2018 – Page 351

Fight toe flab with the Foot Gym

I’ll admit that when I first saw the Foot Gym that I immediately checked my calendar just to make sure that I hadn’t slept through February and March and woke up on April 1st. Although the Foot Gym sounds like a product that you might see on April Fools Day, it’s real.

The Foot Gym has been designed to help people with a variety of foot and ankle related problems like plantar fasciitis. It features light, medium, and firm resistance bands and a massage roller. Instructions show you 7 exercises to help promote strength and stability for your feet and ankles.

The Foot Gym is available in two versions. The regular version is priced at $39.95 and the Pro version is $59.95 and comes with additional resistance bands and a pivoting handle that will let you use the massage roller on other body parts. Visit The Grommet or Amazon for more info.

Naztech Xtra Drive Mini review

The Naztech Xtra Drive Mini is a device designed to access, store, and transfer photos, videos, and music to and from your iOS devices whenever you desire. This thumbdrive sized/shaped device is a microSD card reader engineered for plug & play connectivity with built-in lightning connector, standard USB connector, and memory card slot… 100% meant for those iOS junkies with space/capacity/backup issues in mind .

Design and features

As I mentioned above, the Xtra Drive Mini is a thumbdrive sized microSD card reader that can add up to 256GB of extra storage space (on a single card) to any lightening port enabled iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It can also act as a memory storage device for any standard USB enabled computer as well. This small iOS accessory is made from an aircraft grade aluminum alloy, is relatively lightweight (8 grams), and comes with a built-in keychain.

What’s in the box:

Xtra Drive Mini
16 GB microSD card
User manual/warranty card

The Xtra Drive Mini is designed to effortlessly transfer and/or store photos, videos, music, and data from any iOS device to your computer or other storage medium. Or simply to back up your important files and toss the microSD card in a safe place as a last chance/resort of recovering priceless 1’s & 0’s if need be.

One of the potential design issues I see with the Xtra Drive Mini drive is its standard USB connection. If this iOS accessory is truly meant for Apple fans, the MacBook and MacBook Pro users are a bit out of luck. USB-C only laptops will need some sort of adaptor, dongle or dock…shame Naztech didn’t include one out of the box.

Before getting started, you will need to download the Xtra Drive Mini app from the App Store. But once installed, my iPhone X and iPad Pro both recognized the drive without issue. The app found all my photos and videos and copied them to the microSD card just as advertised.

The nearly 1000 files weighed in at just over 7gb in size and took approximately 15 minutes to transfer to the 16gb microSD card Naztech includes with the Xtra Drive Mini. The 16gb card is a class 6 and transfer speeds may increase with a better microSD card. That said, half gigabit per minute (approximately) is not unreasonable. Though a 64, 128, or 256gb class 10 card would hold a lot more data and theoretically have better transfer rates…but that might be overkill. All depends on how you use it.

I also was able to view and transfer video files from my Thinkware F800 dashcam‘s microSD card to my iPad Pro. You can view files directly off the Xtra Drive Mini or transfer them onto whatever iOS device you choose without the need of computer or the Cloud. Streaming 2k video footage from the Xtra Drive Mini was smooth with no lagging whatsoever.

Positives

Small, transportable form factor
Very convenient way to move files around
Provides nearly limitless additional capacity to any lightening enabled iOS device
Well polished iOS app
Nicely constructed

Negatives

iOS only device
Naztech should include a larger/faster microSD card & USB-C adapter

I found the keychain awkward, clunky, and in the way a majority of the time. Removing it was easy and made the Xtra Drive Mini much more streamlined.

Final thoughts

The real question in today’s world, where you can buy iPads and iPhones with more than half a terabit of space and nearly unlimited Cloud storage available, is this already niche device relevant??? The Naztech Xtra Drive Mini is specifically made for Apple iOS users, with those needing extra space or greater file flexibility in mind. The Xtra does give you more control, convenience, and flexibility when transferring or backing up files if you need it.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Naztech or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Naztech.

