Home 2018 March

The Dracast LED180Halo Ring Light – A real gem.

Many photographers use ring lights both in the studio and on location to help produce wide, even, and flattering light that eliminates almost all shadows, and is very good for highlighting beautiful skin tones. As a photographer, I have also tried a few ring lights, and most recently I purchased the Dracast LED180 Halo Daylight Ring Light in the 19” size, and in the Daylight version. This light is offered in both 13.5” and 19” sizes, and in color temperatures of Bi-Color or Daylight.

The LED180 features 252 surface-mounted LEDS in a 360-degree light that works great. The lens of the camera can be placed in the middle so that the light surrounds the lens and provides even light over the entire subject. It also has 10 to 100% dimming, and a CRI – color rendering index of 96. The CRI is the measure on a scale of 0 to 100 of how accurately the light can illuminate objects in “true colors”.

The light also comes with a nice case, AC adapter, an extra diffusion filter and a base that allows it to rotate 180 degrees when securely attached to a light stand.

I have also used this light on the side on a light stand to provide beautiful lighting from angles, and to create interesting shadows. It is important to note that it is made entirely of plastic, so while it is well made, care should be used when handling it.

The Dracast LED180 light is a real gem, and you can purchase one at B&H Photo Video for $199.

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The Dracast LED180Halo Ring Light – A real gem. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 7, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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To boldly listen as no-one has listened before

Over the decades, the Starship Enterprise has taken many forms, but this time she’s taken the form of a Bluetooth speaker.  This speaker is designed after the Galaxy-class Enterprise NCC-1701-D from The Next Generation.  The ship is a 12″ long scaled replica; it stands 12.5″ x 7″ tall x 9″ wide when displayed on its 2-piece stand modeled after a combadge. It connects to your mobile device or computer via Bluetooth 4.1 and has a 33ft range.

Inside is a 45mm single, full-range speaker.  It’s powered by an 800mAh lithium-ion battery, which charges with a DC 5V 1A source and included microUSB-to-USB charging cable.  You’ll get 6-8 hours of playback time at average volume on a single charge.  The ship also has LEDs on the engines, deflector dish, and saucer section; these can be turned off, if desired.

When you aren’t listening to music, the speaker can play various TNG sounds:  engine hum, torpedo blast, warp acceleration, and “incoming transmission” and”one minute to auto destruct” messages. You can use the engine hum sound as a white noise generator; it turns off automatically after one hour.

The Star Trek TNG U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D Bluetooth Speaker is officially licensed and available for $79.99 exclusively at ThinkGeek.

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To boldly listen as no-one has listened before originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 7, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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DockCase MacBook sleeve with built in USB C hub review

I love my 12″ MacBook that I bought as a refurb from Amazon a couple years ago. It’s the perfect size and the perfect weight for everyday use and especially for travel. I actually downsized from a 13″ MacBook Pro just to get a smaller and lighter machine. But downsizing also meant that I would have to sacrifice performance and expansion capabilities.

I honestly haven’t had any issues with the smaller MacBook’s performance, but expansion, on the other hand, has been a challenge at times due to the machine only having one port which is used for both charging AND peripherals.  A USB hub is pretty much a necessity with this computer if you ever want to connect something to it like an external monitor, wired keyboard, wired mouse, flash card reader, etc. USB Type-C expansion hubs are a dime a dozen, but have you ever seen a sleeve style case with a built-in hub? You will now because this is a review of the DockCase for the 12″ MacBook.

What is it?

The DockCase is a slim microfiber leather and aluminum sleeve style case for 12, 13, and 15 inch Apple MacBooks that has built-in USB, USB Type-C, Ethernet, HDMI, microSD and SD card readers.

What’s in the box?

  • DockCase
  • USB Type-C to Type-C cable
  • Quick start guide

Design and features

If you didn’t look at the end of the case, you might not even realize that it’s more than a slipcover for your MacBook. Depending on the size of your MacBook, the DockCase comes in several colors like the red version that was sent to me.

On the end of the case, you’ll find the following ports:

1 LAN Ethernet(1000M Gigabit)
1 HDMI Video Output (4K@30Hz,1080P@60Hz)
1 USB C Power Delivery Charging (Up to 100W)
1 USB C 3.1 Data (Up to 5 Gbps)
3 USB 3.0 Data (Up to 5 Gbps)
Multi-in-1 Card Reader (SD-XC, SD, MMC, RS-MMC, SD-HC, Micro-SD)

A third Type-C port is on the side of the DockCase. This port is used to connect the DockCase hub to your MacBook using the included Type-C to Type-C cable.

As a case, the DockCase is just a basic sleeve that’s made of microfiber leather which is a synthetic (fake) leather with the look and feel (but not the smell) of real leather.

