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New 2018 spring colors from Topo Designs to add some fresh style to your carry!

I admit it. I’m a Topo Designs fan boy. They always brings unique &  interesting color combinations to the party, and the Spring lineup is no exception. You’ve got two new Rover Pack color combos in turquoise/clay (shown above) and an olive/khaki combo. They’re also adding a khaki/turquoise color combo to their dopp kit and accessory bags, as shown below.

Topo bags are among my personal favorites. I love the functional simplicity of their designs, and the quality is excellent. The Rover pack is my go-to bag for day trips and outdoor excursions, and the large accessory bag goes everywhere with me to wrangle my little odds and ends. I’d highly recommend checking them out! I might spring for one of the new colors myself… just don’t tell my wife. 😉

Check out the new color lineup at the Topo Designs web site!

Summer is coming 2.0 – You can’t make pancakes on a grill

Grilling is the traditional outdoor cooking method, but did you know that you can have a griddle in your outdoor kitchen?  Blackstone says that 2018 is the year of griddling, and their line of outdoor griddles will allow you to take your place at the forefront of this movement!

Griddles expand the types of foods you can prepare in your outdoor kitchen.  You can make things like eggs, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast, cheesesteaks for lunch sandwiches, and stir-fries and delicate fish for dinner.  The griddle tops are thick, cold-rolled steel that cleans up easily.  The griddles use propane and have electric push-button igniters.  There’s a range of sizes from a 17″ Table Top Griddle for tailgating and picnicking up to a 36″ four-burner griddle.  Even the larger griddles have stands with folding legs so you can take them along, too.

Prices for Blackstone outdoor griddles range from $99 for the tabletop model to $399.00 for a 36″ stainless steel model.  Check out the full line of outdoor griddles at Blackstone.

Contour Design RollerMouse Red plus ergonomic mouse review

I’ve recently been on a mission to find a new mouse to help alleviate some problems that I’ve been having with my right hand and thumb. After reviewing Contour Design’s Unimouse, they followed up with an offer to review their Rollermouse Red plus which they felt might help me more than their Unimouse. I’ve been using the RollerMouse Red plus for the past couple of weeks and am ready to share my thoughts.

What is it?

The RollerMouse Red plus is a unique cursor moving device, aka “mouse”. But unlike a traditional corded or wireless mouse, the RollerMouse Red sits behind your keyboard and moves the cursor by moving a rubber covered tube. That makes it sound much stranger than it really is, so keep reading.

What’s in the box?


Rollermouse Red Plus
Keyboard supports
Key to remove wrist rest

Design and features

The Contour Design RollerMouse Red plus is premium looking and feeling product which features a large padded wrist rest with the roller bar attached above it.

The base of the RollerMouse Red plus is made of aluminum which has enough weight that it does not move around once you place it on your desk.

If you don’t have room or really like the wrist rest, it can easily be removed by using the included tool. I personally like the wrist rest and find that it enhances the comfort of using the RollerMouse Red plus.

Also included with the RollerMouse Red plus are two keyboard supports that slide into slots on the base of the device. These supports allow you to position your keyboard so that it is raised to the level of the RollerMouse Red plus.

Contour Designs also included their Balance Keyboard which has been designed to be used with their roller mice. I started out test the RollerMouse Red plus with the Balance Keyboard, but I ditched it for my original Apple wireless keyboard early on in the process. The keyboard is nice, but the layout of the Balance Keyboard didn’t work that well with my MacBook.

My Apple wireless keyboard looks tiny compared to the RollerMouse Red plus, but it works fine for me.

How does the RollerMouse Red work?

The RollerMouse has an 11.75-inch long tube with another tube over it that can roll up and down and be moved side to side with one or both of your thumbs. This is what moves the cursor on your computer. The roller bar has a rubber cover with nubs that make it easy to move around without slipping under your thumbs.

The roller bar can be clicked to select things. In addition to clicking the roller bar, there are other ways to select items with this “mouse”. Below the roller bar are dedicated left and right mouse buttons, copy and paste buttons, and a one-touch double-click button. There’s also a small roller in the center that is used as a scroll wheel. This scroll wheel can be clicked to open pages in a new tab in your browser.

You’ll also notice a small oval button between the copy and paste buttons. This button is used to customize different settings for the RollerMouse Red plus. You can customize the cursor speed, click force of the roller bar, and the volume of the button clicks.

As I mentioned above, I’ve been using the RollerMouse Red plus for the past few weeks. At first, I didn’t think I was going to like it because it felt awkward to use the roller bar especially to select things by clicking it. When I first started testing the RollerMouse, I still had my Logitech mouse next to the keyboard and I found that I would unconsciously reach for it and use it instead of the RollerMouse without really paying attention to what I was doing. I was using my traditional mouse as a crutch of sorts. After I finally took the Logitech mouse and put it in a drawer, I quickly acclimated to the RollerMouse and it now feels second nature to me.

The whole idea behind this mouse is that you don’t have to move your hands away from the keyboard to use it. I can just drop my thumbs to the roller ball to move the cursor or to the smaller scroll wheel to scroll pages while still keeping my fingers on the home row of the keyboard.

