included.

My wallet came with a beautiful metal ruler, a personalized care & cleaning card, and a glass Evil Eye(!) charm bead, which is a talisman for warding off a curse, transmitted by a look, that might cause injury or bad luck. It’s a pretty incredible package.

An interesting note on the “Care & Cleaning” card that came in the box:

For small scuffs or wear marks, simply rub your thumb or finger along the cleft between your nose and nostril for a bit of oil. With tight pressure rub the spot on your cover in a circular motion. The scuff should be less obvious.

I love this. It’s so direct and informal, like a care tip your grandpop would give you. “Jus’ rub yer nose on it, champ!”

The wallet itself is handcrafted in Istanbul (which probably explains the evil eye charm, much more common in that part of the world) from quality leather and strong stitching. It’s got a nice, smooth feel to it. The inner pockets and separating flap are made from a softer leather to protect the contents.

It use, the wallet does a good job of keeping everything in place. It can hold maybe 2-3 cards and some cash in the card pocket side, and the other side can contain a variety of items. I tested several configurations, pictured below, to give you an idea of what you could use the case for.

For the most part during the review period, I carried my Swiss Army knife, a tube of lip balm, cleaning cloth, 2 credit cards and a Space Pen in the outer pen loop.

I will say that having a pen with a clip would have been better, as removing the wallet contents made the outer loop a little too loose for the pen to stay put.

The EDC Wallet kept everything together rather well. I didn’t feel the contents shifting around while it was zippered and the wallet fit in my pocket about as well as a typical thick bi-fold.

I think that having a thicker knife helped in keeping things in place. Thin knives or a bunch of small items seemed to shift around, as the thickness of the items didn’t cause enough tension against the inside to stay put.

One thing that took a while to get used to was how to hold the wallet in your hand in order to unzip it without heavier contents falling out. It seemed like there was never a good way of telling which side of the wallet was facing me… the card side or the EDC stuff side. More than once, I unzipped it thinking I was going to open it to the knife side, only to be wrong and, in failing to hold it flat enough, all my stuff clattered noisily to the ground.

Hey, did you know lip balm rolls surprisingly far when dropped in a supermarket? Fun fact.

Once I got used to how the wallet (and gravity) acted, I started opening it flat, like a small book, in order to keep the contents in place so I could grab what I needed.

Overall, there is definitely a tradeoff for convenience by packing all your items into a case. The EDC Wallet keeps everything together quite nicely, but it also adds an extra barrier between you and the thing you need, like, right now.

Liked

very good value for the price
good size for the pocket, can hold a variety of essentials
top-notch presentation and extra goodies

Challenges

easy to accidentally spill contents upon opening — which way’s up?
the leather is easily scuffed but also pretty easy to buff out those marks (with a little nose oil)

Final Thoughts

Packing away all your loose pocket items into a handsome, leather case is a great way to keep everything together in a nice, neat package, but also a way to limit how quickly you can access those items. All in all, this wallet is fantastic. Especially for the price!

Price: $35 (really!)
Where to buy: You can pick up the EDC Wallet on Galen’s website in a variety of colors.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Galen Leather Company.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Leather, Wallets

Galen Leather EDC Wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip review

REVIEW – Most people would look at the numerous surge protectors and USB wall warts that I have plugged in at home, and readily suggest that I may have created a fire hazard. Since they would likely be correct, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to test this surge protector with multiple USB charging ports built in.

What is it?

BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip is an 8 outlet AC surge protector with an additional 4 USB charging ports built-in.

What’s in the box

1 x BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

Specifications:

AC Input: 100-125V
USB Output: 5V/7.5A Auto 0~2.4A*3
Qualcomm Quick Charge TM 2.0: 5V/2.4A, 9V/1.6A, 12V/1.1A

The surge protector has 4 grounded AC outlets on each side for a total of 8 AC outlets.

On the top of the surge protector, there are 4 USB charging ports which provide a great ability to charge multiple devices that normally use a USB cable with a wall wart. The ports have convenient covers.

On one of the slim sides of the device, there is an on/off switch.

At the bottom, there is a spring-loaded stand that swings outwards perpendicular to the surge protector so that it can stand flat on a surface. There are also 4 screw holes in the stand that allow you to permanently mount the device to any surface, with the 4 supplied screws.

I now use this surge protector every day to power several devices simultaneously including a desk lamp, a laptop, a Bluetooth speaker and a Photography Lightbox, and it works flawlessly.

