Home 2018

Kronos Lift Desk keeps your workspace organized at any height

The Kronos 6752 Lift Desk from BDI allows you to sit or stand, just as you’d expect from an adjustable-height desk. Kronos is a little different from other standing desks I’ve seen, though, because it adds a shelf to keep your desktop organized.  And its motorized adjustment makes going from standing to sitting and back again as easy as pressing a single button.

The desk is made of powder-coated steel, high-pressure laminate, and walnut veneers.  Work surfaces are smooth and durable.  In addition to the shelf, there’s a flip-down keyboard and storage drawer that’s lined to keep contents secure.  The workspace measures 61.75″ wide x 30.75″ deep; height adjusts from 29″ to 54″ tall.

Height adjustment is simple with the electronically-powered leg system that’s controlled with the digital keypad.  The keypad is programmable with four user-defined presets.  Built-in wire management channels and a “modesty panel” on the back conceal wiring to keep your workspace neat and uncluttered.

Kronos is available in white and natural walnut only.  BDI also offers a matching mobile credenza and multi-function cabinet to complete your office.

The BDI website can help you find a local retailer, or you can purchase BDI products from online retailers.  One online retailer offering the BDI Kronos 6752 Lift Desk is the Modern Essentials website, where it’s available for $1999.00.

The post Kronos Lift Desk keeps your workspace organized at any height appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Kronos Lift Desk keeps your workspace organized at any height originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2018 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

EcoXGear EcoDrift Bluetooth speaker review


I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy being able to take my music with me anywhere I go. While cell phone manufacturers have developed better and better speakers for the phone, it just doesn’t match the quality of a dedicated speaker. My previous portable speaker had been stolen, so I was in luck when EcoXGear sent their Ecodrift Bluetooth speaker to review. It is waterproof, which was an upgrade from the one I used before.

What is it?

The EcoXGear EcoDrift is a waterproof, rugged Bluetooth speaker. It is portable and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Hardware specs

  • IP67 Waterproof/Shock resistant
  • 15 hours playtime
  • Bluetooth 4.2
  • 2600 mAh rechargable battery
  • LxWxH: 5.5″ x 5.5″ x 2.3″
  • Weight: 17 oz

What’s in the box?

In the box you’ll find the EcoDrift speaker, charging cable, instructions, and a carabiner attached to a screw that mounts to the bottom of the speaker.

Design and features

This speaker is simple in design, with all the buttons you’ll need on the top, charging port on the side, and there is an added bonus of a screw mount point on the bottom for mounting to a tripod or some other type of mount.

The ‘feet’ that are located on all four corners of the speaker are rubber and keeps it from sliding around. It also gives a good bit of padding in case it gets tossed around. I tossed it into my backpack for tennis practice and there’s not a scratch on it, and I feel quite confident that when I take it out camping or kayaking that it will hold up to being dumped on the ground.

As I mentioned above, all the buttons are conveniently located in one area. They were a bit difficult to press down, which most likely has to do with them being waterproof. You need to make sure to press directly in the center of the button firmly, else it won’t register. I liked that pressing the play/pause button started the music without having to even touch the phone, which is convenient when dealing with water. The microphone button will activate Siri on your iPhone, and there is a slight delay, but it worked well. The microphone on the speaker picked up my voice well, so I could use it for phone calls or to use Siri with no problem at all. The power indicator and battery level indicator lights are green, while the Bluetooth indicator light is blue. One thing I noticed was when the speaker ran out of power, there was no warning, it just shut off.

Setup

It was very easy to pair the speaker with my phone, and after the initial pairing, it connected automatically whenever I turned the speaker on. There is an on and off power switch located near the charging port, but I have left it on all the time and it does not seem to drain the battery much. It took several hours for it to charge fully, which means I will just leave it to charge overnight when needed. The battery life once charged was pretty close to the 15-hour mark advertised.

Performance

I was impressed with the overall sound quality. The bass is nothing to write home about, but the mids and highs are nice and clear, which makes up for it. When I used it in a gym for background music, it was just loud enough at full volume to work perfectly. Also, when at full volume, it did not crackle or distort the sound like some speakers do. In a small room, you definitely do not need it turned up high to fill the room with sound.

The thing I was most surprised with was how well it kept the audio synced with the video when watching YouTube on my phone. I can’t stand it when the audio is out of sync, and this speaker was only off by a tiny bit. I was definitely very happy with that.

