NEWS – We had a gift guide for musicians, and now Fender is giving you a way to get great music gifts at special Black Friday pricing that is already active now. They have an assortment of guitars, basses, ukuleles, amps, straps, clothing, and accessories at savings up to $400.00. There are many more at the Fender Black Friday shop, but check out a few of the deals below.
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REVIEW – I’ve been borrowing my sons Bluetooth speaker from time to time, so I thought reviewing the Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker would be a good time to get my own.
What is it?
The Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker is a portable 40W wireless speaker that has a rich feature set and most of all, great sound.
Hardware specs
Model: Mega
Compatible: All Bluetooth enabled devices
Bluetooth version: 4.2
Transmission Range: 20m (Open field)
Output Power: 20W X 2
Battery: 3.7V/2*3300mAh
Power Supply: 5V/2.1A
Frequency Response: 115Hz-13KHz
Distortion: =1.0%
Driver Unit: 4ohms 20W/53mm
Playing Time: Up to 15 hours
Dimensions: 193mm x 57mm x 82mm
Weight: 662.3g
What’s in the box?
Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker
Micro-USB Charging cable
3.5mm male-to-male audio aux cable
User manual
Warranty card
Design and features
The Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker features start with a simple rectangular design in a compact form factor, at 7.6″x2.25″x3.22″ (193mm x 57mm x 82mm) the speaker is comfortably carried in one hand and can be placed just about anywhere. The large Bluetooth speaker I was previously using was round, large and had three legs that didn’t always work well for some locations.
The top has a lighted touch panel and controls for mode, volume, play/pause, track forward and track back, as well as an NFC “button” for touch pairing from compatible devices. The volume control took a little bit of playing with to figure out exactly where I could and could not touch to adjust the volume. The controls feature a line between volume + and volume -, but only the ends of the actual line are touch sensitive. I initially thought I could slide my figure along the volume line to adjust the volume, but that was not the case.
On the rear of the unit is an aux audio input jack, on/off switch, TF card slot (micro SD), and the micro USB power charging jack. The bottom of the unit has two rubber non-slip pads.
Let’s talk about what really makes this a great speaker. Dual 20W drivers with a passive radiator and a large 28 core high-fidelity subwoofer deliver a total of 40W output. 3D digital sound integrated with DSP technology that almost eliminates distortion (<1% at full volume) means that you can basically turn this thing all the way up and have great sound – which is quite loud!
The Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker also has TWS technology that enables syncing two devices for true wireless stereo.
Two 3300mAh batteries provide for up to 15 hours of play time before needing another recharge. I like this feature as I occasionally listen to podcasts while driving, and since my truck doesn’t have an aux input, a Bluetooth speaker is the only safe way to do that. With the built-in battery, I don’t have to mess with micro USB charger cords along with my lighting cord.
I’ve had plenty of speakers for computers and several Bluetooth speakers ranging from the inexpensive to the really expensive and I must say, the sound quality from this speaker is phenomenal. I’m not an audiophile – but I do appreciate clear audio that doesn’t sound like it’s coming from an empty plastic box. If you are an audiophile, you probably already know you’ll want something larger if you really enjoy gut-punching bass sound.
The TF card slot (micro SD) supports cards up to 64GB. It supports MP3, WAV, APE, FLAC. The sampling rate is 44.1k, bit rate is 1411kbps. I really like this feature as I can put all of my music on one micro SD card and leave it in the speaker and I have all of my music with the speaker all the time. By the way, the THX movie intro sounds great at full volume.
There is no battery level indicator on the device, but on devices like the iPhone, you can see the battery level at the top of the iPhone screen and a more detailed battery level if you swipe right to see the battery widget.
The speaker also has a built-in microphone, but it’s nothing to write home about. It works good at close range (1-2ft) but at larger distances, it sounds, well, distant. Basically, it’s better than nothing when your hands are dirty and you don’t want to handle your phone.
What I like
Physical on/off switch
It’s loud
MicroSD card slot
Aux input
What needs to be improved
No battery level indicator on the unit
Volume controls a bit touchy
Final thoughts
I really like this speaker. It’s gotten a lot of use over the last few weeks and will get plenty more in the future. Whether I’m in my office, garage, or gallery it’s plenty loud enough to fill the room with clear audio.
