2018 Gift Guide – Gift ideas for photographers

ARTICLE – It’s Christmastime again, and time to make that shopping list. Here is a collection of great gift ideas for the photographer in your life, or maybe you are the photographer and you want to treat yourself this holiday season.

Spider SpiderPro Single Camera System V2 camera holster

This holiday season, give the photographer in your life a gift that will keep on giving. Photography gear is expensive, and many photographers spend a lot of money on their equipment and sometimes neglect to invest in the important accessories needed to safeguard that equipment. This camera holster will ensure that they can walk around with their camera and lens with ease and not worry about dropping and damaging their precious gear. Securing and removing the camera and lens is quick but safe, and the entire holster is built to last.

Price: $150.00
Read our reviewSpider SpiderPro Single Camera System V2 camera holster review
Where to buy: Spider or Amazon

Canon’s new 470EX-AI flash

Getting your camera Speedlite to give you the right lighting is always a challenge, especially when you need to bounce light off of a wall or ceiling to get the perfectly lit shot. This holiday season, give the gift of Artificial Intelligence and help your photographer to take the guessing out of their hands. This flash does it for you and intelligently moves into the right place at the right time.
Price: $349
Read our news storyCanon’s new 470EX-AI flash may be just the right solution
Where to buy: B&H Photo Video

The Yongnuo YN-14EX-C Macro Ring Flash

Macro photography is a great way to enjoy photography and to take really close up detailed and interesting pictures. Maybe you know a photographer who has never tried macro photography, or maybe they are interested in this type of photography but they simply do not have the right tools. For the perfect macro shot, you need the perfect lighting. This macro flash will help to make sure that your photographer is a happy camper and that their macro shots hit the right spot every time.

Price: $99
Read our news storyThe Yongnuo YN-14EX-C Macro Ring Flash is a winner
Where to buy: Amazon

The Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer

While technology has taken us all the way to digital photos on our phones and tablets, there are still many people that like to have an actual photograph in their hands. Whether your favorite photographer is an amateur, enthusiast or professional it does not matter. Give them the ability to instantly show off their skills by producing real photograph prints right on the spot. The Canon SELPHY CP1300 can do just that and more and is truly portable.

Price: $99.95
Read our news storyThe Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer prints your selfies in a flash
Where to buy: Amazon

Ruggard Electronic Dry Cabinet

After spending a whole lot of $$cash on expensive photography gear, where can you keep all of it safe from dust and spills and moisture, and from all of the other mishaps that can ruin your gear and your Christmas? You can put them all in a well built and attractive Dry Cabinet. Ruggard makes great and affordable dry cabinets and has a good selection of sizes to choose from to accommodate all necessary photography equipment storage needs. And, if you are not a photographer, it will work for any other gadgets you want to keep safe and dry.

Price: Starting at $149.95 (30L)
Read our news story: Protect your expensive camera gear with the Ruggard Electronic Dry Cabinet
Where to buy: B&H Photo Video

Manfrotto Compact Action Aluminum Tripod

Photographers are always on the run, looking for the next best shot or just traveling with their gear. Usually, it takes a steady camera to get the best shot and a lightweight and compact tripod is the right gear for the job.

Price: $57.40
Read our news story: The Manfrotto Compact Action Aluminum Tripod is ready to go with you everywhere
Where to buy: B&H Photo Video

Ruggard Lens Cases

Whether you have an entry level lens or an expensive lens or many lenses that you have collected over time, keeping them safe from accidental mishaps and minor bumps and spills is very important. When on the go, nothing can protect your lens better than a lens case. Ruggard makes great lens cases in a variety of sizes to fit any and every lens, and the cases are easily secured and well padded. They are also designed to work with your gear belt or your gear bag.

Price: Starting at $14.99
Read our news story: Ruggard Lens Cases are built for the job!
Where to buy: B&H Photo Video

PortraitPro Photo Editing Software

No matter what level of photographer you are whether you are an enthusiast, an aspiring amateur or a professional, you are always looking to tweak your photos to take them from great to awesome. This is especially true when you take all of those family photos at those important family gatherings, and you want to capture the memories and send copies to everyone and share them on social media. PortraitPro Software makes every face and feature look just right.

