Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes these days. Finding one to meet your particular set of requirements is a tough job. Aukey has recently entered this market with a tough nicely sized unit that integrates speakerphone functions as well as weatherproofing and long battery life – the SK-M12 SoundTank. I was sent one to test.
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The Aukey website lists the specs as:
Model Number: SK-M12
Technology: Bluetooth 4.1
Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
Input: DC 5V
Driver: 2 x 5W
Charging Time: ~6 hours
Play Time: 30 hours
Standby Time: Up to 100 hours
Battery Type: Rechargeable Li-Polymer (2600mAh)
Range: Up to 10m / 33ft
The unit measures about 8” x 3” x 3”. The front and rear faces are covered by perforated aluminum pieces, while the other four surfaces are rubberized. The five control buttons are all on the top (+ and – for volume, phone answer/disconnect, power, and a Mode button), nicely covered but clearly marked. (I base my designations of “top, bottom, right, etc.” by orienting the face with the logo upright.) On the right small side is a red hard plastic carry loop. On the opposite small side is a red soft silicone door that covers the charging port and an AUX input jack. The cover is very tight but swings out of the way once you’ve opened it. I was not able to open it without a key or nail file since my fingernails are pretty short. Your mileage may vary, but you won’t have to worry about it popping open by accident!
On the bottom panel, there is a 1/4” 20 socket that fits a tripod screw. You can use this to place the unit on any stand, bicycle handlebar mount, or lamp shade harp that has this same thread size. You can also hang it from the red plastic loop to a pack, tent pole, or tree branch while you’re out camping or hiking. With 30 hours of playtime and 100 hours standby, you should easily make it through a long camping weekend. I found that with the power off, the charge degraded very little over a week or two.
The 2 5W drivers push through a lot of sound, so you can disturb the neighbors from a good distance away. Sitting and working beside the unit, you can’t turn it up more than 20-30%. It puts out some real volume. The sound is clear and full, too, not just loud.
While “rugged” and “outdoor” are tossed around in marketing materials, there is no documentation of any weather or dust resistance. The official seller account on Amazon said it is “splash proof” but not waterproof. So, dewy grass on a camping trip, misty rain on the deck, but maybe keep it high and dry at the pool.
Pairing was quick and accurate. Using the AUX connection, you can change between the Bluetooth and hard-wired sources by holding the Mode button. It’s not quick or clean (sometimes it doesn’t switch), and you can’t control the other device from the speaker after you’ve changed it to the other source, but it’s a step toward alleviating that frustration of wanting to watch a movie on an iPad, and having your phone bogart the Bluetooth connection to your speaker.
One strange thing about the metal plates that cover the speaker and the rear cover: they look like outlines of some type of dog treat. Whenever I brought this speaker out to play with a group, it was always the first thing that anyone noticed. “Is that the Scooby Snack speaker?” This speaker is no dog, but it may become a faithful companion.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Aukey. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.
Product Information
Price:
Normally $45, but currently out of stock at Amazon
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Ethnotek partners with artisan villages in Indonesia, Ghana, Guatemala, Vietnam, and India to produce hand-made textiles that they incorporate into their backpacks, bags, and accessories. Not only do these partnerships result in gorgeous products, but they help to keep these traditional textile making techniques alive by employing the local artisans.
The new Akan collection features textiles from the Somanya village in Ghana, Africa produced with a combination of techniques that include block printing, tie-dye and batik (a technique that uses wax to selectively control the painting/dying process). Words can’t do the patterns justice… just click here to go check them out for yourself!
Ethnotek incorporates the fabric into a variety of bags including pouches, sling bags, and backpacks. They also offer the new patterns in swappable panels (called “Threads”) that are available on certain backpack models. You buy the bag, choose the thread, and can switch up your style with future thread purchases as the mood strikes you. It’s a great option for customization without having to buy a completely new bag.
Prices on the new line range from $18.00 to $200.00 depending on what model or bag type you are looking for. Click here to view the new Akan collection, or bounce to the Ethnotek home page to learn more about their full product lineup. You can check out their Amazon store too.
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For some unknown reason, newer MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers no longer have two fold out wings to wind excess cable around. What’s up with that Apple? Instead of mumbling under your breath every time you need to carry your MacBook and charger with you when you travel, consider PowerPlay. PowerPlay adds cord organization capability to your existing charger so you can thumb your nose at Apple.
