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iLive Voice Activated Amazon Alexa Portable Wireless Fabric Speaker Review

As smartphones have become more prevalent, people have become used to having all of their information and entertainment with them 24/7. That growth has sparked a surge in portable wireless speakers. I always found these wireless speakers to be a bit too “single use”. If I’m going to haul around a device, I prefer to have it able to do more than just one thing. The iLive Voice Activated Amazon Alexa Portable Wireless Fabric Speaker is just such a device.

What is it?

The iLive Voice Activated Amazon Alexa Portable Wireless Fabric Speaker is a wireless speaker that implements Amazon Alexa and several other streaming services to provide a very well rounded listening experience. The rechargeable battery allows for portability at home or on-the-go.

What’s in the box?

  • Concierge Speaker
  • Micro-USB to USB cable
  • 3.5mm Audio cable
  • User’s Guide

Design and features

One of the main features of this speaker is that it can connect to your the internet via WiFi. The free iLive app is then used to control the device over WiFi instead of using Bluetooth, which provides for much more range than Bluetooth.

The iLive Voice Activated Amazon Alexa Portable Wireless Fabric Speaker can also play music from your phone music library and also has a 3.5mm auxiliary audio input jack that can play audio from just about any source.

If you are away from home or don’t have access to WiFi, the speaker can connect to your devices via Bluetooth.

The iLive Voice Activated Amazon Alexa Portable Wireless Fabric Speaker looks and feels like a quality product. It features a nice tweed speaker grill over much of the speaker, indicator LED’s and ring, as well as well understood rubberized buttons and a non-slip foam base.

The full feature list is well rounded:

  • Wireless speaker
  • Voice-activated Amazon Alexa
  • Bluetooth wireless
  • Built-in Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct & multi-room play
  • Multi-user capable
  • Aux in (3.5mm audio input)
  • Stream from iHeartRadio, TIDAL, or audio stored directly on your device
  • Built-in microphone
  • Micro-USB port for battery recharge
  • Play/pause/pairing button
  • On/off switch
  • Digital volume control
  • LED light ring
  • LED function indicator
  • Charge indicator
  • Wireless range: Bluetooth – 33 feet, Wi-Fi – 98 feet
  • Cloth speaker grill
  • DC battery power: built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
  • Battery life using WiFi: ~1-2 hours at 50% volume
  • Battery life using Bluetooth: ~5 hours at 50% volume

The Amazon Alexa service is voice controlled, and all of the other services are controlled through the iLive app on your smartphone, however, Amazon Alexa does play the music on your phone.

As a software developer, I’m pretty particular when it comes to apps. If there’s one thing I can do that would be finding bugs and user interface discrepancies in apps. I’ve been writing commercial software for over 20 years so I have seen my share of bad software. This is where the iLive app really impressed me. Starting from the step-by-step setup all the way through to the main operation of the app, the iLive app was easy to use and understand.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing features of this speaker is the ability to pair up to 6 of these speakers together and have them all play simultaneously and synchronized. However, when they are paired only the primary speaker can be used to control Amazon Alexa. To add or pair more speakers you simply slide left to reveal the Device List tab, then tap the plus icon and follow the on-screen prompts, just like setting up a device for the first time.

Once the device is added it can be controlled separately, or you can simply drag the device in the list onto another device to pair it. Once it is paired you can select which speaker is the left channel, right channel, or have each speaker play the same. If you don’t remember how to do this, simple tap the “How to switch between solo and multi mode?” text and you’ll get an instruction screen.


I really like the fact that the iLive app also has the ability to update the firmware in the speaker – wirelessly. Normally most devices require you to use a USB connection with a desktop computer to update the firmware.

Initially, Amazon Alexa had an almost unbearable 8-second delay in providing answers or responding, which was quite a bit more than other Amazon Alexa devices, but an update for the iLive speaker firmware fixed that so it’s now only about 2 seconds or less which is right on par with Amazon’s own devices.

