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Find inner peace with this Buddha ice cube mold

NEWS – We’ve shown you lots of ways to cool your potent potables, including chilled stainless steel balls, but this is the first time we’ve featured an ice cube that may provide a Zen experience for you.  The Skaxi 3D Laughing Buddha Silicone Mold produces four ice cubes that will bring a new peace to an after-dinner drink.

The Buddha ice pieces are 3D, not flat pieces.  They are big enough that a single piece is sufficient for a couple fingers of whiskey.

The tray is made of high-quality, food-grade, BPA-free silicone material.  It’s dishwasher-safe, oven-safe to 400°F, and freeze-proof -40°F.  In addition to making ice, you can use the mold for molding chocolates or for baking.  It can even be used for molding soaps or bath bombs.

The Skaxi 3D Laughing Buddha Silicone Mold is $11.90 at Amazon.

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Find inner peace with this Buddha ice cube mold originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera review


REVIEW – These days, I frequently say that action cameras are “a dime a dozen”, so I was quite intrigued to review the ThiEYE T5 Edge camera which looks promising enough to seriously challenge the GoPro. Let’s see how it went.

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 ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera
1 x Waterproof Housing
1 x Additional Skeleton Backdoor
1 x Remote Control
1 x 360 Degree Rotating Release Buckle
! x 360 Degree Vertical Release Buckle
1 x Flat Adhesive Mount
1 x Curved Adhesive Mount
2 x Adhesive Stickers
2 x Anti-fog Inserts
1 x Battery
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Microfiber Cloth
1 x Cloth Bag
1 x Instruction Manual

Design and features

Manufacturer’s Specifications:


On the front of the camera, there is the 170-degree lens, the Power/Mode selection button, and 2 LEDs that light up blue to indicate recording status and Wi-Fi on/off status. On the back of the camera is the screen display that measures 1″ x 1.75″. The two LEDs on the bottom left of the back of the camera are the recording indicator and charging indicator. They light up blue when active.


On one of the short sides of the camera, there are 2 buttons to navigate up/down through the settings. On the opposite short side, there are 3 ports that accommodate the micro SD card, the micro USB power/charging cable, and a micro HDMI cable.


At the top of the camera is the Wi-Fi/selection button. At the bottom of the camera, there is a 1/4-20″ mount for tripods, monopods, etc, the battery compartment and battery cover. Inside of the battery compartment, there is the serial number sticker that is needed for firmware updates, but it is somewhat difficult to see the serial number.


Along with the camera, there is a remote control that connects to the camera via Bluetooth. It has 3 buttons on it that control turning its own power on, taking photos remotely and starting and stopping video recording. At the top of the logo on the remote is the microphone that allows you to say voice commands like “Action Start Recording” or “Action Photo”. The remote control is not waterproof.

App

The ThiEYE App and the camera connect via the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi. The app allows you to take pictures and video and change settings. The App’s screen presents the photo/video image from the perspective of the lens of the camera. Here are a few of the app screens:




Performance

Depressing the power button with a long press (4 seconds or more) turns the camera on/off. Once the camera is turned on, it is usually in video mode. Depressing the power button in short bursts switches between camera mode, video mode, and settings mode. On the settings screen, there are 4 choices that allow you to control the settings of the camera.

The two side up/down buttons let you toggle between the 4 choices and the Wi-Fi top button lets you select. The front power button also allows you to exit each settings screen.

The ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera works like most other action cameras and it has a lot of settings to control the recording and photo modes. The inclusion of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to allow remote control from both the included hardware remote control or the app is a great feature, and they both work well most of the time with the exception of the voice control. The instructions indicate that there may be a need to repeat your voice commands that are affected by and respond based on pronunciation. I guess the camera does not like how I speak because thus far I have not been able to get it to work for me. Otherwise, the handheld remote works well. When I tried the camera on my windshield mount as a dash cam, it worked a few times but on a hot day, it froze and could only be reset by removing the battery. I also experienced the “freezing” issue more than once when I was connected to my cell phone via Wi-Fi and I tried to disconnect by powering off the camera when I was done taking photos. When it was connected to the app, it froze on the camera’s W-Fi- screen and could only be reset by removing the battery. I did check their website to make sure that I have the latest firmware.


