Home 2019 February

Mission Workshop Renan alpaca knit pullover/hoodie review

REVIEW – Last year the folks at Mission Workshop sent me a pair of their Icon City Pants to review. While not very techie or gadgettie, they are definitely a finely made, high-quality piece of clothing. Though, I hate to say it, I have passed them onto the Gadgeteer Kid who can pull off that modern look much better than I can. That said, recently Mission Workshop has sent me their Renan alpaca knit pullover to checkout…hopefully it stays in my closet vs his 😉 .

A bit of backstory: As I get old(er), I do my best to age with some semblance of grace. And I occasional read threads that help in that effort, saying ‘don’t wear these sort of things’ or ‘these phrases are no longer cool or worse yet not acceptable’. It’s not that I follow trends (at all really). But I seriously don’t want to be the 50-something guy walking down the street with people thinking “OMG what was he thinking” as they stare at my 20 yr old cargo shorts and white socks pulled up to my knees. So as my story goes, one of these articles suggested a list of all-purpose clothes every (aging) guy should own. One of those items was a quality pullover/hoodie. So, I did an internet search and the Renan knit pullover was near the top of the list to consider.

What is it?

The Renan pullover is an extremely nice, handcrafted hoodie made in the Peruvian Andes using 100% Alpaca fleece. It is soft, thick, warm, and feels awesome to wear. (I asked the Gadgeteer Kid to be my model and to smile, this is the best he could muster.)

Design and features

The Renan is handcrafted “from start to finish in the Peruvian Andes using 100% Alpaca fleece”. According to Mission Workshop, the Alpaca fibers provide unparalleled softness, regulate body temperature, naturally repel water, and are odor resistant. And while I haven’t tested the odor resistance, I completely agree. The Renan is constructed better than any knitted pullover/sweater I have ever worn. The Alpaca fleece is finely woven yet very dense, thick and heavy, as you would want, to stay warm on a cold day. During the first month of on and off use, the Renan has held its shape very nicely.

The Renan hoodie is styled and has the look to wear on its own or as a mid-layer piece when things get really cold. I regularly wear it under my leather jacket and personally think it looks awesome. Considering the quality and cost of the Renan pullover, I would not wear it while working on home improvement projects or put it in harms way like I would my Carhartt hoodie. But it is an excellent choice for a winter Friday @work, puttering around town, or a casual get-together.

The Mission Workshop Renan is European cut and is relatively slim-fitted. The Gadgeteer Kid stands 6’3″ and weighs in at about 175 pounds, he’s an ideal model for the Renan (in large).  I’m 6’1″ and 185lbs, it fits me nicely as well but let’s just say you can see the places where I need to workout a bit more.

The back of the Renan has a rear facing touring pocket to hold your phone or keys out of the way while riding your bike or leaning forward. Mission Workshop uses custom YKK zippers to keep your stuff securely in the pocket. The YKK zipper operates smoothly and have yet to get hung-up.

Positives

  • Extremely well made from the finest materials
  • Alpaca is finely woven, soft, heavy, thick, gorgeous
  • Handwoven on manual looms with custom Alpaca yarn
  • Nicely fitted
  • Integrated touring pocket

Negatives

  • Expensive

The Renan is available in Heathered Gray and Black.

Final thoughts

You know it’s funny, the wife and Gadgeteer Kid rarely have much, if any, interest in the gear I receive to review. They might take a pair of wireless earbuds or tech-bag if they’ve destroyed the last one I hooked them up with. But it is more me forcing stuff on them than anything else…yes, crazy I know. I do not believe there has ever been an item that was fought over before it even arrived. Well, long story short, the Mission Workshop Renan alpaca knit pullover has the coveted honor of being the first. This hoodie is definitely a keeper, its ageless style, material quality, and construction should last years, if not decades. If the Kid somehow sneaks it off to college next year, I would most likely order another to replace it…which also say quite a bit as well. The Renan is just the hoodie I was looking for when I started my search.

Price: $325

Where to buy: The Renan alpaca pullover is available on the Mission Workshop website.

Source: The sample of this product was provided by Mission Workshop.

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Mission Workshop Renan alpaca knit pullover/hoodie review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Mystery Ranch Updated ASAP Pack

Exterior view of Mystery Ranch ASAP backpack

If you are looking to upgrade your day bag or create the ultimate dad bag, Mystery Ranch of Boseman, Montana recently released an updated version of their smallest assault pack, the ASAP. Like many of their other assault packs, the ASAP uses their patented 3-Zip design to allow you to access even the deepest recesses of the pack without having to unload everything from the top. The military / tactical design of the ASAP means it will stand out in a crowd and stand up to just about any abuse you can throw at it.

The main compartment has three pockets, of which two are designed for holding water reservoirs, but can also swallow light jackets, water bottles, or a changing pad, baby wipes, and diapers with ease. In addition to the main compartment, there is a small compartment in the top lid. MOLLE / PALS (pouch attachment ladder system) webbing on the outside of the ASAP allows for expansion and customization using any pouches that utilize the PALS system of attachment.