The interior of the DockCase has one main pocket to hold the MacBook, and a narrow pocket on the side that holds the included USB Type C to Type C cable.

The short cable is easily removed and stowed in the DockCase when it’s not being used.

My 12-inch MacBook it nicely in the 12-inch DockCase along with the cable.

Using the DockCase with my 12-inch MacBook

To use the DockCase, you connect one end of the included USB C cable into the USB C port on the MacBook and the other end of the cable goes in the USB C port on the side of the DockCase. To keep your MacBook charged you will need to connect your existing charger cable into the USB PD port on the DockCase which is located next to the HDMI port. You can see how the cables are connected by checking the image above.

I do wish that the included Type C cable was a round cable instead of a flat cable, which looks awkward routed from the MacBook to the back of the DockCase.

I tested the DockCase with my 12-inch MacBook connected to 4-year-old 29-inch ultra wide LG LED monitor. The LG monitor is not 4K, but the DockCase is able to handle 4K@30Hz or in my case, 1080P@60Hz. I couldn’t tell any difference using the DockCase’s HDMI vs. using the LandingZone docking station’s HDMI, which is what I’ve been using for the last several months.

The documentation that comes with the DockCase advises that you NOT use the USB ports to charge your phone or other devices. They are supposed to be used for data transfers only. Even so, I had to test them to see if they would actually charge my phone, a Pixel 2 XL. The 2nd Type C port next to the Type C PD port would not charge my phone at all, but the other three USB ports did seem to be charging the phone.

I tested the DockCase’s card slots which worked fine. I was able to read each one individually and transfer files between two cards. I was also able to copy files to and from USB flash drives. So, the hub does work as intended. But there is one problem and that’s heat.

The DockCase hub gets noticeably hot after several minutes of use (especially when you’re connected to an external monitor using the HDMI port). I used an IR thermometer and recorded readings of 100F to as hot as 120F. These temps weren’t hot enough to burn my skin, but the heat did make me nervous that it could become a fire hazard at some point and made me leery of leaving my MacBook connected to it while unattended. That said, the heat dissipates when the MacBook is not being used.

What I like

  • It’s a case with a built-in hub
  • Nice for the newest MacBooks that only have one USB Type-C port like my 12″ MacBook

What needs to be improved

  • The hub gets too hot
  • Not supposed to use it to charge phones or other devices
  • No room for other accessories like a charger

Final thoughts

Having a case for newer MacBooks that combines everyday protection with a USB hub is unique and useful while remaining relatively slim and sleek. If they can solve the heat issue, I think they have a winner on their hands, but as it is, I’m worried about recommending something that could be a fire hazard.

Price: $119.00 – $149.00 depending on size. $119 for the 12″ version reviewed here.
Where to buy: DockCase and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by DockCase.

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DockCase MacBook sleeve with built in USB C hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2018 at 1:00 pm.

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Light up your landscape with solar-powered lights that look like flaming torches

You’ve got your indoor bulbs that look like a gas flame and a Bluetooth speaker that looks like a flaming torch, now you’re ready for outdoor lighting that also looks like flaming torches!  You’ll get a set of two Solar Garden Lights from Dikaou, plus accessories to set the lights up for wall mounting, using them as a table lamp, or for staking them into the ground for landscape lighting.

They are made of high-duty ABS plastic, and they have LED lights that mimic a flame.  You won’t have to worry about batteries because the torches are solar-powered.  The lamps will turn on automatically at night, or you can power them off when you don’t need them.  And with an IP65 rating, you know they’ll stand up to rain.

Get a set of 2 Dikaou Color Garden Lights for $69.99 at Amazon.

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Light up your landscape with solar-powered lights that look like flaming torches originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Make bath time for your dog less ruff with Aquapaw

If you’re a dog owner, one thing you probably dread is giving your furry friend a bath. Whether using the cup method in the bathtub or using the high-pressure garden hose outside it’s never an easy task and unless your dog loves water (mine does not) it’s not usually fun for them either. Aquapaw to the rescue.

Aquapaw is a wearable sprayer slash scrubber that you can turn on or off just by making a fist, giving you a free hand to better control your dog while the other does the scrubbing and rinsing. It has little rubber scrubbers that are soothing to your dog and the spraying power is more gentle than that of a typical garden hose yet more effective than a cup bath. Because you wear it on one hand like a glove Aquapaw lets you wash your dog in the same way that you would pet them. 

Included quick-release adaptors let you easily attach Aquapaw’s flexible 8′ hose to either a shower head or garden hose, so, you can bath your dog indoors or out.

The Aquapaw pet bathing tool is $24.95 and available at The Grommet.

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Make bath time for your dog less ruff with Aquapaw originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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