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Teach your child how to help around the house with their own Dyson vacuum

NEWS – I’m not sure exactly how much help this tiny Dyson vacuum toy will be, but it looks like the full-sized Dyson used by Dad and Mom, complete with the “ball” structure that allows the big vac to twist and turn.  The clear cylinder on the toy Dyson has tiny, colorful plastic balls that bounce around to show the “cyclonic action” as the vacuum works.

The toy vacuum has some suction at the foot of the vacuum, and there’s a small collection cup that needs to be emptied of the small bits of paper it will pick up as your child plays and learns how to do the chores that all of us need to do in our homes.  It’s made of ABS and metal and stands 25″ tall.  It requires 4 C batteries, not included.  For ages 3 and up.

The Ball Toy Vacuum is available at Bed Bath & Beyond stores and online for $29.99.

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Teach your child how to help around the house with their own Dyson vacuum originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 29, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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LG V40 ThinQ smartphone review

REVIEW – It’s been a while since I reviewed an LG smartphone and the new LG V40 ThinQ is a good one to break that dry streak. This phone features 5 built-in cameras if you can believe that! If you’re asking yourself why anyone needs a phone with 5 cameras, you would be asking yourself the same question I did when this phone was first announced. Are 5 cameras better than 2 or 3 cameras which seems to be the norm these days? Let’s find out.

What is it?

The V40 ThinQ is a smartphone from LG that runs on Android v8.1 Oreo.

What’s in the box?

LG V40 ThinQ
Travel Adapter & USB Cable
Quick Reference Guide

Hardware specs

Processor: 2.8 GHz Octa-Core (Qualcomm®Snapdragon™SDM845)
Operating System: Android 8.1
Memory: Internal: 64 GB RAM: 6 GB, microSDXC support (up to 2 TB2)
Display: 6.4” QHD+ OLED FullVision™ Display 3120 x 1440, including notch
Network: CDMA, GSM, UMTS, LTE Frequencies: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA; GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; UMTS850/900/1900/2100 MHz; LTE Bands 2/3/4/5/7/13/20/28/46/66 Data Transmission: LTE, EVDO Rev
Camera (rear): 12MP Telephoto Zoom, 16MP Super Wide-Angle, 12MP Standard
Camera (front): 5MP Wide, 8MP Standard
Connectivity: Bluetooth: 5.0, 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Battery: 3,300 mAh Lithium Ion, quick charging and wireless charging compatible
Dimensions: 6.25H x 2.98W inches
Weight: 5.96 oz

Design and features

At first glance, the LG V40 ThinQ looks like all the other smartphones that are currently on the market. It has a display with a notch (love it or hate it) at the top and virtual buttons at the bottom of the display. There are no physical buttons on the front of the phone.

At the top of the phone are two front-facing cameras. One is the standard lens and another one is a wide angle lens so you can show more in your selfies.

Flip the phone over and you’ll be greeted with 3 camera lenses, an LED flash, and a fingerprint sensor.

The left side of the phone has individual volume buttons and a Bixby… I mean Google assistant button below it. And just like Samsung’s Bixby button, this button is kind of annoying. I always seem to press it by mistake when I’ve meant to press the volume buttons while in a call.

On the opposite side of the LG V40 ThinQ, you’ll find the power button and the SIM card tray.

The SIM card tray holds the SIM and a microSD card for expanding the phone’s file storage.

Along the bottom edge of the phone, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, a USB-C connector, and a speaker.

On the top edge, you will find another microphone.

The LG V40 ThinQ is a solid phone and didn’t cave in to my Gadgeteer squeeze test. Nope, no flexing, creaking, or cracking was observed.

Display

The V40 ThinQ has a bright, crisp display with vibrant colors. I have no complaints at all about the quality of the display and as far as the notch goes…

I think it’s time for people to get over the “stigma” of the notch. It’s here to stay folks, get used to it. I never really could understand why some people hate it in the first place. It doesn’t bother me in the least.

But if you’re someone who just can’t accept the notch, you can hide it by changing the color scheme of what LG is calling the “second screen” in the settings.

LG lets you squeeze as much info as possible on the display by allowing you to hide the virtual nav buttons at the bottom of the display. See that little dot on the left side of the nav bar? If you tap it twice…

You can see that the buttons are gone. Need to get them back? Just swipe up from the bottom of the display and tap the dot again.

The LG V40 ThinQ has of my “must have” features in a phone which is an always on display. What does that mean? It means that you can use your phone as your clock/watch because it displays the time of day and some notification icons on the screen when the phone is idle.

You can even customize the clock face style, add 2 clocks if you like to keep track of 2 time zones, or even add a picture. Turning on the always-on display feature will use more battery life, but I think it’s worth it.

