Too busy to mow your lawn? Let the WORX Landroid do it instead!

The WORX Landroid cuts out more time for you to enjoy your outdoor space when the weather is at its best. Similar to a Roomba — a robot vacuum, — the Landroid combs your lawn looking for disorderly grass in order to leave a well-manicured lawn in its wake. Think about all you could do with the time saved from not mowing your lawn all summer long.

Minimal maintenance

Rather than having your Landroid mowing the entire neighborhood’s yards, you have the option to set up a boundary for your mower.

This low-voltage wire requires installation on the inner and outer perimeters of your lawn. Depending on the size of your lawn, the installation process could take a few hours as it’s done by hand. Fortunately, the Landroid requires minimal maintenance once it undergoes installation.

Keep in mind, you’ll likely have to use a weed trimmer to achieve a perfect cut since the boundaries will prevent the mower from getting too close the perimeter of your yard.

Reasonably priced

For all of the time it saves you, the Landroid’s price tag competes with other high-end mowers. Priced just under $1,000, you’ll still find many of the same features found on more expensive models.

A unique algorithm maneuvers the machine around lawn decorations with ease and can guide itself through tight spaces.

The mower can efficiently cut up to a quarter acre with ease. And since curb appeal stakes a large factor in home sales, a well-cut lawn could be the difference in thousands of dollars in added home value.

Self-preserving

Equipped with a docking staging, capable of re-charging the Landroid in under 45 minutes, the mower can sense rain and will quickly retreat to its home base.

This sensing ensures your investment will stay in top shape through inclement weather.

Sounds of silence

When operating, the Landroid has a similar sound decimal to an air conditioning wall unit.

The less-intrusive white noise hum, compared to a gasoline-powered mower, allows you to mow without notifying the entire neighborhood. You also have the option to run the mower at night or early in the morning.

The mower has programmable features to run when you set it to, or you can let its sensors decide when it should mow next.

The Landroid turns a weekly chore into a maintenance task that you now administer rather than toil over. Your grass will have an everlasting groomed look.

Increased functionality

While the Landroid keeps your grass uniform, it doesn’t have an option for artistic patterns. You might miss your diamond shaped lawn masterpieces, but you’ll gain increased functionality.

The Landroid easily mows inclines up to 20 degrees and involves minimal decision making — you can modify the grass cut setting between 1.5 to four inches in height.

The state of your lawn conveys various messages about your personality.

The Landroid allows your yard to look more put together so you can focus your energy on life’s more valuable moments.

For more info visit Worx.com and Amazon where they are currently selling for $916.

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Too busy to mow your lawn? Let the WORX Landroid do it instead! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 7:00 am.

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This tracker keeps hikers from getting lost

Compared to the general population, serious hikers are often better than average at understanding environmental factors and keeping themselves safe. Part of the planning process associated with upcoming excursions almost always involves studying maps and routes.

However, as new technologies become available, hikers often invest in tracking devices that make it easier for rescuers to locate them in times of trouble. One particularly worth knowing about is the SPOT Gen3.

Helping friends and family track your route

The often-rugged conditions associated with hiking trips mean friends and relatives probably can’t depend on communicating via phone. However, this tracker sends updates as frequently as every five minutes up to every hour, revealing your location with help from satellites.

The Gen3 also has a vibration sensor that detects when you’re moving and sends tracking information continually. However, it stops when you do to prevent wasting the battery. You don’t need to reset your Gen3 daily or do anything else to keep it in the tracking mode, other than making sure it’s turned on.

Providing a one-way communication method

This device goes beyond telling people where you are and lets you send messages to them. People who’ve used the Gen3 for extended periods point out SPOT is the market leader in one-way communication devices.

In addition to sending a pre-programmed message that says “OK,” you can set up a custom, personalized message before leaving on a hike that reaches up to 10 designated contacts. One set of lithium batteries provides enough power to send 1,250 check-in or custom messages.

Giving you access to emergency responders in the U.S. and Europe

Although there are various ways to send visual and audible distress signals, the Gen3 has an SOS button you can use to get in touch with emergency personnel while hiking throughout the United States and Europe. That feature gives your GPS coordinates and other information to professionals, so they can find you in dire situations.

Informing contacts you need non-emergency help

The Gen3 gadget is useful for scenarios that require outside assistance, but aren’t life-threatening. Its Save Our Vehicle capability sends a message to your contacts, giving them location details and letting them call for help or come to you themselves. Besides wearing the Gen3 on your backpack, you can use it in an automobile, which is probably how the feature got its name.

Other things to know

The SPOT Gen3 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $169.95, but some retailers sell it for $149.99. That cost is for the device itself. The functions described above require a supplementary service subscription. When using more than one Gen3 device, you’ll have to buy a subscription for each of them.

