Make an interesting collage of photos instantly for your wall using the Modular Magnet Frame System

NEWS – I see photos of expertly decorated walls using a collage of photos and would love to recreate such designs on my wall but I’m not sure how to go about it. Who’s with me? Well, the Modular Magnetic Frame System by Magnaframe is here to help us out albeit with tiny special sized frames. You buy a set of either four frames that accommodate classic 4″ x 6″ print size photos, six frames that accommodate Polaroids, or six frames that accommodate 4″ x 4″ Instagram print sizes.  One frame of the set is screwed into the wall and has an integrated leveler and the other frames connect magnetically to it in any configuration (each frame in a set has neodymium magnets embedded into the perimeter). If you don’t like the configuration or get tired of it, you can rearrange them instantly! You can continually build onto your collage with additional frame packages. Each of the Modular Magnetic Frame System sets comes in black or white and are available from the Grommet for $49.99 per set.

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Make an interesting collage of photos instantly for your wall using the Modular Magnet Frame System originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speakers Review

REVIEW – The days of carrying a boombox around on your shoulder have long been gone, and wearable Bluetooth speakers are here as a hands-free replacement. Zulu Audio’s Wearable Bluetooth Speakers magnetically connect to your clothes, so you can bring the party to the people.

What is it?

The Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speaker is just what you guess it is. It’s a set of Bluetooth speakers that you can wear.

Hardware specs:

  • Sweat-proof and water resistant
  • Bluetooth 4.1technology and integrated microphone
  • Quickly pairs with IOS or Android operating systems
  • 2.5 hours charging time
  • Approximately 4 hours of battery life

What’s in the box?

  • 1 Micro USB Charging Cable
  • 1 Carrying Case
  • 1 Wearable Speaker (with magnets)
  • 1 Extra magnet
  • 1 Instruction Manual
  • 1 Cable Tie (on the speaker)

Design and Features:

LED Light, Volume up (+), Volume down (-), Mic, and USB Charging

These speakers use a magnet to magnet connection for secure attachment on clothing, and they are comfortably lightweight at about 75 grams. The directions suggest you wear them around your neck and secure them around the shoulder area of your shirt, but you can essentially wear them on any body part covered in clothing. Additionally, you can simply secure them to any magnetic surface, or use them recreationally around the house or car. I found it nifty to put them on my metal shower rod, being as they are water resistant!

You can skip forward to the next track by holding down the Vol + button for 2 seconds, and go backward to the last track by holding down the Vol – button for 2 seconds.

Zulu Audio Wireless Speakers also allow the ability to answer phone calls by pressing the multifunction button (O- On/Off) during the time of an incoming call. Music plays again automatically when the call ends.

Performance

Pairing these speakers to my iPhone X was extremely easy. All I had to do was make sure my bluetooth was on, and hold down the multipurpose button (O) adjacent to the (+) and (-) buttons, for 6 seconds. When it is in pairing mode, red and blue LED lights flash alternately. I selected “Zulu Audio” from my Bluetooth selections on my phone, and I was instantly connected.

The box claims that the speakers last around 4 hours, which is true. At around 4 hours is when it starts giving warning beeps that the battery is low. I would say you have about an extra 25 minutes before they completely die after that. So really, they lasted ~4.5 hours.

These speakers are loud enough for what they are for. They get the job done.

What I like

What I enjoy the most about this product is that it allows you to be handsfree. I am a rollerblader, and these were an absolute hoot to take to the park! I also like fact that they are lightweight and have strong magnets. I thought they might annoyingly bounce around when I’d try to run, but for the most part, they don’t.

The sound quality isn’t bad. Again, gets the job done.

What needs to be improved

The only thing I’m unsure of is how stylish they aren’t.

I found it more trendy to wear them around my waist, like this, instead. I do understand that if they are on your shoulders/around your neck, you can hear them better but… meh. The difference is minute.

The only way this could be improved is to make them even smaller.

You could always wear your shirt or jacket over them. Problem solved.

Also, nobody has ever complained that their speakers’ battery life is too long… 4.5 hours is good; longer would be great.

Final thoughts:

These are high-quality speakers and I will continue to wear them in the park while I rollerblade and run, and use them in my shower! I think whether you are active in your lifestyle or not, most people can find a use for lightweight, water-resistant speakers that are magnetic. They would be a great gift for the holidays.

I think the price is steep. They are originally $100 and are currently 15% off for $84.99. Before I had these speakers, I was using a $20 Bluetooth speaker that I would carry in a lightweight backpack which also held water, phone, keys, etc. Considering the main function (wearable) of these speakers, and their competition, I believe the price is high.

Price: $84.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Zulu Audio. Please visit their site for more info.

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Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speakers Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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You’ll always have a pair and a spare of socks with SoloSocks

NEWS – When my daughter was younger, I bought her socks from a company called LittleMissMatched.  Each set included three socks of different designs but with the same color combinations.  You could use any two of the socks for a pair of purposefully mis-matched socks.  They were really popular with girls back then, and I’m sure many mothers liked them as much as I did because it was easier when you didn’t have to worry about pairing up socks as part of laundry.