Verbal requests to Amazon Alexa are handled seamlessly, muting what ever audio is playing while Alexa responds to your requests.

Another thing that really impressed me was that the specifications state 1 to 2 hours of battery life on WiFi, but I found that it operated much longer than that. For example, after four and half  hours of streaming music and podcasts via WiFi at 50% volume the app showed that the battery level was still at 64% – wow!

What I like

  • Excellent Printed Quick Start Manual
  • Surprisingly good smartphone app
  • Very nice FAQ guide
  • Rechargeable battery, I can carry the speaker to another room with me and not have to pause music or miss what I’m listening to on live radio.
  • Longer than advertised battery life.
  • Built-in services within the iLive App: Amazon Alexa, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, TIDAL, plus all of the music on your phone.
  • You can search for stuff in the other services (like TuneIn) while your previous audio continues to play.
  • Responsive customer support. I contacted iLive with a question in the late afternoon about the different models and received an e-mail response in less than 20 hours.
  • The Bluetooth mode is extremely useful for playing audio through the speaker while watching video on my phone. I often find myself in a room other than my office watching and listening to a video while doing something else and the phone speaker is not loud enough. This speaker is definitely loud enough.


What needs to be improved

  • Although not a big issue, it would be nice if there was a desktop version of the app.
  • Audiophiles may not like the quality of the sound on the device. For me, it sounds good enough, although it could use a little more bass. It’s extremely good for listening to podcasts and talk radio.
  • There’s a device tab in the app, but there’s no indicator that it’s there. Swiping left reveals the Device List, which shows all of your devices (speakers) and for each one you can see what’s playing, pause, play, pause all, play all, and access the settings for that device as well as view the battery level. If you have multiple devices, this is where you can select the device then go to the services list and choose audio to play on it.

Final thoughts

I’ve seen many devices in my time that were great on the hardware side but severely lacking on the software side of things. This iLive speaker excels at providing a great app that makes operating the device simply a joy.

Price: $65.00
Where to buy: iLive Electronics and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by iLive Electronics.

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iLive Voice Activated Amazon Alexa Portable Wireless Fabric Speaker Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 9, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Sonoff S31 WiFi socket and Slampher RF bulb adapter review

Turning your home into a smart home is a whole lot easier if you add the home automation tech during the building phase instead of waiting years later to retrofit tech into an existing home. Although that’s great advice, it won’t help you if you want to get into the home automation game with an older home like mine. My home was built in the 1970’s and the smartest thing about it when I bought it was… ok there was nothing smart about my home when I bought it, but I’ve slowly been adding smart home gadgets over the years to raise its IQ.

Today I want to show you the Sonoff S31 WiFi Socket with Power Consumption Detection and the Slampher RF adapter. These devices provide an easy way to turn almost any plug-in device into a smart device and a light bulb adapter that turns dumb bulbs into smart ones that you can control with your smartphone. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Sonoff S31 is a WiFi enabled smart switch that you can control with your smartphone, Alexa enabled speakers, Google Home, and Google Assistant.

The Slampher RF adapter is a WiFi enabled adapter that will turn a regular light bulb into a smart light bulb that can be controlled by your phone, Alexa, Google Home, and Google Assistant.

What’s in the box?

Each of these adapters is sold separately and do not come with any special parts or accessories. The small keychain remote is also sold separately.

Design and features

Sonoff S31

The S31 is compact size 1 gang US standard wifi smart plug with energy monitoring that turns a “dumb” device into a “smart” device that can be controlled via WiFi with an iOS or Android device or voice assistant from Amazon and Google.

The adapter is made of white and black plastic with two status LEDs on the front.

On one side is a power button that you can use to manually toggle power to the outlet.

The Sonoff S31 WiFi Socket has a horizontal layout that keeps it from blocking the other outlet on a standard wall outlet.

I used the S31 adapter with an IR heater in my basement. With the S31’s socket powered on, the heater performed normally, but with the eWeLink app, I could control it in real time or with timers and schedules.  The app also provides info on usage and power consumption. More on the app in a sec.

