Premium bed-in-a-box brand tulo now offering pillows too

Bed-in-a-Box Brand tulo who offers premium boxed mattresses has added pillows to their product line. Their new tulo pillows will be offered in three comfort styles that include soft, medium, and firm comfort levels. The tulo pillows are constructed of high-density titanium infused foam which sounds pretty crazy for a pillow. According to Tulo, the material provides:

enhanced strength and support alongside AquaCool™ phase-change material which acts as a super-conductive highway for heat flow to help maintain ideal temperature. In addition, the pillows are all CertiPUR-US® certified to meet the highest standards for emissions, content, performance, and durability.

It sounds like we’re talking about a computer instead of a pillow but hey, if it’s ultra comfy, I don’t care what it’s made of. I’m currently on a quest to find my next favorite pillow and wonder if a tulo pillow might be the one. They are going to send me one to review, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, tulo pillows are priced at $89 and are now available online, and will be in more than 3,000 Mattress Firm stores nationwide starting June 22. In addition, to celebrate the launch, tulo is hosting two “Pillow Talk” online sales from June 6 – July 10. For more information about tulo or the sales, visit www.tulo.com

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Premium bed-in-a-box brand tulo now offering pillows too originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 6, 2018 at 4:32 pm.

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WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower review

I’ve been a homeowner since 1989, but I have never used a weed eater to trim around trees or the edges of sidewalks. How can this be you ask? I’ve always had problems starting pull string style equipment because I have crummy shoulders and not enough upper body strength. So Jeanne has done the weed eating around our home. But she doesn’t like having to keep track of which gas can has the 2-cycle oil mixed in and sometimes she has trouble getting the weed eater started too. So, I was excited to try the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower when it was offered because it runs on a battery which means no gas cans or special gas and oil mixtures are needed and no pull string to start it. I’ve always wondered how well battery powered outdoor tools work and now I know because I’ve been using this one for the past few weeks. Yes me! I’ve actually started weed eating and trimming for the first time in my life. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower is a 20-volt battery powered weed eater that can also be used as an edger and a mini mower because it has two removable wheels.

What’s in the box?

  • WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower
  • 3 spools of line
  • 2 20V batteries
  • Battery charger
  • Manual

Design and features

The WORX arrives about 95% assembled. It has a black plastic shaft that features a rear handle with a pistol style grip that has a power button that you have to hold down as you grip the handle to power on the trimmer. Once it’s running, you can let go of the power button, but you have to continue to grip the handle to keep it running. There’s also an adjustable auxiliary handle that folds down as shown above.

The auxiliary handle can pivot around 180 degrees so you can customize how you hold it.

To adjust the position, you have to press in on the orange locking knob on the side.

The trimmer has a telescoping shaft that lengthens by twisting the orange locking collar to extend the shaft.

Here we can see the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer’s shaft is fully extended. Extending and retracting the shaft isn’t difficult, so it is easy to adjust the length for your height and posture and it makes the trimmer easier to store if you have a small garage or shed where you store your yard work gear.

The business end of the WORX trimmer has several features. First of all, there’s the spool holder. That’s the circular orange part pointing down in the image above. You can see the red line sticking out of the feeder hole in the trimmer’s head.

The spool holder has an orange plastic cap that holds the spool in place. It makes switching out spools really easy compared to a few trimmers that I’ve worked with in the past. The WORX trimmer comes with 3 spools of DNA2 DoubleHelix cutting line (10ft of line in each spool) and when you buy the WORX trimmer you can sign up to receive free spools for life where you get 6 spools and only have to pay shipping costs ($8.62/package of 6).


There’s an extra on-b0ard spool holder on the trimmer’s handle so you won’t have to head back to the garage or shed if you run out of line in the middle of a trimming session.

Back to the trimmer head…


The angle of the trimmer head can rotate in 6 positions so that it can go from trimming to mowing, to edging. You’ll also notice the metal wires. That’s the flower guard.

You can extend or retract the flower guard to help prevent you from trimming foliage that you don’t want to trim.

You might be trying to figure out how this weed eater can transform from a trimmer to an edger and a mower. The secret is the edger/trimmer support wheels that are included.

