The iLi Translator has all the right answers


Whenever I am in my photography “zone” and I am brainstorming about future shoots and locations, I get very excited about the photo opportunities that I have seen via television shows, or from pictures taken by other photographers. I also understand that to get to some of those locations, there will be much travel through unknown terrain, and I get really fearful when I think about the challenges of possibly trying to navigate while in places with people who do not speak my language. While traveling with expensive gear and not being really sure of where I am going, I would really like to know what I am being told, especially if I have to depend on a native guide.

Researching my options, I came up with the iLi Translator. This little gem is a one-way translator. While it only supports translation for three languages; Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese, it would work for me because those languages are native to several of the countries that I would love to travel to for photography. The iLi Translator has a small footprint, and translates from English to any one of the three languages. It works completely offline, with no Wi-Fi required. It has a fast response time of 0.2 seconds to translate a word, and it is basically optimized for travel. While it is obvious that this device will not work for everyone, especially because of its language limitations, I may still give it a try for my relevant trips. One major negative for me might be the one-way aspect that makes me have to construct all of my questions to get yes or no responses. Something that can translate responses back to me in English may work better for me.

If the iLi Translator is a fit for you, head over to the Iamili website where you can learn more about it and purchase one for $199.

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The iLi Translator has all the right answers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 13, 2018 at 9:15 am.

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Your search for the perfect chin-supporting travel pillow is over

When you’re a passenger in a plane, train, or automobile, you may find yourself dozing off.  And then when you wake after sleeping slumped forward, you probably suffer from a stressed neck and shoulders from sleeping with your neck unsupported.  BCOZZY says their travel pillow is the one you need – the one that will fit, will support your head and prevent pain, and that will help you sleep restfully.

The BCOZZY Chin Supporting Travel Pillow is more supportive than those bead-filled  cushions.  Its flat back doesn’t push your head forward, the adjustable chin support function stops your head from falling forward, and booster side cushions help keep your head in a comfortable position.  BCOZZY even makes carrying it easier, because the cushion has a snap strap on the back so you can clip it to your carryon.

And FYI, you can use the pillow at home for more comfortable naps there, too.  Also, BCOZZY says:

“We are proud and thrilled to hear that the BCOZZY pillow is helping not just travelers but also people with disabilities like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer or with other neck and back problems that are forcing them to sit and sleep in a chair, elderly people that find it hard to hold their head and those who use it daily for lounging and relaxing their neck and shoulders after a long day at work.“

BCOZZY is available in sizes for adults or children in black, red, navy, gray, purple, or pink.  Normal price is $49.97, but the travel pillows are available now for $29.97.  Get your pillows at the BCOZZY website.

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Your search for the perfect chin-supporting travel pillow is over originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 13, 2018 at 8:13 am.

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– Weekly roundup

Check out this week’s listing of all the news, reviews, and articles that we’ve posted here on the site. Enjoy!

Reviews

News

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– Weekly roundup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 12, 2018 at 5:17 pm.

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Thinkware F800 PRO dashcam review

Last September I reviewed the Thinkware F800, a stealthy, feature-rich dashcam that remained in my old sports car until the day I sold it. Well, as the story goes, my new car didn’t have power ports nearly as well place as my former set of wheels. So, instead of having the 12V cable dangling from my rearview mirror, I had Thinkware’s optional power cable hardwired into my new car in preparation for this review. Thinkware has recently sent me their latest and greatest to try out, the F800 PRO. So, let’s see how this dashcam compares to the original and if it lives up to its PRO moniker.

Since the F800 and F800 PRO are nearly identical in form and function, I will be plagiarizing myself while describing the Pro’s shape, ports, and shared features but dive into what differences there are.

What is it?

The F800 PRO is a screen-less dashcam, shaped more or less like a thick deck of cards with a growth on its side to house the lens assembly. Like its twin sibling, I love the minimalistic, non-distracting form factor of the F800 PRO. Other than verbal/audio notifications, you can hardly tell it’s installed being tucked behind the rearview mirror. The F800 PRO is even more stealthy than the original, housed in all-black (vs gray) plastic and packed full of the latest tech, features, and Sony’s 2.13MP Exmor CMOS camera.

