Home Reviews

Burkley Smart Folio iPad Pro 10.5″ case review

Earlier this year I reviewed several iPhone cases from Burkley leathers. Both were very well done…handcrafted from full grain leather and perfectly fitted for my iPhone. In similar fashion, Burkley has created a Smart Folio cover for Apple’s recently released 10.5″ iPad Pro, also handcrafted with old world style and nicely fitted for the iPad. For this review, Burkley sent one in coffee brown to check out.

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

Burkley begins with a relatively thin, minimalistic, plastic shell that holds the 10.5″ iPad Pro securely in place. Burkley surrounds/covers the shell with top-quality cowhide leather both inside and out. According to Burkley, “Each case is individually handcrafted from the finest premium leather with a focus on preserving the leather’s unique characteristics. Each piece of natural leather has its own veins and pores”. The leather is soft and supple with a very nice feel to it and smelled great right out of the box. In addition to top quality materials, the stitching and finish are excellent as well.

The Burkley 10.5″ iPad Pro Smart Folio case is perfectly form-fitted for Apple’s latest & greatest tablet. This cover is a slightly padded book-/folio-style case with embedded magnets that work with the iPad’s sleep function to turn the screen on and off when opened and closed. The back has cutouts for the iPad’s rear facing camera and microphone. Both the front and back are embossed with the Burkley buffalo logo.

The Folio’s inner lining is made of a tan microfiber leather which is waterproof and dirt resistant. The corners and a majority of the right and top sides wrap around the edges of the iPad. When closed the case covers and protects approximately 95% (aka most) of the device.

The top has cutouts for the power button, both speakers, mic, and audio plug.

The Folio’s smart cover is hinged on the left side of the case.

The base of the case has a large cutout allowing access to the iPad’s lighting port and speakers.

The right side has a smaller cutout for the iPad’s volume buttons. Overall, the case provides solid protection from bumps, scrapes, and minor falls both open and closed. Though probably wouldn’t provide all that much protection if dropped on a corner from any real height.

As you can see, the front cover is hinged and can fold backwards to support your iPad for hands-free viewing.

The front cover can also support your iPad at a lower angle for typing. Both orientations provide a solid base to use your tablet.

The Burkley Smart Folio Cover for the 10.5″ iPad Pro isn’t just a pretty face. Handcrafted with high-quality leathers with old world style and craftsmanship, that protects and is functional as well…just what you would expect from an upper-end iPad accessory. Other than being a bit pricey, I have only positive things to about this Burkley case. Well worth the consideration if you’re looking for a quality minimalistic smart case for your Apple tablet.

Source:  The samples for this review were provided by Burkley. Please visit their site for more information and visit Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $123.60
Manufacturer: Burkley Case
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Apple 10.5" iPad Pro
Pros:
  • Excellent handmade construction and materials
  • Perfectly fitted for 10.5" iPad Pro
  • Supports the iPad for viewing & typing
  • Provides good protection
  • Well finished
  • Adds little weight or bulk
Cons:
  • None

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Burkley Smart Folio iPad Pro 10.5″ case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 11, 2017 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Mr. Lentz leather briefcase review

When I opened the box, the smell immediately hit me.  That smell of well-tanned leather.  You know the smell.  You hold it up to your nose and leave it there for awhile.  Yeah, it was like that when I opened the box on the Mr. Lentz leather briefcase.  I have had ‘genuine leather’ goods my whole life that turned out to be not so genuine.  So I was very curious if Mr. Lentz could make a leather good that truly was of the highest quality.  So let’s jump right in.

I’ll go ahead and let the cat out of the leather bag and tell you that this leather briefcase is just about as fine as they come.  And for the price of $398 (plus more if you want it personalized or with the optional inside storage add-on that I got), it better be good, right?  But before I go further, let me provide you what Mr. Lentz states about the size and details of this briefcase:

LARGE: The exterior of this size measures 15.5 inches wide x 11.25 inches tall x 3 inches deep. The interior space is: 14.75 inches wide x 11 inches tall x 2.75 inches deep. The large size will fit Macbook Pro 15″ laptops.
*Hardware change note: the shoulder strap now contains two steel clips on either end that clip onto the hardware on the sides of the bag.

