The MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Air Travel Tripod: Don’t leave home without it.


For those of us who pursue the adventures associated with photography and videography, traveling light is a must. We have to take so much gear in anticipation of what we might get the opportunity to shoot, that every little reduction counts.

One way to reduce weight and bulk is by using a compact lightweight tripod that can still get the job done by handling our regularly used equipment including full size DSLR cameras, etc.

The MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Air Travel Tripod is exactly such a tripod. It is sturdy and lightweight since it is made of aluminum alloy. It is capable of supporting up to 17.6 pounds and extending to 68.1 inches. “The telescoping 5-section HyperLock design allows the user to set-up and break-down the tripod with speed and ease by simply turning the rubber foot in one direction to extend the leg and in the opposite direction to lock it at the desired length”. It features an Arca type compatible ball head with an Arca type plate, and it can be adjusted to work as a monopod. The legs can be spread so that the tripod is lowered down to 12 inches, and folded closed it is so compact that it measures only 12.2 inches.

If you would like to purchase the MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Air Travel Tripod, you can head over to B&H Photo Video and purchase one for $159.00.

The post The MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Air Travel Tripod: Don’t leave home without it. appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

The MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Air Travel Tripod: Don’t leave home without it. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 2018 at 1:33 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.

Forget about stirring your coffee, Stircle it instead

Do you ever stop and think about how much trash is generated at a coffee shop or restaurant? For those of you who like to add cream and sugar to your coffee and tea, do you use a wooden or plastic stick or spoon to make sure everything is well mixed? Where do those stirring implements go within seconds of you using them? Straight into the trash and that’s a waste for many reasons.

Inventor Scott Amron, the same person who brought us the Keybrid keychain, has invented the Stircle. What is it? It’s a stirring device that has been designed to stir beverages inside various sized cups. Just place the cup in the Stircle and it does all the work to make sure your beverage is perfectly mixed without using a spoon or a stick.

The Stircle is designed to sit in a hole cut out of any countertop with a simple hole saw and is available in a basic and advanced version which has faster stir times. It should stir 50,000 cups using only about $0.10 of electricity at $0.12 per kWh. The Stircle is priced at $345 or $490 depending on the model. For more info visit stircle.com

The post Forget about stirring your coffee, Stircle it instead appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Forget about stirring your coffee, Stircle it instead originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 2018 at 11:00 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.

Speck Presidio Sport Case review

What is it?

A very protective case offering full, rugged protection with a smooth sport visual instead of harsh angles.

What’s in the box?

Presidio Sport Case for iPhone X

Design and features

Speck isn’t new to the case business. They’ve been creating protective products for devices since 2001, and I want to disclose that I worked for them around 8 years ago. They’ve learned a lot in the past 17 years and the Presidio Sport Case showcases a lot of that knowledge.

There’s a number of features so I’m just going to lay them out here and we’ll take a closer look at the key ones in the review.

These features are called out on the packaging…

  • 3-Layer construction of a polycarbonate shell, an Impactium™ Shock Barrier and an Impactium Sport outer layer.
  • Military-grade 10 feet drop protection
  • 360º port protection
  • Raised bezel screen protection
  • Soft-touch no slip grip
  • Microban® anti-microbial technology

Additionally these two are called out on the website description; the first of which seems rather important to be absent from the packaging.

  • Qi wireless charging compatibility
  • Lab-tested durability

It’s available in 5 different color combinations. The one shown here is Gunmetal Grey/Cobalt Blue/Slate Grey.

Installation

Installing the case is pretty easy thanks to the flex corners in Speck’s design. Lead with the left side of the phone so that the mute switch and volume keys tuck under the edge of the case, then press down on the right corners of the phone until fully seated.

Performance

It can be hard to think about performance when talking about a case, but that’s what we’re going to do. To start, let me say that I would prefer to run my phone without a case. All the buttons and switches function just the way they should and feel great. As is the case with a lot of us, a phone is too important to my work and personal life to risk an accident. So, a case it wears.

