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Harber London Slim iPad Pro EVO with Apple Pencil Holder review

There’s nothing makes an impression like a fine piece of leather. If you’re looking to level up your style, I’d like to introduce you my new friend: the Slim iPad Pro EVO from Harber London. Think of it like a fine whiskey: simple and elegant, with a subtle complexity that just oozes class. To the review! 

What is it?

It’s a leather sleeve for your iPad Pro, Apple Keyboard, and Apple Pencil.

Hardware specs

  • 13″ wide by 10″ tall
  • Full grain vegetable tanned cowhide leather
  • 100% wool felt lining
  • Hand made
  • Fits the 12.9” iPad Pro with or without the Apple Keyboard
  • Internal security loop for the Apple Pencil

What’s in the box?

The sleeve is the only star of the show here, but we have to spend a moment talking about the packaging. Harber London delivers your sleeve in an elegant cotton white bag, sealed in an embossed black folio that sets the tone for a sophisticated brand experience. I love it when brands pay attention to the little details like this. 

Design and features

Let’s start our review with the construction. The Harber London Slim iPad Pro EVO uses full grain vegetable tanned cowhide leather that is rich, supple, and elegant. Little details like the tastefully-placed  embossed product logos just add to the sense of sophisticated style in the build:

Harber London’s products are all hand made in Spain, and the quality craftsmanship is obvious in the little assembly details. The 100% natural wool lining pairs perfectly with the leather. It’s got amazing hand feel, durability, and a wonderfully soft wrapper to protect your iPad’s delicate surfaces. The edging on both the wool and leather is left raw, letting the natural materials speak for themselves:

The interior leather loop is sized perfectly for your Apple Pencil. It’s tight enough to keep it from running away, but not so tight that you’re fighting to get your Pencil in and out when you need it.

The sleeve is sized to fit your iPad Pro while allowing enough extra depth to accommodate the Pencil, making it easy to slide your iPad in and out. It’s snug enough to accommodate your Apple Keyboard attached to your iPad without extra slack to slide about. You could probably add your iPad back cover if you want to stretch the leather a bit, but I wouldn’t recommend it. And if you’re using the sleeve, why would you need that anyway?

Total measurements on the sleeve are 13″ wide by 10″ tall, and about 3/4″ deep when you load up your iPad Pro, Apple Keyboard, and Apple Pencil. It adds about an inch all around and 1/2″ depth to your carry as opposed to running naked with the iPad Pro. Not a huge increase in volume if you’re throwing it in your bag.    

For me, the perfect use case for this sleeve is the business/creative professional who has pared down the meeting essentials to your iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. There’s no fumbling with zips or flaps in the design; slip out your tools, and get right to work. It also makes a serious style statement that looks great when you need to dress up for that big presentation or board meeting.

Harber London does offer a variety of hand crafted leather and EDC products, including sleeve designs for an assortment of devices with different features. Take a wander over to Harber London’s site for more information.

What I like

  • Hand-made with beautiful, natural materials
  • Simple and elegant
  • Sized perfectly for your iPad Pro and Apple Pencil

What needs to be improved

  • Not much at all

Final thoughts

There’s something magical about hand made leather products that let the quality of craftsmanship shine through. The Harber London Slim iPad Pro EVO ticks all of those boxes for me, with great functionality to boot. It’s simple, elegant, and classy. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more from this brand.  

Price: About $80 USD. Note that Harber London is based in the UK. This item ships worldwide for under $10 USD, but check shipping rates when purchasing.
Where to buy: You can buy direct from the Harber London web site.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Harber London.

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Harber London Slim iPad Pro EVO with Apple Pencil Holder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 1, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Lasso Compression Sock review

Compression socks, sleeves and ankle braces aren’t new. The team over at Lasso decided to take a bit of a different approach and have designed socks specifically with ankle support for use in rehabilitation, preventing injury and even just general support.

What are they?

Athletic socks specifically engineered to mimic the compression and support that is typically provided only by professional sport taping or ankle braces.

Materials

  • Coolmax fabrics
  • Reinforced strike padding

What’s in the package?