Fingerprint scanner

My alien DNA must be getting weaker because the last few phones that I’ve tested with fingerprint scanners have all worked great for me. If you’ve been following my smartphone reviews over the years, you’ll remember that I had trouble using them until I bought the Pixel 2 XL. That seemed to be the turning point. Since then I’ve had really good luck with scanners. The one of the V40 ThinQ is placed in the perfect location – on the back of the phone, and it works consistently for me.

If you have probs with fingerprint scanners like I used to, you can always switch to typing a passcode, pattern, or even using face recognition which works without even pressing a button, just pick up the phone, look at it, and it will unlock. It’s a bit slower than the iPhone XS Max though.

Camera

More is always better right? That must be what LG was thinking when they decided to put 5 separate camera lenses in the V40 ThinQ. There are 3 camera lenses on the back and 2 on the front. Check out these sample pics using the standard lens on the back. Click to see the full-sized image.




I think the colors are true to life and the macro capability and sharpness really excite me.

I also love the wide angle and telephoto lenses. Here are some more samples.



I’m standing in the same location to take all 3 pics.



Same with the images above.

Then there are the front lenses.


By default, the built-in software softens your features because my skin isn’t that flawless in real life. You can also change settings to make your face look thinner. The software does do a decent job blurring the background for selfies.




You can also choose to change the style and color of the portrait background. The software does have a little trouble making a perfect cutout of your head sometimes. Check out the right side of my cheek in the first pic to see what I mean.

Software and user interface

LG has their own “skin” called UX 7.1 on top of Google’s stock Android user interface. The differences over stock Android Oreo interface aren’t too different though. There’s the virtual button hide feature we already talked about above, the ability to have scrolling home screens that list your apps instead of an app drawer.

You can also add a pop-out sidebar that can have a quick access panel of your favorite contacts, screen capture tools, media controller, and app shortcuts.

Audio quality

The LG’s down firing speaker sounds good when listening to music or watching videos without using headphones. Even at full volume, audio sounds clear and crisp.

Using the LG V40 ThinQ for phone calls

For the most part, I’ve had no issues making and receiving calls on the Verizon network with this phone except when I’m in the basement of my house. For some reason, this phone seems to have issues holding on to the cell signal down there and on several occasions, people have tried to call me and have gotten my voice mail.

As far as call audio quality, the volume level and clarity on both sides of conversations have been just fine.

Overall performance and battery life using the LG V40 ThinQ for day to day tasks

When it comes to performance, I think the LG V40 ThinQ does very well and felt comparable to other phones I’ve reviewed recently. That’s not a huge surprise since most phones are all running with the same Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 processor.

This phone has a 3300mAh battery that easily kept it running for a full work day of normal use and with wireless charging, it is convenient to keep it topped off. With my typical usage level, I had no problems with battery life.

What I like

  • Multiple camera lenses for wide angle, telephoto, etc.
  • Always on display
  • Headphone jack
  • Free 2nd year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Runs on an older version of Android instead of the latest version

Final thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the LG V40 ThinQ, but I have to say that I’ve been impressed with this phone. It has every feature I want and need in my daily smartphone. It has snappy performance, good battery life, nice display, and an excellent camera(s) for the types of images I take. My only knock on this phone is that it didn’t come with Android v9 (Pie). But without the latest and greatest version of Android, I still think the LG V40 ThinQ is a great phone and one I would seriously consider if I were in the market to replace my current Android smartphone.

Price: $979.99
Where to buy: Verizon Wireless
Source: The loaner sample for this review was provided by Verizon Wireless.

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LG V40 ThinQ smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 29, 2018 at 8:06 am.

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This guitar stand is literally a guitar stand!

NEWS – Forget standard, boring guitar stands that look like a triangle!  Instead, try one of these guitar-shaped, handcrafted wood floor stands for your guitar.  It’s so meta!  The Made With Tone mahogany wooden guitar floor stand/hanger is compatible with classical, electric, acoustic, and bass guitars.

The stand is solid hardwood with a satin lacquer finish. With 44″ clearance from base to cradle, the stand will work with full-sized electric and acoustic guitars.  Rubber pads on the stand protect your guitar’s finish.  You’ll need to assemble the stand with a simple 2-step build.  The Mahogany Handcrafted Wooden Guitar Floor Stand is $139.99 at Amazon.

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This guitar stand is literally a guitar stand! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Tribit XBoom IPX7 Bluetooth speaker review

REVIEW – Tribit may not be the first name you think of for Bluetooth speakers, but that is beginning to change, based on several of their last few releases. I was sent their Xboom cylinder, a black, fabric-covered monolithic unit that stands 7” high and is 2.5” in diameter. With three prominent buttons stacked in the “+”, “O” and “-“ shapes that have become popular, it stands out by not standing out. You hear it, but don’t really notice it. And that’s a good thing, to me.

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

What is it?

So, the Xboom enters the crowded fray of being a Bluetooth speaker that will accept AUX connections from those few devices that still have headphone jacks. There are prominent speakers on both ends, but much of the sound also radiates from under grille mesh that surrounds the entire devices. I cannot tell by feel or listening just where that sound is coming out. The whole device just seems to radiate sound, which may be why they semi-permanently attached a 1.5” loop of plastic strapping to hang it on your handlebars, belt loop, pack, or whatever.

