Home 2018 September

BoxLock smart padlock review

REVIEW – Road rage. PTSD. Spam. Phishing. You know something has become widespread when there’s a name for it that most folks recognize. Here’s a new one – Porch Pirate. Those are the folks who drive around behind delivery vehicles and grab packages from the stoops of the intended recipient. And, like any good contagion, there is a solution. BoxLock is a lock for a porch box that can be unlocked by your delivery person only with the bar code of the tracking number of expected packages. The Gadgeteer, of course, is on the case and have been testing one they sent us. Read on for the details.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The BoxLock is a heavy-duty hasp-type lock with an integrated bar-code scanner. The software that you configure your lock with allows you to add package tracking numbers to the account. When the delivery person scans the tracking number from your package, the lock opens.

What’s in the box?

  • Lock
  • MicroUSB charging cable
  • USB 110V charger
  • Instruction sheet
  • Printed Master BarCode card

Design and features

The BoxLock is a bright yellow 1.25” triangular lock 5” long on the rear, and 3.5” long on the angle that faces forward. The hasp is 1.25” in diameter inside, and extends about that amount from the top in the locked position. One flat side is against the back of the hasp, the opposite angle faces out. When naturally grasped, your thumb falls onto that angle at the top, where a button is placed that, when pressed, engages a light and a bar-code scanner beam. When a package whose tracking number is entered into the lock’s account, the lock will open, and the owner of the account can get an alert. If the lock is left open for a set amount of time, another alert will be sent, warning the owner that the lock was not properly re-engaged.


Since the hasp is a pretty standard padlock size, it will fit into most places that can be secured by a standard padlock. This means you could even have your shed or backyard be the place the delivery person opens to leave your package. I had planned to move my rear deck box (which normally houses electric hedge clippers, electric blower, and a 100 ft. heavy-duty extension cord and various other garden implements) to the front porch to test the lock. BoxLock was kind enough to include a Step2 box, one of the models which they also sell from their website. This vented box came preassembled and ready to place on my front stoop. The deck box had to be assembled, which was not an easy task. The metal hasp fits the BoxLock perfectly, with the bright yellow of the box lock drawing attention to the “Deliveries” label molded into the box. This made no difference to drivers whose habits have become ingrained. But, if we can ever get deliveries there, it can be easily weighted and it would make walking off with packages a bit more problematic.

Setup

The lock will not work until it has been activated with an account, which is a good thing. You wouldn’t want a lock that you can’t control accidentally locked to something. Setup requires creating an account in the website or app and agreeing to the privacy policy of an unknown company (of course). Once you’ve fully activated your account, scanning or entering the serial number adds it to your account, and you’re in complete control. You can re-name the lock, or add anyone you’d like as a user by sending them a barcode that is their unique access code. You’ll get a notification (or at least a notice in your account) that they have accessed it.

Performance

Performance in unlocking with a package was perfect. Also, when I sent the signal from my account to open the lock, it immediately popped open every time. The one area that could use some work is when I sent the barcode to my Lovely Bride for her to be able to unlock the box using it on her phone. She was never able to get that to work. I could wiggle it around and play with the various distances and angles and finally get it to work with her phone barcode, but she hasn’t the patience for that. Printing out a card that I would expect her to have on her person every time she goes to fetch packages from the porch is a little beyond the pale. I’ve only just gotten her to see the need to carry her phone on such missions.

The lock, when used by the delivery companies, worked flawlessly. Through my video doorbell, I watched the first driver walk up on the porch, check the notes I had left on the delivery, and walk up to the lockbox. He swung the lock up and saw the scanner in the bottom, and then tested the button. He then grabbed the package he had set down, scanned it, and chuckled slightly when the lock popped open in his hand. He put the package in the box, locked it back, and gave the lock a tug to ensure it was secure. This was repeated with each driver who bothered to read the delivery instructions. Which brings up another issue. I’m lucky to get drivers to read that I want packages delivered to the front door, where they will be out of the sun and rain. (Our side door is south-facing and gets blisteringly hot.) It doesn’t matter how many times I call and ask, There is always some new driver who takes the route, and it’s not delivered to the correct place. The other issue is that the Post Office delivers many packages for other carriers. If it’s a package that meets the USPS parcel minimums, all of the shippers just have them fulfill the shipment. These are stuffed in the mailbox along with the rest of the mail. Even valuable packages like RAM or medicines are shoved in the mailbox with the mail and left to bake in the sun.