Interior view of Mystery Ranch ASAP pack

The ASAP utilizes Mystery Ranch’s internal Futura Yoke system to customize the fit of the pack to your torso once you’ve selected one of the three frame sizes. ASAP packs are available in four colors: black, coyote (tan), foliage (green) and multicam (green with multiple shades of brown).

Mystery Ranch designs and manufactures all their assault packs in the United States. While many of their mountaineering packs are available through various brick-and-mortar retailers in the United States, most of their assault packs are only available from their website www.mysteryranch.com. The ASAP retails for $275.

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Mystery Ranch Updated ASAP Pack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Aiwa Exos-9 Portable Bluetooth speaker review

REVIEW – Last year, I reviewed the Aiwa Arc-1 headphones and liked them. They’re comfortable and easy to listen to for hours. However, before the Arc-1, Aiwa made a wireless speaker that helped raise them from the ashes of forgotten electronic companies. Since its release, the powerful Aiwa Exos-9 Portable Bluetooth Speaker has garnered a lot of positive press and reviews. The wonderful thing about reviews is that reviewers can disagree completely, which is why you should always read many reviews before spending hard-earned money on a product. Am I going to agree or disagree with the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the Aiwa Exos-9 speaker?

What is it?

The Aiwa Exos-9 is a large and loud 200-watt portable wireless Bluetooth speaker known for its ability to play loudly, both indoors and out. 

Specs

  • Onboard Volume
  • EQ control: 5-band with 4 equalizer presets
  • Bluetooth with a radius of 50ftA2DP support, aptX, AAC, SBC codec support
  • Wireless NFC pairing
  • Two-speaker pairing for wireless left/right stereo
  • 2600 mAH lithium-ion rechargeable battery with 9+ hours play time before recharging
  • USB charging
  • Frequency response: 40Hz-20KHz
  • Power: 200W 
  • 2 x 1 in. silk dome tweeter
  • 2 x 3 in. neodymium midrange speaker driver
  • 1 x 6.5 in. dual voice coil subwoofer
  • Class-D bi-amplification
  • Active and passive crossovers
  • Bass reflex port
  • 3.5mm aux. input

In the box

  • Exos-9
  • Mini plug cable
  • power cable

Design and features

To start, the Exos-9 is big, heavy and loud, which makes it perfect for kid’s basement parties and both indoor and outdoor get-togethers. Even though the Exos-9 can be used outdoors, it is neither waterproof nor water resistant. Aiwa does offer an optional carrying case which gives the speaker an IPX4 splash and dustproof rating.

The design (like Aiwa’s excellent Arc-1 headphones) is rather bland and generic-looking. The Exos-9 speaker housing is made of plastic, which doesn’t instill much confidence if accidentally dropped—and I didn’t want to test it. However, the speaker does come with a built-in carrying handle—a good thing since it weighs 13 lbs. Moving it to the backyard is easy but if the speaker needs to be carried over a longer distance, the handle’s design may cause you to have to grip tighter, putting undo strain on hand muscles.

A rechargeable battery pack is included with the Exos-9. It’s large but installs easily into the bottom of the speaker at the back. The battery is rated at 10 hours. I haven’t tested it for that long, but I was able to use the Exos-9 for 8 hours at moderate volume with no issues. If that’s not enough battery life for you, Aiwa offers an optional extended battery for longer play time. Note that battery life shortens as volume increases. To deal with this, Aiwa has incorporated what they call “Battery Save Mode EQ (equalizer) Setting.” This determines which frequencies use the most power and adjusts them increasing the life of the battery by up to 100%. Note that this will affect the audio as certain frequencies are reduced. Speaking of EQ …

The top of the Exos-9 speaker has a control panel that looks removable but isn’t. The touch-sensitive buttons handle Play/Pause and equalizer (EQ) controls. The EQ uses directional arrows for adjusting frequencies. The left/right arrows let you choose between four non-adjustable EQ presets and one customizable EQ setting. The up/down arrows allow you to increase or decrease gain across five EQ bands. You have to use the Left/Right arrows to move among the customized bands in order to press the Up/Down arrows for gain control. Even though the manual shows how the EQ arrows work, it’s still complicated so I just leave the EQ set to off.

The remaining control button is LINK. This allows two Exos-9 speakers to be wirelessly connected for audio mirroring or true L/R stereo—with the added benefit of even more volume.

Pairing Bluetooth was easy. Once powered on, the Exos-9 showed up in my iPhone’s Bluetooth settings. Why can’t all Bluetooth speakers be this simple? If you have NFC (meaning almost everybody except Apple), there is a labeled touch spot on the top of the speaker.

Audio connections are limited to one mini plug AUX Line-In port at the back of the speaker. This port will accept headphones, digital audio players (DAP), laptops and anything that uses a mini plug for audio. Once any device is plugged into the AUX port, it automatically takes over. There are two USB ports: One is dedicated to charging mobile devices. This means that a smartphone can be charged while streaming music to the Exos-9. Unfortunately, it is not a USB digital-in port. The other is a micro-USB port that’s for firmware updates only. A mini plug cable is included. USB cables are not. There is also a large, circular bass port that allows significant air movement for increased bass.

