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Keurig’s new K-Café™ is a single-serve coffee, latte, and cappuccino maker

NEWS – A few years ago, I reviewed the Keurig 2.0 Model K550 coffee brewer.  That was soon after the Keurig company was purchased by the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters company and when the patent on the K-Cup coffee pod expired.  Because a coffee company had no interest in allowing other coffee companies to make supplies for their machines, Green Mountain tried phasing out the variety of brewers Keurig had developed and introduced a Keurig machine that would only brew when you used a proprietary, Keurig-branded pod.  Since Keurig lost their bid to stop people from using their own coffee in Keurig machines and relying on the sales of coffee pods, they’ve apparently gone back to developing new brewers with new functionality.  The Keurig K-Cafe Single-Serve Coffee, Latte, and Cappuccino Maker still makes single cups of coffee using K-Cup pods and even the My K-Cup pod that lets you use your own ground coffee, but it has added a milk-frothing function with a machine-washable frothing pot.

Features:

  • Coffee shot for specialty drinks: Press the SHOT button to brew a concentrated shot of coffee to make delicious hot or iced lattes and cappuccinos.
  • Dishwasher-safe frother: Froth fresh milk, including skim, soy, and almond. The frother is dishwasher-safe for easy clean up after use, and also features a COLD setting for cold frothed milk.
  • Strong brew:  Increase the strength and bold taste of your coffee.
  • 4 cup sizes: 6, 8, 10, and 12oz.
  • Large 60-oz water reservoir: Allows you to brew 6 cups before having to refill, saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. Removable reservoir makes refilling easy.
  • Smart start: Your coffee maker heats, then brews in one simple process. No need to wait for it to heat before selecting your cup size.
  • Energy efficient: Programmable auto off feature automatically turns your brewer off 2 hours after the last brew for energy savings.
  • Travel-mug friendly: Accommodates travel mugs up to 7.2” tall and is top rack dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
  • Compatible with the My K-Cup universal reusable coffee filter: Brew your own ground coffee (sold separately).
  • Brewer maintenance reminder: Alerts you when it is time to descale your coffee maker. Descaling is an important process that removes built-up calcium deposits, ensuring the best-tasting brew possible.

The Keurig K-Cafe Single-Serve Coffee, Latte, and Cappuccino Maker is $179.99, available exclusively at Amazon.

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Keurig’s new K-Café™ is a single-serve coffee, latte, and cappuccino maker originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2018 at 10:10 am.

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Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera review


REVIEW – Since the launch of the GoPro action cameras, many other companies continue to produce similar products with comparable features for much less of a purchase price. Here is the result of another similar action camera that I reviewed.

What is it:

This is a GoPro type 4K action camera that takes both video and photos using its 170-degree lens to provide high-resolution wide-angle footage.

What’s in the box

1 x Hawkeye 8SE Action Camera
1 x Waterproof Case
1 x Waterproof Case Front Cover Case
1 x Bicycle Stand
1 x J Base
4 x Strap
1 x Plastic Tie
1 x Long Connector with Screws
1 x Short Connector with Screws
1 x 1/4 inch Adapters Set
2 x Mounting Base
1 x Battery
2 x Adhesive Tape
1 x Metal Cable Tie
1 x Cleaning Cloth
1 x Lens Protection Frame
1 x Lens Protective Cover
1 x Microphone
3 x Stickers
1 x English User Manual

Design and features

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera is a normal styled action camera and it comes with its compatible waterproof housing. Just as with other GoPro style action cameras, it can be used in a variety of ways including as a dash cam, a surveillance camera, an aerial camera, a selfie camera, etc.


On the front of the camera on the left from top to bottom, there is a LED that lights green for photo mode and blue for video mode. Below the LED there is a circular selfie mirror. Below the selfie mirror is the power/mode button. On the back of the camera, there is the touch screen, the micro SD card slot, and the Playback button.


On one side of the camera, there are 2 up/down buttons to navigate through the settings and other screens. On the other side there a micro HD output jack and a mini USB power jack.


On the top of the camera there is the OK/selection button, and on the bottom, there is a 1/4-20″ threaded mount and the battery compartment and door.