Price: $47.99 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tronsmart.
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ARTICLE – Call them geeks, call them techies, or call them nerds, but people who like gadgets, gear, and gizmos are sometimes the hardest people to buy for because there are so many products that fit in that niche that it’s hard to know what to pick. If you have techies on your holiday list this year, here are some gift ideas to help you out with your shopping tasks.
Cross X Liberty United Collector’s Edition Carbon Black Rollerball Pen
Available in the color you see above or grey, this rollerball pen not only looks sharp but it has a story. The Cross X Liberty United pens are made from recycled melted steel from confiscated guns that have been taken off the street of America by police officers. The pen features a slide and click open and close mechanism, a pocket clip with a serial number of a confiscated gun that was taken off the streets, and a lifetime Mechanical Guarantee.
Here’s a fun gift idea for any comic book or gaming nerds on your holiday gift giving list. They are called Pixel Pals and they are collectible pixel art versions of your favorite game and comic book characters. Besides the fact that they have a cool retro vibe, they also light up. Each one is around 6 inches tall and is powered by 2 AAA batteries.
Forget about coffee of the month or sausage of the month subscription clubs, that idea is played out. Instead, check out Watch Gang, a watch of the month club that ships a cool wrist watch to you each month. The watches are different styles and brands, but you get to choose the basic style that you like best upon sign up so you’ll be happy with the monthly selections. There are 3 tiers to the club that will send watches valued from $150 up to $1500 each depending on the tier. Club members are even in the running for weekly drawings for TAG and Rolex watches.
Price: $29 – $299 a month or a one time purchase of $29, $99, or $299 Where to buy: watchgang.com
Bluffworks travel wear
Andy Jacobs: BluffWorks might just be the best travel clothing company you’ve not yet heard of, and as an owner and wearer of a handful of BluffWorks items, I can attest to this. Their Chino Pants are outstanding: very comfortable with just the right amount of stretch, a slimming cut, and hidden security pockets. Their Travel Shirts are similar, with a bit of stretch, and almost impossible to wrinkle. But my favorite recent BluffWorks item is their Gramercy line of Blazers and Pants that can be worn separately or combined into the most comfortable suit I’ve ever owned, and hands-down the best for travel (both pieces are machine washable, too). As with all of BluffWork’s apparel, the Gramercy Suit has just a bit of stretch, but the fabric has a very classy look and feel, like a sporty suit would. The Blazer is also packed with extra pockets that make it even more perfect for travel.. If you have a traveler in your life, are a traveler yourself, or just like sharp-looking and functional men’s clothing, BluffWorks should be on your holiday gift list.
Price: varies depending on the garment Where to buy: Bluffworks
Leatherman Micra
If you’re looking for a small pocket-friendly multi-tool that includes a handy pair of scissors, a knife, screwdriver, and 7 other tools, the Leatherman Micra is a popular choice. Available in a variety of colors, this stainless steel tool is built to stand up to everyday wear and tear and will provide years of EDC use.
Flying a drone is fun, so building your own drone and then flying it has to take the fun to a whole new level right? Yes! But building a drone has to be difficult right? Nope. It’s not with the Circuit Scribe kit, which lets you build a drone by drawing the electrical circuits with a pen that has conductive ink. It might sound like tech sorcery, but it’s not. This kit provides everything you need to get your drone up and flying quickly. It even has a built in camera and you can control the drone with your phone.
When I was a kid, my sister and I would get burned to a crisp every summer when we’d spend the day at the lake house of a friend of my dad’s. We thought it was funny back then, but of course, that was back in the ’70s when coating your skin in baby oil and laying outside in the sun seemed like a perfectly great idea. Now we know better and this tiny clip-on UV sensor from La Roche-Posay measures and tracks your UV exposure and provides pollution, pollen, and humidity information based on your location all without needing to be charged. Just clip it your clothes or cap and it will do the rest through the iOS app (sorry, there’s no support for Android yet).
Our own Dave Rees loves these earbuds and said as much in his review this past spring:
The Elite 65t’s are Jabra’s second generation of truly wireless earbuds with improved sound quality, a better, more secure fit, and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. These lightweight earbuds are not only comfortable with a secure fit but engineered/optimized for listening to music, videos, and participating in calls.