The front of the Exos-9 has two slots at the bottom that look like more bass ports but are decorative only. Near the top is a monochrome LED panel that shows EQ settings that are controlled from the top panel mentioned earlier.

The Exos-9 comes with 5 speakers: Two 1 in. tweeters, two 3 in. mid-range drivers and one 6.5 in. subwoofer. They are powered by a 200 watt amplifier. This combination packs a wallop when volume is cranked up. It’s immediately clear that the Exos-9 can match many speakers—some costing much more—in volume. 

However, volume alone does not a good speaker make. Aiwa has done an excellent job of matching the amp to the speakers producing excellent audio at all volumes. Example: I set the speaker on my back yard deck railing and walked 50-60 feet away from the speaker. I then cranked the volume to max on my iPhone. Not only did the Bluetooth signal hold with zero dropouts, but the sound quality was also excellent and distortion free. I was shocked by how much bass it produced because bass tends to dissipate when outdoors. This is definitely a potent party speaker.

One thing missing from the Exos-9 is a dedicated app. I would have loved an app that could control the EQ without having to go to the speaker and fiddle with those non-intuitive EQ arrows. Smart speaker technology would also be welcome. Yet, even though it’s missing some of these extras, you can’t argue about the Exos-9’s audio quality. There is an optional remote available, but at the Exos-9’s price, should have been included in the box.

I played different genre’s of music on the Exos-9, from 80s new wave, 60s psychedelia and modern over-processed music to bass-monster songs (for testing bass of course), folk and classical. The speaker handled it all with ease but rock and party music is what makes the Exos-9 shine. The louder the music, the happier the Exos-9 appears to be.

What I like

  • Loud, distortion-free audio, perfect for outdoor parties
  • Decent battery life (at moderate volume)
  • Great bass—even outdoors
  • Extended Bluetooth distance
  • Built-in carrying handle

What needs to be improved

  • A smartphone app would be welcome
  • No water resistance if played outdoors
  • Bland design

Final Thoughts

Since the Exos-9 is the product that pulled Aiwa from the ashes, maybe they should have named it “The Phoenix” instead. Either way, the Exos-9 is a dynamite speaker that sounds great, especially outdoors. If Aiwa can add some built-in water protection and some additional smart connection options like Alexa, AirPlay or Google Play, the Exos-9 could come close to that perfect all-in-one speaker.

Price: $329.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Aiwa.

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Aiwa Exos-9 Portable Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Relieve muscle soreness anytime anywhere with the Morph collapsible foam roller

NEWS – There are several benefits to using a foam roller, like encouraging muscle recovery and boosting circulation and flexibility. However, traditional foam rollers are big, bulky and awkward to carry with you. The Morph collapsible foam roller gives you all the benefits of foam rolling with less bulk and more portability.

This sturdy fold-and-go foam roller designed by former NFL player Nate Lawrie folds flat for easy portability and storing. The roller is made of high-density foam and can handle up to 350 pounds.

Expanding the Morph is done by simultaneously pulling on the drawstring pullers until the end disks pop into place. Collapse it by pushing on the disks at each end and fold flat.

When collapsed the roller is only 2-inches in height. Making it small enough to fit easily inside of a gym bag, locker, or luggage. The roller expands to 5 and a half inches when opened.

You can choose from a traditional smooth surface or a deep tissue ridged surface in either sunset orange or midnight blue.

There are even workout cards included to help you get rolling. The Morph collapsible foam roller is available from The Grommet for $68.

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Relieve muscle soreness anytime anywhere with the Morph collapsible foam roller originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Lenovo’s Smart Clock with Google Assistant will make sure you wake up on time

NEWS – At CES 2019,  revealed the Smart Clock with Google Assistant, the latest in its line of smart living products.  First and foremost, it’s a clock.  It has a four-inch display that tells the time and sounds the alarm in the morning.  It is, however, much more than just a clock.  It can gradually turn up the lights in the room, display the first event on your schedule, find out how long your morning commute will be, and read the morning news to you.  All this is done by voice — “Hey, Google!” — and is powered by Google Assistant.

Lenovo’s device is smart.  It can play music or a podcast, search the web, and display the weather.  It can perform groups of related commands in the morning, known as a routine.  It even lets you pick what keywords trigger what routines.  It’s also connected.  It interoperates with other smart devices and allows you check your front security camera, turn on the coffee pot, or listen in your baby to make sure he’s still sleeping, all from the comfort of your bed.

The Smart Clock has a 6-watt speaker, a touch screen running at 800 x 480, a USB port for charging your phone, and Bluetooth connectivity, but unlike its competitor, the Amazon Echo Spot, it doesn’t have a camera.  That’s a smart idea for any device that will be the bedroom.

The Smart Clock is covered in a soft, grey fabric.  From the display it tapers down to a much smaller back, making it less obtrusive on your nightstand.  It’s priced at $79.99 and will be available spring 2019. Visit lenovo.com for more details.

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Lenovo’s Smart Clock with Google Assistant will make sure you wake up on time originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 3, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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