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Protect the lives of your most precious cargo with Athena by Eve

NEWS – It’s summer, and it’s hot, and I’ve already seen stories of several children who died in hot cars.  Infants, children, and pets (or K9 police officers) die because someone forgot they were in the car and went in to work or to the mall.  With the Athena by Eve, no other baby, child, or animal will have to suffer in a hot car.

Athena mounts to the interior roof of a car.  It connects to an app on your smartphone (iOS or Android), and it uses both low-energy Bluetooth and cellular data for connectivity.  You can log on through any computer or mobile device to customize the settings or to respond to alerts.  Athena is powered by rechargeable lithium polymer batteries, which should last 1-2 months between chargings.  You should, of course, recharge the batteries before they completely drain to be sure that your car is always being monitored.

The company says Athena’s  “patented multi-sensor technology uses an advanced in-cabin sensing system designed specifically for detecting babies or pets accidentally left behind in the car.”  The sensor turns on automatically when you leave the car, and it begins detecting a child or animal left in the car, no matter where they are located within the cabin.  If it detects a presence in the car, it immediately notifies you via the app, text message, phone call, and/or email with a photo of the car’s cabin plus the location of the car.  If you don’t respond within 60 seconds, it will alert the next person on your emergency contacts list – and repeats until someone responds.  You can even have Athena automatically call emergency services.

The technology is in the process of mass-production. It will be available throughout the States in 2019, priced between $150-$199.  Available colors are white, stainless, or black to match or complement your car’s interior.  You can leave your name and information at the website to reserve your unit, and the company will contact you when the Athena is ready to ship.  Learn more and reserve your unit at the Athena by Eve website.

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Protect the lives of your most precious cargo with Athena by Eve originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Fluance raises the affordable bar with their new Ai40 speakers

NEWS – Here’s a question for you: At what point does the price of a set of speakers matter less and less? In other words, at what price do you stop hearing major differences in audio quality as the cost creeps up? It’s an interesting question that I’ve grappled with for years. Here’s my take: As the cost of speakers goes higher, sound quality differences become smaller and smaller. It’s a law of diminishing returns. Now, once you realize that, where is that pricing cutoff? There’s the rub. It’s different for everyone. That’s why you have speakers at every price level. Here’s what I consider an almost golden price point for small personal/bookshelf speakers: $200-500. Once you’re over that price, differences dwindle—unless you are an audiophile. Which brings us to the new Fluance Ai40 Powered 5” Bookshelf Speakers.

Fluance hopes they have nailed it with the Ai40 speakers.  At $200 ($199.99), they are designed for someone who is not an avid sound-o-holic, but someone who has space (bedroom, home office, etc.) to fill with good audio that they can enjoy without hassle. The Ai40 speakers are self-powered (no amp required) and have the wireless option of aptX Bluetooth. This is now becoming a requirement for speakers in this era of convenience.

These speakers include an integrated 70 watt (2x 35 watts) class D amplifier that delivers powerful sound. The 1″ inch silk soft-dome tweeters produce natural highs, while the woven, 5″ glass fiber drivers round out the performance with detailed mids and deep bass. Forget figuring out inputs and channels on an audio receiver; the plug and play Ai40 speakers connect either through RCA or Bluetooth aptX, allowing you to connect your audio system in no time.

The Ai40 speakers come with a remote and all the wiring you need. They come in three colors: Black Ash, Lucky Bamboo, and Natural Walnut. They are available now for $199.99. Visit Fluance for more information.

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Fluance raises the affordable bar with their new Ai40 speakers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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You’ll Bike Pretty with this straw hat bicycle helmet

NEWS – Bike helmets are an important part of your bicycling gear.  What’s more important than protecting your brain, right?  Bike helmets don’t always look like you’d like, though.  The folks at Bike Pretty make bike helmets for folks like them.  They describe themselves as:

  • We love matching our nail polish to our favorite vintage hat.
  • We find inspiration in the timeless elegance of vintage photographs.
  • We are never without a cute pair of shoes and our spirit of adventure.
  • We are motivated by the resourceful women in our lives who make the most of a beautiful afternoon.

