Diaper bags and baby gear for dads living in the urban jungle

When my daughter was born, I bought a bunch of Disney’s The Lion King stuff for her, including a diaper bag.  It had a leafy jungle print background and an appliqué of Simba on the front.  It was cute, and it was obviously for the baby I was toting around.  I never gave the cutesy design a second thought.  Years later, I realized, while looking for news items to write about for The Gadgeteer, that some people want plain, utilitarian bags for their kid’s stuff.  I asked my husband if that cutesy bag had bothered him, but he said he never gave it a second thought, either.  It was Rachel’s bag, and he was just carrying it for her because she was too small to carry it herself.

While searching for news items a couple years ago, I found a variety of gray or neutral bags for people who didn’t like carrying colorful baby bags, but I did notice that most of them, while plain and neutral, still looked more like a lady’s tote bag than a unisex bag.  I just found some diaper bags by a company called Tactical Baby Gear that might look more at home loaded up with gear for a military campaign than they would being loaded up with bottles and diapers for a day out with the kids.

TBG Deuce 2.0 (yeah, I noticed the name, too) Tactical Diaper Bag, as described by the creator himself, “marries a typical diaper bag with rows of MOLLE webbing. This webbing allows for complete customization, as dads can swap out tactical pouches, bottle pouches, baby blowout pouches, and the top-selling “dump pouch,” which is designed for exactly what you think.”  They have the Deuce 2.0 bag (shown above), backpacks, changing pads, baby carriers, and accessories in black, coyote brown (shown), gray, and black camouflage.  Prices start at $80.00 for the Deuce 2.0.  Learn more and purchase your gear at Tactical Baby Gear.

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Diaper bags and baby gear for dads living in the urban jungle originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2018 at 1:41 pm.

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Roland GO:MIXER audio mixer review

The GO:MIXER from Roland is a palm-sized audio mixer aimed at today’s content creators whether their taste is music, podcasts or video.

What is it?

It’s a small format mixer that lets you blend multiple input sources for a seamless output to a USB connected smartphone, tablet or laptop.

Hardware specs

Audio Channels: 8 input channels, 2 output channels
Connectors: Instrument (L/Mono, R) 1/4”
Line-in 1&2: 3.5mm stereo audio jacks
Mic-in: 1/4” (no phantom power)
Guitar/Bass: 1/4” (high-impedance)
Monitor out: 3.5mm stereo audio jacks
USB: USB Micro-B
Power supply: USB bus power
Current draw: 40 mA
Accessories:
     Lightning to USB Micro-B cable (~50cm / 1.5’)
USB OTG Micro-B to Micro-B cable (~50cm / 1.5’)
Size & weight: 95mm x 95mm x 28mm and 100gm (without cables)

What’s in the box?

Roland GO:MIXER
Lightning to USB Micro-B cable
USB OTG Micro-B to Micro-B cable

Design and features

YouTube, Instagram and other video sharing sites continue to grow and the success of a clip can just as easily depend on production quality as it does on the content itself. It’s clear that Roland aimed this product squarely at these creators. Let’s dive in a bit further…

Setup

The GO:MIXER is really its own instruction manual. As with most traditional audio products all the inputs, outputs and knobs are clearly labeled with their intended use and function. There are input level knobs for each of the three inputs as well as a knob for master output volume. Depending on what you’re trying to do, all that’s left is to connect your instruments, mic and/or auxiliary audio with the appropriate cables. In this review we’ll be connecting a microphone and an acoustic electric guitar via 1/4″ cables.

Performance

My son is a guitar player and I’ve enlisted his help with this review. Over the years, he’s created a number of videos for social channels and quickly got frustrated with audio quality when relying on his phone to capture audio with the onboard mic. The solution was to record audio separately (he prefers Reason) and then use iMovie to sync them up after the fact. That process worked well but required a lot of time.

The GO:MIXER solves for this exact scenario. With it’s included lightning cable (Micro-USB for Android) any audio sources coming through the GO:MIXER are piped straight to the phone in lieu of the iPhone mic. Playing an instrument, a vocal take with a microphone, or any combination of sources all come through pristinely. It’s important to note all sources are live feed so they need to be simultaneous. If you want to layer multiple takes, you’ll still need to use editing software.

I’ve created A and B videos with an iPhone X for comparisons. I didn’t worry about getting the video perfect for these as it’s the audio we’re focusing on for this review. The videos in this case are to help provide visual reference for what you’re hearing.

Video A

This video is shot with an iPhone X in the standard camera app using the built-in mic. The phone is set up on a tripod using a Glif smartphone holder from Studio Neat.

Overall, it sounds pretty good for a video recording on a mobile phone. What you don’t hear or experience is the multiple takes necessary to avoid the barking dog or the truck rumbling by. The bottom line is you’re going to get whatever audio is happening around you.

