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PrimoToys Cubetto review

Before receiving Cubetto, the thought of teaching computer programming to our young boys, ages four and six, never crossed our minds. Even though I am an engineer, I had not yet considered how to give them some basic tools that would perk their interest in STEM subjects, specifically computers.  Our kids are as efficient as any out there on an iPad to navigate to their games or YouTube Kids, but actually learning computer logic wasn’t on our list of important things for them to be learning this summer…..until this little wooden cube named Cubetto from PrimoToys arrived. 

PrimoToys has come up with a very approachable platform for children to learn basic computer coding and logic, which my kids have taken to from the moment our new little friend was freed from his cardboard box. Being Montessori approved, Cubetto is every bit an educational toy but it is sly in its teaching through the use of stories and maps, which the children learn how to follow the story using coding to move the little robot across one of six large floor maps.

What’s in the box? Included in the package is Cubetto, a little wooden robot, the control board, a bag of coding tiles and six floor maps, each with its own story and adventure.  Each story starts you off on a designated square on the map and begins to lead you around the map.  Your child’s job is to use the four different tile types to accomplish these tasks.  Within minutes of unboxing Cubetto and selecting the first adventure, our six-year-old was navigating his new little friend all over the map with ease.  Both my wife and I were astounded at how quickly he picked it up and knew what he had to do to follow the direction of the story. 

Our four-year-old is a little more abstract so he liked to try to make his own adventure, not following the exact story but was able to navigate Cubetto nonetheless. PrimoToys says this is for children ages three and up.  This may be a little advanced for a three-year-old but I can see how they could still enjoy it with a little more help from a parent.  Both of our children are now able to come up with their own adventures and design their own codes to play out their own stories when they want to go off script.

Both of our children are enrolled in a Montessori school so this method of teaching fits right in with their school activities. Both of them have already said they want to bring it to school in the fall to show their friends and teachers the new skills they learned over the summer.

Summary

Pros: Easy for kids to pick up and start playing and learning right out of the box and a great family activity that introducing coding and logic skills.  A unique toy that teaches real life skills and builds a foundation for future education in computers.

Cons: One thing that I would recommend to Primo is to add more coding tiles to the set.  We often find ourselves running out of tiles before being finished with a task and having to break up Cubetto’s journey into multiple segments because of this limitation.  It is also on the expensive side for a children’s toy but there are a few packages left on the Kickstarter page that offer some savings.

Overall this has been a fantastic toy for our children, both as a family activity and something they can do on their own. I have already recommended it to friends for their children and will also recommend this product here.  I am thrilled that our children have enjoyed it so much and are learning skills that can help them be better prepared as they continue their education.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Primo. For more info visit their site and their Kickstarter campaign to order one.

 

Product Information

Price: $225
Manufacturer: Primotoys
Retailer: Kickstarter
Pros:
  • Easy for kids to pick up and start playing and learning right out of the box and a great family activity that introducing coding and logic skills.  A unique toy that teaches real life skills and builds a foundation for future education in computers.
Cons:
  • One thing that I would recommend to Primo is to add more coding tiles to the set.  We often find ourselves running out of tiles before being finished with a task and having to break up Cubetto’s journey into multiple segments because of this limitation.  It is also on the expensive side for a children’s toy but there are a few packages left on the Kickstarter page that offer some savings.

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PrimoToys Cubetto review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 19, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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The Molekule Air Purifier breaks down indoor pollution on a molecular level

”Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe…”

To some allergy and asthma sufferers, this cute line from the Hollies classic song is a way of life. What most people take for granted can be a life-long problem for others. Pollutants, mold, pollen, viruses, and dust that we breathe is five times more concentrated indoors, where we spend 90% of our time. Air filters can trap but not eliminate it. Now, there is an indoor air purifier that kills the bad stuff we breathe—dead. Introducing Molekule, the world’s first molecular air purifier.