Design and features

Package Contents:

  • Main dashcam unit
  • Mount with 3M tape (1ea)
  • 12v power cable
  • Adhesive cable holders
  • 16gb microSD memory card with adapter (consumable)
  • Quick start guide/warranty card

The top of the F800 PRO has four slots that slide onto the mounting plate which allows for easy installation and removal of the device. The mounting plate is securely held to the windshield by a 3M adhesive strip (vs suction cup mount). The dashcam locks into place with a secure, wiggle-free connection.

The main face of the F800 PRO has the mute, SD card format, WiFi, and power buttons in addition to the GPS, recording, and WiFi status LEDs located on the left. The F800 PRO’s speaker is also located on the front of the device. Like the F800, the PRO’s speaker impressed me, definitely the clearest and loudest dashcam sound I have experienced to date.

The bottom, front facing edge of the dashcam has LED security lights that are managed via the Thinkware smartphone app.

The right side of the F800 PRO has its video-in, power, and external GPS ports. The video-in port is for the rear, second channel camera.

The F800 PRO’s camera is on the left side of the device, engineered to sit very close to the windshield to reduce distortion and glare. The camera housing is able to rotate vertically approximately 90 degrees to accommodate nearly any windshield angle and vehicle design.

The top of the F800 PRO has the recessed reset button, microSD card slot, and microphone. The PRO ups the maximum microSD card capacity to 128gb (vs the 64gb of the original F800).

Installation:

As I mentioned above, instead of using the included 12v power cable I had the Thinkware TWA-SH hardwiring cable installed by the Geek Squad @BestBuy. The cable itself was about $25 on Amazon and $50 to have it professionally installed. The hardware kit enables you to use all of the F800 PRO’s Parking Mode features/capabilities.

Other than the mute, format, WiFi, and the power buttons, configuring, managing and viewing/downloading video is all done via the Thinkware app available for iOS and Android devices.

The Thinkware app even helps you align the dashcam when first setting the 3M mounting plate as you can see here with the blue & green lines.

Setup and Management:

To customize the F800 PRO’s multitude of settings, you have to connect to the dashcam via WiFi and use the mobile app to tweak things as you like. The process requires you to press the WiFi button on the front of the dashcam, directly connect to its WiFi (for me it is Thinkware_B8), then start up the app.

In addition to accessing the F800 PRO’s camera (memory card/camera/recording/road safety/system) settings, the app also provides a listing of recordings and enables you to download these files from the microSD card to your smartphone wirelessly. Each 85mb file takes approximately a minute to download. Viewing videos are definitely easier by removing the microSD card and watching them on the Thinkware viewer on your computer.

Noteworthy Features:

  • Built-in GPS sensor  – the F800 & F800 PRO have absolutely the FASTEST built-in GPS I have ever tested.
  • Driver assistance – Includes lane departure, forward collision avoidance, and forward vehicle departure warning.
  • Speed camera alerts – the F800 PRO has an internal database that warns you when you’re coming up to an intersection or location with a known speed camera standing watch.
  • High-temperature protection system – a built-in thermal sensor protects the F800 PRO hardware and data against intense heat by automatically turning it off to prevent overheating.
  • Dual channel capable (aka second camera) – Thinkware also offers a rear camera that captures HD video @30fps.

Video Quality:

The F800 PRO uses the Ambarella A12 Chipset able to record 1080p simultaneously on both channels. The lens has 140 degrees of viewing angle with little fish-eye effect. I plan on adding Thinkware’s Rearview Camera in the near future.

Like the X550 and F800, the F800 PRO’s daytime video is good with solid resolution, excellent color, and better than usable image quality. Even though the F800 series has a 2.13MP Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor, some details are lost at HD (1920 x 1080) quality video.

Thinkware’s Super Night Vision 2.0 and Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor are very good at capturing light, producing an excellent nighttime video. The example shows excellent control of glare and exposure while producing well lit, very usable video.

