Julie’s gadget diary – I’m going to be really tired tomorrow and quite a bit poorer

I have been using a Nexus 6P as my main phone since the fall of 2015. It’s been a really nice device, but it’s time that I hand it down to Jeanne so she can ditch her older than dirt Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and I can move to something new like the Samsung Galaxy S8! 

I just finished watching Samsung’s Unpacked Event where they officially unveiled the Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices. I’m excited about the new phones. The event itself didn’t sway me to want to buy one of them though. I had already decided that I would be buying one months ago. My only struggle has been trying to decide which one to choose: S8 or S8+. I’ve finally made up my mind to go with the S8. The S8+’s crazy large display is very tempting, but I’m looking forward to having the same size screen as my Nexus 6P in a more pocket-friendly size.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices won’t be available until April 21st, but pre-orders start at 12:01 AM tomorrow morning through Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The S8 will be priced at $750 and the S8+ will be $850 from AT&T and T-Mobile, but only $720 and $830 through Verizon, which is the carrier that I use. Verizon and T-Mobile are also including a new Samsung Gear VR headset and other goodies.

I also want to buy a Samsung DeX dock which will let you connect the S8/S8+ to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse for a full-screen PC-like experience. I’m really excited to try that feature. Right not there isn’t any info about pricing or availability. But if it’s up for pre-sale at 12:01 tomorrow morning, I’m adding one to my shopping cart along with a black S8.

Check out Samsung for more info on the new Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices (Note: at the time I’m posting this, they haven’t added any specific product info).

Is anyone else as excited as I am to get their hands on one of these new phones?

[Source: The Verge, CNet]

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Julie’s gadget diary – I’m going to be really tired tomorrow and quite a bit poorer originally appeared on on March 29, 2017 at 1:04 pm.

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Prometheus Design Werx Solo Jacket will make you more gorgeous than scruffy

With the success of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it’s cool to be a Rebel again (like it ever wasn’t). And although he didn’t appear in Rogue One, Han Solo is certainly one of the most popular Rebels, so who wouldn’t want to imitate him? Prometheus Design Werx must agree, because they’ve released the Solo Jacket 100C, with style inspired by our favorite Corellian smuggler’s iconic threads. Made from a workwear type 10 oz 100% cotton canvas with a DWR finish, it is rugged, durable, and breathable in its super cool basic black color.

With a total of 9 pockets including pilot type sleeve pocket for admin items, 2 upper zippered sleeve pockets with admin organizer, 2 angled chest snap closure chest pockets, 2 zippered hand pockets, 2 interior pockets, and hide-away pocket, your thermal detonators, and Kaiburr crystals will be kept safe. It also includes heavy duty nylon thread, double needle stitching on major seams, bar-tacks to reinforce stress points and other features to help with all that swashbuckling. The Solo Jacket 100C retails for 198 credits ($198.00). Hyperjump over to Prometheus Design Werx for more info or to order.

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Prometheus Design Werx Solo Jacket will make you more gorgeous than scruffy originally appeared on on March 29, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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Pelican Bottle Drinkware review

I have been a sportster/athlete most of my life, enjoying tennis, running, karate, basketball, etc. When I was younger, I did a poor job of drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Horribly so, but youth allowed me to power thru 99% of the time. As I have gotten older, I do a much better job drinking liquids throughout my day. Sadly though, that sometimes means buying water in plastic bottles. And while I diligently recycle, I still have twinges of guilt. To help alleviate this, Pelican has recently released a new product to help you fill up as you go… Pelican Bottles is the latest addition to their rugged Drinkware collection and is a tough, “go anywhere, do anything” vessel designed to withstand the harshest of rough and tumble lifestyles. 

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

I love Pelican products, I have used them for decades both at home and at work. It is impressive just how much abuse they can withstand. Pelican’s Drinkware Bottles are created with that same bring it on attitude. Pelican Bottles are engineered with 18/8 pro grade stainless steel finished with a sweat-proof, powder-coated exterior that ensures greater durability and solid grippability.

