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The Pistachio Pedestal is an elegant solution for storing discarded shells

NEWS – Who doesn’t like pistachios? Absolutely no one, that’s who. Let’s face it the little green nuts themselves are great, but the shells, not so much. Unless you have the Pistachio Pedestal.

The Pistachio Pedestal is a two-tiered solid wood pistachio server designed to offer a solution for storing discarded shells.

Aside from being very handy, the Pistachio Pedestal is quite elegant. It’s routed from solid North American Maple and then hand sanded. And it’s smooth food-safe finish comes from teak oil.

The top tier holds up to 8 oz of whole nuts and even features a pistachio-green colored rim. While the lower, broader level is where you stash the shells. No more fumbling for a makeshift discard dish for leftover debris.

The two tiers also come apart, making it easy to dispose of the discarded shells.

The Pistachio Pedestal sells for $48 and is available on uncommongoods.

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The Pistachio Pedestal is an elegant solution for storing discarded shells originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Ethohome Gravis Weighted Blanket review

NEWS – The Ethohome Gravis Weighted Blanket is a reasonably priced, high quality, weighted blanket that could be the solution for some people who suffer from restless sleep or nighttime anxiety. At $269.99 for the 25 pound version, the Gravis was super effective in my testing and priced right around the same as other weighted blankets of similar quality.

What is it?

Weighted blankets hit the mainstream in 2017, but they have been around for a long time, mainly used to treat autistic children or adults with severe anxiety issues. There are a number of studies done on the effectiveness of weighted blankets, but the majority of supporting evidence I’ve found has been anecdotal. After using the Gravis Weighted Blanket for a few weeks, you can definitely add my experience to all of the positive feedback surrounding weighted blankets. Results may vary among individuals though, so I’m not going to debate the effectiveness of weight blankets in general; I’ll just be reviewing this particular weighted blanket by Ethohome.

The Gravis Weighted Blanket comes in a box that at first seems way too small to hold such a heavy item. The plastic handle on mine was broken when it arrived and the company has since rebranded itself from Montage to Ethohome, so the packaging may be different and of better quality at this point.

The Gravis blanket comes with an attached cover and is compacted into what appeared to be a vacuum sealed plastic bag.

Once removed from the plastic bag the blanket expands a bit. Upon first picking up the deceptively light looking blanket you’ll quickly realize how difficult it is to manage a 15-25 pound blanket.

Design and features

The design of the Gravis is similar to most other weighted blankets. The blankets achieve their weight via thousands of glass pellets sewn into little sections of the blanket. The Gravis stands out in my opinion mainly because of how quiet the pellets are. A few other weighted blankets I’ve tried have been really noisy, producing a loud rain-on-a-tin-roof sound every time I rolled over or shifted my weight. The cover of the Gravis may be to thank for this; it’s a thick felt-like material that’s very soft to the touch.

You’ll find that most weighted blankets don’t come in traditional bed-covering sizes like full, queen, or king. Weighted blankets those sizes would be impossible to manage and the weight would be dispersed too much to be effective. The 25 pound Gravis I tested measures 72 x 48 inches.

For maximum benefit, Ethohome recommends using a blanket that’s about 10% of your body weight. Although some people may prefer a heavier or lighter blanket. It’s also very important to remember that the Gravis, or any weighted blanket for that matter, should not be used by children under the age of four or by any individual weighing 50 pounds. It would be very easy for a child or person that small to not be able to move themselves out from under a heavier blanket and that could prove dangerous.

The quality of the seams on the Gravis is impressive. After a few weeks of use and making my bed each morning, there are no signs of pulls or tears.

The Gravis itself is secured to its cover via strong fabric ties in each corner. The cover has a sturdy zipper that folds away discreetly once it’s closed.

I did notice that after some time, the blanket started to bunch up in the corners a bit. With a regular blanket this is easily remedied by tossing it up into the air and laying it back out flat on the bed. That won’t be possible with the Gravis, but it wasn’t too difficult to spread the blanket out flat again and work out the bunching.

The Ethohome website says that the Gravis’ cover is machine washable, but that the blanket should only be hand-washed. That makes sense, because I’d never expect something this heavy to be washed effectively in a consumer strength washing machine.

Performance

I’m a restless sleeper. I’ll wake up anywhere from two to three times each night, lie awake for a bit and then fall back asleep. While using the Gravis, I’ve had the most complete night’s sleep since I can remember. I no longer wake up during the night and I’ve found that I fall asleep much faster than ever before. The few times I’ve slept away from home during the testing period, I found myself missing the comforting weight and restful sleep the Gravis provided.

What I like

  • Included Duvet cover
  • Great quality

What needs to be improved

  • Can bunch up

Final thoughts

Weighted blankets may not work for everyone, but if they do work for you, the Ethohome Gravis is a great choice. The Gravis is of very high quality, has an included cover, and is reasonably priced. The Gravis comes in one color, Space Gray and three versions; 15, 20, and 25 pound.

Price: $269.99 for the 25lb version
Where to buy: Ethohome
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Ethohome.

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Ethohome Gravis Weighted Blanket review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Time’s flying! Hurry and catch this golden snitch!

NEWS – There’s not a lot of information about the Golden Snitch Clock from Pottery Barn Teen, but you can be sure it would be a hit with any devoted Harry Potter fan.  The clock is made of zinc alloy with aluminum hands and a steel backing.  It has a high gloss gold finish, just as you would expect from a golden snitch.

The clock face is 1.5″, with a 0.75″ minute hand and a 0.5″ hour hand.  With wings included, the clock has an overall 7″ diameter.  It runs on one 1.5V button cell battery; two are included.  It requires minor assembly and includes a mini screwdriver used to attach the wings.