What I like

I really like the quality of the build of this surge protector and the very convenient 4 USB charging ports. I also like the 6ft power cord.

What can be improved

The one issue that this surge protector has is the closeness of the AC outlets that become less convenient if the AC cords have a larger sized wall wart.

Final thoughts

This BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip is a very convenient surge protector that includes the great convenience of 4 USB charging ports. I would have liked to see rotating AC outlets so that they could be arranged to fit the maximum number of wall warts. However, given the relatively small footprint of this power strip and the overall convenience, flexibility, and cost, I give it a thumbs up.

Price: $33.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Bestek.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers

BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand review

REVIEW – Since Apple (finally) threw its hat into the wireless charging ring with its latest iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone X models, wireless charging products have been multiplying in the market like rabbits. One of the latest that we’ve had the opportunity to evaluate here at The Gadgeteer is the AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand. Let’s check it out! Gadget on!

What is it?

The AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand is a wireless charger for Qi-enabled devices that has two charging coils and allows vertical or horizontal orientation while charging. It also includes a Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter.

Hardware specs

Qi-certified charging
Input: 5V/2.0A; 9.0V/1.8A
Frequency: 110-250 kHz
Output:
- 5W Output: Samsung S6/S6 edge, Google Nexus 7 (2013) / 6 / 5 / 4, LG G2 / G3 / G6 Plus / Lucid 2 / Lucid 3 / Optimus F5 / Optimus G Pro / Optimus it L-05E / Spectrum 2 / Vu 2 / Vu 3 / V30 / V30.
- 7.5W Output: iPhone X / iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus (iOS 11.2 or later versions required).
- 10W Output: Samsung Galaxy S9 / S9+ / S8 / S8+ / S7 / S7 edge / S6 edge+ / Note
Sleep Charging mode
Horizontal Charging
Non-Slip Rubber Coating
AC Adapter: Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter (input 110-240V, 50/60 Hz)

What’s in the package?

Curiously, “AIKO” does not appear anywhere on this product that I could find.

Wireless Charger Pad Stand
Qualcomm 3.0 AC Adapter
3.3 foot Micro USB Cable
User Manual

Design and features

First impression: The charger stand had a style that appeared would aesthetically complement many smartphones, and it had an overall solid feel and construction.

This charging stand includes a Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter, which is actually a really nice inclusion for the price of this product ($24.99).

The Qualcomm AC adapter is connected to the charging stand via a flat, ribbon-type USB-to-Micro USB cable that plugs into the back of the charging stand’s base, as depicted in the image above.

The underside of the charging stand’s base has four small, soft rubber pads, one at each corner, to act as non-skid feet. In addition, the center of the charger stand’s base has a panel with rows of small holes to help in venting heat during charging.

This idea of venting heat from the interior of the charger stand was carried throughout the product, as seen in the image above where light can be seen through the small holes on either side of the upright portion of the charger stand. These are through-holes that again help to vent heat and keep the innards of the device cooler.

One of the touted features of this charger stand is that it actually includes two charging coils, one above the other, which are oriented such that they form the shape of the number “8.” Due to having two coils instead of a single coil, and their orientation, this charging stand can be used to charge a phone in either a vertical or horizontal orientation (more on this below).

One additional feature of note: the surfaces of the charging stand that come in contact with the phone to be charged have a soft, rubber-like coating to help prevent scratching of the phone that is being charged.

I evaluated this charger stand with my wife’s Apple iPhone X, which had no problem with charging in the vertical orientation.

As seen above, the phone sits down in a bit of a groove to help prevent it from falling over while being placed in the charger stand.

Above, the series of small head-venting holes in the rear of the upright portion of the charging stand are visible.

In addition to vertical orientation, I also rotated the iPhone 90 degrees from vertical and placed it onto the charging stand in a horizontal orientation. Again, no issues with charging in this position.

Finally, I tried the charging stand with the iPhone X while it was placed inside the Tech 21 Evo Check protective case that my wife typically uses. This is a relatively thick case, probably several millimeters thick, but the charging stand did not have any issues charging the phone while in this case.

Keep in mind that your experience may differ if you use a different protective case; one that is thicker or uses different materials may affect the charging performance of the stand.

Once a Qi-enabled phone is placed in the charging stand, an LED bar on the front of the base illuminates green to indicate that charging has begun, as seen in the image above.

One thing my wife noticed while using this charger for her iPhone X was that it emitted a relatively quiet but noticeable clicking sound, almost like the ticking of an analog watch, when plugged into a power source. When the iPhone was placed on it, the frequency of the clicking/ticking increased. This sound was almost imperceptible under normal, daytime ambient sound conditions, but in a quiet bedroom at night, it was quite annoying.

