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The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K action camera says ready! Set! Go!


NEWS – Ever since GoPro introduced the very capable action cameras, consumers have found more and more interest in them. Many more manufacturers have joined the industry and are producing similar cameras with enhanced features and capabilities.

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Action Camera with a 170-degree lens seems to be a great addition to the market. It supports 4K footage at up to 30fps (3840 x 2160), 2.7K at 30fps, 2.5K at 60fps, 1080P at 120fps, 720P at 240fps, and a 12MP still image camera.

For viewing and changing footage and settings, there is a 2 inch IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 320 x 240. Videos are saved in the MP4 format and images as .jpg files. It also supports an external microphone and you can purchase an optional Bluetooth remote control, or the camera functions can be controlled via an app. There is a 1200 mAh built-in Lithium-Ion battery, and a micro SD slot that supports a card up to 128GB.

If you would like to learn more about the Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Action Camera or you are interested in purchasing one, you can head over to the Gearbest website. It is available for purchase for $149.99.

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The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K action camera says ready! Set! Go! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 21, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Uni Jetstream Stylus Ballpoint Pen review

REVIEW – What features do you look for when shopping for an inexpensive everyday pen? A capless design? Lightweight body? Slim barrel? Built-in stylus? If you answered yes, yes, yes, and yes to those questions, then the Uni Jetstream Stylus from JetPens ticks all those boxes and is priced at a reasonable $5.25. Let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

The Uni Jetstream Stylus Ballpoint Pen is just what you would think it is. It’s a ballpoint pen with a built-in stylus. It’s available in 4 colors including the bright blue version that was sent to me.

Design and features

The Uni Jetstream Stylus Ballpoint Pen has a sleek look, with a slim plastic resin barrel which looks like brushed aluminum, but without the weight. A black tip, top, and clip give it a snazzy look.

The writing tip is extended by sliding down the pocket clip which snaps in place and when it does, a retract button pops out of the opposite side. Pressing that button immediately retracts the tip with a satisfying click.

When the writing tip is extended, you can see through the Jetstream’s barrel.

On the top of the pen is what might look like an eraser, but it’s really a capacitive stylus tip. It’s an Ag Fiber capacitive stylus tip to be exact. This stylus tip has silver coated fibers that make is soft and fuzzy. I wouldn’t recommend it as a drawing or writing stylus just because it’s a bit wide and can obscure your view while writing and drawing. But for scrolling through lists, and web pages and selecting icons on your tablet or phone, it works great and better than a typical rubber tipped stylus.

Both the ink and stylus tips are refillable/replaceable. The ink refills are $1.95 each and the stylus refills come in a pack of 2 for $5.25.

What I like

  • Lightweight and slim
  • Inexpensive
  • Ink can be refilled
  • Stylus tip can be replaced

What needs to be improved

  • Stylus tip doesn’t have a protective cap

Final thoughts

Although the Uni Jetstream Stylus Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm pen writes smoothly and puts down a nice line of black ink, it won’t exactly blow your mind. That’s fine though. After all, it’s a $5.25 pen, it’s not expected to change your life. But if you’re looking for a nice slim everyday pen with a built-in stylus tip that is a lot nicer than a generic rubber tipped stylus, this pen will do the job and look pretty snazzy while doing it.

Price: $5.25
Where to buy: Jetpens
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Jetpens.

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Uni Jetstream Stylus Ballpoint Pen review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 21, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Wet-It Swedish dishcloth may spell the end for paper towels

NEWS – I’m one of those people that uses paper towels for everything. I don’t even want to know how much I actually spend on paper towels in a year. The Wet-It Swedish dishcloths may be the answer to my paper towel gluttony.

The Wet-It Dishcloth uses a special weave that’s super absorbent, one cloth can do the work of 6 paper towels. Made of 70% cotton and 30% cellulose the dishcloths are soft, non-abrasive and durable. And they are reusable for up to six months or longer.

The best part is they can be used for just about anything. Cleaning countertops, stoves, scrubbing in the bathroom and even doing the dishes. Unlike paper towels the Wet-It dishcloths don’t streak, so they’re perfect for cleaning windows.

To clean them just put them into either the dishwasher, microwave, or washing machine. 

The dishcloths are also fully biodegradable.

Each dishcloth measures approximately 8″x7″ and comes in packs of 3 with your choice of design; veggie, fruit or chickens. 

The Wet-It Swedish dishcloths sell for $14.95 and are available on The Grommet.

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The Wet-It Swedish dishcloth may spell the end for paper towels originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 21, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Filtrete Smart Air Filters add another layer of intelligence to your home HVAC system

NEWS – Smart thermostats have smartened up your home’s HVAC unit, but it was still up to you to know when to replace the filter to ensure your unit is working in top form.  But now, Filtrete has introduced smart filters that can monitor their own performance to let you know when you should change filters to keep the airflow clean and efficient.  Filtrete Smart Air Filters monitor air flow through the filter, the amount of usage, and the changing air pressure, not just time, to tell you the optimal time to replace the filter.

The filter’s sensor connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth.  You tell the app about your home – types of pets, smokers, people with allergies or respiratory problems living there, and the number of Smart Filters in your home.  The Filtrete app displays information about your local outdoor air quality, and it can provide you with tips to improve the quality inside your home.  With the addition of an optional indoor air sensor, it can also monitor the indoor air quality.

It continually monitors the condition of the filter and displays that information on-screen.  And when it’s time to change the filter, the app will remind you of the type and size filter you need and where to purchase it.

