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TicWatch Pro smartwatch review

I enjoy looking at watches and reading about watches, but I don’t actually wear a watch. Weird right? I used to wear a watch every day but that was back before smartphones. Now I don’t really need one. Or do I? That’s a question I planned to answer by reviewing the TicWatch Pro from Mobvoi. For the answer to that question, keep reading.

What is it?

The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro is a smartwatch powered by Google’s Wear OS that runs for 5-30 days on a single charge due to it utilizing two different display technologies which are layered on the watch face.

What’s in the box?

TicWatch Pro smartwatch
TicWatch Pro Charge Dock
User Manual

Hardware Specs

Operating System: Wear OS by Google™
Dimensions: D45mm x 14.6mm
Display: 1.39” AMOLED 400 x 400 + FSTN display
Chipset Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100
Memory RAM: 512MB / Storage: 4GB
GPS / AGPS
NFC payments: Google Pay™
Connectivity: Bluetooth: 4.2 / Wi-Fi: 802.11bgn 2.4GHz
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Magnetic Sensor, PPG Heart Rate sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Low Latency Off-Body Sensor
Battery and Charging Capacity：415mAH Charging method: Dock with USB cable
Battery Life Smart Mode: 2 days;
Essential Mode: 30 days
Mixed usage: between 5-30 days
Water and Dust Resistance: IP68

Design and features

The TicWatch Pro is available in two colors. A silver and black version like the one that was sent to me and is shown above, and an all-black version. I think the silver and black version is a nice looking premium smartwatch. Most of the silver metal part has a brushed finish and the nylon and glass fiber black part has a matte finish, so you won’t have to worry too much about fingerprints and smudges.

The smartwatch comes with a 22mm leather and silicone buckle style wrist strap that is easy to use and comfortable to wear. As you can see from the image above, the TicWatch Pro swallows my puny wrist, so it’s not the most flattering watch for women. It’s also chunky and heavy. But even so, I wore it for a couple of weeks and didn’t notice the weight and bulk most of the time.

The back of the watch has a built-in heart rate sensor in the center and electrical contacts on the edge for the included charger. There’s also a speaker on the back of the watch near the connection point for the left side of the watch band (non-buckle end).

There are two large easy to press buttons on the side of the watch. The top button is the power button, voice assistant activation button, and app list view button. The bottom button can be programmed to launch a favorite app when pressed once, double-clicking the button launches the payment app, or pressing and holding the button will launch the shortcut menu.

The tiny hole between the two buttons is the TicWatch Pro’s built-in microphone.

The TicWatch Pro’s most notable feature is its dual-layer AMOLED/FSTN display that enables you to continue to use this watch even after the battery is too low to power the watch in Smart mode. A typical smartwatch can be used for a little over 2 days before you have to charge it. But with the TicWatch Pro, you can continue using this watch in what Mobvoi calls Essential mode for an additional 27 days.

Of course, you won’t be able to interact with the Wear OS apps when the watch is in Essential mode, but it will still function as a regular watch with a step/activity counter and a heart rate sensor. So it doesn’t turn into a totally “dumb” watch when it switches to Essential mode.

Charging the TicWatch Pro is quick and easy with the included magnetic charger. Just click it in place and it recharges to 100% in about 2 hours.

Here’s the watch in idle/Essential mode. It looks like a “dumb” LCD watch with an always-on display that shows the time, date, and step count. Pressing the button on the side while in Essential mode will turn on the heart rate sensor and will show your current heart rate above the time.

When the battery has enough juice, it will operate in Smart mode which will show the AMOLED display in full color when you either press one of the buttons on the side of the phone or tilt your wrist to see the watch face.

A swipe across the watch face from left to right will let you choose from a variety of watch faces like the ones you see here.

You can find more watch faces by using the Wear OS app on your phone.

Swiping the watch face from top to bottom will show the settings icons and will let you see the battery capacity if the watch face you’re using doesn’t already show that info.

Clicking the top button on the side of the watch will bring up the app list that you can scroll through to launch the apps that you install through your Android phone on to the watch. Pressing the top button while you’re in an app will exit back to the main clock screen.

When notifications pop up on your phone, your watch will vibrate so you don’t have to take your phone out of your pocket to see the notification. Just swipe up from the bottom of the watch face to scroll through the notifications from apps, text messages, etc. You can even interact with text messages and read emails, etc. You can swipe individual notifications away to remove them, or you can scroll through all of the notifications and click the Clear All button to remove all of them at once.

It’s probably obvious that due to the small size of the watch face, that you’re not going to want to read all your emails on the watch. But it’s handy to be able to have that option if you can’t get access to your phone for some reason.

Mobvoi App

To use the TicWatch Pro you’ll need an Android smartphone and you’ll need to install the Wear OS app on that phone. But you’re also required to install the Mobvoi app which is kind of weird because the app really doesn’t offer much functionality at all.

It will let you see your fitness data and it has an online storefront if you want to buy other Mobvoi products, but other than that, it’s pretty meh. There is a Routines option that seems to allow you to create some automation macros, but from what I could tell, it doesn’t work yet.