On another occasion, I decided to take pictures of fruit nicely arranged on a fruit cart. As you can see in the picture below, the camera froze. It was in picture mode and only on for about 10 minutes prior to that moment. I decided not to bother to take the picture since it would have required me to remove the housing and the battery at that moment to restart the camera.


Otherwise, the camera performed well, and the waterproof housing worked. When operating the camera with the waterproof housing installed, the buttons required a bit of extra effort to depress and engage the camera buttons.

Pictures:
(This one on the left was taken on a very stormy and cloudy morning and without in-camera correction. The one on the right was taken in the afternoon with in-camera correction)


(Downtown Brooklyn)


Video:

The quality of the video is good, even on an overcast and foggy day, and the in-camera stabilization and correction work well to produce nice footage.

What I like

  • The waterproof housing remains reliably sealed
  • The 4K footage
  • The remote control via the app and the included remote
  • The numerous customizable settings

What can be improved

  • The buggy software/hardware issue that causes the camera to freeze and stop working in random situations including heat when used as a dash cam
  • The ability to rotate the video in-camera
  • The buttons on the waterproof housing that require more than anticipated normal pressure to engage the buttons on the camera
  • The ability of the voice control to work with various voices and pronunciation

Final thoughts

When I first saw the physical appearance and specifications of the ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera, I was very eager to try it. My eagerness was also based on the previous various brands of similar action cameras that I have tested and been quite impressed with. This action camera includes really nice features that are very practical, but the few flaws are too effective to overlook. I missed several opportunities to take photos and videos because of the random freezing of the camera, and the fact that the only way to recover is to remove the housing and remove and replace the battery is simply unacceptable for me. The other issue of repeatedly speaking in a remote to use the voice function and being unsuccessful at it until my jaws were tired, sealed the deal for me. This is a camera with great promise, but unless the flaws can be adequately fixed, I will pass on recommending it.

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

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ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Monet grip adds 3-in-1 functionality to your smartphone

NEWS – There is a multitude of smartphone grips on the market today. The Monet 3-in-1 smartphone grip is just a little different. It not only acts as a grip for your smartphone but, it also doubles a wallet and kickstand.

Monet is made of leather and adheres to the back of your smartphone using a 3M adhesive backing that won’t leave residue when removed.

The slim profile wallet pocket is capable of holding up to 3 cards or cash. And the slide-out grip slides flat when your phone is in your pocket.

The grip can also be used as a convenient kickstand. Perfect for video calls or watching movies or videos.

Because the Monet 3-in1 grip is made of leather, it adds a bit of luxury to your phone. And it’s available in a bevy of different colors to match your phone or case. The colors include Dark Teal, Lilac, Peach, Steel Grey, and Underwater Blue.

The Monet 3-in-1 smartphone grip sells for $19.95 and is available on The Grommet.

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The Monet grip adds 3-in-1 functionality to your smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Rowkin Micro Touch wireless Bluetooth earbuds review

REVIEW – Back in January of this year, I reviewed the Rowkin’s Micro Wireless earbuds and liked them quite a bit. So I was happy when Rowkin recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing their latest Micro Touch Bluetooth earbuds. I didn’t hesitate to accept their offer because I thought newer meant that they would be even better than their previous version. Was my assumption correct? Let’s find out.

What is it?

Rowkin Micro Touch wireless Bluetooth 5.0/Bluetooth BLE earbuds are exactly what you would guess that they are. They are earbuds that connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth and don’t have a cable that connects the left earbud to the right earbud.

What’s in the box?

  • A Pair of Bluetooth Earbuds
  • Charging Case
  • USB Charging Cable
  • Ear Tips: Small, Medium, Large

Design and features

Except for a smaller battery charging case, the new Micro Touch earbuds do not look much different than the previous generation of Rowkin’s wireless earbuds. That is until you look closely at the earbuds. Then you notice that the small bullet style earbuds lack the multifunction button on the end of each bud. Instead, all you find is the Rowkin logo and a tiny LED.

The reason why these Bluetooth earbuds don’t have a physical button is that they are controlled by touch. All the features that were accessible by pressing the button on the older earbuds are now accessible by tapping, double tapping, triple tapping, and even touch and holding. But more about that in a minute.

