Reviews – Page 97

Hedgehog umbrella review

REVIEWS – When you live in southern Indiana, you just never know what the weather is going to be like. It’s February but we’ve had lots of rain and even thundersnow. Yes, that’s really a thing here. This week I’ve been testing the stormproof and unbreakable Hedgehog Umbrella. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The Hedgehog Umbrella is a compact umbrella designed in Canada to withstand winds of up to 70MPH without turning inside out. That’s hurricane category 1 wind speeds.

Design and features

They sent me a Gen 2 in Sky Blue. The canopy is made of a 210 thread-count Water Repellent Pongee fabric that’s thin, but strong. You can choose from a variety of colors and you can even buy replacement canopies to easily switch out. Even better is the fact that they are going to soon offer a service where you can design your own canopy by uploading an image.

The umbrella ships with a slipcover which you’ll probably toss and promptly lose after the first time you use it.

When it’s collapsed and wrapped for storage, the umbrella measures 13 inches long and it weighs close to a pound. I consider this a medium sized umbrella that is small enough to fit in a backpack. I’ve seen and used umbrellas that are much smaller and easier to carry around, but this is the perfect size if you want true coverage and protection from rain. The ultra small ones really aren’t that useful in a storm.

The Hedgehog has a comfortable soft touch handle with a thick elastic cord. You might think that you can deploy the umbrella by pressing the button on the handle. You would be wrong. Unfortunately, there’s nothing automatic about the Hedgehog. This is a fully manual umbrella which is a bit disappointing given the price but I can understand that the automatic mechanisms are probably the weakest point of an umbrella the designers of the Hedgehog decided to bypass any issues by not including that feature.

So to open the Hedgehog, you just hold the handle in one hand and use your other hand to push the carbon fiber frame up the handle to the locking point at the top.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a robust frame as the one on the Hedgehog umbrella. It’s very sturdy and they claim that it is unbreakable.

When fully deployed, the umbrella is very roomy and large enough to that a friend can share with you.

When it’s time to collapse the umbrella, you just press the button on the center frame mechanism and it will unlock it so it can fold and slide back down the center handle.

The Hedgehog umbrella is perfectly balanced so it’s comfortable to walk with and I found that the canopy was large enough that I remained completely dry in all but sideways downpours.

What I like

Extremely well made
Withstands up to 70MPH winds
Ability to switch out the canopy
Ability to design your own canopy – coming soon
Lifetime warranty

What needs to be improved

It takes two hands to deploy it due to the lack of an automatic push button mechanism
Pricey

Final thoughts

The Hedgehog umbrella is very well made. I have no doubt that it’s been designed to last for years and the ability to switch out the canopy if there’s ever damage or if you just want a new color is great. The only issue I have with the umbrella other than the high price is that it takes two hands to open and close it. I don’t like wrestling with an umbrella when I’m going into and out of buildings and cars. I just want to hold it out in front of me, press a button and start walking. With the Hedgehog you can’t do that. If that’s not a deal breaker for you and you also live in a very windy/rainy area, this is definitely an umbrella to have in your bag.

Price: $79.00 – $99.00
Where to buy: Hedgehog Umbrella
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Hedgehog Umbrella.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Outdoor Gear, weather

Hedgehog umbrella review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 22, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Blue Ember XLR Studio Microphone Review

REVIEW – Blue is an audio company known best for making many different types of microphones for podcasts, streamers, musicians, and audio professionals. Many podcast and Youtube content creators feature their products in their videos and shows, and I’ve always wanted to try one for myself since I wanted to start streaming on Twitch, as well as use it for online gaming chat. I got the chance to review the new Blue Ember XLR Studio microphone, so let’s take a look!

What is it?

The Blue Ember microphone is a studio microphone for recording, podcasting, and live-streaming. The XLR connection means that it delivers more crisp, clear sound rather than a USB connection and also reduces background noise.

Hardware specs

Transducer Type: Condenser capsule
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Frequency Response: 38 Hz-20 kHz
Sensitivity: 12 mV/PA
Output Impedance: 40 ohms
Rate Load Impedance: 1k ohm
Maximum SPL: 132 dB SPL
Power Requirements: +48V DC Phantom Power
Weight: 0.84 lbs
Dimensions: 8.62″ x 1.5″ x 1.26″

What’s in the box?

Blue Ember microphone
stand mount
stand adapter
user manual

Design and features

The Blue Ember XLR Studio microphone is heavyweight, sleek and features a metallic blue-grey body with a black capsule. The thin body of the design makes it easy to position in smaller spaces, such as a computer desk or small music studio. It doesn’t take up a lot of real estate if you’re using it on camera, due to the fact that you speak into the side of the capsule rather than the front like a traditional microphone. It’s important to note that an audio mixer is that supports an XLR input is needed. You will also need a microphone stand or a desktop boom arm to hold the microphone. Blue supplies a small stand mount and stand adapter so that you can connect the mic to the stand.

