Home John

Satechi Type-C gadget giveaway!

CONTEST – Satechi is known for making Type-C adapters that improve efficiency and expand the functionality of your computing devices. Their Type-C products have a sleek, compact design, and are perfect for the mobile workspace. They have been kind enough to offer a giveaway of some of their most popular products for one lucky Gadgeteer reader.

Entering is easy! Just answer three questions in a comment section at the bottom of this post and if you’re willing to jump through a few extra hoops, you can earn up to three additional entries which will greatly increase your chances of winning. Please read the details on the prizes and the rules before you submit your entries for a chance to win Satechi’s giveaway prize pack!

Prizes:

One person will win a prize pack consisting of 1 of each of the 3 Satechi products shown below (additional accessories shown in photos are not included in the prize pack):

Aluminum Type-C USB 3.0 Micro/SD Reader

Type-C Card reader is equipped with both an SD card slot and Micro SD card slot which can be used simultaneously. Additionally, the card reader is equipped with a USB 3.0 port.

Price: $29.99
Website: Satechi

Type-C Multi-Port Adapter 4K with Ethernet v2

Connect your new Microsoft Surface Go or other USB Type-C laptop to a plethora of accessories with this all-in-one adapter which features:

  • SD slot
  • micro SD slot
  • Gigabit Ethernet port
  • 4K HDMI video
  • 3 USB ports
  • Pass through USB Type-C charging

Price: $89.99
Website: Satechi

Type-C 75W Travel Charger

The Travel Charger will give you power when you need when you’re on the go.

  • USB-C PD port (up to 60W)
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports and a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 port
  • Charge up to 4 of your devices at a time (max up to 75W)
  • Removable AC plug for compact, easy storage
  • Input range (100-240V) for international voltage requirements

Price: $64.99
Website: Satechi

How to enter (please read carefully – any missed steps and your entry will be disqualified):

Between now and 08/25/2018 midnight EST leave a comment on this page answering the questions below.

  1. How can I make The Gadgeteer better for YOU?
  2. Which do you enjoy reading most? News or reviews?
  3. What should we write about next?

Get a 2nd bonus entry by subscribing to our newsletter:
You’ll receive 3 emails a week with latest post info. Subscribe here.
If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, let me know and you’ll get a 2nd bonus entry.

Get a 3rd bonus entry by tweeting:
The Gadgeteer is giving away a prize pack of 3 Satechi Type-C gadgets. Entering the contest is easy! https://the-gadgeteer.com/2018/08/22/satechi-type-c-gadget-giveaway/

Get a 4th bonus entry by liking The Gadgeteer Facebook page and sharing a public link to The Gadgeteer from your Facebook account.

Make sure you come back to this page and leave a separate 2nd comment stating that you subscribed to the newsletter, a 3rd comment with a link to your tweet and a 4th comment with a link to your Facebook post. To get the links for Twitter and Facebook, just click the time stamp of your post and it will give you the page with that post so you can grab the link.

At some point on 08/26/2018, I’ll pick one random winner using random.org. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hrs to claim their prizes. If I do not receive an answer to my email in that time period, I’ll do other random.org drawings till the prize pack is claimed.

Rules:

1. Only one entry per person (warning: I check IP addresses).

2. Gadgeteer writers and their immediate family members may not enter this contest.

3. the-gadgeteer.com is not responsible for any lost packages due to incorrect shipping addresses.

4. the-gadgeteer.com is not responsible for the winner not accepting their prize offer within 48hrs. The winner will be posted on this contest page, in the contest page comment section and will be emailed using the email provided in the comment section. Check your spam folder.

5. Winner must have a US shipping address.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Satechi Type-C gadget giveaway! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 4:32 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

The Gaston Floating Secretary Desk gives you an office even when you have no room for one

NEWS – The Gaston Floating Secretary Desk is a perfect addition to a bedroom, small living room, or even a tiny home – anywhere you need a desk workspace but don’t have room for one.  This desk mounts to the wall and folds away when you don’t need to work.  When needed, the front folds out like those old-fashioned secretary desks to reveal a worktop for your laptop or for your paperwork.  Closed or open, the Gaston provides a couple of display shelves and a couple of storage drawers.

The Secretary is made by HARTÔ, a French furniture company, working in collaboration with Industry West.  It’s made of oak veneer MDF and oak veneer plywood with a matte finish. The matte lacquer drawers use leather tongues as drawer pulls. Mounting hardware is included.

The Gaston Floating Secretary Desk measures 23.6″ wide x 12.4″ deep x 28.3″ tall for $700.  If you need a bit more space, the Gaston is also available in a larger size.  The Gaston Floating Secretary Desk Large measures 31.5″ wide x 14.5″ deep x 28.3″ tall, with a 15.7″ deep folding table, for $950.  Both are available directly from Industry West.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

The Gaston Floating Secretary Desk gives you an office even when you have no room for one originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Pad & Quill Journal Notebook and Deluxe Leather Journal Cover review

No matter how many times I’ve tried to switch to digital task and journaling apps, I always end up missing using my favorite pen and notebook. There’s just something so personal about putting pen to paper and a notebook full of doodles, taped in ticket stubs, photos, and memories means more to me than any app on my phone ever could. For that reason, I enjoy trying new notebooks and covers that protect them. So let’s check out one of each from Pad & Quill.

