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MIOPS Smart controllable camera and flash trigger review

REVIEW – Each photographer has his or her own type of photography that is special to them. I like to photograph subjects in nature, and I also like to use existing objects to create my scenes. Water drop photography is a favorite of mine, and this device promises to greatly help me to expand my creativity.

What is it?

The MIOPS Smart is a device that responds to Lightning, Sound, Laser, Timelapse, HDR and more to trigger the shutter of a camera to take a picture.

What’s in the box


1 x MIOPS Smart
1 x Mini USB Cable
1 x Camera Trigger cable
1 x Quick Start Guide

Design and features

The MIOPS Smart is a small and nicely built camera shutter trigger that can be activated in several modes. On the front there is a display screen and buttons to navigate the screens should you choose to do so from the device. On the side under a removable cover, there is a port for extension DIY projects, a flash trigger port, a camera trigger port, and a mini USB port for charging the battery.


On the top, in addition to the control buttons and the display screen, there is the trigger LED, the power LED and the on/off power button.


On the front (side), there are an infrared sensor and a motion sensor lens.

On the back of the MIOPS Smart, there is a 1/4-20mm female mount that sits on a Hot Shoe mount, the microphone and a battery door that covers the slot that holds the rechargeable battery.


Performance

While you can control the MIOPS Smart via the buttons on the device, the optimal way to use it is via the app. It has several operational modes and setup screens that are available via the app.

App

Once you install the app and launch it, and turn on the MIOPS Smart, it appears on the app. If you have more than one MIOPS device turned on, they will all show up as available for selection.


Once you select the MIOPS Smart by touching the icon on the screen, it connects to the app and is ready to be controlled via the app. At this stage, all of the available modes and options are available on the left of the screen. (I used the app on my Pad for this demonstration)


Scenario option:

For example, you can create custom scenarios by combining all available modes with up to five different steps. You can do so by using any combination of the sensors or by using different sensors for various steps of your scenario. For instance, you may want the MIOPS to trigger the camera shutter to take a picture after an object breaks the laser beam and then makes a sound either from hitting a surface or by some other action.


Lightning option:

This option has one screen which gives you the ability to set the sensitivity level to trigger the device.


Sound option:

Settings for Sensitivity, Delay, and Lock.



Laser option:

Threshold, Delay and Frame settings screens.



Time Lapse option:

Settings for Interval, Exposure, and Limit



Bulb Ramping option:

There are 4 settings screens for this option: Interval; First Exposure; Last Exposure; Frame.




HDR option:
Settings screens are for: Center; EV (+-); Frame.



DIY option:
Settings screens: Threshold; Delay; Mode.



Cable Release option:

For my testing of the MIOPS Smart, I chose the sound option. I set up for water drop photography using the MIOPS Splash Water Drop Kit and the MIOPS Smart, within a photography lightbox enclosure. (Additional items like a catch basin for the water, etc are necessary)


The enclosure that I used does not have any built-in lighting. To light the effect, I used a flash strobe with a colored gel insert. To take the pictures, I used a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with a 70mm Sigma Art Macro Lens. The MIOPS Smart was connected to the 3-pin trigger port on the Canon and mounted close to the MIOPS Splash. A flash trigger transmitter was attached to the shoe on top of the camera, and a receiver was connected to the strobe. I used 2 iPhones to simultaneously control the MIOPS Splash app and the MIOPS Smart app. When I trigger the MIOPS Splash device to drop water, the mechanism makes a sound that in turn triggers the MIOPS Splash to trigger the camera shutter. This setup takes time and a whole lot of patience to get the size and timing of the waterdrops as desired, as well as to get the sensitivity and timing correct for the MIOPS Splash to receive the sound and trigger the camera to take the picture at the right time. This setup is actually one of my less complicated setups and describing the details of it is challenging.

The MIOPS Smart is a great device, and I do plan to try it with a laser beam for the laser option, as well as with lightning when a safe and convenient opportunity presents itself. The following are 2 pictures of water drops that were taken as a part of the testing:


What I like

I like the build quality and the functionality of this device. So far it has worked flawlessly and has allowed me to increase my photography creativity.

What can be improved

1: Longer camera trigger cables must be made available
2: Include a tested laser that works with the device. (They are quite inexpensive but all may not work with this device)

Final thoughts

The MIOPS Smart is a great camera trigger device that is nicely built, and that offers endless opportunities for creative photography. I am thoroughly enjoying using it, and every day I am designing more elaborate photo opportunities. As long as it continues to function well, it is well worth it.

Price: $219
Where to buy: MIOPS Website or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by MIOPS.