The PowerPlay adds a leather cord reel to your existing MacBook and MacBook Pro charger that attached to your power adapter with an elastic band. You don’t have to remove it when you want to use the adapter as it will keep the cables neatly organized and out of the way even when the charger is plugged in.
You can roll out the length of the cable that you need and keep the rest neatly stored on the reel.
You can buy a PowerPlay in various colors for $35. Visit abovethefray.co for more info and Amazon to order some colors for $29.99.
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Last year I reviewed Thinkware’s F50, a minimalistic, plug & play dashcam that does a great job capturing video while motoring down the road…quick to setup and easy/simple to use. For this review, Thinkware sent me their new upper end X550, a more feature-rich, GPS-enabled dashcam with 2.7″ LCD screen and driver assist that fills the gap between the F50 and their flagship, the F800. The X550 definitely has more bells & whistles than the F50 that should only add to the dashcam experience. But we shall see…
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The Thinkware X550 is an upgraded version of their X500 dashcam. Its overall design is similar to a high quality digital point & shoot from back in the day. The X550’s metal and dark plastic construction give it a premium look and feel. The X550 is a relatively feature rich device even in the crowded dashcam world, including built-in GPS, SONY CMOS image sensor, (optional) dual-channel recording, driver assist notifications, backup/dual-save, etc.
Package Contents:
X550 Dashcam
Mount with 3M tape (1ea)
Car Charger
Adhesive Cable Holder (5ea)
microSD memory card with adapter (consumable)
USB Micro SD card reader
Quick Start Guide / Warranty / User Manual (stored in the Micro SD card)
Specifications:
Dimension:
104.3 x 51.4 x 29.3 mm / 4.1 x 2.02 x 1.15 inches
Weight:
111 g / 0.24 lbs (Excluding microSD)
Camera:
2.4M Pixels, 1/2.9″ (SONY CMOS Image sensor)
Display Panel:
2.7″ Clear Display (320×240)
Viewing Angle:
Approximately 140° (diagonally)
Video:
ALL Full HD (1920X1080) for front & rear view camera when connected
Capacity:
Micro SD Card 16GB / 32GB / 64GB UHS-I
Recording Modes:
Super Night Vision / Time Lapse / Continuous Recording Mode, Incident Recording Mode, Manual Recording Mode, Parking Surveillance Recording Mode, Audio Recording
Acceleration Sensor:
3-Axis Acceleration G-Sensor (3D, ±4G)
GPS:
Built-in GPS (Glonass supported)
Power:
Input Voltage: DC 12/24V (Max 35V), Power Cable Port x 1 (3.5pi) / Power Consumption: 5.3W (mean) – 2ch,30fps , 3.5W (mean) – 1ch,30fps / Super Capacitor
Hardware:
Like I said, the X550 is pretty and looks just like a digital camera from a decade ago. Its dark textured plastic and brushed metal housing give it a polished, stealthy look. The X550 records in standard/full HD (1920X1080 @30fps) and is dual channel capable, enabling you to record front and back views with Thinkware’s optional rear facing camera. The X550 uses the A7 processor instead of the latest and greatest A12 that is in their new flagship the F800 but that does not seem to be an issue with overall performance.
The back of the X550 sports a 320 x 240 resolution 2.7″ color LCD display that can be easily seen in daylight. Left of the display are four buttons for managing the user interface and manual recording option. The display enables you to tweak the X550’s settings whenever you like without the need for your smartphone. The screen also allows you to view video footage without taking the microSD card out or need for a computer. All of Thinkware’s X-series dashcams have this form factor featuring a display.
The top of the X550 has the mounting hard point, propitiatory power port, micro USB for Video-IN (rearview camera), and micro HDMI port. I find it interesting Thinkware uses a micro USB port for connecting the rear camera but not to power the device (which is pretty standard these days).
The base of the dashcam has the reset button, microphone, and serial number/production date sticker.
The right side has the microSD memory card slot and power button. The X550 supports up to a 64gb microSD card. Which seems a bit small by today’s standards especially considering the dashcam’s dual-channel recording ability. Thinkware also considers the microSD card to be a “consumable”, stating “it will need to be replaced periodically”. They also suggest reformatting the card every 2 weeks to reduce recording issues and to get greater life out of it. The X550 actually reminds you to reformat the card and continues to nag until you do. That said, reformatting is an easy one button click process that doesn’t take long at all.
