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TREBLAB J1 Bluetooth earbuds review

To enjoy your favorite music and podcasts in private, you will either need to sequester yourself in a room or you can use headphones, earphones, or earbuds. While you’re at it, go wireless because who likes to be tethered to their device? No one, that’s who. If you don’t already have a good pair of wireless headphones, earphones or earbuds, it’s time to go shopping. What is a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds that don’t cost a fortune you ask? You should definitely check out TREBLAB’s J1 Bluetooth earbuds.

What is it?

TREBLAB J1 Bluetooth earbuds are exactly what you would guess. They are earbuds that pair with your mobile device via Bluetooth.

Specs

Bluetooth: 4.1 CSR
Bluetooth profiles: HFP, HSP, A2DP, AVRCP
Signal range: 38 feet
Noise-Cancellation: СVС 6.0 (passive)
Operation time: up to 9 hours
Charging time: 2 hours
Standby time: up to 240hrs
Water resistance: IPX-6
Operation range up to 30 feet

What’s in the box?

TREBLAB J1 earphones
Carrying case
3 sizes of silicone ear tips
3 sizes of expandable foam ear tips
3 sizes of ear fins
Cord minder
User’s manual
Charging cable

The TREBLAB J1s are connected by an x inch flat cable with an inline controller on the right side cable.

The flat back surface of each earbud is magnetic so you can connect them together. But, doing so does nothing other than making them stick together. It doesn’t toggle power. But the magnets are useful for wearing them around your neck so they won’t slide off by accident.

The design of the earbuds is very simple. There are no buttons on the earbuds themselves.

The inline controller has three buttons. The outside buttons control volume and the center button is the play/pause button which is also used to power the earphones on/off as well as put them into pairing mode, answer/end calls, redial calls, and more.

A micro USB connector for charging is built into the inline controller. There’s a tiny LED next to volume up button that will glow red while the earbuds are charging and will turn blue when charging is finished.

This LED will also flash blue and red when in pairing mode. Speaking of pairing, I tested the J1’s with an iPhone 7 Plus and have no problems with the initial pairing and subsequent connections after turning the earbuds off and back on again.

When it comes to comfort, the TREBLAB J1’s are great. Earbuds usually start hurting my ears within minutes, but I’m able to wear the TREBLABs for extended periods of time without really noticing any discomfort at all. The J1’s are light weight and it’s easy to find a comfortable fit due to the included eartips. I prefer the silicone tips with the fins.

Audio quality and call quality

Listening music through the TREBLAB J1s is enjoyable.They won’t win any awards from audiophiles, but they offer enough bass along with good highs and lows that I can’t complain at all.

When it comes to call audio quality, I was equally impressed. The only caveat is that the J1s can only be paired to one device at a time.

Noise canceling

The J1s don’t offer true active noise canceling features. They offer passive canceling when you use the foam ear tips which offer a better ear seal.

 

Final thoughts

If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive pair of wireless earbuds that are comfortable and have good sound, look no further than the TREBLAB J1 Bluetooth earbuds. Along with their 1-year warranty and excellent customer service, they are a great buy.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $40.00
Manufacturer: TREBLAB
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Simple
  • Good price
  • Sound quality is good
  • Comfortable
Cons:
  • None

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TREBLAB J1 Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2017 at 8:07 am.

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Survivor Hax Tactical Flashlight review

Like any Gadgeteer worth his/her salt, I love, Love, LOVE flashlights! Even though the most common use is when walking the dog at night, I still like to have a light that can pierce the darkness at the push of a button. The Survival Hax Tactical Flashlight is very similar to many that you’ve seen reviewed on this site, but there are a few little things they bring to the table that set it apart.

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

A 10 watt LED at 1000 lumens is not too shabby of a place to start. The Survival Hax encases this bright LED behind a zoom lens that will throw a beam hundreds of feet through the darkness, or pull back to fully illuminate an area about 80° in front of you with bright white light.


The simple tail switch cycles through the five included modes – Full, Medium, Low, Strobe, and SOS. Once the light is on, a partial press of the rubber covered button will cycle to the next mode. The only drawback to this cycle is that when you turn it off while in, say, Low power when you next turn it on, it’s in Strobe. I’d love to have a way to keep it at a setting every time I turn it on.