INTERIOR POCKETS ADDON: These are 2 pockets total attached to the interior via 6 heavy duty military grade snaps. The pockets are both 6 inches wide x 5 inches tall, and one contains a flap closure, the other is open with a small key ring attachment.

PERSONALIZATION LOCATION: If you choose to get your Briefcase stamped or branded with initials or a name, the personalization will go on a small tag of leather that will be riveted to the main body of the bag. It will be located under the top flap, near the opening of the bag.

Additional details:

  • Included is a free tin of Mr. Lentz handmade leather conditioner
  • 100-year warranty against defects
  • Handmade per order in the USA
  • Solid brass rivets
  • Full-grain vegetable-tanned leather

What I liked

This bag is top notch.  There isn’t a stitch on the entire bag, as every piece of leather on the bag is attached using rivets.  Just about every leather good I have ever owned has started to come apart at the stitched seams sooner or later with normal wear and tear.  But with nary a stitch in sight and with a 100-year warranty on defects with this product, this bag is going to last me a very long time. And just as with all leather goods, I expect it to get softer and more supple over time.

The inside of the bag is natural and unlined and the buckles are stainless steel and very high quality.  The handle on the top is soft and easy on the hand, and the straps that buckle and close the bag on the front actually wrap around the bottom and snap into place at the top of the back.  What that enables you to do is unsnap the straps on the back and insert like a newspaper or something there, then snap it back to hold the item tight.  There is also a pocket on the back of the bag that can hold a small stack of papers or folders, and it has one snap to hold it closed.

I got the bag with the optional inside storage add-on that is basically 2 pockets.  One of the inside pockets is open with a key ring attachment, while the other has a closeable flap.  Having the inside storage is definitely nice for your phone/keys/etc, but it does take up room inside the bag.  The removable adjustable shoulder strap is wide and spreads the load on your shoulder, so that is nice.

Other things to consider

I didn’t really dislike anything about this briefcase, but there are some things to consider if you decide to purchase this.  I was able to fit my 15″ laptop with power supply inside the bag, but it was tight.  With my laptop inside (it is old and pretty thick) I wasn’t able to get much more inside the bag. So I had to utilize the outside pocket to hold folders and papers.  Finally, it is expensive, no doubt.  Dropping over $400 for a leather briefcase isn’t a small thing, but I truly believe that you have to pay for quality.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this briefcase and it has become my daily go-to bag for carrying to meetings.  The quality is outstanding and I doubt anybody can outlive the warranty.  I highly recommend this bag.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mr. Lentz. For more info visit his website to order and check out some of their smaller leather goods on Amazon.

 

Product Information

Price: $398 standard price
Manufacturer: Mr. Lentz
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Beautifully hand-crafted American-made product
  • Removable shoulder strap
  • Personalization options and addons available for extra
Cons:
  • Price

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Mr. Lentz leather briefcase review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 10, 2017 at 9:31 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Brainwavz B200 Balanced Armature earbuds review

I’ve traveled extensively throughout my varied careers and learned a long time ago that if something is too large to be easily carried, it will ultimately be left behind for smaller versions. As a result, I’ve opted for the smallest, lightest weight devices I can lay my hands on, sometimes sacrificing higher quality.

With balanced armature headphones, I quickly learned that smaller headphones did not mean I would have to sacrifice audio quality.

Since buying my first pair of balanced armature headphones, Etymotic’s ER-6, back in 2005, I’ve been hooked. Unlike conventional headphones that use a miniature speaker, in balanced armature headphones, a coil of fine wire is wrapped around a central spindle (armature).  The armature is suspended between two magnets and the audio signal causes the armature to move inside the magnetic field, the sound. The architecture permits tiny drivers that can fit into the ear canal, but still produce a very wide frequency range, relatively flat frequency response and very low distortion. I’ve never turned back, even purchasing a pair of Etymotic ER-4 headphones which I have used as the standard for what headphones are supposed to sound like for almost $600 in 2008

I jumped at the chance to review Brainwavz B200 in-ear earphones and I am so thankful I did! They arrived in an understated black box with red highlights. Inside, a form-fitting plastic tray housed a swanky black and red storage case encasing the headphones, a slurry of ear tips, clothing clip, instructions and the obligatory silica gel to keep the goodies dry.

