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Julie’s gadget diary – I received the nicest email this morning

I receive a LOT of emails every day that are usually from PR agencies pitching products that they want us to write about or review, people with new crowdfunding campaigns that they want us to write about, people asking for tech support for products that we’ve reviewed, people asking how to buy products that we’ve reviewed, and people complaining about articles we’ve posted or problems with the website. It’s not often that I receive an email where someone isn’t wanting something from me or not complaining about something unlike the thoughtful thank you email that I received this morning.

My name is Aaron Blair, and about 15 minutes ago I remembered the-gadgeteer.com and decided to see if it was still around…

I first bookmarked the gadgeteer somewhere around the year 2000… Which inadvertently resulted in causing my parents many nights of anguish, listening to my constant pleas at dinner for WinCE and palm devices….I vividly remember asking you to review a Casio be-300 at the time. It was all I could afford and I spent months modding the interface and patching for full wince compatibility…Which didn’t exactly succeed.lol

It is almost unbelievable how many things have changed since then. I miss the times of my childhood. It seemed that every day, I could read about a new device. That was unique and innovative.

I am 28 years old. I ended my career in electronics engineering before it even began. Stopping to take care of my sick mother…I am a caregiver now, employed by the state of Washington..doing my best to give my mom a more fulfilling, better life.

The sense of wonder, and interest in tech/electronics that I hold today was fostered and fed by your website years ago.

I want to say thank you, I didn’t end up where I wanted to specifically. But I wouldn’t know half of what I do now if I hadn’t stumbled on this site back around the year 2000.

Glad to see that it’s still going,
Aaron Blair.

Also, I still have my old Scott-e vest.. ;p

After more than 20 years of running The Gadgeteer, I still get a little misty-eyed when I read emails like this one because it makes me realize that even though this is just a gadget website and we’re not changing the world, what we do here can make a difference and help people. Thanks Aaron for energizing me to keep The Gadgeteer going hopefully for many more years to come.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I received the nicest email this morning originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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The body heat powered PowerWatch starts shipping to backers

A year ago we included the Matrix Industries PowerWatch Indiegogo campaign in one of our weekly Notable crowdfunding campaign posts. I remember being intrigued by this activity tracking watch that uses the body heat from your wrist to generate power to charge the watch’s internal battery. How does it work?

The PowerWatch uses a thermoelectric generator (TEG) that senses body heat and converts it into energy. TEGs need to have a hot side and a cold side to operate. The hot side is the circular black aluminum plate on the back of the watch. The cold side is the entire metal bezel and body of the watch. The hot and cold sides are separated from each other by a layer of insulating thermoplastic. The TEGs harvest the heat flowing from the hot side to the cold side and turn it into electricity.

“Research shows that the number one reason consumers stop using wearables is because they take them off to charge and forget that they exist,” continued Boukai. “The PowerWatch was designed and built with the consumer top of mind, functioning the way we want our wearables to function, without any lapses for charging. By reducing or eliminating the need for recharging, the PowerWatch is the first wearable to offer consumers this uninterrupted ability.”

Now, the watches are shipping to campaign backers and are also available for order today on PowerWatch.com, starting at $169, with the premium PowerWatch X set to ship before the end of the year.

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The body heat powered PowerWatch starts shipping to backers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 5)

Welcome to part five of our on-going series where we tell you about the gear that we use on a daily basis. Today we have the favorite gear bags for one more Gadgeteer team member, Smythe. Let us know if you enjoy these types of posts.

Also read:
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 1)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 2)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 3)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 4)

Smythe Richbourg

Julie has been after us for a month or so now to declare a favorite gear bag and do an article about it. For me, this is a Sophie’s Choice type decision, because I like several bags equally for different reasons. Add that to the fact that I have almost as many bags as Julie does (about 20 that I can see from this chair with my office closet door open!), and it gets a bit tough. I’m prepared to live with this one, however; the Tom Bihn Medium Café Bag. I bought this bag a few years back with personal funds, and have used it as a fall-back ever since. Let me give you a tour.