What I like

  • Portable and durable
  • Waterproof
  • Nice and clear mids and highs
  • Audio syncs well to video played on the phone

What needs to be improved

  • Could use a little more bass
  • Buttons are hard to push

Final thoughts

Overall, I really liked the EcoXGear Ecodrift speaker. I am looking forward to warm weather so that I may go out, relax on my kayak, and listen to some music. In the meantime, I will toss this in my backpack for tennis and use it to jam to tunes in the shower. I especially like the 15-hour battery life, so I can listen to my music for a good long time without worrying about charging it up.

Price: $89.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by EcoXGear.

The post EcoXGear EcoDrift Bluetooth speaker review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

EcoXGear EcoDrift Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

You’ll never peel another boiled egg again

There are all these tips for making boiled eggs that peel easily, but nothing ever seems to work for me.  Every egg I boil is so hard to peel that I lose half of the egg white trying to get the shell off.  I’ve given up and just started buying pre-boiled, pre-peeled eggs from the grocery store.  But I just found a product that may change my mind.  The Egg Boiler from Eggibles promises to give you six boiled eggs that never need peeling because they aren’t cooked in the shell.

You simply crack an egg into each section; for best results, use medium, large, or extra-large eggs, or you can use 2 ounces of eggs whites.  You could even add spices, bacon bits, or veggies to the eggs before cooking.  Submerge the silicone cooker in a pot of water and boil as you would normally.  Of course, the eggs aren’t perfectly egg-shaped, but neither are the eggs I’ve cooked at home after half has been ripped away during peeling.

The Eggibles boiler is 100% food-grade, BPA-free silicone.  It’s dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.  The Eggibles Silicone Egg Boiler is $17.95 at The Grommet.

The post You’ll never peel another boiled egg again appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

You’ll never peel another boiled egg again originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light promises a bright future!


If you are a photographer like me and on a budget, and you have frequently experienced the frustration of feeling like no matter how much you spend your flash never seems to recycle fast enough, then you are not alone. Flash heads with amazingly good recycle times can cost a “ton” of money, and with all of the gear we always want to buy, it seems like the investment in a premier flash is never quite the best bang for the buck.

I was very excited to see the Rotolight Neo 2 LED light particularly because it boasts to be both a capable continuous light and a flash, with no recycle times, so you never miss a shot. Here are some more very impressive specifications from manufacturer’s website: “A built-in Elinchrom Skyport flash receiver delivers ultra-reliable wireless triggering (1/8000th) up to 200m (656ft)”.

The Rotolight has a variable color temperature of 3150K to 6300K, and an amazing CRI-Color Rendering Index of 96. It can be powered by 6 AAA batteries or a D-Tap battery or by AC. It is portable and very compact, and it also claims to have True Aperture Dimming and a CineSFX mode to automatically program various looks for creating certain effects in scenes.

The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light seems like a great addition to a photo or video kit, and especially so for those like me seeking better flash recycle times. Since it can be used for both photo and video, it sure sounds like a winner. You can pick one up at Amazon or B&H Photo Video for $399.98.

The post The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light promises a bright future! appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light promises a bright future! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2018 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

RAVPower HyperAir 7.5-Watt Wireless Chargers review

Ever since purchasing my iPhone X I’ve been searching for a good 7.5-Watt wireless charger. RAVPower threw their hat into the ring recently introducing a new line of wireless Fast Chargers – HyperAir. The lineup includes flat charging bases, a charging stand, and even a power bank that can wirelessly charge your iPhone. RAVPower sent me all three HyperAir models to review. Since this was my first time using a wireless charger of any kind I was eager to test them out.

What is it?

Most fast wireless chargers on the market today are made to charge either IOS or Android phones. RAVPower’s HyperAir technology delivers the fastest charging speeds on contact for both iOS and Android devices – all with the same charger. HyperAir utilizes both 7.5W fast charging for iPhone X/8 plus/ 8 and 10W fast charging for Samsung devices like the Galaxy S9 and Note 8.

Hardware specs

PC069

  • Input: DC 12V / 2A Max
  • Output: 10W Max
  • Dimensions: 5.04 x 2.76 x 2.83 inches
  • Weight: 5.9 oz
  • Form factor: Angled Stand: 60°

PC066

  • Input: 9V/12V 2A
  • Output: 10W Max
  • Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 0.5 inches
  • Weight: 2.9 oz
  • Form factor: Horizontal pad

PB080 – 10400mAh Wireless Portable Charger

  • Capacity: 10400mAh / 37.4Wh
  • Input: DC 5V / 2A Max
  • iSmart output: 5V / 2A Max
  • Wireless output: 10W Max
  • Dimensions: 6.4 x 3.1 x 0.9 inches
  • Weight: 2.5 lbs

Whats in the box?

