May 2019 – Page 2

Nodpod weighted sleep mask review

REVIEW – In the last year or so, weighted sleeping blankets have been a trendy product for people who have sleep issues. Why would you want a heavy blanket on you while you sleep? Apparently, when gentle pressure is applied to the body, it has a calming effect. This is known as deep touch pressure therapy and if it’s good for your body, it has to be good for your eyes as well, right? Let’s check out the Nodpod weighted sleep mask.

What is it?

Nodpod is a sleeping mask that covers your eyes to block out the light to help you sleep. But this mask goes one step further and applies gentle pressure to your eyes to help you relax and fall asleep faster.

Design and features

Avaliable in six colors, the Nodpod has a soft microfiber fleece side that will you can use to keep you warm.

The other side is made of knit jersey cotton (like a T-shirt) to keep you cool.

The sleep mask features four pods that are filled with microbeads to add weight.

One end of the sleep mask has a slit in the material that you can use to fasten the mask around your head.

The other end slides through the slit to make it easily adjustable.

Hmmm, looks like someone just woke up from a nap. Look at that messy hair!

The ends of the Nodpod are flat and not filled with beads so that you can wear the mask and sleep on your back or side without any discomfort. Or, you don’t have to fasten the sleep mask at all and can just lay it across your face if you tend to sleep in one place and not flop around a lot.

You can even use it sitting up, so it would be useful while traveling on a plane, train, etc.

The mask is soft and the material is scent-free and it’s machine washable. You can even put it in the freezer and it will remain flexible and won’t sweat.

What I like

Simple product
Washable
Comfy sleep gear

What needs to be improved

Price

Final thoughts

So did the Nodpod elevate my sleep game? I’m not sure if it improved my sleep all that much as I really don’t have any sleep issues. But I know that it felt very comfortable and helped me drift off to nap nap land a little quicker than I usually do. I think I may have slept deeper and more restful when using it too, but that’s just a guess and I think most ordinary sleep masks might do the same thing.

I do like that the Nodpod helps to block out light if you’re a day time napper or sleeper which is what I would normally want to use a sleeping mask for in the first place. In the past, I’ve used a towel or a rolled up T-Shirt to block out the daylight, but the Nodpod is a more elegant solution. For me though, I’m not sure it’s worth $30 when I can use a rolled up a towel for free.

Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Nodpod.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Sleep

Nodpod weighted sleep mask review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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How to automatically delete Google’s Web & App Activity data

ARTICLE – Google recently announced a new feature that allows users to automatically delete their web and app activity (CNET). You can choose from three options: “Keep until I delete manually”, “Keep for 18 months”, or “Keep for 3 months”. Once you go through the steps to automatically delete this data on one device, it will be set for all devices that are logged into that Google account.

Why might you want to delete this data? Because Google saves information about your searches, browsing, etc. when the Web & App Activity setting is turned on (Google support webpage):

Searches and other things you do on Google products and services, like Maps
Your location, language, IP address, referrer, and whether you use a browser or an app
Ads you click, or things you buy on an advertiser’s site
Information on your device like recent apps or contact names you searched for
Sites and apps you use
Your activity on sites and in apps that use Google services
Your Chrome browsing history
Note: Activity could be saved even when you’re offline

So, how do you delete your Web & App Activity automatically? Just follow the steps below for Android devices, PCs, and iOS devices. NOTE: all screenshots can be clicked on to view a larger image.

Android

To do this on an Android phone, you’ll need to go to your phone’s settings > “Google” > “Google Account” > “Data & personalization” tab > “Web & App Activity” > “Manage Activity” link > (shown in the screenshots above)…

…”Choose to delete automatically” > make your selection and tap on the “Next” button (your preferences will be saved) > “Confirm” button > then tap on the “Got it” button to complete the steps.

PC

On a PC you would do the following: launch Chrome > log into your Google account > click on the vertical ellipsis in the upper right corner of Chrome (overflow menu) > “Settings” > (shown in the screenshots above)…

…”Manage Google Account” > “Manage Your Data & Personalization” link >…

…”Web & App Activity” > “Manage Activity” link >…

……”Choose to delete automatically” button) > make your selection and tap on the “Next” button >…

…”Confirm” button > and tap on the “Got it” button to finish.

iOS

You can even get to Web & App Activity settings through Gmail’s settings as illustrated in the following iOS steps.

To automatically delete your web and app activity data using Gmail on an iOS device you need to do the following: open your Gmail app > “Menu” > “Settings” > tap on your account > “Manage your Google Account” > “Manage your data & personalization” >…

…”Web & App Activity” > “Manage Activity” link > “Choose to delete automatically” >…

…make your selection and tap on the “Next” button > “Confirm” button (your preferences will be saved) > tap on the “Got it” button to finish.

And if you don’t use Gmail, you can also use the Safari app on your iOS device and alter the Web & App Activity settings as shown in the following steps.