We have reviewed Tom Bihn bags on this site before, but I’ve never had an actual review unit from them. I did review a few products from their canine product spin-off, Snookum Dog, a few years back. But I’ve been a fan since my first purchase, which was this bag. I found it searching for a daily driver bag for my iPad and various small bits of tech I need to carry, and I have yet to find one that can haul this much in such a small package. It’s a simple satchel in a vertical orientation (a sadly over-looked category by most bag makers) with a sewn-in strap and a large inner pocket. There are a few pen loops and loose stash pockets in the front wall of that large pocket, as well as a narrow zippered pocket on the outside front. An offset V flap covers both of these and seals with a plastic clip on an adjustable webbing strap.


On the back, a simple slash pocket and a 1″ webbing haul loop complete the feature set. At 12.2″ x 10.6″ x 2.9″ / 310 x 270 x 75 mm, it’s not really a behemoth, but it sure holds a lot. I’ve added the Freudian Slip, a vertical insert that adds pockets and sleeves to organize bag interiors. This is another Tom Bihn innovation that makes their kit unique. They have these for most of their bags, and the difference it makes is huge.


Perhaps my favorite feature of Tom Bihn bags is the “O” rings sewn into bag interiors in various places. I have a clear organizer bag that holds my inhaler, a tin of various NSAIDs, a nail file and clipper, and eye drops. There’s a clip on one corner, and when I attach it to the “O” ring on the rim of my Tom Bihn Café bag, it never gets lost in the abyss.

I usually carry my original-sized iPad in this, along with the day’s supplies (power adapter, headphones, batteries, shopping bag, screen cleaner, iPad adapters for USB, HDMI, and SDcards – the usual stuff). I just purchased the 10.7″ iPad Pro, replacing my iPad Air 2. The new one fits just as nicely, in my MoKo case. In a pinch, I can slide my LogiTech K811 keyboard into the rear slash pocket, even though it sticks out a bit. If I don’t need all that, just the organizer, iPad, and Slip will carry me anywhere easily.

If I have control over my day, the regular-sized iPad has been my go-to travel companion since the day I bought the original. The newest iPad Pro with the thinner bezel still fits in this bag easily, since it’s less than an inch larger on each edge.

Also read:
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 1)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 2)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 3)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 4)

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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 5) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2017 at 3:49 pm.

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Deal: ThinkGeek helps you celebrate being alone with 40% savings

Did you know that yesterday was Singles’ Day? What the heck is that you ask? It’s a holiday for people who are single. Think of it as the anti-Valentine’s Day. But it was yesterday, who cares you say. Just simmer down… Yes, the holiday WAS yesterday, but ThinkGeek is still celebrating through tomorrow by offering up to 40% savings on over 50 quirky, geeky, unique items that will make you feel less alone because shopping for nerdy toys always makes you feel a LOT better. Some fun gift ideas include: 

Save %25 off of a set of Stranger Things figures for $14.99

There are two sets to choose from, the set you see above that includes Eleven, Lucas, and Mike, or the other set that includes Dustin, Will, and the Demogorgon. Heck, get them both. It will ease the pain.

Save 33% off a Bob Ross’s Happy Little Blanket for $19.99

Not a fan of Stranger Things? How about Bob Ross? You know, the PBS 80’s era painter with the afro and the wonderfully soothing voice that made you want to curl up and take a nap? This 60 x 45 inch throw blanket will let you take a nap with Bob. Dream of happy little trees my friend.

Those are just two of the wonderfully odd products that are on sale right now through tomorrow (11/13/17) at ThinkGeek.com.

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Deal: ThinkGeek helps you celebrate being alone with 40% savings originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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My mouse pad can beat up your mouse pad

Serious PC gamers are a discerning group of users. To give them an edge over their competition, they look for the best equipment like the fastest rig (computer), largest monitor, great speakers, headsets, programmable keyboards, and mice. Speaking of mice, even mouse pads are an accessory to consider for gamers. Does it provide enough traction and speed? And is it big enough? 

Antlion can answer that last question. No, your mouse pad isn’t big enough because it’s not 3 foot x 1 foot like the Pro Gaming Über-Wide Mousepad from Antlion. This cloth mouse pad is large enough for your keyboard to sit on top of it for a seamless mousing experience. Even the edges of this gigantic pad are sewn to prevent fraying and with a price tag of only $20, you’ll still have cash left over to buy a new game. Head over to Antlion for all the details and Amazon to order.

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My mouse pad can beat up your mouse pad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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