The wheels snap into the trimmer head. There are two places where the wheels can be attached. One location is the side of the trimmer head shown above. In this location, the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer can be used as an edger.

All you have to do is attach the safety guard…

Then you can roll the edger down the sidewalk.

Or, you can attach the wheels to the underside of the safety guard.

You can then roll the trimmer around like a tiny mower. I found the mower setup to feel a bit awkward. Granted, I am not a trimmer guru as we already established at the start of this review… But for me, using the WORX as a trimmer or edger felt the easiest for me.

Before we can start trimming, we have to put gas in the trimmer… charge the batteries! The WORX trimmer comes with two 20V batteries and a charger. The charger can only accommodate one battery at a time and it takes 5hrs to charge each battery. It should go without saying that as soon as you get one battery charged that you should go ahead and charge the other one next. It is nice that the batteries seem to retain their charge for quite a while. I charged both batteries about 3 weeks ago and have only used one battery so far and the other one is still showing that it still has a full charge.

How do I know how much charge the battery has? There’s a tester built right into the end of the battery. You can see it in the image above. It’s that rectangular red button to the right of three dots along the bottom front edge of the battery. When you press the button, the lights will light up in green to show the capacity. The first light is low, the second light is 50%, and the third light means it the battery has a full charge.


The battery snaps into the bottom of the handle and is easy to detach when you need to switch it out for a fresh one.

Let’s trim some grass!

It’s time to watch my very first weed eating video! Seriously, this video is the first time I’ve used a string trimmer, so be kind to me please. 🙂

https://youtu.be/Y8DdYCyvRCU

There were several things that surprised me about the WORX trimmer. First of all, I was surprised by how well the trimmer was able to cut thick grass. It even wacked through thicker stalks of mutant weeds and baby tree shoots that you get when you live in a rural wooded area like I do. I’ve also been surprised by how strong the line is because I’ve not needed to press the button on top of the handle to feed new line. And last but not least, I’ve been happy so far with battery life. Actually, I’m still on the first battery after weed eating several days for 15-20 minute sessions.


Cleanup is pretty easy too. I just sprayed everything with a hose and the WORX trimmer was pretty much good as new.

What I like

  • No messy gas and oil to mix
  • Simple to start
  • Easy to replace line spools
  • Converts from a trimmer to an edger and a mini-mower

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

As my first battery-powered trimmer, the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower has impressed me with how easy it is to use, battery life, and versatility. Now that I’ve used a battery powered trimmer, I’d like to replace our gas blower with a battery powered blower and do they make battery powered rototillers too? 😉

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: WORX and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by WORX.

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WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 6, 2018 at 1:01 pm.

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WaterField helps you give Dad the gift of organization for Father’s Day

WaterField’s new bag is called the Transit Travel Case, and it’s designed to hold and organize travel gear for your car or motorcycle.  You can even load it with your personal travel documents and gear and carry it with you.  The bag was designed to keep your car’s glove compartment neat and organized.  It has pockets and slip-in sleeves to hold your car’s manual, registration cards, maps, small flashlights, mints, and other small things that always seem to collect in the glove compartment.

The bag is made of 1050-denier ballistic nylon or waxed canvas.  The front has a naturally-tanned premium full-grain leather flap with magnet closure.  Under the flap are pockets and sleeves that can hold the car’s manual, passport, cards, and the like.  There’s also a full-grain leather pen holder.

The main compartment closes with a splash-proof zipper.  The gold fabric lining makes it easier to find things inside the bag, and the organizational pockets keep mints, chargers, cables, tissues, and the like neatly arranged.  There’s also a slip-in pocket on the back for maps and other papers.

The case measures 11” long x 6.75” tall x 1.3” deep.  It’s small enough to use in a motorcycle storage compartment, too.  And at 6.5 oz., it’s light enough that you can load it up with your travel documents and necessities and carry it along with you as you travel.

Select either black ballistic with black leather flap or waxed canvas with chocolate leather flap.  You can add a leather wrist strap ($15) or a nickel-plated brass carabiner ($7).  The Transit Travel Case is $99 from Waterfield.