…the Elite 65t’s have become my new goto headphones for the rest of the time. Their comfort, secure fit, sound quality, and overall design are excellent and really the truly wireless earbuds to beat.
Why cover up your snazzy looking iPhone with a boring plastic case that hides the Apple logo when you can add the head-turning unique protection of the Vapor-S Bumper Case from Element Case. The Vapor-S bumper is made of aluminum and polycarbonate that has mil-spec drop protection and a raised edge that makes sure the iPhone’s display and the camera lens stays above any table top that you set it on.
When you reach a certain age, your eyes change requiring you need progressive lenses in your existing glasses or you need a pair of reading glasses. If you’re in the latter group, consider a pair of ThinOptics which are…wait for it… thin! ThinOptics are available in a variety of fun styles, colors, and in strengths from +1.00 to + 2.50. But the really cool thing about ThinOptics is that they can be carried with you all the time. Either on a keychain, on the back of your phone case, or in your pocket.
I reviewed this touch screen computer kit back in October and absolutely loved it. It was a lot of fun to put together because it comes with easy to understand instructions and it doesn’t require any special tools. Although this kit is marketed for kids, adults that like to tinker will like it too especially if they have an interest in learning to program.
Protect your iPhone and some Samsung Galaxy smartphones with a variety of cases from Silk Smartish. They offer cases that not only protect the phone but offer additional features like the ability to leave your wallet home and carry your main credit cards right in the back of the phone case.
Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is a service that gives your kids great content for their devices. Content includes digital books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games, in both English and Spanish, each hand-selected for quality and age-appropriateness by the Amazon FreeTime team. For just $2.99/month for Prime members or $4.99/month for customers who are not yet Prime Members (one-year pre-paid plans are available, too). Another easy option: every new Fire Kids Edition tablet and Echo Dot Kids Edition comes with a one-year subscription to FreeTime Unlimited.
Price: $2.99/month for Prime members or $4.99/month for customers who are not yet Prime Members Where to buy: amazon.com/freetime
HP Sprocket Printer
From my review: I’ve reviewed a couple other printers very similar to the HP Sprocket, so I wasn’t expecting the resulting prints to be much if any different than ones I’ve been using for years. But I actually was surprised. The prints from the HP Sprocket look a bit crisper and have more vibrant colors than prints from Polaroid and Panasonic ZINK printers which have always looked a bit washed out to me. The HP Sprocket app is a bit more polished as well compared to the other printer apps. If I was in the market for a pocket-sized photo printer today, my first choice would be the HP Sprocket portable photo printer. It’s a keeper.
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REVIEW – I’m a touch typist and a mousist (is that a thing?). Even if I use a tablet, I want to be able to pair it with a keyboard and a mouse (Android) so I can enter text and navigate much faster than tapping on a virtual keyboard if I have a lot of work to do. I’ve tried alternative keyboards in the past but have always gone back to using a standard keyboard and a mouse for the sake of convenience. I was recently sent a Tap wearable keyboard and mouse to try. Let’s check it out.
What is it?
Tap is a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that you wear on your hand/fingers.
Hardware specs
OS Compatibility – IOS 9+, ANDROID 5+, OS X YOSEMITE+, WINDOWS 8.1+, LINUX UBUNTU
Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0+
Battery life – 8 hours tapping, 7-day standby
What’s in the box?
Tap wearable keyboard and mouse
Tap portable charging case
Micro USB charging cable
Quick start guide
Design and features
The Tap keyboard comes in a storage case that doubles as the charger. Inside the case, there are posts for each ring.
The thumb post has two electrical contacts and each post is magnetic to hold the rings in place even when the case is bouncing around inside your gear bag.
The case itself is charged with a micro USB cable. There’s a status LED on one end along with a button that you have to press the start the charging process.
The Tap keyboard is available in two sizes and is made of 5 rings, one for each finger and can be worn on either hand. The rings are made of a flexible plastic and are attached to each other with soft woven cables that remind me of shoelaces.
With the Tap keyboard installed on your hand, you can still use your fingers to pick things up, scratch your head, wave hello, type on a traditional keyboard, or use a traditional mouse… Oops, did I just say/type that?
Wearing the Tap keyboard kind of made me feel like a cyborg or an alien with webbed fingers or something kooky like that since the rings are all connected to each other. The keyboard didn’t feel uncomfortable to wear, just different.
