Home 2017

Luke, I am your toaster


We showed you a Star Wars inspired toaster about seven years ago that burned the image of Darth Vader into the piece of toast. Cool yes, but not as cool as this toaster which is actually shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet!

The Darth Vader Toaster from Pangea Brands is a two slice toaster that is an officially licensed Star Wars product.

In addition to looking cool on its own, it makes your toast look cool too by burning the Star War’s logo into it.

The toaster is made of black plastic in the shape of Darth Vader’s iconic helmet and features a removable crumb tray, an adjustable thermostat, and a quick stop button to pop up the toast.

If you like your toast on the dark side (see what I did there?), grab yourself a Darth Vader Toaster for $39.99 from Amazon where they also sell Death Star and Stormtrooper toasters too.

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Luke, I am your toaster originally appeared on on June 9, 2017 at 9:03 am.

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weBoost Drive 4G-X mobile cellphone signal booste review


If you live or commute in an area where cellphone signals are weak, the weBoost Drive 4G-X mobile cellphone signal booster may be the device you’ve been wishing for. At $479.99 it’s definitely a big purchase, but this booster provides a significant increase to any existing signal and it’s a breeze to install.

The weBoost Drive comes in a sturdy box and the unit is set in a tray above the included accessories.

In the box

  • weBoost Drive 4G-X
  • Mounting Cradle
  • Vehicle Power Supply
  • Velcro-mount SMA Interior Antenna
  • 4″ Magnetic-mount SMA Exterior Antenna
  • Quick Start Guide

The unit itself has nice clean, stealthy lines, a textured aluminum black surface and has a certain “this is expensive tech” heft to it.

Out of the box, the Drive comes attached to its vehicle mounting cradle.

The Drive snaps easily in and out of the cradle and there are several different screw holes on the cradle for mounting it a number of different ways.

The cradle itself is made of strong, flexible black plastic.

On the top of the weBoost Drive, right under the device name is a single indicator light.

If the unit is receiving power and functioning properly the light will be solid green. If the light is blinking red and then solid green, the Drive has shut off some frequencies to prevent feedback. According to the manual, this is a safety feature to prevent harmful interference with a nearby cell towers. If the indicator light is solid red, then the Drive has shut off all frequencies to prevent feedback. In my testing, I never experienced any indicator except for solid green.

On the underside of the weBoost Drive is a warning to register the device with your cell phone provider. I found the links to register in the online manual:

The weBoost Drive has antenna inputs on both sides of the unit. The inside velcro-mounted SMA antenna connects on the top and the outside magnet-mounted SMA antenna connects on the bottom. The power connection is next to the outside antenna connector.

Power is supplied via your car’s cigarette lighter or 12V DC power port. The weBoost’s power connector has a convenient on/off switch indicating with a red light if the unit is powered on.

The exterior 4″ magnet-mount antenna is very sturdy and stays securely in place once mounted properly in the center of your car’s rooftop. I found in my testing that placement of the exterior antenna is vital to getting the unit to function properly.

According to the instructions, the exterior antenna should be mounted near the center of the vehicle’s roof, at least 12 inches from any other antennas, free of obstructions, at least six inches from any windows (including sunroofs) and at least eight inches from any people.

Both antennas come with 12.5 feet of cable for discreetly wiring the mounts.

Finding proper placement for the interior antenna took a bit of work. I finally settled on a spot on the side of the dashboard and just to the right of where my cellphone holder is mounted. The antenna mounts via double-sided tape attached to a velcro strip. The suggested positioning for the interior antenna is “at least 18 inches but no more than 36 inches from where the cellular device will be used”. The interior antenna should also be mounted at the same angle as the cell phone when held in use to “maximize signal strength.”

The Drive is small enough to be mounted under your dash or a seat. The 12.5 feet of antenna cables are more than enough to install both antennas without unsightly dangling wires. I would prefer the option to hardwire the unit to my car’s battery, but that can be remedied easily with some third-party products and a little ingenuity.

The weBoost Drive works by receiving a cellphone signal, amplifying it, and then serving as 
a relay between your phone and the 
nearest cell tower. I tested the Drive 4G-X with my Nexus 5X on Google’s Project Fi 4G LTE network.

In my testing, the Drive provided an impressive average boost of 20-30dBm to existing signals. It is important to note though that in areas where there is no signal at all, the Drive will not be any help. The unit can boost existing signals, but cannot create signals where none exist.

The weBoost Drive 4G-X performed exceptionally well in my tests and if low cellphone signals are plaguing your commute or you drive across large distances, it’s a very good investment.

Specifications

  • Frequencies:
    Band 12/17 700 MHz
    Band 13 700 MHz
    Band 5 850 MHz
    Band 4 1700/2100 MHz
    Band 2 1900 MHz
  • Max Gain: 50 dB
  • Power: 6V DC vehicle power supply
  • Antenna Connectors: SMA-Female
  • Dimensions: 4.375 x 6.375 x 1.375 in
  • Weight: 1.16 lbs

Source: The sample for this review was provided by RepeaterStore. Please visit their website for more info.