Molekule is backed by the EPA and 20 years of academic research & development. It breaks down and destroys harmful microscopic pollutants regardless how small, including those 1000x times smaller than what a HEPA filter can collect. In fact, there is nothing left that can build up on filters.

Pollutants are trapped indoors where they concentrate and multiply to harmful levels. Indoor pollution can contribute to a wide variety of health issues for everyone, not just asthma and allergy sufferers. Independent lab studies have shown 3.9 million E.Coli were completely eliminated in a single pass through a Molekule system. Molekule broke the E. Coli bacterium down into harmless molecules.

“Molekule disassembles and converts pollutants into harmless elements that are meant to be in the air. This is done by creating a catalytic reaction that happens when a nanoparticle-coated filter is activated by light. Pollutants are broken down into their most basic molecular components, making them safe for us to breathe,” according to a company statement.

Molekule can be connected to wifi and will become smarter over time to respond to the individual needs of a household. Using its iPhone or Android app,  the device can be controlled remotely. Alternatively, Molekule can be controlled without WIFI via its built-in touch screen display.

A limited quantity of Molekule air purifiers will be available for pre-order at a special price of $499 USD with one year of filters free. Molekule will retail for $799 US. Based on usage and the environment, the device automatically determines when filters need to be replaced. Filters will be automatically mailed to consumers for an annual rate of $99 US per year.

Visit www.molekule.com for more information.

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The Molekule Air Purifier breaks down indoor pollution on a molecular level originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 19, 2017 at 6:46 am.

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OxyLED stick-on lights review

Adding extra light where none exists can be a huge hassle and expense when wiring, and new electrical work is concerned. An easier way is to add easy to install stick up lights like the OxySense T-01 DIY Stick-On Anywhere 4-LED Touch Tap Light and the Motion Sensor Night Light from OxyLED. Let’s check them out.

What is it?

OxyLED lights are easy to install stick up lights that don’t require you to call an electrician or your friend who works construction. Anyone can install these lights including me. All you need is a place that needs some extra light and a flat surface to stick them.

OxyLED sent me two lights. One runs on regular batteries and the other one has a rechargeable battery. Let’s take a look at the OxySense T-01 first.

OxyLED OxySense T-01 DIY Stick-on Anywhere 4-LED Touch Tap Light

The OxySense T-01 DIY Stick-On Anywhere 4-LED Touch Tap Light which I’ll just call the OxySense from here on out, is a simple light that has 4 LEDs arranged in a horizontal line.

This light has a plastic 6.89 x 1.77in case which is available in a few different colors like the green that you see here.

If you flip the light over, you’ll see two 3M adhesive pads which you’ll use to mount this light on a flat clean surface.

The back slides off to reveal the battery compartment. The OxySense runs on 3 AAA batteries which are not included. There’s also no info on the OxyLED site about how long the batteries should last.

The light bar can rotate 180 degrees so you can direct the light to the right angle. Notice the two small “pegs” that protrude from the light bar on the right side. That’s the touch switch. When you touch that switch with your finger, it will toggle the light on or off.

To install the OxySense, you insert 3 AAA batteries in the battery compartment, replace the battery cover, peel the covering off the 3M stickers and then press the light to a flat surface. As you can see from the image above, I’ve mounted the light under a cabinet in my kitchen.


How bright are the LEDs? Check out the photos above. The photo on the left shows the OxySense turned off and the photo on the right shows the OxySense with the light turned on. Drastic difference? I don’t think so. Actually, the only reason you can tell that the light is on in the images above is that it was a gloomy day when I took them. If I turn on the overhead light in the kitchen and then turn on the OxySense light, you can barely tell it’s on.

This light is only good for really dark areas. It’s not going to offer much in the way of additional lighting for an area that already has medium bright lighting.

Price: $8.99 from Amazon.