The thumb ring is the main control for the keyboard and has the power button on the top silver part of the ring. This button is also the charging status indicator and it has a blue LED ring around it that “breathes” while charging in the case.
There are also two flat bumps on the side of the thumb ring. The top one is the laser mouse and the bottom one is the gliding surface for the mouse. More about those features in a bit.
Let’s getting tapping!
If you’re already a proficient touch typist like myself, you’ll have to re-learn how to type with the Tap keyboard since you’ll be using only 5 fingers instead of 10 to type the alphabet, numbers, and symbols. Learning is made “easy” with the Tap Genius app.
The app has a simple user interface that helps you learn groups of letters at a time by playing a game where letters drop down from the top of the screen and you have to tap them with the Tap keyboard before they reach the bottom of the screen. This fun way to learn is easy at first but quickly becomes complicated and more difficult as more letters are added and complex finger tapping combinations are introduced.
Check out the Tap Code glossary sheet above. It’s not a problem at all to learn to type A, E, I, O, and U as each letter requires just one finger tap. But things quickly escalate as you learn the next set of letters N, T, L, and S which use two-finger taps at a time. Again, it’s easy when you use your index finger and middle finger together, or middle and ring finger together, but things got a little awkward for me when the letter S used the ring and pinkie finger tap. And it just got harder from there. It almost felt like learning to play piano or a guitar and having to learn a bunch of chords.
According to their website, you can learn to use the Tap keyboard in 30 days with 10 minutes of practice a day. I don’t doubt that claim, but you definitely need good hand/finger dexterity to use this keyboard and you need a flat surface to tap on. Although you can tap in the air, the accuracy suffers a LOT.
But wait, it’s a mouse too
I tried using the Tap as a mouse my Android phone and my MacBook and it was pretty awkward and was picky about the surfaces I tried to use it on. Check out the video above to see how it works.
What I like
Wearable
Fun game makes learning fun
Keyboard and mouse features
What needs to be improved
Steep learning curve
Not for people with poor finger/hand dexterity
Need a flat surface for it to work well
Final thoughts
The tech behind the Tap keyboard is definitely cool, but I’m surprised they didn’t go one step further and implement gestures for typing like swipe your hand to the right for space or even drawing the letters out with your finger. I bet I could type faster drawing the letters than trying to tap the finger combo for the letter J which is all your fingers except your ring finger. Try that right now on your desk and you’ll see how awkward it feels. I had a lot of trouble with those types of “chords” because my first three fingers would touch the desk first with the pinkie tapping last. It would often cause the wrong letter(s) to show up because a tap of the first three fingers is the up arrow and a pinkie tap is the letter U. And don’t get me started that ENTER a tap of your thumb with your ring and pinkie.
Trying to use the Tap keyboard was like learning to type from scratch (duh!) and to be honest, it was too tedious for me to use it. I tried it for a week or so and learned enough letters to spell most words, but when put into actual practice using it with my phone, it took me way longer to type using the Tap keyboard compared with either using the onscreen Google keyboard with the swipe feature or pairing my phone with a traditional Bluetooth keyboard and touch typing with both hands.
Does that mean that the Tap wearable keyboard and mouse is a dud? Nope, not at all. It’s just not for people who aren’t stuck in their ways and are already traditional touch typists. I think the Tap keyboard is a step toward what input devices will be like in the future and I can’t wait to see how they will evolve and hopefully get easier to use.
Price: $179 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tapwithus.
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NEWS – Tired of using drippy plastic bags and warm water or even worse a microwave to thaw out meats or fish. The THAT! Inventions defrosting tray takes the hassle out of defrosting frozen meats. No heating, batteries, or electricity required.
The tray is made of highly conductive food-grade aluminum with a proprietary thermal liquid inside. The bio-safe liquid absorbs cold from the surface on contact. This significantly cuts the defrost time on things like beef, chicken, fish, and pork. And because the defrosting process is natural, the meat is more flavorful.
A slight tilt to the tray allows run-off from the defrosting meat to be captured into a drip tray.
Silicone gel strips on the bottom give the tray extra grip on your countertop.
The sleek, elegant design of the tray has a wood-grain finish and comes in copper or silver.
The THAT! Inventions premium defrosting tray sells for $79.95 and is available on The Grommet.
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