Setup

Setup was a bit more complicated for me due to the nature of the Blue Ember having an XLR connection rather than a native USB connection. If you’re using it on a PC like I am, you will need an audio mixer that support an XLR input which then connects to a computer via USB. I was fortunate to have my brother lend me an XLR cable and a Behringer XENYX Q1202 audio mixer, but there are plenty of other options out there smaller/inexpensive mixers.

Performance

Compared to an old microphone I used to use, the Blue Ember mic’s sound blew me away. The crisp clear audio that I got was a huge improvement from the background noise I was used to getting with a microphone with USB connection. This makes sense since XLR connections are traditionally used for professional audio.

For this first sample, I just spoke a couple of sentences, in as quiet of a room as I could, with the audio mixer settings that I found appropriate for a speaking voice. I’m not an audiophile, but I liked how these settings worked for me chatting through discord for gaming, or if I do a Twitch broadcast.

For this sample, I read the intro paragraph off of Blue’s website:

If you’d like to hear more examples of the Blue Ember with musical instruments or singing, head over to their website or SoundCloud for better samples!

What I like

Wonderful, crisp sound
Thin design for out-of-the-way placement on camera
Solid weight and good feel in hand

What needs to be improved

Extra equipment needed to connect to a PC, such as an audio mixer, cables and mic stand

Final thoughts

For the value, the Blue Ember microphone is definitely recommended if you want some awesome quality audio for a podcast, stream, or video recording. It’s a wonderful upgrade to anyone looking to sound more professional, but note you will also need extra equipment for a full setup.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Bluedesigns.com and BHPhoto
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Blue Microphones

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: microphone

Blue Ember XLR Studio Microphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 22, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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AceBeam H40 headlamp review

REVIEW – Headlamps, or flashlights that are worn on the head, are invaluable when working or traveling in dimly lit areas. They may be judged on their brightness, battery life, beam spread, robustness, size, and weight. The H40 by Acebeam combines several features to make it a useful gadget. Read on to see what I think!

What is it?

The Acebeam H40 is a small lightweight headlamp that features a bright LED. The brightness can be fine tuned between 20 and 230 lumens. The light also features a low-power mode of 5 lumens, a turbo mode of 1050 lumens, and an SOS signaling mode at 1050 lumens. All of these brightness and control options are made using a single rubberized button. The Housing is made of aircraft aluminum and is IP68 rated. The housing opens to allow replacement of the single AA battery.

What’s in the box?

H40
Headband
Spare O ring
User Manual
Warranty card

Design and features

Specifications

The specifications chart is a little confusing and would benefit from an additional column of the color rendering index (CRI). The CREE-HD XP-L HD has a color rendering index (CRI) between 70 and 80, while the SST-20 CRI 95+ has a CRI of 95 or greater. This means that colors appear to be more natural under the SST LED than under the CREE LED. While the SST LED has better color reproduction, it is not as bright as CREE LED. People who work all day under a headlamp would benefit from the SST LED. The light of the lamp is focused into about a 70 degree arc, based on the relationship between candela and lumens.

Unboxing

The headlamp is packaged in a foam-lined matte cardboard telescopic box designed for retail display.

The front of the box shows the projector in perspective and some of the performance characteristics. The sides of the box identify the unit serial number, UPC code, QR codes for the website and Facebook page, and applications: Mountaineering, cycling, camping, first aid, construction, and adventure.

The back of the unit includes the specifications displayed above, description, features, the address of the manufacturer and some compliance codes.

The inside of the box has everything nicely packaged. The unit also contains a silica gel packet.

Design and features

Hardware

The design of the AceBeam H40 is tactically inspired. Batman would be proud to wear this on his head. The design features each serve a function. The knurled grip on the battery cover, the cooling fins on the back of the headlamp, the grooves into which the headband fit, the easy to feel operating button are all designed for functionality.

The design is also backed by a five-year warranty, which attests to the confidence the manufacturer has in its design and construction. As an added bonus, and to make warranty claims easier, the serial number is etched and painted onto the glass lens retainer. There are two improvements I would love to see: adding knurling on the end opposite the battery cover so that it is easier to position the lamp up and down in the headband, and adding a retaining lock on the battery cover so that the cover is not accidentally opened when re-positioning the lamp in the headband.

The reflector does a great job in dispersing the light. The picture below is of the lamp in the lowest power mode.