  • 1 reusable zip bag (not certain if retail packaging is different)
  • 1 pair Lasso Compression Socks
  • 1 information card

Design and features

It’s pretty easy to dismiss socks as pedestrian and an area where it’s hard to innovate, but a quick look at these Lasso socks makes it clear that these are more than your everyday pair. The different grey areas (shine, achilles, heel, forefoot) immediately indicate that there are multiple zones. Texture changes (toe, grey zones, main sock body) add to the number of things to discover. They’ve also  paid close attention to how the sock fits the shape of the foot and any areas that might cause discomfort.

Setup

I’m pretty sure most of us know how to put on socks, but here’s the instructions from their info card…
How to use:
Step 1 – Take off the old school sock you’re probably wearing.
Step 2 – Put on each Lasso sock. Slowly. Enjoy the experience.
Step 3 – Stand up…dance around a bit. Feel its strength.
Step 4 – Now get out there and show us your moves.

Performance

Okay, so here’s some relevant background information that hopefully adds some weight to the review.

I grew up skateboarding and snowboarding. My knees and my ankles are not better for it. About 15 years ago I fractured the talus (weight supporting bone) in my left ankle. 5 years prior to that, I tore two ligaments in my right ankle which now too cracks loudly to sneak up on anyone. I can definitely tell if I walk too much in a day or if I’ve been sitting too long with my ankles relaxed/toes pointed. Needless to say, my ankles often need help.

I recently had an overseas trip pop up with very short notice and it was the perfect opportunity to take the Lasso socks through an extended test. One of my guilty travel pleasures has been to buy a couple pairs of new socks and dole them out during the trip. Since this was to be a one week trip I let the Lasso’s get the honor as the single new pair I would bring.

Lasso isn’t kidding when they ask that you enjoy the experience of putting on their socks. These things are ridiculously soft! The compression is immediately apparent as you have to get your thumbs inside to pull the mid-foot and then the heel into place; unlike a tube sock. The tension feels reassuring, supportive and empowering. The sock hits about midway up my calf which is about the height I typically like to run. It initially borders on feeling too tight, but then quickly resides to a “good” tight. For reference, I’m a very narrow 12 in footwear. As a result, the compression is most noticeable around the mid-foot and especially around the ankle for me.

The toe area, while having a visible join like most socks, has a decided lack of any seam or thickness change on the top of your knuckles. If sock seams have ever been a problem for you, they’re not here.

The first day I wore them I expected to have a lot of walking ahead of me… hotel -> bullet train -> taxi -> vendor and then repeat in reverse. In retrospect, my Fitbit data tells me that I only hit about 3.38 miles that day. I do know that I was on my feet the entire day as I was doing a lot of mechanical assembly for my day job. Of note, I remember my lower back complaining (also common for me), but my ankles didn’t seem bothered.

What was supposed to be a one week trip then doubled, and subsequently the test scenario for these socks became more demanding out of necessity. Rewearing socks is never fun in my experience, but it is what it is. So, how was day two in Lassos?

This time it was 80º in Shenzhen and very humid. I feared the worst going to put them on; expecting that crunchy, begged-to-be laundered feel that used, unwashed socks get. To my surprise, the Lassos felt almost as soft as day one.

That particular day was all walking, and metro, and walking. I logged about 15k steps (over 7 miles). My ankles are typically in trouble right around the 12k mark. I could tell my ankles were tired, but I didn’t get the I-may-give-out-on-you warnings that usually make me call it a day. I’ve used other ankle sleeves in the past with mixed success, but this was truly a better experience. It’s hard to point at anything specific, but the support was constantly there and I never felt over-constricted.

The following day I wore some regular athletic socks and had almost as long a day; just under 7miles. I felt the fatigue right around 10k steps likely due to the previous day’s walking, but this time my ankles definitely missed the support. I had a couple of less than secure steps on some stairs and again on some uneven sidewalks in that last 3k.

I then took the testing a notch further and wore them a 3rd day for my travel day and flight home; an 18 hour ordeal consisting of metro, 13 hour flight to Seattle, 2 hour layover and an additional haul back to the house. Pulling them on was still waaaay better than typical experiences. My intent of this 3rd day was that the compression would help to keep my old, tired ankles from swelling during the long flight. They performed admirably with plenty of support in flight, as well as for walking the rest of the time.