Price: Starting at $44.95 for the Standard Edition
Read our review: PortraitPro 17 Studio Max photo editing software review
Where to buy: PortraitPro

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2018 Gift Guide – Gift ideas for photographers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer review


REVIEW – For the past decade or so, I have relied solely on laser printers both monochrome and color for all of my printing needs. Prior to that, I tried several Inkjet printers with very mediocre printing results both in quality and efficiency. Apart from the fact that laserjet ink does not dry up, the quality was just always better. Recently, many of my friends have been telling me about the great strides that Inkjet printers have many both in efficiency and quality. I was recently offered the opportunity to test and review the Epson XP-7100 Inkjet Printer. Here is my experience with it.

What is it?

The Epson XP-7100 Printer is a multifunction all-in-one Inkjet printer that offers both wireless and wired connectivity as well as access via multiple platforms including IOS and Android for mobile.

What’s in the box


1 x Expression Premium XP-7100 color inkjet printer
1 x Setup and instruction manuals
1 x CD-ROM containing software and drivers (Windows and Mac8)
1 x AC Power Cord
5 x Claria Premium ink cartridges: 1x 410 Black ink cartridge; 3x 410 color ink cartridges: Cyan, Magenta and         Yellow; 1x 410 Photo Black ink cartridge

Design and features

This Epson Inkjet printer comes in a nice compact footprint measuring just 15 1/4″ x 12″ x 7 1/2′ when the control panel and printer tray are enclosed. It is shipped very securely with the necessary sections taped to ensure that no parts are broken during shipment. On the top of the printer, there is a label that highlights its features and functionality, and the access door that opens and folds out into the top feeding/loading tray for scanning and copying.



On the front of the printer, there is the control panel, an SD card slot, and a USB slot.


On the back of the printer there or 2 slots that you squeeze together to remove the rear paper mechanism to clear any paper jam and for cleaning. On the bottom left there is the AC plug port.


On the rear right of the printer at the bottom, there is a network jack and a USB printer jack.

When you open the top cover of the printer there is the glass that is the “bed” used for copying and scanning documents.

In the main compartment of the printer, there is the printer mechanism and the ink trays.

Performance

Specifications:

Printing Technology: 5 ink cartridges (CMYK, Photo Black), drop-on-demand MicroPiezo inkjet technology
Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 5 ink droplet sizes, as small as 1.5 picoliters
Maximum Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi
ISO Print Speed: Black: 15.8 ISO ppm Color: 11 ISO ppm
2-Sided ISO Print Speed: Black: 5.4 ISO ppm Color: 4.9 ISO ppm
Photo Print Speed: 4″ x 6″ borderless photo in as fast as 12 sec (Draft Mode)
CD / DVD Printing: Inkjet printable CDs / DVDs
PC-Free Printing: Auto Photo Correction, Select and print photos, Crop, Rotate and enlarge, View and print-by-date, Print your own picture packages, Print passport and photo ID, Select multiple photos to print on a single page, Print your own school papers, College-ruled, Wide-ruled and graph paper, Make personalized notepaper using your own photos, Photo greeting cards, and coloring book pages
Layouts: Borderless, Classic borders, Picture packages, Photo ID, 2-up, 4-up, 8-up, 20-up, Jewel index, Jewel, Upper 1/2, lower ½, CD layouts (single, quarter, variety)
Ink: This printer is designed for use with Epson cartridges only, not third-party cartridges or ink.
Ink Type: Claria Premium Ink (smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant photos)6
Ink Palette: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Photo Black
Ink Configuration: 5 individual ink cartridges
Replacement Ink: 410 Standard-capacity Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Black, 410XL High-capacity Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Black
Ink Yield Information: 410 Ink Yield: ISO pages – Black: 250, Color: 300, Photo Black, 410XL Ink Yield: ISO pages – Black: 500, Color: 650, Photo Black
Fade Resistance / Print Longevity: Up to 200-year album storage
Operating Systems: Windows 10 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 8 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 8/8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista® (32-bit, 64-bit), Mac® OS X® 10.6.8–macOS® 10.13.x8
Operating Temperature: 50 ° to 95 °F (10 ° to 35 °C)
Storage Temperature: -4 ° to 104 °F (-20 ° to 40 °C) [one month at 40 °C]
Weight: 21.5 lb.

