NEWS – The Volt is a short cable that you can use to charge one device from another device. That’s right, this cable siphons juice from one battery and effectively turns that device into a portable battery that you can use to charge a second device.
The Volt Battery Share Cable will not work with iPhones, but the cable will work with most Android devices that have either a micro USB or USB-C port. The cable is available in two sizes: .25m and .75m (approximately 10 inches and 30 inches) and has a micro USB connector on each end with an adapter that will turn it into a USB-C connector. On one end there’s a USB-A connector so that you can plug the cable into a USB adapter.
Why would you need this cable? It’s less bulky than carrying a portable backup battery and you don’t have to depend on that battery being charged. The only thing you do have to depend on is having a device that can be used as the host while the other device with the low battery (the vampire) sucks the sweet sweet power elixir from the host.
The Volt Battery Share Cable Kickstarter campaign that started today and ends on January 10, 2019. Right now they have raised almost $2,000 towards their funding goal of $15,000. You can pre-order a Volt Battery Share Cable starting at $25. After the Volt Battery Share Cable campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in February 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
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REVIEW – It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a dashcam and this one from HQBKING caught my interest because the windshield mount is magnetic and you can rotate the camera 360 degrees. But what’s the video like? Let’s find out.
What is it?
The HQBKING is a 1080P dashcam that features a mount that allows you to remove and/or rotate the camera while it’s attached to the mount which also provides power to the camera.
Hardware Specification
Picture Resolution: 4032*3024/3648*2736/3264*2448/2592*1944
Video Resolution: 1920*1080(30fps)/1280*720(30fps)/WVGA848*480/VGA640*480
Memory Card: Support 8GB – 64GB high speed TF card Class 10 or above
Chip-set: NTK96658
Sensor: SONY IMX323
Screen: 1.54 inch
Video Format: MP4
Picture Format: JPG
USB Type: USB2.0
Frequency: 50HZ/60HZ
Current: 450mA
Mic/Speaker: Support
Storage Temperature(Deg.C): -30 to +120
Battery: 140mAh 3.7V lithium battery
Power Supply Port: USB2.0 DC5V 1A
Power Size: 2 inch (width) x 1.8 inch (height) x 1.5 inch (depth)
What’s in the box?
Hqbking dash cam
Magnetic mount
12V power adapter
2 mini USB cables
User Manual
Design and features
This dashcam is one of the smallest dashcams that I’ve reviewed in a long time if not ever. The camera itself is about the size of a golf ball. The front is basically just the lens and the top has an electrical contact that mates with the magnetic mount/pins on the windshield mount.
The windshield mount comes with two 3M adhesive strips that you’ll use to affix the mount to your car’s windshield.
The camera can rotate on the mount without losing power. This will let you film the interior of the car or out the sides of the car.
While you can rotate the camera around in the horizontal plane, you can’t adjust the vertical angle of the camera which can be a problem if you’re trying to record people inside the camera as you can’t adjust the lens to make sure it’s pointed correctly.
On the left side of the camera is the power button, a status LED and a microphone.
On the opposite side of the dashcam is a protective cover over the microSD card slot and a second built-in mini USB connector that can be used to connect the camera to power or transfer video to your computer.
On the bottom of the camera are four buttons that are used navigate through the camera’s menus.
Installation
Installing the HQBKING dashcam in my MINI Cooper was as easy as sticking the mount to the windshield and then routing the mini USB cable from the right side of the camera mount up along the top edge of the headliner and then down the right side of the windshield, down the side of the dash and around to the 12V power adapter.
Once installed, the camera powers on automatically when the car’s engine is started. It then turns off when you stop the engine. You can also set the camera to turn off in 3, 5, or 10 minutes later. But the default it is to turn it off as soon as you shut down the engine.
The camera has a G Sensor which detects if there has been a collision and will lock the video so that it won’t be overwritten by later videos. This feature makes sure that you can find and use the video if you need to for insurance purposes in the event of an accident.
There’s also a smart parking monitor that you can toggle on/off which will make a recording if the camera senses some sort of impact when you’re not driving. Note that you’ll need to have the camera hard-wired for power to use this feature as the camera’s built-in battery isn’t designed to keep it powered on for very long. It’s only designed to protect the settings, time, and date in between uses.
The length of each video clip can be adjusted to 1, 3, or 5-minute clips. Once the microSD card is filled, it will start overwriting the old clips (except for any locked clips).
Mobile app
If you install the HQBKING app on your iOS or Android smartphone, you can use it to connect to the camera’s built-in WiFi signal to see a live footage, view, or transfer video clips and photos to the phone.
See it in action
Here are two quick videos that show you the video quality of this dashcam when used for night and day driving. The first video is night driving with a bit of day driving at the end.
If you skip to the daytime part, you can see where I turn the camera on its magnetic mount. I do this again at the end of the review while driving.
As you can see, the video quality is ok for a 1080P camera. Of course I’d like 4K quality video, but all things considered, you can read road signs and some license plates depending on the proximity to other cars.
What I like
Small
Magnetic mount
Ability to rotate the camera 360 degrees on the mount
What needs to be improved
Needs a way to adjust the vertical angle of the camera
Needs GPS capability built-in
Final thoughts
I’ve enjoyed testing the HQBKING dashcam. I like its small size and how easy it is to grab it and take it in the house to connect to my MacBook if I want to transfer video clips. I find this easier and faster than using the HQBKING app with my phone. As a dashcam, it works fine. Video quality didn’t blow my mind, but it gets the job done and the price pretty low.