I pulled the headphones from the packaging with the default ear tips and jammed them into my skull, draping the cables behind my ears. They fit remarkably well and I was very pleased to find excellent isolation from ambient sounds.  I tried several other ear tips to ensure the best fit. The best at isolating ambient sound was a pair of red “memory foam” but I found the default pair was the most comfortable for me.

The audio plug on the cord end is angled. This might make it difficult to plug into some of the narrower sockets without an adapter.

Next, I chose a playlist that included Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Billy Joel, Evanescence, Family Force 5, Frank Sinatra, Guns N’ Roses, James Taylor, Jars of Clay, Louis Armstrong, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines and Fountains of Rome, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd,  Regina Spektor, Skillet, and TobyMac. I chose these artists because they represent a wide variety of musical styles, volume levels, and potential tastes.

The sound from these headphones is nothing short of superb. Bass is rich and luxurious, wonderfully clear. There were no distortions or harmonic buzzing. The bass was so clear, it made me think I was attending a live concert, but without the ear-ringing and sternum vibrating.  I dare say that the bass rivals my $600 Etymotic ER4s.

Highs were crystal clear – think of the clinking of fine lead crystal stemware clear.  Even subtle passages with quiet piccolo or triangle tones were beautifully reproduced.

Mid-range was balanced, and luscious, to the point that if I closed my eyes, I could almost picture myself in the same room with the recording artists. Beautiful.

The audio from the Brainwavz B200 headphones is spectacular, fit is comfortable and construction is first-rate. The only problem I encountered during the review is that when asking my wife to listen to them, her response after 10 seconds of listening was, “These are mine!” I think she’s going to have trouble getting me to give them up.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Brainwavz Audio. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $119.50
Manufacturer: Brainwavz Audio
Retailer: http://amzn.to/2xlT9Kg
Pros:
  • Fantastic audio quality
  • Very comfortable
Cons:
  • Expensive

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Brainwavz B200 Balanced Armature earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 9, 2017 at 9:02 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

ILIFE A6 smart robotic vacuum cleaner review

About a year ago I reviewed my very first robot vacuum, the ILIFE A4. Although I found the vacuum had potential, it didn’t quite fit the needs of my family; there were just too many issues that I wasn’t able to overlook.

ILIFE recently provided me with their upgraded model, the ILIFE A6. I’m hoping the upgrades are exactly what is needed to make this robot vacuum a permanent fixture in my house.

In the box

  • A6 robot vacuum
  • Charging base
  • Power adapter
  • Remote control
  • Invisible wall
  • 4 side brushes
  • 2 HEPA filters
  • 2 AAA batteries
  • 2 AA batteries
  • User manual

Specifications

  • Diameter – 12.01 inches
  • Height – 3.15 inches
  • Weight – 5.62 pounds
  • Battery size – 2600 mAh
  • Dustbin capacity – 0.3 L
  • Working time- 160 min

Design

The A6 appears to be almost identical to the A4.


The top of the vacuum contains the power/function button, dust bin release, and bumper.

The bottom contains the wheels, brushes, sensors, and charging contacts.

The A6 upgraded the main brush from a standard bristle brush to a rubber one.


On the sides of the A6 you will find the charging port and main power switch. Additionally, you will find the compartment you place the dust bin into.



At 0.3 liters, the dust bin is slightly smaller than the A4’s, but generally functions the same way; it has a removable HEPA filter and the bottom opens up to release debris.

Although it functions the same way, the A6’s charging dock looks far more refined than the A4’s.

Finally, the remote appears to be the exact same remote as the A4’s; however, the buttons have slightly different labels.

It’s immediately obvious the design of the A6 is an upgrade over the A4; it’s far more sophisticated and more visually appealing.

Performance

There is almost nothing to setting up the A6, you simply plug the dock into the wall and charge the vacuum. The only thing you have to do is make sure there is about 1.5 feet of clearance on either side of the dock, and 5 feet of clearance to the front.

Once the vacuum is charged, there are a variety of ways to use it.

First, you can push the function button on the vacuum or press the play button on the remote. The vacuum will exit the dock and begin to vacuum.

