The new EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer comes with strings attached

Are you a fan of cordless yard tools? I hadn’t thought much about it until I reviewed the EGO Power+ 530 CFM Blower. After that, I was a convert. Granted, the battery life is limited and extra batteries can be expensive, but my driveway and walkways are cleaned more often simply because I can just grab the blower and … blow. No cord or startup hassles. That blower has spoiled me. Well, EGO makes other yard tools as well, such as hedge trimmers, string trimmers, chainsaws and even lawn mowers and snow blowers—all based on the same interchangeable EGO ARC lithium batteries. EGO’s newest tool is a re-designed string trimmer, the EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer with carbon fiber shaft. 

I constantly struggle with string replacement on my Stihl gas-powered string trimmer—not to mention the fumes and vibrations from its 2-stroke engine. It takes at least 10 minutes to disassemble the head, hand wind the string and then re-assemble the head. Not easy when you’re already sweating in the summer sun. What’s so special about the POWERLOAD String Trimmer is the way string is replaced. All you have to do is run the string through the head and press a button until the string is automatically wound. That’s it. Watching the video of this on EGO’s website makes it look not only easy but fun as well. 

The POWERLOAD String Trimmer also has a carbon fiber shaft that’s stronger than any other string trimmer shaft available. The shaft is equipped with a lifetime warranty—guaranteed to last forever. The trimmer comes with a hi-efficiency brushless motor with variable speed control, bump feed line advance and uses .095” professional cutting line.

Anything that saves time and makes hot Florida summer yard work easier is okay in my book. The EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer comes with a 5.0Ah Battery and Charger and sells for $329.

Visit EGO for more information.

The post The new EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer comes with strings attached appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

The new EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer comes with strings attached originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 4, 2018 at 9:00 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.

The Smarterware product line means no more wasted food – finally there is an app for that!


I am sure that all of the Gadgeteer readers that have been following my news stories and reviews regularly know by now that I am a serious gadget nerd. So I am figuring that you may be initially surprised when I start chatting about food containers. After all, I don’t ever recall putting batteries in my Tupperware bowls, or somehow making food appear in the bowl with a fancy remote control, so why would I even bother to mention bottles or bowls.

Well, I just recently learned about a company call Ovie that has created a product line call Smarterware. Smarterware is being touted as the world’s first connected food storage system, and by connected, I really do mean that there is an app for it!! The concept involves smart tags that you put on all of your containers in the fridge, and the app will remind you when you are getting to the point that the food in each container will spoil. I am forever frustrated about the amount of food that gets thrown away in my house that I am so happy that there is finally an app for that.

“The Smarterware product line consists of Smart Tags, 6-cup containers, clips, and universal connectors that can attach to any container or bottle in a fridge”. Each tag has a built-in light ring that gives off a visual light to immediately let you know the status of the food in each container. Green is good, yellow is for hurry up or you will be hungry, and red is for “sorry!!” you are too late and you need to buy or cook more food because time has run out for that dish. Ovie even went one step further by integrating with Alexa and other smart home hubs, recipe apps, and grocery apps.

Ovie plans to begin shipping Smarterware in early 2019, and retail sets will start at $59.99 and will be available at the Ovie website.

The post The Smarterware product line means no more wasted food – finally there is an app for that! appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

The Smarterware product line means no more wasted food – finally there is an app for that! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 4, 2018 at 8:00 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.

Happy Birthday, Julie!

Today is Julie’s birthday.  She brings us great gadget news and reviews daily, so let’s take today to show her how much we appreciate her efforts.  Join me in wishing Julie the Happiest of Birthdays!

The post Happy Birthday, Julie! appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Happy Birthday, Julie! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 4, 2018 at 6:30 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.

Posted by / June 4, 2018 / Tagged with / Posted in News

Bedgear M1X pillow review

I’m incredibly picky when it comes to pillows. That’s why I’ve been using the same one for more years that I want to admit because apparently, it’s gross to sleep on the same pillow for over a decade (maybe two). I’ve tried several types of pillows over the years but I keep going back to my “old faithful”. I even told the folks at BedGear that I’m a pillow snob, but they were still willing to let me try their M1X Pillows, so let’s take one for a… nap.

What is it?

The Bedgear M1X is a 20 x 26 inch pillow that comes in four sizes: 0.0, 1.0 2.0 and 3.0. Each pillow is identical, except for their profile or size/thickness. I told the folks at Bedgear that I am a side sleeper 99% of the time, so they sent me their M1X 2.0 and 3.0 sizes.