Included in the package are two nice add-ons: a battery charger for the (included) 18650 Lithium battery, and an insert that will allow you to run the torch with three AAA batteries, should you not have a charged 18650 handy. The life of three AAAs pushing that much power is not nearly as long as the 3 hours of full power the Lithium will provide, but they are available everywhere and may be easier to find in a pinch. (AA and AAA batteries will be useful as currency during the Zombie Apocalypse, I hear!)


To top off the package, there’s a nice webbing wrist strap that attaches to the tailpiece through an eyelet, and the rubber gasket over the button glows in the dark.
It is IP66 rated, which means it is protected from total dust ingress and protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction. Not for your next snorkeling adventure, but for that plumbing leak you’re fighting under the sink or searching for that lost cotter pin in your woodshed amid the sawdust, it’s not going to kill the light.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Survival Hax. Please visit http://survivalhax.com for more info and check Amazon for pricing.

 

Product Information

Price: $39.99
Manufacturer: Survival Hax
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • None
Pros:
  • Comes with charger and Lithium battery
  • Adapter for very common batteries included
  • Weatherproof
Cons:
  • Adjustment takes two hands
  • No way to lock unit into one mode – each off/on switch progresses it to the next mode.

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Survivor Hax Tactical Flashlight review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 23, 2017 at 9:56 am.

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VR Real Feel Racing 3D reality simulator review

Virtual reality gaming continues to grow in popularity and VR headsets are all over Amazon and other online retailers. Today I want to show you the VR Real Feel Racing set. This is a VR headset that comes with a wireless steering wheel controller for a fun 3D racing simulation. Let’s check it out. 

What is it?

VR Real Feel is a VR headset that connects via Bluetooth to a handheld controller to give you a real world feel of racing a car.

What’s in the box?

VR Real Feel VR headset
Handheld controller
Quick start guide

Design and features

The VR headset is similar to other VR headsets that I’ve reviewed in the past. It’s made of plastic, doesn’t require any batteries or power to operate.

It’s basically a holder that you wear on your head that has bee designed to hold your smartphone in front of your eyes and two lenses.

Adjustable elastic straps are attached to the headset so that you can customize the fit.

The front of the headset unlocks to reveal a spring-loaded holder for your smartphone.

I used my iPhone 7 Plus in a Rock iPhone case to test the VR Real Feel. It fit just fine in the spring-loaded holder and I had no problems snapping the headset closed with the phone in place.

To round out the racing set, there’s a battery powered Bluetooth handheld remote controller that is included with the headset.

The controller has grips so that you can hold it between your hands like a racing steering wheel.

There are two round thumb buttons located perfectly where your thumbs rest while holding the controller. There are also two “shoulder buttons” on the edge above the thumb buttons that are placed where your index fingers rest.

The controller is powered by 3 AAA batteries which is a bummer if you don’t have any on hand when you unbox this device. Yes, I’m speaking from experience.

Drivers, start your engines!

To start racing, you will need to find 3 AAA batteries and load them into the handheld controller. You’ll also need to install the VR Real Feel racing app on your iPhone or Android device.

When you start the app, it will ask you to scan for the steering wheel controller. To do that, flip the power switch on the back of the controller and press the scan button in the app. It will find the controller and connect via Bluetooth.

It will then ask if you want to play the game with or without the VR headset and will then instruct you to load your phone into the headset and put it on.

I wear glasses and am happy to say that the headset fits over my glasses without any issues. That said, the headset felt heavy on the bridge of my nose. When I tried to wear the headset without my glasses, the plastic nose piece in the headset felt sharp against the bridge of my nose so I did not find the headset to be comfortable no matter how I tried to adjust it.

Even though the headset was not comfortable to wear for very long, I was able to race several times with the headset, controller and VR Real Feel app and found it to be pretty fun once I got used to the controls and navigating the menus.

The game has several race tracks and levels that you can drive.

There’s a dirt track race.

A city track race.

 

 

There are even wacky tracks like dino world, under water, robot factory, and more.

The controller is easy to use while driving as it’s a simple matter of pressing the thumb buttons to control gas and braking.

While racing, I was surprised to find out that the handheld controller has some force feedback features that cause it to vibrate when you hit an object or go off the road. This contributes to the virtual reality feel of the game to make it feel more realistic and fun.

