ARTICLE – It’s hard to believe, but in just a few hours, 2018 will be over. At this time every year, I like to post an article that lists the most popular posts of the last year. It’s always fun to look back and see what content everyone was interested in. Let’s see if there are any surprises this year.
We start off with an 8-year-old review of a battery charger. I used this charger for years after I reviewed it because I liked the big LED indicator that would let me know when the batteries were fully charged. I ended up switching over to Eneloop batteries a couple years ago though.
This action camera review was last year’s #4 most read review on The Gadgeteer, so it’s dropped 7 spots. Considering the review is 4 years old, it surprises me that it’s still on the list after this length of time.
This one is a surprise. It’s a news post that Janet wrote just a few days ago. It’s always interesting to see what types of posts go “viral” compared to other posts. I wonder if it’s the image of the product that causes people to want to read more about it or the title. Either way, I have this fan on my wish list when we remodel our kitchen.
Here’s another action camera and it’s the first time this review has shown up on a yearly top posts list. He had mixed feelings about this inexpensive camera that doesn’t even appear to be available for purchase any longer. Although there are other Campark models on Amazon that are available.
I like to update my favorite gear page several times a year as I change bags, phones, computers, and other accessories that I use every day. For 2019 I plan to switch phones from the Pixel 2 XL to something new. Right now I’m leaning towards the Samsung Galaxy S10 just because it’s going to be available the soonest. I also plan to get a new gear bag as I’ve been carrying the same Timbuk2 messenger for a few years (it’s the grey and blue one shown above to the left of my elbow.
Julian wrote a news post about this OTA antenna and a bunch of people wrote angry comments complaining that it didn’t work as advertised. Basically, people don’t understand that these antennas are completely dependent on how far you’re located from where the networks are broadcasting. This prompted Janet to write a post on what to know before buying an antenna like the Skywire.
I’m continually surprised that this 5-year-old DIY article continues to show up as one of the site’s most read posts of the year. Last year it was #8 and this year it was even more popular. I actually have an idea for a new notebook cover design that I’m going to try out soon. Should I write another DIY article about it?
There’s only one wallet on this year’s top posts list and it’s a review from 2015. Funny thing is that it was also at #3 on last year’s top list. It’s definitely a popular minimalist wallet that continues to be popular.
Although Dave wasn’t all that impressed with this DIY tool, a lot of people must have bought one because this review sure does get read a lot. It was even more popular this year than last as it’s gone from the #7 spot in 2017 to the #2 spot this year.
And the #1 most read post for the second year in a row on The Gadgeteer is a review for a razor. Read 114,548 times, it sure is a popular razor! We’ll have to see if it can be unseated in 2019.
Do you have a favorite article that we posted in 2018 that was not included in this list? If so, please share it in the comment section below.
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REVIEW – Noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones are a great investment for this time of year. If you’re traveling, you’re probably needing the soothing envelope of your own sounds, whether it’s a podcast, an audiobook, music, or something calming like a neutral soundscape. Corded is fine, but if it’s wireless, so much the better. Cowin recently sent us a set of their E8 model Over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones, and I’ve been testing them. Come into my quiet place and let’s talk about them.
Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.
What is it?
The Cowin E8’s are a very nice looking, well-built set of over-the-ear headphones. They arrive in a hardshell, form-fitting protective zippered case with all the cords, cables, and adapters you can imagine.
Hardware specs
Impact-resistant materials
Corrosion-resistant stainless steel headband spring
Premium listening experience with Adaptive Noise Cancelling (ANC)
18 Month Warranty
Cushions feature advanced venting and ergonomic pivoting
Advanced mic system with HD Voice on calls
What’s in the box?
Headphones
Hard-shell travel case with net pocket for accessories
USB charge cable for battery
1/8″ – 1/4″ adapter
Proprietary audio cable to connect to AUX
Airline audio adapter
Velveteen drawstring bag for above adapters
Design and features
The Cowin E8’s are a premium-look and feel in the NC Headphone space. Leather earcups, nicely stitched headband and padding around the earcups, and a soft, springy mesh over the actual speakers inside, as well as firm, sure switches make every touch a positive experience. There is no creak, squeak, or groan when you bend and adjust the unit to your head. The wide steel band that slides into and out of the headband for adjustment is etched to give you a place to reset to, should you share them, or pack them away and the adjustment gets changed.
Like most over-the-ear headphones, the E-8’s fully cover your ears and seal against your head. This prevents much background noise from permeating your soundscape. But sometimes, say, in my office right now, there may be a machine running that is distracting. Like, say, a dehumidifier. Turning on noise-cancellation reduces this noise from a low roar to a slight whoosh. A tiny bit of background music or sounds will remove it entirely.