Video B

This is the same guitar / iPhone / tripod setup, but with some direct connections. The GO:MIXER is connected to the phone with the lightning cable. The acoustic/electric guitar to the guitar input. An Audio Technica M8000 microphone to the mic line-in. (The mic is actually not a Sennheiser as described in the video; bad cues on my part there.)

In the video, you’ll notice that he voice is clearer (holding a mic obviously). The guitar is crisp with more of the many subtleties present (fingers sliding on strings, fretting, etc.) While the audio levels may not be perfect in this video, a little experimentation will land on the best settings for each sound source.

Observations

  • The included cables are pretty short; only about 18”. They work well with smartphones and tablets if you’re using the selfie or front facing camera. If you want to use the (usually better) rear-facing camera, the short cables put the GO:MIXER further away from you and out of reach which means you’ll need to have your settings figured out ahead of time, as well as a way to start your recording remotely. Not a deal breaker by any means, but something you’ll want to consider. Micro-USB to Lighting cables are not readily available, so finding one will be a bit tricky should you need one.
  • The USB-bus power is a cool feature and it means one less thing to charge. Connect the GO:MIXER to your phone and it’s powered. The only catch here is that if your phone turns off / times out, the power to the GO:MIXER is also cut. It’s not an issue if you’re actively recording or have an app set to keep the phone from sleeping, but if you’re just practicing and the phone times out, the audio drops. Setting your phone to never sleep is a quick fix but you’ll obviously drain your battery faster.
  • The GO:MIXER also works well with a computer. Just supply your own USB Micro-B to USB A cable and connect it. Make sure to select it as the source in whatever application you choose to use.
  • There’s also a karaoke feature called “center cancel”. This should knock vocals down on audio source connected to Line-in 1 or 2. This function does not work if you’re playing audio from the USB connected phone. Makes sense, but unfortunate given the phone is where most of us keep our music these days.
  • There is a note on their website that some Android smartphones may convert the stereo USB audio output to mono on receipt. This was something I was unable to verify with the equipment I had on hand.

What I like

  • No batteries or power supply
  • Lightweight and small
  • Simple, understandable controls
  • App agnostic
  • Relatively low cost

What needs to be improved

  • Length of the included cables
  • Center-cancel function doesn’t work on a USB connected music source

Final thoughts

The GO:MIXER is intuitive and does what they claim it will. For capturing clean signals from simultaneous sources Roland has made it very easy to record a video without a lot of setup or post editing. There are more expensive solutions out there that are dedicated to source input for editing software, but for a multipurpose solution with a focus on one-and-done, Roland’s got a winner here. If you need to know more, Roland’s GO:MIXER webpage has a lot of detail.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roland

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Roland GO:MIXER audio mixer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Yongnuo YN-24EX TTL Macro Flash for Canon Cameras is flashy but not pricey


Once again, Yongnuo is making a difference in the photography industry with another one of their photography products. The Yongnuo YN-24EX TTL Macro Flash for Canon Cameras is a great product that works very well, and is priced less than 1/5 the cost of the Canon macro twin flash. I own this twin flash, and while it is not completely equal to its Canon counterpart, it comes in at a very close 2nd place. It is well built, quite solid, and quite durable. Since these types of gear must always be handled with care, there is no weakness in build quality when compared to Canon’s twin flash.

This twin flash fully supports Canon’s E-TTL / E-TTL II system, and also allows for the usual manual control. Just like the Canon version, it has two flash heads that mount on the front of your lens. You can control the position of each flash head for optimal lighting of the subject. There is a LED autofocus assist light built in, and “users have access to both 1st and 2nd curtain sync”. The flash also has a PC sync port, and it can be powered by 4 AA batteries or an HV power pack. Included in the box are 4 adapter rings (52mm, 58mm, 67mm, and 72mm), and a nice protective pouch good for storage and transporting.

If you would like to purchase the Yongnuo YN-24EX TTL Macro Flash for Canon Cameras, head over to Amazon or B&H Photo Video and pick one up for $171.

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The Yongnuo YN-24EX TTL Macro Flash for Canon Cameras is flashy but not pricey originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Cooking is easy as pie with this smart kitchen scale

The Drop Scale, paired with its app, is the easy way to find and prepare what’s for dinner.  The Drop Recipe app has hundreds of recipes to choose from, and the app guides you, step-by-step, through adding each ingredient as you go.  Weighing and measuring with the scale is interactive with the app, so if you find you are short of an ingredient, the app can rescale the amounts of the other ingredients so you can still make the recipe.  If you are missing an ingredient, the app can suggest a suitable substitution.

The app works with most Android 5.0 or later devices and most Apple iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches running iOS 9 or later.