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weBoost Drive 4G-X mobile cellphone signal booste review originally appeared on on June 9, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Firebiner is a carabiner that can make fire


If you like multi-tasking tools, you’ll want to check out the Firebiner from Outdoor Element. The Firebiner is a stainless steel carabiner that’s available in several colors and has a titanium coating. It works like traditional carabiners to let you hook things like your keyring to your belt or bag.

The Firebiner carabiner is rated for 50 lbs, but it also has a few built-in tools that set it apart from an ordinary carabiner.

It has a couple slots that you can use to attach items, a safety blade that can be used to cut different types of cord and fishing line, a bottle opener, screwdriver tip, and a spark Wheel that can help you start a fire.

The spark wheel is made of steel which scratches against a ferro rod to create a spark. The Firebiner comes with a ferro rod already installed along with some extras.

The Firebiner is $14.95 through Outdoor Element where you can read more about it. You can also find info on The Grommet and order through Amazon.

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Firebiner is a carabiner that can make fire originally appeared on on June 9, 2017 at 7:00 am.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I caught this bird interaction with my Nest cam today


I love my Nest cameras because they record everything they see 24/7 and not just a few seconds after motion has been detected.

You never know what kind of interesting things that serurity cameras might capture. A few years ago I wrote a story about a mystery that was solved with the help of my Nest cam and today I have another video clip for you. Click through to check out the crazy bird battle that was captured with one of my Nest cameras this morning.

Fast forward to the 1:30 mark and keep watching till about the 2:00 mark and beyond.

The big bird is a pileated woodpecker, which is the largest woodpecker in North America. Unfortunately, the lighting in this video doesn’t show his bright red head. This a big bird. He’s about the size of a small crow.

The little board is an eastern phoebe. She has a nest with babies in the eaves of the roof above those posts on my front porch and she’s NOT happy that Mr. Woodpecker is there.

I was really surprised and impressed how she keeps flying at a bird so much bigger than she is. She does finally give up though. And thankfully so does the woodpecker. I’m worried about what I’m going to find when I get home tonight to inspect the posts. We’ve never had problems before with woodpeckers pecking on the house, so I hope this one doesn’t decide to stick around.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I caught this bird interaction with my Nest cam today originally appeared on on June 8, 2017 at 12:31 pm.

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ModernBagel Pokemon Pokeball fidget spinner review


If you aren’t sick of hearing about and seeing fidget spinners yet, I have a couple interesting types of spinners from ModernBagel that have been designed for Pokemon fans and fidget toy collectors. Let’s take them for a spin (sorry).

What is it?

ModernBagel fidget spinners are handmade, designed, and printed here in the US (Orlando, Florida). That’s right, they are printed using a 3D printer.

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past year and don’t know what a fidget spinner is, it’s a small spinning toy made for people who have anxiety, ADHD or just like to fiddle with something.

ModernBagel makes fidget spinners in several shapes and colors, but this review is mainly going to focus on their Pokemon Pokeball Spinners. They are actually the originator of Pokeball style spinners on Etsy.

I’m not a Pokemon aficionado, so I don’t know much about Pokeballs when it comes to the colors that come in. I thought they only came in the red, black and white style shown above but apparently, there are more because ModernBagel’s Pokemon Pokeball spinners are available in quite a few colors. They sent me three different styles, but you can find others by visiting ModernBagel’s ETSY shop (linked at the bottom of the review).

Most fidget spinner fanatics look for spinners that are high-speed and have a long spin duration. It’s important to note that while ModernBagel spinners are considered high spin, they are not long spin fidget spinners because they are constructed of PLA plastic which is lightweight when compared to spinners constructed of metal or ones that have a counter weight.

Since these spinners are made with a 3D printer, they have a homemade look and feel due to the way 3D printers print layers of material. With the Pokeball and Mickey Mouse spinners that ModernBagel sent me, I can see and feel the ridges.

How well do they spin?

The Pokeball spinners that were sent to me spin relatively smoothly, but the Mickey Mouse spinners are a little wobbly due to the fact that the spinner itself isn’t perfectly centered.

The shape and size of both spinners make it difficult (at least for me) to use my index finger to flick the edge of the spinners to set them in motion like I would with a regular 3-prong style spinner.

Final thoughts

After playing with the ModernBagel Pokemon Pokeball fidget spinners for a few days, I will say that they probably will not please someone who actually wants to play with a fidget spinner because they don’t spin as smoothly or as long as other spinners I’ve tried. That said, these spinners are unique and would make a fun addition to any fidget toy collection.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by ModernBagel. Please visit their Etsy site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $12.95 – $13.95 each
Manufacturer: ModernBagel
Retailer: Etsy
Pros:
  • Unique fidget spinner designs
  • Made in the US
Cons:
  • Homemade look and feel
  • Not long spinning

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ModernBagel Pokemon Pokeball fidget spinner review originally appeared on on June 8, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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