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The Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is the new beast in their lineup!

As the excitement and curiosity continue to build around Sigma’s release of its new Art series lenses, there is another lens in their lineup that catches my attention.

At first glance, the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens looks like a beast of a lens.
It is a fast f 1.4 Lens that should perform amazingly well in low light, and according to Sigma’s specifications, should allow for great control over the depth of field. Dubbed the “Bokeh Master” by Sigma, this short telephoto prime lens is designed for high-resolution rendering, and along with its Hyper Sonic Motor should produce quick, smooth, and quiet autofocus, while still allowing full-time manual focus override. According to Sigma, “the large 105mm-diameter front contributes to improved peripheral illumination, in order to reduce vignetting.” The lens comes with a removable rotating Arca-Type tripod collar and foot and it is compatible with Sigma USB dock.

If you are interested in the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens, you can head over the B&H Photo Video and sign up to be notified when it becomes available. The lens will be initially offered in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. The price is yet to be announced.

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The Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is the new beast in their lineup! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 30, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Expand your Philips Hue system at a price that won’t break the bank

I’ve mentioned that I’ve got Philips Hue bulbs in almost all my lights in my condo now.  I’ll admit my setup was very expensive, and I spread the purchases out over about four years.  Prices started out at about $50 per bulb for the original color-changing bulbs, then they introduced some white-only bulbs, which were about $25/each as I recall.  The best price I recall paying for any of my bulbs was about $15 each for white-only.  But now Philips is offering a box with four Hue white-only bulbs for $42.49.  That’s about $10.62 per bulb!

The bulbs are the white A19 60W-equivalent, dimmable LED smart bulbs.  The bulbs use 9.5W to produce 840 lumens at 2700K, so they are soft-white bulbs – not color-changing.  Of course, you’ll need to provide a Hue bridge to use these smart bulbs.  And like all Philips Hue products, they are controllable with Amazon Echo devices, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Nest, IFTTT, and iOS and Android apps.

The Philips Hue White A19 60W Equivalent Dimmable LED Smart Light Bulb 4-Pack is $42.49 at Amazon.

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Expand your Philips Hue system at a price that won’t break the bank originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 30, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Rocketbook Mini Everlast Notebook review

Note takers, rejoice! Now you can have your old-school notebook AND the convenience of digitizing your hand written brilliance… and you’ll never have to kill another tree again. What sorcery is this? It’s Rocketbook. Let’s check it out!

What is it?

It’s a pocket-sized erasable and reusable notebook that, when paired with the Rocketbook app, enables you to scan and upload your note pages to your favorite cloud services.

Hardware specs

  • 3.5” by 4.6” notepad
  • Synthetic blend paper
  • Erasable and reusable
  • Pre-printed smart grid pattern on all pages

What’s in the box?

The Rocketbook Mini Everlast Notebook is now available on Indiegogo in a variety of packages. My sample came with the notebook, a black FriXion pen, and a microfiber towel.

Design and features

The Rocketbook Mini Everlast looks and feels like a traditional paper notebook, but the pages are actually made from a synthetic blend that repels water and is very difficult to rip or tear (I know. I tried). Thick covers and a heavy plastic coil binding make this a deceptively tough little notepad. It’s been kicking around as part of my daily kit for a month now with no signs of wear and tear other than a few random scratches.

Erasable pages

The key feature to the Rocketbook Mini Everlast is it’s erasability and re-use. Designed specifically for use with Pilot’s FriXion pens, the ink bonds to the pages after about 15 seconds. 

To erase, you add a bit of water and wipe down the page. Once it dries, you’re good to add more notes. Theoretically, you could reuse the pages an infinite number of times. I did notice that a bit of residue can build up on the pages. A thorough scrub takes care of the worst of it. Since the notebook is waterproof, you could do this in the sink.

The notebook has 24 double-sided pages that give you plenty of room for notes, to-do lists, sketches and scribbles before needing to erase anything. I did see some ink bleed-through when using both sides because the pages are slightly transparent, so I’d probably just use one side at a time for my notes.

One note about the ink: when Rocketbook says 15 seconds to dry, they mean it. The FleXion ink smudges rather easily, so so you’ll want to be patient before flipping the page. Something to keep in mind if you are trying to take rapid-fire notes.

Digitizing your notes

The Rocketbook Mini Everlast is designed for easy scan and upload of your pages using the Rocketbook smartphone app. Tap “new scan” to access your camera, and position your phone over the desired page. The app uses the pre-printed black frame & QR code on each page to align and scan your notes. Wave your camera over the page to position it for automatic scanning:

When completed, the scanned image is saved to the app. You can tweak the settings for scan quality, but I found it to do a great job right out of the box:

You can then send your page (or pages) to an e-mail address, an iOS message, or an assortment of cloud-based services like Google Drive, Evernote, or iCloud. The Rocketbook web site has a complete list of compatible services; add your login information to the setup and the app will store the info for future use.