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WaterField helps you give Dad the gift of organization for Father’s Day originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 6, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Father’s Day 2019 gift guide

NEWS – There are only 16 shopping days until Father’s day on Sunday, June 16th. You haven’t forgotten your dear old dad, have you? If you haven’t even begun shopping yet, I can imagine that knowing that the big day is just 2 weeks away is stressing you out. It’s ok though because there is still plenty of time to find the perfect gift and we have some gift ideas to help you out.

Swidget Modular Outlets

Is your dad a DIY kinda guy? Then he’ll love these easy to install outlets from Swidget that replace any outlet in your house to provide 2 regular grounded outlets, and center module that you can switch out any time you like to add different functionality to the outlet. There are USB inserts, night light, WiFi control, ZWave control inserts, and more.

Price: $39.99 for the outlet, the inserts are priced from $9.99 and up
Read our news post: Swidget is a wall outlet with multiple personalities
Where to buy: Amazon

Molekule Air Purifier

Does your dad have problems with allergies or does he live in an area where the air isn’t as clean as he would like? According to Julian (read his full review linked below):

The Molekule Air Purifier is in my opinion, the best air purifier that I have ever tried. I have spent hundreds of dollars on air purifiers with Hepa filters, and on many other devices that turned out to be just gimmicks. While some of them helped my allergies, they ultimately failed to do so well enough that I felt satisfied. This air purifier has given me such relief when I am at home, that no one would even know that I suffer from chronic allergies. This has been the same result for my kids who have suffered from chronic allergies, and asthma as a result of the allergies. While the Molekule is much more expensive than any other air purifier that I have owned, it stands alone at the top of its class.

Price: $799.00
Read our reviewMolekule Air Purifier review
Where to buy: Molekule.com

Leatherman Free P2 Multi-Tool

Leatherman’s latest series of multi-tools uses magnets for easy deployment of the tools. No more broken fingernails!

Matt says (read his full review linked below):

After just a week, the Leatherman Free P2 multi-tool has made such an impression that the P2 will replace my trusty Skeletool for EDC in my pocket. I am very pleased with the improved locking mechanism for the blade and this just may be the tipping point for me.

Price: $119.95
Read our review: Leatherman Free P2 multi-tool review
Where to buy: Amazon

Gillette Heated Razor

Shaving every morning has to be a real drag so anything you can do to make it more comfortable for dad is a plus and the Gillette Heated Razor looks pretty sweet with the wireless charging base and a one-touch button to heat things up.

Price: $200.00
Read our news post: The new Heated Razor from Gillette Labs is hot – literally
Where to buy: Gillette.com

X3 Bar Home Gym

Fitness is important and so is time, so give dad the gift of a home gym that does require half a room for equipment and only takes a few minutes a day to see results without emptying his wallet on a monthly gym membership.

From my review (linked below):

I’ve been using that equipment for years and am seeing more results now using the X3 for 10 minutes a day 4 times a week vs. the Total Gym for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Price: $549.00
Read our review: X3 Bar Home Gym Review
Where to buy: X3bar.com

KLIP Titanium Pocket Knife + EDC Suspension Hook

Everyone needs a knife as part of their EDC (every day carry) and this little beauty from Dapper Design has all the bases covered. First, it’s made of titanium! Second, it’s tiny so it won’t get in the way when it’s not in use. And third, it has a built-in clip for easy carry.

Andy says (read his full review linked below):

I really like KLIP. Elegantly machined from Titanium alloy and with an attractive style and finish, it is durable, and its design is both aesthetically pleasing as well as useful: it combines a suspension/keychain hook and a small knife, which makes it a perfect item to add to your EDC gear for when you need quick access to a small knife for small tasks.

Price: $49.00
Read our review: KLIP: Titanium Pocket Knife + EDC Suspension Hook review
Where to buy: dapperdesign.com

Sodastream Fizzi One Touch

Does your dad drink way too many sugary or diet sodas? Help him kick the habit the easy way with a Sodastream water carbonator. I’ve been using the Fizzi One Touch for almost a year and I L-O-V-E it. I use it, stevia sweetener, and Cappella flavor drops (my favorites are Concord Grape, and Strawberry) to make my own soda anytime I want with a simple press of a button.