Final thoughts

If you can get past the comfort issue with the headset, this virtual reality headset, and controller racing set is a lot of fun. At least than $30, it’s inexpensive and can be used to play other VR games. I would say the VR Real Feel is the least comfortable of the VR headsets that I’ve reviewed so far, but it’s definitely better than the other VR headsets that I’ve reviewed so far because it comes with a controller.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $29.99
Manufacturer: VR Entertainment
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • iOS or Android mobile device with Bluetooth 4.0 BLE
Pros:
  • Fun to play
  • Multiple tracks
  • Handheld controller with force feedback
Cons:
  • Controller requires 3 AAA batteries which aren't included
  • Headset can feel heavy and uncomfortable

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VR Real Feel Racing 3D reality simulator review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 22, 2017 at 4:18 pm.

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BodyGuardz Trainr Pro iPhone case review

With so many wonderful exercise tracking apps on smartphones these days, it seems like a waste of a good run to leave it at home. The trouble is finding a safe way to take it with you. Luckily, there are much better options than pocketing your device and having it slap against your thigh for a few miles, or carrying it in your sweaty hands, threatening to shoot out of your grip like a blade of soap. Enter the Trainr Pro.

This case/armband solution converts from everyday phone to workout companion, and back again when you’re through. I feel I should tackle this review in two parts since there are two individual pieces that have two distinct purposes… the case itself and the fitness band.

Part 1: The Case

The Trainr Pro case is fairly no frills. It’s not particularly handsome, but that’s not its goal.

Nothing exciting, but it does the trick. The sides are imbued with slots to snap it into the armband.

Once the phone is in the case, which was easy enough, even with the rigid sides, the edge of the case is a surrounded by a rubber, shock-absorbing material. It’s got a nice grip and texture to it as well, so it works as a decent everyday case. Covering the back is a thin, semi-transparent sheet of plastic with a good-sized cutout for the camera lens. The case doesn’t add very much weight or bulk to the already large iPhone 7+, but it certainly does drop the sexiness of the device a bit. I was never a fan of phone cases, and this is yet another case that reminds me why. Your mileage may vary.

Part 2: The Band

Accompanying the solid, grippy case is the armband. It mirrors the same sturdy construction and aesthetic of the case, sporting the same black and gray color scheme, along with strips of lighter, reflective material.

The fabric of the band is smooth and seems as if it would fit most arms. I could imagine if you’ve got some serious biceps, you might have to make do with your phone being strapped to your wrist or forearm, but that’s an extreme case. Once I got the band positioned on my arm and secured the velcro strap, it didn’t budge. The fabric is smooth and comfortable, not padded, but it doesn’t really need it.

The iPhone 7+ is one of the largest phones ever made, and it’s got some weight to it, to be sure. Despite that, there wasn’t too much bouncing around of the phone on my arm… I really only noticed it when making very quick movements. The case is very secure when strapped in place. Almost ridiculously so. I should elaborate.

My first mistake when using the armband was to place it on my arm before attempting to attach the case. It’s nearly impossible to gain the leverage to snap the case in place while the band is on your upper arm. There were several moments in my first couple runs where I ended up walking for minutes on end trying to get the case to click into place.

First of all, it’s tough to align the tabs on the case with the grips on the band, as there isn’t much margin for error. They must be more or less perfectly aligned. Then, the force it takes to snap the case in place is more than I thought it would be. It’s easier to notch one side of the grip plate in place and then sort of push out on the other side while pressing down on the front of the phone. Even while doing this, it still takes a good deal of force.

But once that thing is in place, it’s not going anywhere. And that’s really what you want when you’re strapping your $800 phone to your arm just so you can run. At its core, the Trainr case functioned beautifully.

Miles down the road with minimal bouncing and no slip.

I feel like I’m getting the hang of taking the case in and out of the armband, but I’ll admit that the first few attempts were a bit worrisome. With all of those horror stories of people bending their iPhones with seemingly little effort, it always makes me cringe a little feel like I’m going to twist or torque the screen too much.

It could certainly be much easier to get the phone in and out of the armband holder. Though their website states that it’s a “snap,” it feels like more of a pry.

Conclusion

All in all, after testing it on several runs, I’d give the Trainr high marks on what it promises. It’s a shame that the unique snap-on function couldn’t be a little bit easier to use. Given the case’s expensive and delicate contents, I hate to twist and press and bend something that has my phone in it. But I think for many people, it would be a good way to take their phone with them.

See you on the road!