 

  • RAVPower wireless charger stand
  • Micro-USB cable
  • QC 3.0 power adaptor
  • User guide

  • RAVPower wireless charger pad
  • Micro-USB cable
  • QC 3.0 power adaptor
  • User guide

  • RAVPower wireless portable charger
  • USB to Micro USB cable
  • Micro USB to type C connector
  • User guide

Design and features

I really like the understated design of both the HyperAir charging stand and pad. Their small size makes them perfect to use on nightstands, end tables, or desktops. They also eliminate the need for having a bunch of charging cords laying around the house.

Both chargers work with most phone cases as long as they’re no thicker than 3mm and don’t contain metal.

Each model comes with both an 18-watt power adapter that supports the Quick Charge 3.0 standard and a nice braided USB-micro cable.

PC069 HyperAir charging stand

The HyperAir charging stand has a matte black finish and unique body design. A little more stylish than similar charging stands I’ve seen.

It has dual-coil charging which allows you to charge your smartphone in either portrait or landscape positions.

The charging pad and base both use a non-slip silicone that helps to keep the phone and charger in place. It does a really nice job of cradling the phone.

The backside of the charging stand has small perforations that help to disperse heat. Unlike traditional wireless chargers that overheat affecting charging speed and battery health, HyperAir features triple temperature controls. An intelligent chip monitors and adjusts charging temperature and the advanced internal structure allows for 15% higher heat dissipation. This allows the charger to maintain charging speeds for a longer period of time. In my testing, none of the chargers got overly warm while charging.

The front of the charger has a LED charging status light. While your phone is charging the LED slowly pulses green. The light will turn solid green for 15 seconds when charging is complete. If the charger senses a foreign object (like metal) the LED will blink red and the charger will stop working.

HyperAir shares that same fixed frequency program as iPhones, allowing the charger to both accurately detect it and start charging immediately. When you place your phone on the charger it quickly detects what type of device it is and adjusts the charging profile.

PC066 HyperAir charging pad

The HyperAir charging pad has a sleek square design with smooth rounded edges. It’s small, light, and very thin, a perfect fit for my iPhone X.

It shares the same LED indicator on the front as the HyperAir stand, however, I noticed that it’s kind of hard to see in a well-lit room.

It has the same non-slip silicone surface and base as the HyperAir stand.

A vented aluminum alloy panel on the bottom of the pad helps to better disperse heat while charging.

10400mAh Wireless Portable Charger

Along with the HyperAir charging stand and pad, RAVPower sent me a 10,000mAh portable power bank. With the power bank, you can charge two devices simultaneously, one using the built-in wireless 7.5W charging pad and the second through a 2.4A USB port.

With 10,400 mAh there’s enough power to charge multiple devices multiple times.

The smooth matte black design of the power-bank is nothing special. But its size does make it perfect for carrying in both an EDC bag or backpack.

The working status LED located on the side of the charger works the same as it does on the other HyperAir chargers.

The battery power of the charger can be determined by four small blue LED lights located on the top surface.

RAVPower does include both a flat 24-inch Micro-USB cable, a USB-C to micro-USB adaptor, and a handy microfiber carrying pouch in the box. Unfortunately, they do not include the recommended 2A adaptor, and I think that’s a pretty big omission, considering its price of $67.99.

Charging speed

I tested the speed of all three HyperAir wireless chargers. I charged my iPhone X for an hour on each. Here are the results.

Charging stand- 40% – 80% = 40% charge
Charging pad – 53% – 86% = 33% charge
Portable power-bank – 60% – 92% = 32% charge

My not so scientific tests showed that the HyperAir stand yielded the best results. I was surprised that the HyperAir pad didn’t do as well. The power bank didn’t do quite as good as either of the wired HyperAir chargers, but not bad considering this is for charging on the go.

What I like

  • Small and considerate design
  • Less clutter
  • Work with most phone cases
  • Easy to use
  • Both the HyperAir stand and pad come with recommended QC 3.0 power adaptors and braided charging cable
  • The power-bank allows you to charge 2 devices at the same time
  • Portability of the power-bank

What needs improvement

  • HyperAir power bank is a little pricey and does not come with a power adaptor

Final thoughts

I really like what the RAVPower HyperAir chargers bring to the table. Both the charging stand and pad now have permanent spots in my house, and if I ever need to unplug the power bank provides a great alternative.

As an iPhone user, I waited a long time to be able to take advantage of fast wireless charging. This line of RAVPower HyperAir chargers made it worth the wait.

Price: PC069 charging stand – $49.99, PC066 charging pad – $39.99, PB080 power bank – $67.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by RAVPower.

The post RAVPower HyperAir 7.5-Watt Wireless Chargers review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

RAVPower HyperAir 7.5-Watt Wireless Chargers review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2018 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.