Hardware specs

  • Audio – Bluetooth version: V4.2
  • Waterproofing – IPX7 Completely Waterproof
  • Driver size – 2 x 45mm, 2 x Passive radiator
  • Output power – 2 x 12W
  • Battery –
    • Playtime: Up to 20 hours (varies by volume level and music files)
    • Charging time: 4 hours @ 5V/2A
    • Capacity: 3.7V, 5200mAh
  • Weight – 545g /19.2oz
  • Dimensions(H x W x D) – 68 x 180 x 68 mm /2.68 x7.09 x 2.68 in

What’s in the box?

  • Xboom speaker unit
  • Charging cable
  • Warranty/instructions

Design and features

The Xboom (I’m not even going to comment on the name, it’s so bad) from Tribit has a fabric outer layer that hides speakers that project sound in all directions. Rather than trying to tune it to be heard by rotating it around, the Xboom just projects sound all around. It’s hard to tell where the sound is coming from even when you put it up to your ear!

I enjoy listening to music, and while I rarely have it on at home, due to living with introverts, I like it loud enough to hear the details. Having spent time in many different ensembles in my years, I expect full-range sound with the limitations and characteristics of instruments audible: the hum of a guitar pickup when it’s clicked on, the click of a violinist tapping the stand with their bow while turning a page, a mute tapping the bell of a horn as it’s being inserted. These are the things that make music created by live, human musicians exciting to me. They’re the things that let me know this is not just some synthesized stuff but actually performed by real people. And the Xboom brings this out, amazingly so for a small relatively inexpensive speaker.

My Lovely Bride has still not fully accepted my Gadget habit. A box arrives, and her first thought (and often, first statement to me) is “Why do you need another gadget?” Especially when it’s something I already have more of than I can ever really use, like a backpack, battery pack, or today’s item, a Bluetooth speaker. I just smile and show her the item, and say “Whadda ya think?” and she knows I am after a non-gadgeteer’s viewpoint on first look, so she turns off her “Why did you buy that” alarm, and says “Nice. A little proud of those buttons, aren’t they?”

The rear of the column starts out with a soft-touch power button. A few inches of space later, there’s a dedicated Bluetooth button, and then a button to turn on the XBOOM bass boost. Below that is a flap-sealed set of ports: AUX and microUSB DC in.

Performance

I found the Xboom to be a solid performer with Spotify’s Acoustic Covers playlist, which has become my favorite Saturday jam. Vocals and all the various instruments come through clearly and accurately. Acoustic bass, mandolins, close-miked guitars are all crisp and well-defined. Give the cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” from Sarah Jarosz or Imagine Dragons covering Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” a try. There’s a lot of nuance in there, and reproducing it well is pretty tough. The XBoom matched any other speaker I have in the house for clarity.

What I Like

  • Waterproof (IPX7)
  • Solid, no soft spots on the case or in the sound projection
  • Hanging loop is large enough to actually use

What needs to be improved

  • Can’t think of anything

Final thoughts

The stakes in the Bluetooth speaker game are rising quickly. IPx7 weather- and dust-proofing have joined sealed charging and AUX ports, and now Bluetooth 5 as what it takes to be noticed. Not that I’m ever going to take my speaker into a meter of water for 30 minutes, but knowing that it can still survive makes me a bit less nervous around a pool, a pitcher of Margaritas, or on a picnic with impending thunderstorms. Another feature offered is linking with a second model of the same or similar type to form a stereo pair. (Note to those providing units for review – if this is important to you and you want it covered in reviews, you may need to start sending pairs of pair-able units to your reviewers.) At $70, however, this is one of the first units I’ve considered buying a second one of to pair with the one I have.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tribit.

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Tribit XBoom IPX7 Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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The Peruvian Trading Company’s funny winter hats might just be the next holiday tradition

NEWS – We’ve all heard of the ugly Christmas sweater, maybe you even own one. The Peruvian Trading Company puts a fun new twist on this holiday tradition with their festive holiday winter hats.

These funny holiday toppers are carefully handcrafted in Peru by skilled fiber artists. Made from 100% acrylic faux angora yarn, they are as soft and warm as they are festive.

Each knitted and crocheted design is durable, made to last for years of holiday cheer.

The hats are one-size fits all and machine washable.

The Peruvian Trading Company’s Handcrafted Festive Holiday Hats are available in four whimsical designs. Snowman, Christmas tree, Santa (complete with the white beard), and there’s even one for Hanukkah. Each would look great paired with even the ugliest of Christmas sweaters.

These fun hats make a great gift idea, or buy one for yourself and start your own fun new holiday tradition. You can purchase one from The Grommet for $45.

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The Peruvian Trading Company’s funny winter hats might just be the next holiday tradition originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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