Sonoff Slampher RF


In addition to smart WiFi enabled socket adapters, Sonoff also sells adapters that will turn a regular light bulb into a smart light bulb that can be controlled by your mobile device. These adapters are bulky and might not fit in certain lamps because they add extra height to the bulb.

Sonoff even sells a wireless controller that can be used to toggle power to their N and W series RF switches and adapters like the Slampher RF. However, I was never able to get it to work because it didn’t come with any instructions and everything I tried (instructions with the Slampher RF light bulb adapter) did not work. The product page for the remote has quite a few comments from customers who also are unable to get it to work.

Let’s make our home smarter!

Setting up and configuring the Sonoff WiFi Socket and Slampher RF light bulb adapter is quick and easy using the eWeLink app for Android and iOS.


The app walks you through adding a new device and once added, it shows up on the main screen like you see above on the left. Power to the Slampher RF adapter can be toggled by tapping it on this screen. Controlling the S31 socket requires that you go into the detail view for that device and then tap the power toggle.

The detail view of the S31 shows a real-time reading of how much current and voltage it’s drawing if it’s powered on.


The app allows you to set a timer to record power consumption during a specific time frame. It also tracks historical usage whenever the switch is in use and keeps a log of the last 100 days with the ability to export it as a CSV file.

You can also customize the data by plugging in your electric company’s rates. Every power company is different and my company (Duke Energy) uses three different rates:

First 300 kWh $0.092945 per kWh
Next 700kWh $0.054178 per kWh
Over 1000 kWh $0.044464 per kWh



The eWeLink app can be used to schedule times when the switch will be powered on/off and info for overload protection.

One way you could use the schedule feature is for charging your phone during the night. Instead of having it trickle charging all night which can cause your battery to age prematurely, you can set the S31 to turn off after 3 hours.

If controlling your smart switches by your phone is too much trouble, you can also control them with your voice assistant. I set up the Sonoff switches with Alexa and it worked great. I could say “Alexa, turn off the heater” and bada boom bada bing, the switch would turn off.

What I like

  • Easy to use and install
  • Can track power consumption and cost

What needs to be improved

  • Slampher RF adapter didn’t want to work with CFL and LED light bulbs
  • Couldn’t get the wireless remote to work with the Slampher RF adapter
  • Slampher adapter is bulky and adds height to the bulb.

Final thoughts

Sonoff makes easy to use products that can help you turn your non-smart home into a better smarter version without a lot of hassle and expense. I liked the S31 WiFi socket quite a bit but wasn’t impressed with the Slampher RF adapter. I’d rather just buy an inexpensive WiFi enabled smart bulb.

Price:$18.90 for the S31 socket, $16.09 for the Slampher RF
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ITEAD.

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Sonoff S31 WiFi socket and Slampher RF bulb adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 8, 2018 at 1:00 pm.

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LectroFan Kinder Sleep Sound Machine and Night Light review

According to Harvard Medical School, there are several variables that have an influence on sleep quality, including temperature, light, and noise, and this is true for infants, toddlers and adults, alike. Eliminating stressful elements and distractions in the bedroom can lead to better sleep, which has given rise to various white noise devices, like the LectroFan Kinder Sleep Sound Machine.

What is it?

The Kinder Sleep Sound Machine is a small speaker that plugs directly into the wall and emits dozens of unique, non-repeating nature sounds, ambient noises or lullabies to promote more restful sleep for your child. It also sports a top facing multi-color LED with several brightness levels. LectroFan makes several models of white noise devices, but this one in particular is aimed at infants and toddlers.

Hardware specs

  • Plugs directly into a wall outlet
  • High fidelity, non-looping sounds create a peaceful environment and mask noise disturbances
  • Soothing LED nightlight displays a rainbow of color
  • Controlled by easy to use iPhone or Android smartphone app
  • No Wi-Fi or internet connection required

What’s in the box?

