Home 2018 December

Now you can have a conversation with your trash can because why not?

NEWS – Because it’s high time that trash receptacles should not only hold our garbage but should also open the lid when we ask, I give you the Sensor Can by Simplehuman. The Sensor Can is a 15.3 gallon (58L) trashcan that has two different ways that it can be opened without having to touch the lid. You can wave your hand over the lid to open it with motion, or you can just ask nicely by saying “Open Can” with your voice.

The ultra quiet motor will lift the lid and keep it open as long as you’re standing in front of the trashcan. It will then close it automatically.

Inside the Sensor Can are two separate compartments. The larger 34L side is for your trash and the 24L side has a lift out bucket for recyclables. This trash can from the future even has a handy holder for your trash bags. You can buy a Sensor Can from Simplehuman from Amazon for $249. I bet Oprah has one!

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Now you can have a conversation with your trash can because why not? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 8, 2018 at 9:23 am.

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Shure RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable review

REVIEW – Recently, I was invited to Chicago—a trip that allowed me and other tech writers/reviewers a chance to be the first to try out a new and updated Bluetooth cable from Shure—the RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable.

What is it?

This mouthful of a named cable is a simple device that can make any Shure earphone (or other brands with an MMCX connector) wireless. 

Specs

  • Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
  • Wireless range: 30 ft.
  • Integrated DAC and amp: Supports Qualcomm, aptX (HD and low latency), AAC, SBC codecs
  • Rechargeable battery life: 10 hours play time and 350 hours standby

Design and features

The Shure RMCE-BT2 is not much to look at, but don’t let its small size fool you. It measures about 3 in. X 1 in. and the thickness of a piece of cardboard. There’s a clip that lets the RMCE-BT2 attach to clothing. Its black color helps make it less noticeable, but a more interesting design form could make it cooler. Two left and right MMCX connector cables are attached at one end. The 13 in. length feels just right—neither too long or short.

The RMCE-BT2 is not just a Bluetooth transmitter. Inside, there’s a digital audio converter (DAC) with a dedicated amp. Rather than buying a ready-made DAC from a manufacturer, Shure developed it themselves which allowed them to tune the DAC to work best with their earphones. The same goes for the amp that Shure says was designed for high fidelity listening. Maybe that’s a bit of hyperbole, but I sure liked what I was hearing.

In Chicago, I was allowed to try out the RMCE-BT2 on different Shure models of earphones. After my return, I concentrated my testing on the Shure SE535 and SE846 as well as a pair of RHA CL1 earphones for testing. Since the CL1s have the MMCX connector, the fit was perfect so I would assume the RMCE-BT2 cable will fit any other brand with that type of connector.   

The RMCE-BT2 comes with the prerequisite volume/pause/skip buttons attached to the cable. Phone calls were easily understood by the person on the other end, although he did say that it wasn’t quite as clear as with Apple’s AirPods—those are indistinguishable from the iPhone itself.

It didn’t seem to matter which earphone I tried with the RMCE-BT2. They each exhibited the same sound signature either wired or wireless. The RMCE-BT2 has the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and you cannot hear any difference. Note that Bluetooth has had a checkered past and has only recently reached a level that can be called hi-def without snickering. In other words, Bluetooth has arrived.

My musical tastes are fairly eclectic—from Abba to Brian Eno to Russian Choral to Moody Blues. As I listened with the RMCE-BT2, I tried to detect any anomalies or less-than-desirable audio parts. The only issues I had were inherent in the original recording and not because of the RMCE-BT2.

If your musical selections are more on the bass side, the bass remains. If you prefer a brighter sound, that won’t change. That’s the point: Nothing changes. You can go wireless when it’s convenient, wired when it doesn’t matter.

Pairing with the new iPhone X Max was flawless and instantaneous. Android users can choose which Bluetooth codec they prefer. Apple iPhones won’t tell you what codec they are using (it won’t be any version of aptX), but usually it’s AAC.  Bluetooth range is rated at an unremarkable 30 ft. I was able to extend that by only a bit. I would have preferred a longer range, especially at the RMCE-BT2’s price.

Speaking of price, the RMCE-BT2 is expensive, but considering that it’s made for Shure earphones, it’s a seamless accessory.

What I like

The RMCE-BT2 adds freedom to earphones that are otherwise tethered and they do it with minimal fuss.

What needs to be improved

The design is meh. It’s a bit expensive.