What I like

  • Comfortable
  • Tactile Support
  • Putting them on (it really is an experience)

What needs to be improved

  • The top cuff is narrow and wanted to collapse/slouch down (did not move beyond ~ an inch)
  • Warm – maybe too much for summer days?
  • Expensive at $59.99 – Better at the current reduced price of $29.99

Final thoughts

I was very happy with the performance of these socks. Other “solutions” out there have been marginal at best, or overly restrictive when it comes to motion. Lasso has a unique product here that lives up to their claims. My main comment is the potential for being too warm for summer or high humidity days. These will absolutely be my go to socks when I plan on hitting the skatepark or other activities.

Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Lasso or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Lasso.

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TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with Fast Wireless Charger review

I am always looking to provide as much function on my work desk as possible, but I hate giving up too much real estate to do so. When I received this lamp as a sample to test, I was very excited because of its possible ability to replace a couple of devices on my desk,  and to still provide the same function. Without much delay, I ripped open the box and got started.

What is it?

TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with Fast Wireless Charger is an adjustable desk lamp that flexible both in form and in light intensity. It also allows you to wirelessly charge your QI-enabled smartphone.

What’s in the box

Included in the box with the TatTronics desk lamp are an AC wall adapter, an instruction manual, and a warranty registration card with an imprinted QR code.

Design and features

The desk lamp is well built and looks very nice with a white and silver color combination. The base of the lamp has a circular pad for QI wireless charging, an on and off touch button,  a light intensity touch surface, and a light shade touch button. This lamp is very bright at it highest setting, and at every intensity level, it provides a good spread of light.

On the back of the lamp just below the first flexible elbow, there is a USB port that allows you to charge devices via a USB cable. On the side of the base of the lamp is the jack to plug in the AC adapter.

There is a second elbow further up the lamp that allows for additional flexibility and positioning of the light so that you can direct the beam where you need it.

The base of the lamp also has a built-in elbow that allows the bottom half of the lamp the flexibility to be positioned for optimal use as well, and the lamp also swivels on the base.


The semi-circular touchpad that is positioned on the front of the surface of the base of the lamp controls the brightness/intensity of the light. Swiping from left to right increases the intensity, and from right to left decreases the intensity.



Once the lamp is plugged in via the AC adapter, the QI wireless charging function works simply by placing the phone on the charging pad. (Note the green charging indicator on the upper right-hand corner of the phone in the picture on the right below)

What I like

I really like just about everything about this lamp from its sleek look to its build quality, to its features. I especially like the simple QI wireless charging feature that actually works as well as it is supposed to, and the ability to vary the shades of white of the light, and the intensity, make it versatile and perfect for many applications.

What can be improved

The three things that can be improved on this lamp are:
– A heavier weighted base
– A longer AC adapter cord
– More USB ports

Final thoughts

This TaoTronics LED desk lamp with QI wireless charging is a well thought out design, and it does a great job of providing multi-function in one sleek, streamlined, and attractive package. Assuming that the build quality will withstand the test of time, and the occasional bumps and bruises, it will have a place in my home for a long time. It is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by TaoTronics

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TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with Fast Wireless Charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Powercard Slim Power Bank review

It doesn’t matter how long your phone battery lasts, sooner or later you’ll be low on battery power. When that happens, your choices are limited: Stop using your phone, plug it in, or use a battery power bank to charge it. The Xoopar Powercard Slim Power Bank makes that last choice an easy one.

What is it?

The Xoopar Powercard Slim Power Bank is an incredibly thin 1300mAh powerbank for charging your phone. At only 0.22 inch thick, it’s thinner than a standard USB plug! Having the same dimensions as a credit card, you could literally put it in your wallet.



Hardware specs

Battery Capacity 1300mAh rechargeable
Battery Type Grade A Li-polymer
Case Brushed aluminum
Input 5V/1A
Output 5V/1A
Charge Time

What’s in the package?