Positives

  • Keeps hands on the keyboard
  • Comfortable
  • Multiple buttons and scroll wheel
  • Can be used with any keyboard

Negatives

  • Slight learning curve
  • Accidental presses of the dedicated left mouse button
  • Expensive

Final thoughts

I really like the Contour Design RollerMouse Red plus ergonomic mouse because it’s comfortable to use and I don’t have to move my hands away from the keyboard like a traditional mouse to use it.

There are two downsides to the RollerMouse Red plus that I want to mention. I noticed that the palm of my left hand would sometimes accidentally press the dedicated left mouse button which would end up moving the cursor to a new location. This usually happens when I’m typing and will cause me to start typing new text in the wrong location. It doesn’t happen to me very often, but when it does, it’s kind of annoying.

But the biggest issue with the RollerMouse Red plus is the price. At $265, it’s not a frivolous purchase. That price will scare a lot of people away from buying one, which is unfortunate because it’s quickly becoming my favorite “mouse” of all time.

Price: $265.00
Where to buy: Contour Design or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Contour Design.

Is your HomePod leaving behind a white ring? Pad & Quill has a solution for that

 

Unless you’ve been under a rock the past couple of days you have probably heard that Apples newest product the HomePod has been in the news. However, not for reasons, you may think. Seems like HomePod has been leaving behind a white ring on some wooden surfaces. Don’t worry Pad & Quill, best known for their Artisan crafted leather accessories for Apple products, have you and your HomePod covered. They have designed a full-grain leather coaster specifically for the HomePod. That’s right for $19.99 you can protect all your wood surfaces from the evil white ring. The HomePod Coaster is crafted from durable and luxurious American Full-grain leather with an ultra soft leather backing with the artisan’s signature. The 4” round coaster is available in either Whiskey or Chestnut colored leather.

 

 

Bravo to Pad & Quill for being on top of the situation and quickly creating a high-quality solution to this First World problem. Because like it says on their web page “the only rings you should see in your home this season are of the Olympic variety on TV.” You can pick up the leather HomePod Coaster right now on Pad & Quill’s website.

Wiplabs Slope universal tablet stand review

I’ve had several years of happy tablet use with my venerable Dell Venue 8, but found that when I wasn’t using it, I left it in odd locations – a piano bench, cluttered dresser top, even on the kitchen counter. Wiplabs Slope universal tablet stand has finally given me a place to park my tablet. My little buddy has found a home.

What is it?

Wiplabs Slope universal tablet stand is a sturdy, brushed aluminum parking spot for your tablet or smartphone. It’s equipped with sticky pads on the face and base, to securely hold your device.

Hardware Specs

  • Brushed aluminum construction
  • Strong grip pads on the front and bottom
  • 7-1/2” tall
  • 4” width at its widest
  • 4” deep
  • 8.9 ounces

What’s in the box?

  • Slope stand
  • User manual

Design and features

The Slope is an aluminum frame with sticky pads allowing an attached device to be used without shifting, sliding, or slipping. It’s simple, tough and works very well.

At first glance, I thought, “This looks fairly intuitive. Why should I read the manual? All that needs to be done is peel the protective plastic covering off the sticky pads, put it down, and slap my tablet in place.” I’m so glad I went through the manual first…

The fresh sticky pads on the Slope are downright powerful. The first time I put it down, I was shocked at the gripping power. The manual contains warnings about placing it on a painted surface and they aren’t kidding. I suspect that if the Slope were placed on a loose surface, it could easily pull fresh paint, laminate or even a heavy glass desk protector loose.  The grip is so secure, it completely lifted a clear plastic USB hard drive enclosure I had placed it on. The manual states that normal wear, dust, and debris that sticks to the pads will lessen its grip, but after a week, it’s still holding on tight.

The next photo is in the correct orientation. Yes, it’s really sticking to the wall.

The sticky pad on the face is the same, but I had a little challenge to overcome. Having worked in factories and tough environments, I had applied a carbon fiber skin to my tablet. I had previously tried similar products with little success holding onto the carbon weave, but the Slope’s stickiness had no trouble gripping the irregular surface.  I was able to place the tablet vertically and horizontally with no difficulties. I was also able to offset the tablet, pushing the center of gravity considerably off balance with no problems. I have no doubt the Slope can hold considerably larger tablets with ease.

Having my tablet in its new home brought new uses. The viewing angle is very good so, while I’m fiddling around with my desktop, I was able to pull up Netflix and comfortably watch. As a result, my tablet is seeing more usage.

What I like

  • The sticky pads hold very securely, horizontally or vertically
  • The viewing angle is very good
  • Sturdy, attractive construction

What needs to be improved?

  • I would recommend Wiplabs place a warning label on the sticky pad peel-off plastic protectors to prevent their customers from damaging their desks! 🙂
  • At $49.99, it’s expensive, but definitely premium quality

Final thoughts

The Wiplabs Slope universal tablet stand is handsome, well-constructed and works better than other sticky type stands I’ve used, particularly with the carbon fiber cover on my tablet.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Wiplabs.com or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Wiplabs.