Price: $89.99 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample for this review was provided by HQBKING.
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NEWS – Have a dark closet in your house or a dark garage? Maybe you could even use a light over your shower, but you don’t want the expense of hiring an electrician to run wiring to install the fixtures you need. You won’t need to run wiring with the Mr. Beams Wireless UltraBright Motion Sensor Ceiling Light MB990.
This ceiling fixture installs in about five minutes with the included mounting plate and screws. Power is supplied by four D-cell batteries, which should last about a year with average use of about eight illuminations per day. The MB990 produces 300 lumens to illuminate about 300 sqft. Motion detection triggers the light from about 18 feet away; the light turns off after 20 seconds of no motion.
And remember I mentioned a light in the shower? The Mr. Beams MB990 is IPX4-rated for outdoor and shower use.
There are other styles of Mr. Beams wireless fixtures if this one doesn’t fit your needs. The Mr. Beams Wireless UltraBright Motion Sensor Ceiling Light MB990 is $29.99 at the Mr. Beams website.
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REVIEW – As a photographer, I am always looking for easy ways to carry a camera and have it at the ready, while reducing the stress of carrying it and while keeping my hands as free as possible, The Skout Sling Style Harness seems as if it can be a good fit for moving around while having access to my camera.
What is it?
The Cotton Carrier Skout Sling Style Harness is a camera harness that straps around your shoulder and upper chest and allows you to clip your camera to it in a secure but easily accessible way.
What’s in the box
1 x Skout Sling Style harness
1 x Camera Weather Cover
1 x Aluminum Hub, Spacer, Attachment Screw, and Allen Key
1 x Informational Leaflet
Design and features
The sling harness is made up of a padded cotton pad that includes the aluminum hub receptacle to hold the camera and web straps that go over your shoulder and around your chest.
On the back of the padded section, there is a zippered pouch where you can store small and flat accessories.
The buckles and clasps are made of ABS plastic so they are very strong and should hold the expected weight of a camera and lens without issue.
There is a camera weather cover that is included to cover your camera and lens. The size of my camera and lens seems to put both the cover and my camera and lens under some stress, so below I show the manufacturer’s picture of how it is supposed to work.
Performance
The Cotton Carrier Sling Harness is very easy to put on and very easy to adjust. Once the aluminum hub is attached to the bottom of the camera, it is ready to be clipped onto the harness. After adjusting the harness as much as it allowed, it was still too slack for the body frame of my model. The pictures below show that most comfortable position that she was able to find. It also shows how awkward a fit it is with a large professional DSLR camera and especially so if the camera includes the extended grip. Since this is her usual camera setup, it was important to try it this way.
As you can see in the pictures above, attaching the larger professional DSLR made the fit a bit cumbersome. Even at the maximum adjustment of the over-the shoulder-section, it was still too long for my model’s comfort. While she did indicate that the position shown above proved to be the most comfortable for carrying that size of camera and lens, it did not feel comfortable enough for her to walk around with for an extended period of time. I do suspect that it would prove to be much more comfortable with a smaller DSLR or a mirrorless camera. It is very easy to remove the camera from the harness with a simple 45-degree turn and then pulling upwards.
What I like
The construction of the carrier
The concept and design of the carrier
What can be improved
Design improvements that would accommodate larger professional cameras
Multiple sizes or more adjustment to allow for a better fit for more body types
Final thoughts
I actually like the construction of this camera sling harness, and for a person with a larger frame than my model, it would fit much better. I did try it on myself, and while it fits ok, it did feel awkward once I added my large DSLR. The pictures on the company’s website show that the carrier should be worn with the mounting pad closer to the middle of the chest, but neither the model nor I found it to be more comfortable in that position especially with the large camera and lens. Since I do not own a smaller DSLR, I have not been able to try it with the smaller camera body, but I do intend to do so when I can get my hands on one. For many people with regular consumer DSLR or mirrorless cameras, this harness will work well and will allow them to move around freely while having instant access to their camera.
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NEWS – If you’re looking for a time and for products to start building your smart home system, now is your time, and Google Home Hub and Nest are your products! Nest is now offering the Google Home Hub, and they are offering you $100 savings and free shipping if you buy a Google Home Hub with select Nest products: Ring doorbell, Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Cam Indoor, and Nest Cam IQ outdoor camera.
Google Home Hub has a viewing screen built-in which works great with the Nest Hello video doorbell and the cameras. You’ll be able to see what’s happening inside or outside your house without having to move to a window or door and risk alerting an intruder you’re home. With the Thermostat, you can check or set your temperature right on the screen of the Google Home Hub. And of course, with Google Assistant built in, you’ll be able to control everything with your voice: “Google, show me the front porch”; “Google, make it warmer”.
Bundle prices start at $248 for the Google Home Hub plus a Nest Cam Indoor. Go to the Nest website and start smartening up your home now!
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After adjusting the harness as much as it allowed, it was still too slack for the body frame of my model. The pictures below show that most comfortable position that she was able to find. It also shows how awkward a fit it is with a large professional DSLR camera and especially so if the camera includes the extended grip. Since this is her usual camera setup, it was important to try it this way.