And that’s all you need. The packaging is cute, though.
  • Sound machine
  • Instructions

Design and Features

I’ve used a sound device in my daughter’s room since she was a baby, just a simple one with about 7 different looping sounds. The one thing I disliked about that one was the few sounds that it had (rain, ocean, heartbeat) were noticeably repetitive. You could make out the loops in the sound waves very quickly and that was super annoying to my ears.

That’s where one huge difference lies between that old device and this LectroFan Kinder Sound Machine. Not only does the Kinder have 75 sound environments, the sounds are very high fidelity and non-looping. From what I understand, the proprietary technology behind LectroFan’s sound machines mean the audio created is somewhat organic and not just one looping sound file. So if you have the sound set to Ocean, you’re not going to hear the same one wave over and over again. Any loop was undetectable, to me, when testing out the different effects.

My favorites were the fan sounds… attic fan, box fan, industrial fan and even an oscillating fan. Since I usually sleep with a fan on in the room, the Kinder did a great job in emulating that low steady hum. I also appreciated the top-facing nightlight. At the very dimmest setting, it’s just about perfect, although I wish it could get a bit dimmer, still. The multi-color LED allows a wide range of colors or slowly cycle through a rainbow, which is a neat effect in a dark room.

I mostly kept it at a blue-green, since that seemed like the best color conducive to a sleeping environment. Although if you really want your kid to have some nightmares, you could choose red.

The Kinder Sound Machine is controlled entirely through the downloadable app, so if you don’t have a compatible smartphone, you might as well stop reading right now. With so many sounds and light colors to choose from, I don’t see how else you could control it. The app is easy to use and connects to the device via Bluetooth, so you can use it almost anywhere in the house.

Everything is controlled through their cute, straightforward app.

The Kinder does have a physical button on the device itself that turns it on and off, using the last setting programmed into it. The good thing about remote operation is that you can place the device in an out of reach socket, like behind a dresser or bed, and turn it on or off without having to be in the room.

Using the app is simple and intuitive, but feels a little clunky when trying to browse through all of the sounds. It allows for savable custom presets, so you can find your perfect mix of sound, light color and levels for both brightness and volume.

Naturally, the star of the show is the sound quality. The tiny speaker does a fantastic job of reproducing the ambient noises. It’s plenty loud and has natural-sounding acoustics. And they didn’t skimp on the sound selection… everything from nature, with rainstorms, distant thunder and several beach scenes, to a wide range noise “colors”, from muffled deep brown to hissy white.

They all sound great and most importantly, are designed to be unobtrusive and ignorable. After a few moments, it’s like your brain just sort of tunes out the noise and focuses on something else, which is exactly what you want when trying to fall asleep.

What I liked…

  • great audio fidelity
  • app is easy to use
  • adjustable nightlight

Might be a turn-off, literally…

  • has an on/off button on the device, but requires smartphone app to control light/audio levels

Final thoughts

The LectroFan Kinder is fantastic. I wish I would have had it when my daughter was younger, so I didn’t have to listen to those repetitive ocean waves while rocking her to sleep so many evenings. Simple to use and dozens of ambient non-looping sounds to choose from. I loved it.

Price: $79.95
Where to buy: You can purchase the LectroFan Kinder Sound Machine on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by LectroFan. You can find out more on their website.

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LectroFan Kinder Sleep Sound Machine and Night Light review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 8, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Ember mug, Wyzecam, FIXD, and more – Review updates

Do you ever wonder what happens after we review a product? Do we immediately stop using the product because it breaks? Or do we continue to use it for years and even decades? To answer those questions, we like to do review update posts, so we can take a look back at past reviews and comment on how well the product stands the test of time. Check out these latest review updates by clicking on the review links below and then scrolling to the bottom of the page to read the latest dated updates.

Logitech Craft keyboard review by Julie Strietelmeier

FIXD car health sensor review by Julie Strietelmeier

WyzeCam security camera review by Julie Strietelmeier

Ember Mug by Julie Strietelmeier

DockCase MacBook sleeve with built in USB C hub review by Julie Strietelmeier

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Ember mug, Wyzecam, FIXD, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 7, 2018 at 12:09 pm.

