Home 2018

This year, your Christmas tree can look out of this world with the Solar System Collection!

NEWS – I’m continuing on my mission of finding and drooling over every orrery and solar system representation I can find.  My latest finds are beautiful blown-glass solar system ornaments from the people at GlassSculpture.org.  B. E. Johnson and Joy Alyssa Day are the scientists/engineers/artists behind this company.  They make a lot of glass art, including gorgeous representations of our solar system.  Our interest today is their Solar System Collection Christmas ornaments.

Because they are scientists, they want their ornaments to be as accurate as possible, but they know they can’t create them to scale.  As they say, nobody has a Christmas tree big enough to hold a >27-foot diameter Sun ornament, assuming a 3″ Earth and a 33″ Jupiter.  Conversely, a 4″ Sun means a 0.014″ Mercury, 0.036″ Earth, and a 0.4″ Jupiter – making for a very boring Christmas tree.  Instead, they have developed a “relative scale” they use for their creations.  They explain:

“The Rocky planets are proportional to each other. The Gas Giants are proportional to each other. The Rocky and Gas Giant groups are proportional to each other, but on yet a different scale. This still gives a sense of the relationships, and there’s something grand to look at that tells an educational story. We’re Scientist-Artist-Engineers well versed in this stuff, but there is only so much that one can do in a given situation and have it be successful.”

They describe their ornaments as: “A Saturn that actually LOOKS like Saturn, with Cassini data used to etch the rings! A Sun with sunspots! Earth and Mars with clouds and polar caps, Jupiter with a red spot, and I include Pluto, just because! Very cool!! And with a loop on the top to hang on your tree. I like to hang these in the window during non-Christmas months. The sunlight coming through them is amazing! I hand blow these ornaments myself. Ornament size is about 2″ for the small ones, up to 4 inches, and Saturn has the rings about 4.5″. With the rings, the ornament is heavier than my others and may be too heavy for little trees. All of the ornaments are thicker than cheap breakable ones, and have been crash tested by my cats to be able to withstand normal handling and last a lifetime as heirloom pieces.”

You can buy a complete set of ornaments with all 8 planets, Pluto, and a Sun for $395.00 directly from GlassSculpture.org, or if you prefer to use Amazon’s payment method, you can get them at Amazon for $419.00.  If you buy directly from the artists, you can build your collection by purchasing each planet individually.  Prices range from $25 for Mercury to $95 for Saturn.  They say they will send you a free Sun when you have completed your collection.

I’ve ordered, and I can’t wait for my Solar System Collection to get here.  I’m not waiting for Christmas to display them.  I’m already calculating the spacing to display them permanently at the entrance to my sunroom.  With only 10 feet to work with, I’m going to have to use some relative scale spacing to fit them…

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This year, your Christmas tree can look out of this world with the Solar System Collection! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Aimus i11 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds review


REVIEW – After several earbuds reviews, the battle for supremacy is really heating up. The more I test and review these samples, the more I am beginning to realize that price is becoming much less of a factor in determining build quality and quality of sound and function. These earbuds are a new addition to my ongoing search for the best earbuds my individual taste, wants and needs. Here we go!!

What is it?

The Aimus Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds are a pair of lightweight earbuds that are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls with the utmost ease and comfort. They also work with Apple’s Siri and should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box


1 x Aimus Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
1 x Charging Case
1 x Micro USB Cable
3 x Additional Pair of Ear Tips
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

Specifications:

Version: Bluetooth 5.0
Working Voltage: 3.7 V
Impedance ohms: 32Ω
Bluetooth range: 66 ft / 20 m
Earbuds Battery Capacity: 40 mAh
Charging Case Battery Capacity: 400 mAh
Speaker Unit: ɸ10mm*2 Hi-Fi Stereo
Music Play Time: 3-4 hrs
Charging time for Bluetooth earbuds: 0.5-1 hr
Charging time for charger case: 2 hours

The Aimus Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds are super lightweight and boast a host of features including Bluetooth 5.0, automatic pairing/connection, dual stereo HD mics that allow use of both earbuds for phone calls, touch surface for all functions, IPX5 sweatproof protection, approximately 4 hours of playback time on one charge as well as up to 4 charges from the charging case before the case needs to be recharged. The cylindrical case is smooth and sleek and very sexy looking. It slides open easily to reveal the pair of earbuds. The magnetic force between the earbuds and the case it strong which ensures that they stay in place. There are 2 connection pins in each earbud socket in the case that make the connection for charging.



On the side of the shorter half of the charging case, there is the micro USB port for charging, and a LED that lights blue when the case is being charged.

