Gadgeteer team EDC updates – Howard Sneider

When Julie asked each of us to do an EDC update I thought, “I don’t have that much stuff.” When it came time for me to empty my bag I was surprised how much stuff I could catalog. So, after neatly laying things out and using an orchid/violet item-neutral label, I’m proud to present my daily schlep: 

  1. Company issued Dell Latitude E7450. I’d prefer one of the newer touch models with the full HD screen. Maybe the IT fairy will bring me something nice for my next upgrade.
  2. Clipboard for keeping things neat and a Livescribe notebook. See item #30 for more details.
  3. Company issued High Sierra backpack. I added a LED lamp/reflector for when I’m walking out at night.
  4. Power brick for the Dell. Actually, this is for the older model but brick has higher wattage for faster charging and weighs only a couple of ounces more.
  5. Mini DisplayPort to VGA. The computer has HDMI, but not every projector/AV system does
  6. Cat5 cable and 3.5mm 4 pole audio splitter. Sometimes I can use cat5 wired internet at places with secured wifi. The audio splitter comes in handy once in a while.
  7. VGA cable and 3.5mm 4 pole patch. The audio cable and the splitter can be used as an extension cord (with loss of impedence if I actually split the signal, but this is usually for low-quality recording anyway.)
  8. SOG Paratool multi-tool. MacGyver should have this model.
  9. Contigo Autoseal Randolph stainless steel vacuum insulated travel mug. I like this more than some people. See my review here,.
  10. Wallet. The old fashioned, scoliosis-inducing, leather version.
  11. Bright green laser pointer. I’ll answer the question I always get now, “No, I don’t point this at airplanes.”
  12. Microsoft mouse in an old Jaybirds pouch. Cuz sometimes you just need a mouse.
  13. PhotoFast i-FlashDrive CR-8800 iOS microSD card reader. See my review here.
  14. Hairbrush.
  15. Umbrella. Like my scoutmaster told me: “be prepared.”
  16. Keys. I have a couple of things on the ring that are useful: A Huskey Key ring screwdriver with three flats and a Philips compatible blade and also a 8GB USB thumb drive
  17. Phiaton MS 300 BA earphones and case. See my review here.
  18. A keyboard/screen brush/cleaner. A dusty screen in the midst of bright sun is one of my pet peeves.
  19. A micro USB charger for whatever else I happen to be carrying that day. This has an extra long metal part for charging devices with hinges, like my Jaybird Freedom earbuds.
  20. Sewing kit. See #15
  21. An iPhone charging cable with a 10W power supply. Gets the job done twice as fast on an iPhone 6 or later.
  22. Little bag for the Livescribe pen, GoSmart stylus, and scale (ruler).
  23. iPhone 6 with what’s left of a Spigen case with an Aluminum ring. The Aluminum fatigued so now its just a rubber bumper case.
  24. First aid kit. See #20 and #15
  25. A bag of paper towels. See #24, #20 and #15. Actually, I usually have a small bag of tissues, but I need to restock.
  26. Business cards, post-its, including a Livescribe Sticky Notes, on a bag for carrying these items and the pens to the right.
  27. Gum, a granola bar, and some cough drops (which lasted longer than the tissues…I guess it was more of a cold than a cough.)
  28. A 4-color pen, a sleeve for the GoSmart stylus, the GoSmart stylus and a wood-tone scale (ruler). See Julie’s review.
  29. A pink Frixion highlighter, mechanical pencil, green highlighter, LED lamp/red laser/stylus/pen combo, and a stain remover pen (that has saved me from embarrassment on more than one occasion).
  30. Livescribe case, Livescribe echo pen and Livescribe earphones with binaural microphones (in a pill bottle).

So there you have it. I included a bunch of links for my EDC but leave a comment if you want me to elaborate on anything.

 

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged: ,

Gadgeteer team EDC updates – Howard Sneider originally appeared on on March 8, 2017 at 6:42 am.

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.

Light up your desk and charge your phone with the Jabees Q9

The Jabees Q9 LED desk lamp is a multi-tasker that no only lights up your desk, but it can also charge your Qi-enabled device through it’s built in charging surface or USB port.

Consolidate your lamp and your charging dock or cables with one device from Jabees. The Q9 LED desk lamp features folding design, high-quality LEDs, a built-in Qi charging pad and a 5V/2A USB charging port.

The Q9 also features touch control that allows you to customize the color temperature of the 800 lux lamp from cold to warm tones.

If you have a device that is Qi enabled, you can set it on top of the lamp’s base to charge wirelessly for an easier cable-free charging setup.

Q9 LED Lamp is priced at $59.99 and is available from Jabees.

Filed in categories: Cables, Batteries and Chargers, Home and Kitchen, News

Tagged: ,

Light up your desk and charge your phone with the Jabees Q9 originally appeared on on March 7, 2017 at 4:31 pm.

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.

Dodocool magnetic micro USB cable review

Once in awhile, a product comes along that changes your life.  I have run across a handful of those types of products, and rather than build up the suspense, I’ll just go ahead and say it.  The $11.99 Dodocool magnetic micro USB cable is the best cable I have ever owned.  Bar none. Is it perfect?  Well, no, but it is close.  Let me count the ways. 

First, the specs from the manufacturer:

Specifications

Material: OFC + TPE + Nylon braided cable
Color: Silver
LED indicator light color: Blue
Connection interface: 1 * USB 2.0 connector, 1 * Micro-USB connector
Data transmission speed: 480Mbps (Max.)
Input voltage: DC 5V
Output voltage: DC 5V
Input current: 2400mAh (Max.)
Conversion rate: Approx. 90%-96%
Compatibility: For Micro-USB equipped Huawei, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Nexus, Nokia, LG, Sony, Blackberry, smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, power banks and more.
Item length: Approx. 3.9ft
Item weight: Approx. 0.71 oz

How it works

Since phones don’t come with magnetic power connectors built-in, the Dodocool cable solves this by providing you a small adapter that plugs into your micro USB port, and on the other end of the adapter is the magnetic Dodocool cable connector.  So you insert the adapter into the power connection on your device, then when the Dodocool cable gets close to it, it snaps into place with no effort.

