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Tutti Matti wireless speaker, Morsel Spork, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

This week we are bringing you five crowdfunding campaigns that are currently running on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. This week’s campaigns are for people who like music, magnets, and eating. Check out our picks for this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

Tutti Studio Matti Wireless Speaker

What is it?
Matti is a small portable Bluetooth speaker with wireless linking features.

Why do I like it?
I like the Tutti Matti speaker because it’s in a small form factor but has been designed to fill a room with sound making it a perfect party speaker. It also has a unique feature that allows you to connect/link up to 8 Matti speakers to create an immersive soundfield with left, right and center stereo coverage.

Where can I find more info?
The Matti campaign ends on 4/12/2018 and they are still working to reach their funding goal of $48,000. You can pre-order a Matti speaker starting at $169. After the Matti campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in April 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Morsel Spork

What is it?
The Morsel Spork is a new take on the spork travel eating utensil.

Why do I like it?
I like the Morsel Spork because it’s a fork, a knife, a spoon, and a spatula all in one tool/utensil. It also has a long handle so you can scrape all the yumminess out of a can or bowl without getting food all over your hands.

Where can I find more info?
The Morsel Spork campaign ends on 4/21/2018 and they have already reached their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a Morsel Spork starting at $9. After the Morsel Spork campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

AIUR Gesture controlled speaker

What is it?
AIUR is a wireless 360° speaker that you control with a wave of your hand.

Why do I like it?
I like the AIUR gesture controlled speaker because you can manipulate the speaker functions without touching the speaker. It can differentiate between 10 different gestures so that you can control volume, switch tracks, pause, play, answer calls, and more. I’d love to have one of these in the kitchen because Jeanne seems to always call me when I’m cooking and have food on my hands.

Where can I find more info?
The AIUR campaign ends on 4/22/2018 and they have already reached their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order an AIUR starting at $79. After the AIUR campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

MYO Magnets

blurb by Andy Jacobs

What is it?
Super-strong magnets with the ability to customize them by adding an image, logo, text, or just about anything you could want.

Why do I like it?
I’ve been a huge fan of Brian Conte’s Strong Like Bull Magnets since their original Kickstarter campaign and I’ve been using them at home and at work for years. Brian is an inventor and innovator and his latest creation is the MYO Magnets (Make Your Own), which starts with a super-strong Strong Like Bull magnet and adds a screw-down cap with a transparent window on top. This allows you to customize your magnets by adding a small logo, image, photo, text, or just about anything else.

Where can I find more info?
The MYO Magnets Kickstarter campaign has just kicked off and ends April 23, 2018, but as of this writing, 381 backers have already pledged over $20,000, well above the $5,000 funding goal. Pledge packaged start at $25 and rewards should ship in July. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

HALO EFFECT First Handsfree 4-Mount Smartphone Kit

What is it?
HALO EFFECT is a smartphone mounting kit that you can use in all sorts of situations when you’re active indoors, and outdoors.

Why do I like it?
I think the HALO EFFECT is interesting because it’s designed to be used mounted on your arm, your car, to a table, wall, or used as a stand on a flat surface.

Where can I find more info?
The HALO EFFECT campaign ends in 10 days and they have are still working to reach their funding goal of $45,000. You can pre-order a HALO EFFECT starting at $39. After the HALO EFFECT campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2018. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

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Tutti Matti wireless speaker, Morsel Spork, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2018 at 4:33 pm.

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Toffee Berlin Backpack review

Continuing on my recent quest for the perfect backpack, I recently asked to review the Toffee Berlin Backpack. Eighteen months ago, I reviewed the Toffee Centennial pack, a red all-canvas model that I carried for a while. One day, my oldest came by the house and proclaimed it “too girlie” for her dad, and absconded with it. I’m not sure if that was just a ploy to get a new bag, but I’ve gone through several possible replacements in the intervening months. This is but the latest.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The Berlin is billed as an Urban backpack and is shown in very masculine settings, and is listed in the “For Men” section of Toffee’s website. (For what it’s worth, the Centennial also shows up under the “For Men” section. I’m so confused….)