If this description fits you, then you need to go immediately to the Bike Pretty website and find your perfect pretty and protective hat.

Bike Pretty helmets start with the YAKKAY Smart 2 bike helmet ($89), which is US CPSC and EN 1078 certified safe for use as a bicycle helmet in the US and EU.  That takes care of the protection.

Then you select the hat cover to make it pretty.  They have everything from the straw hat seen in the first photo, to a colorful tweed topper to a denim bucket style to an oilskin baseball cap style to a black rain hat.  Prices depend on the style of hat cover, but you can buy your first hat with the helmet as a combo, or you can buy the hats alone once you get the helmet to expand your wardrobe.

The helmet plus straw hat is $179, or the straw hat cover is $109.  The other helmet/hat combos are $135, with the hat alone for $59.  Helmets are available in three sizes to fit heads 20″ – 24″.  Bike Pretty notes that the helmets are European sizing and run small (compared to US sizing); follow their measuring instructions to be sure you get the correct size for your head.

Learn more and purchase your pretty helmet at Bike Pretty.

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You’ll Bike Pretty with this straw hat bicycle helmet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2018 at 12:25 pm.

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The elevated Booster Bath makes washing your dog less backbreaking

NEWS – Our dog, Teddy, is only about 14″ tall at the shoulders.  Washing him in our walk-in shower is murder on the back.  If we had the elevated Booster Bath, he’d be about 30″ off the floor, so we wouldn’t need to crouch in the floor to wash him.

The Booster Bath is an elevated tub with a collar and 3-point harness system to keep Fido in place while he’s getting a bath.  A rubberized and textured non-skid mat keeps your dog from slipping and falling.

The tub is open in the back, so an optional set of steps can be added to help get bigger dogs into the tub without lifting them.

The tub can be used indoors or outdoors.  When using outside, you can attach the fan sprayer to a garden hose, and used water will drain away through the flexible 5′ drainage hose.  When using indoors, you can attach the fan sprayer to a showerhead by using an optional water diverter; using the drainage hose indoors will keep the water from splashing all over you as it drains away in the shower stall or bathtub.

The Booster Bath is available in three sizes, medium ($129), large ($149), and extra large ($199), to fit most dogs.  Red, teal, and lilac are the available tub colors.  Purchase a Booster Bath at Chewy.com, Amazon.com, or any of the other retailers recommended by Booster Bath.

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The elevated Booster Bath makes washing your dog less backbreaking originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 Roller Camera Bag will ride with you on every shoot


NEWS – For the many years that I have been a photographer, I have always struggled with finding the right equipment bag for event photography such as weddings. For quite a while I felt like this was my personal issue, but the more I chatted with fellow photographers, the more I realized that we all seem to be dealing with this type of struggle, and we all have accumulated numerous bags along the way of this relentless and never-ending search.

This summer, I have been using my Lowepro 400AW backpack exclusively, and primarily because I have been shooting outdoors a lot and it functions well when walking around. Also, I have taken a break from or maybe just surrendered to the futility of the search, at least for a bit.

However, just the other day I became excited again when I came across the LowePro PhotoStream SP 200 Roller Bag. After looking at some YouTube videos and seeing the capacity, strength, and all-around versatility, I am thinking that this may just be the version of the LowePro bag I am seeking. It can hold 2 DSLR camera bodies, several lenses depending on the size, a laptop, and it seems to have enough space for all of the necessary accessories. It also works as a carry-on and seems like it can take a beating and still keep your equipment safe.

If you would like to learn more about the LowePro PhotoStream SP 200 Roller Bag, or if you would like to purchase one, you can head over to B&H Photo Video or Amazon and pick one up for $299.95.

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The Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 Roller Camera Bag will ride with you on every shoot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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