  • Units: Weighs in ounces or grams
  • Capacity: From 6 kg (13 lbs) to under a gram (0.1 oz)
  • Material: FDA approved non slip Silicone.
  • Battery: Coin Cell (included).
  • Expected Battery Life: 1 year of normal use.
  • Dimensions: 5.5 x 6.5 x 1 inch
  • Weight: 10oz

You can even use your device to photograph your results to share on social networks.

The Recipe app is free, and the Drop scale is $79.95 directly from Drop or at Amazon.

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Cooking is easy as pie with this smart kitchen scale originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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BenQ PD2710QC DesignView 27-inch Designer Monitor review

I’ve been using the same 29-inch monitor from LG that I reviewed four years ago but about a month ago I started thinking about upgrading. The universe must have been listening to my thoughts because BenQ contacted me to ask if I would like to review one of their monitors. Truth be told, BenQ had not been on my radar when I was dreaming about a new monitor. But when they offered the 27-inch PD2710QC DesignView Designer Monitor I decided to take a chance but wondered if I would regret losing 2-inches of screen real estate. Let’s find out.

What is it?

The BenQ PD2710QC monitor is a 27-inch monitor that has extra features including a built-in USB-C docking station for your laptop that includes a variety of connections.

Hardware specs

Screen Size: 27 inches
Resolution (max.): 2560×1440
Panel Type: IPS
Backlight Technology: LED backlight
Brightness: 350 cd/㎡
Native Contrast(typ.): 1000:1
Viewing Angle (L/R;U/D) (CR>=10): 178/178
Response Time: 5ms (GtG)
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Display Colors: 16.7 million colors
Color Gamut: 100% sRGB/Rec. 709
Display Area(mm): 596.7(H) x 335.7(V)
Pixel Pitch (mm): 0.2331
PPI: 109

For the full specs listing, visit the spec page for this monitor on BenQ’s site.

What’s in the box?

  • PD2710QC monitor
  • Power supply
  • USB-C cable
  • DP to mini DP cable
  • Quick start guide
  • CDrom with drivers

Design and features

The BenQ PD2710QC monitor has a grey and black plastic shell. The front of the monitor is completely flat, but the back is curved with the support connection in the center, control buttons on one side, a 12. Kensington lock slot on the opposite side, and video and power connections in a recessed area.

The connection panel has a power switch, power connector, HDMI socket,  DisplayPort socket, Mini DisplayPort socket, DisplayPort output socket (for Multi-Stream Transport, MST), and a Headphone jack. The bottom of the monitor also has downward firing speakers built into it.

The monitor comes has three main parts. The main monitor, the base/docking station, and the monitor support.

Assembling the parts is easy and does not require any tools at all other than your hands. First, you need to do is place the monitor face down on a flat clean surface.

Then you take the monitor support which has a metal plate on the piece that snaps into the back of the monitor.

Attaching the two pieces is very easy because the support clicks and locks in place with minimal effort.

Next, you take the base/docking station which has metal arm protruding from the back, and you slide it into the bottom of the support arm.

A metal thumbscrew on the bottom tightens to secure the base to the support.

Here we can see the back of the assembled BenQ PD2710QC monitor. You’ll notice a circular cutout in the support arm. That cutout is a pass-through for the cables. Unfortunately, that’s the only built-in cable organization feature for this monitor. And since you have to connect 2 cables from the monitor and 2 additional cables from the base, it really needs better cord management.


The BenQ PD2710QC’s base is 12 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep and provides a perfect home for my 12-inch MacBook.

The base of the monitor not only a convenient shelf to place your laptop, but it’s also a USB-C docking station. On the back of the base, there’s an Ethernet (Local Area Network) port (RJ-45 connector), 2 USB 3.0 ports, USB Type-C port, DisplayPort socket, and a power switch for the base.

You’ll also notice that there are more ports on the side of the base/docking station. I didn’t even notice the additional 2 USB ports and headphone jack until about 2 weeks after I’d been using the monitor. The location of these ports provides easier access than the back of the docking station and is useful for flash drives and headphones.

Some people might think that the monitor’s large base is not attractive and dare I say clunky looking. I’m not one of those people. I like it a lot. But, I also have a large desk. So desk size is something to consider before buying the PD2710QC.

Let’s take a closer look at the control buttons. Guess what? The buttons do not have any labels except for the bottom button which is the power button for the display. How do you know how to change the monitor’s settings if the buttons aren’t labeled?

Pressing any button (other than the power button at the bottom) will cause a menu to pop up on the display. Then you can press the corresponding physical button on the back of the monitor to show that menu and navigate the settings.

It takes a little practice, but this method of going through the menus works fine as long as you don’t accidentally press the bottom button which will turn off the display and you’ll have to start over to find the setting you want to customize.

