ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass Curve Elite Samsung Galaxy S9 screen protector review

I have used many different screen protectors on my phones, watches and digital camera screens over the years.  The majority have been the peel and stick type that you apply with a water base.  I have used tempered glass screen protectors and a couple of phones and currently on my Garmin Fenix 5s.  I do not, however, have a screen protector on my current phone which is a Samsung Galaxy S9.  I have been hesitant to put one on because I figured that curved screen would give me issues.  Does the new  InvisibleShield Glass Curve Elite from ZAGG make this an easy task?  Let’s find out!

What is it?

The ZAGG Glass Curve  Elite is a tempered glass screen protector.  The one I have was made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy S9.  They make it for the S9 Plus and several other models of Samsung including the S8,  S8 plus and the Note 8.

Hardware Specs

  • It has a custom curved fit to specifically fit the model of phone it was made for.
  • It has a built-in shock absorbent layer that helps prevent the impact of an unexpected drop from shattering your phone.
  • Smooth tempered glass that does not impact the clarity of the screen.
  • Provides impact and scratch protection
  • Provides for precision touch sensitivity (you do have to increase the touch sensitivity in your phone settings before installing the protector)
  • It has a smudge-resistant finish

What is in the box?

  • The screen protector
  • A micro fiber  cloth
  • An alcohol wet wipe
  • Instruction book
  • Plastic template to help install the protector on your phone
  • Dust removal sticker
  • A stiff card with cloth on one end to help set the glass to the phone.

Installation process

First off, and I cannot say how important this is, please be sure you are in the most dust free area in your home.  Unlike the peel and stick type protectors, if you get a dust particle under the middle of the protector you will have little to no chance to get it off without breaking the protector.  You can pull back the edges pretty easily to fix bubble and remove dust, but to pull it back all the way to the middle really risks cracking the glass.  That is essentially what happened to me on the first time I tried to install it.  The next time I used the tried and true method of using the bathroom.  I ran the hot shower for a few minutes to steam up the room and remove the dust particles from the air.  I then followed the next steps of shutting the phone off, wiping it down with the alcohol wipe and then wiping with the micro fiber cloth.  I finally used the dust removal sticker and went over the entire screen with it.

The next step was to place the red plastic template over the phone.  In the picture above it goes over the top of the phone exactly in that layout.  It really does help you to position the protector exactly where it should be on the phone.   I then peeled the back sticker off the protector and used the two tabs on the top and bottom of the front of the protector to position the protector.   Once in place, I pulled the top sticker off the top of the template holding it in place on the bottom of the screen.

At this point, you take the hard card and using four fingers, slowly slide the cloth side of the protector towards the top of the phone.  Once the middle of the protector is set, you flip the hard card over and use the non-cloth covered side to slide up the edges.   Watch the video below to see how the installation should work.  They certainly make it seem easy!




What I like

I love the idea of having a tempered glass screen that will fit the curve of the newer Galaxy phones.  I often find that the peel and stick type protectors leave the screen feeling slightly ‘funny’ and it was really noticeable on my Note phones when I used the stylus.  Glass protectors also tend to be much clearer and less susceptible to scratches and ‘dents’ that the plastic type protectors would often get.

What needs to be improved

Unfortunately for me, even with three different tries on installing this protector it just did not work for me.  The first time I will totally blame myself.  In my excitement, I tried to install the protector in my breakfast area.  We have a Shetland sheepdog in our home and he is a walking dust magnet.  Even going through the whole alcohol wipe, microfiber wipe, and dust sticker, I still had a ton of dust under the protector.  The sides also failed to seat at all and that could have been due to the amount of dust.   My second attempt I used the bathroom process described above.  I was getting bubbles under the corners and having some difficulty again trying to get the sides of the protector to seat on the phone.  Somehow in the process of trying to seal it the screen cracked on the side.  You can see a picture of it below.

Third time is a charm, right?  Well NO, darn it.  Things were really going well this time.  I was still having issues trying to get the sides to seal on the phone.  I had flipped the card around to the non-cloth covered side and was repeatedly trying to push down and get those sides to de-bubble.  I guess I must have been too firm and I got a crack again.  You can see where I had bubbles on the sides of the phone on the top right and just above the other crack on the left.  For a protector that costs $50 you want to get it right the first time.

Final thoughts

I really wanted this screen protector to work.  Even with three attempts, I could not make it work.  This screen protector is extremely expensive at $50 and I would have spent $150 and still had no protection on the screen of my phone.  The video makes it seem effortless, but I did not find it to be that way at all.  I just can’t recommend this protector unless you feel like you have that special touch and really want to try it yourself.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: ZAGG and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ZAGG.

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The Haven Lock Connect is the deadbolt that keeps you safe!

