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LOOK-IT Wireless Backup Camera review

The LOOK-IT Wireless Rear Vision System is a Bluetooth enabled backup camera for your car that installs easily, but suffers from a poor quality VGA camera, inconsistent performance, and a very high price tag. The system works, for the most part, but at a $299.99 price point, the performance and image quality should be much, much better.

What is it?

For older models cars, without built-in backup cameras, the LOOK-IT wireless rear vision system adds this coveted safety feature with the help of your Bluetooth enabled smartphone.

The LOOK-IT comes in an impressive box detailed with all the features of the device. The important components are all set deep into a custom foam inset.

What’s in the box?

  • LOOK-IT Plate Frame
  • QuickView Wireless Remote
  • Magnetic Phone Mount
  • LOOK-IT Manual
  • Mounting screws, adhesive, and attachment for hardwiring system

The LOOK-IT unit itself looks like a large license plate mount with a small camera attached to the top.

The unit is waterproof and has a self-contained long-life battery. LOOK-IT says the battery is good for over three years in normal operating conditions. After that, you can purchase a replacement battery through a LOOK-IT authorized retailer.

Various mounting brackets, caps, and a uniquely tipped wrench to prevent theft are included with the camera system.

Along with the camera unit, a remote control fob is required for total functionality.

Only the main center button on the fob works, the other buttons are for “future expansions”. The website says that the extra buttons will open up the map apps on iPhone and Android devices, but that function did not work in my testing.

The fob has a velcro strap that allows you to attach it to your steering wheel, parking brake or another convenient spot.

The LOOK-IT also comes with a handy magnetic phone mount. The metal plates slip into your phone’s case and the mount can be attached to a vent. This was a great addition to the kit, but at $299.99, it’s the least they could do.

Requirements

  • iPhone 5 and up with Bluetooth 4.2
  • Android smartphones running Android 5.0 and up and equipped with Bluetooth 4.2. BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is required for updates and settings. Some Android smartphones are not capable of BLE operation.

Hardware specifications

  • Horizontal viewing angle of 100 degrees
  • Camera resolution: VGA 600 x 480
  • Three year self-contained replaceable battery
  • Waterproof molded plastic casing
  • Bluetooth 4.2

Setup

The first step in the LOOK-IT setup is to turn it on by activating the battery. This is done by pressing on the single button on the back of the unit for four seconds.

Once activated, the button light will blink red and the unit will stay on continuously for up to three years, depending on the life of the battery.

The next step is to link the LOOK-IT unit to your smartphone. This process involves downloading the LOOK-IT app and making sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your phone.

I started the app and followed the setup instructions, and after several tries, I still couldn’t get the unit to link to my device.

The app would crash at the same point in the setup process every time.

The only way I was finally able to get everything synced was to go into my device’s Bluetooth menu and connect to the LOOK-IT unit that way, similar to how you set up any typical Bluetooth device.

Once the camera unit and my device were linked, the rest of the installation was relatively easy.

There are two brackets that need to be inserted and then adjusted for correct mounting on your vehicle.

Your license plate mounts on top of the LOOK-IT unit, so the plate has to be removed first. An important thing to remember is to keep the original license plate screws handy, you’ll need them for the next step.

The LOOK-IT mounts to your vehicle using the original license plate screws, then your plate slides under the camera unit and mounts to the LOOK-IT with the included screws and the specially tipped Allen wrench. Definitely keep this wrench in a safe place, you won’t be able to remove your license plate without it.

The only part of this installation that I didn’t like was that there are no holes on the bottom of the LOOK-IT to secure your license plate.

To secure the license plate bottom you need to use adhesive tape placed behind the license plate. Again, after spending $299.99 on the LOOK-IT, this solution seems pretty inelegant.

Design and Features

To activate the LOOK-IT, you press the center button on the fob after it’s mounted where it feels comfortable. I chose to mount the fob on the parking brake handle in my vehicle.

Once you press the fob button, what should happen is the LOOK-IT app activates and a backup view from your camera pops up on your device screen. This worked properly about 75% of the time in my testing. Again, for $299.99, this should be flawless. The times when I pressed the button to no avail were incredibly frustrating and the only way to get it to work is to manually open the app, close it and try again.

I also have some concerns about the LOOK-IT application draining my phone battery. The LOOK-IT application needs to be running for the camera to work. When the application is running, you will see an Android logo on the very top left of your device’s screen. If the logo is not present, you will need to manually start the application.

When the button and app do work properly, a view from the camera appears for 30 seconds. Overlaid on the camera view is a safety boundary showing you how close objects are to your car.