This leather portfolio accommodates the person who uses paper and an iPad Pro

I’ve seen leather portfolios that hold a pad of paper and have a sleeve for tablets, but those have always been designed for 10″ tablets. This offering from Leatherology actually holds a 12.9″ iPad Pro. The portfolio measures 13″ X 10″ X 0.75″ thick and is made of full grain, pebbled Viridian leather that’s been “semi-aniline, drum dyed to offer a little extra color and character”.

It has a zipper closure, with no exterior pockets. Inside, you’ll find an iPad Pro pocket, three small card pockets, paper pocket, and an expandable pen loop to hold either an Apple Pencil or an ink pen. It can hold either an A4 or a US letter-sized pad; it comes with a US letter pad. It’s available in 14 beautiful Signature leather colors for $155 and in five rich Premium colors for $210. The 12.9 Inch iPad Pro Portfolio is available at Leatherology.

This murphy bed folds down into a console instead of requiring a full wall cabinet

A few years ago, The Gadgeteer had a story about a build-it-yourself murphy bed that was a popular read. If you aren’t the handy type but still need the convenience of a hide-away bed, you need to check out the Bristol Queen Storage Murphy Bed with Mattress from Wayfair. The Bristol is a piece of furniture that looks like a console or a sideboard when folded it. It measures 43″ tall x 64″ wide X 25″ deep when closed, and it has display space on top and a storage drawer at the bottom that can hold bed pillows or covers.

When you need a bed, you simply slide the items displayed on top to the back, lift the lid, unlatch the front, and fold out the bed. When opened, the bed is a queen size, so it can accommodate adults (up to 500 pounds of total weight). The Bristol is made of solid and manufactured woods, and it includes a 6″ memory foam mattress. You’ll need to do some assembly, so you’re not out of the handyman woods, but you won’t need to invest in a table saw, at least.

With the Bristol Queen Storage Murphy Bed, you’ll have room for guests without having to bring out the air mattresses, or studio apartment dwellers can fold up their beds during the day so they don’t feel like they are living in a bedroom or hotel room. The Bristol is available in white only (two other wood colors are sold out right now) for $2,619.99 at Wayfair.

LUNAR lets you explore the Moon in the palm of your hand

Since I can remember I have always been fascinated by the Moon but I have to admit I really don’t know that much about it. AstroReality is here to change that with their new LUNAR Moon models. LUNAR is an exact scale model of the Moon down to every last impact crater, dead volcano, sea and lava flow. It’s modeled to 0.006 millimeters per pixel precision, based on data captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Pair it with the available augmented reality app and the Moon literally springs to life in the palm of your hand.

The process begins by using the latest 3-D printing technology. Each model is then molded using the highest quality materials. Finally, each LUNAR is hand-painted by an Artisan so each is slightly different and stunningly detailed.

The best part of LUNAR may be its augmented reality app. The AstroReality app allows you to learn captivating facts and trivia, simulate Moon missions and embark on personalized lunar adventures. The app weaves together an unparalleled way to experience the Moon, In your hands, and through your smartphone. The free app is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

AstroReality’s LUNAR Moon models are available in 3 different sizes: Pro($219), Regular($89), and Mini($39). Each model has the same amazing detail and is compatible with the AstroReality app.

To find out more and to order head over to AstroReality’s website.

Fight toe flab with the Foot Gym

Other Gadgeteer posts that you might like…

Naztech Xtra Drive Mini review

Design and features

What’s in the box:

Positives

Negatives

Final thoughts

Other Gadgeteer posts that you might like…

This leather portfolio accommodates the person who uses paper and an iPad Pro

Other Gadgeteer posts that you might like…

This murphy bed folds down into a console instead of requiring a full wall cabinet

LUNAR lets you explore the Moon in the palm of your hand