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MIOPS Smart controllable camera and flash trigger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2018 at 1:00 pm.

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This iPhone selfie case is made of recycled fishing nets and scrap aluminum

NEWS – The POPSICASE makes taking selfies with your iPhone just a little easier because the case features an aluminum handle that slides out from the back of the case. But that’s not the only thing that is cool about the POPSICASE. It’s also made from 100% recycled fishing nets and scrap aluminum. Why fishing nets you might be asking? Because according to POPSICASE, every year 1.28 billion pounds of fishing nets are discarded in our oceans, killing more than 365,000 whales, seals, turtles, and birds. Fishermen in 17 ports along the Mediterranean are doing their part to fix this problem by discarding their old nets into special recycle bins.

The Barcelona based POPSICASE company takes these old nets and converts them into plastic pellets that are then used to create POPSICASEs for iPhone 6, 6S, 7, 8, X as well as the larger sized iPhone Plus 6, 6S, 7 and 8.

These eco-friendly iPhone cases come in a variety of colors and are priced at 29.00€ which is about $34 US. You can read more about them and order one by visiting POPISCASE.com

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This iPhone selfie case is made of recycled fishing nets and scrap aluminum originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Well Desk Double Monitor standing desk review

REVIEW – I don’t know about you but I have seen a great influx in the number of convertible and standing desks at my office. This got me thinking. I wonder if I would like something like this? Julie offered to let me review the Double Monitor standing desk from Well Desk. Let’s dive into it and see what we think.

What is it?

The Well Desk is standing desk that is designed to help you be more ergonomic and burn more calories at work by standing. This desk like the name implies is made to hold 2 monitors for double duty while working.  The desk is designed to be easy to assemble and to be fully adjustable.

Design and assembly

In the box were the 4 pieces that make up that standing desk. Each was packed without any wrapping around them but none of my pieces had any damage. The biggest piece is the back of the desk which is made up of 3 pieces that are already assembled using screws and hinges. The entire desk is made out of Baltic Birch plywood and is really a high grade of plywood if you ask me. In fact, a colleague of mine asked where I got the plywood to make it because he wanted to make something with such nice plywood.

The first step in the easy assembly process is to add the rear monitor guard to the main legs of the desk. This will keep your monitors from falling off the back of the desk. Yeah, probably a pretty good thing! I would hate to lose a 24in monitor! Really, I would hate to have to explain to my boss why I need a new monitor!

The next step is to add the monitor and keyboard shelves and you are good to go! Then the fun part starts when you put your desk back together again. I think that it took all of 2 minutes to put together the Well Desk and that is probably a pretty long estimate.

This is one of the setups that I had using the desk. I tried several different setups to see what I might like better.  The two monitors on the top are 24-inch monitors and they fit well with only about an inch of each base sticking over the end of the monitor. Not enough to really worry about them falling off. I like to have my monitors pointed in for a more immersive environment. You can see that in this picture my mouse and keyboard fit nicely on the keyboard shelf with plenty of room to spare. You might have a bigger keyboard but I went with a Logitech K780 that Julie reviewed and I now enjoy. Thanks, Julie!

In this picture, you can see the cord cutouts to run cables to cut down on the crazy wires going everywhere. This is a nice feature. I have been trying lately to get my wires tamed at my desk.

This picture gives you a feel for the thickness and quality of the plywood. It is made up of 1/2 in. thick plywood. This makes the unit very sturdy.

One of the neat features of the Double Monitor Well Desk is the mobile device slots on both the keyboard and the monitor shelves. The original model of the Well Desk does not come with these slots. I found it very useful for holding my phone throughout the day. They also have holes cut out so that you can charge you phone while it is in the slot. You can also see the keyboard and mouse cord cutouts in this shot but I use wireless so I had no need for them.

Standing vs. sitting

This is my original setup before I started reviewing the Well Desk. I had the three external monitors that I was using and then the laptop display as well. A lot of the time I found myself getting very tired in the afternoon.

This is me standing at the desk after it was all set up and after a little engineering of the Well Desk. Well not on the desk itself but the setup of the monitors that I was using. I did find that in the afternoons while I was standing I did not get as groggy and tired as I had when I was sitting all day.

The Well Desk is not designed for sitting, but…

After some thought, I figured out that even though the Well Desk is not designed to be a convertible desk why not try anyway! So low and behold you can fit a 27 in. monitor very nicely under the monitor stand on the top. This was my way to help with the transition to standing a lot of the time. One can never have 2 many monitors or in my case 3 monitors!