Performance

Specifications:
Chipset: Ambarella A12S75
Chipset Name: Ambarella
Model: Firefly 8SE
Type: Sports Camera
Type of Camera: 4K
Max External Card Supported: TF 128G (not included)
Screen resolution: 320×240
Screen size: 2.0inch
Battery Capacity (mAh): 1200mAh Li-ion Battery
Battery Type: Built-in
Charge way: USB charge by PC
Charging Time: 2.5h
Standby time: 5h
Working Time: 1.33h
Lens Diameter: 12mm
Image Format: JPG
Video format: MP4
Video Resolution: 1080P (120fps),2.5K (60fps),2.7K (30fps),4K ( 3840 x 2160 ) 30FPS,720P (240fps)
Water Resistant: 20m underwater with the waterproof case
Waterproof: Yes
WIFI: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
WiFi Distance : 10m
Camera Timer: Yes
Anti-shake: Yes
Aerial Photography: Yes

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera works like most other action cameras and it has a lot of settings to control the recording and photo modes. The waterproof housing is, in fact, waterproof, and the buttons built into the housing work well to manage the controls. They do not require much extra effort to engage and are well placed. When the camera is not being used in the housing, the touch screen works very well and is very responsive. The settings screens offer much of the same in terms of functionality and capability, and I like that there is a “rotate” option that can be turned on when using the camera upside down such as when it is being used as a dash cam. The design features both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability to allow remote control from their app or an optional remote control (to be purchased separately). I am very impressed with their app, and its functionality, and it is just about the best I have seen so far. Here are some of the screens from the app:



Pictures: It takes clear pictures with the usual fiseye perspective.



Videos: I do like the quality of the videos even the one below from the smoggy underground railroad platform.

What I like

  • The size and built quality
  • The responsiveness of the buttons even when in the waterproof housing
  • The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Capability

What can be improved

  • The mini USB power jack should be changed to the more current and popular micro USB standard

Final thoughts

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera works very well and is really a nice GoPro alternative. While I am not a big fan of the fisheye view, the wide lens works very well. It is lightweight but feels well made and I do think that it is well priced. Unlike several other action cameras that I have tested so far, it has not responded negatively to being on my windshield in the direct sunlight, but that is not to say that it may not eventually do so. If you want a nice action camera with nice features to use in various relevant scenarios, this camera should meet most of your needs. It has handled my scenarios well, and since it comes with a nice collection of accessories, I still have a few more ideas yet to try.

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Gearbest
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Gearbest.

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Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Store your bicycle on the horns of a Longhorn

NEWS – The Longhorn Bicycle Rack is a whimsical piece of art for your walls when it’s not in use.  It’s a convenient rack to hang your bike out of the way when needed.  The Longhorn was created by Phillip Stone and is handmade in his Oregon workshop.  It’s crafted of Oregon fir, a vegan leather recycled bicycle seat, and aluminum road bike handlebars.  When hanging on the wall, the rack looks a bit like, and was inspired by, the head and horns of the Texas Longhorn cattle.

The rack mounts to the wall with two screws; be sure to screw it into a stud or use wall anchors.  It measures 12″ tall x 16″ wide x 9″ deep, and it can support a bike up to 65 pounds.  The Longhorn Bicycle Rack is $110.00 at UncommonGoods.

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Store your bicycle on the horns of a Longhorn originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank review

REVIEW – Voice in your Head: Here we go again, another portable charging solution.  Me: Ah, but this one has a bit of a twist.  The Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank has not only a solar panel for backup charging, but is also water-resistant.  Other products may offer one or the other of those features, but how well did Renogy combine them?  Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Renogy 10000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank is a water-resistant, shock-resistant and dustproof portable phone charger with a solar panel backup.

Hardware specs

  • Battery = 10,000mAh lithium battery
  • Dual USB output ports, 2.1A for tablets, 1.0A for phones
  • Micro USB input port
  • Water- and shock-resistant
  • Solar panel for backup charging
  • Dimensions = 5.4 x 2.9 x 0.6 inches
  • Weight = 8 ounces

What’s in the package?

The product packaging is shown in the photo above.

The photo above shows the contents of the package, which are as follows:

  • Renogy 10000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank
  • USB to Micro USB cable
  • Instruction booklet

Design and features

The very first thing I noticed above the device was its soft, matte finish, which felt very comfortable to the touch.   Additionally, a solar panel covers most of the top of the device, as seen in the photo above.

Also, despite it having a water-, shock- and dust-resistant case, the device had a nice size and relatively slim profile, and looked rugged.  In addition, each of the corners is built-up to provide additional shock- or drop-resistance.