Price: $129.00
Read our review: Sodastream Fizzi One Touch review
Where to buy: Amazon

Amazon Echo Show

Here’s a deal that benefits both YOU and your dad. Buy the 2nd gen Echo Show for dad and you’ll get a free 3rd gen Echo Dot for yourself. Both devices give you hands-free Alexa control to a huge variety of devices and the Echo Show has a 10.1 inch color screen and premium speakers that you can use to watch video flash briefings, see song lyrics, Amazon Video content, browse and listen to Audible audiobooks, and more.

Price: $229.99
Where to buy: Amazon

NITECORE TUP 1000 lumen EDC flashlight

The essentials of every good EDC kit is a knife (see the Klip above) and a flashlight. One flashlight that I reviewed recently has become a quick favorite. It’s the Nitecore TUP and it’s a tiny LED rechargeable flashlight with a built-in display that shows battery life and the lumen setting. Tiny flashlights normally provide an equally tiny brightness, but not the TUP. This little guy packs 1000 lumens in a very pocket-friendly and package. It’s friendly on your wallet too.

Price: $60.43
Read our review: NITECORE TUP 1000 lumen EDC flashlight Review
Where to buy: Amazon

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Father’s Day 2019 gift guide originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 1, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Audioengine A5+ Wireless speaker review

I’m fortunate to have been able to review each version of Audioengine’s A5 speaker series. The original was (and still is) a powerhouse of a speaker that sounds much better than its cost. Heck, all of Audioengine’s speakers fall into that category. Later, their A5+ speaker improved on a good thing—a larger, more efficient heat sink, a remote control and better audio inputs, just to name a few. However, it’s a rapidly evolving audio world and Audioengine’s latest response to fans of the A5 is the new A5+ Wireless speaker.

What is it?

The A5+ Wireless speakers are a large(ish) pair of bookshelf speakers that work as well—if not better—as computer speakers.  I’ve used the various A5 speakers hardwired to my iMac, connected via USB to my iPod (and later, iPhone) and even wirelessly using Audioengine’s own W3 audio adaptors (a not inexpensive add on). Now with the huge advancements made to to Bluetooth, Audioengine is offering all that is good with the A5+ in a newer Bluetooth wireless version.

Specs

The A5+ Wireless speakers are identical to the A5+ speakers in size, weight and specs. Two notable changes are that the 3/4″ silk tweeters are now centered above the 5″ Kevlar woofers—the original 5+ tweeters were off-centered. Also, a powered USB port at the rear of the A5+ speaker has been replaced with a Bluetooth pairing button on the wireless version. 

For those interested in such things, here are some specs:

  • Power Output: 150W peak power total
  • 3.5mm stereo mini-jack
  • 115/240V, 50/60Hz manually switchable
  • Amplifier Type: Dual Class AB monolithic 
  • Drivers: 5″ Kevlar woofers, 3/4″ silk dome tweeters
  • SNR: >95dB (typical A-weighted)
  • THD+N: <0.05% at all power settings
  • Crosstalk: -50dB
  • Frequency response: 50Hz-22kHz ±1.5dB
  • Input impedance: 10K ohms unbalanced
  • Protection: Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection, replaceable external main fuse
  • Power Consumption:
    Idle: 10W
    Mute: 6W
    Sleep: 4W
  • Bluetooth specs:
    Internal D/A converter: AKM AK4396
    Input bit depth: 24-bits upsampled
    Bluetooth: 4.0 audio
    Supported codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC
    Wireless operation range: Up to 100ft
  • Dimensions:
    Left speaker: 10.75″H x 7″W x 9″D
    Right – 10.75″H x 7″W x 7.75″D
    Weight (LEFT): 15.4 lbs
    Weight (RIGHT): 9.6 lbs
  • Colors:
    Satin Black
    Hi-Gloss White
    Solid Carbonized Bamboo

Design and features

First, let’s get this out of the way: The addition of Bluetooth adds $100 to the price of the wired A5+ speakers. You might think a hundred bucks is a lot for a Bluetooth option, but there’s more to it than that. Because of Bluetooth, the A5+ wireless has a built in 24-bit upsampling digital audio convertor (DAC)—which isn’t cheap. Without this DAC, the A5+ Wireless speaker would just be a—well, a regular A5+ speaker! Let me explain the path that audio takes from your source (smartphone for example) to the A5+ Wireless: Smartphone converts music to a Bluetooth codex—sends Bluetooth signal to speaker DAC—DAC receives Bluetooth signal and converts digital signal to analog—analog signal is sent to speakers and then you hear your music. This is overly simplified, but you get the idea. The A5+ Wireless speaker is doing quite a bit of work that the regular A5+ speakers can’t do.