Design and features

The M1X pillow comes packaged in a zippered bag and when I removed it, I immediately realized this was not going to be another $30 Kohl’s special. The Bedgear M1X pillow looks and feels superior to any pillow I’ve ever tried.

First of all, it has a curved area for your shoulder which is perfect for side sleepers like me.

The covering of the pillow features Dri-Tec and Air-X technology with a 3D mesh cover that is made of 98% polyester and 2% spandex and is supposed to help prevent allergens and dander from entering the pillow core. Speaking of the core, the M1X has a soft hypoallergenic shredded latex foam fill that provides great support and won’t bottom out. That’s pillow speak which means the pillow keeps its shape while you’re laying on it and bounces back, unlike some down filled pillows which get flat or lumpy during a sleep session.

The Bedgear is a comfortable pillow and I wanted to love it, but the thickness of the 2.0 and 3.0 pillows was a bit too high for me to comfortably sleep on through the whole night. I think I would be better off with either their 1.0 or even their 0.0 size.

That said, I do like the pillow quite a bit and the Dri-Tec and Air-X tech kept the pillow cool and dry even during the weird in-between weather we were having a few weeks ago when it was hard to regulate temps in the house at night with heat and AC. Even when the bedroom was slightly too warm, I didn’t feel sweaty sleeping on the Bedgear pillow.

There is one thing that’s important to mention about the Bedgear M1X pillow. It’s not machine washable. It’s only spot washable and with a price tag of $119, I think it should be fully washable for people who have problems with allergies.

What I like

  • Comfortable
  • Does get lumpy or flat
  • Stays cool
  • Comes in 4 sizes to match your sleep style and body size

What needs to be improved

  • Needs to be washable

Final thoughts

I just returned from a vacation in California where we stayed in 4 different locations, which meant 4 different beds with 4 different pillows. The first night we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express near the Indianapolis airport. It was a very nice hotel that was so new that you could actually smell the newness. The bed was comfortable, but their pillows were like sleeping on a boulder. I don’t think I slept at all that night because like I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this review, I’m a pillow snob and am very picky about the cushion I put under my head at night. The other 3 places where we stayed in California had better pillows, but I would have loved to have had one of the BedGear M1X pillows with me on the trip. Even though the 2.0 and 3.0 sizes are too thick for me, I have little doubt that their thinner versions would make me want to burn my antique pillow once and for all.

Price: $119.00
Where to buy: Bedgear
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Bedgear.

The post Bedgear M1X pillow review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Bedgear M1X pillow review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 3, 2018 at 3:14 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.

Have Alexa tell your GE refrigerator to brew you a cup of coffee

The GE Café™ Series 27.8 ft³ French-door refrigerator has lots of the bells and whistles you’d expect a well-equipped fridge to have, but those aren’t the options we’re interested in.  In addition to the ice and water dispenser on the door, this GE fridge has a Keurig K-Cup brewer that uses the dispenser to brew a single cup of coffee.  And it’s WiFi-connected and compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, too.

To brew coffee (or other hot beverage), put a K-Cup into the brewer, slide the brewer into the fridge’s dispenser, select brew size, then start the water heating.  When it’s hot, press a button to dispense the coffee into a cup.  You can also dispense hot water for use with brewing a pot of tea, making instant soup, noodles, or oatmeal, and other uses.  You can choose from pre-programmed temperatures or set your own.  There’s even a slide-out shelf to hold a larger vessel while your hot water dispenses.  And if you need a measured amount of water, the fridge lets you select an amount to dispense for a quick, easy hot cup of water for a recipe.

This GE Café™ Series fridge has built-in WiFi connectivity, so you can get real-time feedback and alerts and  optimize performance of your fridge.  With the GE app, you can schedule hot water so you’ll be ready to brew some coffee or make hot oatmeal the minute you get up in the morning.  And the fridge is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT, so you can control the fridge with voice commands.

The GE Café™ Series 27.8 ft³ French-door refrigerator has an MSRP of $3399.  Learn more about the fridge and find a dealer near you on the GE website.

The post Have Alexa tell your GE refrigerator to brew you a cup of coffee appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Have Alexa tell your GE refrigerator to brew you a cup of coffee originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 3, 2018 at 12:30 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.