2017 – Page 231

ECOXGEAR EcoBoulder Bluetooth speaker review

Grace Digital must have adopted the slogan, “Go big or go home,” because the EcoBoulder Waterproof Bluetooth speaker from their ECOXGEAR speaker line is, well—B.I.G. This thing is huge—and heavy. The EcoBoulder comes with a retractable handle and wheels. From a distance, it could easily be mistaken for a small travel suitcase. It also doubles as an AM/FM radio, P.A. system and most importantly, is affordable. In fact, the EcoBoulder is one of the more wallet-friendly large Bluetooth speakers available. With all that going for it how does it sound compared to other large portable Bluetooth speakers?

Let’s get this out of the way first—I’ve reviewed a couple of larger (but not this big) Bluetooth speakers and both are more refined and richer sounding with sharper bass than the EcoBoulder. However, both the Monster Blaster and Braven BRV-XXL cost a LOT more than this monster (pun intended). And what you get for your money with the EcoBoulder is quite impressive.

The all-black shell of the EcoBoulder is hard plastic all-around. I was hoping for metal speaker grills for better protection, but those are plastic, also. Two carrying handles are rubberized for easy grip, but the less you have to carry the EcoBoulder, the better. It’s just easier to wheel it around. The top of the speaker has a non-slip rubber mat for setting a smartphone on as well as a rear slot for holding up a tablet, however, it’s too small for the larger iPad Pro. Even with all this plastic, the EcoBulder looks and feels durable for wet and dirty outdoor use.

Let’s go over some specs: The EcoBoulder is 100% waterproof and dust proof. It’s rated IP67—that means that it can be dropped into a pool or lake with no worries. And even though it weighs 27 lbs., it floats. It sports a 100-watt amplifier driving a 3” tweeter, 8” full range and 8” passive rear woofer speakers. There is 10 hours of rechargeable battery life built in and can charge a smartphone and/or tablet via two USB ports (charging devices will shorten battery life). Recharge time is about 7-8 hours.

The EcoBoulder’s 4.1 Bluetooth is rated at a max distance of 100 ft. This is a better dependable range than I ever got with the more expensive Braven XXL. Here’s something to keep in mind: I noticed that if I ran Bluetooth from my iMac, it sounded much weaker than if it was wired directly to the headphone out port. However, Bluetooth from my iPhone 7 Plus was much stronger and clearer than hard-wired using the lighting port with Apple headphone adapter. I can only guess that the iPhone’s newer Bluetooth is more compatible with the EcoBoulder than my older iMac is. If you plan to use the EcoBoulder for outdoor parties, Bluetooth should work great. Note that there is a built-in water-sealed compartment complete with extra AUX input and USB charging output than can hold and protect any connected smartphone. Not only is the speaker waterproof, but now your phone can be too.

The other side of the EcoBoulder houses two separate water-sealed areas for the main power port and AUX/USB/Mic ports. Note that all sealed doors must be closed to keep the waterproof rating.

The AM/FM radio is a nice addition. Even though sound quality from radio doesn’t approach wired or Bluetooth, it’s handy to have for any sports, talk radio or other programming without using a smartphone’s battery. There’s also six digital presets for easy station switching.

Those radio presets—along with the rest of the EcoBoulder’s top buttons are backlit. That’s a good thing because it’s handy in the dark, plus there are a lot of buttons on this speaker: AM/FM switch, forward/reverse station search, backlit on/off, master volume toggle switch, source (Bluetooth, radio, AUX1, AUX2), Bluetooth pairing, master on/off, source pause/play and skip, and finally, a stereo button for pairing to a second EcoBoulder for true stereo Bluetooth (ECOXGEAR calls it EcoConnect).

Speaking of pairing for stereo Bluetooth—you can buy two EcoBoulder speakers for about the same price as one Braven XXL or Monster Blaster speaker. (Cosco price) That’s a lot of stereo boom for just a few bucks.

As I said earlier, the EcoBoulder resembles a small suitcase. Its wheels and retractable handle make it easy to take just about anywhere you want, especially since it’s heavy to carry.