Tap on your Safari app > go to “google.com” > log into your Google account > tap on your profile picture located in the upper right corner of the screen > “Account settings” > “Data & personalization” tab >…

…”Web & App Activity” > “Manage activity” > “Choose to delete automatically” >…

…make your selection and tap on the “Next” button > “Confirm” button > and last, tap on the “Got it” button to finish.

I’m glad that Google is providing features like this so that people like me can have a little more control over their collected data!

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged: Google

How to automatically delete Google’s Web & App Activity data originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Elechomes Ultrasonic Humidifier (6L) review

REVIEW – The Elechomes Humidifier offers a large tank and several modes and options, so you can customize it for exactly how you intend to use it, including aromatherapy.

What is it?

Featuring a timer and remote control, Elechomes UC5501 Ultrasonic 6L Vaporizer adjusts the humidity of your home or office to your exact specification.

What’s in the box?

Humidifier
Remote control
Cleaner brush
Instruction manual

Hardware specs

Product dimensions: 11.6 x 7.7 x 11 inches
Item weight: 5.07 pounds
Material: ABS
Voltage: 120V/60Hz, Power: 280W
Warm mist : 550mL/h
Cool mist: 300mL/h
Coverage: 750 sq. ft.
Consecutive working time: Up to 40 hours

Design and features

Setup

It comes fully assembled. To fill the tank, just lift it up by the handle, pop it upside down and unscrew the cap.

The instruction manual says to use cool water and fill it with at least 3 liters. For this, I needed to use a measuring cup the first few times. For all it’s impressive features, I was shocked there was no fill line on the water tank. Even my cheapest, most basic humidifier has a minimum and maximum fill line.

To use the aromatherapy feature, there’s a small box on the side where you can pour a few drops of essential oils. I noticed the scent wasn’t as strong as my tiny humidifier solely intended for aromatherapy, where you drop the oils right into the water. However, I really appreciate the dual functionality. Before this, I needed two devices to humidify the air and disperse scents, and this does it all in one.

Performance

This worked like a charm and had some really useful features.

You can decide if you want a low, medium or high level of mist with the Max/Min button.

The humidity setting lets you set a specific humidity level percentage, and it will automatically adjust throughout the day and night to keep your space at your desired humidity until you turn it off or the tank runs out.

You decide if you want a cool, low heat, medium heat or high heat mist temperature.

And my favorite settings were the timer and sleep options. My son gets bloody noses, and we’ve found they’re greatly reduced if he sleeps with a humidifier. This model let me set the mist to only run during his sleeping hours, where other humidifiers just went continuously until they burned out of water. Since it’s only working when I need it, I only have to fill it every two or three days instead of every single day. Plus, the sleep mood makes it nearly silent so it doesn’t disturb my little guy’s slumber.

I also appreciated that you can adjust where the mist is dispersed directionally with two rotating nozzle pieces. For me, it was simple to direct the mist toward my son’s pillow. If you had a large room, you could adjust the nozzle to disperse in opposite directions for better coverage. Or if you had it sitting in a corner, you could manually point the mist outward into the room. Our previous humidifiers simply shot mist straight out, and I was surprised at how much I used and enjoyed having this customization.

What I like

Easy to set up and use
Aromatherapy option
Timer and sleep functions
Adjustable mist nozzle

What needs to be improved

Add a fill-line to the water tank, maximum/minimum lines would be even better

Final thoughts

For everyday humidifier users, Elechomes Ultrasonic 6L Vaporizer comes with useful features and customizations that are well worth the cost.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by ElecHomes.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Air Filtration

Elechomes Ultrasonic Humidifier (6L) review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Micro SD cards have finally reached 1TB

NEWS – Yep, you read that title correctly: You can buy a micro SD card that’s 1 TB in size. SanDisk recently revealed that you can buy the first ever 1 TB card directly from their online store or from Amazon. As of today, it’s out of stock in both locations, but when it’s available, it will set you back a cool $450. Read speeds are up to 160 MB/s and write 90 MB/s, assuming you have a gadget capable of reaching such impressive speeds. Who would need (and being willing to pay) for such a card? Drone operators come to mind as someone who might want to capture video for as long as possible before having to land and switch cards, or maybe an athlete with a GoPro catching a long ride. In fact, anyone using a device in harsh conditions may want to check this out, as SanDisk says this Extreme card is “temperature proof, waterproof, shock proof, and x-ray proof.” If you can think of any other great applications for such a large card, or if you can find a store where it’s in stock, let us know in the comments below.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Flash Memory

Micro SD cards have finally reached 1TB originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Google Reinstates Huawei with Android Q Service

It’s tough when politics get involved with business decisions. Nevertheless, sometimes countries or otherwise political entitles do so to play a little hardball and business gets caught up in it. That’s what happened to Huawei and Google recently when political trouble between China and the United States forced Google to revoke Huawei’s Android license. But we barely even got this news published before it was learned that Huawei was given a 90-day reprieve. Most assuredly, this gave them, as well as their customers, many reasons to breathe a sigh of relief. Huawei announced in an emailed statement on Friday, May 31, that they have been… Read more