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Deal: Groupon saves money on movies from Redbox

I love watching movies at home, but I recently switched internet providers and as a result, I have to be careful how much data I use. That means that I can’t binge stream movies from Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon anymore. Yes, it’s sad by true… So it looks like I’ll be dusting off my DVD player if I want to watch movies that are newer than the ones that come on HBO (is it me, or does HBO suck when it comes to showing new movies?). This deal from Redbox comes at the perfect time for me and anyone else that would like to save a few bucks renting movies.

I’ve never used Redbox before, but I see their red box kiosks all over the place, from outside gas stations, to inside the lobby of Walmart. You can rent a movie for $1.50 per night ($2/night for Blueray discs). They also offer video games as well.

Today’s deal offers is up to 40% off Redbox eGift cards from Groupon and includes:

$10 Redbox eGift Card for $6.50.
$20 Redbox eGift Card for $12.

eGift Cards can be used to make reservations at Redbox.com (online only) to rent DVD and Blu-ray movies and can be used to cover multiple nights of a rental. Note that the eGift cards are for movies only and can’t be used to rent game rentals or streaming.

Head over to Groupon for more info.

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Deal: Groupon saves money on movies from Redbox originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2017 at 4:26 pm.

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Orico DUK-10 10-port USB charging stand review

Everyone has devices of some sort today. Whether it’s the shipping crew in your warehouse or the executive team meeting in the boardroom, they all have phones, tablets, and wireless earbuds that frequently need a power bump during the day. Students hover around outlets between classes and in the cafeteria. I was at a baseball game a few weeks back, and a young lady spent the better part of 3 innings sitting on the floor between the restrooms, with her phone plugged into an outlet. I have worked with several companies over the past few years, and have seen this need only increase. A few places I hang out in provide power and USB outlets in public areas. Coffee shops and airports are the first things that spring to mind. One large Fruit company I worked with had places for all company-owned devices to charge, but it was little more than a bunch of power adapters plugged into multi-port outlets. These days, however, there are better options. One such is from a company called Orico. It comes in the form of a ten-device box called the Orico DUK-10, with uniform slots for power cables, and spacious cradles for devices to rest in.

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

The Orico DUK-10 is a box in white, 9.125″x 4.75″x 3″ overall, with a contrasting grey-colored array of slots atop, where you can rest the devices that are charging. It also comes in solid black. In your coffee shop, conference room, classroom, break area, or geek cave, it allows users to all share a single wall outlet, and charge their devices with 2.4A to each port. The cradle spaces are .637″ wide, and have a depth of 1″. You can use any length of USB charging cable, but longer than 6″ will ensure you don’t have arguments over which device takes the center slots. A standard 4.5′ power cord with an on-off switch powers the entire unit. The DUK-10 was shipped with a 110W US cable but is labeled as taking 100-240 W input, so it appears world-ready. I was unable to test this currently. (If anyone wants to fund a quick trip abroad, I’ll happily bring back results!)

While our household has shrunk to two people now, we still have over a half-dozen things needing charging at once. A lot of these, of course, are mine (Apple Watch, 2 iPads, Bluetooth keyboard, wireless earbuds (one set for each iOS device) and an iPhone are charged at least weekly, if not daily), but my Lovely Bride has an iPad mini and an iPhone, and sometimes a work iPhone that needs power as well. Currently, we are able to each do this at our desks or bedside tables, but in some households I’ve been in, the family electronics are in the kitchen or den, fighting over the one or two plugs that were not powering the Vitamix and the toaster oven. The Orico DUK-10 would fit easily into this scenario.

The DUK-10 has vents on either side, as well as a grille for air flow up through the bottom, and is set off the surface by small nubs with rubber pads to allow convection cooling. There is no fan to assist cooling or add noise to your environment.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $99.99
Manufacturer: Orico
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Wall outlet for power
  • USB A-device cables for anything needing charging
Pros:
  • Protected circuitry for independent charging to each port.
  • Compact design lets it fit into most areas, but can hold very large/awkward devices.
  • On/Off switch shuts down entire unit easily.
  • World Ready – only needs a power cord.
Cons:
  • No device cables included.
  • No FCC rating printed on unit.

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Orico DUK-10 10-port USB charging stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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5 gadgets that will make your summer sizzle

The dog days of summer are upon us. That means if you’re a kid, it’s time to get outdoors and have some fun before the summer ends and it’s time to go back to school and if you’re an adult, it’s time to relax and act like a kid. Here are 5 gadgets that can help make the rest of your summer one to remember.

1. BBQ Dragon Chimney of Insanity charcoal starter – Summer is for outdoors and there’s nothing better than a juicy burger or hotdog hot off the grill. The BBQ Dragon Chimney of Insanity is a charcoal starter that will help get those coals glowing bright red so you can be flipping burgers as fast as possible.
Price: $29.95 from Amazon.

2. Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite – If your idea of a great summer is heading out to the woods for an epic camping trip, then don’t forget to pack the Off Grid Survival Axe Elite. This outdoor multi-tool puts a hatchet, a hammer, a saw blade, hex wrenches and more in the palm of your hand. It will also come in really handy in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
Price: $79.25 from Amazon.

3. DynaTrap DT2000XL Insect Trap – Enjoying the outdoors is all fun and games until the blood sucking vampires of the air (aka mosquitoes) come out to play. Nothing makes me want to run back inside faster than hearing that high pitched whine of a mosquito flying around my head. These insects are not only annoying, but they are a health concern. So trap them with the DynaTrap which can cover a 1 acre area.
Price: $134.99 from Amazon.

4. Parrot Swing drone – If just being outdoors doesn’t sound exciting to you, you need an activity to keep you interested. How about flying a drone like the uniquely designed Parrot Swing? As far as drones go, this one is really easy to fly. Even tricks like loops are easy to do with this drone, which is controlled either through your phone or through the included handheld controller. Just don’t rely on the built in camera, because it’s pretty crappy.
Price: Less than $100-$125 from Amazon.

5. JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker – Take your pool parties up a notch by blasting Despacito for up to 12 hours while you’re splashing around. You won’t even have to worry about this speaker getting wet because it’s waterproof.
Price: $89.95 from Amazon.

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5 gadgets that will make your summer sizzle originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2017 at 11:08 am.

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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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ClimateCase will keep your phone cool or warm, you choose

Whether or not you believe in global warming, you have to agree that this is one of the warmest years so far for this planet. It was in the upper 90’s here in Southern Indiana yesterday. Ugh. I stayed indoors in the air conditioning and so did my phone. But for people that have to be outside in the extreme heat or cold, how do you keep your phone from overheating or freezing?

The ClimateCase is a potential solution. It’s a universal smartphone case that is made of impact resistant Neoprene and has multi-layers to protect against extreme heat and cold.

The idea is that you keep the case in the refrigerator when you plan to use it to protect against heat and you place it in the microwave for a few seconds when you want to prepare it to project your device from the cold.

When it comes time to use the ClimateCase, you just insert the device, seal the top and you’re ready to go. Check out this video which shows how it’s used.

The ClimateCase is available in several colors and has an sells through the ClimateCase site for $34.95 and through Amazon.

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ClimateCase will keep your phone cool or warm, you choose originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 23, 2017 at 3:21 pm.

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