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iOttie Easy One Touch Connect car mount with Alexa review

REVIEW – Andy reviewed the iOttie Easy One Touch Connect car mount almost 2 yrs ago and now iOttie has updated the Easy One Touch with Alexa. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The iOttie Easy One Touch Connect is a car mount for your mobile phone that can be attached to your windshield or your dashboard and has built-in Alexa functionality.

What’s in the box?

  • iOttie Easy One Touch Connect
  • Adjustable dash/window mount
  • Dash pad
  • 12V power adapter with USB port
  • Instructions

Design and features

The phone holder features a one-handed mechanism that has two gripper arms that hug the sides of your phone, a “foot” rest for the bottom of your phone, and a rubber-covered backrest that doubles as the eject button. There are also two more arms on the sides that you squeeze to open the main gripper arms. See the video clip below that demonstrates how the mechanism works.

A view of the back of the iOttie shows the adjustable footrest at the bottom, the micro USB charging port above it, the adjustable windshield/dashboard mount arm connector in the center, and the microphone mute toggle button at the top.

Attaching the iOttie phone holder to the adjustable mounting arm is as easy as loosening the collar around the connector, snapping the mount in place and tightening the collar again.

The mounting arm has two adjustment points that allow you to customize the length and angle of the arm. In the image above, the arm is at its smallest length.

Now we see the arm fully extended. A thumbscrew on the center of the arm allows you to customize the arm to the desired length.

Another thumbscrew near the base allows for adjustment of the angle of the arm.

I tested the iOttie Easy One Touch mount with my Huawei P30 Pro. The gripper arms had no issues accommodating it or my Pixel 2XL shown in the image above (I was using the Huawei P30 Pro to take the pics). In the image, you’ll also notice that there are LEDs built into the gripper arms. These LEDs provide a visual cue when interacting with Alexa.

Installation

I drive a 2013 MINI Cooper S and didn’t think that I’d have an issue attaching the iOttie mount in my car when I agreed to review it. I knew I wasn’t going to be attaching the plastic mounting pad on my dashboard because the thoughts of sticking something with adhesive to my dash makes me a little queasy. I figured attaching it to my windshield would be no issue because I review dashcams all the time.

Unfortunately, my car is so small that there really wasn’t a good place to put the mount where it wouldn’t interfere with my view of the road. I ended up just stuffing it in one of my cup holders during the testing phase.

Alexa, can you hear me? Alexa? Yoooooo hoooo, Alexa?

After you attach the mount to your windshield or your dash, the next step is to install the iOttie Connect app on your phone. The sole purpose of this app is to connect the mount to the Amazon Alexa app that you also need to install on your phone in order to take advantage of the built-in Alexa functionality.

And here we come to the biggest issue (besides the fact the mount can’t charge my phone) I have with the iOttie Easy One Touch Connect car mount. The Alexa feature just plain sucks. First of all, you have to have the Alexa app on your phone running in the background whenever you want to use Alexa “in” the mount.

I found that even with the app running, the connection between the mount and the app would rarely work without me fiddling with it for a few minutes. Most times the Alexa app would show that the iOttie was offline until I unplugged the 12V power adapter and plugged it back in. Or if I stopped and restarted the Alexa app.

Then when it finally would start working, I would start my drive only for it to stop working at some point during the trip. At least that was my experience many times during my testing of this product. Frustrating for sure.

When the Alexa feature was working, all I had to do was say “Alexa”, and the LEDs on both gripper arms would glow blue and I would hear the iconic Echo tone letting me know that I could give my command to Alexa.

See that’s the thing, the iOttie mount is really just an extra microphone so that you can leave your phone in your bag or pocket. It’s not like a self-contained Alexa device like an Amazon Echo. You have to have your phone for the internet connection AND for the audio which you should setup to go through your car’s Bluetooth.

In all honesty, it is less of a hassle and expense to just leave my phone on the car seat next to me with it paired to my car’s Bluetooth and run the Alexa app on the phone.

See it in action

What I like

  • Easy to mount and unmount device with just one hand
  • Built-in microphone allows you to leave your phone in your bag while interacting with Alexa

What I’d change

  • Add wireless charging capability

Final thoughts

As a vehicle mount, I like the easy one-handed operation of the iOttie. But the fact that it lacks wireless charging capability when it is priced at $70 and the problems that I had with the built-in Alexa feature has me unable to give my recommendation as a good buy. Even if the Alexa feature was reliable, I’d still think this mount is a bit overpriced. Sorry iOttie.

