Reviews – Page 282

MicroBot will push your buttons and you’ll like it

Do you have a button that needs to be pushed at a specific time each day? Or do you wish it wasn’t necessary to get up from the couch to turn off your old school ceiling lights? Then you need a robot to do the button pressing for you and the MicroBot Push might be the perfect little robot for the job.

The MicroBot Push is a robot who does only one thing. It presses buttons. However, it can press buttons however they need to be pressed and whenever they need to be pressed. This little robot can make dumb devices with buttons suddenly smart devices with buttons. It can even work with touch screens!

MicroBot Push pairs with an app on your smartphone so you can setup scheduled activity. The great thing is that you won’t even have to be nearby for the robot to do its thing.

At only $49.99, the MicroBot Push is an affordable automation gadget that will be joined next year with a MicroBot Twist that can turn knobs. You can read more about the Push and Twist at prota.info and you can order the Push now from Amazon.

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MicroBot will push your buttons and you’ll like it originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Mr. Lentz Leather Work Bag review

Let me begin by saying hello, my name is Ryan and I an a leather addict. Admitting I have an obsession to leather products is about as far as I am willing to go in this 12 step program so with that out of the way, let’s talk about Mr. Lentz and his Work Bag.

Opening the box, the olfactory hue of quality vegetable tanned leather reminds me of all the reasons I love leather products, especially vegetable tanned leather. Upon first inspection of the bag, I can immediately see that these were designed and made by a true craftsman with an understanding of what is important in high quality leather bags that are meant to serve a utilitarian function. The leather as I mentioned is 100% veg tanned leather that is made in the USA and has a wonderfully finished and smooth exterior with an unlined natural interior. The rivets are nickel over solid copper and the buckles are stainless steel, no pot metal or plastic here, the hardware is as solid as it gets. Quality hardware is important for both the longevity of the product and rust/corrosion resistance and Mr. Lentz did not cut any corners when it came to selecting this aspect of the bag either.

As someone with an admitted leather problem, I look for signs that the designer wanted to make something that will last and also be appealing to the eye. There is no stitching on this bag whatsoever. All of the seams, straps, buckles, and handle are riveted, producing a sturdy product with a very clean and unique look. There is an optional shoulder strap for this bag for an additional cost but the one I am reviewing didn’t come with that. If your intent is to carry this bag for a long period of time, carry a bag full of steel tools or just want the freedom of having two free hands, the shoulder strap may be a good investment for you. For me, I don’t anticipate packing this with anything that I would need the strap for and with a bag this size it just seems at home in my hand. The hardware to attach the strap to the bag is not included if you do not add the strap at the time of purchase. You can request that the hardware be put on the bag if you think you want to buy the strap later but this would require contacting Mr. Lentz or making a customization request in the order, he even said you can send it back to have that option added, what a guy! If you are on the fence, I would lean towards buying the strap , you can always disconnect it and store it when not in use.

One of the first things I noticed about this bag is that the entire body (not including handles, straps and buckles) of the bag is made from only three pieces of leather. The flap extends all the way around the back of the bag and back up the front, creating a cylinder of continuous leather when closed. The two end caps are separate pieces of leather that are securely riveted in place. The continuous piece that makes up the body of the bag is a sign of quality in a leather bag. The fewer seams a bag has, the stronger it will be, having fewer places to fail.

The size of this little duffel/work bag is fairly unique, in a very good way. At 14.5″L x 7″D x 6″H, I was able to pack it with more tools than I would ever need for a project around the house with room to spare. Other uses for this bag could include an overnight bag, an emergency kit for your car or home or even the coolest lunch box if you carry your lunch to work.

With a retail price of $280 (+$50 if you want the shoulder strap), the Work Bag is not inexpensive but within the first minute in your hands, you will see where your money has gone. Straight into a quality leather bag that will outlast you, and if it doesn’t the 100 year warranty is there to have your back.