Thinkware Viewer:

The Thinkware PC viewer is one of the best features of using their dashcams, very well polished and intuitive. Other dashcam manufactures either create a half-baked viewer or do not offer one at all.  The Thinkware viewer is an excellent integrated tool for viewing not only your driving video but speed, lat/long, Google map location, and three-dimensional G-forces the car is experiencing at any particular moment. These G-forces are illustrated in the bar graph under the video and the dial with a car in it with X- Y- and Z- axis in the lower left corner of the window. Like the X550 and F800, the F800 PRO records in 1:00 minute blocks that are approximately 85mb in size. The only issue I had with the viewer was the Google mapping integration was a bit hit or miss but I believe it might be the security settings on my Mac and/or iPhone.

F800 Pro vs F800:

As I mentioned above…other than its more stealthy coloring, there is no outward/physical difference between the F800 Pro and the original F800.

The F800 PRO supports microSD cards up to 128GB in capacity, double what the F800 can. This not only doubles the recording time before overwriting content but theoretically doubles any card’s expected life span.

The F800 PRO (as you would expect) includes a handful of added features the F800 does not, including:

  • Geo-Fencing allows drivers or parents to stay alert of the vehicle location.
  • Locate Vehicle drivers to find the vehicle’s current location.
  • Driving Impact Notification will notify owners when their vehicle has sustained a significant impact.
  • Energy Saving Parking Mode reduces power consumption by 1/3 less and gives 3x longer video recording than typical parking mode.

The Geo-Fencing, Locate Vehicle, and Driving Impact Notification features require an internet connection to work. To achieve this, the F800/F800 PRO can automatically connect to your smartphone’s or car’s hotspot when enabled. When set up correctly, I see these features as a great way to make sure whoever (aka teenagers) are OK and safely motoring down the road.

What I like

  • Great build quality
  • Additional features and functions
  • Stealthy/minimalistic form factor
  • Good video quality (especially Night Vision)
  • Dual channel/camera capable
  • Quick GPS lock
  • Excellent PC viewer
  • Solid companion smartphone app
  • Easy to install/use

WHat needs to be improved

  • Needs 2K resolution

Final thoughts

I really like Thinkware’s F800 series of dashcams…so much so, I have had them hardwired into several of our vehicles. I prefer their screen-less, minimalistic form factor. Both the F800 and F800 PRO are jam-packed with features you would expect from a high-end, flagship device. The all-black PRO only adds on to where the F800 stops. As I have said in this and past reviews, I would prefer a high resolution sensor but Thinkware’s flagship device has solid video quality and definitely gets the job done. Bottomline: I recommend the F800 for its design, features, and polished ecosystem and suggest spending a bit more for the PRO and all its added capabilities.

Price: $299.99
Where to buy: Thinkware or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Thinkware, visit their site for more information.

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Thinkware F800 PRO dashcam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 12, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Master & Dynamic ME05 earphones review

I’ve reviewed enough Master & Dynamic products to know how well they are made and also how great they sound. Surprisingly, I have not been familiar with their earphones. That’s now changed. Here is my review of the Master & Dynamic ME05 earphones.

What is it?

The Master & Dynamic ME05 earphones are made from hand-finished brass and are made much like their headphones with an attention to detail missing from many other brands.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 21.5 mm X 11.8 mm
  • Drivers: 8 mm Titanium
  • Impedance: 16 ohms
  • Weight: 21 grams
  • Materials: Brass, rubber, silicone
  • Cable: 47 in.
  • 3.5mm standard plug
  • Microphone Type: Omni-directional
  • Apple Compatibility: The remote and mic are supported only by iPhone 3GS or later, iPad, iPod touch (2nd generation or later), iPod classic (120GB, 160GB), and iPod nano (4th generation or later). The remote is supported by iPod shuffle (3rd generation or later).

Design and features

The ME05 Earphones are made of brass and they look it. So, no surprises there. There’s even a polishing cloth included. The earphones have some weight to them and I was initially worried that this weight would make the earphones more difficult to stay in my ear. Nothing could be further from the truth. I don’t know how they did it but the weightiness is perfectly balanced, so any fears of falling out were alleviated within the first 30 minutes of wearing. I could even jump up and down without dislodging them, although I wouldn’t recommend exercising while wearing—especially since they are not water or sweat resistant.

