The PowerPic wireless charger let’s your phone complete the picture

NEWS – There are a plethora of wireless chargers on the market today. Twelve South maker of the HiRise charging stand for iPhone has created a wireless charger that’s pretty as a picture, literally.

The PowerPic is a picture frame that wirelessly charges your phone. Hidden inside the New Zealand pine picture frame is a Qi charger capable of providing up to 10-watts of fast charging power to your phone.

 The contemporary looking frame holds any 5” x 7” photo. Just set any phone that can be charged wirelessly against the frame’s glass to start charging. PowerPic is even capable of charging your phone through phone cases up to 3mm thick.

A small status light located on the back of the frame lets you know when your phone is fully charged. It also alerts you if it detects a foreign object that could prevent your phone from charging properly.

 The Twelve South PowerPic comes in black or white and is available from Amazon for $79.99.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

The PowerPic wireless charger let’s your phone complete the picture originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 9, 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.

Defend your new 2018 iPad Pro with Otterbox

NEWS – With the crazy prices Apple’s putting on the 2018 iPad Pro models, you’re going to want a case to protect it from everyday life.  Of course, you can count on Otterbox to create strong, protective cases, and of course, they have new Defender Series cases for both the 12.9″ and the 11″ iPad Pros just announced by Apple.

The Defender has a hard, internal shell, a soft, outer slipcover, and a built-in screen protector to guard against scratches and drops and bumps.  It also has a a snap-on shield that provides an extra layer of protection to the iPad’s screen while it’s being carried, and it can be turned into a stand for typing or hands-free viewing.  The stand also holds and protects the Apple Pencil.

The Defender cases are made of polycarbonate, synthetic rubber, and polyester.  Port covers prevent dust, dirt, and debris from getting into the iPad’s jacks and ports.  Defender Series will be coming soon for the 11″Pad Pro ($89.95) and the 3rd-gen 12.9″ Pad Pro ($129.95).  Sign up on the Otterbox product pages to be notified when the cases are available.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Defend your new 2018 iPad Pro with Otterbox originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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.

Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3100 true wireless headphones review

REVIEW – Bluetooth sport-centric headphones have been around for years. Typically these early “wireless” earbuds were pretty big, relatively bulky, ill-fitting, and needed a cord connecting the two to power and communicate with each other. In the past few years, totally wireless earbuds have become the norm rather than the exception. They have become smaller, lighter, better fitting, and more secure…all the while sounding better and better along the way. In this case, Plantronics have created a somewhat larger, retro-design in their first attempt at a totally wireless set of sport headphones…the BackBeat FIT 3100 True Wireless Sport headphones that are “built for the outdoors”.

For this review, I have been using the BackBeat FIT 3100 True Wireless Sport headphones exclusively for a couple of weeks. Thus far I have ran, done elliptical, stairs, weightlifting, pushups, and even chopped firewood with them several times each at a minimum.

What is it?

The Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3100’s are completely cordless, hardened against moisture/sweat, and are meant for runners, bikers, and other (outdoor) sports enthusiasts. These bluetooth 5.0 earbuds are designed to fit just inside your ear with very little noise isolation allowing ambient sounds (aka traffic) in for better situational awareness.

Design and features

The BackBeat FIT 3100’s are well made from hard plastic, rubber, and metal. They’re held securely in place by a combination of several design choices. Each earbud has a hard rubber hook the wraps around the top of ear.

There is also a soft rubber wing that goes over each speaker that helps hold the earbud within the outer part of your ear and also focuses/funnels the sound into the inner portion of your ear canal. Plantronics has used this combination of design elements for awhile now.

The charging case is medium-sized, black, and well made, with the shape of a pillbox/MiFi device. It is meant to not only charge the FIT 3100 earbuds but store, transport, and protect them as well.  The center button and four small LEDs are meant to let you know when it needs to be recharged, is charging, or fully powered up.