One of the setup features in the app allows you to adjust the safety boundaries to correspond to the placement of the camera on your vehicle.

The view is usable, but it’s VGA, crappy, and pixelated. With camera sensor technology advancing every day, becoming smaller and cheaper, attaching a 640 x 480 VGA camera to a device and charging $299.99 for it is unconscionable. The camera has night vision as well, but as to be expected, it’s even worse quality.

What I like

  • Easy installation
  • Unobtrusive design

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive
  • Poor Camera quality
  • Unreliable

Final thoughts

The LOOK-IT Wireless Rear Vision System works, occasionally. And when it does work it gives you a very poor quality view of the objects behind your vehicle. If the price were $50-$100, I’d recommend it, but with all the other options available on the market right now, $249.00 is just too much to pay for this product.

Price: $249.00
Where to buy: LOOK-IT and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by LOOK-IT.

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LOOK-IT Wireless Backup Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography

By now, many of you that have read my news stories can easily see my love for photography and even more, my love for macro photography. The ability to capture amazing images that have an interesting focal point, depth of field, and great bokeh, has become an obsession. When I am in the studio working on macro photography, there are times when my setup involves an object that I mount in a fixed position and a camera on a tripod that is focused on that object.

To get the perfect shot, there is usually the need to make micro adjustments to the distance between the lens and the object, and the left or right position of the camera. Making such adjustments by manipulating the tripod head simply does not work, and after many of my own failures trying to do just that, I purchased the Flashpoint Budget Macro Camera Focusing Rail Set, with 4 way and Fine Control.

I should immediately declare that cost was a major contributor to this purchase since many of the revered focusing rails cost hundreds of dollars. I settled on the Flashpoint rail because it was comparatively cheaper and because it had very good reviews. I must say that it turned out to be a great choice and a great decision. This rail is well built and capable of adjustments that are micro enough to do the job. It stayed in place with a relatively heavy DSLR camera with the extended battery grip with 2 batteries installed, and with the weighty Sigma 105mm macro lens attached. I was able to really get the position between the lens and the object dialed in perfectly and it has remained reliable for every shoot.

If you are in the market for a focusing rail and if you don’t want to put a hole in your pocket, head over to Adorama and pick one up for the bargain price of $54.95.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Stay toasty warm on your next camping trip with the Alice heated sleeping blanket

Winter in the southern United States is an unpredictable season.  For example, temperatures were in the upper 70s a couple weeks ago, and this week we had snow and ice and temperatures in the low 30s.  You never know what to expect weather-wise, which can make it difficult for those outdoorsy-types who camp year round.  With the Alice Battery-operated Heated Down Camping Blanket, you’ll be set for unexpectedly cold temps.

Instead of a zippered sleeping bag, this is a blanket, which is said to allow more air flow and be more comfortable.  The blanket’s shell is made of DWR Ripstop 20D Nylon, which blocks moisture.  The 650-fill white duck down insulation keeps you warm.  There’s even a second moisture-proof blanket that can be buttoned to the main blanket when you need a little extra heat.

But when it’s really cold and you need even more heat, the main blanket has an embedded Revean Carbon Heating System that can raise the temperature from 15 degrees to 45 degrees in a matter of minutes.  The heating level has low-medium-high settings for your comfort.

The heating system is powered by an included 12000mAh battery that can power the blanket for 4 hours at low, 3 hours at medium, and 2 hours at high.  The battery has other purposes, too:  LED flashlight, SOS signal, mobile device charger, and you can even jump start your car with it.

The blanket measures 80″ x 54″ and weighs 6 pounds.  It stows away in a compression bag for easy packing with your gear.

The Alice Battery-operated Heated Down Camping Blanket is $172.00 at Amazon.

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Stay toasty warm on your next camping trip with the Alice heated sleeping blanket originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Flowfold Stormproof Limited Conductor Duffle review

It’s been a cold, wet, miserable month here in Pennsylvania. But that’s OK! We’ve got our hands on the Flowfold Stormproof Limited Conductor, a duffle bag that fears no weather. We’re taking advantage of the awful weather to put it to the test.

It’s raining. We’re getting soggy. But our gear isn’t. To the review!

What is it?

It’s a 40-liter duffle bag designed for travel and outdoor activities, made with ultralight high-tech materials for durability and weather resistance.