The basic tier costs $19.99 per month for 12 months, or $199.99 if you pay for the whole year at once.

You can also add the Extreme Tracking upgrade, which enables sending updates in two-and-a-half-minute intervals and costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.

You also have the option of buying the GEOS Search and Rescue addition. No matter what, the Gen3 has an active SOS button. However, this extra provides up to $100,000 worth of coverage for search-and-rescue-related expenses, including the use of a private contractor to bring you to safety. It costs $17.95 per year.

Hiking can be dangerous, especially with a lack of preparedness. However, the Gen3 gives the people you care about your location and summons help in emergencies. Visit findmespot.com for more info.

Image by Oziel Gómez

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This tracker keeps hikers from getting lost originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 6, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Everything you need for a picnic for two except the food

Levenger says this picnic basket is inspired by pioneer wagons, hence the name.  It has a durable canvas exterior, a water-resistant polyester lining, and faux leather trim.  The Pioneer Canvas Picnic Basket measures 20″ x 12.75″  x 11.5″ and weighs 11 pounds.  It has a double lid, two storage pockets on the front, and a water-resistant base.

Inside, you’ll find everything you need for a picnic for two:

  • 2 porcelain plates (8”; navy/khaki plaid design)
  • 2 hand-blown wine glasses (7 ounces)
  • 2 stainless-steel forks, knives and spoons
  • 1 set of stainless-steel salt and pepper shakers
  • 2 cotton napkins (14” x 14”; navy/khaki plaid)
  • 1 stainless-steel cheese knife with wooden handle
  • 1 blanket (50” x 60”; quilted navy/khaki cotton topside and navy polyester underside)
  • 1 plastic food storage container

The Pioneer Canvas Picnic Basket is $120.00 at Levenger.

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Everything you need for a picnic for two except the food originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 29, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Survival Hax 6″ Fire Starter Flint Review

Do you know what the Ten Essentials for the Outdoors are?  From the Boy Scout Handbook, it includes a pocketknife, first aid kit, extra clothing, rain gear, water bottle, flashlight, trail food, matches/fire starters, sun protection and map/compass.  Let’s take a look at starting a fire with a flint.

What is it?

A 6″ fire-starting steel rod kit capable of producing a shower of hot sparks, despite weather conditions.

Hardware specs

Large 6” Ferrocerium rod will keep starting fires up to 30,000 strikes.

What’s in the box?

  • Emergency paracord and whistle
  • Multifunctional scraper tool
  • Tinder holder and cotton

Design and features

The6-inchh rod feels substantial. When I was a kid, I had a tiny keychain version that was no larger than a match. This thing is about as big as a Sharpie pen.

The metal scraper has a scale on both sides plus a bottle opener notch.

Inside the capsule is a wad of cotton tinder, in case you don’t have anything suitable to start a fire.

The orange bit is actually a whistle and snaps into the black part to form a paracord end.

Setup

After going through the Cub Scouts my son is now in his first year of Boy Scouting. I thought I’d let him take a crack at it. His 11 year-old muscles had a little trouble producing a shower of sparks, but with some patience and persistence…

Success!  “Woo hoo!” was his quote.

Performance

I discovered that with the included metal scraper tool, technique is key.  Scraping at a roughly 45 degree angle gave slightly better results.

Positives

  • Beefy 6″ rod will likely never run out in your lifetime
  • Everything you need for basic survival included (paracord, scraper, whistle, tinder capsule)

Negatives

  • You’ll need a little bit of grunt power to produce sparks of sufficient quantity.

Final thoughts

The SurvivalHax 6″ Fire Starter Flint totally beats my wimpy flint steel of yesteryear.  I like that it includes not just the steel, but a few other items that make this an no-brainer for one of the Ten Essentials for the Outdoors.

Price: $22.99
Where to buy: SurvivalHax.com or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by SurvivalHax.

This camping cot has its own tent

The Kamp-Rite Oversize Tent Cot can serve as a chair, elevated cot (11″ above the ground), and one-person sleeping tent.  During the day, the Kamp-Rite serves as a chair or a lounge.  When it’s time to sleep, you can quickly raise the heavy-duty 210d tent with mesh doors and tape-sealed rain fly to keep you safe from weather and bugs.  The 3/8″ insulating foam pad helps keep you comfy.  Folded down, the Tent Cot measures 32″ x 36″ X 6″ and weighs 25 pounds.  It opens out to a 90″ x 32″ cot; the tent is 36″ high.  The Kamp-Rite Oversize Tent Cot is $169.99 at Amazon.