Scanner Specifications:
Scanner Type: Color flatbed (CIS line sensor/Automatic 2-sided ADF)
Optical Resolution: 1200 x 2400 dpi
Maximum Resolution: Max. Hardware Resolution 2400 dpi, Max. Resolution 4800 dpi interpolated
Color Bit Depth: Input: 48-bit color / 16-bit Grayscale & Black/White, Output: 24-bit color / 8-bit Grayscale & Black/White
Scan Bed Size: 8.5″ x 11.7″
Scanner Features: Scan to memory card, scan to computer – Event Manager, scan to PC, PC (WSD), scan to cloud7, auto 2-sided scan with ADF
Automatic Document Feeder Capacity: 30 sheets plain paper
Connectivity: Hi-Speed USB, Wireless 802.11 b/g/n4, Wi-Fi Direct4, Ethernet (10/100/1000) Mbps
Supported Memory Cards: SD/SDHC/SDXC, CF2
Direct Camera Connection: PictBridge® port (cameras)
Mobile Printing Solutions: Epson Connect, Epson Email Print, Epson Remote Print, Epson Scan to Cloud
Epson iPrint App (iOS, Android), Epson Print and Scan App (Windows), Creative Print App (iOS, Android)

Other: Apple® AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Android printing, Fire OS printing, Mopria® Print Service, Easy Photo Scan

Paper Handling:
PC-Free Paper Support: Plain (8.5″ x 11″, A4), Photo (4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, A4, 16:9 wide), Inkjet-printable CDs/DVDs
Special Media Support: Inkjet printable CDs / DVDs
Paper Sizes: 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, 8.5″ x 14″, A4, B5, A5, A6, half letter, executive, 8.5″ x 47″
Paper Types: Supports plain paper, Epson Bright White Paper, Iron-on Cool Peel Transfer, Photo Quality Self-Adhesive Sheets, Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Ultra-Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss, Ultra-Premium Photo Paper Luster, Presentation Paper Matte, Premium Presentation Paper Matte, Ultra-Premium Presentation Paper Matte, Ultra-Premium , Presentation Paper Matte Double-sided, Brochure & Flyer Paper Matte Double-sided
Automatic Document Feeder: 30 sheets plain paper
Borderless Sizes: 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, 16:9 wide
Envelope Types: No. 10
Input Paper Capacity: Main Paper Tray: 100 sheets plain paper
Output Paper Tray Capacity: 30 sheets plain paper
Secondary Paper Tray Capacity: Dedicated Photo Tray: 20 sheets Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Printer Details:
Display: 4.3″ touchscreen with gesture navigation
Printer Language: Epson ESC/P® Raster, ESC/P-R
Software Included: Epson printer drivers, Epson Print CD, Epson Scan, Epson Easy Photo Scan, and User Guide
Supported Digital Camera Technologies: Exit Print
Image Enhancement Technologies: Auto Photo Correction with advanced face detection, preview on LCD, red-eye removal and photo restoration
Color Management: Auto Photo Correction and ICM
See full specification list here.

In terms of functionality, this printer comes with several bells and whistles. The setup is easy and the instructions are clear. I connected the printer via an ethernet cable as opposed to a wireless connection. The basic functionality includes an automated touchscreen control panel that opens when powered on and closes when powered off.

The printer tray is also automated and moves outwards for printing and inwards for the shutdown. Scanning and copying are pretty straightforward and function well. Printing and print quality is where this printer really stands out. The printing function is quiet and relatively quick.

