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Charge your iPhone and Apple Watch in half the space with Twelve South

NEWS – Nightstands are usually small, so you need to maximize the usefulness of anything you keep on them.  The Twelve South HiRise Duet packs a lot of utility in a small footprint to earn its place there.  It charges your iPhone, charges your Apple Watch, and puts the Watch in Nightstand mode to serve as your alarm clock – all in a 3.5″ x 3.75″ footprint.

The HiRise Duet is made of metal with a Napa leather accent.  The Lightning charging cable and Apple Watch charging puck are integrated into the stand, so you won’t need to provide your own cables.  Up to 15W of power is provided to the chargers from a single AC power cable.  Twelve South says: “With 15-watts of Lightning Power, HiRise Duet charges your iPhone 40% faster than standard USB, and almost *twice* as fast as wireless.”

The height of the Lightning connector can be adjusted to accommodate most thin iPhone cases.  The Duet works with all iPhones all the way back to the iPhone 5; it can even charge Apple remotes and the Pencil, too.  The watch charger works with all generations and sizes of the Apple Watch.  Since it weighs about a pound, you won’t have to worry the stand will tip over when you try to interact with your iPhone as it charges or fumble to snooze the alarm.

Normally priced at $119.99, the HiRise Duet is currently only $99.99 at Twelve South.

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Charge your iPhone and Apple Watch in half the space with Twelve South originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 16, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Get your tiki on with the TikiTunes portable Bluetooth speaker

NEWS – Everyone knows that a tiki torch is a bamboo torch common in Tiki culture which is also a popular party decoration. But what the heck is a TikiTunes? TikiTunes is actually a portable 5-Watt indoor/outdoor Bluetooth speaker that looks like a tiki torch.

The speakers LED flame emits a flickering, atmospheric light just like the torches it’s named after. Perfect for setting the mood at your next outdoor party or just a cozy night in.

TikiTunes is powered by a rechargeable battery that provides 6 hours of continuous playtime from any compatible Bluetooth device. And the speaker has dual sync capabilities that allow you to connect two TikiTunes (try saying that five times fast) from a maximum distance of 30 feet for a true stereo sound.

Its small size allows you to place TikiTunes just about anywhere.

The speaker also has an IP65 rating meaning it’s both dust proof and water resistant. Making it perfect for both outdoor and indoor use.

The TikiTunes sells for $29.99 and is available on Amazon.

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Get your tiki on with the TikiTunes portable Bluetooth speaker originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 15, 2018 at 1:52 pm.

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Julie’s favorite gear, Click and Grow garden, Netwon Mail, and more – Review updates

REVIEW – It’s time to check back on a handful of our past reviews and articles that have been updated with new info. This is our way of letting you how well the products that we review stand the test of time weeks, months, and even years after we first brought you our reviews. The updates can be found at the bottom of each review linked below.

Julie’s favorite gear

Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 review by Julie Strietelmeier

iLife A8 robotic vacuum cleaner review by Julie Strietelmeier

Jarvis Farley will give you inspiration to turn your home into a smart one by Julie Strietelmeier

Newton Mail review by Julie Strietelmeier

Master & Dynamic MW60 wireless and MW50 wireless headphones review by Bill Henderson

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Julie’s favorite gear, Click and Grow garden, Netwon Mail, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 15, 2018 at 11:33 am.

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Archer and Olive release new notebooks

NEWS – I love a good notebook for my bullet journal. Specifically, one with a heavyweight paper (dot grid or plain) that has a smooth feel and is bright white. I discovered Archer and Olive on Instagram and fell in love with their constellation cover designs and super thick (160gsm) paper, so that I can use any type of medium – pen, marker or even paint! Their notebooks and sketchbooks come in sizes 5.5″ x 8.25″ and various covers with gold foil logos, along with flowery goodness. They’ve just released a new set of notebooks with a pen loop, lighter dot grid print, and wider size at 5.75″ x 8.25″.  If you’re looking for the perfect bullet journal notebook, I’d recommend checking out Archer and Olive. You can find out more on their website.