You can customize the file format for each destination as a JPEG or PDF. You can also set preferences for sending bundle scans or even make animated GIFs from a series of scans. I sent this scan to my Gmail account as a PDF:

The Rocketbook app is set up with 8 different icons, one for each preset destination. You can use the cheat sheet on the inside cover to remember what your destinations and settings are:

The best thing about the app is that it’s an easy system to learn and use. The scan alignment feature saves fighting with your camera to get a clean shot of your notes, and you can send off your scans with a couple of quick taps. You can drop a day’s worth of notes and have them scanned and shipped in a few minutes.

Performance notes & use cases

I see the Rocketbook Everlast Mini as a bridge for those of us who like old-school note taking but want the ability to digitize our work on demand. Yes, you could always just take pics with your smartphone camera from any old notebook… but the well-integrated Rocketbook app adds an extra level of convenience and usability that some might find more useful.

If you’re a heavy note taker, however, you may find that the form factor here is not to your liking. The pocket-sized Everlast Mini really caters towards jotting down quick thoughts and scribbles, and the need to wait for the ink to dry does take away the speed factor. Rocketbook does make a full-sized version of this notebook that would cater to those taking extensive meeting notes, and the full-sized pages allow for a bit more time to let that ink dry before you have to flip your pages. If you like the idea of an erasable notebook but need more room to write you may want to consider the larger size. Check out the Rocketbook web site for more information.

What I like

  • Endlessly erasable format saves paper (and collecting old notebooks)
  • Durable design
  • Seamless integration with the Rocketbook app
  • Quick, easy ability to send your notes to multiple destinations

What needs to be improved

  • Waiting for the ink to dry may not work for you if you are taking rapid-fire notes

Final thoughts

The Rocketbook Everlast Mini Notebook is a clever piece of design that solves multiple problems for old school pen and ink note takers. The durable erasable pages can be used repeatedly. The app, while simple, is well-integrated with the notebook and has nice usability. It’s also offered at a really nice starting price point ($16 for the starter kit) if you want to test one out yourself. Just consider your intended use to see if it might work for you.

Price: The Rocketbook Everlast Mini is currently being offered through an Indiegogo campaign starting at $16. This kit includes the notebook, a FleXion pen, the microfiber towel, and a pen holder that attaches to the notebook. Other options are also available. Shipping begins in July 2018.
Where to buy: Check out the Indiegogo page for more information.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Rocketbook.

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Rocketbook Mini Everlast Notebook review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2018 at 7:46 pm.

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The Studpop Magnetic Stud Finder nails it every time


One of the inherent talents that I have is the ability to be a handyman. For years I have worked on small fixes around the house, all the way up to bigger projects like constructing rooms in houses, including the framing, installing insulation, installing drywall, and hanging doors. I have a decent collection of hand tools, and power tools, so that I am always at the ready for the normal and infamous “honey do” list. I no longer regularly search the internet for tools, but I do get emails from companies that make tools and from time to time, I will take a closer look rather than just delete them after a glance.

Today I received just such an email, and I was intrigued to see the Studpop Magnetic Stud Finder. It is a simple but unique stud finder that unlike the stud finders that I own, it does not use batteries. It has a built-in popper that works with its built-in magnet to pop out whenever it detects a metal stud. The manufacturer claims that it works on sheetrock, plaster, tile, and lath. All you have to do when looking for a wall stud is to slide it along the wall just like you would an electronic stud finder. It is just that simple.

If you are intrigued by this design and would like to purchase one, you head over to Amazon and pick one up for $10.95.

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The Studpop Magnetic Stud Finder nails it every time originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Save the Earth – recycle your chewing gum!

Some inconsiderate gum-chewers spit out their chewed gum on sidewalks or floors or stick it on furniture, where it always ends up on somebody’s shoe or on their clothing.  It reportedly costs UK city councils £150 million pounds a year to remove chewing gum litter from their streets.  I don’t know if there’s a gum removal squad in my city, but I’m sure cleaning up gum in businesses in the area is an extra chore the cleaning staff doesn’t want or need.  And even when it’s tossed out in a garbage can, the gum just adds to the landfill.  Did you know that chewing gum can be recycled?  I’m pretty sure that gum isn’t on the recyclables list in Greensboro, but if I had a Gumdrop On-the-Go keychain fob, I could cleanly collect my used gum and send it off to a company that does recycle it.

Gumdrop LTD, a UK company, has a method to recycle used gum into a product called Gum-tec® that can be used to make products from wellington boots, to mobile phone covers, stationery, packaging, and much more.  Gum-tec® is actually used to produce the Gumdrop fobs and receptacles.  The first step in recycling is collecting the gum, which is done by the Gumdrop On-the-Go keychain fob that looks like a pink bubblegum bubble.  Stuff your used gum in the fob, and when it’s filled, you send it to be recycled.

Sending it off for recycling can be accomplished in a couple of ways.  If you’re lucky enough to live in a city with a gum recycling program, you’ll see bins (like the one above) where you can drop off your filled fob.  Businesses could also provide the drop-off bins if they participate in Gumdrop’s program.  If not, you can print out a free mailing label so you can mail your On-the-Go fobs directly to Gumdrop.  Your gum, fob and all, will be recycled into more Gum-tec® products.

The Gumdrop On-the-Go fobs cost £9.99 (about $13.35 US) for a set of three.  Learn more about Gumdrop products and recycling chewing gum at the Gumdrop website.

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Save the Earth – recycle your chewing gum! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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