OxyLED T-04 Motion Sensor Night Light

I was more interested in reviewing the T-04 Motion Sensor Night Light than the OxySense T-01 because the Motion Sensor Night Light has a rechargeable battery, multiple ways to mount it and it’s motion activated, which means you don’t have to flip a switch to turn on the light.

The bar shaped light is 15.8 x 1.5 x 0.7 inches and comes in white.

The light comes with several ways to mount it. One way to mount it is with the small magnets on the back that will let you stick the light to a flat steel surface.

There’s also a vertical plastic clip that you can attach with screws on the included adhesive strip.

There’s also a horizontal bracket that you can also mount using screws or the adhesive strips.

Another way to mount the OxyLED T-04 Motion Sensor Light is with the slide out hang tab.

You won’t need to search around for batteries to power this stick-up light because it has a built-in rechargeable battery.  To charge it, you detach the battery pack from the end of the light and then plug it into a USB port on your computer or into a USB charging adapter.

It can take up to 3hrs to fully charge the 900mAh battery pack. An LED on the front will glow red while charging and will turn off once charging has finished.

A full charge will provide up to 4 hours of light. Take into consideration that you’ll probably not turn the light on for that full time… although you can.

Most people will probably use the light’s motion switch and only light it when motion is detected like when the door to a dark closet is opened.

The switch on the end of the light has 3 settings that you can use to control the behavior of the light. Of means it won’t light at all. On means it’s always on and Auto means it will light up when it detects motion and will turn off after 20 seconds of inactivity.

A dark closet is where I decided to mount the OxyLED Motion Sensor Light using the vertical clip.

The light has 25 cool white LEDs that put out a decent amount of light. How much light?

Here’s my hall closet with the T-04 turned off.

And here it is with the light turned on.

Although it’s twice as expensive, I like the OxyLED T-04 Motion Sensor Night Light a lot more than the OxySense T-01 light. With the T-04 you don’t have to worry about feeding it batteries and it turns off and on automatically.

Price: $19.99 from Amazon.

Final thoughts

OxyLED stick up lights are easy to install and use. I recommend the T-04 Motion Sensor Night Light. But the T-01 OxySense would work fine in a dark closet as long as you don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $8.99 – $19.99
Manufacturer: Oxyled
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Both: Easy to install
  • T-01: Easy on/off with a tap
  • T-04: Multiple mounting options
  • T-04: Motion activation
  • T-04: Rechargeable battery
Cons:
  • T-01: Doesn't come with batteries
  • T-01: Isn't very bright

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OxyLED stick-on lights review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2017 at 5:21 pm.

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This backpack runs on jet fuel

Until humans evolve to have the ability to fly like Superman, we’ll continue to dream about flying like Superman. One way to fuel that dream is with this fun Jetpack Backpack from Suck UK.

The Jetpack Backpack is a regular backpack with adjustable shoulder straps and a main zippered compartment for books, your laptop, etc.

There are two side compartments that you can use to hold your space travel snacks, a tricorder, moon dust sample containers, and more.

What makes this backpack cool are the two jet fuel compartments on the back that you can use to carry your water bottle and other gear while you soar the skies.

You can read more about the Jetpack Backpack at suck.uk.com where you can order one for $50. You can also check availability from Amazon.

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This backpack runs on jet fuel originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2017 at 3:53 pm.

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GEMINI magnetic speakers, EVERGOODS backpacks, Amabrush automatic toothbrush, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

Today I’m bringing you a brand new batch of interesting crowdfunding projects. I find these campaigns through emails that have been sent to me and my own web surfing explorations. Click through to see this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

GEMINI Magnetic Speakers, Stick and Play 360° Sound Anytime

What is it?
GEMINI speakers are individual Bluetooth speakers with magnetic mounts.

Why do I like it?
I like the GEMINI speakers because magnets! The speakers can play for up to 8hrs and can recharge in about 50 minutes. I also think it’s cool that you can adjust the space between the left and right speaker to give the full stereo effect for your tunes. And for those of you who like to run or bike, they are offering specially designed mounts so you can take the GEMINI speakers with you.