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Archer and Olive release new notebooks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 15, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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YEVO Air Bluetooth earbuds review


REVIEW – Here we go again on my earbud journey. I won’t repeat my intro from this continuing series on my quest for the best earbuds for my individual taste, but I have another opportunity to keep going with these, so let’s have some fun.

What is it?

The YEVO Air Bluetooth earbuds are a pair of wireless, Bluetooth lightweight earbuds with the usual charging case. They are auto-pairing, and they perform the standard audio functions including phone functions.

What’s in the box



1 x YEVO Air Bluetooth earbuds
1 x Charging Case
1 x Micro USB Cable
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

The YEVO Air Bluetooth earbuds come in attractive packaging and are safely packaged. Once you remove them from the packaging, you will notice that they are fully charged and ready to go. They automatically go into the auto-pairing mode and appear in the list of available Bluetooth devices on your mobile device. Pairing is quick and easy, and I was able to use the Ear Tips that were pre-installed and get to listening right away. I can confirm that these as stated, the contemporary YEVO Air design is engineered to stay comfortably in your ears.

Specifications:

Bluetooth: 4.2
Speaker size: 6 mm
Sensitivity: 93±3 dB
Impedance: 16Ω±15%
Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
Earbud type: Hands-free with Microphone
Play Time: 14 hours with the charge case
Charging: Micro USB, 1.5 hours charging time
Compatibility: Compatible with Android, iOS, OSX, and Windows
Compatibility: Hands-free with Microphone

Performance

Using the earbuds: (MFB = Multifunction button on the surface of each earbud)
On Left or Right Earbud:
Power On and Pairing: Press MFB for 2 secs
Power off: Press MFB for 4 secs
Power on and Reset Bluetooth: Press MFB for 10 secs

On Right Earbud:
To answer a call/ end call/ switch call: Tap MFB once
To reject a call: Double tap MFB
To transfer a call: Press MFB for 2 secs
To play/pause music: Tap MFB once
Next track: Double tap MFB
Previous track: Triple tap MFB
To switch to the next song: Double tap MFB
Siri / Google Voice: Press MFB for 2 secs

On Left Earbud:
Volume up: Tap MFB once
Volume down: Tap MFB twice

When you take the earbuds out of the case, they automatically connect to each other and the process like with all other functions is confirmed by voice command. The LEDs then flash blue as a confirmation of connectivity and status. Placing them back in the charging case disconnects them from the Bluetooth connection. The only other LED is a red LED on the back of the case next to the micro USB charging port. It lights up when charging the case and until it is fully charged.


These earbuds perform very well. Once again like some of the others I have tested, the sound is very good and clear, and the Lows, Mids, and Highs are all present and well balanced. Also as with some of the other earbuds, the maximum volume has a limiter so that you are never in danger of turning the volume up too high and damaging your hearing. However, I do wish that they could go a bit louder (Personal preference). They are very pleasing to listen to, and these have the best Bluetooth connectivity of all of the earbuds that I have tested so far. They even remained connected most times when I was within those geographical high interference areas that I mention in all of my earbud reviews.
They work quite well for phone conversations for me. This is notable if you have been following my reviews and know of my history of having issues with the other party not hearing me clearly with almost every earbud I have tested. It is also great that these earbuds allow phone use with either earbud. They are comfortable and are the most lightweight and best fitting I have experienced so far.


One issue that really bothers me is that there is no magnetic connection between the earbuds and the case. A few times when I opened the case and it was not level and fully upright, the earbuds fell out or almost fell out.

What I like

  • The stability of the Bluetooth Connection
  • The overall balanced sound
  • The size and fit
  • The build quality

What can be improved

  • The earbuds need to have a magnetic connection with the charging case to prevent them from accidentally falling.

Final thoughts

To date, I have tested and reviewed several earbuds, and I must say that these  YEVO Air Bluetooth earbuds have earned a spot at the top of my list, or at least tied for first place. With all of the innovation going on these days with earbud design and capabilities, I have no doubt that its pole position will soon be challenged. However, until then, this solid performer will hang out with me every day. Well done!!

Price: $129
Where to buy: The Yevo Labs website.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Yevo.

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YEVO Air Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 15, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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