What is it?

I guess that should say what are they instead of what is it because I’ll be telling you about two separate products being offered by Pad & Quill. There’s the Journal Notebook which is available in two sizes, and the Deluxe Leather Journal Cover also available two sizes and two colors. I was sent the medium size version of each one.

My package arrived wrapped in brown kraft paper with a wax seal which felt very Harry Potter-esque to me.

Inside the package was the A5 sized leather cover in Whiskey brown with an A5 sized notebook inside. Remember, that each of these items is a separate purchase and that a notebook is not included with the purchase of a leather cover.

The leather cover is made of full-grain leather sewed with a tan colored parachute grade thread. The only branding on the cover is the Pad & Quill logo which is stamped on the back cover.

The notebook cover has wide flaps inside to hold the notebook in place and the left side has two card slots sized to hold standard sized credit cards or business cards in the vertical orientation.

As you can see from the image above, the interior of the cover is not lined. The raw side of the leather is visible. The nap is smooth and does not shed or leave crumbs when you insert and remove a notebook.

The Pad & Quill Journal Notebook comes in 8.3in x 5.6in x 0.5in (A5) and 5.3in x 3.7in x 0.5in sizes. I was sent the A5 size.

The notebook has a dark grey linen cover, an expandable pocket, 192 pages of 100 GSM acid-free off-white recycled paper, and is available with either plain or dot graph pages.

The notebook has a 2-page table of contents and all the pages are numbered which is a must-have feature when I’m shopping for a new notebook.

The pages are smooth and easy to write on. I’m not a fountain pen user, but regular ink did not bleed through the pages.

Another nice touch is that the Pad & Quill Journal Notebook has two bookmarks. There’s an orange one and a white one. Even the ends of the bookmarks are sealed so they won’t unravel. Also, you’ll notice that the notebook can lay flat because it uses a Smyth-swen binding which means that you can open it to your desired page and it will stay that way.

It’s easy to insert the notebook into the Deluxe Leather Journal Cover. All you do is slide the front and back covers of the notebook into the cover’s sleeves on either side.

A nice wide black elastic band secures the cover closed.

Check out the French seams along the edges of the Pad & Quill Deluxe Leather Journal Cover. I even discovered that I can clip my pen to the elastic band and it will hold it in place between the covers which is a nice touch. Everything about this cover is first class including the 25-year guarantee on the leather.

What I like

  • Notebook cover is attractive and well made
  • Journal has numbered pages and a binding that lays flat
  • Standard sized cover can be used with other notebooks

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

If you share my love of notebooks and pens and have been shopping for a new notebook and cover to protect it. Do yourself a favor and stop by Pad & Quill’s site so you can read more about their new journals and journal covers. They are well made, attractive, and nicely priced.

Price: Journals are $18.66 for the Medium A5 size and $15.26 for the small size, Delux Leather cover is $59.46 and $42.46.
Where to buy: Pad & Quill
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Pad & Quill.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Pad & Quill Journal Notebook and Deluxe Leather Journal Cover review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 11:10 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Find inner peace with this Buddha ice cube mold

NEWS – We’ve shown you lots of ways to cool your potent potables, including chilled stainless steel balls, but this is the first time we’ve featured an ice cube that may provide a Zen experience for you.  The Skaxi 3D Laughing Buddha Silicone Mold produces four ice cubes that will bring a new peace to an after-dinner drink.

The Buddha ice pieces are 3D, not flat pieces.  They are big enough that a single piece is sufficient for a couple fingers of whiskey.

The tray is made of high-quality, food-grade, BPA-free silicone material.  It’s dishwasher-safe, oven-safe to 400°F, and freeze-proof -40°F.  In addition to making ice, you can use the mold for molding chocolates or for baking.  It can even be used for molding soaps or bath bombs.

The Skaxi 3D Laughing Buddha Silicone Mold is $11.90 at Amazon.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Find inner peace with this Buddha ice cube mold originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera review


REVIEW – These days, I frequently say that action cameras are “a dime a dozen”, so I was quite intrigued to review the ThiEYE T5 Edge camera which looks promising enough to seriously challenge the GoPro. Let’s see how it went.

What is it?

This is a GoPro type 4K action camera that takes both video and photos using its 170-degree lens to provide high-resolution wide-angle footage.