Making and receiving calls with the TicWatch Pro

Yes, you can use this watch to make and receive phone calls. Of course, you have to have your smartphone in your pocket to do this because the watch is just acting as a hands-free Bluetooth speakerphone. How’s the sound quality? The sound quality isn’t horrible but let’s just say I am not going to be using it for calls on a regular basis.  Mainly because I’d look like a dork talking to my wrist. But, if your phone is on your desk and you’re a short distance away when a call comes in, it does work just fine in a pinch.

Other ways to use the watch for more than checking the time

  • Read notifications
  • Check alarms
  • Listen to music with paired Bluetooth earbuds without needing your phone
  • Use it as a fitness tracker with built-in GPS features

Battery life

I’ve tested the Smart mode battery life a few times so far with this watch and am finding that it lasts around 2 – 2.5 days. After that, the watch will automatically change over to Essential mode. Mobvoi says that the watch will work in Essential mode for an additional 27 days or so for a total of 30 days of use on one full charge.

What I like

  • Doesn’t become useless once the battery is too low to power the smartwatch functions
  • Can be used up to 30 days before charging
  • Even in Essential mode, the watch still offers a few smart features like activity tracking and heart rate sensor

What needs to be improved

  • Mobvoi app isn’t useful
  • Notifications don’t show up in the Essential mode

Final thoughts

I think most people are in one of two camps. They are either in the smartwatches are awesome camp or they are in the why do we need a smartwatch when we already have a smartphone camp. Which camp am I in? I’m still in the why do we need a smartwatch camp. I’d rather just pull my phone out of my back pocket and interact with it instead of a watch on my wrist because it’s much easier to interact with the larger touch display on a phone vs. a watch.

But hold on a sec… let me say that I do like the TicWatch Pro smartwatch quite a bit. I liked using the TicWatch Pro with the Google Keep app while shopping for groceries because having the watch on my wrist to tick off items is more convenient to use than my phone. I also like using it to check the time while in a theater or while talking to someone as it isn’t as conspicuous as using a big smartphone. I also like using it to check notifications while on a daily walk.

If I was in the market for a Wear OS smartwatch, I would seriously consider the TicWatch Pro over other brands for the main reason that it is still quite useful as a regular watch (with extra features) even after the battery is too low to use the smartwatch features.

Price: $249.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mobvoi.

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TicWatch Pro smartwatch review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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The Palmpress puts hand-brewed coffee in the palm of your hand

They’re any number of ways to make a fresh cup of coffee these days. If you’re like me, an old-fashioned drip coffee maker does the trick. But I’ve often heard that the best way to make a cup of coffee is to use a press. The Palmpress single-serve coffee press is a portable take on the traditional coffee press.

Palmpress is a reusable, easy-to-use personal coffee press that lets you make hand brewed craft coffee at home or anywhere you want. And it does it one cup at a time.

Just fill the Palmpress with medium grind coffee and hot water. Wait 3-minutes, set on your favorite coffee mug filter-side down and gently press to extract coffee. Voila, fresh hand-poured coffee that would make a barista proud.

The reusable eco-friendly design means no more messy filters or disposable pods.

And Palmpress is easy to clean. It completely disassembles for a thorough cleaning and is even dishwasher safe.

The Palmpress single-serve coffee press is available on The Grommet for $39.

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The Palmpress puts hand-brewed coffee in the palm of your hand originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Douni A5 Bluetooth speaker review


REVIEW – Each day, my life always seems to be very hectic, and I have to be very proactive and create a moment to rest and relax and to unwind. Music is “the medicine for my soul” and if I cannot use earbuds, a Bluetooth speaker is often the perfect alternative. Each night, I like to fall asleep to my favorite music on Pandora, but I find it very uncomfortable to sleep with headphones or earbuds. A Bluetooth speaker on the nightstand is my solution.

What is it?

The Douni A5 Bluetooth speaker is a 25-watt Bluetooth speaker that also supports hands-free 2-way phone conversations including the ability to answer and hang up. It also supports its use as a wired speaker via its auxiliary port.

What’s in the box?


1 x Douni A5 Bluetooth Speaker
1 x AC Power Adapter
1 x Audio cable
1 x User Manual

Design and features

This Douni A5 speaker has a nice rich and clear sound with nice rounded bass. The well-rounded sound is produced via two 12.5 Watt speakers and sounds much like surround sound style speakers and without any distortion. The built-in 6600mAh battery not only makes it portable but allows it to play music for up to 12 hours depending on the level of the volume. It has a good wireless range of up to 66 feet and pairing is simple and automatic, including the initial pairing process. If you have a NFC compatible device, you can tap the check-in area at the top right of the controls to connect your phone, after you have performed the initial pairing function. The built-in microphone produces clear calls for both parties on the phone, and as a bonus, Siri is supported for iPhone users. If you are using the speaker at night and in the dark like I do, there is a thermal sensor across the top of the speaker that activates the buttons backlights when it detects the heat from your hands. Douni stands behind this product by including a one year warranty.