Because the EcoBulder is designed for outdoor use, audio quality isn’t as good as some more expensive Bluetooth speakers. But let’s be fair: The EcoBoulder sounds absolutely fine for its purpose. What it lacks in sound quality, it makes up for in volume—perfect for outdoor parties and get-togethers. Understand that any audio nuances are lost in the open outdoors anyway, so why quibble about it? What you want is for everyone to be able to hear the music and that’s where the EcoBoulder’s 100 watts of audio power shines.

While 100 watts of volume will carry over a long distance, bass will suffer. Up close, the EcoBoulder has plenty of thump, but walk a few yards away and bass drops off significantly. That’s not the speaker’s fault—it’s physics. Lower frequencies need things to bounce off of to achieve that “bass” sound. When outdoors, audio has nothing to reflect its sound waves, so it just keeps going and going until it dies out.

With the EcoBoulder, ECOXGEAR has made a speaker perfect for its intended use. They didn’t try to fight the laws of physics with expensive gear or digital trickery that can compromise audio in a bad way. They just made a durable speaker that sounds good and loud for whatever excuse you can come up with to play music outdoors.

Think about it: here’s a good sounding speaker that’s weatherproof, will keep your Spotify enabled smartphone dry and charge it at the same time so the party can go on just about forever. Why try to do more?

Source: The sample for this review was provided by ECOXGEAR. It sells for $249.99. It’s available for Costco members for $179.99. Please visit their site for more information and check their Amazon store for other ECOXGEAR speakers.

Product Information

Price:	$249.99 ($179.99 at Costco)
Manufacturer:	ECOXGEAR
Retailer:	Costco
Pros:	Inexpensive (from Costco) Big and loud Has retractable handle and wheels Included AM/FM radio Waterproof
Cons:	Bass not great over distance (but sounds good close up) Plastic speaker grills Heavy Max volume can be harsh sounding

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

ECOXGEAR EcoBoulder Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on on March 21, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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The Nintendo Switch isn’t nearly as cool as this Game Boy lunchbox

You’ll be the envy of every nerd and gaming geek in the cafeteria when you come strolling in with the Game Box Lunchbox from Mustard. That’s Mustard the company who makes this bento-style lunchbox, and not the condiment. The Game Box lunchbox features a classic Nintendo Game Boy style shape and graphics that take you back to a simpler time when Mario ruled and Donkey Kong drooled.

The 5.14 x 3.96 x 7.68 inch lunch box is made of BPA-free plastic and is dishwasher and microwave safe (not including the lid).

The lid latches on top of the 3 compartment base to provide a watertight seal. And there’s even a set of plastic cutlery included.

Feed your retro cravings and buy the Mustard Bento Game Box Lunch Box for $10.38 (with free shipping) from Amazon.

Filed in categories: Home and Kitchen, News

Tagged: Food

The Nintendo Switch isn’t nearly as cool as this Game Boy lunchbox originally appeared on on March 21, 2017 at 7:15 am.

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Gadgeteer team EDC updates – Bob Patterson

Hello, friends! Welcome to Bob’s EDC update. I am always on the go for work and I am obsessive about functional design, so I’m constantly tweaking my toolsets to optimize my daily carry. Here’s the go-to list of items that find their way into my daily EDC!

(Note: I’ve included links to all the items on my list where available f you would like to check them out yourself. In some cases, an item may be an older model, so I have linked to the latest product page where appropriate.)

The Bag.

I’m obsessive about bags. I have used more messengers, briefcases, and backpacks than I care to count. My current go-to is the Timbuk2 Command Backpack. It allows me to haul a whole day’s worth of work stuff (including lunch, gym gear, etc.), and it’s ridiculously comfortable to carry for extended periods. It looks good in a business-casual workplace, and it’s great for one-bag work travel for a short trip. I do have some issues with the accessibility and pocket design, but I have yet to beat it for day-to-day flexibility and capacity.

Having said that… we’re moving to an “open space” office design at work, and I’ll need to adapt to a more flexible, mobile office solution. I’m thinking that a bigger messenger bag may meet my needs, and I’m researching solutions at this time (I don’t mind taking suggestions!).

