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iOS Hacks: Put your icons where you want them… sorta

Regular readers of The Gadgeteer know that there is an ongoing – umm – discussion among the writers and regular commenters here about the two most popular mobile operating systems – Android and iOS – and which has the better feature set. I’m not here to stoke those fires or to say if the feature I’m showing is even worthwhile. I’m just here to make this community aware of a workaround available to mitigate one feature missing from iOS that seems to be high on the list of items Android users prize. What “feature” is this? Being able to place an icon anywhere you want on a screen, rather than being limited to the top-left-to-bottom-right regimentation of the iOS icon arrangement grid. How is this magic accomplished? As it turns out, it’s not really alchemy, and requires no slaughter of any animals or visiting graveyards at midnight. It does require that you set your background to a solid black, however. My friend, Manton Reece, recently featured a blog post pointing to the process below. He uses it to bring the entire set of apps on his home screen down a row, but you can put gaps anywhere.

David Smith has created all the pieces you need at his blog. Basically, you just set the background to black and put in black icons with no name everywhere you want to have a gap. So, there really is something in that gap, but, since it’s the same color as the background, has no display name, and does nothing if you click on it, it’s essentially a blank spot on your SpringBoard. But your eyes don’t see it.

Alto Original and Anello iPhone X cases and neck strap review


The release of the iPhone X was exciting, but I had to convince myself it was worth it due to the hefty price tag. The larger display, yet smaller design topped with wireless charging ended up selling it for me. Now that I’ve got a mortgage payment in my pocket, I had to get a case right away. Luckily for me, Alto was on top of things and their Original leather case, Anello leather case, and optional neck strap arrived a day before the iPhone X was released.


Both cases are similar in design; a hard shell wrapped in aniline leather on the outside, and a soft microfiber lining on the inside. A few tweaks on the outside are what set the two apart.

The Original leather case is simple, which I really like. The green color is vivid, yet muted, and I’ve received quite a few compliments on the case. It snapped on super easy, yet is surprisingly resistant to being removed. It is thick enough to be protective, but still quite lightweight. Even in this case, my phone can fit within the old case of my iPhone 7 Plus. The camera cutout does not interfere with the flash, and has been evenly cut to be slightly wider than the cameras themselves.

Because I am paranoid about breaking my screen, having a lip on the front of the case is very important to me. I am happy to say that both the Original leather case and the Anello leather case have an ample front lip, enough that my glass screen protector is just under the lip height.


The biggest difference between the Original and Anello is a metal D ring that can be used with their optional neck strap. Of course, you could put a dangling bit of jewelry, a key-chain, or anything else on it as well. It is held on by a rivet and seems very sturdy.


The Anello is also two-tone, rather than a single piece of leather. This gives a little extra color, which I really liked. Where the two colors come together, the seam is nice and even. As with the Original, the cutout for the cameras is well done and does not interfere with the flash at all.


When I saw the optional neck strap, it confused me and took a bit to realize that it could be a nifty addition to the Anello case. For day to day use, I would not use the neck strap. For a vacation, however, I can see how easy it would be to just keep the phone around your neck rather than in your hand. Then you can have easy access to take a quick picture of the scenery.


It is sewn well, with a well-made metal clasp, and seems like it would hold up well with day to day use.

I do not have a wireless charger, so I could not test if it impeded the wireless charging. I do have a small metal plate that I use to mount my phone to my car vent, and that worked perfectly inside of both cases.

Since the cases are nearly the same in base design, the last paragraphs here work to describe both cases.


The bottom is nearly completely cut out except for the edges, so there will be no problems with plugging in any Lightning cable. However, this could leave the bottom a little vulnerable to scratches. So far, mine has been well protected.

Both the volume buttons and vibrate switch are cut out, which could also lead to a few scratches on that side. I wish they’d have designed buttons into the case since there is a lot of open space on the sides/back, but some people like it this way.

Lastly, the Siri button has been cut out. While I dislike cutouts, I will say, they are well done and all the buttons are easily accessible.

Just after finishing up the above part of the review, I had a near disaster experience. As you can see, my stairs are made of cement and gravel. I tripped on the bottom stair with my phone in hand and on my way down had to drop my phone at a high rate of speed to prevent me from falling on it. The case took a bruising, but my phone stayed perfectly safe. Needless to say, I am now very satisfied with the protection of this case.

Overall, the Original leather case was my favorite of the two. I really liked the simplicity of it and how easy it was to slip into my purse. The colors of the Anello were great though, as the coral was vivid and the mild peach color offset the boldness of the coral. Some people may like the Anello case with the D ring and neck strap, but it was not my cup of tea. Both cases were very well made, seem quite protective, and really adds some elegance to the iPhone X. If you are wanting a nice leather case for your new phone, take a look at Alto’s lineup of cases.

Positives:

  • Very stylish and well made
  • Lightweight
  • Protective

Negatives:

  • D ring makes it so the case doesn’t lay flat (Anello case)

Price: Cases – $62, Neck Strap – $29
Where to buy: Alto and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Alto.

This toilet cleans itself so you can throw away your toilet brush

I don’t normally think of bathroom fixtures as gadgets, but this American Standard VorMax Plus toilet does seem a bit gadget-worthy.  This 2-piece, elongated-bowl, single-flush toilet uses 1.28 gallons per flush.  The “uniquely powerful VorMax flush hydraulics” alone cleans 2X better than conventional toilet flushes, but American Standard then added in a Lysol FreshInfuser cartridge to assist the cleaning power of each flush, resulting in a cleaner bowl with no extra work.