Epson provided a Reviewer’s Kit with several types and sizes of paper/print stock for me to test the printer. In all cases, it printed wonderfully including the CD/DVD printing which is a great feature especially for me and the custom DVDs I like to create for my clients.

In terms of paper printing, my son had a school project to built a model of his house. Of course, I had to do most of the work (smile), and after building the structure I decided that the exterior should look like the outside of my building. I decided to print images of a brick wall and of windows and cover the model of the house. Here are a couple of photos from what I did:


As a photographer, I am also impressed by the color reproduction of this printer. The following are 2 photographs of my children that I photographed and printed with this printer, and framed as a gift for their Grandad.


I own an iPhone, and setup and printing via the Epson iPrint App was incredibly simple. Here are a couple of App screenshots:


What I like

  • The ease of set up
  • The amazing color reproduction
  • The features and functions
  • The small footprint
  • The built-in automation

What can be improved

  • As someone who stayed away from Inkjet printers for a long time, I have no complaints

Final thoughts

To say that I am impressed by the Epson XP-7100 is an understatement. It is a feature-rich printer that prints, scans and copies and does everything quite well. The color reproduction is outstanding and good enough to reproduce photography work for framing. It will be some time before I can say how long the ink lasts and possibly how quickly it dries out. However, so far it has been great and shows no sign of dring up even after 30 days albeit of regular use. This Inkjet printer gets a very well done from me and two thumbs up!!

Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Epson

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Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Bookends made by Fender are the perfect gift for fans of Fender guitars and basses

NEWS – I’ve thought about finding the perfect guitar gift for my husband, but I know I could actually never do that.    Despite having a guitar tech guy he uses to fine tune his guitars, Butch can spend ages staring down the neck of a guitar, adjusting tuning, checking out the finish, trying out the playability, and just staring at a guitar to determine if it’s worth taking home.  Even if I knew exactly what he’s looking for, I still couldn’t know exactly if a guitar would be something he wanted – unless it was the original Chrome Boy, hand-signed by Joe Satriani, that is…  😉

So, knowing I could never pick out the perfect Stratocaster for him, I could still give him a great Fender gift with a pair of these bookends.  They are crafted from the same materials used for Fender’s legendary guitars at their Corona, Calif., facility.  These authentic factory collectibles are crafted from recycled alder wood and given the same treatments and colors used on Fender guitars.  Body styles available as bookends are the Stratocaster, the Telecaster, or the Strat bass body.  The Strats are available in black or sunburst with white pick guards; the Telecasters are available in black with white pickguard or white with black pickguard, and the bass bookends are available in black or red with white pickguards.  

The Fender guitar body bookends are $59.99 a pair from Fender’s website.

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Bookends made by Fender are the perfect gift for fans of Fender guitars and basses originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Light review

REVIEW – It seems like everywhere you turn nowadays everything is going “RGB”, LED, or connected. I thought maybe these LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Lights might make a nice addition to my computer setup. Read on to find out if they worked out.

What is it?

The LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Light is a 10 watt LED light that is IP65 waterproof, and can be controlled by the included remote or via their smartphone app.

What’s in the box?

  • 3 LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Lights
  • Remote control
  • Remote control instructions
  • Light instructions



Design and features

The LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Lights come in a three pack, with an included remote. The box was deceptively small as they did not include much protective material, probably because these lights are built like a tank. I thought the remote was a nice touch, as some companies just rely on smartphone apps lately. The lights are controlled via bluetooth.

The case of the lights is an aluminum alloy and appears to be extremely durable and well built. The lights also have a bracket/stand on the back that already has holes in it to make mounting them to a surface much easier.

The power cord is heavy duty, almost too stiff as it made the lights hard to stand upright. They would be best mounted to a small board as a base. I was disappointed to see that the power cords were only 30″ long. It really should have at least a 4 to 6-foot cord. The LED’s have a 50,000 hour rating.