Final Thoughts

The important thing to remember is not what the RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable does, but what it doesn’t do. It doesn’t make your music sound better, worse or different. It allows it to sound the same as it would when earphones are wired—and that’s as high a praise as can be given.    

Price: $149.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Shure.

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Shure RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 8, 2018 at 8:21 am.

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SCOUT versatile portable charger and the Archon invisible wireless charger – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

NEWS – This week we are bringing you information about two different crowdfunding campaigns that are currently running on Kickstarter and Indiegogo that will be of interest to anyone with gadgets that need to be charged.

SCOUT: World’s Most Versatile Charger

What is it?

SCOUT is a portable 10000mAh backup battery that has built-in cables for USB-C, lightning, and microUSB devices. There’s even a version of SCOUT that offers Qi wireless charging.

Why is it cool?

The SCOUT portable charger is cool because it has the cables that you need to connect it to your devices built right into the charger. You can also plug SCOUT directly into a wall outlet because it has a fold-out plug. If those features weren’t enough to get you interested, there’s also a version of the SCOUT charger that allows it to become a wireless charger. Just set your Qi-enabled device on top and it charges. It’s like a Swiss Army knife of portable chargers.

They sent me a pre-production version of the SCOUT Max (non-wireless charging version) and I like it a lot because it’s slim and built-in cables mean I have less stuff to take with me.

Where can I find more info?

The SCOUT campaign ends a month from now and as I’m writing this, they are less than $25 from reaching their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a SCOUT starting at $19. After the SCOUT campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in March 2019. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

Archon : The invisible wireless charger.

What is it?

Archon is a wireless charger that can attach to the bottom of a shelf or drawer to hide it from plain sight.

Why is it cool?

I think Archon is cool because you can hide it from view by mounting it under a table or shelf. It’s also cool that it is powerful enough to charge through a wooden, granite, quartz, glass, or plastic table, and thick device cases.

Where can I find more info?

The Archon campaign ends on 12/27/18 and they still working towards reaching their funding goal of $75,000. You can pre-order an Archon starting at $89. After the Archon campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in May 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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SCOUT versatile portable charger and the Archon invisible wireless charger – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2018 at 2:29 pm.

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SonarPen stylus review

REVIEW – Creating art on an iPad or an Android tablet is a lot easier if you do it with a stylus, but high-quality styluses tend to be expensive, use Bluetooth, and require frequent charging. The SonarPen skips past those issues, but is it a better choice than other styluses? Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The SonarPen is a pressure sensitive stylus for iOS and Android devices that plugs into the 3.5mm headphone jack instead of using Bluetooth for pairing.

Device compatibility

The SonarPen works with all iPads (except the 1st gen iPad), iPhones, and most Android devices that run on Android OS 4.4 and above. If the device doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, you’ll need to use an adapter like a lightning to 3.5mm adapter, or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

What’s in the box?

  • SonarPen stylus
  • 3 extra stylus tips
  • 1 lightning port stylus holder for iPads and iPhones
  • 1 stick on stylus holder for other devices

Design and features

The SonarPen looks like a typical stylus with a disc style tip, but you soon realize it’s not typical at all when you notice the flat cable with a 3.5mm plug that is built into the stylus.

The cable wraps conveniently around the handle the stylus when it’s not being used and unwraps to an approximate length of 19 inches from plug tip to the end of the stylus barrel.

As mentioned, the stylus has a clear plastic disc tip/nib that is approximately .25in across and can move freely in all directions. Three extra stylus tips are included in the package and you can purchase additional sets of 3 nibs for $14.95 from Amazon.

The stylus has a shortcut button on the barrel whose function is determined by the software being used with the stylus.

The SonarPen does not have to be charged or paired with your device. You just have to plug the 3.5mm plug into the headphone jack on your phone or tablet. If your phone doesn’t have a headphone jack, you can use a lightning or USB-C adapter to 3.5mm adapter.

I tested the SonarPen with my Pixel 2 XL, a Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, and a Huawei MediaPad M5. The only one of those three devices with a headphone jack was the Samsung tablet and the SonarPen worked perfectly with it. For the other two devices, I used a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. I’m sorry to say that I was unable to get the SonarPen stylus to work with my Pixel 2 XL, but it did work fine with the Huawei MediaPad M5.

App support

This stylus will work fine with any tablet or smartphone even if it’s not plugged in. But plugging it into a device and using an art program that supports it, is the only way you can take advantage of the different pressure levels and the shortcut button.