Hardware specs

  • 12” High by 22” Wide by 12” Tall
  • 40 Liters capacity
  • 12.7 Ounces (15 Ounces including the shoulder strap)
  • X-Pac water-resistant fabric
  • YKK water-resistant zippers

Design and features

The Stormproof Limited Conductor, like all Flowfold products, is all about simple & functional design. The form factor is a barrel-shaped duffle bag, 12″ in diameter and 22″ long. There’s a single main compartment accessed by a full-length top zipper and a 12” by 12” zippered outer pocket on the front face for your smaller items. Clean lines and a two-tone finish add a touch of sophistication to the bag. I especially like the color combo in the heathered gray and black model I’m testing.

X-pac has become quite popular in carry products, and is the primary material of choice here. Initially designed for sailing, the layered ripstop fabric provides excellent resistance to water, abrasion, and tears. It’s a deceptive material because it is so thin and light that it feels almost insubstantial… until you put it to the test and experience it’s durability. Combined with YKK water-resistant zips and reinforced seams throughout the bag, you get excellent water resistance as well. Like all Flowfold products, the construction is also excellent with refined touches like zipper garages, nylon cord pulls, chunky hardware, and reinforcement at key stress points. It’s a great build and made in the USA. 

The bag includes a pair of carry handles and a shoulder strap, both made from webbed nylon. The carry handles are folded over and reinforced to provide some extra grip. The shoulder strap is adjustable and removable. It’s all simple, rugged and well-assembled without adding any extra bulk to the bag.

Performance

Simple, lightweight and durable. Ready for action. That’s the name of the game with the Flowfold Conductor Limited Duffle bag.

If you like wide open spaces, you’ll be very happy with the Conductor’s 40-liter capacity. For my test loadout, I loaded the Conductor up with two pairs of sneakers, two pairs of jeans, a sweater, a sweatshirt, and a couple of t-shirts with room to spare for toiletries and accessories. You could live out of this bag for a week. The outboard compartment is great for your wallet, keys, and other small items.It also meets carry-on specifications, which is another plus if you’re not planning on checking a bag. 

I took advantage of the lousy weather on a recent Saturday afternoon, loading up the bag and plunking it down on my front walkway to put its weather resistance to the test. 30 minutes of steady soaking rain and both compartments stayed bone dry… even with water pooling on the zipper line! That’s ideal for camping or other outdoor activities where you’re trusting your bag to keep your gear dry. The lightweight is an added plus: even with the shoulder strap attached, the total weight of the bag is less than a pound. Impressive.

Speaking of the shoulder strap, that would be the one area that could use some improvement. Nylon webbed straps tend to slide around on your shoulder. While the strap is wide enough to help with weight distribution, a bit of padding would be nice to keep the bag in place during maneuvers. I’ll probably swipe one from one of my other bags when I use this for travel. 

Finally, it’s important to note that the straightforward design requires you to bring your own organization. Other than the front pocket, there’s no internal compartmentalization or padding to protect your gear. This may be an issue for frequent flyers who live out of their carry-ons. Personally, I’m OK with it. I tend to travel with my tech in a separate bag anyway, and organizer pouches or packing cubes will do just fine for sorting out the small stuff. 

What I like

  • Simple, streamlined design
  • Ultra-lightweight
  • Excellent durability and water resistance
  • Sized for carry-on use

What needs to be improved

  • Lack of internal compartments requires you to bring your own organization if that’s your thing
  • Would like a pad on the shoulder strap for stabilization

Final thoughts

I continue to be a fan of Flowfold’s products. The Stormproof Limited Conductor duffle represents everything I like about the brand: simple, functional, good-looking, and tough enough to handle a bit of weather or rough travels. With a 40 liter capacity and ultra lightweight, it’s great for travel and overnight trips. If you’re looking for a simple & durable duffle bag, I’d highly recommend checking it out.

Price: $98.00
Where to buy: Flowfold.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Flowfold.

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Flowfold Stormproof Limited Conductor Duffle review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 4:00 pm.

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Protect your AirPods with a PodPocket

You’ll keep your AirPods safely at hand in the PodPocket.  The silicone pocket is precision-molded for a close fit to the AirPods case, ensuring that the case won’t slip out.  The high-grade silicone is thick for extra protection, but it still weighs only 0.96 ounces.

The pocket has a reinforced key ring hole and a keyring and clip so you can attach the pocket to your belt loop, keyring, or belt strap.  The case has an opening in the bottom to allow for charging the AirPods.    The PodPocket Protective Silicone Case is available in indigo blue, pear green, cocoa gray, and blazing red for $19.95 at The Grommet.

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Protect your AirPods with a PodPocket originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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