The Laptop.

I work in digital marketing, so testing things across multiple devices is a key part of my job. I have a Thinkpad, but I much prefer my 13″ MacBook Air for daily use on the go. It’s smaller size and lighter weight is great for running about. Did you happen to notice that MacBook skin in the picture? Kinda cool, right? That’s a natural Stone Skin from Cover-Up, which I am currently evaluating for an upcoming review here on The Gadgeteer. More on that soon!

The Tablet.

I’m experimenting with switching to a tablet as a laptop replacement for day-to-day use. I have a work-issued iPad Air that I can use get 80% of my work done, but the current love of my life is the iPad Pro 12.9″. This is my personal tablet, and I have it tricked out with the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil. With this combination, I can accomplish virtually any business, personal, or creative task that I need to get done.

If you’re wondering about the illustration on the iPad in the photo, that’s one of mine. I draw for fun, and to keep my creative muscles in working order. That piece was done in Sketchbook Pro, but I’m currently digging Proceate as my go-to drawing package. Its integration with the Apple Pencil is amazing.

The Phone.

I’m an iPhone guy from the first generation, and I currently have the iPhone 6S. It’s got all the function and ease-of-use I need at this point, and I don’t see the need to upgrade any time soon. My phone case is also a Cover-Up product, called the Stone Explorer. It’s also a natural stone material like the MacBook skin. I’ll be posting pictures of this along with a detailed review with my evaluation of the MacBook Stone Skin soon!

The Headphones.

My headphones are the Yurbuds Signature Series Sport Earphones. I hit the gym almost every day and these buds are great for their durability, comfort, and water resistance. Sound quality is not exceptional, but more than good enough for playing tunes & drowning out background noise. The microphone is pretty good for personal and conference calls, with minimal background interference. The wire-wrapped chords minimize tangles, which is an added plus.

The Wallet.

Last year I picked up a Harvey’s Seat Belt Wallet. I’m a fan. Not only is it a cool eco-friendly solution, but it’s indestructible and really well designed to carry all of your cards & cash without getting overly bulky.

The Coffee Gear.

Life without coffee is unthinkable. I’ve been using an Aerobie Aeropress Coffee Maker for years. As long as you have access to hot water, it makes the best brewing solution out there in a simple, portable package. I also use stainless steel mesh filters instead of paper filters (yes, it does make a difference in flavor!). There is an endless variety of these filters available through Amazon, but these are the ones I currently use.

I grind my own beans fresh every morning and keep in a classic Ball jar for transport. You can’t beat Ball jars. They keep a tight seal, they’re compact, and they are virtually unbreakable.

The Beverage Mug.

The Force is strong with is my Tervis mug. I love that you can go from hot-to-cold in this double-walled beastie, it is easy to clean, and really tough. They also sell a variety of add-ons for lids and accessories. The only downside to this mug is that the lid is not completely sealable, so you do have to be careful about transport. I’ll probably need to switch to a watertight option if I switch to a messenger bag, but I’m a Star Wars guy. I’m kind of attached to my Stormtrooper mug at the moment.

Accessory Pouches.

I love Tom Bihn products and have owned a number of their bags over the years. Tom Bihn is legendary for the design and build quality of their bags and accessories, all made in Seattle. Pictured here are a set of their accessory pouches that I use to corral all the loose stuff in my bag. There’s a standard pouch (the blue one), a padded pouch that’s great for delicate items (the black one), and a cool little pouch that uses a cork material that I have never seen anywhere else. Every pouch also comes with a built-in clip, which allows me to keep them attached to a ring for easy access when dumped into the bottom of my pack. Check out the Tom Bihn web site for all of their products.

The Ukulele.

I’m an avid ukulele player, and I own several of them. I wouldn’t call myself good, but I compensate for a lack of skill with a ton of enthusiasm. I’ll confess that I normally don’t carry my ukulele… but it felt right to sneak one into the picture.

That’s the rundown, my friends! If you have any specific questions or comments about my daily EDC, let me know!

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged: EDC, gadgeteer

Gadgeteer team EDC updates – Bob Patterson originally appeared on on March 20, 2017 at 3:25 pm.