What I Like

  • Easy setup and entry of packages into account
  • Auto-recognizes the “Big Three” common carriers (UPSP, FedEX, UPS)
  • Allows adding other account users with their own custom barcode

What needs to be improved

  • Getting carriers to use it is going to take time
  • Using barcodes on phone screens in daylight is still problematic

Final thoughts

I love this product. It addresses a real problem that is growing, especially around gift-giving seasons. I think it would earn a permanent place on my front porch, except for two factors: having a strong-box on your porch is not very “welcoming”, and my Lovely Bride can’t get into it through her phone barcode. The other side of this is getting carriers to use it. Most of the prescription medicine deliveries are left in the mailbox, rather than delivered to the door.

Price: $129.00
Where to buy: Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by BoxLock.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

BoxLock smart padlock review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2018 at 11:30 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Master & Dynamic go wireless again with the MW07 earphones. Totally wireless.

NEWS – Premium headphone maker Master & Dynamic would never admit to being satisfied with all they have accomplished in four short years. Even if they have just about covered all the audio bases in they’re product line of headphones, earphones and Bluetooth speakers. So what’s left? Truly wireless earphones, that’s what. M&D have not only developed their own spin on the wireless earphone market, but they have upped the game with the MW07 True Wireless Earphones.

The MW07 earphones incorporate Bluetooth 4.2 and 10mm beryllium speaker drivers. They’re made with premium materials, such as stainless steel and handcrafted acetate. The lightweight acetate shells are made in a time-honored way that dates back to the 1800s, giving each pair a unique and classic look. 

There are four choices of earpiece colors: Grey Terrazzo, Tortoiseshell, Steel Blue and Matte Black. They sit inside a chrome, stainless steel case with lights that indicate charging status. The MW07’s are slim, sit close to the ear and look good doing it. Each earpiece contains custom buttons that make it easy to control volume and play/pause/voice control. Optical sensors detect when an earpiece is removed and pauses the music. Audio is resumed when the earpiece is placed back into the ear.

Beryllium drivers are typically used in hi-fi products and result in a warm sound that M&D is becoming famous for. “Our goal is to offer the best of both superior sound and sophisticated design to our customers,” says Jonathan Levine, M&D founder and CEO. “With the launch of the MW07, we’ve not only improved the user experience, but we’ve selected premium materials to take true wireless earphones into uncharted territory.”

I had a chance to test a prototype of the MW07s and came away impressed with the quality of both the audio and build. If they were prototypes, you could have fooled me. I will soon be doing a full review of the finished version MW07 wireless earphone.

The MW07 True Wireless Earphones are available now from M&D and sell for $299 US. Visit Master & Dynamic for more information.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Master & Dynamic go wireless again with the MW07 earphones. Totally wireless. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2018 at 10:30 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

AirSelfie2 flying camera review

REVIEW – Everyone either has or wants a drone and it’s hard to fault them because drones are both fun and useful. They are fun because you can capture awesome video from locations that you would otherwise never be able to do. And drones are useful because you can use them to see things like your roof, gutters, etc, without climbing a ladder. All this fun and usefulness can also equal an expensive and bulky gadget. Let’s check out the AirSelfie2 pocket-sized flying camera and see if it’s just a toy or a worthy pocket drone.

What is it?

The AirSelfie2 is the 2nd generation AirSelfie flying camera which is a small playing card deck-sized drone that is designed to… you guessed it… take selfies and capture video.

What’s in the box?