Proes: Made from the highest quality materials, rugged and sturdy design, simple yet handsome appearance, unique sized bag to meet your needs for short trips or around the house/shop/ranch/whatever, small business so you can expect a rapid response to questions and he will work with you on helping make your bag right for you, free shipping in the USA, HANDMADE IN THE USA, 100 year warranty.

Cons: The $280 (+$50 for optional shoulder strap) price tag may push the Work Bag into the luxury category for some, one color of leather is offered currently (but it is beautiful!), high quality leather products like these are very addictive…seriously, you’ve been warned so please don’t go writing angry letters to Julie demanding justice because you developed a leather problem because of me.

Overall I couldn’t be happier with this little duffel bag. I am looking forward to using it in all those situations where other leather bags are just too big and to just get another piece of leather into my daily life. He offers a number of wallets and accessories if you want to start with something small to check out first and also offers a larger duffel that is a sized up version of the Work Bag and also a briefcase. I highly recommend this bag to anyone interested in quality leather goods that are meant to be used.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mr. Lentz Leather Goods. Visit their site for more info.

Product Information

Price:	$280 (+$50 for optional shoulder strap)
Manufacturer:	Mr. Lentz Leather Goods
Pros:	100 yr warranty Quality materials
Cons:	Price could be considered expensive to some

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bags, Leather

Mr. Lentz Leather Work Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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SmartQ Lightning pen drive review

The SmartQ lightning pen drive is a small flash drive that plugs into an iPhone’s lighting port. It can be used to back up all of your important data, including calendar, contacts, and photos. Let’s take a look at how it did for me!

The SmartQ comes in various space sizes and colors. I received a 64GB drive with gold finish.

It comes with the drive, a short A-Male to Micro-B USB cable, and a user manual.

The SmartQ comes with a small plastic cap to cover the lightning port when the drive isn’t in use.

Here’s the bottom of the SmartQ drive

There’s a small loop to use if you want to hang the drive off of a key chain.

The SmartQ is here on my iPhone 7 Plus, and as you can see it sticks out a bit. I don’t mind this as I have a case on my phone and there’s still room to use the drive.

After downloading the PowerDrive app in the iOS App Store, you can plug in the SmartQ drive. It will prompt for access.

Inside the app, you can select Calendar, Contacts, or Photos to back up. It’s very easy to do and backs up in under a minute or two.

There’s also an option to use Touch ID or just a passcode to unlock the app, which is nice to keep your files private on the SmartQ drive.

In the PowerDrive’s finder, you can look for your files under Movies, Music, and Documents. You can also see how much space is left on your phone, and on the SmartQ. If you need to find your backed up photos, just use the PowerDrive finder to see them. It displays easy to view thumbnails.

You can also view the files on the SmartQ drive on your computer. On my Mac, It showed up as an Untitled drive. If you had a password in your app, you just need to give it temporary access via the PowerDrive app, and the files will mount in the finder (Or Windows Explorer) as any other USB drive.

I really like the SmartQ for the simple usage it has for backing up files and using it as a thumb drive. It’s convenient and great to use as a second backup method for your phone, with the added security of using a password on the drive.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by SmartQ. Please visit the product page on Amazon for more information.

Product Information

Price:	$39.95
Manufacturer:	SmartQ
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Password protected Extra backup for the iPhone
Cons:	None

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Flash Memory, iPhone accessory

SmartQ Lightning pen drive review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds review

I recently joined a gym and have been on a quest to find a set of wireless earbuds that I can wear while working out that are both comfortable to wear and sound great. The latest earbuds to show up for testing are the HERO wireless earbuds from Winnergear. Let’s check them out.

What is it?

Winnergear Hero earbuds are small Bluetooth sports earbuds that are completely wireless.

What’s in the box?

Winnergear Hero wireless earbuds
Ear hooks (small and medium)
Eartips (small, medium, and large)
Portable charging case
Instructions

Hardware specs

Noise Cancellation CVC 6.0
Bluetooth 4.2
AptX
8mm speakers
Built-in microphone
Sweatproof Coating
3-hour playtime

The HERO earbuds are wireless which means there isn’t a cable between them that connects the two earbuds together.

