Home 2017 September

Kevo Smart Lock, Totallee iPhone case, Waterfield Outback Duffle, and more – Review updates

Today I have five review updates to new and old reviews, with the newest one having been posted last month in August and the oldest update on a review twelve years ago. Click through to see the recently updated reviews. You’ll find the updates at the bottom of each page.

Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock review by Julie Strietelmeier

WaterField Designs Outback Duffel review by Julie Strietelmeier

biēm butter sprayer review by Julie Strietelmeier

totallee $29 thin leather iPhone 7+ case review by Dave Rees (Update by Julie Strietelmeier)

WaterField iPod Gear Pouches – small pouch update by Julie Strietelmeier

 

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Kevo Smart Lock, Totallee iPhone case, Waterfield Outback Duffle, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2017 at 9:45 am.

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Tronsmart Encore S5 Bluetooth True Wireless Headphones review

With smartphones gradually evolving to pack more technology into the same space, become sturdier and waterproof, manufacturers have removed the ubiquitous and familiar 1/8” stereo/microphone jack. While his innovation is somewhat controversial, at least for the mean time, dongles of various shapes and sizes have entered the scene permitting users to enjoy their “traditional” headphones, earbuds and ear cans with the newest phones. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there have been countless wireless headphone options introduced for those wishing to cut the cord. 

I’ve always preferred wired headphones or earbuds to Bluetooth for superior audio quality. I have yet to discover a pair of Bluetooth headphones I thought was as good as their wired counterparts. Several years ago, I used a pair of Etymotic ETY-8 that was pretty good, but battery life on long days required toggling between wired and unwired. Still, the wire between the left and right channels was cumbersome.

Until recently, most Bluetooth headphones utilized some sort of wired connection between the left and right channels. The diminutive Tronsmart S5 headphones do not. Each channel, barely larger than a quarter, sits unencumbered in each ear – “Look, Mom, no wires!”

The headphones arrived in a handsome white and purple box, nested in form-fitting plastic. Included were three pairs of ear tips, a “Y” USB charging cord, removable ear hooks that plug into the USB sockets while not charging, and a tiny instruction manual

Out-of-the-box charging took 25 minutes, a tiny LED on each changing from red to blue letting me know charging was complete. Pairing was done using the left earpiece and was the same painless procedure as most other Bluetooth devices.  In the event that a user would want only one earpiece, only the left is configured to be used independently. Turning the right earpiece on results in audio messages from each earpiece indicating the left or right channel and that both are connected.  Once a connection from the left to the right earpiece is established, the button functions for both become identical.

Tronsmart includes three pairs of ear tips that most will find comfortable.

 

I was pleasantly surprised that the channel separation is very good, with no audio bleed from one channel to the other.  The drivers look to be about 10mm. Fidelity is quite good. I was able to listen to several hours of assorted music. They are not audiophile quality, but for daily use, they worked flawlessly. The earpieces are comfortable and stay in place, particularly while using the ear hooks. I even set the phone down and walked about 30 feet away with no loss in audio quality.  There is a noticeable delay when pausing audio or changing volume using the solitary button on either of the earpieces. The single button arrangement works ok for most functions, but not so much with volume. Volume cycles from the lowest to the highest making for an ear-shattering experience if you should want to turn down a particularly loud selection. It’s easier (and safer) to just use the controls on the hosting device.

I made a few calls and found reception to be stable, static-free, clear and audible, albeit slightly “tinny” as I’ve found with many BT headsets. Interestingly, phone audio is limited to only the left earpiece.

I measured battery life using mixed stereo and calls to about 3.5 hours, not bad for such small batteries, but not enough to use during a whole, untethered workday.

Overall, I liked the Tronsmart S5 headset and would recommend them for anyone wanting tiny, comfortable, wireless headphones. While not the best battery life, performance, and value should please most casual users.  My daughter has already claimed them to put in her school backpack.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $39.99
Manufacturer: Tronsmart
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Good audio quality
  • Inexpensive
  • Comfortable
  • Tiny and light weight
Cons:
  • Relatively short battery life

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Tronsmart Encore S5 Bluetooth True Wireless Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Prynt Pocket iPhone photo printer and camera grip review

If you own a smartphone, I am willing to bet that you have more than a few images on your phone. Except for a Canon 70D DSLR that I use to take most of my product review shots, I use my iPhone 7 Plus to take all my personal shots. 90% of those images stay on the phone and don’t get shared which is kind of sad. Remember the Polaroid cameras from decades ago that had a built-in printer that printed and spit out the picture as soon as you snapped them? The Prynt Pocket iPhone photo printer reminds me of a smaller version of that product. 