  • Powercard Slim Power Bank
  • Carry pouch
  • Charging cable
  • User Manual
  • Warranty card



Design and features

The Powercard Slim Power Bank is the size of credit card, and about as thick as 5 credit cards.

If you’re constantly needing a recharge on your phone, this probably isn’t the device you’ll want to use on a regular basis. However, if you want to have a battery around just in case you need to top off your phone battery or make an emergency call, then this is the device to stash somewhere.

I use these types of batteries often, and one thing that has always been a determining factor for me is their size. Often they’re thick and just take up too much room in your pocket or bag. I can put this in my cargo pants pocket along with my wallet and I can’t even tell the difference in weight.

Just how much charge it will provide your phone will vary greatly on both the size of your phone and what your phone is doing, but it should charge it 1/2 to 3/4’s of a full charge for a smartphone.

To use the Powercard Slim Power Bank you simply push the USB port cover back slightly, this will raise the slot slightly, plug in your charging cable and you’re good to go.

The LED indicates the charge left: Green color – Full charge. Blue color – Half charge; Red color – you are at 25% or less.



What I like

  • Extremely convenient size
  • LED Status light

What needs to be improved

  • User manual LED indicator descriptions vary from website description.
  • LED’s blink while charging, but you have no idea how full it is while it’s charging.

Final thoughts

I was really impressed by this little battery! It was even thinner than I thought it would be, and I’ll be taking it with me quite often.

Price: $24.99
Where to buy: LaFab US
Source: The sample of this product was provided by LaFab US

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Ouh Snap Folding Photography Lightbox review

When in the studio, a good photography Lightbox that produces bright and evenly placed white light, works well for macro or product photography and allows the photographer to take very detailed photos. However, not all Lightboxes are created equal. Will this product from Ouh Snap get a passing grade, or will it end up in the unsuccessful pile? Let’s find out!!

What is it?

The Ouh Snap Folding Photography Lightbox is a portable, foldable Lightbox that can be quickly assembled and used to take detailed photographs of relatively small objects.

What’s in the pouch

The Lightbox comes in a compact carrying pouch. In the pouch, you will find the Lightbox, a micro USB cable, and one black and one white background insert.

Design and features

The Lightbox comes folded flat and measures 9″ x 9″ x .5″. Once carefully unfolded, each of the three sections has magnetic tabs on the edges of their triangular sides that clamp to each other to form the Lightbox.


When the Lightbox is properly oriented, there is a LED light strip across the top, with an “exposed” micro USB port on the top-left side.
The LED strip can be powered via a USB power pack or a cell phone type USB wall adapter. The USB power pack that I used to test this Lightbox has one 1A port and one 2.4A port. The Lightbox only works properly on the 2.4A port. The 1A port does not provide enough current and produces a very, very dim light.

For the photography tests, I used a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with a Canon 24-105mm F4L lens. The first two photos were taken using the white insert, and as you can see, the pictures are crisp and clear but there is some bluing in the background. For the purpose of showing the effects of light and shadows and reflection in the box, I set the camera to Auto White Balance, and I did not correct in post.


The second two photographs were taken with the black insert, and were also quite clear, with a bit of reflection. What I really like about the black insert is the nice texture that it provides for the background.


What I like

I really like that the Lightbox is light and portable and that the setup is quick and easy. I also like the bright built-in LED light strip, and that it can be powered by a USB power pack. The two included background inserts fit well and work well for specific desired looks.

What can be improved

• The addition of an enclosure to protect the USB port
• The inclusion of flexible PVC background inserts along with a way to secure them when installed would be a  great addition
• A longer micro USB cable with a wall adapter

Final thoughts

When I need to photograph small objects or products, and the need is not for photographs that will undergo critical scrutiny, the Ouh Snap Photography Lightbox is a nice alternative to setting up my much larger Lightbox. It is quick and easy to setup, and very portable. Only time will tell whether or not it will endure the constant folding and unfolding, and whether or not the exposed micro USB port will succumb to regular use.

Price: $22.95
Where to buy: OuhSnap
Source: The sample for this review was provided by OuhSnap

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Ouh Snap Folding Photography Lightbox review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 30, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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