Home 2018 November

Bake with better results when you weigh your ingredients with this Kitchenaid stand mixer accessory

NEWS – Have you ever heard the expression that cooking is an art, but baking is a science?  It simply means that you can still get good results when cooking even with slight variations in ingredients.  Baking, however, gives the best results when you have precise amounts of the ingredients.  Accurate amounts are so important that it’s actually better to weigh your ingredients rather than use measuring cups.  It’s also been shown that sifting dry ingredients give fluffier baked goods than unsifted ingredients.  Weighing and sifting add steps to assembling your recipe, unless you add the Sifter and Scale Attachment (KSMSFTA) to your KitchenAid stand mixer.

The attachment attaches to and the sifter is powered by the power hub on the front of every KitchenAid stand mixer.  It has a 4-cup silo to hold dry ingredients.  The silo sits on a digital scale (battery operated), which weighs the dry ingredients as they are added to the silo.  A screen in the bottom of the silo sifts the ingredients and sends them into the chute to be added to the mixing bowl.

The digital scale can be removed from the attachment and used separately on your countertop with the included scale plate.

As with all KitchenAid attachments, the Sifter and Scale Attachment (KSMSFTA) works with every KitchenAid stand mixer.  The KitchenAid website shows an MSRP of $169.99 for the Sifter and Scale, but it’s being offered for $99.99 right now.  You may purchase the Sifter and Scale Attachment (KSMSFTA) at the KitchenAid website.

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Bake with better results when you weigh your ingredients with this Kitchenaid stand mixer accessory originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 6, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Bake with better results when you weigh your ingredients with this Kitchenaid stand mixer accessory

NEWS – Have you ever heard the expression that cooking is an art, but baking is a science?  It simply means that you can still get good results when cooking even with slight variations in ingredients.  Baking, however, gives the best results when you have precise amounts of the ingredients.  Accurate amounts are so important that it’s actually better to weigh your ingredients rather than use measuring cups.  It’s also been shown that sifting dry ingredients give fluffier baked goods than unsifted ingredients.  Weighing and sifting add steps to assembling your recipe, unless you add the Sifter and Scale Attachment (KSMSFTA) to your KitchenAid stand mixer.

The attachment attaches to and the sifter is powered by the power hub on the front of every KitchenAid stand mixer.  It has a 4-cup silo to hold dry ingredients.  The silo sits on a digital scale (battery operated), which weighs the dry ingredients as they are added to the silo.  A screen in the bottom of the silo sifts the ingredients and sends them into the chute to be added to the mixing bowl.

The digital scale can be removed from the attachment and used separately on your countertop with the included scale plate.

As with all KitchenAid attachments, the Sifter and Scale Attachment (KSMSFTA) works with every KitchenAid stand mixer.  The KitchenAid website shows an MSRP of $169.99 for the Sifter and Scale, but it’s being offered for $99.99 right now.  You may purchase the Sifter and Scale Attachment (KSMSFTA) at the KitchenAid website.

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Bake with better results when you weigh your ingredients with this Kitchenaid stand mixer accessory originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 6, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Roccat Score gaming headset review


REVIEW – I picked up a Nintendo Switch over the summer because I loved the portability. One thing that is annoying about it is that Bluetooth headphones do not connect to it without an adapter. This meant most of my headphones didn’t work with it. I saw the Roccat Score and thought that maybe they would be a good fit to go along with the Switch, since they are small, portable, and meant for gaming.

What is it?

The Roccat Score gaming headphones are styled like earbuds but designed with gamers in mind.

Hardware specs

  • Headphones:
    Measured Frequency response: 20~20.000Hz
    Sensitivity at 1kHz: 108dB
    mid/high frequency driver diameter: 6.8mm (12 ohm impedence)
    low frequency driver diameter: 10mm (16 ohm impedence)
  • Microphone:
    Sensitivity at 1kHz: -42dB
    Impedance: 2.2kO
    Signal-to-noise ratio: >55dB
    Measured Frequency response: 50~12.000Hz

What’s in the box?

In the box, you’ll find the Roccat Score headphones, case, seven different styles of eartips, PC adapter (for microphone/headphone ports), and instruction manual. Six of the tips are standard, but the seventh is memory foam which was interesting.

Design and features

The thing that makes these headphones more unique compared to standard gaming headphones is that they are in-ear with no microphone that goes in front of your mouth. Like I mentioned above, this seemed like an ideal combination for the Nintendo Switch and mobile gaming in general.

Out of the wide variety of ear tips, my favorite ended up being the memory foam ones. It took a few tries to get the fit to be comfortable, but after I got the knack of it, they stayed in my ears and were comfortable for almost two hours straight.

After the headphones are inserted into the ear, the cord is looped up and over the ear with a nice and pliable cable that reminded me of soft (but not fuzzy) pipe cleaners. This kept the cord in place but also was comfortable on the top of my ear.

The microphone is located partially down the audio cable which was the one drawback these had. My friends noted that I sounded very ‘tinny’ because the microphone was picking up a lot of background noise and echoing due to being so far from my lips. They could understand me just fine but I sounded wrong to them.

Music sounded decent, with a nice mid-range and bass, and average quality highs. During games, you could hear footsteps and different sound effects pretty well, though you won’t get the huge booms when a bomb blows up near you since the bass is not extremely powerful. On the Switch, the music and sound effects from Breath of the Wild sounded great.