  • AirSelfie2 drone
  • USB-C charging cable
  • Storage case (this was missing with my sample)
  • Instruction manual

Hardware specs

Video:1080p 30fps – Photo:12MP wide-angle (81°)
Wide-angle: ƒ/2.0 aperture
Gyro/Barometer/Geomagnetic sensor
Brushless motor
Built-in Micro SD card 16GB
400mAh 7.4v Built-in Battery
2.4G Wi-Fi
Control distance 65 feet / 20 meters
Size:98.5 x 71.2 x 13.6mm (3.8”x2.8”x0.5”)

Design and features

The AirSelfie2 is a sharp looking little drone with a gray metal colored aluminum housing and four propellers.

On the bottom side of the drone, you find two sensors and the power switch. The round sensor on the left is the visual sensor and the square sensor next to it is the sonar sensor. The small button on the right is the power switch which you have to hold in for a few seconds to toggle power.

There’s a 12MP camera one end.

And on the opposite end, you’ll find a USB-C charging port.

The AirSelfie2 looks like a gadget that James Bond would use on a mission. Although it’s lightweight, it doesn’t look or feel like a toy. It’s well made and the design looks much more robust than some small plastic drones I’ve tested in the past.

Let’s fly!

Before you can fly the AirSelfie, you have to charge it using the included (or any) USB-C charging cable. It takes about an hour to fully charge the battery from fully empty to full which provides up to 5 minutes of flight time. While charging, an LED in one of the propeller areas glows red. When charging is complete, the LED turns off. This status LED also glows blue when the AirSelfie is powered on.

You will also need to install the iOS or Android Airselfie app on your phone or tablet. I tested the AirSelfie2 with my Pixel 2 XL.




The app doesn’t use Bluetooth to control the drone. It generates its own WiFi connection. Each time you want to fly the AirSelfie, you have to power it on, launch the AirSelfie app, and then go into your WiFi settings to connect to the AirSelfie’s WiFi.


The app is pretty basic, It offers 3 different flight control styles, a way to calibrate the drone, and a few settings that you can customize. The flight control styles include an easy one-handed version shown above on the left and a slightly harder one-handed version on the right which controls the drone by physically tilting the phone in the direction that you want it to fly.

The other two control styles are two-handed joystick style touchscreen controls.

I tried all of the control styles but I kept going back to the easy (first style) because it’s easier. Go figure 🙂

I thought the AirSelfie sample that was sent to me was defective because I couldn’t get the propellers to spin up when I would press the arrow button in the app. It took me a while to figure out that you need to press and hold that button for a few seconds to start the propellers. Then you have to place the drone on your flat palm with the camera facing you and toss it gently in the air. It might sound scary, but launching it is easy. Landing it is a bit harder. You’re supposed to bring your hand up under it and grab it. Most of the time when I did this, the propellers would spin fast like the AirSelfie was a captured bug trying to get away. I finally learned that you have to grab it and raise your hand to signal it to turn off.

Pics and video




Since the AirSelfie2 is marketed as a flying camera, I had hopes that it would be a good flying camera and taking pictures and capturing video with the app was easy when it worked. But regularly, I’d see a capture failed message on the screen when I’d tap the shutter button. To fix this issue, I would have to restart the app and/or cycle power on the AirSelfie. I found this to be an annoying problem that seemed to happen right when I could have captured a decent selfie.





Most of the time my selfies were at weird angles or chopped off half of my body. Indoor selfies just look ok although I think they are a little dark and on the flip side, outdoor selfies can be completely blown out if it’s a sunny day. Click the images above to see the full-sized picture.

The AirSelfie2 can also capture video. Video without sound though… which is to be expected because the propeller noise would drown out any other noise. Check out the video below that shows how to fly it and video from the AirSelfie2 itself.

 

From the short video, you can tell that the AirSelfie2 is NOT a stealth drone. It makes quite a bit of noise and the video capture quality is about the same as the image capture quality – not stellar. It also drifts while hovering, so you end up cutting off half a person when you press the shutter button.