The Trainr Pro is available now from BodyGuardz for $49.95.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by BodyGuardz. Please visit their site for more info and to order. Check them out on Amazon too.

 

Product Information

Price: $49.95
Manufacturer: BodyGuardz
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • – Case is very sturdy and drop-resistant
  • – Armband and case are very secure during activity
Cons:
  • – Phone and case are tricky to get in and out of the armband frame
  • – Case itself is nothing to get excited about

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BodyGuardz Trainr Pro iPhone case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 22, 2017 at 8:32 am.

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Alfa AWUS1900 WiFi adapter review

Wifi is built into most laptops and tablets these days. Sometimes, however, you have a box you’re building or a desktop system that, for whatever reason, doesn’t have a decent Wifi adapter. Or, perhaps, it’s in a location that just doesn’t pick up your base station well enough for stable internet access. That’s when you may need an external adapter, like the Alfa AWUS1900. We recently were offered one, and I’ve given it a test. Let’s see how it measured up.

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

The Alfa AWUS 1900 looks like a dead spider, at first glance – a body with all legs in the air. But the four antennas that attach to the main body pull in wifi signals from the ether with surprising power for such a small, light little unit. The main unit is the size of a .75″ thick stack of business cards (2.5″ x 3.5″), but there are four miniBNC connectors where angled antennas fit on it, plus a cable, which makes it appear far larger.

On the underside, there is a place to mount a holder for either a suction cup or a clip to use in attaching it to the best location. Without the holder, it sits on 4 rubberized bumpers. You can switch between flat on a surface, stuck to a surface, or clipped to a surface without much trouble.

The four antennas can be removed in seconds, as can the cable, making this something that you can pack up and have on hand for those times you’re just outside of “normal” wifi range. The base unit weighs a mere 2.14 oz., but with the antennas and cable, it’s a package of 6.4 oz. It’s bulkier than it is heavy, but the antennas will easily fit into pen loops in a gear bag. They may be a little long for some pockets, though. Be aware that this looks like a remote detonation device through an x-ray, so the TSA may want you to “Please step over here, and do not touch the table.”

I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inch, mid-2014) with built-in wifi. While the radio does a pretty good job with hotspots close by, I know there are more out there, and I was curious as to the speeds I was getting. (Fat City is a play on my name, Richbourg. My German prof in freshman year dubbed me that. When we moved from the suburbs, we had to change from Uverse (which suggested our former wifi network, Across the Uverse). I had to find some name for our network….)

I installed the software from the enclosed CD (since the site would not let me create an account and download the latest version!), let it reboot, and a new item appeared in the menu bar. I pulled down the list and – WHERE DID ALL THOSE HOTSPOTS COME FROM?!?!?!

Seriously, I had no idea there was this many in my neighborhood! (I live in an area of single-family homes, with large lots and loads of parklands and undeveloped areas. I know one of my neighbors doesn’t have internet access other than through the phone, let alone wifi. The retired couple on the other side seems pretty tech-agnostic as well. I’m stunned at all those hotspots.)

After signing into my network, I ran some tests through Speedtest.net. Thankfully, I can report that my internal wifi module was just as fast as the Alfa in most tests. I’d not want to have to figure out how to carry this package, but it’s nice to know that I’ll get good response if I do.


Software install aside, the unit was exactly like using my onboard wifi. I could easily stop and start the radio, change hotspots, and save wifi locations as favorites.

I was actually a bit surprised that there were Mac drivers. They cover the last seven or eight major MacOS releases, all the way up to 10.12. I’m curious to see if they update it this fall after 10.13 drops.

If you’re needing to access wifi from a long distance (say a remote building on your campus or your backyard geek-cave) this just may pull the signal in. And at $70, it’s not going to break the bank. If your current computer works well except for the internet connection, this may help you put off a full upgrade for a few months.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Alfa. Please visit http://alfa.com.tw for more info, or their storefront at Amazon to purchase.

 

Product Information

Price: $69.99
Manufacturer: Alfa, Inc.
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Windows or Mac computer with USB port
Pros:
  • Light weight but powerful
  • Wide range of support OSes for Driver install
  • Complete kit, nothing more to add
  • No external power needed
Cons:
  • Lightness makes it tend to feel "cheap"
  • Not really better than builtin response on higher-end laptops
  • Proprietary port on unit will make getting a replacement or longer cable difficult

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Alfa AWUS1900 WiFi adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 21, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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