Another welcome surprise are ear tips that fit! With my ears, this is a big deal. I didn’t have to revert to my saved stash of ear tips to achieve that important, proper seal. 

The earphones themselves are rather bulbous, but that allows the large dynamic speaker to sit outside the ear—and it helps with the balance I mentioned earlier. The brass is tastefully paired with black accents from the flat, tangle-resistant cords to the reinforced posts where the cord meets the earphone housing. The cord is a bit short for desktop use, but perfect for smartphone use. The overall effect of black and gold is that the ME05 earphones look more expensive than they are. Although made from brass, there are also two other color options: Black Chrome and Palladium. Master & Dynamic have a habit of matching style with substance and it shows here, also.

There is the usual assortment of accessories included. Four pairs of silicone ear tips along with an extra pair of “tuning filters.” These are not like the changeable filters you see on other brands of earphones that provide more bass, treble, whatever. No, these are identical to the already attached pair. However, unless you have gross ears, I can’t imagine why you would need to swap out the filters. Also, the filters are SMALL and yes, I dropped one and had trouble finding it. You’ve been warned. 

The accessories are housed in a nice leather-covered circular case that originally housed the earphones themselves when first opened. Once you pry out the insert that holds the tips, what’s left is a nice, hard case for protecting the earphones. Or you can opt for the included soft, cloth bag for easier packing in a backpack. It’s nice to have a choice. There’s also a shirt clip—which I have never used. 

On the cord, Master & Dynamic separated the mic from the controls, so the mic is closer to the mouth while the Play/Pause controls sit where the cord splits into left and right. Master & Dynamic claims that this reduces noise, but I’ve never noticed that problem with other earphones. But having the controls separate from the mic does reduce weight drag on the right cord since the mic weighs almost nothing.

The sound coming out of the ME05 earphones is as rich as the way they look. It’s a bit on the warm side but not overly so, which is a good thing. Warm just means that bass is accentuated just enough without crowding out the mids and higher frequencies. I can almost feel the bass thump in songs. Of course, that’s impossible with earphones, but the effect is there (depending on the song, of course). 

Brian Eno’s “Written, Forgotten” from the album “Small Craft on a Milk Sea” is a real bass tester. With the ME05 earphones, the deep bass notes sounded much like a subwoofer, but I could still hear faint, subtle whispering in the background giving the song an ethereal quality. I can’t hear that whispering with regular speakers or many headphones. It’s always a treat when you discover new things about songs you thought you knew very well.

Ladytron’s musical hooks are evident in many of their songs, but “Ghosts” is particularly infectious. When turned up, this song is a sonic kick in the teeth. Guitars are blurred with synth chords and distorted percussion giving the song a Phil Spector-like wall of sound. Despite this, you can still hear what you need to in order to make out specific instruments. 

Then there’s “Red Rain” from Peter Gabriel’s classic “So” album. I have a high res version on this album and the sonic improvements are evident throughout the song and album. Bass is tight and distinct from Gabriel’s vocals while there are higher frequency things happening in the background. However, the highs are tamed so there is no harshness at all. This is a well recorded album and the ME05s show that off.

What I like

They are extremely comfortable over long periods of listening, plus the ME05s have ear tips that fit me! The audio feels and sounds just right—not to bassy or bright. 

What needs to be improved

Nothing of note except the lack of water resistance. The ME05s are not cheap, but these brass earphones should last a long time if taken care of.

Final Thoughts

The Master & Dynamic ME05 earphones stick closely to the middle of the audio road without veering either too low or too high. This may disappoint some bass heads or people who like a brighter sound, but those people are not M&D’s target. M&D wants to please as many people as possible with something that sounds good to great and be comfortable doing it. And in that, they succeed.

One more thing. Before you say that $199 is a lot of money for earphones—brass or not—consider this: HifiMan makes brass earphones and those sell for $800. So by comparison, the M&D ME05 earphones are a bargain—especially since they sound so good.

Price: $199 US
Where to buy: Master & Dynamic
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Master & Dynamic.

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Master & Dynamic ME05 earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 12, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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