What I like

  • Variety of ear tips

What needs to be improved

  • The microphone sounds ‘tinny’

Final thoughts

Overall, I thought the Roccat Score headphones were a decent companion to the Nintendo Switch due to the portability, but I would not use them on my PC. The sound quality was decent but the microphone left a lot to be desired. If you can pick up a pair for around $50 or less, the Roccat Score headphones might be nice to toss in a backpack for travel, but I wouldn’t recommend them for much more than that.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roccat.

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Roccat Score gaming headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 6, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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SmartHalo multi-function bike accessory tracks fitness, provides navigation, and even serves as an alarm system

NEWS – The SmartHalo Connected Bike System performs a lot of functions in a small package.  It connects to your handlebars, much like those old-fashioned bells.  It’s only  0.8″ x 3.6″ x 2.4″, so it doesn’t interfere with using your bike.  That tiny package adds a lot of functionality without a lot of distractions.

Installation is easy.  You install the mounting base to the handlebars (fits standard handlebar diameters of 22.2, 25.4, and 31.8 mm), then use the HaloKey to secure the SmartHalo to the base.  You’ll only need to remove the SmartHalo when it needs a recharge (about every 3 weeks), or when you need to take it inside to protect it from extreme temperatures (below 14°) when the bike is not being ridden.

The SmartHalo system requires an app on your iPhone (4S and up, iOS 9 and up) or Android phone (equipped with BLE and Android 4.4 and up) and an internet connection.

When you start riding your bike, fitness tracking starts automatically without you needing to start or stop an app.  It also automatically starts navigation, using intuitive light signals to direct turn-by-turn navigation.  Its built-in headlight automatically turns on in blinking or steady mode while riding at night and off when the ride is done.    When you aren’t riding, SmartHalo functions as an audible alarm (over 105dB) to protect your bike from being stolen.

The SmartHalo Smart Connected Bike System is $149.00 from The Grommet.

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SmartHalo multi-function bike accessory tracks fitness, provides navigation, and even serves as an alarm system originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 5, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger review


REVIEW – As a self-proclaimed gadget nerd, I surround myself with every possible gadget and embrace every convenience that they offer. These days where the phone is an integral part of our lives, it is very apparent that driving while operating a phone is a very bad idea and against the law at least here in the USA. Phone mounts for cars have almost become a standard accessory in every car, with some offering more convenience than others.  The Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger is a new addition to an already very crowded field of car charger mounts. However, it offers features that I know that I would like. Here is my review.

What is it?

The Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger is a wireless phone charger that can be mounted to the vent louver, windshield or dashboard. It includes a built-in battery that provides operational power even when the car is turned off.

What’s in the box


1 x Bolt Car Mount
1 x Air Vent Holder
1 x USB-C to USB Cable
1 x Dual USB Car Charger (3.0/2.1A)
1 x Instruction Manual

Design and features

This mount has a bottom rest and two side arms that open and close electronically when the top touchpad is engaged. In the middle where the back of the phone rests is the Qi wireless charger, and above is the Infrared Lock Sensor that senses when a phone is placed into the mount and engages the securing arms to close.


The vent visor clip is connected to the back of the mount via the supplied nut and you press the button above the clip to open the clip and slide it onto the vent louver.



At the bottom of the mount, there is a USB-C power port.


The USB-C to USB cable plugs into the power port on the mount and the other end into the 12V car adapter.

Performance:

Features:

  • Automatic lock & unlock with one touch release
  • Qi-certified fast wireless charger
  • Adjustable stand for 4″ to 6.7″ devices
  • Rotates from portrait to landscape mode
  • 250 mAh backup battery operates mount when disconnected from the power

Below you can see how the mount connects to the vent louver.


The picture below shows the mount connected to the vent with my iPhone 10XS Max in the mount.


In the upper right-hand corner of the phone screen, you can see the icon that is green indicating that the phone is being charged.


The car adapter power plug has the capacity to accommodate 2 USB cables. Only the one labeled 2.1A will work for the wireless charging feature.


The picture below on the left shows the red wireless charging indicator which is on the bottom right side of the mount. The picture on the right shows the blue power indicator that is on the opposite side.


At the top of the mount, there is the touch control that opens and closes the securing arms by touch.

What I like

  • The Qi wireless charging capability
  • Can be used in both portrait and landscape mode
  • The build quality
  • The electronic arms that hold the phone
  • The touch operation

What can be improved

  • Based on the cost of this device, both the air vent mount and the dash/windshield mount should be included

Final thoughts

Not too long ag0, I reviewed a dash mounted phone holder that included arms that operated electronically but did not include Qi wireless charging. While it was a sturdy mount, I had to keep plugging in a separate cable into my iPhone for charging. I remember thinking how great it would be if wireless charging was included. This mount includes that great feature. Since the electronic arms on the mount that I previously reviewed mount began to fail after a few months, time will tell whether this device will do the same or stand up to the daily abuse. While I do think that for the price, the windshield/dash mount should be included, I will still give this Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger two thumbs up for now!!

Price: $49.99 (A telescopic Dash & Windshield suction are sold separately for $9.99)
Where to buy: Lynktec website and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Lynktec.

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Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 5, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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