Learn more about these smart air filters at the Filtrete website and you can buy one for $32 to $56 on Amazon.

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Filtrete Smart Air Filters add another layer of intelligence to your home HVAC system originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 21, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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LiteXim Aerobuds wireless earbuds review


REVIEW – Once again I got the opportunity to further my search to find the earbuds that are perfect for me. So far, I have come across 2 that are close to perfect but I always wonder if there is something better “out there”. Given the opportunity to try another set, I willingly said yes!! Now let’s see what my experience was like.

What is it?

The LiteXim Aerobuds are a pair of wireless, Bluetooth lightweight earbuds with the usual charging case. They perform the standard audio functions including phone functions.

What’s in the box


1 x Pair of Aerobuds
1 x Charging Case
3 x Pairs of Wing Tips
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x USB Micro USB Cable
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

The LiteXim earbuds come nicely and safely packaged. Once you remove them from the box and charge them, you are ready to go. I was able to use the Wing Tips and Ear Tips that were already installed. It is important to note that the instruction manual that comes with the earbuds is more like a quick start guide. There is a printed QR Code on it that allows you to download the full manual onto your phone or you can go to their website and download the manual to your computer.


Once the earbuds are charged, you press down on the surfaces of each simultaneously for 2 seconds, and they power on and show up in the Bluetooth settings screen of your phone. The surface of each earbud is the Multi-function button (Referred to as MFB for the rest of this article). Just as an FYI, I use the iPhone 8 Plus. The earbuds automatically connect to each other, and the right earbud flashes red and white while in pairing mode, just like most earbuds. Once the earbuds are paired, they are ready for use. For phone calls, only the right earbud is enabled.

The following is the status indicator chart from their manual:

Performance

Specifications:
Bluetooth version: 4.2
Stand-by-time: Approx. 60 hrs
Talking time: Approx 3.5 hrs
Earbud battery capacity: 50 mAh each
Charging case battery capacity: 500 mAh

Using the earbuds:

To answer a call: Press MFB once.
To hang up: Press MFB once.
To reject a call: Double tap MFB.
To play/pause music: Press MFB to play or pause when playing music.
To switch to the next song: Double tap MFB.

When the batteries are low, the earbuds will announce “low battery” and eventually power off. They will also auto shutoff if they fail to connect to your device within 3 minutes after powering on, or if they are connected to your device and lose the connection for more than 5 minutes.

These earbuds work well for use during daily running around and needing or wanting to listen to music. They sound ok but are definitely not audiophile grade. The bass is somewhat lacking, and the highs tend to be harsh even at lower volumes. The Mids are fairly present and within range. I did encounter the following issues:

  • I charged the earbuds overnight, and the next day, about 10 minutes into listening to them, the left ear announced that the battery was low and shut off. It turns out that even though you drop them in the case, you have to move them around a bit to ensure that they are connecting properly. Once I figured this out, I charged them again overnight, and they have been fine since. I do check them each time I “drop” them in the charging case.
  • I travel back and forth to work using the same route every day, so all of the earbuds that I have tested are used within the same environment. These earbuds would lose their Bluetooth connection a few times on each journey, and this is not counting the disconnections in the known areas on my route where interference is high and where difficulties are presented to all of the earbuds.
  • When earbuds like these are functioning properly, once paired they should automatically connect to the mobile device when powered on and disconnect when placed in the case. Neither of these functions works consistently. I have to go into my settings and manually connect to the earbuds at least 2 out of 3 times, and this is even though they appear in my Bluetooth device list as they should. On most occasions, the earbuds would remain connected to my Bluetooth after they are placed in the case and the case is closed. I would wait for a couple of minutes to see if they would disconnect, and then I would have to go into my Bluetooth settings and manually disconnect. I have tested many earbuds, and if my memory serves me correctly, this is only the second time I have come across this issue.
  • As you can see in the picture below, when I charge my Aerobuds, only the LED for the right earbud and the power LED light up. For some reason, the LED for the left earbud never lights up. I do suspect that my case is defective since both earbuds do charge once I make sure that they are seated properly in the case.


The Aerobuds fit quite comfortably in the ears and stay in place quite well. They are lightweight and do not add any additional noticeable presence other than what can be expected as “normal”.

The Phone functions work as they should, and I could hear the person on the line very clearly. However, the other party would indicate that while they could hear me clearly, my voice is very low. I have to raise my voice significantly for them to hear me in a volume that would be considered close to “normal”.

What I like

I like the small size of the Aerobuds and how well they fit in my ears. They are lightweight and feel quite comfortable.

What can be improved

  • The stability of the Bluetooth Connection
  • The upper-frequency threshold for the highs
  • The range of the bass
  • The quality control related to the Aerobuds and the connection in the charging case
  • The ability to connect and disconnect from the mobile device

Final thoughts

The LiteXim Aerobuds have many positive features for the everyday run-around earbuds. They are lightweight and for the price, they are an ok value. I also usually mention in my “Final thoughts” segment, that feel, fit and sound are all individually subjective dynamics. For me, the issues that I experienced with the Bluetooth connection along with the overall sound that was a bit harsh in the highs and lacking in the lows make these more usable for convenience if my other earbuds are charging or for some reason out of reach. They are not my first choice if my other earbuds are readily available. I would mention the names of some of the others, but that might be unfair given their cost.

Price: $65.99
Where to buy: Amazon Use the code RD4336XO for 28% off (expires 7/30/18)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by LiteXim.

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LiteXim Aerobuds wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 20, 2018 at 4:15 pm.

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