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Native Union Eclipse 3 port charger review

I’m pretty good about charging my phone throughout the day, and with wireless charging now included on more phones it’s easier than ever to stay charged. Inevitably though, I’m actively using my phone or other non-wireless-charging device when I really need a charge. My solution has been to strategically place cables around the house. It gets the job done, but the result is a visual mess (cables never getting put away), or the cables get into a fight with the Roomba. This has resulted in countless hours browsing for a functional and aesthetically pleasing solution. The latest candidate is the Eclipse Charger from Native Union which I’ve been using for a couple weeks now.

What is it?

The Eclipse is a smart USB charger that has more in common with home decor than the typical wall adapter. It sits on a table top and can provide 7.8 Amps of power for up to three devices at the same time. Native Union clearly has a vision for the Eclipse, and for a device that’s meant to blend in visually, they’ve made sure that it still stands out.

What’s in the box

Eclipse Charger
Wall Mount
Quickstart Guide and Cable Offer

Design and features

The Eclipse is available with different top surfaces. I’ve chosen to review the textile version (shown here) that looks right at home next to our fabric covered sofa. It’s also available with wood or marble top surfaces for a premium. It has a good heft keeping it in place during operation with smooth sides and fabric covered power cord giving it a clean look. The 90º plug keeps the cord close to the wall with a letter wrap to handle any extra length.

Cable management is a central function of this product and Native Union has a pretty novel solution that involves providing your own cables. The Eclipse uses a gesture based system where two taps on the top results in a cable reel magically emerging out of the center of the product. A single tap activates a nightlight “halo” feature that helps you find and connect your cables in the dark.

You should only need to access the ports during initial setup. A slight counterclockwise turn and then a lift of the reel, reveals 3 USB ports, one of which lets you choose between USB-A and USB-C.

Connect your 3 favorite cables (up to 6’ long) to each of the USB ports. I’ve used a pair of Anker 6’ Powerline Lightning cables and Micro-USB that came with a Mophie battery case.

The reel has 3 channels equidistant around the perimeter and it’s important to note how they work as you put it back into place with a clockwise twist.

Your first cable needs to route up to the top channel through the slot that breaks through all three tiers. From there you’ll wind it clockwise until your cable end tucks away. Repeat this process with the second and third channels. When finished a double-tap hides it all.

What I like

It looks great and is very functional. In designing the Eclipse, they purposefully left a gap between the center reel and the outer wall which lets you close the mechanism with cables in use. You can unwind as much (or as little) cable as you need before closing it back up.

What needs to be improved

There are a couple of things that I feel could use some refinement. It’s supposed to work with most cables, but cables come in a lot of sizes and shapes. The micro/USB cable I used has an oversized end that barely fits. Winding it loosely allowed me to shift the end to an area with more allowance. It’s not a deal-killer as you likely have a few varieties as I do.

The gesture thing is cool at first, but seems to misfire frequently, either ignoring my taps or reading it as a single tap turning on the nightlight that glows from the bottom of the device. Adding a slight delay between taps helps remedy this but I find myself wishing for a physical button that just works every time.

Final thoughts

Overall I like the Eclipse as it has solved a rat’s nest cable problem for me. Something about the design and the manual nature of winding has me wanting to put them away when not in use. A quick tip is to put your most frequently used cable into the bottom channel. If you connect your top cable and go to use cable 2, you’ll end up having to thread it under the first cable every revolution.
The only other thing you should know is that the Eclipse is significantly bigger than you might think. Here it is next to a soda can for reference. That said, the diameter makes sense for limiting the number of times you need to wrap cables and if you have a big enough table, it’s not a major issue. The Eclipse has found a place on my side table.

Price: $80 / $100 / $160 for Textile / Wood / Marble
Where to buy: Native Union and Amazon

Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds.

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Native Union Eclipse 3 port charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 7, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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