Design and features

The Berlin is a waxed canvas bag with a covered zipper, leather accents, and nicely padded shoulder straps. There is a generous double-thickness leather haul loop stitched and sealed and sewn into the center of each back strap. Inside are two pockets for laptop/tablet, sewn into the back and lifted slightly from the bottom of the bag for drop protection. The tablet pocket on the front of the laptop pocket can hold an iPad Air without a cover of any type, but it’s tight. A mini will fit easier. The laptop pocket holds a 12” laptop nicely and a 13”-er in a pinch. My iPad Pro 12” fits with a bit of extra space, but not enough to also fit my 10.5” one. Fortunately, the rest of the single inner compartment is roomy enough for my Freudian Slip, K811 keyboard, and the smaller iPad Pro without too much compromise.

Hardware specs

Here are the specs as laid out on the website:

  • Water-resistant waxed canvas and genuine leather
  • Leather side pockets to hold a water bottle or coffee in a can
  • Padded laptop compartment, separate tablet compartment
  • Reinforced base with metal feet, durable YKK metal main zip
  • Outer Fabric: 100% waxed cotton canvas, and genuine leather
  • Side pockets: 100% genuine naturally milled leather with a subtle pebble grain
  • Lining: 95% Cotton, 5% Spandex
  • Bag Size: 260 mm/11.4 inches (L), 410 mm/15.3 inches (H), 14 cm/5.5 inches (W)
  • Compatible With: MacBook Air/Pro, Surface Pro 3 & 4 and other similar sized notebooks up to 13-inch.

The only difference I can find between the Berlin model and the earlier reviewed model is the front handle from the Centennial is missing from the Berlin and the leather side pockets. The yoke where the straps converge at the top has a leather reinforcing patch on the Berlin, where it’s the regular canvas on the Centennial. I don’t think that’s enough of a difference to worry about. The interior is the same mattress-ticking cotton/spandex blend, there is ample padding around all sides of the laptop compartment except the top edge, the tablet pocket is sewn onto the laptop pocket so that it is well above the bottom of the bag for shock absorption. The YKK zippers are made from the same odd non-brass material that doesn’t quite slide easily. (Aluminum? Zinc? I can’t tell. But it doesn’t polish up and wear to get smoother, that’s for sure.)


The straps are leather and canvas and sewn into the top structure of the bag very well. The adjustment is easy to reach when wearing, but it slides the opposite way most of my other bags do. Since the straps are all one piece, there’s no buckle at the end of the padded area of the strap. Instead, it continues down the pack, then loops back to the center of the buckle. To loosen the strap, you grab the buckle and pull it down, in the same motion that tightens other straps. To tighten, you pull the buckle up, just like loosening up other straps. Strange, but no big deal. Your muscle memory soon works it out.


As for weather resistance – I’m glad the waxed canvas is there, as much of our spring and fall weather is misty and drizzly in the mornings. With no weather seal on the large-toothed zippers, however, I’d make sure to get under cover in the event of a downpour.

What I Like

  • Leather side panels add a sharp look.
  • Well-sewn with quality materials (except that zipper!)
  • Good padding and sewn-in pockets for laptop and tablet.
  • Enough room for headphones, crusher hat, or other slightly bulky items.

What needs to be improved

  • The main zipper is a really horrible experience.
  • The side and front pockets are so tight as to be unusable.

Final thoughts

The Berlin, which is available in Black (shown), Olive, and a Royal Blue, is a fine-looking backpack, that will easily hold a 12” laptop, a standard or large-sized iPad Pro, and the basics of a daily commute. Leather accents permit it access to a little better level than most backpacks, but it’s still a backpack.

Price: $149.95
Where to buy: Toffee or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Toffee.

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Toffee Berlin Backpack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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ElevationLab CordDock is not just a clever name

Wireless Qi charging appears to be the future for smartphones; even the latest iPhones include wireless charging. But some of us haven’t yet upgraded to the latest wirelessly-charged iPhones yet, and further, some of might prefer not to. ElevationLab has been designing and building well-engineered, durable and aesthetically pleasing smartphone accessories for years, going back to their original ElevationDock (which I owned and really liked). Their latest product, the CordDock, is a bit of a transformer in that it, “combines the flexibility of a cord, with the benefits of a dock, in one ultra-compact design.” Here’s how it works: Pull up to undock your iPhone one-handed like normal, or rotate forward to take the cord with you! Simple. Made from machined stainless steel and polymer components with a matte finish, it includes a micro-suction underside to help it stay put on smooth surfaces, and it can even be adjusted to be used with cases of different thicknesses. The price tag is very reasonable at $39.00. Visit ElevationLab for more info or to order.