The case has two perfectly form-fitted slots that the BackBeat FIT 3100’s slide into. Due to the snug fit, it takes a bit of practice to get the earbuds into and out of the case. Here you can see the copper pins that charge the 3100’s while stored in the case.

The case is powered by a microUSB charging port on the back. Plantronics includes a pretty short/puny charging cable meant to connect to the side of a laptop. Though I used a longer cable I had lying around when using a wall plug. Plantronics promises 5 hours of use before needing to be recharge. The storage case has an internal battery with two additional charges before the earbuds + case need to be recharged. If your earbuds run out of power and you want to use them on the fly, a quick 15 minute charge gives an hour of listening, long enough for most runs, commutes, phone calls, YouTube videos, etc.

Specifications

Weight 22 g/ .78 oz
Wireless range Up to 33 ft/ 10m
Bluetooth technology 5.0, HFP 1.7, HSP 1.2, A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5
Harmonic distribution <3%
Speaker driver size 13.5 mm
Frequency response 20- 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity 94 dBSPL @ max volume
Microphone MEMS microphone with DSP
Listen time Up to 5 hours (earbuds only) and up to 10 additional hours with charge case
Talk time Up to 5 hours
IP rating IP57 sweatproof and waterproof
DeepSleep Up to 6 months
Quick charge Up to 1 hour of listening time with a 15-minute charge
Battery capacity (earbuds) 90 mAh
Battery capacity (charge case) 740 mAh

The BackBeat FIT 3100’s case is relatively large compared to other truly wireless earbuds on the market. Here you can see it next to the Jabra Elite Active 65t and Elite Sport cases. It is also larger than the JayBird RUN True case as well (couldn’t find those for these comparison pics).

Like its case, the BackBeat FIT 3100’s are the largest earbuds I have used in a long time (aka years). The earbuds themselves are about the same size as many of the others. But the earloop gives them a much larger form-factor than many other brands. Plantronics is definitely bucking today’s sport-centric earbud trend of smaller, very snug fitting, passive sound isolation designs that you jam deep into your ears.

Fit and comfort:

The fit and feel of the BackBeat FIT 3100’s is, without a doubt, not the norm these days. They sit just inside your ear, with the funnel going into your ear canal, with the back fin holding everything in place. While many other earbuds are engineered to jam into your ear, the BackBeats wear very non-intrusively yet still stay securely on your ear. Like I mentioned above, I have done all sorts of workouts with them and they remained in place, even upside-down on my inversion table, surprisingly well.

On the outside of each earbud are the control buttons. The left earpiece controls volume, press the exterior of the earpiece to raise volume and press and hold to lower it. The right “context-sensitive” button controls: power on/off, play/pause music, answer/end calls, Siri/Google Assistant, and previous/next track.

Sound Experience:

Since the FIT 3100’s are not meant to be inserted deep into your ear canals, they do not blockout much ambient noise. The listening experience is good but not as worthy as other bluetooth sports earbuds I have tried. The 13.5mm drivers produce decent enough sound though they don’t have over-the-top bass by today’s standards. But overall the FIT 3100’s deliver a good and relatively clear listening experience. They are engineered with “Hear your surroundings with Always Aware eartips for safer workouts” and would have to be turned up some in a loud environment.

Call Quality:

The call quality was very good. I tested calls in the office, walking in the hustle and bustle of downtown Seattle, driving in my car, and while working out on our elliptical machine…I and the folks I was talking to could hear hear and understand each other without issue.

In addition to black, the BackBeat FIT 3100’s are also available in grey. Even though these sports earbuds are hardened against sweat and moisture, I was not able to find how long Plantronics warranties the 3100’s. I would assume at least a year.