The shelves are easy to move and only take a few seconds to move.  Because of the way the slots are cut they slide together easily without a lot of effort. I don’t think though that I would try moving the monitor shelf with two 24-inch monitors on the shelf. I have a feeling this might end badly!

What I like

  • Easy to Assemble
  • Very solid even with 2 heavy monitors on it
  • Quality materials

What needs to be improved

  • The corners of the shelves could be sharp depending on how you put your hand on them
  • For me being 6ft. 3in. tall, the top slot for the keyboard shelf was too short so I had to use the lowest slot for the monitor shelf which put me a little closer to the monitors than I would have liked

Final thoughts

The Double Monitor Well Desk is easy to put together and because it is not convertible, it is cheaper than most convertible desks. It is made of a high-quality plywood and seems like it will hold up very well. The desk is supposed to provide health benefits like burning more calories and reducing back pain. I would assume that this probably depends on the person using the device. I know for me, I started standing the majority of the day and ran into my back hurting but when I switched from sitting to standing throughout the day no problems. I have enjoyed using the Well Desk and will continue to use it at my office to see how it can help me long term. If you are looking to get a standing only desk then this would be a great and economical purchase.  You might want to think about it more if you are needing a convertible desk.

Price: $179.99
Where to buy: Well Desk and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Well Desk.

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Well Desk Double Monitor standing desk review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Go figure – ClassPad.net is a web based graphing calculator.

NEWS – Back in 2003, Casio released a stylus-based graphing calculator that featured a computer algebra system. It was a hybrid of the typical number pad calculator of the time and a PDA. The most recent version, the Casio fx-CG500, was introduced in 2017.  Casio has also made a web version on the website Classpad.net. This website is in beta-testing and includes a calculator, analytical geometry, graphing calculator, statistical operations, and commentary. The user interface is composed of boxes that contain calculations to be performed, statements to be graphed, geometries to be studied or values to be statistically analyzed. Related boxes are connected by spline curves as is typical of visual programming.

The greatest benefit of the software is its cross-platform capability and the ability for teachers and students to share problems and solutions with each other. The software still has some problems to work out as evidenced by the screenshot below. While “i” is on the entry keyboard, neither sqrt(-1) = i nor i^2=-1 is calculated. Also solve(7*x^5-3*x^4+2*x^2-25,x) only yields the one real root 1.34925, and doesn’t provide the 4 other imaginary ones. Also, adding or subtracting very large numbers does not provide the correct result, even when using the computer algebra system. The limit to the right on the screen shot below approaches zero as x becomes infinite.

One thing that I found perplexing is that there is no way to save the screen to pdf from within the program and no way to copy the algebraic forms from the paper. At least the statistical tables allow cut and paste from and to Excel, but not the statistical result.

While in beta the use of all of the site features is free, although at the end of beta handwriting recognition and the computer algebra system functionality may need to be purchased.

If you’re searching for a powerful cross-platform calculator or looking for a tool to teach math in a computer-rich academic environment, then the Casio ClassPad may be what you’re looking for. For more information visit ClassPad.net

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Go figure – ClassPad.net is a web based graphing calculator. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger review

REVIEW – All these personal devices make our lives easier, but they demand the juice, don’t they? Enter the portable charger, the market for which has exploded (thankfully figuratively, not literally).  I own and/or have reviewed a handful of portable chargers and I’ve been fairly happy with most of them, but the RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger has a fairly unique feature, a built-in wireless charger that can be used to charge Qi-enabled smartphones.  With a couple of the latest wireless charging capable iPhones in our household, I was excited to give the RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger a try.  Gadget on!

What is it?

The RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger is a compact portable charger that can charge devices via either wireless or wired means.

Hardware specs

  • Input: DC 5V/2A max (via Micro USB port)
  • Wireless Output: 5W max
  • iSmart 2.0 Output: 5V/2.4A max (via USB port)
  • Dimensions: 5.7 x 2.9 x 0.8 in / 14.6 x 7.4 x 2 cm
  • Compatible Models: iPhone X / 8 / 8 Plus, Samsung S9 / S9+ / S8 / S8+ / Note8/ S7/ S7 Edge/ S6 / S6 Edge+, and all Qi-enabled or Qi receiver-equipped devices.
  • Warranty: 30 Months – Get 18 months out of the box and extra 12 months by simply registering the wireless battery pack

What’s in the package?