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ThinkGeek has the perfect bag for your next Comic-con

Last week Bob told us about a bag from ThinkGeek called The Bag of Holding. Today I want to tell you about another Bag of Holding from ThinkGeek. This time it’s a bag that’s been designed especially to survive a convention. The Con-Survival Edition of the Bag of Holding has several cool features that will help you enjoy your next Comic-Con.

The polyester bag has an adjustable shoulder strap and a grab handle and it has a large area where you can stick patches. Bonus: visit a ThinkGeek booth with the bag and they’ll give you a con-specific patch!

The Con-Survival Edition of the Bag of Holding also has a zippered see-through tablet holder that opens with a handsfree hinge so you can use the tablet without holding on to it.

The bag also features a water bottle holder one one side and a poster holder on the opposite side.

Thanks to Joe Porletto who told me about this bag. He ordered one for his next convention after just attending Pax East. I told them that I’ve never attended a Comic Con and have been thinking about going to the one in Indy a few weeks from now. He convinced me that I should definitely go.

The The Con-Survival Edition bag is priced at $34.99. Visit ThinkGeek to order one.

Filed in categories: Bags, News

Tagged: Comics

ThinkGeek has the perfect bag for your next Comic-con originally appeared on on March 20, 2017 at 12:10 pm.

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ADATA AI910 Card Reader Plus review

I have a lot of devices. There, I said it. Each has a purpose, but all share one common need for data, whether that is supplying it in the form of pictures (my Nikon S220 camera) or consuming it as video (my iPad and Android tablet). The problem is that each has a different connector and a different way of getting data on or off the device. This has required a variety of solutions to move data directly without using a single device as a central hub (like my MacBook Pro or my Surface Pro). That is until I was introduced to the ADATA AI910 card reader. The packaging says that it works with iOS, Android, and Windows. Conspicuously absent from that list is macOS. Let’s see whether this reader lives up to the claim.

The device

The reader can handle both standard SD cards as well as microSD. That should cover most device needs. Note, though, that the reader cannot simultaneously access both types – if you insert both an SD card along with a microSD, the default for the device is to use the SD card. The same rule applies to external connections. If you try to connect the reader to multiple devices (say, your Windows laptop and your iPad), the reader will default to the Lightning connector and ignore any other connections. That behavior is expected, so nothing unusual there. Just interesting to note in that you can’t use this device as a pass-through data transfer unit.

Somewhere between the 2 card slots, there is a blue LED that lets you know the device is being accessed. If you have an SD card in the slot and that card is facing up, then the device oddly is upside down – that is, the logo is now down, which in turn makes the light less visible. The next picture illustrates this – the device itself is what I would consider to be “top side up” and as you can see, the SD card label is facing down. This would allow you to see the LED flashing, though. Just seems a little like an odd orientation.

Looking at the front of the device, the Lightning connector is hard-wired into the top. There is a micro USB port on the left side, and a supplied cable plugs into either a standard USB type A connector or another micro USB port. It is kind of ingenious how they have built the device end of this cable – instead of 2 device cables, the top of the USB type A lifts to reveal the micro USB plug.

My only concern with this is simply that cables get lost, and small, essential cables even more so. I searched the Internet briefly and could not find a USB micro to micro cable, so hopefully, if you lose this ADATA will sell you another – otherwise, you would lose the ability to connect the reader to any micro USB host (like most Android phones or tablets). Also, ADATA does not appear to have a USB type C solution. At the moment, that is not as big a problem as it would seem – it affects only a smallish segment of users like late model MacBook and MacBook Pro users or Google Nexus/Pixel owners. Still, something to keep in mind if you own a device with the latest USB type C connector.