There are a LOT of display settings you can change on this PD2710QC monitor. From basic settings like brightness, contrast, sharpness and input choice, to individual RGB color levels and to choosing different display modes.

Display modes

The BenQ PD2710QC is a monitor that has modes for several different use cases. I’ve listed the modes with a brief description taken directly from the monitor’s manual.

sRGB

For better color matching representation with the peripheral devices, such as printers, digital cameras, etc.

Animation

Enhances the contrast of the dark shades so you could work on the details easily when making an animation.

CAD/CAM

Enhances the contrast if a CAD / CAM software is used.

Darkroom

For image editing and viewing in a post-processing environment with a dim light. This mode enhances the sharpness and clarity of shades and shows more details.

Rec. 709

For better color matching representation with Standard Rec. 709.

Low Blue Light

Decreases the blue light emitted from the display to reduce the risk of blue light exposure to your eyes.

M-book

Minimizes the visual differences between the monitor and the connected MacBook series product.

Standard

This is the default setting which basic PC application.

User

Applies a combination of picture settings defined by users.

I used the Standard display mode for weeks and then switched over to the M-book mode since I did all my testing with my 12-inch MacBook. I immediately noticed that the M-book mode is a lot brighter than the Standard mode but I’ve left it set to M-book and I think I prefer it.

As already mentioned I tested the PD2710QC monitor with my 12-inch MacBook connected via the supplied USB-C cable to the monitor’s base/docking station.

I have to say that I’ve fallen in love with the docking station which provides 4 additional USB connections, a headphone jack, Ethernet port, as well as a connection directly to the monitor.

I’ve used 3 different adapters and docks with my MacBook since buying it and the BenQ dock and I like this one the best yet just because it’s all one unit. That said, the base does not have a card reader for SD or micro SD cards and it only provides 61W of power delivery, so it might not be suitable for other laptops which use USB-C for power like the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Again, that’s something consider before purchasing this monitor.

Something else that should be mentioned is that you can use the USB ports on the dock to charge other devices, BUT, charging is only active when your laptop is connected to the dock. When I disconnect the USB-C cable from my MacBook, my Pixel 2 XL stopped charging when connected to one of the other ports on the dock.

When I use my MB with the monitor, I use it a couple different ways. Sometimes I raise the monitor and use the MB’s display below it like you see above. The monitor can be raised up a maximum of 11 inches from the bottom of the display to the top of the desk. You can tip back the screen and get a box to rest your keyboard and you have a standing desk! At the lowest level, the bottom of the screen is about 4 inches to the desk.

I will also place the monitor on the base and use it all by itself. Note that the monitor can tilt back as much as 20 degrees, and forward as much as 5 degrees.

You can also rotate it a full 90 degrees like you see here. This is great for web designers who want to check out the layout of their sites.

The BenQ PD2710QC’s display is gorgeous. I know it’s not 4K, but it’s sharp as a tack and everything I look at on it looks beautiful, vibrant, and crystal clear. I’ve used the monitor for everything you typically use a monitor for. I’ve surfed the web, watched movies, played a few games, edited images in Photoshop, read documents, typed out documents and more.

Like other BenQ monitors, the PD2710QC has been Technicolor Color Certified and individually factory calibrated and validated against industry color standards.

I’ve found that the monitor’s viewing angle is excellent and the non-glare coating makes it easy on my eyes and I enjoyed using it no matter what task I was doing.

Extra features that I didn’t test

If you’re a Windows user, can also install the BenQ Display Pilot software which will allow you to partition the screen. I’m a Mac user, so I didn’t test this.

I also didn’t test the display daisy chain feature that will allow you to connect up to 4 monitors using MST (multi-stream transport technology) to span your laptop’s screen across the monitors.

What I like

  • Clear, crisp and vibrant colors
  • The built-in USB-C docking station
  • 3-year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Needs better cable management
  • Needs an SD or microSD card reader in the base
  • The base may not be able to charge the battery on some laptops
  • Power delivery on dock’s USB ports deactivates when the laptop is disconnected
  • Built-in speakers are only ok
  • Requires two power cords. One for the monitor and one for the base. I wish it only needed one.

Final thoughts

I’ve been using the BenQ PD2710QC monitor for the last month and I’ve been more than happy with it for all the tasks I do on a daily basis. The display provides my 12-inch MacBook with a place to sit and a selection of ports. But it’s also easy on my eyes and gives me great color and crispness for everything I look at.  I may not have had BenQ on my radar for monitors before, but now I’m impressed and will make sure to check out their monitors the next time I need to upgrade.

Price: $599.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BenQ.

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BenQ PD2710QC DesignView 27-inch Designer Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2018 at 4:50 pm.

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