Price: $69.95
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by iOttie.

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iOttie Easy One Touch Connect car mount with Alexa review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 25, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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2020 Corvette goes mid-engine and high-tech

NEWS – Chevrolet has finally announced the long-anticipated 2020 Corvette with a brand new mid-engine design.  Moving the engine behind the seats changes the overall weight and balance of the vehicle for better overall performance.  This has long been the case in exotic supercars like Ferrari and McLaren for the well-healed that can afford $100K – $250K or more for their daily driver.

Chevy is bringing this new supercar to American consumers starting at about $60K.  The C8 Corvette car is all-new with a claimed single part carried over from current C7 design. The new 6.2L LT2 V8 produces 450 HP and is expected to produce 0-60 MPH runs in under three seconds. The Z51 performance package should up that to 495 HP and 470 lb-ft of torque. The engine sits on glorious display under a rear hatch window. The new powerplant

Storage is improved with enough room in the back for a couple of golf bags  Moving the engine behind the seats allows for additional storage up front, a “frunk”. This means that the new Corvette should be practical for limited weekend travel.

The all-new cockpit is driver-centric and offers great Bluetooth phone connectivity along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  A squared-off steering wheel improves visibility for the electronic instrument cluster and a color heads-up display.

Having owned a 1985 Corvette myself, I can tell you that speed bumps and driveway curbs are evil and will destroy the low front-end air dam.  The 2020 Corvette has a high-tech answer for that with GPS-aware front lift!

For the driving enthusiast, the standard performance data recorder (PDR) can track all aspects of your drive along with dashcam video.

Like other performance cars, the drive mode is selectable for sport, touring and so on.  The new Corvette adds “Z-mode” and “My mode”, where the driver can completely customize all the performance characteristics and return to their favorite settings in a click.

Delivery dates have not yet been announced, but since other 2020 models will be available later this year, it shouldn’t be too long before these beauties will begin hitting the road.

To learn more, and to design and reserve yours, visit Chevy’s 2020 Corvette page here.

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2020 Corvette goes mid-engine and high-tech originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 21, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Technaxx TX-100 Car Alarm review

REVIEW – I recently moved to a city that has a very high incidence of vehicle break-ins, and while my 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser isn’t exactly showroom quality, I do worry about its well-being each night. I don’t worry so much that I’d be willing to spend very much money to address the situation though. Enter the very affordable, $49.99 Technaxx TX-100 Car Alarm.

What is it?

The Technaxx TX-100 Car Alarm is basically a two-port USB car charger that has a passive infrared (PIR) motion detector, 110dB siren, and rechargeable battery all built in. While you drive, the Technaxx charges itself via your car’s cigarette lighter and works as a standard USB car charger. Once your car is turned off though, the TX-100 is powered by an internal battery and you can activate its alarm functions with a paired remote control. Any motion within the car, such as a door opening or window breaking, triggers an ear-piercing siren.

The Technaxx TX-100 comes in a small box with details listed in both English and German. The box has a cutaway view so you can examine the unit, and the interior flap lists the device specs in four more languages.

What’s in the box?

  • 1 Technaxx TX-100 Car Alarm
  • 1 Remote control with CR2032 battery
  • 1 User manual

Hardware specs

  • Detection range: Car interior, 120° cone angle
  • Remote control distance: 8m (open areas)
  • Alarm time: 2 minutes maximum
  • Alarm loudness: 110dB
  • USB charging ports: 2 5V/1A ports
  • TX-100 battery: Built-in rechargeable 450mAh lithium polymer battery
  • Remote control battery: Included CR2032 battery
  • Charging time: 3–4 hours
  • Battery standby: 6 days
  • Input voltage: DC 12–24V (cigarette lighter socket)
  • Charging current: 65mA
  • Operating current: 26mA
  • Over current protection: 2.8A
  • Maximum transmission power: 20mW
  • Transmission frequency: 433,92 MHz
  • Dimensions:
    • TX-100: 1.25 in (L) x 1.25 in (W) x 4.52 in (H)
    • Remote control: 2 in (L) x 1.22 in (W) x .4 in (H)

Design and features

The TX-100 doesn’t have a very sturdy build quality, both the unit and the remote control feel very light and quite breakable. Both are made of lightweight ABS plastic and are gray in color.