Performance

When you take the earbuds case out of the box, if you get them in red, you will love the appearance. I am sure that the black case is nice as well. Regardless, we all know that appearance while pleasing means nothing if the performance is not up to par. These earbuds arrived already charged and ready to go. Once I opened the cylindrical charging case, the first and only real issue I encountered was that since I do not have skinny hands/fingers, it was a pain in the neck to get the earbuds out of the case. The magnetic grip between the earbuds and the case is strong, which is great because they will never fall out on their own. This ensures that you will never lose them as a result of them falling out of the case. Once I got them out of the case, a simple touch on the touch surface of each one turned their power on. They immediately appeared as a choice in my list of available Bluetooth devices on my phone and paired very easily. Once I paired them the first time, they automatically connect to each other and pair with my phone whenever I remove them from the charging case. When I replace them in the charging case, they automatically disconnect from the Bluetooth connection. All of the pairing and connection functions are confirmed by voice commands, which seems to be the standard for most earbuds these days. These earbuds are very light, and they are very comfortable in my ears. They have enough volume for listening to any type of music, and the frequency range is quite good. The mids and highs are smooth and clear with no distortion. The lows are good, but could be better and could go a bit lower to provide a deeper bass that would positively affect any listening experience. I tested these earbuds, with Reggae, Gospel, Jazz, R&B, Soul, and Easy Listening, and their performance has been outstanding. What makes them “king of the castle” is that so far I have never experienced a break in the Bluetooth connection, even when in the high interference areas where all of the other earbuds that I have tested have experienced some level of trouble and disconnections. The second amazing accomplishment of these earbuds is their flawless and easy performance when I use them for phone calls. The call quality is clear for both parties and unlike all of the others I tested, I can speak at a normal volume. While this may not sound like a big deal, those that read my reviews would know that it is a first for me to use earbuds that I truly praise when describing my phone call experience.

Controls:
Music:
Touch once: Play/Pause
Touch twice (Right Earbud): Volume Down
Touch twice (Left Earbud): Volume Up
Touch for 3 Seconds (Right Earbud): Last Track
Touch for 3 Seconds (Left earbud): Next track

Phone Calls:
Touch once: Answer
Touch Again: Hang Up
Touch either Earbud for 3 Seconds: Reject call

Siri:
Quick Touch L or R 3 times

As you can see in the picture below there is a LED light ring on the earbuds that blinks bluish/greenish when they are in use. They are very comfortable and fit securely in your ears.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • That they are really lightweight
  • The sound
  • The long-lasting battery both in the earbuds and the case
  • The phone call quality (A first for my earbud reviews)

What can be improved

  • The case design so that the earbuds are still secure but easier to remove

Final thoughts

I have to be honest in saying that I had no clue what to expect from these earbuds. After being so happy with the previous set that I reviewed, I was not expecting these to come close. However, when I consider all of the categories and dynamics that I pay attention to when pursuing the best earbuds for me, these have without a doubt, taken over sole possession of the pole position, and sit on the throne as better than the rest that I have tested. By now, everyone that reads my reviews knows of my disclaimer, that sound and the perception of sound are individually subjective characteristics. However, and without a doubt, I feel quite confident when giving these kudos, and two thumbs up!!

Price: $75.99 (Amazon) $59.99 Aimus Website
Where to buy: Aimus Website (Use coupon code AIMUS20 to save 20%) Amazon (Use coupon code AIMUSBTH to save 48%)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Aimus.

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Aimus i11 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Two perfect podcasts to kick off your October

Podcasts for October Listening: Unobscured and Wild Thing

NEWS – October is my favorite month of the year. Perhaps it’s because of the crisp, fall weather, or maybe it’s because the tenuous veil between our world and the unknown becomes, for a brief moment, seemingly paper-thin.

In the spirit of ushering in the changing of seasons, I submit to you, readers, a pair of podcasts suited for warming up a mug of cider and listening to in a darkened room.

Unobscured

Aaron Mahnke, of the wonderfully macabre Lore series, takes us on a series-long deep dive of one specific topic in this new podcast. In season one, unwrap the often-forgotten details in what made the Salem Witch Trials such a dark and misunderstood period on our nation’s history.

Wild Thing

Laura Krantz, veteran producer and public radio editor, discovers her connection with a distant relative … a tenured professor of anthropology and renowned Bigfoot expert! Explore the stories, evidence and enduring fascination with Sasquatch.

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Two perfect podcasts to kick off your October originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Michael Strange

ARTICLE – I’m not the type of person who has a need for an EDC bag. However, I did have the occasion to use one a few months ago. I was shooting and editing a music video for a couple of friends and enlisted the use of a Belkin Classic Pro laptop backpack that I had reviewed for the Gadgeteer back in May.

The backpack was perfect for carrying everything I needed for the shoot. I was able to carry my 13” MacBook Pro and 10.5” iPad Pro, both of which I used for editing on the fly. I was also able to pack charging cords, my Apple Pencil, a portable hard drive, and a couple different size tripods. The backpack was the perfect companion for the 3-month shoot. I was easily able to transport what I needed and more importantly because of the backpacks padded interior, keep the contents safe.

As far as the EDC items I use every day, I never go anywhere without my iPhone Xs Max (which I love so far) and my Nike Edition Apple Watch.

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Michael Strange originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 9, 2018 at 12:35 pm.

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Rekonect has a notebook that has re-arrangeable pages

NEWS – The Magnetic Notebook from Rekonect has pages that can be removed, rearranged, and reinserted without damaging the notebook.  Rekonect has a magnetic spine to firmly hold pages printed with a stripe of patent-pending iron ink.   You can easily remove a page to print on it, photocopy it, or scan it.  No more trying to flatten out a notebook to get a readable scan of what’s on the page.

The hard-sided notebooks have rare-earth magnets in the spine and a polyurethane cover; an elastic band keeps the notebook closed.  The 5.5” x 8” notebook comes filled with 110 pages (55 sheets) of college-ruled lined paper.  Once you’ve used up all the pages, you can replace the paper with a refill pack of either lined or blank pages.

The Magnetic Notebook from Rekonect is available with a black, gray, or blue cover for $29.95 each.  Paper refills are available for $8.95 each.  Purchase the Rekonect Magnetic Notebook from The Grommet.

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Rekonect has a notebook that has re-arrangeable pages originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 9, 2018 at 11:09 am.

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