The headband has two adjustments; one for the circumference and one for across the top of the head. The circumference fits 26″ unstretched, so will fit hard hats and bike helmets.

The inside of the headband is coated in two zig-zag beads of silicone to provide exceptional traction even on slick or sweaty surfaces.

The outside of the headband features 3M reflective paint to enhance the visibility of the wearer at night.

Operation

The operation of the lamp is intricate because all of the functions are accessed by one button but the commands are easy to learn and are intuitive after a short while. The lamp is operated by the sequences below:

Single click – turns the lamp on at the previously set intensity.
Double click – toggles the lamp from high intensity (350 lumens) to turbo intensity (1050 lumens). This mode can be reset by a long press when on or by turning the lamp off and then back on.
triple click – starts the SOS Morse code mode (use single click or double click to exit)

long press when off
1 second – turn on ultra-low mode
3 seconds – toggles button lock mode (acknowledged with three blinks of the light)

long press when on
adjusts the intensity from 20 to 230 lumens.

You can see what the lamp looks like as I’m wearing it in the pictures below. Alas, a headlamp will never be the most glamorous accessory.

Performance

The following video shows the view at a local town park on a moonless night in a slight rain. It’s about the worst-case conditions to test the performance of the lamp.

The video is barely able to detect what the naked eye could see, but there was some of the green painted swing set visible at night, lit up by the lamp. Plugging my location into https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/. I determined that the what I saw is actually very close to the stated beam distance of 106 m (0.106 km).

It is difficult to test the other parameters of the lamp. Fortunately, AceBeam is a member of The Portable Lights American Trade Organization (PLATO), which allows member companies to publish verified specifications and performance ratings of their products. Because AceBeam is a member of PLATO, comparing the lamps parameters with other PLATO member products is straightforward and reliable.

What I like

lightweight
bright
secure fitting

What needs to be improved

unintentional loosening of the battery cover
the grip on barrel opposite battery cover

Final thoughts

The AceBeam headlamp will effectively and reliably cut through the darkness and still leave two hands-free. I give it two (flashlight-free) thumbs up.

Price: $34.90
Where to buy: Acebeam and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Acebeam.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Flashlight

AceBeam H40 headlamp review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 21, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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LifeProof LifeACTIV Power Pack 20 review

REVIEW – Portable batteries/power packs are probably the type of item I have reviewed the most here on the Gadgeteer. I mean, can you really have too many of them?? This gadget category is so popular that you see them everywhere, in every shape and size. I have them everywhere myself, and I couldn’t live without them. We all use our cellphones all day long, right? And I run down batteries faster than Usain Bolt runs down finish lines. How’s that for an analogy? So what makes the LifeACTIV Power Pack 20 stand out? Let’s find out.

What is it?

A portable 20,000 mAh power pack to charge your gadgets.

Product specs from the manufacturer

Dimensions: 6.72″ x 2.96″ x .70”

Weight: 8.8 oz

Power: Dual 10,000-mAh batteries

Energy Saving: auto-stop charge technology

Quick Charge: rapid recharge saves on socket time

Survives Depth: 6.6 feet underwater for 1 hour – Charge port door must be closed

Drop Height: 4 feet

What’s in the box?

The LifeACTIV Power Pack 20, a 20-inch USB-C cable, and a small instruction booklet that anyone over 40 won’t be able to read because the text is incredibly small.

Design and function

Most portable batteries try to set themselves apart by having something that is different from other batteries in this crowded space. The LifeACTIV Power Pack 20 is first and foremost a battery for the ‘active’ person who is going to take this gadget outdoors. Hiking. Camping. Skiing. To the beach. The manufacturer bills it as water-proof, drop-proof, dust-proof, and snow-proof. You can submerge it under water, drop it in the mud or sand, even drop it from a height of 4 feet without incident.

Around the edges of the LifeACTIV you’ll find a rubberized coating to absorb the shock when you drop it. There’s a door covering the ports that is pretty sturdy and will need to be closed if you want to enjoy all that ‘proof’ I just mentioned. I did drop it from 4 feet several times and never had any issue with it not working. I did not submerge it for 1 hour (as listed above in the specs) but I did completely submerge it in water and then when I removed it from the water immediately plugged up my cellphone and it worked normally.

Under the hood, you’ll find two 10,000 mAh batteries that give you 74 watts of power for a total of 20,000 mAh. For me, that means I can charge my Samsung phone about 5 times before the battery is spent. The rapid charge feature did indeed appear to be as rapid as other rapid-charge batteries that I have, so no complaints there. The LifeACTIV also turns off automatically when your gadget has been fully charged, which is nice.