Specifications:

  • Length:  3.62″ (9.2 cm)
  • Height:  11.00″ (27.9 cm)
  • Capacity:  32oz
  • Weight: 1 pound (empty) / 3 pounds (full of water)

Features:

  • Double-wall vacuum insulation for extreme hot & cold retention
  • Copper-plated inner wall and 18/8 stainless steel
  • Sweat-proof, powder-coated finish
  • Non-slip rubber base
  • Spill-proof lid with easy-carry handle
  • Lifetime Guarantee

The Pelican Bottle has double-walled construction with vacuum insulation for better hot and cold thermal retention. As stated above, the interior wall is made from 18/8 stainless steel with a copper-plated inner lining and vacuum insulation between it and the outer wall. The cap is made from rigid plastic that screws on easily and has what appears to be a rubber or silicone o-ring to seal the vessel liquid-tight.

Pelican has designed the Bottle’s cap to be an easy-carry handle for “effortless transport”. The loop on the cap is meant to be carried by hand or attached to your EDC bag. The thermos itself is engineered to be spill-proof.

The Bottle’s non-slip rubber base not only adds extra surface grippability but increased durability from bumps and drops as well. This wide base is engineered to (hopefully) not topple over, preventing spillage of the bottle’s contents. But the wider base on the 32oz. and 64 oz. Bottles make it so they will not fit into most, if any, car cupholders. As an aside, this made me smile: pretty funny how Pelican needs to warn folks to not microwave a metal bottle…though I bet it would make for an excellent Slow Mo Guys video 😀 .

Pelican Bottles are available in black or white, with capacities of 18 oz., 32 oz., and 64 oz. Pelican Bottles come with a lifetime guarantee. I selected the 32oz. Pelican Bottle and it definitely fits the three bears scenario. Not too big and not too small, for me at least but your need may be different.

Now I grant you a thermos is not the most high-tech piece of hardware…no matter how nicely constructed. But the Pelican Bottle is an excellent addition to my EDC gear. I’m considering using the Pelican Bottle to upgrade my old plastic bottle I continue to reuse around the office or perhaps as a emergency source of water in my fun car. But whether you are going on a hike, long ride in a car, or bringing your favorite beverage to watch your kids sports team play, the Pelican Bottles is a great way to transport your hot or cold drinks with you.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Pelican. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $39.99
Manufacturer: Pelican
Pros:
  • Very well made/solid construction
  • Quality materials
  • Easy to carry
  • Great thermal insulation
  • Good grippability
Cons:
  • None

Filed in categories: Health, Fitness, Sports, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

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Pelican Bottle Drinkware review originally appeared on on March 29, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Creative gets creative with gaming speakers

Creative is known mainly for SoundBlaster sound cards and speakers. I’ve reviewed their wonderful Roar wireless speaker series. Creative’s newest speaker is the BlasterX Kratos S5 is a 2.1 gaming speaker system with Aurora Reactive lighting system. It comes with powerful 4” satellite drivers and a 6.5” subwoofer in wooden enclosures, delivering clear highs, detailed mid-range and deep bass. When connected to a PC or Mac it’s capable of high-quality 24-bit/96kHz digital audio playback.

The full-range satellites are designed with large volume capacity in mind. The custom-tuned, down-firing subwoofer pumps out deep bass for gaming, movie and mega bass music playback without distortion.

The Kratos S5 has immersive virtual 7.1 surround sound and fully customizable BlasterX Acoustic Engine Pro software for PC.

Control volume through an easy-to-access audio control pod. This pod provides hassle-free gaming connection for a headset and microphone.

The Aurora Reactive lighting system provides ambient lighting to accompany games with fully customizable 16 million color LED lighting with six presets or customizable colors and patterns to match other peripherals or fully integrate with other Creative Aurora Reactive lighting system-enabled products.

The Creative BlasterX Kratos S5 is a 2.1 gaming speaker system is available now and sells for $159.99 US. Visit Creative for more information.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Gaming Gear, News

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Creative gets creative with gaming speakers originally appeared on on March 29, 2017 at 8:53 am.