Connecting and pairing the A5+ wireless speakers is straightforward. The left speaker contains all the important stuff. Simply connect the left speaker to either a receiver or computer and then wire the right speaker to the left and music happens. However, now you don’t even need anything more than a smartphone to enjoy what the A5+ can do. Just press the pairing button on the rear of the left speaker and pair with your smartphone. Pairing only takes a few seconds. 

So how does Bluetooth compare to hard wiring? There are no surprises here. Bluetooth connection is rock solid. I have not had any dropouts (admittedly, the speakers are no more than 12 inches from the source). Even though audio quality is slightly lower when compared to wired, I could only discern any differences by turning Bluetooth on and off. But seriously, only weird testers like me will do that kind of thing. Otherwise, the only other noticeable difference was volume. Bluetooth needed to be turned up to match the same loudness as wired. Keep in mind that this is true of many wireless speakers, not just these. Trust me, you won’t have any sound quality complaints using Bluetooth.

Along with the pairing button on the left speaker’s rear panel are the power switch, a mini plug input and RCA inputs and outputs. The RCA outputs allow a subwoofer to be connected if desired. A screw-in external Bluetooth antenna is included.

The front of the left speaker has a Bluetooth pairing indicator light as well as a volume knob. The A5+ wireless speakers include a remote that’s identical to the remote included with the more expensive Audioengine HD6 speakers. This remote handles the basics: Volume, mute and sleep. I’ve don’t see the advantage of a sleep button over the simple mute. The two buttons seem a bit redundant. I would have preferred an on/off button instead. 

The A5+ wireless speakers are powered by a built-in 150 watt (75 watt per channel) class A/B amplifier. Because of the amp, a turntable can be directly attached to the speakers without the need of a receiver.

The back of the left speaker has a large and heavy metal heatsink to dissipate the heat generated by the amp. Each speaker box is made of softly round-edged 1/2″ thick MDR board that’s either lacquered white gloss, black matte or real (extra cost) bamboo. There are no protective speaker grills, so the exposed and delicate silk tweeters should be kept out of reach from little poking fingers. 

The A5+ Wireless speakers don’t noticeably add to or detract from any audio frequency. Thanks to some wide bass ports, they can go deep, but even so, they might disappoint some bass heads. The A5+ Wireless speakers can handle plenty of bass—they just don’t add to it unnecessarily making music more bass heavy than it already is. In fact, on some of my 60s classic rock recordings (the debut Jimi Hendrix Experience album, for instance), I wish the A5+ Wireless speakers actually added more bass because some of those albums could certainly use a boost. However, I blame the recordings and not the speaker. Likewise, the speakers are not overly bright sounding or overly mid-centric on vocals. Their frequency balance is pretty darn good!

The A5+ Wireless speakers are also up to the task of reproducing excessive bass found in many modern albums—especially at max volume. Bryan Ferry’s “Kiss & Tell” from “Bête Noire” has plenty of bass kick. When called on, the 5″ Kevlar woofers are capable of some serious bottom.

Since bass on the speakers themselves is more than adequate, I was curious what would happen if I connected a floor subwoofer to the mix. While I was impressed with the enhanced and revealing lower frequencies previously unheard (or felt), it was obvious that it’s not absolutely necessary to add a sub right away. It can always be added later if warranted. 

What I like

The audio is balanced, yet offers a decent bass kick when required. Setup couldn’t be easier—Bluetooth pairing was successful on the first try and has remained flawless since. The subdued and elegant design looks good on any desktop or in any living room setting. 

What needs to be improved

The remote should have an on/off button. 

Final Thoughts

The A5+ Wireless speakers have always been a bargain when you consider how good they perform. The added convenience of Bluetooth only sweetens the deal—even at a $100 premium. You can find better sounding and better made speakers, but not at this price.

Price: $499 US ($569 for bamboo)
Where to buy: Audioengine and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Audioengine. Visit www.audioengine.com for more information.

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Audioengine A5+ Wireless speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 6, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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