What is it?

The Prynt Pocket is a photo printer and camera grip made especially for the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5.

What’s in the box?

Prynt Pocket grip/printer
Zink paper pack with 10 sheets
MicroUSB cable
Quick start guide

Design and features

The Prynt Pocket is a more compact version of the Prynt Case which Elizabeth reviewed earlier this year. It is available in several colors including the black version that was sent to me. It’s made of plastic with a textured grippy covering.

One side of the Prynt Pocket has a molded grip with a lanyard loop on the edge.

The bottom of the Prynt Pocket has the slot where the printed image comes out, a micro USB charging port and a charging status LED.

The top of the Prynt has an expandable slot with a lightning connector that can accommodate different sized iPhones.

Depending on the iPhone model, it may or may not be able to fit in the Prynt slot with a case. My iPhone 7 Plus would only fit with a very thin case like the Totallee thin leather case. Other cases I tried made the phone too wide for the slot.

The Prynt Pocket doesn’t use ink to print pictures, it uses special Zink thermal printer paper. It’s exactly the same type of sticker paper used with the Polaroid Zip printer. At least I thought it was the same.

The Zink paper comes in packs of 10 sheets. The pack with the special blue top sheet loads into the Prynt paper cartridge.

The Prynt Pocket comes with one pack of 10 sheets. I was also sent a box of 40 sheets with my review sample. Instead of opening the extra box after I had used the first 10 sheets, I pulled out an old package of Zink paper that I use with my Polaroid Zip printer. Although the paper looks and feels identical, right down to the blue top sheet which is used to tell the printer the type of paper, the old pack wouldn’t load into the Prynt Pocket. It was very slightly too wide. Grrrrr…

After you have the right paper loaded into the cartridge, the cartridge slides into the slot on the top of the Prynt Pocket.

Unfortunately, that’s as far as the cartridge can be inserted. A little less than half of it remains sticking out of the Prynt. This isn’t a huge problem if all you plan to do with the Prynt Pocket is print pictures that you’ve already snapped. But if you want to use the Prynt Pocket as a camera grip, it makes the whole setup feel pretty awkward.

Even if the cartridge wasn’t sticking out the top of the module, the grip is still awkward to hold and use. The shutter button is too close to the edge of the grip and needs to be more centered.

Let’s print some pictures

To print pictures with the Prynt Pocket, you will need to install the iOS Prynt app on your iPhone. You’ll also need to create an account to use the printer which is annoying.

 



But once the app is installed, you’ve created an account and are logged in, the rest is pretty easy. You can choose to print images in your existing library or take a new image.


The app has some basic photo editing capabilities including cropping, enhancing, and even adding some text.


Another fun feature is the ability to record a video that will play when you view the image through the Prynt app. Think of it like live images or Harry Potter style images.

After you’ve chosen a picture to print, you just press the print button and in a few seconds, you’ll have your printed picture.

The image comes out of the Prynt completely dry since actual ink isn’t used.

The quality of the images is about the same as other Zink printers that I’ve used. The colors are a bit washed out with a yellowish or greenish cast to them.

The best part about the images is that the paper is peel and stick. This makes it easy to stick the pictures in your journals, which has been my main use for them. Even if they aren’t the best quality prints, they are more than adequate to make me relive the memory of when I took them.

Final thoughts

At $149.99 for the Prynt Pocket and the relatively high cost (.50 cents) for each print, the Prynt Pocket isn’t very economical compared to other Zink printers like the one I mentioned earlier in the review. That said, the Prynt Pocket is fun to use and it’s really handy for people who like to journal like me. If you are shopping for a photo printer that’s plug and play and has a built in camera grip, this is the one to get.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $149.99
Manufacturer: Prynt
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • No Bluetooth pairing required
Cons:
  • Can't use other versions of Zink paper with this printer
  • Grip is awkward
  • Expensive

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Prynt Pocket iPhone photo printer and camera grip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 11, 2017 at 12:44 pm.

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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

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

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Rejoice, dominoes have evolved

When was the last time that you played a rousing game of dominoes? I’ll admit that it’s been a few years for me, but if I had a set of Edge Dominoes from Fire Road, I’d want to play a game every day because they look so cool.

The Edge Domino tiles or bones as they are called, are made of light weight black anodized aluminum and feature a unique open skeleton design where the spots or pips have been engraved by lasers.

You can purchase a set of Edge Dominoes that store in a cloth bag for $99, or for $25 more, you can get them in a nice wooden box. For more info and to order, visit Fire Road.

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Rejoice, dominoes have evolved originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 11, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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