The lights support 16 million colors, with 8 preset dynamic editable light modes. There is also a dynamic lighting mode which can change the light color between single color, 3 color, 7 color, or random color changes. There is a setting for gradual change or direct change (instant) as well as a speed setting for the change delay.

One thing I really liked was the ability to group lights and control those groups individually. Changing the brightness, color, and on/off for an entire group of lights at one time.

The iLux Mesh smartphone app is really nice. It’s simple to use and does just about everything you would want to do with these lights.






The included remote has quite a few buttons including 4 group buttons that turn on and off a group of lights. One nice thing I found with the remote was that it has glow-in-the-dark buttons! When you just want to turn the lights on or off you don’t need to find the app on your smartphone, you can simply press a button on the remote.


My thought when I accepted this review was to use them as backlighting for my computer setup and possibly for accent lighting for photography shoots. Although they’re great for backlighting on my computer, they’re not quite bright enough for use in most photography setups – although I’ll probably use them occasionally.



The following photos were taken outside. I was hoping for a little snow, but we didn’t get but a dusting. Taking photos of lights is actually pretty tricky, but I tried to get as close to what I was actually seeing. You can somewhat compare the brightness of them to the porch light that is on the left side.





What I like

  • Smartphone app
  • Remote Control
  • Thin
  • Sturdy

What needs to be improved

  • Short power cord
  • Power cord comes out of the bottom too far

Final thoughts

These lights work well despite the shortcomings of a short cord. They’re plenty bright enough for outdoor accent lighting and will add a nice touch to your landscape or holiday lighting.

Price: $67.99 (set of three)
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Lighting Ever.

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LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Light review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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2018 Gift Guide – Car and driver gift ideas

ARTICLE – For some of us, our car is our biggest gadget purchase ever, so why not treat it (and yourself) to some useful and fun gifts this holiday season. Here is a selection of gift ideas that will add safety, convenience, and cleanliness to your favorite four-wheeled transportation device.

SureCall N-Range Signal Booster

If you’re tired of having weak phone signals and slow internet connections while in your car, you need to consider the SureCall N-Range, which is a voice, text, and 4G LTE cell phone signal booster for car, truck, or SUV users in North America.  The N-Range booster’s Extended Range Technology, which is the industry’s most powerful system for maximizing cellular reliability in vehicles, improves 4G LTE data speeds and connectivity for better coverage in remote areas.

Installation requires you to route a cable from the exterior antenna’s rooftop mounting position into the interior of the car until you can connect the interior antenna’s mounting base to an air vent; you’ll also need to plug the interior mounting base to the vehicle’s power.  There’s also a magnetic, metal plate you’ll need to attach to the back of your phone.  The SureCall N-Range only boosts signal strength for one phone.

Price: $199.99
For more infoSureCall
Where to buy: Amazon

Weego Car Jump Starting Power Pack 66

Cold weather has arrived in the south, and that means two things:  1) you’ll need to add air to your tires, and 2) your battery is likely to be dead some morning after a really cold night.  You can either wait until AAA helps everyone who called for a jump before you, or you could jump your battery yourself.  Having the Weego Jump Starting Power Pack 66 charged up and ready to go means you can get your car started without having to wait for help.

Weego says the Power Pack 66 starts car, truck, boat, motorcycle,  and ATV/UTV engines (10L+ gas or 5L+ diesel).  The power pack has Smarty Clamps® with tapered tips;  they have safety protections built in, plus lights and sounds to guide you through connecting and safely jumping the engine.  The long-lasting 12V lithium-ion battery can jump a battery as low as 0.5V and provides up to 2-years of standby power and 1000 recharging cycles.

The Power Pack 66 can also be used with your laptop or mobile devices; it automatically detects how much power is needed to provide a faster charge for your accessories.  It also has a 600-lumen LED flashlight for up to 15 hours of light; it also has strobe and SOS modes.  The ideal operating range for the N-Range is -4°F to 140°F.