One clear indication that this isn’t a normal everyday USB car charger is the large shiny plastic PIR dome on the end of the unit.

The other tip-off is the round siren slot located just below the 1A USB charging ports.

The only metal on the device is the charging tip which is inserted into your car’s cigarette lighter socket.

The remote for the TX-100 resembles a typical car alarm fob, just a bit smaller and lighter and with only one button.

The remote comes with a CR2032 battery already installed, to activate the battery you need to pull out a thin plastic tab.

The remote also has a small status indicator light at the top. The light blinks each time the remote button is pressed.

Setup

The initial setup instructions require you to charge the TX-100 fully before its first use, and this was my biggest problem with the unit.

See, the TX-100 take 3-4 hours to fully charge and the ONLY way to charge the unit is via your car’s cigarette lighter or an external cigarette lighter power adapter. And since I, like most people, don’t have an external cigarette lighter adapter, it took me about five days of commuting with the TX-100 plugged in before it was fully charged and ready to use.

There’s no reason why this unit couldn’t be designed with a micro USB charging port or the ability to take a charge via one of the USB ports. It was extremely frustrating to have the TX-100 plugged in and glowing red, indicating that it was still charging, for close to a week before I was able to properly test it. I have about a 35 minute commute to work each way, so depending on the length of your daily commute, the TX-100 will charge faster or slower.

Once the TX-100 is finally fully charged, the red light will shut off and the first thing to do is pair the remote. Pairing is only possible in the first five seconds after you plug the fully charged TX-100 into the cigarette lighter socket. Press and hold the button on the remote until you hear four beeps. The light will blink blue and after you hear the beeps, the remote will be paired with your car alarm. If you want to, you can pair one remote control with more than one TX-100.

Performance

In my testing, the two USB 1A charging ports proved pretty inefficient for charging iPhones or Android Pixels. I’m not sure if this was because newer phones require more than 1A to charge effectively or if charging the internal battery of the TX-100 simultaneously affected the ports’ ability to provide power.

The TX-100 did work great as a car alarm though. Granted, there were no attempts to break into my car during my testing, as far as I know, but each time I opened my car door while the TX-100 was activated, the siren was triggered immediately. I was worried that the TX-100 might get triggered by movement outside of the car windows, but despite my best efforts, I couldn’t trip it without opening the car doors.

It was also easy to activate the alarm once I left my car because the TX-100 provides an audible confirmation beep and a five second activation window. I did occasionally forget to deactivate the alarm before I got into my car each morning because I’m used to just using the car’s key fob to unlock it and having to remember to then hit the car alarm fob as well was too much for my sleep deprived brain to handle.

When the TX-100 is armed, the blue light flashes every five seconds. If activity is detected, blue light flashes quickly and the siren sounds continuously for about two minutes. In theory, a thief could immediately snatch a triggered, screaming TX-100 from the cigarette lighter socket, throw it to the ground, and smash it pretty quickly. But for the price point, that’s a chance you need to be willing to take.

Since the unit runs off the internal battery while the car is off, the battery needs to recharge. My daily commute time proved just enough to top the battery off each day for it to be able work overnight. To conserve battery power or to store, it is possible to completely shut the unit off by pressing and holding the remote button for four seconds.

What I like

  • Affordable alarm for late model cars
  • Easy to operate
  • Works reliably

What I’d change

  • Takes way too long to charge initially via cigarette lighter, should be able to charge with a USB cable as well
  • Poor build quality
  • Charging ports are low-powered and inefficient

Final thoughts

The Technaxx TX-100 Car Alarm is an ingenious, affordable, and reliable way to secure your car and possibly prevent theft. Although, the small size of the unit and the fact that can be easily spotted and removed has me questioning its ultimate practicality. An additional charging option would be useful and the construction of the unit is a bit lacking. But, at $49.99 this item might be a good preventative measure for those who have late model cars and live in areas where car break-ins are common.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Technaxx.

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Technaxx TX-100 Car Alarm review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 13, 2019 at 10:30 am.