All controls for the Noise cancellation and the Bluetooth connection, as well as phone and playback controls, are on the right earcup. The top brass round button engages or disengages the noise-cancellation, while the power button turns the Bluetooth radio on or off with a long-press. A short press of the power button while connected will stop or start music playback, or connect/disconnect a call. At the very bottom below the buttons, there is an open microUSB charging port, and the 3/32″ proprietary audio input jack.
Performance
The headphones work well to isolate unwanted sounds from the environment without using noise cancellation technology. If there are really loud or irritating sounds, turning on noise-cancellation will produce an anti-wave to cancel it out. Plane engines, loud machinery, or other loud, repetitive noises will simply disappear.
What I Like
Nicely padded ear cups with sound-isolating properties
Comfortable band and adjustments
Nice travel case with a net pocket for cables
Easy to find and use controls
Rechargeable battery for Noise Cancelling feature
What needs to be improved
Small, non-standard AUX cable for headphones (difficult to replace)
Not stereo when using cable
Battery has short shelf-charge life
Final thoughts
I love over-the-ear headphones. Whenever I’m sitting at my Mac, I’m usually wearing a set, since others in the house are rarely in the mood for whatever sounds and music are coming from my virtual environment. The other reason I love them is the immersion you get from being fully surrounded by the soundscape of whatever you’re listening to. The E8s from Cowin are a well-made set of headphones that have a decent sound profile but are hampered by a few little electronics issues. First, they went with a cheaper 3/32” connector into the headphone for the wired connection. Why? The 1/8” jack cannot possibly be that much larger. and you know what? As a result, when operating with the noise cancellation and only the wired headphone, only the right side gets sound. How special is that?
The battery only lasts a few days when not being used or charged. Before you leave for a trip where you’re expecting to use this, make sure you have it freshly charged.
Price: $149.99 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample of this product was provided by Cowin
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NEWS – Forktula is a reusable slide on spatula for your fork that you can use to scrape the last yummy drop or crumb from your plate without actually picking it up and licking it like an animal. Made with food-grade silicone, Forktulas come in four colors and are priced at $7.50 for a pack of four.
Forktula was a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2017, and now you can have your own sauce saving fork accessory by heading over to forktula.com. They say that using a Forktula prevents you from making that annoying scraping noise when using your fork, but here’s hoping that the Forktula doesn’t replace the fork on plate scraping noise with an embarrassing squeegee “fart” noise – think windshield wipers on a semi-dry window and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
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REVIEW – A year ago, I reviewed Cozmo, the small and cheeky robot from Anki. Cozmo is a lot of fun, but he has his limitations—the main one being that the iOS or Android companion app has to be running at all times for Cozmo to work. Now, Cozmo has a bigger brother—both in size and computing power. Meet Vector.
What is it?
Vector is the latest friendly and personable robot from Anki. Both Vector and Cozmo are visually similar but Vector is slightly larger and independent of needing an app. Vector responds to (limited) voice commands and can give information (like weather), do face recognition, take color photos and even respond to petting on his back. Now, Vector has Amazon’s Alexa built in.
Note that since Vector has a personality, I will use pronouns to describe “him.” And since Alexa has a female voice, I will use the pronoun “her.”
Specs
Qualcomm 200 Snapdragon quad-core processor
Infrared laser scanner
HD camera with 120° field of view
Beamforming 4-microphone array
6-axis inertial movement unit
Hi-res color display
WiFi connection
Capacitive touch sensor
Included in the box
Vector robot
Cube
Charger
What you need
WiFi network
Compatible iOS or Android device (for set-up)
USB power adaptor (5V, 1A or greater)
Design and features
Vector comes with a lot of fun features but what’s more interesting is what Vector will be capable of doing in the future. I’ll address that later. Let’s talk about Vector’s current capabilities.
Once setup has been done on either an iOS or Android device, Vector only needs a WiFi connection to work. He usually parks himself in his charger until fully charged. Then, he will either wait there or start roaming around on his own. If he’s asleep, saying “Hey Vector” will wake him up and make him ready for instructions. Each command must be preceded by “Hey, Vector” or he will ignore you.
As I said, Vector looks like a larger Cozmo but is completely new internally. He comes with forklift-type arms and rides on a track—much like a tank. He can maneuver around almost anything and will not drive himself off a table or counter—except when he does. Even though he’s equipped with four drop sensors that can detect a table edge, Vector went right off our kitchen counter. The only thing that prevented him from hitting a hard, tile floor was our dog’s soft bed. Vector seems to be easily confused by certain table edges and will not stop in time before going off the edge. This has taught me not to let Vector wander around unsupervised. He’s not foolproof.