Second, you can program the A6 to automatically start up at a specific time.

This is a pretty simple process. You press the clock button on the remote and then set the current time. You then press the plan button and pick the time you want the A6 to vacuum every day. Press the plan button once more and the schedule is set.

Like the A4, the A6 has several different vacuum modes: max, spot, edge, and mini-room.

  • Max mode increases suction
  • Spot mode cleans an area that may be dirtier than normal
  • Edge mode cleans edges and corners
  • Mini-room mode cleans smaller rooms

When the A6 is finished cleaning or the battery gets low, the device should automatically return to the charging dock.

Among the better upgrades is the ability to set up a virtual wall if you have a room or an area you want to keep off limits.

This involves nothing more than placing the virtual wall next to the area you want to block and making sure the arrows are facing the proper direction.

This worked perfectly for me. I placed my kitchen off limits and the A6 never came close to entering.

For the most part, the A6 outperformed the A4; it appeared to be more powerful and more intelligent.

That being said, there are still some unresolved issues.

First, I still had the occasional problem with the vacuum getting wedged under furniture. This happened much less frequently than it did with the A4, but it did happen every now and again.

Second, the A6 still seemed to clean some areas repeatedly while neglecting others. It clearly doesn’t map the residence and remember what area has been cleaned and what area hasn’t been.

Finally, the A6 rarely made it back to its dock after vacuuming; although, it had a far better success rate than the A4.

Conclusion

Overall, the A6 is a significant improvement over the A4; it does everything better than its predecessor.

The A6 is a very capable robotic vacuum that should be able to handle everyday dust and debris. Like any vacuum, you have to make sure you don’t leave your floor too cluttered, but it’s generally smart enough to avoid objects like sneakers, purses, backpacks, etc.

There are still some issues that need to be improved upon, the most significant of which is the A6’s tendency to wedge itself under furniture; however, the A6 is far more reliable and more consistent than the A4.

I ended my original review stating the A4 will only be of use to tidy people living in apartments; however, I feel confident the A6 has a much wider audience.

I have young kids and several pets that leave too many obstacles in their wake, so I’m not certain the A6 will last much longer in my house. However, I think the A6 would be perfectly suitable for larger homes with adults or teens that aren’t leaving small toys lying around.

For $229.99, the A6 is a very good robot vacuum at a great price.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Gearbest. For more information please visit their site.

 

Product Information

Price: $229.99
Manufacturer: ILIFE
Retailer: GearBest
Pros:
  • Powerful
  • Affordable
  • Easy to use
  • Includes virtual wall
Cons:
  • Unresolved issues from previous model

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

ILIFE A6 smart robotic vacuum cleaner review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 8, 2017 at 9:47 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Braven Stryde 360 Bluetooth speaker review

You gotta love promotional videos for outdoor Bluetooth speakers. There always seems to be young, beautiful people in great shape running and laughing near water. Reality is more like an overweight guy (me) plopping himself down on Cocoa Beach and sweating in the humidity and heat while my beautiful wife complains that the music is too loud. Oh well, at least the Braven Stryde 360 portable Bluetooth speaker I’m testing sounds good.

As someone who has reviewed many Braven speakers, I’m always amazed how they come out with so many models priced for anyone’s budget—from the $50 105 palm-sized speaker to the monstrous $300 BRV-XXL—not to mention a line of quality home speakers. The new Stryde 360 Bluetooth speaker fits into the lower-priced range but with a few extra features.

The portable Stryde 360 is made for the outdoors. It has IP67 waterproofing (it can be completely underwater up to 3 ft. for 30 minutes) in a tough, plastic exterior. It’s circular shape can fit into some (but not all) car cupholders—think elongated coke can and you get the picture. The ends are circled in a bright, day-glow yellow/green color which helps the speaker be seen in the dark.

The circular shape allows sound to go in a 360° pattern, so it doesn’t matter where anyone is standing when near the speaker.

The body of the speaker is a neutral silver/gray with black rubberized buttons and port cover which protects charging, AUX and USB charging-out ports. The Stryde 360 has a built-in 2500MAH rechargeable battery that can recharge a smartphone—always a handy option for a portable speaker to have. Opposite the ports are on/off, Bluetooth pairing and play/pause/answer call buttons. There’s also an LED power status light which changes colors depending on the level of charge remaining. Battery life is a respectable 12 hours.