Positives

  • Well made
  • Comfortable, secure fit / soft, flexible and secure-fit earloops offer comfort and stability
  • Good sound & call quality
  • IP57 rating (sweatproof and waterproof)
  • Can hear ambient noise/sound for better situational awareness
  • Designed for runners and bikers

Negatives

  • Can only be connected to one device at a time (aka no multipoint technology)

Final thoughts

Plantronics did not engineer the BackBeat FIT 3100 to completely seal out the outside world. They’re designed to let in ambient noise, so you can hear traffic while you’re pounding pavement or biking along city streets or country roads. Their sound quality is good but do not expect pounding base or incredible clarity. That said, they get the job done as promised…providing a solid music, video, call experience during an epic workout, long run, or while just hanging out.

Price: $149.99
Where to buy: Available from Amazon or directly from Plantronics.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Plantronics.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3100 true wireless headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 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.

No one will know you have a cat in your home with this odor-controlling cat litter waste disposal system

NEWS – When my daughter was born 23 years ago, one of the first things we bought for her room was a Diaper Genie.  Unlike normal garbage cans, the Diaper Genie had canisters of plastic bag material inside that would twist around each diaper as you disposed of it to reduce the smell of the dirty diaper until you hauled it out of the house.  Now, Chewy is offering the Litter Champ Premium Odor-Free Cat Litter Waste Disposal System to keep the smell of used cat litter under control.

The Litter Champ looks much like a typical garbage can.  It’s made of durable, non-porous ABS resin in gray; its triple-sealing door locks odors inside.  Childproof locks on the lid and side door keep kids and pets away from the discarded litter.  Inside, canisters of zero-waste continuous bagging holds the discarded litter.  The refill canisters lasts about 10 weeks, and you can empty the Litter Champ whenever you like without wasting bags.

The 4-gallon capacity Litter Champ measures 18.25″ x 10.25″ x 8.06″.  It has a hands-free foot pedal and an included litter scoop to keep your hands clean.  The Litter Champ comes with one refill canister of the liner bags.   Extra scented refills are $12.59 for three canisters.  The Litter Champ Premium Odor-Free Cat Litter Waste Disposal System is $20.99 at Chewy.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

No one will know you have a cat in your home with this odor-controlling cat litter waste disposal system originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 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.

Egloo Candle Powered Heater, Aroma Diffuser, and Humidifier Review

REVIEW – This is my second scented diffuser review in the past few weeks, and my house smells fabulous! While I reviewed the tech-driven Moodoo recently, the Egloo sits on the other end of the spectrum. It’s a terra-cotta based, candle-driven diffuser that uses all natural products and design to do its thing. Egloo claims that it’s unique design not only acts as an aroma diffuser but also humidifies your room and operates like a small space heater. Let’s put those claims to the test!

What is it?

It’s an eco-friendly terra cotta humidifier, essential oil diffuser, and space heater powered by candles.

Hardware specs

  • 7.5” by 7.5” by 7.5”
  • 3.75 pounds

What’s in the box?

The kit comes with all the components for the Egloo, a bottle of diffuser perfume, and enough wax & wicks for three lightings.

Design and features

The Egloo is sure to be a conversation piece in your home. It’s a terracotta double dome design, available in a variety of colors or artistic patterns that turn it into a focal point in the room. It’s also eco-friendly, using proprietary cherrywood wicks and a natural wax blend to power the unit. There are a number of parts to the assembly and operation. Let’s walk through the assembly to fully understand how it works.

To start, you’ll find a pair of metal dishes that are inserted into the terracotta base. Three metal wick clips are supplied, and you’ll insert a specially-designed cherrywood wick in each one. These are placed in the smaller metal dish at the points marked by the guide lines, while the magnetized base snaps align everything in place:

You’ll fill the center dish with chipped wax. Egloo provides an odorless wax for this purpose that is resistant to high temperatures. You’ll spread around the dish, leaving the wicks exposed:

Once that’s done, you’ll fill the outer metal dish with water. If you want a bit of scent to fill the room, Egloo provides a perfume that you’ll add with a dropper to the water. Essential oils can also be used for this purpose:

A metal grill is then placed in the slots on the base. This creates a gap for airflow between the base and the domes. You’ll light the candles, then place the smaller dome over the candles. The large dome then goes over the small dome, and you’re in business:

While this sounds complex, it’s actually a pretty simple setup that takes a couple of minutes to complete. Once lit, the unit takes about 15 minutes to get things heated up.

