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Self-balancing scooters, balance board for standing desks, vacuums, and more – Weekly roundup

It’s supposedly Spring now. You wouldn’t know it by the 10 or so inches of snow that we’ve received here in Southern Indiana this week. I’m not complain too much about it since a lot of the Gadgeteer writers live in the north east which has been hammered by Mother Nature several times. I guess the best part about snow days is staying inside and playing with your gadgets! If you’re inside today, how about catching up on all our articles from the past week. I’ve created a list to make it easy. Enjoy!

News

Enjoy spreadable butter with the Butterie dish

Game Boy alarm clock wakes you up to Super Mario tunes

The Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone is music to the ears

Ecobee recruits Amazon’s Alexa for their new Switch+ smart switch

Go retro with Barbie and her Dream House

Master & Dynamic create a soundtrack for the iconic Leica Brand

The Manfrotto Compact Action Aluminum Tripod is ready to go with you everywhere

Save money doing pedicures at home with Stedi Pedi

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Circumaural Closed-Back Monitor Headphones are perfect for the studio

Play games like it’s 1989 with this Gameboy style case for iPhone

Ruggard Lens Cases are built for the job!

Sony’s SRS-XB41 speaker is ready to PARTY with flashing multi-colored lights

By Odin’s beard, this toolkit is for only the worthiest handyman

Aalo is reinventing furniture literally one piece at a time

Create an inflatable version of yourself because why not?

Carry the moon in your pocket

Adaptalux shines the light at the end of the tunnel

Say Hello to the new video doorbell from Nest

The Shure Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone is super in every way!

There’s nothing kinky about the Bernini Pro Series garden hose

Save $100 on a Huawei Mate 10 Pro

Keep your tablet close at hand but out of the mix with this cutting board

The Westcott X-Drop Kit (5×7′) Green Screen is just what the Director ordered!

Tell time in the sweep of a radar screen with this watch from Tokyoflash Japan

SCOTTeVEST spreads their love of pockets with a Spring sale

Carbon fiber ukulele, Black Panther pocket knife, MAGNO Ti mechanical pencil, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder gives you the quality audio recordings that you really need

Display your own message with the Kaptur Smart LCD Hat

Reviews

Sumo Solace review

Audew Vehicle Vacuum Cleaner Review

Verb Caffeinated Energy Bar review

HyperX Cloud Revolver Gunmetal gaming headset review

FluidStance Bamboo Level balance board review

iLife A8 robotic vacuum cleaner review

Coocheer self-balancing scooter review

Airfree Onix 3000 Air Purifier review

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Self-balancing scooters, balance board for standing desks, vacuums, and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 4:59 pm.

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Enjoy spreadable butter with the Butterie dish

Over the years, there’s been a lot of discussion of how to get spreadable butter here on The Gadgeteer.  We’ve examined heated knives, water-immersion chambers, and even electric butter dishes.  This Butterie dish keeps it simple by just keeping the butter covered and sitting on the kitchen counter.

Butterie is made of 95% BPA-free plastic and 5% silicone.  The flip-top lid never touches the butter or the countertop for cleanliness.  It measures 9″ x 5.5″ x 3″, so it’s big enough for two sticks of butter or one of the larger European blocks.  The included spreader sits on the front knife rest. Keep it out of direct sunlight, and the butter will stay fresh for up to three weeks when kept at room temperature (68-78°F).

Both the knife and the dish are dishwasher- and microwave-safe. The Butterie Flip-Top Butter Dish and Spreader is available in cobalt blue, sunflower yellow, light blue, white, taupe, red, and ivory for $12.95 at The Grommet.

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Enjoy spreadable butter with the Butterie dish originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 12:30 pm.

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Game Boy alarm clock wakes you up to Super Mario tunes

Game Boy alarm clock

Waking up is about to become a bit more fun, or rather 8-bit more fun thanks to the Game Boy alarm clock. Sorry, we couldn’t resist.

The Game Boy alarm clock is practically an identical replica of the original console from the 80’s. To that effect, it’s even the same size. But instead of being used to play games, it’s designed to wake you up to the tune of Super Mario Land.

Its buttons are used as a snooze. And instead of playing games, its display showcases the time and date.

Yes, the Super Mario Land tune is already stuck in our heads too.

The alarm clock itself runs on 2 AA batteries. Firebox says that the batteries will last longer than they did in the real thing. It also has feet so that it can easily rest standing up on your bedside table. However, you can remove the feet if you want to – which is convenient in case you want to prank someone and ask them if they want to play some old school Game Boy.

And no, this is not an April fools post!

The Game Boy alarm clock is an officially licensed Nintendo product. It’s available now from Firebox for around $35 USD.

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Game Boy alarm clock wakes you up to Super Mario tunes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 10:30 am.

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The Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone is music to the ears


Although I am very much into photography, I am also a videographer, and I spend just as much time and effort seeking out good audio and video equipment. I have had more than one opportunity to film musicians performing in-studio, and good microphones are a critical part of a shoot if it is going to be successful. Apart from the instrument microphones, the vocal microphones for the singers are critical and should be chosen with the desired sound in mind.

I am a fan of several microphones from a few different manufacturers, and on my last in-studio musician shoot I used 2 different microphones, one for the musician and a different one for the bass player who was also performing the role of interviewer. For the bass player, I chose the Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone. This Rode mic has a Cardioid Polar Pattern and a 1-inch diaphragm, along with a transformer-less output stage. It is an amazing sounding microphone, and for that particular shoot, it nicely complemented the Shure Super 55 that the singer was using. The only major difference was that the sensitivity between the two microphones is quite different, so I had to make adjustments for perfect matching.

You can purchase the Rode NT1-A at B&H Photo Video or Amazon for $229.

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The Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone is music to the ears originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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Ecobee recruits Amazon’s Alexa for their new Switch+ smart switch

The ecobee Switch + is the smarter light switch with built-in Amazon Alexa. Unlike other smart switches that just work with Alexa, the ecobee Switch + has the voice assistant built right in. Use the built-in mic to ask Alexa for lights, news, music, and more. Or control other voice-enabled devices in your home.

Depending on Alexa’s state the built-in light bar will flash different colors.

What else can Switch + do?

With Switch +, you’re in total control of your lighting. Rely on motion and daylight sensors, or ask Alexa. You can even use the ecobee app.

If you’re old-school, a button allows you to turn it on and off manually. But who does that anymore?

The “smart-off” setting senses when a room is empty and automatically turns the lights off. There’s even a nightlight to keep you from fumbling around in the dark.

Any outdoor light will be upgraded to automatically turn on at sunset and turn off at a time of your choosing with Switch +.

Switch + plays well with all the platforms you already know and love, such as Apple Home Kit, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and IFTTT.

Simple do it yourself installation takes about 45 minutes. And step-by-step videos and illustrations in the ecobee app make it easy.

Coming soon

When you’re away on vacation you can randomize your lights to turn on or off at different times of the day. So your lights say someones home even when you’re thousands of miles away. Kind of like auto-pilot for your lights.

And you’ll soon be able to control your ecobee thermostats with the Switch +. Built-in sensors will help you to manage hot or cold spots in your home.

A firmware update coming this summer will add both of these new features.

The ecobee Switch + comes with a wall plate, mounting screws, wire nuts, and install guide. Available on March, 26th it will sell for $99.99. You can pre-order yours now on Amazon.

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Ecobee recruits Amazon’s Alexa for their new Switch+ smart switch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 8:38 am.

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