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Hudway Cast heads-up car display review


REVIEW – Over the past year, I have reviewed a few smartphone dash mounts that are used to hold your mobile phone and keep it in a position so that you can glance over and look at it for navigation, etc. While this method may seem convenient, it still requires you to turn your head and depending on what information you are looking for, you may turn your eyes away from the road and the traffic ahead. Even with built-in navigation in my truck, I still have to turn my head. These days, there has been a huge increase in accidents and fatalities from being distracted by a mobile phone, including people trying to pick up dropped phones from the floor of their cars while driving. The Hudway Cast offers what seems like a great solution by mirroring certain information from your phone right on to a heads-up display that is directly in front of your normal viewing position while driving. And, since the display is transparent, it does not distract or block your view.

What is it?

The HUDWAY Cast is a portable heads-up display that can be installed in any vehicle. It uses a wireless connection and/or a hard-wired connection to your smartphone to mirror your smartphone screen keeping the display directly in front of your eyes. You can launch the most common navigation apps on your smartphone, and then select mirroring to stream it to the HUDWAY Cast.

What’s in the box


1 x Hudway Cast
1 x Hudway Cast Dashboard Mount with Adhesive Back
1 x Felt Protective Cover
1 x Pack of Cable Clips
1 x Quick Setup Guide
1 x DC Power Cable and Adapter
1 x USB-A Connection Cable
1 x Magnetic Phone Mount and Cell Phone adhesive Back Plate

Design and features

The Hudway cast is made up of a flexible base plate that has a built-in mount for the Cast on one side, and adhesive on the opposite side that allows it to adhere to your dashboard. The Cast itself is made up of a display screen that can be kept folded down when not in use and flipped up when in use. On the body of the Cast, there is an OS (IOS/Android) selection button and +/- volume buttons.

The picture below shows the Cast with the display screen flipped open, and the baseplate with the adhesive backing side facing up.
On the front of the base of the Cast (This side faces the windshield), there is a power port and a connector port that is used with the included adapter to connect to with either your Android or iPhone. The power port can also be connected to an ODB connector cable if you have one. The OBD connector cable provides both power and data (Not included with the Cast).

The following picture gives you a better view and understanding of the base of the Cast and how it connects to the dashboard mount.

Performance

The first thing that you want to do is install the dashboard mount for the Cast. You have to figure out the best placement so that when you flip open the display for use, it is in the correct viewing position for you to see the display and for it not to obstruct or distract from your view. This is not the easiest process, but for my testing, I placed the Cast with the dash mount attached on my dashboard without removing the adhesive cover. Once I figured out the best placement, I marked the location with a sticker at one edge and then installed the dash mount by removing the adhesive protector and sticking it to my dashboard. I actually wiped off the dashboard first with alcohol cleaning pads to remove any debris and/or residue, but I soon found out that much like 3M double-sided tape, the best way to ensure that it sticks is to heat the adhesive surface with a heat gun. Since I did not have one handy, I stuck the mount on knowing that it was not sticking to the dashboard very well and drove to the railroad station as I do every day and caught my train. I figured that with my truck parked in the sun all day, that the adhesive would heat up and adhere properly. I was right, and it worked. My process is obviously not recommended but I would recommend using a heat gun to heat up the adhesive to ensure that the mount sticks properly to the dashboard.

Taking pictures of the display screen in normal light is tricky so I decided to take the pictures while parked in my underground parking. The next set of pictures show various screens on the Cast along with what is shown on the connected phone. It is important to note that while the display shows real-time information, the app on the phone shows the concept of the corresponding display information. I have also provided examples of the real-time comparison between the phone and the display in the last 2 sets of pictures below.



Corresponding screens below between my iPhone and the actual display information.


Corresponding screens below between my iPhone and the actual display information.


All of the testing information displayed above was conducted with the Cast receiving data via my cell phone. I did notice that for instance, the MPH on the cast differed quite a bit from the MPH displayed on the vehicle’s digital speedometer. Since I knew that Hudway also makes an ODB connector cable that attaches to the vehicle’s ODB connector, I decided to request one from them so I could compare the information from the speedometer to that on the Cast’s display once it was receiving data directly from the car. I also felt that such a connection would influence other data such as mileage, etc. Hudway readily agreed, and promptly sent the ODB connector cable.

So with the connectivity using the OBD connector cable, it supplies both power and data to the Cast. There is also still the app that connects to your phone. The test results with the OBD connector cable yields more accurate results when viewing constantly changing MPH, but there is always still a +/- 2 to 3 MPH difference between the car’s speedometer and the Cast. In addition, for some reason when using the cable, the display would go to a default screen if I minimize the app, which is unlike when using the cable connected to the phone. In the latter case, the display goes blank.