If you plan to use the SonarPen with an iOS device, you have a variety of app to choose from, but when I checked the compatible app page on the SonarPen site, I didn’t recognize any of the art and note-taking app names. Then when I checked the Android apps list, I was disappointed to see that only 1 compatible app was available. That app is called ArtFlow. It’s free, which is good, but it does have some features (extra brushes, more undo levels, etc.) that prompt you to buy the full version or watch an advertisement in order to unlock the premium features for a limited time.

Let’s draw!

Since I only had one choice, I tested the SonarPen with the ArtFlow app which is a pretty simple to use drawing and painting app for Android devices. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about this app as it’s not the point of this review.

Once the SonarPen was connected to the tablet and enabled in the compatible app, using it to draw and write felt no different than many other styluses that I’ve used in the past that have the same type of disk tip. The tip glides easily and smoothly across the glass display with no skipping or studdering and the “ink” point is directly under the center of the stylus tip instead of at an offset.

Where the SonarPen shines is with the pressure level feature as it makes you feel like you’re truly drawing or painting with a pen or brush on paper. The lighter you press the stylus on the display, the lighter the line and of course the harder you press, the heavier and thicker the line will be. There isn’t any info on exactly how many pressure levels the SonarPen can do, but they say it’s more than other styluses.

I’ve used Bluetooth styluses before and most of them feel laggy when drawing. That’s not the case with the SonarPen. The speed is just like an analog stylus. No lag at all that I noticed.

I was a bit bummed that the ArtFlow app that I had to use to test the SonarPen did not support palm rejection. That’s a feature I was really looking forward to trying and the SonarPen is supposed to support it.

What I like

  • Does not need to be charged
  • Does not need to be paired via Bluetooth
  • Comes with 3 extra tips
  • Provides many pressure levels and a shortcut button (in compatible apps)
  • No lag

What needs to be improved

  • Cable gets in the way
  • Doesn’t work with all devices (Pixel 2 XL)
  • Special features only available in a small selection of apps

Final thoughts

The SonarPen has some good things going for it like no charging and no Bluetooth pairing headaches. But I found that the attached cable got in the way a lot of the time. I also wasn’t thrilled with having only one choice of art app to use with it on the Android platform. I’m not sure I would feel any better if I were an iOS person as my favorite art apps on that platform aren’t supported (yet) either.

I think the SonarPen makes drawing feel more analog and true to life with the pressure level feather. The price is pretty nice too. As long as you don’t mind having to use a certain selection of apps with this stylus and you don’t think the cable will bother you, the SonarPen is worth trying.

Price: $34.50
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by SonarPen.

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SonarPen stylus review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2018 at 11:06 am.

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Forget bento lunchboxes! This BentoStack carries your Apple accessories and has a Qi charger, too!

NEWS – The nice thing about bento lunchboxes is that you can pack a lot of stuff in a small, organized container.  That approach has been applied to the Function 101 BentoStack Charge Travel Case with Qi charger.  This Apple accessories organizer has multiple layers that hold USA-type wall chargers, Apple Pencils, Watch bands, and other items.

The Charge model has two deep, divided compartments and two trays to hold items.

For example, in this stack you’ll see MacBook, iPad, and iPhone chargers, two cables, a Watch charging puck, and a set of AirPods in the deeper compartments.  The two trays hold two Watch bands and the Apple Pencil.  The lid is a 5000 mAh power bank and a certified Qi wireless charging pad that’s compatible with iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone X and newer, and there’s also a USB port for charging other devices that aren’t wirelessly chargeable.

The top tray can also be used as a phone stand when you aren’t storing your Pencil.

The BentoStack Charge is available in the gray seen in the top image at Amazon for $99.95; it is not eligible for free Prime shipping.  If you want to order directly from Function 101, you can get the BentoStack Charge in space gray, silver, or rose gold to fit USA-style chargers for $99.95.

If you don’t need the wireless charging, you can get the Function 101 BentoStack Organizer in space gray, silver, or rose gold to fit USA-style chargers for $49.95 at Amazon or at Function 101.

If you use Euro wall plugs, Function 101 also has the BentoStack and the BentoStack Charge available.  They also fit chargers used in Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and Latin America.

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Forget bento lunchboxes! This BentoStack carries your Apple accessories and has a Qi charger, too! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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