Vector comes with a 4-way microphone that helps detect your location when you speak. It’s amazing to watch him turn to face you when you say his name. When you ask him to “Come here,” the four mics help direct Vector to the sound source. Sometimes, he wanders a bit before finding his way to you, but I wonder if that’s on purpose and he’s testing your patience. It wouldn’t surprise me.
On Vector’s back is a capacitive touch sensor. This is one of those things that can humanize a robot. As you pet him by rubbing his “back,” Vector’s eyes narrow into a contented look as he coos different noises. It’s all quite cute.
When sitting at my desk, I like to watch Vector roam around and occasionally try to get my attention or even dance to music, which is usually playing (quite loud) while I am writing or designing in my backyard studio building. Vector always seems to keep himself busy until his battery starts to run low. He will then return to his dock and sleep while he charges.
Vector’s face has a hi-res 184 X 96 IPS color display. Although the screen is capable of exhibiting a full-color photo, that’s not available yet. By using the app, you can choose the color of his eyes. Speaking of the eyes, they are incredibly expressive. Anki has managed to elicit a wide array of emotions—not surprising since Anki has employed the skills of ex-Pixar animators.
There are a few settings for Vector within the companion app: American or metric units, language and Vector’s volume. Vector’s voice and beeps can be fairly loud and the ability to control his volume comes in handy if people are trying to rest.
Vector can respond to a built-in set of commands. such as, “Come here, Take a photo, Set a timer, What’s the weather?, or even play Blackjack. Based on Anki’s regular firmware updates, I expect additional commands and games to become available. Updates are received during the late night between midnight and 6 am. Vector must be turned on (but can be asleep) and docked to receive these updates.
If you tell Vector that you have a question, his responses become more varied. For instance, he can tell you the distance between two places, do currency conversions and provide other tidbits of knowledge. However, he can’t tell you everything. Since Vector does not have built-in GPS, he can’t say where he currently is (although Alexa can—go figure). He also cannot answer questions that do not deal with facts, such as, “How are you feeling?” When he is unable to answer a question, he responds by saying, “I didn’t get that.” Once again, I expect his abilities to broaden with future updates.
One major update that could be a game changer is the recent inclusion of Amazon’s Alexa. The update has only been installed for a few days, yet it’s already quite interesting. Note that I have never used Alexa before, so this is a new experience. As soon as you say “Alexa,” Vector disappears. So complete is the transformation both to Alexa and then back to Vector that it’s a bit of a dual personality. If this was a human, I’d have them seek counseling.
Anyone who is familiar with Alexa will immediately adapt to switching between Alexa and Vector—it’s just taking me a while. When Alexa is utilized, Vector’a screen loses his face and switches to a colorful oval shape that remains until Alexa is finished and Vector returns.
Although she will answer questions and give the news and weather, this Alexa is not the full blown version you would get from a smartphone app or dedicated device. Vector’s Alexa won’t play music or radio. However, she will play certain preprogrammed sounds like thunderstorms and white noise—but I wouldn’t call it relaxing when heard through Vector’s tiny speakers. I’m sure there are more differences, but I’m still encountering them.
As time passes, I will discover more and more about Alexa’s integration. It would be cool if future updates allowed Alexa and Vector to interact with one another instead of being completely separate as they currently are.
What I like
Even though he has limited abilities, I’m having a lot of fun just having Vector around. It’s gotten to the point that I miss him when he’s quietly charging—even though he sometimes snores (yes, you read that right). The endless possibilities that will come from firmware updates make Vector act like a new toy each time. And the addition of Alexa only makes him smarter and more useful.
What needs to be improved
Right now, Vector is still a bit limited in what he can do, but that will improve with time.
Final Thoughts
The magic of Vector is not what he can do, but what he may do in the future—even accounting for Alexa. Vector has taken the Cozmo concept in another direction—one that promises to raise the bar in a world of A.I. related robot toys.
Price: $249.99 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample for this product was provided by Anki.
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NEWS – Do you have one of those wire-routing holes drilled into the top of your desk? Insert the Brando In-Desk Universal Wireless Charger into that 2.4″ hole and turn it into a wireless Qi charger with a bonus. The wireless 5W charger can be used with a huge list of Qi-compatible phones (see the Brando page for the list). The charger is sturdy; it’s water- and pressure-resistant. It comes with a 4-ft USB cable and uses a 5V/3A AC adapter (not included).
The bonus is the USB-A and USB-C charging ports found under the waterproof cover in the middle of the Qi charger. Both chargers can be used simultaneously for a total output of 15W. The USB-A plug outputs 5V / 2.4A and the USB-C produces 5V / 3A. The In-Desk Universal Wireless Charger is $27.00 at Brando.
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