The Harry Potter Golden Snitch Clock is $49 at PBteen.

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Time’s flying! Hurry and catch this golden snitch! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Orbit is an iPhone cord organizer with a surprise

NEWS – Are you one of those mobile warriors that shove your cables and adapters into your gear bag with willy nilly abandon only to cuss later on when you find the cables tangled or can’t find the AC adapter that you need to charge your iPhone? The folks at the Hip Product Factory have come up with a solution for that problem with their Orbit cord organizer.

The Orbit accepts the iconic iPhone AC adapter, which slides into the center of the Orbit, while the lightning cable orbits (see what they did there?) around it in a handy storage slot. But wait, there’s more…

By itself, the Orbit is a nice solution for keeping your iPhone lightning cable and AC adapter neat and tidy for transport, but it hides another feature which is handy too. Remove the AC adapter, rotate it so the prongs are facing out, plug it into a wall outlet and place your iPhone in the top of the Orbit which is now a holder while the phone chargers.

The Orbit iPhone cord organizer is available in several colors for $15. You can read more about it at Hip Product Factory and buy one from Uncommon Goods.

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Orbit is an iPhone cord organizer with a surprise originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 12, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones review

REVIEW – In the world of earphones, there is one constant that ties them all together, and it’s this: there is no constant. It may sound contradictory, but hear me out. I have reviewed earphones that are made with dynamic speakers, armature speakers—and hybrids that utilize both speaker designs. These earphones have ranged from a single speaker to six speakers per ear. And the one (non)constant has been that price has never been dependent on the number of speakers an earphone has. Case in point: the new RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones have four speakers—two dynamic and two armature speakers per ear. For $70. That’s 70, not 700! Despite this ridiculously low price, are they worth it?

What is it?

The RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones are an aluminum over-the-ear, quad driver earphone with removable cord. Over-the-ear means that the cord goes up and behind the ear—much like the earphones that stage musicians wear. The earphones are universally-sized as opposed to a custom molded earphone. The hybrid speakers are both dynamic (best for bass) and armature (more accurate) designs. Theoretically, this hybrid approach results in a more rounded, best-of-both-worlds earphone, but the reality is more blurred than that.

Specs

  • Type: In-Ear
  • Connectivity: Wired
  • Cable Length: 49 in.
  • Sensitivity: 105dB
  • Impedance: 15Ω
  • Frequency Range: 7Hz-40KHz
  • Plug Type: 3.5mm
  • Pin Type: 0.78mm
  • Weight: 25g

Design and features

The QT3 earphones are encased in an aluminum shell, which is almost unheard of in this price range. Not only that, but they are built quite strong. When holding them, you would never guess the price was so low. The parts fit together almost seamlessly. The 49 in. cable is more than long enough for almost any use. The removable cable uses a standard 2 pin connector that easily separates, but is a bit fragile. RevoNext is said to be working on a Bluetooth adapter that will use the same 2 pin connector allowing the QT3 earphones to easily switch to wireless mode. That will be interesting to see. The cable has a standard 3.5 mm mini plug connector, so using the QT3 with a newer iPhone will require the infamous Apple dongle. A cable with its own lightning connector would have been a nice option.

Each earphone is clearly marked L and R for quick insertion. Since they are over ear, getting them properly inserted is a bit more tricky than regular earphones, but only until you get used to it. Three sizes of silicone ear tips are included.

Comfort with the QT3 earphones is good, not great. While they never became painful when wearing for an extended period of time, I always knew they were there. Note that it’s almost impossible to get a perfect fit with over ear earphones that are universally sized. Ears are just too different. The QT3s are available in matte black, space gray and red. I was sent the space gray to review, but given a choice, I would have chosen red, because … red.

As I said before, the quad speakers are hybrid—in this case, two balanced armatures, one dynamic bass driver and one dynamic sub-bass driver. Bass is more accurate than you would expect, given that two bass drivers should make the QT3s a bass monster. My first impression of these earphones was that they were weak on bass, but the more I listened, the more they opened up. The treble comes off as a bit too bright on certain songs. The QT3 earphones are not as forgiving as some other earphones I’ve heard, but those were way more expensive.

So how do the RevoNext QT3 earphones sound? 

I was sampling Elton John’s classic “Madman Across the Water” album and enjoyed how the QT3 earphones were able to exhibit detail. Yes, there were parts that were too bright, but older recordings can be guilty of that. The title song had none of this and was totally pleasant to listen to.

Emmy Lou Harris’ poignant “Red Dirt Girl” is another example of some too-bright spots. While the album leans towards bass, her voice comes across as hot and gritty. I was able to fix this by adjusting the EQ, which I’m usually not a fan of doing. However, it worked magic with this song.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) have some serious bass on many of their songs. “Metroland” has a potent bottom end that you can hear (but not feel) with the QT3 earphones. Once again, changing the EQ did the trick and brought down the treble to a smoother level.

What I like

The RevoNext QT3 earphones are kinda amazing. Their build quality is as good or better than many earphones I’ve reviewed regardless of price.

What needs to be improved

Treble is the QT3s weak spot. I skipped over some songs simply because they were to brittle sounding.

Final Thoughts

Okay, I’ve heard better single, dual, triple and quad driver earphones before. But never at—or even close—to this price. Seventy bucks is a steal for earphones of this quality. If RevoNext can smooth out the QT3’s too-bright tendencies, then they could easily compete head-to-head with any quad-speaker earphone costing much more.

Price: $70 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by RevoNext.

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RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 12, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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