What I like

Minimalist, cool-looking design (IMO)
Simple to use
Includes an AC adapter

What needs to be improved

Faint but annoying clinking/ticking sound

Final thoughts

The AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand is a wireless charger for any Qi-enabled wireless charging capable devices. This charging stand has two charging coils that help enable vertical or horizontal orientation while charging. The upright portion of the charging stand has a soft material to help protect the phone being charged from scratches and also includes many tiny holes to help vent heat from the inside of the device while charging. It also includes a Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter. This charger stand has a stylish, minimalist design and is simple to operate and can even charge phones that are inside of protective cases (though the case thickness may affect charging performance). I found this to be a good value for its price.

Price: $25.01
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by Amazon.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, Qi

AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Sengled Element Color Plus Smart LED Bulb review

REVIEW – Who says you can’t do professional-style interior lighting on a reasonable budget? The Sengled Element Color Plus smart bulbs enable you to manage your interior lighting from your smartphone with complete control of color, warmth, and brightness. We’re already fans of the Sengled Element Smart Lighting system, and this addition makes it even better! So many colors to choose… let’s set the mood!

What is it?

It’s a new addition to the Sengled smart bulb family of products that offers 16 million customizable color options and tunable brightness levels.

Hardware specs

Bulbs:

8.6 W, 60 hz
4.3” by 2.4” (standard socket size)
800 lumens, 2700 K Color Temperature
Dimmable with app
200 degree beam angle
25,000 hour lifetime

Hub:

3.07” by 1.02”
2.4 GHz
120 foot range
64 bulb management capacity

What’s in the box?

My test kit is the Smart LED Starter Kit. It contains two color bulbs, the hub (with power adaptor), and an Ethernet cable.

Design and features

Back in May, I reviewed the Sengled Element Classic Smart Bulb and found it to be an excellent way to get started with smart lighting in your home. Because Sengled’s product lineup is designed to work as an integrated system, the new Element Color Plus can be added to your existing setup or installed as a standalone system.

If you’re doing a standalone setup, the process exactly the same: you’ll load the app on your phone and follow the setup wizard to connect the hub to your network, then to connect your bulbs. Once you have everything loaded, you’ll identify the locations and light fixtures where you’ll place your bulbs. Check out my original review for a detailed breakdown of the process.

If you already have a Sengled setup installed, you have options. You can add the new hub as a second device controlled by your current app, or just add the bulbs to your existing hub. The app wizard walks you through the process either way, but we did find a neat trick that you can use if you’re just adding new bulbs to your current setup. Each bulb has a QR code on it so that you can scan it in the app and add it to your existing hub without keying in long access codes! Check out the screenshot below:

Once you have them added, you have all the same features for general lighting management that you do for plain white bulbs: adjusting brightness, monitoring power consumption, scheduling when the lights go on and off, etc. As I detailed in my previous review it’s all very intuitive and easy to use.

Here’s a bulb that we added to the system for my son’s bedroom. You can set general parameters for brightness and color temperature and manage to turn it on and off from the app:

You can also set schedules for when the light will be on, creating different events like the “Wake up time” shown below:

Color management is where the new fun begins. Tap the “color” setting, and you get a full-color palette to play with. You can also alter the whiteness setting to fit the mood:

There are 16 million possible color combinations along with the ability to tune your white light brightness & color temperatures from a soft candlelight (or nightlight) setting to full daylight (2000K-6500K). Color changes go into effect instantly and can be set as part of your scheduled events. Here are some examples of the difference when you tweak the color temperature and overall brightness:

Then we added some color. I chose a pink shade for this pic.

This is more of a green/cyan color:

As you start playing with combinations, you quickly realize that you can completely change the mood of the room with a few taps. Bright party lighting, subdued night lighting, fun colors for a child’s playroom, soft tones for that *ahem!* romantic dinner… the possibilities are endless.

You could also set up a room with multiple bulbs. We set up two bulbs in one lamp for this example. The lower bulb is set to “night light” mode, and the upper bulb for more of a daytime/wake up lighting. We also named them “Night light” and “Bedroom light” to set individual schedules for use:

We also paired the lights with Alexa. She recognizes the different light names so that you can use voice commands to manage the lighting such as “Alexa, turn the bedroom light on!” or “Alexa, make the night light green!” It will work with Google Assistant as well, although we did not try that with this test. Sengled provides a full list of third-party compatibility options on their website for more details.