Price: $199.99 MSRP
For more info: Weego
Where to buy: Amazon

resqme Quick Escape Car Tool

We’ve had a lot of rain this year, which has lead to a lot of flooding in North Carolina.  And that, of course, means a few people end up in their cars in the flood waters.  When your car is in water, you need to get out immediately.  The resqme tool can help you escape by quickly and easily breaking out your window and cutting through your seatbelt.

You carry the resqme tool on your keychain, so it’s always at hand and you won’t need to search for it in the glove compartment or center console.  If you need it, you can quickly yank it off your keychain, then press the tool firmly against your side window to break it.  A built-in blade slices through a jammed seatbelt.  It should be on the keychain of every driver you know.

Price: $9.95 at resqme.com, with discounts for bulk purchases
Where to buy: resqme.com or Amazon

prepareme First Aid and Tool Kits

While you’re at the resqme website getting your car resqme tools, check out the prepareme kits.  These kits are packed in a small tote bag to keep everything clean and together.  Each bag is stocked with some first aid items and a crank flashlight, and every bag comes with one resqme tool.  Some bags also include other tools from the resqme company, such as their sensor that hangs on your ear and alarms if you begin to fall asleep.

Every car you own should have one of these kits, either in the trunk, glove compartment, or even under your seat.  And getting one provides you or one of your gift recipients with a resqme rescue tool as well.

Price: small kits start at about $20.00
Where to buy: resqme.com

Quick Removal Windshield Snow Tarp

If winter won’t go away and take the ice and snow with it, you can at least keep it off your car’s windshield with the Quick Removal Windshield Snow Tarp.  The tarp measures 79″ wide X 47.5″ long X 1/8″ thick (56″ wide excluding the flaps), so it’s big enough to cover the windshield of most cars and trucks.  To use, you just spread it over your windshield and close the side flaps in the front doors of your car.  The tarp also has seven magnets sewn between layers of fabric to hold it in place on your car without scratching the finish.  It’s long enough that it covers and protects the wipers and the washer fluid nozzles, too.  Instead of having to waste time and gas running the defroster while you scratch away at the built-up ice and mounds of snow, you just open up the doors and flip the snow away.  The tarp folds up to fit in a pouch that you can store in the glove compartment of your car.  When winter’s over, the Quick Removal tarp will also work as a sun shield to keep the cabin of your car a little cooler.

Price: $19.95
Where to buyHammacher Schlemmer

Kurgo Heather Dog Bench Seat Cover

If you have a dog and travel with them, you know they are going to get your car seats covered in hair and any dirt they manage to get into, as well.  If you have leather upholstery, you can probably add scratches to list the damages. What you need is some sort of sturdy covering to protect your seats, and it needs to stay in place so Fideaux doesn’t pull it into a tiny ball in the footwell, where it isn’t protecting anything.

Chewy, an online pet supply store, has a nice waterproof and stain-resistant bench seat cover that will protect your backseat.  The Kurgo Heather Dog Bench Seat Cover has five attachment points to keep the cover in place and piped edges keep dirt and water from rolling off the cover and onto the carpeting.  Hook-and-loop openings allow you to use seatbelts, for people or pets, and child car seat latches.    It is 55″ wide, which should fit most vehicles.

And since it does allow you to properly install a car seat, perhaps this might be a nice gift for parents of young children, even if they don’t have a dog!  After all, kids can be far messier than pets!

Price: $49.49
Where to buy: chewy.com

VAVA 2K Dash Cam

Julian Perry reviewed the VAVA 2K dash cam and found it to be one of the best dash cams he had reviewed.  He says the VAVA 2K is a windshield mounted dash cam that records video as you drive and is capable of snapshots, either via the app or by using an optional remote.  This camera is small, compact, and lightweight; it connects magnetically to its mounting base. This type of mount allows you to swivel the camera 360 degrees to record your entire surroundings. It  records in either 2560 x 1440p 30fps QHD or 1920 x 1080p 60fp.  The mounting attaches to the windshield via a suction cup.  The kit comes with a pry bar to help you permanently install the cabling for the camera.