Pairing is simple with the Stryde 360. Just press and hold down the Bluetooth button until an audio signal lets you know it’s looking for a device to pair with. You should then see the Stryde in any smartphone Bluetooth settings. My iPhone 7+ paired without any issues. The Stryde remembers my iPhone, so when I come back to it, It re-pairs immediately. A nice feature is that the Stryde will shut itself down after 30 minutes of no signal. This helps prevent undesired battery drain.

Two passive radiators sit at each end of the tubular shape, giving the Stryde 360 a decent amount of bass for a speaker its size. Unfortunately, bass doesn’t travel far in the big outdoors since there’s not a lot that low-frequency sound waves to bounce off of. That’s not the Stryde 360’s fault, it’s physics. However, the speaker packs a satisfying punch when sitting close to it—as long as it’s placed horizontally. If set up vertically, one of the passive radiators is blocked and can alter the audio quality. There is some bass distortion at max volume, but that’s when the bass is at maximum levels in the recording itself.

Vocals (mostly middle frequencies) sound natural and up front.  This is good for two reasons: Music can sound more personal and talking (whether podcasts or radio) can be both strong and easily understood. Sometimes, larger and more bass heavy speakers can be problematic for spoken sources.

Higher frequencies on the Stryde 360 can border on harsh if the volume is pushed or the recording source is already a bit treble-happy. Most people are not fans of bright-sounding music, so this shouldn’t usually be an issue.

The Stryde 360 has speakerphones capabilities which work okay. The audio quality is much better than using only the iPhone’s speaker, but my voice comes across to the other person clearer using the iPhone’s mic as opposed to the Stryde’s built-in mic. Unfortunately, a lot of Bluetooth speakers suffer from inferior mics.

Music sounds a bit better than you might expect on a similarly sized speaker. Volume is more than adequate unless you’re trying to have a party. The Stryde 360 is better suited to a small circle of friends.

I prefer listening rock and pop on the Stryde 360. The main reason is that these genres usually have little subtlety. More challenging and complex music is too much for the small speaker’s abilities, especially outdoors, where the speaker is expected to be used. Blame that physics thing again.

Quibbling aside, I quite liked the sound of the Stryde 360. Even with the size limitations, music sounded fun and engaging. An extended version of the 80s classic “Cry” by Godley and Creme has an insistent beat with falsetto vocals that give a slightly expanded sound stage despite the restricted stereo of a single Bluetooth speaker. A less appreciated Godley and Creme gem, “Under Your Thumb” also sounds good on the Stryde 360. It sports fast synth playing that remains distinct with no muddiness in the sound.

Just for kicks, I chose a 50s country classic, “Blue, Blue Day” by Don Gibson. Both the vocals and guitar playing were sharp and clear although the drums and bass were a bit recessed due to the recording. The Stryde 360 was able to reproduce the clarity of the recording with ease. Audio from older recordings carries farther outdoors simply because the recordings were made for AM radio and are geared more for middle frequencies than most modern music.

That’s not to say if you like hip-hop or electronica, the Stryde 360 will disappoint you. The speaker will still sound good, it just can’t go as deep into the bass as a larger speaker can. Again, physics.

As I’ve said earlier, I have reviewed many Braven speakers. It’s interesting that they all have different sound signatures, some that I like and some, not so much. I like how the Stryde 360 sounds. It’s musical and extremely easy to operate.

Yes, I may never look as good as those laughing people in the promotional videos (I never did actually), but I still appreciate music everywhere I go. The Stryde 360 portable Bluetooth speaker goes anywhere without worrying about how wet or dirty it may get. And that’s exactly how it should be.

The Braven Stryde 360 portable Bluetooth speaker sells for $99.99 and is available from Amazon.

Source: The samples for this review were provided by Braven. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $99.99 US
Manufacturer: Braven
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Easy to setup and use
  • Waterproof
  • Sounds good
  • Worth what it costs
Cons:
  • Bass distorts at full volume
  • So-so speakerphone capabilities

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Braven Stryde 360 Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 7, 2017 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.