The device is a nice size and fits well in my hand.  I also like the side notches as well as the scallops on the front and back.  All of these contribute to providing a bit more grip on the device.

The sides of the device have orange silicon panels which not only aid in grip, but also give it a bit of visibility.  Why is this useful?  Because I found myself digging around in the bottom of my EDC bag for this device on a couple of occasions when the lighting was sub-par, and the various orange silicon panels held me locate it.

There is a single push button-style power button along the side corner of the device.  It has the same orange silicone coating as described above, which contributes to the device’s water- and dust-resistance.  This button can be pressed to activate charging if it does not begin automatically when something is plugged into it, as I found occasionally happens.

The device is equipped with a light on the back, which is activated by holding down the Power button for a few seconds (see photo above).  Once illuminated, the light can be made to flash in an emergency strobe mode by holding down the button for another xx seconds.  Another press deactivates the light.  The light is bright enough for nearby, but not bright to light your way through a dark woods on a moonless night (it doesn’t throw light very far).

There is a small plastic clip on the back of the device.  Because it’s plastic, it looks and feels a bit flimsy.  I haven’t broken it (yet), but it feels as if it were flexed too far it would simply snap off.

The device’s power level indicator consists of a row of five tiny LEDs.  During charging, the LEDs illuminate to indicate charging status; when the LEDs turn off, the device is fully charged.

The device has a cover made from the same flexible orange silicone material as described above.  This cover protects all of the ports (see photo below) from dust, water splashes or perhaps even a light rain, but I have my doubts that it would protect the ports against a heavy rain and certainly not against full submersion, at least for very long.

As seen in the photo above, the device has two (2) USB output ports positioned to the left and right a single Micro USB input port. One of the USB output ports provides 2.1A for charging tablets while the other provides 1.0A for charging phones.  I like that it has two output ports to allow charging of two devices simultaneously, but there is no indicator as to which is the 2.1A and which is the 1.0A.  Frustrating.

The instruction booklet recommends that the devices primary charging method is via the micro USB input port (see included cable plugged into the input port in the photo above), which does charge the device faster than the solar panel.

The device’s instruction manual recommends solar charging as a backup/emergency charging method only, because it is slower than wall charging via the micro USB port.  However, I noted that the device basically charges any time the solar panel is exposed to a light source, whether it be direct sunlight or artificial light.  As with USB cable charging, when the device is turned toward a light source, the bank of LED lights illuminate to indicate charging status.

I used the device to charge both my wife’s iPhone X (pictured above) and my iPhone 6 Plus, and it charged both phones at a reasonable rate.  It also charged my Garmin Fenix 3 HR GPS watch without an issue.  However, this device does not include pass-through charging, meaning it cannot be used to charge a device while being charged itself.  This is a big minus for me as when I travel I often take a single portable power bank that has multiple USB ports and use it to charge multiple devices while I charge the power bank itself, rather than take several individual chargers.

What I like

  • Backup solar charging
  • Water-resistant
  • Light with emergency flash mode

What needs to be improved

  • No pass-through charging
  • No way to identify the 2.1A vs. 1.0A USB output ports

Final thoughts

The Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank is overall a well-built and useful piece of gear.  I like that I can toss it into my EDC ruck and have not only a backup power source for my devices, but the solar panel means I have an emergency source if necessary and also I don’t have to be as concerned about getting it wet or dropping it as I would be with devices that are less rugged. Overall, for its fairly unique feature set, its price of $20.99 seems like a pretty good deal.

Price: $20.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by Renogy.

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Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 26, 2018 at 10:57 am.

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Use the magic of Harry Potter to learn programming

NEWS – Kano who produces a variety of STEM kits for kids (and adults) to learn to build their own computers and learn to code have partnered with Warner Brothers to offer the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit. This kit allows kids to build their own wand and then use it to control onscreen objects and characters through 70 programming tasks inspired by the Wizarding World.

If you’re not already familiar with STEM, it stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and it’s a way to teach these important disciplines to kids and adults.

The wand in the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit uses a series of gestures that your iOS, Android, Mac and Windows PC will translate into commands to control objects in the Kano app while teaching basic programming fundamentals like IF/THEN logic, loops, variables, and more.

The Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit is priced at $99.99 and ships on October 1st, 2018. Head over to Kano.me or Amazon to pre-order.

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Use the magic of Harry Potter to learn programming originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 26, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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