What’s in the box

1 x ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera
1 x Waterproof Housing
1 x Additional Skeleton Backdoor
1 x Remote Control
1 x 360 Degree Rotating Release Buckle
! x 360 Degree Vertical Release Buckle
1 x Flat Adhesive Mount
1 x Curved Adhesive Mount
2 x Adhesive Stickers
2 x Anti-fog Inserts
1 x Battery
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Microfiber Cloth
1 x Cloth Bag
1 x Instruction Manual

Design and features

Manufacturer’s Specifications:


On the front of the camera, there is the 170-degree lens, the Power/Mode selection button, and 2 LEDs that light up blue to indicate recording status and Wi-Fi on/off status. On the back of the camera is the screen display that measures 1″ x 1.75″. The two LEDs on the bottom left of the back of the camera are the recording indicator and charging indicator. They light up blue when active.


On one of the short sides of the camera, there are 2 buttons to navigate up/down through the settings. On the opposite short side, there are 3 ports that accommodate the micro SD card, the micro USB power/charging cable, and a micro HDMI cable.


At the top of the camera is the Wi-Fi/selection button. At the bottom of the camera, there is a 1/4-20″ mount for tripods, monopods, etc, the battery compartment and battery cover. Inside of the battery compartment, there is the serial number sticker that is needed for firmware updates, but it is somewhat difficult to see the serial number.


Along with the camera, there is a remote control that connects to the camera via Bluetooth. It has 3 buttons on it that control turning its own power on, taking photos remotely and starting and stopping video recording. At the top of the logo on the remote is the microphone that allows you to say voice commands like “Action Start Recording” or “Action Photo”. The remote control is not waterproof.

App

The ThiEYE App and the camera connect via the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi. The app allows you to take pictures and video and change settings. The App’s screen presents the photo/video image from the perspective of the lens of the camera. Here are a few of the app screens:




Performance

Depressing the power button with a long press (4 seconds or more) turns the camera on/off. Once the camera is turned on, it is usually in video mode. Depressing the power button in short bursts switches between camera mode, video mode, and settings mode. On the settings screen, there are 4 choices that allow you to control the settings of the camera.

The two side up/down buttons let you toggle between the 4 choices and the Wi-Fi top button lets you select. The front power button also allows you to exit each settings screen.

The ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera works like most other action cameras and it has a lot of settings to control the recording and photo modes. The inclusion of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to allow remote control from both the included hardware remote control or the app is a great feature, and they both work well most of the time with the exception of the voice control. The instructions indicate that there may be a need to repeat your voice commands that are affected by and respond based on pronunciation. I guess the camera does not like how I speak because thus far I have not been able to get it to work for me. Otherwise, the handheld remote works well. When I tried the camera on my windshield mount as a dash cam, it worked a few times but on a hot day, it froze and could only be reset by removing the battery. I also experienced the “freezing” issue more than once when I was connected to my cell phone via Wi-Fi and I tried to disconnect by powering off the camera when I was done taking photos. When it was connected to the app, it froze on the camera’s W-Fi- screen and could only be reset by removing the battery. I did check their website to make sure that I have the latest firmware.


On another occasion, I decided to take pictures of fruit nicely arranged on a fruit cart. As you can see in the picture below, the camera froze. It was in picture mode and only on for about 10 minutes prior to that moment. I decided not to bother to take the picture since it would have required me to remove the housing and the battery at that moment to restart the camera.


Otherwise, the camera performed well, and the waterproof housing worked. When operating the camera with the waterproof housing installed, the buttons required a bit of extra effort to depress and engage the camera buttons.

Pictures:
(This one on the left was taken on a very stormy and cloudy morning and without in-camera correction. The one on the right was taken in the afternoon with in-camera correction)


(Downtown Brooklyn)


Video:

The quality of the video is good, even on an overcast and foggy day, and the in-camera stabilization and correction work well to produce nice footage.

What I like

  • The waterproof housing remains reliably sealed
  • The 4K footage
  • The remote control via the app and the included remote
  • The numerous customizable settings

What can be improved

  • The buggy software/hardware issue that causes the camera to freeze and stop working in random situations including heat when used as a dash cam
  • The ability to rotate the video in-camera
  • The buttons on the waterproof housing that require more than anticipated normal pressure to engage the buttons on the camera
  • The ability of the voice control to work with various voices and pronunciation

Final thoughts

When I first saw the physical appearance and specifications of the ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera, I was very eager to try it. My eagerness was also based on the previous various brands of similar action cameras that I have tested and been quite impressed with. This action camera includes really nice features that are very practical, but the few flaws are too effective to overlook. I missed several opportunities to take photos and videos because of the random freezing of the camera, and the fact that the only way to recover is to remove the housing and remove and replace the battery is simply unacceptable for me. The other issue of repeatedly speaking in a remote to use the voice function and being unsuccessful at it until my jaws were tired, sealed the deal for me. This is a camera with great promise, but unless the flaws can be adequately fixed, I will pass on recommending it.

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ThiEYE.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

ThiEYE T5 Edge Action Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.