Built into the end of the LifeACTIV is a flashlight (activated by holding down the 1 button on top) that can fluctuate between a normal LED white light, a high-intensity white light, a red light, and a flashing red light. I can see how this might be very handy for those ‘active’ folks who not only need a flashlight while they are out and about, I can see how the flashing red light could come in very handy in emergency situations. But of course, using the flashlight will drain the battery. On top of the battery, you’ll find the standard 4 LED lights next to the 1 button to indicate the status of the power.

On the other end of the battery, you’ll find the small door that opens to reveal 2 ports: a USB-A and a USB-C. The USB-C port functions as both in and out charging, but the USB-A port is only used to charge your gadgets. Because it has USB-C, this battery should be popular with the crowd that has Nintendo Switchs, iPad Pros, and Macbooks. I currently don’t own any devices that use USB-C to charge, so that is the biggest downside of this battery for me right now. I can only charge 1 device at a time with the LifeACTIV. I know that will change over time because USB-C is becoming the standard, but for now, all that 20,000 mAhs of juice can only be tapped 1 device at a time for me.

Final thoughts

The LifeACTIV is ideal for those folks who are the adventurous types who need a portable battery that is rugged and tough and big enough to last for days out in the wild, but small enough to carry and stow away easily. But the price of $99 is a little on the high side, so you’ll have to see the value in having a battery that fits your lifestyle. The downside is that the number of ports is limited. So just make sure that your buddy has his own portable battery before you take off on that hiking trip.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Lifeproof.com
Source: The sample of this product was provided by LifeProof.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers

LifeProof LifeACTIV Power Pack 20 review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 20, 2019 at 12:31 pm.

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Meridio Vintage Apple Watch Band review

REVIEW – When Apple debuted their Watch nearly 4 years ago, one of the selling points was the option to swap out the bands … sporty silicone, stainless steel links, and of course, classic leather, like Meridio’s Vintage Apple Watch Band.

What is it?

Meridio’s Vintage style watch band is a rugged, stylish leather watch band specifically made for the Apple Watch. It comes in several colors and includes matching hardware to fit the style of your Apple Watch’s finish.

Hardware specs

Color: brown
Materials: soft calf’s leather
Origin: Italy
Hardware color options: Gold, Silver, Space Grey, Black, Rose Gold, Stainless
Designed for Apple Watch Series 4, works with all previous versions
Optional initial engraving

What’s in the box?

the leather Watch band (Watch not included, obviously)

The packaging is nice but maybe a little excessive.

Design and Features

One of my favorite features of my Apple Watch is how easy it is to swap the bands. I have around 5 different bands that I cycle through depending on what I’m wearing that day or what I’ll be doing. So I was excited to get my hands on what would be my first leather band, Meridio’s Vintage style Apple Watch band.

The construction and quality of this band is very good. It is made from thick, Italian soft calf’s leather (which may be a turn-off for some). So it’s sure to last for quite some time and look better with age. Indeed, when I first started wearing it, there were no marks on the band, but after just a couple weeks of daily wear, there were a plenty of creases and nicks. I love that worn look.

You can see the creases and wear from as little as a couple weeks of normal use. They even punched my initials into the end of the band.

During the initial break-in period, the band was fairly stiff, even uncomfortable, until it started forming to the shape of my wrist. The hardware used in the buckle and watch fasters matches the finish on the watch and comes in several colors. Being a belt-style fastener, it offers the possibility of being either a little too tight or a little too loose. My wrist always seems to fall into that trap, but I usually just go with the looser option.

Overall, I really like the band. The color of the fine leather is practical for casual or formal dress, and it has nice details in the hardware and the thread looped near the base of the watch. The only negative I could think of would be the price, as is the case with most leather goods. You’d be looking at just over $100 for the band.

But, there are plenty of individuals who end up spending more money on watch bands than on the Apple Watch itself. Since nearly all bands have been compatible ever since the Series 1, and likely will be with future iterations of the Apple Watch, owning a band that will look even better years later is an attractive option for many collectors.

Like with any other belt style attachment, it could run a little loose or tight.

What I like

very handsome, goes with everything
will certainly last longer than your Apple Watch
looks better with age

What needs to be improved

may take a while to break in
expensive

Final thoughts

One of the best parts about owning an Apple Watch is collecting bands to adjust your style and function to your activity or mood. And Meridio’s offering adds a touch of class that will likely last longer than your Watch, albeit for a high price of entry.

Price: $104.00 (but currently on sale at $76)
Where to buy: You can pick up a Vintage Watch Band in several colors directly from Meridio’s website.
Source: The sample of this Apple Watch band was provided by Meridio. You can find out more and check out their other fine leather products on their website.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Apple Watch

Meridio Vintage Apple Watch Band review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 20, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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