And what are the results? Well, several things start to happen. The candles generate a gentle, diffused light. The terracotta heats up, generating a little heat. The water in the outside tray also heats up, diffusing the scent. The unit generates a steady stream of moist, scented air through a hole in the top of the unit. It operates a lot like a convection oven, with the double-dome design creating a focused heat source that does its work for up to four hours on a single lighting.

I’ll be honest: I had my doubts when I put this thing together, but it’s pretty cool in operation. Powered solely by the candles, it’s got a zen-like quality to it as it gently burbles and bubbles in the background. The scent diffusion is subtle but noticeable, and would probably be more apparent with stronger fragrances or greater doses (I’m following the 10-drop-max instructions included in the booklet). It even does generate a bit of heat, enough that you won’t want to touch it for more than a second or so once it gets going.

As far as use goes, it quickly loses its effectiveness in larger rooms. My family room is 15” by 17” with a vaulted ceiling, and that’s just too big a space to realize the benefits of the heat and humidification. The fragrance also disperses quickly in a room this size. Testing is in a smaller room (like a 10” by 14” bedroom with a lower ceiling) produced very different results. The fragrance is much stronger, and I did notice a slight effect from the heat. It won’t replace an electric space heater for quickly heating up a small area, but you do notice a difference.

The Egloo is designed to use proprietary wax designed for high heat as well as the custom-cut cherrywood wicks, and are sold in 10 packs ($12.00), 50 packs ($48.00), or 100 packs ($72.00). That nets out to a cost ranging from $0.72 to $1.20 for each session. Not bad for an eco-friendly solution. You will need to supply your own essential oils after you use up the first bottle.

The unit itself retails for $90 in the natural model, but prices can escalate quickly if you choose fancy designs. Styles include colored units, glazed and or textured units, or artistic versions with different patterns and styles. They’re beautiful pieces, but the more elaborate styles can cost over $200.

As far as safety goes, the base stays relatively cool despite the heat that’s generated in the domes. I do have it on a hot pad just in case. While the unit is pretty stable, I don’t know that I’d recommend its use in areas with rambunctious kids or pets. Touching the domes could produce a burn, and a hard knock could run the risk of hot wax (and lit candles) being splattered about. You’ll also want to make sure it’s on a solid table, countertop, or stand. Like any candle-powered device, use caution when placing it in a room.

One final note: while the instructions are well-organized and easy to follow, they are poorly written. The product website is a little better but still suffers from spelling and grammatical errors. For a product at this price point, I’d like to see the manufacturers spend a few bucks to get an editor to proofread their content. It’s a little thing, but it’s important when you’re selling higher-end products like this.

What I like

  • Interesting design makes for a focal point in a room.
  • Eco-friendly design, materials, and operation.
  • Scent diffusion works as advertised.
  • Consumable elements are reasonably priced.

What needs to be improved

  • Doesn’t replace traditional room heating units.
  • Not recommended around active children or pets.
  • High starting cost, and fancy designs can get very pricey.
  • Instructions could use a good proofread.

Final thoughts

The Egloo promises to do a lot of things as a combination humidifier, essential oil diffuser, and space heater in an eco-friendly package. And it actually works, although the heating component is a little less effective. It’s certainly a great looking accessory, guaranteed to be a conversation starter in your home. Just be careful placing it in areas of your home with a lot of activity!

Price: From $90.00 to over $200.oo depending on style, plus consumables.
Where to buy: Visit the Egloo website or on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Egloo.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Egloo Candle Powered Heater, Aroma Diffuser, and Humidifier Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 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.