I have been happily using a Pixel 2 XL smartphone that I bought back in October. At least I’ve been happy with it until recently when I started having issues with Bluetooth connectivity. At first, I thought the issue was with the gadgets that I was reviewing and not the phone itself. But when the third product failed to connect via Bluetooth to the Pixel, but worked fine with my Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, I started digging and found some forums where other Pixel 2 XL owners were talking about having Bluetooth problems.
Having issues with Bluetooth makes it tough to review gadgets that require that type of connectivity so I’ve already been thinking about my next phone. I thought I would probably pick up the new Samsung S9 or S9+ when it comes out next month. But then fellow Gadgeteer Dave Rees texted me this morning to tell me that the Essential Phone was on sale on Amazon for around $400. $434.99 to be precise.
The Essential Phone hasn’t been on my radar after hearing the complaints about the camera. A great camera is the most important feature that I look at when buying a new phone. I rely on the camera more than I do the telephony features.
Just a couple weeks ago Gadgeteer supreme wizard and man behind the server Rob Tillotson bought himself an Essential and sung its praises to me until he accidentally dropped and shattered the screen. He said he loved it. So in my usual buy now and regret later fashion, I put the phone in my cart and bought it with the snap-on 360 camera. I figure if I hate it, I can return it. Good ole Jeff B won’t care will he?
The Essential Phone is due to arrive on Monday. Anyone interested in me doing a review? I asked Rob if he’d be interested in doing a dual review with me after he gets his replacement phone and he said sure, so we might get a two-person perspective.
At least I hope the Peak Design Everyday Sling 5L will make downsizing fun because they sent me one to try and I’m going to put it to the test next week by leaving my full-sized Timbuk2 messenger at home while I use the 5L in its place. This is PD’s smallest bag which has been designed to carry camera gear, small drones, up to an 11″ tablet, and your EDC.
The Everyday Sling 5L features Peak Design’s FlexFold dividers which allow you to customize the interior of the bag and reconfigure it as needed. The strap offers multiple carry styles from crossbody to even waist carry.
Peak Design’s well-made functional bags aren’t new to me. I’ve reviewed their Everyday Messenger Bag and their Everyday Tote bag. But the Sling 5L is significantly smaller, so switching to it for even one day may be a challenge. But it’s a challenge that I’m happy to accept as it will make me examine what I really need and what I think I need to carry with me each day. Stay tuned for my review coming soon!
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
We’ve reviewed a variety of drones over the years, from the high-end Chroma 4K drone to the teeny tiny Axis Vidius drone. But this is the Eachine E55 is the first folding pocket drone that we’ve had the opportunity to review. And after my experience with this one, it might be the last… Let’s take a look.
What is it?
The Eachine E55 is a folding pocket drone that can be controlled with an iOS or Android device or the included handheld remote control.
What’s in the box?
Eachine E55 drone
Remote control with phone bracket
Extra propellers
Screwdriver
USB charging stick
USB charging cable
Drone battery
User manual
Design and features
This drone doesn’t even look like a drone at first glance. I’m not sure what it looks like. Maybe a small backup battery, or something like that.
The Eachine E55 is made of plastic with a power button on the top.
On the bottom, you will find the battery compartment.
A thin fragile feeling door opens to allow access to the battery.
That battery has to be removed and charged using the included USB charging stick. Charging this way is inconvenient and the inconvenience gets worse when you find out that it takes about 40 minutes to fully charge the battery. That wouldn’t be a deal breaker if a charge allowed you a long fight time, but unfortunately, you will only get 6-8 minutes of flying time per charge.
Notice the glowing LED on the USB charging stick and notice that the stick isn’t plugged into anything… That LED is supposed to be a charging status LED. I found that the LED would sometimes turn off when I plugged the stick (and battery) into a USB power adapter. And sometimes it remained on – forever so that I never could tell when the battery was finished charging.
At only 2.56 x 2.56 x 0.98 inches, it is very pocket-friendly compared the majority of other drones on the market. But the real magic happens when you unfold the four legs (arms?) to reveal the propellers.
Nifty huh?
Let’s fly!
You can fly the Eachine E55 drone using your smartphone or the included handheld controller. I loaded the app and tried to pair my Nexus 6P with the drone but had no luck. So I decided to try the handheld controller because the instructions claimed that it had a one button take off and one button landing feature.
The controller looks and feels like an inexpensive video game controller. It has two thumb-style joysticks with a D-pad below each one.
The controller also comes with an attachment that will let you attach your smartphone to the controller. Since I was unable to pair the drone with my phone, I didn’t test using both together. I actually didn’t get much time at all to test the Eachine E55 as you will see in the video below.
See it in action (sorta)
As you can tell from the video, I didn’t have much luck or time flying the E55 drone before it flew off into my woods to be lost forever. It’s so small that I couldn’t find it.
Final thoughts
The instructions that come with the drone fail to provide the most important info on how to fly the drone. You have to turn on the drone, turn on the handheld controller. Press the left throttle up, press the left throttle down, and then press the take off button. Sounds easy right? It is IF you know that you’re supposed to do that. As you can tell from my video, I kept trying to fly just using the take off button. And after minutes of trying that, I started pressing combinations of buttons until the drone finally lifted into the air. To say it was frustrating is an understatement.
It’s a shame that I never got a chance to really get used to flying this little drone or to test the camera and other features.
The Eachine E55 could be fun but I can’t say one way or another. I will say that having to remove the battery from the drone to charge it is annoying and not knowing when the battery is fully charged is also annoying. You also have to supply your own batteries (3 AAAs) for the handheld remote control.
When it’s all said and done, the Eachine E55 Mini WiFi FPV Foldable Pocket Drone annoyed me and for that reason, I can’t recommend buying one.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Eachine. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
A couple months ago I reviewed the Notion home awareness sensor kit. I found the concept of one sensor that can report a variety of different types of data to be a great idea. Unfortunately, the reliability of the notifications and communication problems kept me from recommending it.
I was recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing a similar system called Oval. It uses small oval (surprise!) shaped sensors that can detect motion, temperature, light, proximity, and moisture.
You can find more info about this sensor system at meetoval.com. I’ll have a full review very soon. In the meantime, if there are any questions ask below.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