The dash cam has a 320mAh built-in battery that allows the 3-axis G-sensor to activate and start recording footage even in parking mode.  Julian found that each time you hit the brakes suddenly or hit a pothole, the Dash Cam detected it as a possible collision and started an emergency recording. (You do have the option in the settings to set the sensitivity for this action.)  He likes that optional accessories are available, such as the optional GPS module so he can always journal his trips.  He likes the size of the VAVA 2K dash cam, the versatility of the magnetic mount, the available video resolutions, the built-in battery, the parking mode option, and the quality of the recordings.

Price: $129.99
Read our review:VAVA 2K Dash Cam review at The Gadgeteer
Where to buy: Amazon

WeatherTech custom-fit mats and liners

I usually have carpeted floor mats in my car, but I like to use rubber mats during the winter to protect the car from snow, ice, and the red clay our region is notorious for.  Sure, you can go to big box stores and purchase universal-fit floor mats, but they never seem to fit any car I’ve ever had.

WeatherTech offers custom-fit protective floor mats, cargo/trunk liners, and other products for cars.  You’ll need to enter the year/make/model of the car, then you’ll see the custom-fit products available for it.  When looking at the FloorLiner for my car, I could choose front row only, 2nd-row seats only, or both.  Those lighter mats should work for our mild winters, but if you experience more extreme weather, check out the all-weather floor mats.

Price: price varies with make/model/year of your car.  Front and rear floor mats for my car is about $170
Where to buy: WeatherTech

Raven Connected Car Device

Julian reviewed this product, and he tells us that it’s a dash cam plus much more!  The Raven Connected Car Device is connected to your car’s OBD connector. On the front, there is a display screen and an in-cabin camera hidden/embedded behind the clear surface; the back of the Raven has the front-facing camera.  The bottom of the device has an adjustable mount, a micro SD card slot for on-board recording, a micro USB port for direct connection and the ability to download videos from the SD card without removing it from the device, and a “Sim” slot that is not currently used.

As you drive, Raven’s display screen shows your current speed, though Julian noticed it differed from his car’s display by about 1mph.  Julian says these are the things he likes about the Raven:  “Having the ability to view my car when it is parked at the railroad station and in the garage or on the street is great, and the alerts are also great. Having that kind of heads-up display that gives me the option to view various parameters is a plus, and while my truck does have the navigation, having a second option is just a bonus. For my personal use, I can’t say enough about how much I like this device. I have actually replaced what was my favorite dash cam with the Raven. Each person has their personal preference, so keeping that in mind, I give the Raven a big two thumbs up!! If they add 360-degree camera views and remote start capability to the next version, I may have to get more thumbs.”

Although the Raven can be used simply as a dash cam, you’ll need a cellular data plan if you want to use its other functions and features.  See below for data plan pricing.

Price: $299 plus a choice of a monthly data plan – $8, $16 or $32; With Affirm Credit starting @ $30 monthly for 12 months with 1 year of data included
Read our review: Raven dashcam and connected car system review
Where to buy: Raven

LiftMaster WLED Garage Door Opener

From Julie: I know a garage door opener isn’t normally considered a cool gift idea, but having just reviewed this device, I can tell you, that it’s a great addition to my garage. The ultra bright LED lights automatically come on when I enter the garage and the smart features allow me to control or see the status of the door using my phone from anywhere in the world.

From my review which you can read in its entirety by clicking the link below:

The LiftMaster WLED garage door opener was a product that I didn’t know I needed or wanted until I got one. From the ultra quiet operation, extra light that it provides in my garage, and the fact that I can control the door remotely with my phone and get notified when the door opens provides extra home security benefits, the LiftMaster gets two thumbs up from me.

Price: $450 – $500 (including installation)
Read our review: LiftMaster WLED garage door opener review
Where to buy: LiftMaster certified dealers, or the DIY Chamberlain version is available on Amazon.

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2018 Gift Guide – Car and driver gift ideas originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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