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ElevationLab CordDock is not just a clever name originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder is really handy after all


While I must admit that Vlogging is not my thing, I have dabbled with it a bit to see what my presence would be in front of the camera. After all, I have always been a behind the camera type of guy and I have always resisted the temptation to become a face known to social media.

A couple of years ago, I invested in a Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder, specifically for the purpose of Vlogging and producing YouTube product review videos. While I never quite realized my online video aspirations, I did end up using the Zoom video camera quite a bit in other scenarios.

The Zoom Q8 is quite small as handheld cameras go, but it offers some great features and I found it to be of great use whenever the need for a quick B-roll recording would arise, and especially so when packing light was the other requirement. It records up to 2304 x 1296 video at 30 frames per second with a 160-degree Wide-Angle lens and has a detachable X/Y Condenser Microphone. Other features include several preset lighting scene modes, a built-in speaker,  a color 2.7 inch LCD touchscreen, it can be used as a USB Webcam and an Audio Interface, it is compatible with Zoom Microphone capsules, has built-in dual XLR/TRS Combination inputs, and it even comes with a small lens hood. I am quite impressed with the quality of the audio it recorded, and I like the fact that the audio can be saved as uncompressed WAV files and AAC files.

While this is not a professional video recorder, it certainly is very useful and can certainly save the day for a small project when you are in a bind.

You can give the Zoom Q8 a try by picking one up at B&H Photo Video or Amazon for $349.99

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The Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder is really handy after all originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Nest x Yale smart door lock is finally available for purchase

Nest has finally added a smart door lock to their connected-home lineup.  Nest says:  “Yale knows secure locks. Nest knows the connected home. Together, we’ve made a tamper‑proof, key‑free deadbolt that connects to the Nest app.”  Our local Best Buy had one of the Nest x Yale locks in stock, but it was the wrong color, so I ended up ordering one directly from Nest.  It was delivered quickly, and I installed it today.

Installation of the Nest x Yale lock took me about 10 minutes, including removing the existing lock.  It worked on the first try.  Of course, the deadbolt lock is battery operated, and it came with its first set of four AA batteries.  The lock doesn’t connect directly to WiFi, so you’ll need either a Nest Guard (base unit of Nest’s security system) or a Nest Connect unit to connect the lock to your home WiFi network.  You can buy the lock with or without a Nest Connect included in the package.

Once installed on your door, you add the lock to your Nest app, and then you add unlock codes.  You can assign codes to each family member, to guests, dog walkers, cleaning services, and others.  The codes can be deleted or modified at any time, which makes it easy to give a temporary code to someone.  You can also lock or unlock your door from the Nest app on your cellphone from anywhere.  The app keeps a list of the times the door was unlocked or locked and by whom, and the app notifies you if someone tries to tamper with the lock.  And for extra security while you’re home, you can set a privacy mode that restricts anyone from unlocking the door from the exterior keypad.

The Nest x Yale deadbolt lock is truly keyless – there is no backup key for this unit.  You don’t have to worry about a dead battery keeping you out, though.  You’ll get warnings as soon as the batteries start to weaken so you can replace them before they die.  And if they do die before you replace them, you can hold a 9V battery to contacts on the bottom of the keypad to provide enough power for you to unlock the door.

It’s been on my door for less than a day, but I’m pleased so far with the look and functioning of the Nest x Yale door lock.  It’s quiet, attractive, and easy to use and monitor.

You can buy the Nest x Yale lock at various retailers; you’ll get both the lock and the Connect for $279.  If you order directly from Nest, you can choose to purchase the lock only for $249 or the lock plus Connect for $279.  It’s available in satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, or polished brass finishes.  Learn more at Nest and Best Buy to order one.

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Nest x Yale smart door lock is finally available for purchase originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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