Layout

On the side of the speaker where the ports are located, from left to right there is an Aux-in port, and Aux out port, the DC in port, the USB jack for charging from the power bank, and the reset button.



On the top of the speaker from left to right are the following buttons: power, Bluetooth, call answer/hangup, track backward, play and pause, track forward, volume decrease, volume increase.

When the speaker is powered on there are indicator lights on the top left that show power, charge level,  and Bluetooth on/off. The Aux LED only lights when a device is plugged into the auxiliary port. In the top right corner, there is the NFC icon that indicates the NFC area to tap for connecting NFC enables phones/devices.



At the bottom of the speaker, there are 2 holes and 2 contacts that are used for mounting to the optional wireless charging base and connecting to it.

Performance

As soon as I took this Bluetooth speaker out of the box, I had a good feeling about it. It has a hefty and sturdy feel to it and overall it just feels like quality. I plugged it in to charge with the AC adapter, and when I returned in a couple of hours I pressed the power button and it turned on and all of the buttons lit up. The green power LED, and the 3 orange charge level indicated that it ready to go. I pressed the Bluetooth button and it lit up blue and when I checked my Bluetooth settings on my phone, the A5 was available and ready for pairing. It connected with ease, and the speaker confirmed the connection status with a voice command. I then navigated on my phone to the Pandora app and hit play. I am truly impressed with the sound of this speaker, and even more so at night when there is little or no ambient sound and I get to really appreciate the quality of the sound that this speaker provides. I also tested the phone function for answering, hanging up and conversing, and all worked well. I use the Douni A5 every night when I go to bed, and I just simply plug my iPhone USB charging cable into the USB jack on the speaker and when I get up in the morning, I have a fully charged phone. The Aux in feature works well for non-Bluetooth audio devices. I have not yet found any use for the Aux out feature.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The auxiliary jack option
  • The USB charging option
  • The really nice sound
  • The built-in long-lasting battery

What can be improved

  • The wireless charging dock should be included
  • Built-in QI wireless charging would make this speaker perfect

Final thoughts

The Douni A5 Bluetooth speaker is one of the best of its kind that I have tested. It is really well built and has a feel of quality. The sound quality is great and it is loud enough for use indoors in any room. Being able to move around the room and have a clear phone conversation is a plus and the ability to have your phone being charged via the speaker while doing so, is very convenient. While I continue to stress that sound and convenience are all individually subjective dynamics, I do believe that most will like this speaker. I give it a big thumbs up!!

Price: $64.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was supplied by Douni.

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Douni A5 Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Today only! 20% off EVERYTHING on The Grommet

DEAL – We post about a lot of products from The Grommet because they offer a wide variety of unique gadgets and interesting products from local makers and small businesses that we think you’ll want to know about. But this news post isn’t about a cool new product that they are selling. It’s about a sale for today only for 20% off of everything as a way to celebrate National Thank You day just a bit early. Why is that newsworthy? Because The Grommet almost never has sales, that’s why! So here are the details that you need to know:

-20% off sitewide for Grommet subscribers (free and easy to subscribe)
-No product exclusions
-Free shipping on orders over $50
-Grommet Perk members can stack their 10% discount on top of today’s %20 discount
-One day only (9/12/18)

Head over to The Grommet to shop.

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Today only! 20% off EVERYTHING on The Grommet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2018 at 8:30 am.

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Organize your shower with simplehuman

NEWS – Living in a house built in the 1960s, you realize how much less people seemed to use in their daily lives than we use now.  For example, both our walk-in shower and our bathtub/shower have only a single soap dish each.  Other than the rim of the bathtub itself, there’s no place to store all the body wash, soap, shampoo, and conditioner that each member of my family uses.  Since our previous house had been built in the 1950s, we were already aware of the lack of shower storage space, and we already knew how to fix it.  We simply bought a new simplehuman Tension Shower Caddy for each bathroom – and left behind the one we had been using at our old house for the next people to use.

The simplehuman Tension Shower Caddy is made of stainless steel and anodized aluminum for rust-proofing.  The reinforced aluminum pole has a high-compression spring that adjusts to securely fit spaces 6 feet to 9 feet tall.  There are three stainless shelves and a towel or washcloth hanger that can be spaced on the pole as you like.  In addition to plenty of room for shampoo or body wash, the shelves also have a soap dish, a razor hanger, toothbrush hanger, and cutouts so you can store bottles upside down for easy dispensing.

We’ve had the two simplehuman shower caddies in our condo for the five years we’ve lived here.  There’s not a speck of rust on them, and they look as good and work as well as they did when we took them out of the box.  If you are in need of some organization and extra storage in your shower, check them out for yourself.

The simplehuman Tension Shower Caddy was available at our local Bed, Bath, and Beyond when we got ours.  You can also purchase them at Amazon for $129.99 or at the simplehuman website for $130.00.

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Organize your shower with simplehuman originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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