What I loved

I lost track a long time ago of the times that I have struggled in the dark to get my charging cable plugged up to my phone.  And with micro USB the cable only goes in one way.  It makes me want to scream.  I would think that after plugging the cable up to my phone thousands of times it would get easier, but no.  Finally, an easier way.  Now I know how Mac users feel who use one of those MagSafe cables.

With the Dodocool cable, you just have to get the cable close to your device, and it snaps into place.  And it doesn’t matter which direction, up or down, that you attach the cable because it is reversible.  There is also a built-in LED indicator on both sides of the connector so that you know it is connected and charging.

What I would like to change

The things I have to complain about are relatively minor in my opinion.  There have been times when I needed to plug the cable up behind a desk or a bed, and it wasn’t long enough for me to sit on the bed and use my phone plugged up.  So I wish the cable was longer.

I wish that the LED light wasn’t so bright.  I mean, it lights up the room when I use it beside the bed at night.  If lights keep you up at night, that is a consideration.  I would simply cover it up with something if that is a concern.

One concern that some people may have is that the adapter you plug into the power connection on your device sticks out rather noticeably.  You can see the pictures below.  When I have the case on the phone, it isn’t noticeable at all.  But when I remove my phone case, it looks a little funny on the bottom there.

And finally, the biggest complaint I have is that I don’t have multiple Dodocool cables.  I need one in my house, and my car, and at work.  When you insert the adapter on the bottom of the phone, you don’t want to be constantly pulling it out so that you can plug up a standard cable, so I really need a Dodocool cable everywhere I need to plug up.  So I suppose I’ll just have to buy some more!

Final thoughts

It may seem that my list of dislikes is longer than my list of likes, but that isn’t the case. I love the Dodocool cable and now carry it with me everywhere I go in case I need a quick charge.  It works with the quick-charge feature on my phone, and the nylon braided design is much more durable than the typical black rubber type cable.  I highly recommend this product.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $11.99
Manufacturer: Dodocool
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • micro USB port
Pros:
  • Works with Quick-Charge compatible devices
  • Ease of use
  • Sturdy braided nylon design
Cons:
  • Cable could be longer
  • Adapter can be obtrusive

Filed in categories: Cables, Batteries and Chargers, Reviews

Tagged:

Dodocool magnetic micro USB cable review originally appeared on on March 7, 2017 at 1:52 pm.

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.

Reconfigure your guitar effortlessly with a Somnium modular guitar

A lot of people who enjoy playing guitar for fun and profit don’t just own one instrument. They are always seeking something new, better and different. The problem is that owning multiple guitars takes a lot of money to buy them and a lot of space to store them. Somnium guitars look like they could be an interesting solution to the musician who likes to switch things up but doesn’t have a lot of room to store several different instruments.  

Somnium guitars have a unique design that easy updates without needing any tools.

Their electric guitars feature an aluminum frame that incorporates the neck and headstock. Additional components like fretboards, pickups, and body sides can be attached to the frame to create the full guitar.

If you get tired of the Telecaster look and sound, just remove the sides and pickup modules and replace them with a flying V style body and humbucker pickups.

Somnium showcased their reconfigurable electric guitars in January at the 2017 NAMM show in California. As of right now, they aren’t selling these instruments, but they are supposed to become available this summer. Somnium Guitars website doesn’t list many details, but a post on their Facebook page says that they are planning on offering wood neck models for less than $1000 and aluminum versions for around $1500.

Filed in categories: Music Gear, News

Tagged: ,

Reconfigure your guitar effortlessly with a Somnium modular guitar originally appeared on on March 7, 2017 at 11:56 am.

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.

Prepare yourself, Adventurer: The Bag of Holding from ThinkGeek has leveled up with a brand new design!

You’ve got to love ThinkGeek. There’s no better place to find whimsical gadgets, gear, and collectibles related to all of your nerdy passions (gaming, sci-fi, fantasy, comics, etc.). They also design some pretty clever products. With the new iteration of The Bag of Holding, ThinkGeek seeks to improve on a messenger that has been very popular with both gamers and non-gamers alike. 

For those who don’t know, the name “Bag of Holding” is an homage to a magical item from the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game that has an infinite capacity to carry your stuff on your dungeon adventures. While ThinkGeek does not claim that the new Bag of Holding is actually “magical,” it does have an enormous capacity at 16.5″ wide by 15″ tall by 7″ deep. The bag features multiple cavernous compartments and organizational pockets to store all of your stuff, including a huge padded laptop compartment. Hardware, handles, and zippers have been upgraded from the old model, and key stress points have been reinforced to handle heavier loads. The inside of the bag has an easter egg for the hardcore fantasy fans: the printed lining features hand-drawn gems, dice, shields, potions, and swords to lift your spirits as you go off to crawl dungeons and defeat monsters.

While the Bag of Holding does cater towards genre fans, the bag has gained popularity among non-gamers looking for a big, economical messenger bag ($50) that can accommodate large laptops and a ton of stuff. It also gets some great reviews. Check it out at ThinkGeek.com!

Filed in categories: Bags, News

Tagged:

Prepare yourself, Adventurer: The Bag of Holding from ThinkGeek has leveled up with a brand new design! originally appeared on on March 7, 2017 at 9:54 am.

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.