They have a black metal (I think) outer shell with a power button which doubles as a status LED on the outside surface of each earbud and two electrical contacts below the power button.

Each earbud is clearly labeled so you can easily figure which one goes in each ear.

A handy case is included with the HERO earbuds that not only holds them while you’re not using them, but it charges them as well.

The case has its own built-in battery that is charged using a micro USB cable. In the image above, you’ll also notice a small button above the USB port. This is the power button for the charging case. You’ll need to remember to press this button if you want to turn on the charger for the earbuds.

The HERO earbuds easily fit inside the case. Just make sure they are firmly seated before you close the cover and press the power button on the back of the case to start charging.

Two tiny LEDs on the front of the case glow red while the earbuds are charging. It’s a good idea to check these LEDs to verify that both earbuds are firmly seated in the charger. It takes about 1.5hrs to fully recharge the earbuds.

The portable charging case can recharge the earbuds up to 4 times before the case itself will need a recharge. Pressing the power button on the back of the charging case will blink the LED on the back a number of times to indicate how much charge is left in the case.

Fit and comfort

Comfort and sound are at the top of my list when I’m searching for a new pair of earbuds. The Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds are lightweight and surprisingly comfortable. The ear hooks do a great job of keeping the buds in my ears even when I am walking, running, or jumping. The earbuds never fell out of my ears while I was testing them. I can’t say the same about most earbuds that I test.

Button control

The HERO earbuds only have one button on each earbud. It is a multi-function button that toggles power, puts the buds in pairing mode, answers and ends calls, plays and pauses music, and can skip tracks in certain apps.

To use the earbuds, you press and hold both power buttons for a couple of seconds to turn them on. A female voice will say that the buds are powering on and then it will say that they are connected to your device. Other voice alerts include a power down message and low battery alerts.

The left button will answer/end calls and play/pause music. The instructions that come with the earbuds say that pressing the right button will skip to the next track but this isn’t true. Pressing either the left or the right button while listening to music will pause the track and double click either the left or right button will skip to the next track.

Note that there’s no way to adjust volume from the earbuds themselves. You have to do that through the paired phone, tablet, or computer.

Audio quality for music, movies, and calls

I performed all of my testing of the Winnergear HERO earbuds with an iPhone 7 Plus and apps like Spotify and Amazon prime music, and phone calls.

Listening to music is enjoyable with these earbuds. Voices are crisp and you can hear distinct highs, mids, and lows. However, true bass heads will not be impressed. It’s not that there’s no bass at all, but it could be a lot better. That said, if you listen to all types of music, you should still enjoy hearing your favorite tunes through these earbuds.

While testing the HERO earbuds, I didn’t notice any reoccurring problems with audio cutting out between the two earbuds while listening to music while sitting at a desk, walking around in a large open gym, or walking outdoors with my phone in my pocket.

I tested the HERO earbuds with Youtube and Netflix apps on my iPhone and I did not notice any audio syncing between what I was seeing and hearing in the video. Dialog matched up perfectly with people speaking on screen.

I also tested call audio quality and like most Bluetooth headsets, I got regular comments that I sounded a little tinny. But on my side of calls, everything sounded really good which is really all that matters to me Ha!

Final thoughts

I have been using the Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds for several weeks and so far I don’t have any complaints except for the 3-hour battery life. I understand that the earbuds are small, which means the battery in each bud is small, but 3 hours seems really short because one charge won’t get you through a full work day. But other than that one complaint, I really like the HERO earbuds. They are my current favorites – at least until I find that something I like better.

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

Product Information

Price:	$149.99 from Winnergear / $99.99 from Amazon
Manufacturer:	Winnergear
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Wireless Good sound quality Built-in microphone WIreless charging through charging case
Cons:	Short 3-hour playback time per charge you have to remember to turn the charging case ON to start charging Can't adjust volume through earbuds

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2017 at 9:12 am.