What I like

  • Tiny pocket size
  • Good build quality

What needs to be improved

  • Image and video quality
  • Drifts while hovering
  • Short flight time (3-5mins)
  • Would be nice to have a self-landing feature so you don’t have to grab it out of the air

Final thoughts

I tested the AirSelfie2 on multiple occasions and had the same results each time. The images that this little flying camera capture just arn’t that good for a $200 camera. Yes, the device is cool, but cool only goes so far. My advice is to save your money and buy a drone from a brand name that has 3 initials and a built-in gimbal 🙂

Price: $199.95
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by AirSelfie.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

AirSelfie2 flying camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Add a USB charger to your nightlight

NEWS – Even though our condo has more electrical outlets than any other place I’ve lived, we still never seem to have enough.  I have so many things to charge or power, and a need to have lamps in every room because only the kitchen has an overhead light, that I have no room for nightlights.  With the RevJams USB Wall Charger Night Light, I’d be able to have a charger that is also a nightlight.

The charger’s multifunctional button turns the LED nightlight on or off with a tap, or long-tap it to adjust light levels.  A smart memory function recalls the last LED light setting.  The two USB ports on the bottom automatically detect connected devices and deliver the optimal charging voltage to protect against overcharging and overheating.

The RevJams charger has prongs that fold away for easy transport.  The charger is available in white with rose gold accents or with silver accents.  The RevJams USB Wall Charger Night Light is $24.95 at The Grommet.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Add a USB charger to your nightlight originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2018 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Julie’s gadget diary – Yes, I’m going to order the new iPhone XS Max

ARTICLE – Like many of you, I watched yesterday’s live stream of Apple’s Gather Round event and I really have to hand it to Apple. They are masters at reeling me in with their dirty nerd talk of bionic processors, neural engines, advanced algorithms, and sensors. Those terms give me goosebumps. Or maybe Apple is hiding subliminal messages in the new commercials that they demoed during the event. Whatever it is, it works and hooks me every time.

I came away yesterday afternoon excited about the prospect of giving an iPhone another shot at becoming my daily smartphone. Yes, I know you’ve heard this before and if you’ve followed me over the years, you know I say something similar every year only to either change my mind and cancel the order or return the phone within a couple of weeks.

This one time Apple fangirl, turned Android fangirl that you know as The Gadgeteer, just can’t help herself when it comes to trying to switch from one platform to another. I used iPhones for several years from the first one through the iPhone 4 but then I switched to Android and have been using Android smartphones ever since.

Why do I prefer Android? I often ask myself that question. I used to say it was because I like that Android lets me arrange icons and add widgets to the home screen where ever I want. But in reality, I rarely do that these days. Other than changing my wallpaper every so often, I don’t customize the look of my phone like I used to. I also used to say that I prefer Android because I use a lot of Google services and they just work better on Android. I’m not sure that even matters today. It’s simple to set up the iPhone to sync mail and calendars with Gmail and Google Calendar.

For me, it comes down to the hardware and really the camera. That’s why my current phone is the Pixel 2 XL. It has or had the best camera at the time I bought it last October. But all the talk and demos yesterday for the iPhone’s updated camera have me curious and excited for a potential upgrade/switch because my smartphone is my ONLY camera these days. All the product images that you see in my reviews are either taken with my Pixel 2 XL or the Huawei P20.

So I’ll be setting my alarm for 3am EST so I can wake up and pre-order a Space Gray 256GB iPhone XS Max for $1249 tomorrow morning. It’s crazy to spend the same amount of money that I could spend to buy a new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, but then I’m a little crazy when it comes to gadgets. Will I actually Android and stick with the iPhone this time? I have no idea. But I’ll have fun giving it a try. At least until I get sucked back to Android when the new Pixel 3 is announced! Anyone else thinking of switching from an Android phone to one of the new iPhones?

Head over to Apple to check out the details on the new iPhones.

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged:

Julie’s gadget diary – Yes, I’m going to order the new iPhone XS Max originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 13, 2018 at 1:56 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.