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myCharge RazorUltra 12,000 mAh portable charger review

Extra power in your hands, right when you need it?  Yes, please!  This myCharge RazorUltra 12,000 mAh portable charger delivers.  Not only is it tough, sturdy and reliable, but it looks great, too.  There are a lot of portable chargers out there, but I found that this device really delivered for me.  And it has a TON of great features!

I really thought the top and bottom form-fitted plastic packaging this item came in was outstanding.  It firmly holds all of the components in their place.  There’s no chance of the items moving around in the packaging during shipping, so there’s little chance of damage.  The box it comes in, too, is very sturdy and well built.  (See feature picture.)

This picture shows that the unit is a pretty standard size for a 12,000 mAh portable charger.  Fits well in the hand, feels solid, and fits easily in your pants pocket.  The smaller picture shows some of the specs on the back of the unit.  And check out this outstanding list of features – straight from the manufacturer’s website:

TECHNOLOGY

Smart-sense: ensures complete device compatibility

Hyper-charge: ultra-fast charging of your devices; up to 65% faster than competitors 

Power-stay: maintains battery power for up to 1 year

Max-power: maximum power transfer from powerbank to device

High-density battery: the smallest and lightest powerbank

Safe-cell: provides the highest level of battery safety

Rapid-recharge: powerbank recharges up to 50% faster than competitors

Pass Through Charging: will charge the powerbank and connected device simultaneously

The plug to charge the unit comes with handy fold-out pins that fit into any standard USA power outlet.

Something I really like about this portable charger are the “Power Remaining” indicators.  There are four of them.  Very intuitive, so four lights indicate 75-100% power remaining, three means 50-74%, two means 25-49%,  and one light means 24% or less power remaining.  They don’t stay on constantly, either; thus draining the battery for no reason.  How do you get them to light up, then?  You shake it!  (But don’t “shake it light a Polaroid picture”!  Unless you’re dancing… or you just can’t help yourself.)  Just give it a jostle, and they’ll light right up for you, then fade after about 3 seconds.  Pretty cool.

As you can see, the RazorUltra unit comes with a USB 2.0 micro Type B jack (cord included) for charging, and two USB 2.0 Type A ports to charge your devices.*

*myCharge sells a variety of chargers, each with different ports, options, and styles to meet your needs, including one that uses the latest USB-C technology, which can charge and run a laptop!

So let’s talk about practical application.  I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.1″ tablet. Starting with the RazorUltra fully charged, and my Galaxy S5 phone at 6% remaining power, the portable charger totally recharged my phone in exactly 1 hour, 11 minutes, and 17 seconds.  Now, AFTER the phone had been fully charged, I just attached the charger to my Galaxy Tab S and started charging it without recharging the RazorUltra.  The Tab S was also at 6% power remaining when I started.  The portable charger got my Tab S up to 96% after 5 hours, 24, minutes, and 16 seconds, and then it ran out of juice.  But the juice was pretty sweet. (Ha! See what I did there?)

All-in-all, I really like this unit, especially for the price of $59.99.  It holds its charge well and definitely stands up to other 12,000 mAh portable chargers out there.  I usually go for larger capacity chargers, but this is a really solid piece of equipment to have in your arsenal.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by myCharge. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $59.99
Manufacturer: myCharge
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Tough, anodized aluminum
  • 12000 mAh storage
  • Various models, options and colors
  • See ALL the features under the TECHNOLOGY section in the article, including:
  • Smart-sense
  • Hyper-charge
  • Power-stay
  • Max-power
  • High-density battery
  • Safe-cell
  • Rapid-recharge
  • Pass Through Charging
Cons:
  • Limited power storage.
  • Will only charge your device 1-3 time(s), depending on the device

Filed in categories: Cables, Batteries and Chargers, Reviews

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myCharge RazorUltra 12,000 mAh portable charger review originally appeared on on March 29, 2017 at 7:43 am.

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