The Cast also allows you to use other navigation apps like Maps, Waze, Google maps, etc by using screen mirroring to the Cast. It has built-in speakers that allow it to give audible navigation directions as well.

What I like

  • The concept
  • The display and the infinite possibilities
  • The information options
  • The build quality

What I’d change

  • Design the mount with all connectivity built-in to the mount and not the device so that it easy to attach and detach the device
  • Include OBD Connector Cable
  • Reduce the overall size of the device so that it will fit cars with windshields that have a lower degree of slope.

Final thoughts

After testing the Hudway Cast quite a bit, I have mixed feelings. I love the concept and the capabilities, but in my opinion, the design is flawed. The fact that there is no base that houses the electronics and connectivity makes the process of connecting and disconnecting the device quite cumbersome and tedious, with what seems like wires everywhere to be managed each time. Since common sense suggests that the device should be removed if the car is parked in direct sunlight especially on a hot day and also for security reasons, this cumbersome process cannot be avoided. However, I do believe that with a few improvements, this is a gadget that I would love to always have in my car. I am aware that Hudway has a new and improved device called the Drive, which by its stated features, will likely address most if not all of my concerns and therefore make it the perfect on-the-road companion. Given the impending release of the Drive, I would wait for it and pass on the Cast.

Price: $189
Where to buy: Hudway website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Hudway.

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Hudway Cast heads-up car display review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 13, 2019 at 8:43 am.

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Nextbase 522GW dash cam review

REVIEW – Do you have a dash cam in your vehicle yet? A dash cam is a type of gadget that you install and then forget about it. The hope is that you’ll never need it unless it’s to review some fun footage it captured instead of accident footage.

Choosing a dash cam can be similar to choosing a laptop or a smartphone. There are so many dash cams available that it can be difficult to choose one. I’m here today to make your choice even more difficult because I’m going to tell you about the 522GW dash cam from Nextbase. Put on your seatbelt and let’s take it for a ride.

What is it?

The Nextbase 522GW dash cam is a camera that sticks to your windshield and automatically records video footage as you drive your vehicle.

Hardware specs

Resolution: 2560×1440 @ 30fps, 1080p HD @ 60fps
Lens: 6 layer f1.3
Viewing Angle: 140°
Screen: 3″ HD IPS Touch screen
GPS: 10Hz
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2

What’s in the box?

  • 522GW dash cam
  • Windshield suction mount
  • Click & Go GPS mount
  • Power cable fitting tool
  • Vehicle power adapter
  • mini USB cable

Design and features

The 522GW dash cam is one of the larger dash cams that I’ve had the opportunity to review. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that it will be easily noticed if someone looks at your windshield.

As you can see, the lens sticks out from the body of the dashcam quite a bit. If you look closely at the image above and the one below, you can see that the front edge of the lens has an adjustable polarizing filter ring. You can turn this ring to reduce any glare from your dash board.

You will also notice the USB port. This can be used to connect the camera to your computer in order to transfer video files.

On one side of the camera, there is a covered port that can be used to attach an optional rear camera or connect the camera to a larger monitor using an HDMI cable.

The other side of the camera has a power button and a micro SD card slot.

On the bottom of the Nextbase 522GW dash cam is a light sensor for the Screen Dimming feature and a reset switch.

The back of the camera has a large color touch screen that you use to customize the settings. You can do this through the myNextbase Connect app as well. Since the settings configuration and even a live view of the camera can be accomplished through the MyNextbase app, a built-in screen really isn’t needed.

Below the display is a red button that you can press to make a separate video file containing 10 seconds prior to the button press and 20 seconds after the button press. This video file is saved to the Protected folder on the micro SD card.

There’s a magnetic cover on the front of the camera that protects a connector for the included Click & Go GPS mount.



The Click & Go GPS mount is a windshield mount that uses 3M adhesive. But if you’re like me and prefer not to stick a strong adhesive directly to your windshield, you can remove the adhesive part of the Click & Go GPS mount and attach it to the included suction mount and use that instead.

The suction mount has a lever that makes it easy to stick and unstick the mount from the windshield.

Once installed on your windshield, the power cable can be routed and hid under the car’s headliner and plastic molding around the windshield using the included tool. This tool helps you wedge the cable under the plastic for a much neater installation.