Windows

To test the card reader, I used an ADATA supplied and branded 32GB Class 10 SD card. According to the label on the card, this should be capable of 95 MB/s reads and 45 MB/s writes. Of course, the ability to achieve those speeds is not always within reach as a lot will depend on the type of port you will plug in to, the number of other devices competing for bandwidth on that channel and on. For this test, I plugged the card into an Amazon Basics USB 3 10 port hub with 6 other devices simultaneously connected, ranging from a Logitech web cam to a Dymo LabelWriter. The hub was connected to a Microsoft Surface Dock which in turn was connected to a Surface Pro 4 via the proprietary (and also under the hood, USB) connector. The card was formatted as FAT32 and not exFAT just because I really wanted to cripple this test.

All of that to say this setup should bring the card reader to its knees in terms of read and write speeds. I used the free SpeedOut utility to benchmark. I was surprised by the results – approximately 31 MB/s reading and 26 MB/s writing. Not stunning performance, but honestly better than expected given the circumstances. The following is the average of 6 tests – once I managed to get reads up to 46 MB/s, but for the most part this is what I saw.

The verdict? It should be fast enough for all but the most demanding of people – like, perhaps, professional photographers who are pushing 256GB worth of images at a time. The device shows up as a standard external drive in Windows 10 – no special drivers to load. Checkmark in the Windows column.

macOS

The packaging does not specifically name macOS as a supported operating system, but I didn’t see any reason why this would not work. Using my MacBook Pro (early 2015 running Sierra), I plugged the device directly into the laptop, and within a second or so, the card mounted and was visible. I did not benchmark on macOS, but the card reader felt snappy and responsive. I copied a 2.5GB 1080p MKV video of The Hunt for Red October from a network share to the SD card in a little under 3 minutes. Not bad at all, and a checkmark in the macOS column (the virtual one since ADATA did not say it would work).

Remember, though: my MacBook Pro is not the 2016 model. I have USB type A ports where the newer model has only type C.

Android

Next, I plugged the card into my Nikon camera and took about 20 pictures of my dogs. What can I say – Steve and Edie are cute.

My Nikon S220 does not have built-in wifi or pretty much any native way to get images from the camera to the cloud. Long ago I lost the special data cable (see what I mean about external cables?), so every time I want to get images from the camera to Google Photos, for example, I use the tried and true “sneaker-net” – remove the card and follow a set of steps with my laptop to get the images into the cloud. This meant I would have to wait until I got back to my laptop and that I had Internet connectivity.

I removed the card from the camera, plugged it into the ADATA reader and then using the extended data cable I plugged the reader into my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The device was recognized as an OTG (or On The Go) device type and in a couple of seconds, the card was mounted as external storage on the phone without the need for any special drivers or applications. I opened Google Photos, and within another second or so, my images were on the way to the cloud directly from the reader. Nice. I also copied a video from my phone’s storage to the card.

Checkmark in the Android column.

iOS

Things are a little different in the iOS world, but not overly cumbersome. In order for the reader to work on an iPhone, iPod or iPad, you must first load ADATA’s special reader application called i-Memory. No, I don’t know why it is called that, either. Regardless, a quick download and install from the app store and iOS was ready for the reader.

After plugging the reader into my iPad Air 2 via the Lightning connector and running the i-Memory app, the card mounted as external storage. The app gives you the option of backing up your camera roll to storage or copying items to the tablet’s internal storage. Instead of doing either, I opened the video player app and played the video I copied from my network under Windows. It was apparent the player buffered the video by the delay starting it, but once playing it was smooth and glitch-free.

Checkmark in the iOS column.

Final Thoughts

The ADATA Card Reader Plus is a solid performer that works well with every platform it says it will and with one it doesn’t even mention. At $49.95 retail, it is a little more expensive than other options, but then most of those options do not offer the cross-platform capabilities this reader does. Other than the possible loss of the external data connection cable, there no real downsides to this device. And if you have a need to transfer files between a variety of devices, the AI910 is a great choice.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by ADATA. For more info visit their site and Amazon to price check.

Product Information

Price:	$49.95
Manufacturer:	ADATA
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Solid performer Compact size Reads the 2 most common card types Works with macOS even though it is not specifically named
Cons:	Connector cable for Windows and Android easy to lose

Filed in categories: Android, iOS, Reviews

Tagged: Memory Card Reader

ADATA AI910 Card Reader Plus review originally appeared on on March 20, 2017 at 10:08 am.

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