Here’s the nice thing about the Sengled Element system: you don’t need to buy a full kit if you want to add to your existing network. Each Element hub has a range of 120 feet and can manage up to 64 bulbs, which gives you a lot of room to work with. Sengled now offers 4 bulb styles in the Element series (soft white, daylight, tunable white, and the color bulb we’re reviewing here) that are all fully compatible with the hub, enabling you to expand your setup as you like without buying new hardware. I like that flexibility.

What I like

Easy setup
Excellent app for managing, controlling, and scheduling lighting functions
Fully compatible with existing Element systems
Brilliant color options, with a range of brightness and tone
Extensible without adding new hardware

What needs to be improved

Check the full specs on Sengled’s website for compatibility with third-party network systems

Final thoughts

We’re fans of the Sengled Element Smart Lighting system, and the addition of the Element Color Plus adds even more options with brilliant color and brightness control. With a few clicks, you can paint any room in your house with colors and tones to match your mood and style. Not only is it easy to use, but its price point makes for a very affordable (and expandable) smart lighting solution for your home.

Price: The Color Plus Kit retails for $79.99, and includes two bulbs and a hub. You can buy additional color bulbs for $29.99 each. A four pack of color bulbs with a hub is also available for $139.99.
Where to buy: Check ’em out on the Sengled Element web page. You’ll also find them on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Sengled.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: LED Light

Sengled Element Color Plus Smart LED Bulb review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 1, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Molecule cooling bed sheets review

REVIEW – You might be thinking.. did I see that correctly? Is that bedding? Every good Gadgeteer needs a good night sleep. It’s the middle of summer here in the Pacific Northwest, which means wonderful weather mixed with 90 degree days. The Molecule cooling bed sheet set intrigued me after the first heat wave we had (I do not have air conditioning!) and so I had to give it a try to see if these sheets would keep me cool and comfortable overnight.

What is it?

Molecule sheets are designed to keep you cool while you sleep by being breathable yet durable.

Bedding specs

The sheets come in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes. The fitted sheet on all sizes is 15 inches deep.

What’s in the box?

You get a top sheet, fitted sheet, and one pillowcase with the twin sizes, but I have a queen size bed, so it came with two pillowcases.

Design and features

My first impressions were good from the moment I got the box. It was nicely packaged in a box that can be used to store it in the future. When I went to place the sheets on my bed, I worried that the 15-inch depth wouldn’t be enough. My bed has a good 3 inches of pillowtop and is quite thick. I was thrilled when they not only fit but fit easier and better than any other brand of sheet I’ve purchased.

The quality of the sheet set is also top notch. They held up well and did not shrink when washed. There is a soft smoothness to them that is similar to satin sheets but without the slipping and sliding. The stitching is well done all around and the pillowcase tucks around the pillow, making the overall appearance look neat and tidy. I really liked the powder blue color, though either the color or the fabric really emphasized the cat hair on my bed. It was especially noticeable since my cat preferred sleeping on these sheets rather than the soft fuzzy blanket on the bed.

Now, the reason she enjoyed sleeping on these sheets? They actually do what they claim, and do an excellent job of keeping you cool by using TENCEL Lyocell fibers weaved into the fabric. This makes the fabric breathable. I roast like an oven overnight and usually keep my room at around 65 to 68 degrees when possible. Without air conditioning, however, during hot days my room would get into the 80’s and drift down to the mid 70’s by bedtime. The first night of the heat wave, I slept comfortably and did not notice the heat in the room until I woke up. Since using the Molecule sheets on my bed, I have yet to feel sweaty during the night.

I waited an extra week to write this review; expecting at some point, perhaps as they were worn in, that the ability to keep cool would fade. It did not. We are in another heat wave now and after washing and sleeping on these sheets, it still feels like the first day I used them. They are still soft, still comfortable, and still cooling.

She always choses to lay on these sheets instead of the soft blanket.

What I like

Thick and well made, yet soft.
Keeps you cool at night.

What to consider before buying

They are expensive

Final thoughts

Between the heat that my computer generates and the heat waves without air conditioning, the Molecule sheets kept me sleeping comfortably and staying cool. They are a bit pricey, but if you sleep like you are in an oven and can afford them, they work very well and they should fit nearly every type of bed there is.

Price: $199 (Queen Size)
Where to buy: You can purchase these on the Molecule website and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Molecule.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Sleep

Molecule cooling bed sheets review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 1, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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