The myNextbase Connect app


You don’t have to use the myNextbase Connect app with this dash cam, but doing so makes it easier to configure the camera’s settings and watch/download recordings without removing the microSD card from the camera.

Setting up the app is relatively easy, but I did find it to be a little fiddly at times. For one thing, the app connects to the dash cam via WiFi and initiating that connection can be painfully slow.  I also had issues configuring the Alexa feature. But more about that in a minute.


There are many settings that you can adjust and features that can be toggled. Some of these settings include:

Video resolution

1440P @ 30FPS 720P @ 30FPS
1080P @ 60FPS 720P @ 30FPS
1080P @ 30FPS 1080P @ 30FPS

Video length

1, 2, or 3 min

You can also toggle the screensaver so that your speed is shown on the dash cam’s display instead of the live view.





Accessing the video from the dash cam is easy with the app. I like that the Nextbase app collects speed, and GPS info so that it can show an animated map of your travels for each video clip.

Some of the other features of this dash cam include:

Intelligent Parking Mode (Incident Aware)

When this feature is enabled, it records any bump or physical movement on the vehicle when left unattended. Of course, this means that you’ll need to provide power to the camera at all times for it to work.

I didn’t crash my car on purpose to test this feature, but it was activated when I drove over a pothole and it saved a locked video that wouldn’t be overwritten.

Emergency SOS

In the event of an accident where the driver is unresponsive, the Nextbase Emergency SOS feature can alert the emergency services of your location along with important medical details that you add to the app.

When an accident is detected, the Emergency SOS feature will do some checks before contacting emergency services. This includes calling your phone. If you answer it, it will cancel the action to contact emergency services.

Alexa

The feature that I had the most trouble setting up was the Alexa feature. This feature requires that you also install the Alexa app on your phone and have it running when you want to use this feature. My first attempt configuring Alexa with the 522GW Nextbase dash cam wasn’t successful and I ended up having to uninstall the MyNextbase Connect app, the Alexa app, and the Bluetooth pairing with the dash cam on my phone. Then I had to reinstall and reconfigure everything. Doing all of this was successful but it only allowed me to test the Alexa feature for one test drive. The next time I tried it, it wouldn’t work again and I refused to uninstall everything for a 2nd time to try to get it working.

I questioned the people at Nextbase as to why an Alexa feature would even be necessary or desirable when you could just use the Alexa app on your phone and be done with it. This was the response that I received.

Here is why you would want Alexa in the Dash Cam rather than just on your phone:

1 – The Nextbase Dash Cam has two inbuilt microphones specifically tuned to pick up speech in a car – making the recognition of your voice commands significantly better than through a single microphone on a phone. Having 2 very sensitive microphones near your head is very beneficial to voice recognition.

2- In order to make Alexa work on a phone you need to “press” the Alexa symbol on the phone to activate it. With the Dash Cam you don’t need to touch the screen

3- As the dash cam is connected to your phone, you will shortly be able to “control” the dash cam with commands like “take a photo” or “lock that video” – using an upcoming Nextbase dash cam “Skill”. This will soon give handsfree control of the dash cam.

4- You can have you phone in a bag/pocket and still control Alexa – to then play music through your car speakers etc

If you notice their third reason, it states that the Nextbase skill is not yet available. So at this time, you can only use the feature for other Alexa commands like asking about the weather, playing music, etc. It’s also important to know that the audio from Alexa comes from your phone and not the dash cam. So yeah, I really don’t see the point.

Video quality

Let’s see some video clips from the Nextbase 522GW dash cam.

If you don’t want all the info at the bottom of each video, you can toggle off the various stamps like time, GPS, and speed.

Desktop app

Nextbase also offers a desktop app for Windows and Mac that will let you load the videos from the micro SD card to see the same info that you can see when you watch them through the mobile app.

What I like

  • Built-in GPS
  • Expansion capability for rear cameras
  • Trip info in app
  • Mounting options

What I’d change

  • Lower the price
  • Improve connection speed between app and camera
  • Implement Alexa skills
  • Fix Alexa connectivity problems

Final thoughts

The Nextbase 522GW is a nice dash cam and it worked well for me except for the Alexa feature and slow WiFi connection. The camera has good video quality in day time and night time. I do think it’s a little overpriced though as I’ve seen other 2K dash cams with GPS capability and G-Sensor features for less than $200.

Price: $259.99
Where to buy: Nextbase
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Nextbase.

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Nextbase 522GW dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 28, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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