  • RAVPower Wireless Portable Charger (Model: RP-PB081)
  • 2 ft / 0.6 m Micro USB Cable
  • Storage Pouch
  • User Guide

Design and features

First impressions: Compact size and shape, especially for a battery pack that has a 10,000 mAh capacity and can perform both wireless and wired charging.  The circle on the top dead center of the charger, seen in the image above, is the spot where wireless charging capable phones need to be placed.  More on this below.
I also like the slightly tacky, matte black look and feel, which looks cool and helps with gripping the device.

As mentioned above, this charger is a nice size, as seen in the image above.  It can easily be slipped into a backpack or purse, and even a fairly large pocket if need be.

This charger includes a drawstring pouch made of soft cloth for storage.  There is also a small pocket on the outside for cable storage.

When I removed the charger from its box and pressed the button on its end, two small blue LEDs out of four up.  This indicated the charger already had about half of its full battery capacity.

The next thing I did was plug the charger into a wall outlet to top it off to its full battery charge, as shown above.  RAVPower recommends that a 2.4 Amp AC wall charger be used to most quickly charge this device.

 

Upon plugging the charger into a 2.4A AC wall charger, a tiny red LED near the end of the charger lit up.  This indicated that the device itself was being charged via its input port, and turned off after 15 seconds.

It wasn’t long before a third of the four small blue LEDs lit up, indicating that the charger’s internal battery was charging.

Once I had the charger at full battery charge, the first thing I wanted to try was the wireless charging feature, which I did using my wife’s iPhone X.  I simply placed her iPhone X atop the charger.  This charger is compatible with any Qi-enabled wireless charge-capable device.  Its footprint is also roughly the same as an iPhone X’s footprint (thought it is also thicker).

Once I placed the iPhone X atop the charger, another tiny LED lit up and blinked, this one indicating that the charger detected that it was in contact with and charging a wireless-enabled device.  Once the iPhone X was fully charged, the green LED turned off.  Note that this LED flashes red if a non-wireless-charging capable device was placed upon it.

My wife’s iPhone X charged without incident atop the charger.  The charging speed wasn’t as quick as with a wired charging connection, but from my understanding that is typical with wireless charging.  Also, in these photos I am showing the charger with an iPhone X out of a case, but the charger was able to charge my wife’s iPhone X as well as my brother-in-law’s iPhone 8, each while within relatively thin, but not super thin cases.

I also rotated the iPhone X 90 degrees on the charger to see if it would still charge, and it did.  As long as the iPhone X’s center was fairly centered on the circle on the face of the charge, all was well.  Moving the iPhone X a bit off center would sever the wireless charging connection.

 

In addition to the wireless charging, I also evaluated the charger’s ability to charge two devices simultaneously.  In the image above, I have my wife’s iPhone X charging wirelessly atop the charger on the left, and my iPhone 6 Plus charging via cable connection on the right.  The USB output wired charging connection is iSmart 2.0 and can output 5V/2.4A max.  Note that sometimes the button on the charger had to be pressed to initiate charging of the phones, and other time this did not seem to be necessary and the phones began charging automatically as soon as they were sat on tip or plugged into the charger.

A few weeks prior to posting this review, I brought the RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger on a 2-week family trip across Europe and it performed well in general.  With long days of sightseeing, including using my iPhone 6 Plus’s browser to look up things, apps for directions and recommendations, and snapping hundreds of photos per day, this charger gave the extra boost I needed in the afternoons and evenings to keep my iPhone 6 Plus functioning.  Several times I used it to charge two iPhones at once, one wirelessly and one wired, and with its 10,000 mAh capacity, it continued to charge multiple devices for many hours.  At night, I would just plug in the charger and top off it battery again to be ready to use it the next day.  It also held up well to the abuse of being placed into and out of backpacks, purses, pockets and suitcases.  The one caveat is that once the charger was fully drained, I sometimes had a difficult time getting it to charge again.  It may have been the AC voltage and frequency difference between the USA and Europe, but some places that I tried to charge up the charger’s battery just did not work.  However, upon returning to the USA it has charged fine.

What I like

  • Simultaneous wireless and wired charging of two devices.
  • 10,000 mAh capacity will charge multiple devices for hours
  • Relatively small and compact size

What needs to be improved

  • Needing to push the button to initiate charging—this was inconsistent and as a result, I sometimes forgot to do it

Final thoughts

The RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger is a very useful and handy charging device.  It is sturdily built, fairly compact, can charge two devices simultaneously using its wireless and wired charging capabilities, and its 10,000 mAh capacity will charge devices for hours.  This is a nice little portable charger and I found it very useful.

Price: $41.99
Where to buy: RAVPower or Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by RAVPower.

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RAVPower 10,000mAh 5W Wireless Portable Charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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