Let’s get back to the battery case. As I mentioned earlier, the battery charging case that is included with the new Rowkin micro touch earbuds is smaller than the previous case. This black plastic case holds the earbuds in place with magnets and has a spring loaded cover.

I like the case except for two things. First, it’s a little difficult to remove the earbuds because only about a quarter inch or so of the earbuds stick out from the slots. If your fingertips are dry, it makes it tough to get a grip on the ends of the earbuds to extract them.

The other issue that I have with the battery charging case is that you can’t see through the lid on the case to see the charging status of the earbuds like you could with the previous case. You have to open the lid to check if the LEDs are pulsing red while charging or have turned off to mean that charging has completed.

Fit, comfort, and sound quality

As far as fit and comfort, the Micro Touch earbuds are no different than previous versions of Rowkin’s earbuds. If you tried them before and they didn’t work/fit in your ears, this new version will not be any different. For me, they fit pretty well except that I am never able to get a good seal on the right earbud due to something weird with the shape of my ear. If you can’t get a good seal then music will not sound as good. This is especially true for music with a lot of bass. Without a good seal in your ears, bass will be sorely lacking.

If you can get past the lack of bass, do they sound ok? Not really. I don’t have the previous version of the Rowkin earbuds to compare with, but from daily testing with Spotify, Google Music, Amazon music, YouTube, and Netflix, I have been disappointed in the sound quality of these earbuds. They just sound blah to me no matter what I listen to.

Don’t touch me there!

And then there are the touch features. That has to be cool right? Wrong. I hate them. Yes, that’s a strong thing to say but that’s how I feel. For one thing, when you have the earbuds in your ears, the touch-enabled surface can be partially blocked by your ear like it is for me (see image above). So, when I try to tap the earbud, I’m only able to tap half of it and the earbuds rarely recognize what I’m trying to do if it’s something other than toggling between play and pause.

Then there’s the fact that you’ll need to remember that some touch commands have to be performed on the left earbud and some on the right earbud. Here are the commands that are supposed to work.

It’s frustrating when you have to pull out your phone to skip to the next song while you’re working out because the touch controls don’t work and you look like a moron tapping your ear over and over again with no results.

What I like

  • Small size
  • Charging case

What needs to be improved

  • Sound quality is mediocre
  • Hard to remove earbuds from charging case
  • Touch controls don’t work very well

Final thoughts

I wondered if I was being overly negative while working on this review but was “happy” to find out that another person shares my feelings. Our own Bill Henderson happened to see the pictures for the review when he was working on one of his own posts and he emailed and asked me if I liked the Rowkin earbuds. I summed up my feelings with three words: they completely suck. Bill had similar feelings. Sorry Rowkin.

Price: $119.99
Where to buy: Rowkin and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Rowkin.

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Rowkin Micro Touch wireless Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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WaterField’s Tech Pocket is for the minimalist who carries only a small amount of gear

NEWS – Recently, we told you about the Tech Folio from WaterField.  It was one of the products of their Next Generation Gear Case community design project, in which WaterField surveyed many of their gear-loving customers to help them design gear bags that people actually want and can use.  The Tech Folio was a large pocket capable of holding a lot of gear, including a tablet.  The next product from the community design project is the Tech Pocket, which is designed for the minimalist who carries only a few tech items.

The Tech Pocket reminds me of WaterField’s Finn wallets in a way.  It, like the Finn, has a couple of interior pockets to hold smaller gear with an open center space to hold bigger items.  It measures 7.50” x 4.75″ and weighs 4.3 oz.  It organizes the small EDC items that don’t fit in your pockets in a pouch small enough to hand carry or stow in a larger bag as your organizer pouch.

The top of the bag opens like some coin purses I’ve seen, with two magnetic, hinged bars that bow open for access then snap shut and hold the bag closed.  Inside, the soft, plush, cashmere-like lining protects your gear.    A front zipper pocket gives easy access to earbuds or other often-used items.

Two loops on the ends allow you to attach a carabiner.  They can also be used to attach the Tech Pocket inside another bag or even to attach a shoulder strap.  It’s made of 1050-denier black ballistic nylon or of waxed canvas.

The Tech Pocket can be ordered today for $49.00.  It will ship by August 31.  Learn more at WaterField.

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WaterField’s Tech Pocket is for the minimalist who carries only a small amount of gear originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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