Well, now it seems two friends, Alexander Morabbi Wulsch and Adam Kuskner, got the idea that men could benefit from color-coordinated, purposefully mis-matched socks and created a line called SoloSocks.  Their sets consist of seven socks in one color combination.  The socks are made of 80% organic combed cotton, 17% polyamide, and 3% diabetes-friendly elasthane.  They have hand-linked toe seams allow for a flat seam and a comfortable fit.  They are one-size-fits U.S. men’s 7-12.

You’ll reduce waste because you’ll no longer have to throw out a sock when you lose one sock.  The packaging even converts into a set organizer for your drawer, so you’ll reduce waste there, too.  The socks are available in sets of seven in blue, navy, red, purple, or yellow combinations.  A set of seven SoloSocks is $39.95 at The Grommet.

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You’ll always have a pair and a spare of socks with SoloSocks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Toffee Tokyo Work Bag review

REVIEW – When you need to carry more than just a wallet with you to your job every day, you need a bag that not only looks good on you, but can handle a few good knocks. And that’s exactly what Toffee is offering in their Tokyo Work Bag.

What is it?

The Tokyo Work Bag is a sleek waxed canvas and leather tote from Australia-based Toffee and features multiple pockets, rugged canvas and extra-long handles for comfortable carrying.

Big handles or shoulder strap? You decide.

Hardware specs

  • Fits laptops up to 14”
  • 39 cm x 29 cm (37 cm w/handle) x 12 cm
  • Made from water-resistant waxed canvas and genuine leather
  • Detachable shoulder strap, leather handles
  • Padded quilted laptop compartment, separate smaller tablet pocket
  • YKK Japanese zips
  • 3 year warranty

What’s in the box?

  • Tokyo Work Bag
  • detachable shoulder strap

Design and Features

I was happy to get my hands on another handsome offering from Australian-based Toffee. Their Tokyo Work Bag (many of their products are named after large cities) is what I would describe as a medium-sized tote bag. It’s mostly constructed from waxed canvas, offering some water resistance, with accents of leather on the side pockets and thick, comfortable handles.

There are a lot of nice little details on this bag.

Inside is a lovely black and white pinstripe pattern, found in many of their other bags. There is a large main compartment, a large padded pocket for a 14” or smaller laptop, and a smaller padded pocket that is the right size for a Kindle or similarly sized tablet. These two pockets are secured with a leather snap fastener. There is one zippered pocket on the opposite side of the laptop pocket. Just above this zipper pocket is a stitched-in name label, which is a nice touch.

Stitched-in name tag is a nice touch.

There are several pockets on the outside of the bag as well. Two on the ends that are a good size for a small umbrella or phone or perhaps a narrow water bottle, two front pockets that are secured with interior snaps, and one tiny pocket on the back of the bag, which would be suitable for pens, keys or other small items.

The tiny pocket. Good for tiny things.

The top of the bag can be closed with a large, smooth-action zipper. You can find four metal nubs on the bottom of the bag to protect the bottom material and make a lovely scraping sound on hard surfaces.

The large padded pocket easily accommodates my iPad Pro + keyboard.

The overall construction of the bag is excellent. Every stitch and zipper and snap are expertly implemented. It doesn’t feel too large, although I could have used a little more width, as I like to pack soups for lunch and the large Campbells Chunky soup cans, coupled with a laptop in the bag, tended to cause quite a bulge in the middle. That’s a highly personal instance, however… and don’t get me wrong, this bag can hold quite a bit.

That pinstriping. Mmm.

In use, I preferred sticking to the large handles on the bag, rather than the shoulder strap. It’s nice that you can completely remove the strap. When placed on a surface, it’s a bit of a balancing act to keep the bag upright as one side is likely to be heavier due to the laptop pocket. It’s a typical problem, so I can’t fault them for that.

Metal nubs to protect the bottom from scratches. But not from fuzz.

Being constructed mostly of black waxed canvas, it didn’t take long for lint, cat hair and other bits of fuzz to start collecting on the outside of the bag. It’s not difficult to remove, most of it brushes right off, but anyone with a pet might want to opt for the mustard color as it will absolutely carry some of Fluffy with you to work.

What I like

  • sharp looks and rugged materials
  • nice, big handles, making it more of a tote
  • pockets aplenty

What needs to be improved

  • a bit pricey
  • canvas picks up lint and hairs easily

Final thoughts

The Tokyo Work Bag is a perfect commuter carryall, provided you’ve got room for a lint brush along with your laptop. All joking aside, this bag is top quality, through and through, and would well serve even the roughest daily trips through the city.

Price: $158.69 (when converted to USD)
Where to buy: You can purchase the Tokyo Work Bag in black or mustard directly from Toffee’s website.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Toffee. You can check out their whole line of bags, wallets and cases on their website.

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Toffee Tokyo Work Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 17, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Turn almost any pole into a selfie stick

NEWS – It’s called the Selfskie, and it’s an all-in-one mount that you can attach to the stick you’re already using ­such as a ski pole, hiking stick, marshmallow roasting stick, golf club, etc. to give your smartphone or action cam a farther reach for a perfect selfie.

Why carry around a dedicated selfie stick when you can use the Selfskie to lighten your load and turn any stick or pole into a selfie stick? It even comes with a Bluetooth remote capture button for easy image capture. Want your own Selfskie? Make sure that you have $28.12 ready and head over to Selfskie.com to place your order. Bonus: Use the code: CHRISTMAS40 at checkout and you’ll get a 40% discount on your order until Christmas.

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Turn almost any pole into a selfie stick originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 17, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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