Noteworthy Features:
GPS sensor with GLONASS – the X550 has built-in GPS, and is able to track both US and Russian positioning networks, for faster lock-ons and greater accuracy. I found the X550 ability to get a solid GPS lock one of the fastest I have ever tested.
Driver assistance – Includes lane departure, forward collision avoidance, and forward vehicle departure warning.
Speed camera alerts – the X550 has an internal database that warns you when you’re coming up to an intersection or location with a known speed camera standing watch.
Dual Save Mode – The dual save technology enables the dashcam to save the video to the camera’s internal flash memory when an incident is detected (via the G-sensor). Giving you an internal backup copy in case the SD card is lost or damaged.
Optional second camera – Thinkware also offers a rear camera that captures HD video @30fps.
Optional Parking Mode with permanent installation – Thinkware has an optional wiring kit that allows you to hardwire their dashcams directly into your cars electrical system. This enables you to use the X550’s Parking Mode with time-lapse recording to capture video when you leave your car or regular video if it detects an impact.
Installation:
While not the smallest dashcam I have ever used, the X550 mounts nicely behind my rearview mirror with the power cable tucking away so you can barely tell the system is there, especially when sitting in the driver’s seat. The mount itself adheres to the windshield via 3M double sided adhesive pad. The X550 slides onto the mount from the left and clicks into place. The mount does a good job of reducing vibration but my little roadster is pretty unforgiving when it comes to bumps and rough roads. It would be nice if Thinkware integrated active image stabilization into their higher end devices.
Daytime Video:
The X550’s daytime video is good with average resolution and better than usable image quality. Even though the X550 sports a 2.4MP SONY CMOS image sensor some details are lost at HD (1920X1080) quality video. I firmly believe Thinkware needs to up its game in this department, bumping its higher end dashcams up to 4MP – 2K (2560 x 1440 @30 fps) HDR video. The lens has 140 degrees of viewing angle with little fish-eye effect.
Nighttime Video:
Thinkware’s Super Night Vision and 2.4MP SONY CMOS image sensor are very good at capturing light, producing excellent nighttime video when it is dark.
Thinkware Viewer:
I found the Thinkware PC viewer one of the best perks of using their dashcams. It is an excellent integrated tool for viewing not only your driving video but speed, lat/long, Google map location, and three-dimensional G-forces the car is experiencing at any particular moment. These G-forces are illustrated in the bar graph under the video and the dial with a car in it with X- Y- and Z- axis in the lower left corner of the window. The X550 records in 1:00 minute chunks that are approximately 85mb in size. The only issue I had with the viewer was the Google mapping integration was a bit hit or miss.
Screen Capture:
Even under perfect conditions (sunny, no glare, little to no movement, vehicle distance), you can barely make out the license plates of the vehicles directly in front of me (picture captured from the viewer).
Overall the X550 dashcam’s HD video quality is good but far from the best I have seen. I hate to say it, but there are definitely a few specs and features Thinkware needs to raise the bar on for their upper end devices. The lack of SuperHD or 2K video capture is the X550’s biggest limitation followed closely by image stabilization.Itss overall feature-set is very good especially if you’re in the market for a dual-channel/camera set-up. Bottom line is that the Thinkware X550 is a solid middle tier dashcam with excellent higher end features, viewer, and overall product support.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Thinkware. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
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Nine times out of ten, when we get offers to review cases, bags, ear buds, etc, that come in more than one color, the male members of The Gadgeteer always choose black. Are guys afraid of a little color because it’s not considered manly? If that’s the case, then the Swiza D03 ALLBLACK knife has OD’d on testosterone.
Designed and manufactured in Switzerland, the Swiza knife features an admittedly cool looking matte black polytetrafluoroethylene (otherwise known as Teflon) coating on all the parts.
It has a 440 steel 75mm (2.95 in) locking blade, a corkscrew, a punch, an awl, tweezers, a bottle opener, a flat-head No. 3 screwdriver, a wire bender, a can opener, and a No. 1 flat-head screwdriver.
The Swiza D03 ALLBLACK is priced at $77.85. For more info visit www.swiza.com and you can check out their non-ninja black knives on Amazon.
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