Where can I find more info?
With 44 days left in the campaign, GEMINI is just getting started toward their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a set of GEMINI speakers starting at $49. After the GEMINI campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

The EVERGOODS CPL24 and MPL30 Crossover Backpacks

Blurb by Andy Jacobs

What is it?
The EVERGOODS Civic Panel Loader, 24 Liter (CPL24) and Mountain Panel Loader, 30 Liter (MPL30) are crossover backpacks that look great, have very thoughtful and useful features, and are designed and durably manufactured in the USA.

Why do I like it?
I’m a big fan of backpacks, and Jack Barley and Kevin Dee, who have extensive backgrounds in backpack and outdoor gear design and manufacturing, have teamed up to found EVERGOODS, a new gear company whose first products are the CPL24 and MPL30 crossover backpacks. What does “crossover” mean? The CPL24 is designed to excel in an urban environment but is just as useful in the outdoors. Vice-versa for the MPL30 focused for use in outdoor settings, but at home in town or city. These first two backpack designs feature clean, appealing appearances and the sheer number of well-considered, useful features in each of them is very impressive. Plus they are quality built in the USA from highly durable materials.

Where can I find more info?
The Kickstarter campaign just kicked off last week on July 11 and ends August 12, but EVERGOODS has already blown through their funding goal of $45,000 with over $120,000 in pledges and over 470 backers—and the campaign looks to be picking up steam. As of this writing, EVERGOODS has just added more “Early Bird” pledge options with good discounts (pledges starting at $199 for CPL24 and $229 for MLP30), and combo packages are also available. Estimated delivery is December 2017. Visit the Kickstarter campaign page for more details.

KEYANCHOR | World’s Smallest EDC Multi-Tool & Key Organizer

What is it?
The KEYANCHOR is a small key organizer and multi-tool that’s made of Grade5 Titanium.

Why do I like it?
I like the KEYANCHOR because it’s so small and unique. It’s a key organizer, tiny pry bar, box opener, bottle cap lifter, and more. I’m not sure how it would feel in your pocket due to the way the ring and keys are situated, but I can’t help but be intrigued.

Where can I find more info?
With 22 days left in the campaign, KEYANCHOR is still toward their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a KEYANCHOR starting at $24. After the GEMINI campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Amabrush – World’s First Automatic Toothbrush

What is it?
Amabrush is an automatic toothbrush that will brush your teeth for you in just 10 seconds.

Why do I like it?
I like Amabrush because sounds like an incredible claim for a product that can automatically and effectively brush your teeth hands-free in 10 seconds. Sounds too good to be true. But from the look of how well this campaign is doing, there are a LOT of people (over 13,000 backers so far) who think a gadget like this would be useful. Until I can try one, I’m not convinced it can really brush my teeth as well as I can do it manually, but I hope it does work as advertised and I get a chance to try one.

Where can I find more info?
With 17 days left in the campaign, Amabrush has smashed their funding goal of $57,639 by over 1 million dollars. You can pre-order an Amabrush starting at $90. After the Amabrush campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Volterman – World’s Most Powerful Smart Wallet

What is it?
Volterman is a smart wallet made of leather.

Why do I like it?
I like the Volterman wallet because it has features not seen in other so-called smart wallets. In addition to offering a built in powerbank and proximity alarms which some other wallets offer, the Volterman raises the bar by also offers wireless charging, free GPS tracking, WiFi hotspot and even a hidden thief detection camera. which snaps a picture when the wallet is opened.

Where can I find more info?
With 15 days left in the campaign, Volterman has already reached their funding goal of $45,000. You can pre-order a Volterman starting at $139. After the Volterman campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

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GEMINI magnetic speakers, EVERGOODS backpacks, Amabrush automatic toothbrush, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2017 at 9:56 am.

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