The toilet’s design aids in the ease of cleaning, too:

  • CleanCurve rim design eliminates hidden, hard-to-reach surfaces where dirt and buildup hide
  • EverClean surface is super smooth and easier to keep clean, even after years of use; plus, the permanent EverClean antimicrobial surface inhibits the growth of stain and odor causing bacteria on the surface
  • Maximizes the power of water with each flush with 1.75 in. dual-injection flush valves and 2-1/16 in. Trapway

The VorMax Plus toilet meets ADA standards for height, and it fits into a 12″ rough-in space.  It comes with a slow-close, quick-release seat and 2 of the Lysol FreshInfuser cartridges.  The American Standard VorMax Plus 2-piece 1.28GPF single-flush toilet is $299.00 at Home Depot.

CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand review

Now that the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are out and shipping more people are becoming interested in Qi charging. I have been using Qi charging for a while on both my iPhone 5 and 6 with a Dog&Bone case that I previously reviewed, I love the convenience. CHOETECH, a maker of cases, stands chargers, other gear and gadgets have sent me one of their new Qi Fast Wireless Charging Stands to review.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

As I mentioned from above, I have an iPhone 6 with a Qi-enabled case, so that is what I will be using to test this charger. I will also note that on the CHOETECH Amazon page the iPhone 8 and X are listed as phones that it will charge in the standard charging mode. I will test this and post my results when our iPhone X arrives. Although I don’t usually cut and paste all this type of information from a product website (I usually just post the specs and or features) I believe this information is important for an informed choice.

Wireless Convenience
Bid farewell to tangled wires and messy cables with CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charger. It is compatible with Qi-enabled device or device with a Qi-enabled cover.

Two Charge Modes
(1). Fast Charge Compatible Devices:
– Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus S7/S7 Edge/S6 Edge+/Note 5
(2). Standard Charge Compatible Device:
– Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge
– Nexus 4/Nexus 5/Nexus 6
– Nokia Lumia 920/1020/928, Lumia 950/950 XL
– HTC 8X (not UK version) / HTC Droid DNA / Rzound

Incompatible device:
Moto Droid Turbo/LG V10

Specifications:
Input: 5V/2A; 9V/1.8A (Max.)
Output: 10W (Max.)

Note:
1.The wireless charger needs to plugged into a wall outlet to work. It is a bit incompatible with original adapter that came from S8 or S8 Plus.
2.The Fast Charge feature is only compatible with Galaxy Note5 / S6 edge+,S7 and S7 Edge, S8/S8 Plus models.
3.QC 2.0 Adaptive Fast Charger is required for the fast charge wireless charging feature, please use QC 2.0 original adapter( Except adapter from S8 or S8 Plus) as its power source.
4.The protective case is normally suggested to be removed if it is too thick during charging as it will affect charging or may lead to overheating (OtterBox case must remove).
5.Some devices such as iPhone 7/7 Plus/6/6 Plus, LG G4, Note 4 require an additional wireless charging receiver (Not Included).

The CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand comes with the charging stand and a USB to Micro USB cable,

The front of the charging stand has the CHOETECH name, a ledge to rest your phone on and an indicator light to allow you to see if the stand is charging or in standby mode. The indicator light also changes color depending on the charge speed, a green light means you are charging at the standard rate and a blue light lets you know that you are fast charging

The rear of the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand has the Micro USB port at the bottom of the stand.

The sides of the stand have a little architectural style to it making it a little more interesting to look at.

The bottom of the stand has four rubberized foot pads to keep the stand from slipping, the model number and various bits of technical information.

To charge your phone all you need to do is place it on the stand as long as it is Qi capable or you have a Qi-capable cover on your phone the indicator light should change to show you are charging. Notice my phone charges at the regular rate so the light is green.

So, what is my bottom line here? I like the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand. The charging stand does exactly what it is designed to do, charge your phone using induction charging (Qi). The CHOETECH Wireless Charging Stand is sturdy to use and attractive to look at. The stand seems solid and has some weight to it. The indicator light is a nice feature letting you know that your phone is charging. Although I did not have a chance to test the fast charging feature (up to 1.4x faster than regular charge) I think this is a nice feature to have. I can only think of two shortcomings of the stand. First, it does not include a power plug or charging block to plug your USB to Micro USB cable into a power outlet. The other issue is that the indicator light does not change to show when your phone is charged, it always stays the same color (in my case green) when your phone is on the stand fully charged or not. Overall, if you are looking for a nice, fairly priced Qi charging stand, I think that the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand is well worth a look.

Positives:

  • Fast Charging capability
  • Simple but sturdy design

Negatives:

  • No charging block

Price: $21.45
Where you can buy one: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by CHOETECH.

Slow-cook your food in a cloth bag

The Wonderbag is a cloth slow cooker that cooks your food using less energy.  You simply bring your soup, stew, or other recipe’s  ingredients to a boil on your stovetop, then you transfer the pot to this insulated bag and close it up.  The insulation retains the heat and continues to cook the food.  It’s great for use at home or while traveling or picnicking.

The Wonderbag was created by Sarah Collins, a South Africa-based maker.  She wanted to find a method that would free up South African women and children from the time-consuming job of collecting firewood necessary to cook their food.  Less time hunting for wood frees children up for school and gives the women time for work or other family-strengthening efforts.  Less time working over a fire also reduces the negative health and safety risks, too.

When you buy a Wonderbag, you not only save yourself some energy, but you are helping the Wonderbag Foundation act as a “catalyst out of poverty” by giving families in need a safer, quicker, easier method of cooking.

A small Wonderbag is available from The Grommet for $39 right now.  There’s also a large Wonderbag for $49, but it’s temporarily out of stock at The Grommet.