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Nomad Sport Strap for 42mm Apple Watch review

If you read the Gadgeteer with any regularity you know that I love new and unique Apple Watch bands. So when I got the chance to review the new Nomad Sport Strap for the 42mm Apple Watch, I didn’t hesitate. Nomad is known for making premium leather replacement bands for the Apple Watch, with the Sport Strap they’re offering a silicone replacement band designed specifically to withstand the stresses of all forms of sports and exercise. Let’s check it out.

Nomad’s Sport Strap is made of Vulcanized LSR silicone, a naturally biocompatible, antimicrobial and hypoallergenic material. Silicone’s inherent ultraviolet resistance means that the strap will maintain its sheen through exposure to nature’s elements. It’s available in two-color combinations, black & slate or black & volt. And it’s priced @ $49.95. Currently, the Sport Strap is only available for the 42mm series 1 & 2 Apple Watch.

The Sport Strap came in a box with a slide out tray that the band was attached to. I like that the box gives me a place to store the band when I’m not wearing it. I already have way too many things cluttering my nightstand as it is.

One thing stands out right away when you put the band onto the watch. Unlike the Nike band, the Nomad Sport Strap’s face spans the width of the watch itself. This along with the chamfered edges and crosshatch surface give the Apple Watch a whole new look. Rugged yet sleek and sporty, and it pairs nicely with any outfit. You can easily go from the gym to a night out without having to switch bands. And putting the Strap onto the Apple Watch is easy, it just slides right into place and locks in.

The Sport Strap attaches to your wrist using a high-performance Polyamide buckle, which is designed to hold up to all environmental conditions. It uses a peg-and-notch system, which gives the band a very clean, secure fit. The Strap is one size fits most, designed for wrist sizes ranging from 150mm to 210mm. 75 mm length (buckle side) and 135 mm length (adjustment side). I have small wrists and still had 2 notches to spare. It can resist a 5-20 kg lateral slide-out force when installed in Apple Watch. Which means that no matter what you do while wearing it, it’s not going anywhere.

Comfort wise this band is a 10. It’s very comfortable and very light weight. The smooth silicone feels soft against your skin and it doesn’t pinch or feel clunky. The big test for me was wearing it to the gym and It passed that test with flying colors. The Sport Strap felt very secure on my wrist during my workout. One very small complaint I had while wearing it during my workout was that my wrist seemed to sweat more than usual. But since the Sport Strap is water and sweat proof it’s not a big concern. I also noticed that it tends to pick up dirt and lint fairly easily. But simply running it under warm water and shaking it out easily takes care of that. If you do happen to get some dirt wedged into the cross hatched surface it’s easy to remove using a soft brush while running it under the faucet. I used an old toothbrush and it worked great.

Final Thoughts

Nomad, the company behind the Sport Strap has what I think is a great philosophy, “own fewer things, be resourceful and seek adventure.” To me it means they design their products to be versatile, simple yet productive, and capable of going almost anywhere. With the Sport Strap, they accomplished this. It’s versatile enough to wear to the gym or out on a hike or run, yet you can leave it on for a night out on the town. The band is simple in design and uses a material that’s thin, yet strong and is both waterproof and hypoallergenic. And as far as the adventure part, well that’s up to you. But rest assured no matter what adventure you chose the Nomad Sport Strap will be up for the challenge. At $49.95 the Sport Strap is a worthy addition to any collection. In fact, I liked the Sport Strap so well that it has earned a permanent spot on my Apple Watch. Well, at least to the next really cool watch band comes along.

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

Product Information

Price:	$49.95
Manufacturer:	Nomad
Pros:	Comfortable Lightweight Durable Water and sweat proof
Cons:	Picks up lint and dirt easily

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Apple Watch

Nomad Sport Strap for 42mm Apple Watch review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 26, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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