Over the past few months, I have written a few news stories about Bluetooth controlled door locks. Those locks either replace a part of an existing lock or install over an existing lock. In some cases, the installation can be a bit tricky and may require someone with a bit of experience to ensure that it is installed correctly. Since we live in a world where security should always be one of the priorities on our minds, I am always on the lookout for new and innovative security products.

The Haven Lock Connect is exactly such a device. It is installed on the floor at the base of your door, and according to the manufacturer, it is made of steel, nylon, and industrial strength polycarbonates, and is 10 times stronger than a deadbolt. It can be powered by either the included wall adapter or by batteries, and it can be controlled by the included key fob or a Smartphone app. Both the key fob and the app use Bluetooth to connect to the lock. Its features are similar to other Bluetooth locks, and it allows you to create temporary digital keys for visitors.

If you would like more information on the Haven Connect Lock, you can check it out on the Haven Lock website. You can also purchase one via their website for $349.

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The Haven Lock Connect is the deadbolt that keeps you safe! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 28, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Make sure each pet eats only her own food with these bowls

My friend has three cats, and they exhibit the alpha/beta/omega pack rankings.  The omega cat often loses her meal to the other cats, who gobble their food and then take hers.  If Leah had the SureFeed Microchip feeder for cats and small dogs, she could make sure that Pixel got to eat her own food.

You program the SureFeed feeder to open only for your pet’s unique microchip.  If your pet doesn’t have a chip, you can use an RFID collar tag (which the cat must then always wear) to program the feeder.  When the cat with the correct chip approaches, the feeder opens.  If that cat gets pushed away, the bowl closes and the greedy cat can’t steal the food.  This system is also ideal for animals eating a prescription diet.

Because the feeder is sealed, the food will stay fresher longer, and it can be used for wet or dry food.  The SureFeed feeder is made of plastic, holds 13.5 ounces, and is battery powered.  Batteries aren’t included, but each feeder comes with one RFID collar tag.

The SureFeed Feeder is $139.99 (list price is $149.99).  Order today at the Chewy website.

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The BoomBottle MM wireless speaker pops tunes and bottle caps

Wireless speakers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The Scosche BoomBottle MM is no exception. The speaker has a unique bottle design, hence the name. However, that’s not the only thing that makes this wireless speaker unique. The speaker’s bottle design makes it perfect for placing into cup holders, water bottle cages, or even backpack water bottle compartments.

Features include 2 x 6W 45mm speakers, 2 x passive subwoofers, a built-in mic for hands-free calling and Dual Pairing for True Stereo Sound.

There’s also a rechargeable battery that will give you up to 12 hours of music playback on a single charge.

Its rugged design is IP67 rated for dust and water. And it’s fully submergible in up to 3 feet of water.

It does what?

But two things make the BoomBottle MM standout from other wireless speakers. You might be wondering what the MM in the name stands for, well, it stands for MagicMount. That’s because there are magnets built into both the top and bottom of the speaker. So you can magnetically mount your device to the BoomBottle MM while also magnetically mounting it to most metal surfaces. Perfect for mounting it onto a metal cooler or vehicle at the beach for example.

The other unique feature of this speaker is its built-in bottle opener. Yes, I said built-in bottle opener. Now you can pop the top off your favorite beverage while listening to your favorite tunes.

These unique features alone might make the BoomBottle MM the perfect summertime companion.

The Scosche BoomBottle MM wireless speaker sells for $129.99. Currently, its listed as out of stock on their website. But you can provide your email and get a notification when the speaker becomes available.

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The BoomBottle MM wireless speaker pops tunes and bottle caps originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 27, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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With the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker, you get the perfect dish every time!


If your household is anything like mine, then you are used to the chaos of kids running around and us as parents trying to maintain control, while simultaneously attending to several other tasks. In one specific scenario, my wife, who loves to cook healthy and who created her own recipes, is constantly running out of the kitchen to deal with the kids, or something else, and running back into the kitchen when she smells something beginning to burn. Being so distracted, she forgets that the dish is still cooking. I have seen this happen so many times, that I could not help but be intrigued when I came across a device that promises to take all of the chaos out of the cooking process. I immediately thought about my wife and how it could help.

The Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker claims to allow anyone to cook an amazing meal every time, without the perils for over-cooking or burning the food because of distractions, or maybe even because of lack of experience. According to the manufacturer, the way it works is, you clamp it to the side of a medium-sized pot filled with water, drop in a sealed bag or jar with the food inside of it, and then use the controls on the device or the app on your Android or IOS phone to control and monitor the food. It precisely maintains the desired temperature evenly throughout the contents of the pot. As stated in the description, “Precision Cooking enables you to produce results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method”. “Continuous temperature control provides reliable and consistent results every time. Perfect for vegetables, meat, fruit, cheese and much more”.

The app that connects via both WiFi and Bluetooth allows you to set the desired temperature and other functions, and even alerts you when the dish is “good to go”.

If you are interested in purchasing the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker, you can pick one up at Amazon for $128.96.

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