More protective cases like this one add enough dimension that the buttons get recessed too far for easy access. The solution is to cover the buttons and try to maintain functionality. Well, Speck nailed it. All the buttons press beautifully and you know you’ve pressed them. Similarly, the mute-switch dial is a fantastic alternative to a cavity that would be too small for my fingers. A small turn and the haptics of the phone vibrate to let you know you’re muted. When you find yourself idly playing with a feature like this, you know they got something right.

The inner frame has a scalloped design all the way around the inside edges which provide rigidity while reducing weight and serving as an anchor for the softer, shock-absorbing layers. The case weighs about 48g which brings the already hefty iPhone X up to 174g when installed. It doesn’t feel significantly bigger than most normal cases and is definitely smaller than some of the real rugged options out there. The outer layer has a great feel and walks that fine line between avoiding a slippery case and one that’s too grippy. No issues with wireless charging either which I wondered about initially.

Testing drop performance is a tricky thing if you don’t have a budget to replace a phone. I’m happy to report that this case protected mine beautifully when I accidentally fumbled my phone picking up my car from the dealer. It fell from waist height to polished cement and landed on a corner with a sound that didn’t give me that uh-oh feeling. All good.

The hinged door does a great job of protecting the lightning port in between the speaker holes which line up the way they should. The door is large enough for some cables with large connector overmolds, and opens and closes with a nice positive snap. The living hinge design wants to stay in the closed position, but it doesn’t overly fight you when connecting a cable. The back is totally flat including the lens area which is great for tapping out messages with your phone flat on a table, at least until a cable is connected, when the displaced port cover lifts the end of the phone off the table.

So what’s this Microban? They’re a company that’s been around for over three decades fighting damaging microbial growth before it starts. Here’s the thing; it’s not the kind of feature that you can really see or tell is working as a consumer. So maybe think about it this way. How frequently do you hand your phone to someone else to share a photo or a website? Set it down in a taxi, or on a cafe counter? If it works even close to as well as they say it does, it definitely can’t hurt and if it’s on a case that you like, why not?

What I like

  • Flat back – the back of the case is perfectly flat counteracting the normally protruding camera lens. Tap away to your heart’s content without your phone rocking around.
  • Button feel – The tactility is perfect. You can press and know you’ve pressed.
  • Rotary switch – Great solution for a case that would otherwise have a deep finger hole recess for accessing the switch.
  • Hand feel – the case has a silky touch without being too tacky or slippery.
  • Screen protection – the iPhone screen is recessed into the case even when using an additional glass screen protector.

What needs to be improved

  • I would love to see the lightning cover be removable. It’s great protection, but when open with a connected cable the case doesn’t lay flat. It would be great to see this as an optional part that can be removed before installing your phone.
  • A mention of Qi compatibility on the packaging.

Final thoughts

There’s a lot to like about this case, and very little to gripe about. If you’re looking for a case with better than average protection against drops and accidents, this is a solid choice.

Price: $44.95
Where to buy: Speck Products and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Speck Products

The post Speck Presidio Sport Case review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Speck Presidio Sport Case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 2018 at 10:00 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.

This band will keep your Apple Watch on the dot

If you like your accessories to be unique, you probably don’t like to choose your Apple Watch bands from the standard offerings from Apple.  This metal watch band is very attractive, and it’s not something you’re likely to see three other people wearing at the office.  The band looks like a series of metal dots strung together, very unlike other metal link bands I’ve seen.

The YJYdada stainless Apple Watch band is described as being for the Apple Watch Series 3, but I’m not aware of any reason that it couldn’t work for all series.  It is, however, sized for the 42mm Watch, and it fits wrists 5.3″ – 9.25″.   It’s available in black, rose gold, silver, and gold.  At only $12.76, you could get all four and have a complete wardrobe to match all your clothing.

The YJYdada Stainless Steel Smart Watch Band is available at Amazon.

The post This band will keep your Apple Watch on the dot appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

This band will keep your Apple Watch on the dot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 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.

Feel free to connect with Freestream


Fashion shows are one of the events that I love to video, and on a few occasions, I have been a part of a team the included a live broadcast as a part of the event. The hustle and bustle of celebrity types lends a sense of excitement and adds energy to the environment. However, setting up multiple video cameras for these events can be a pain when broadcasting, because of the cables that need to be run from each camera back to the broadcast hub. This issue is even more complicated when we are forced to run cables across areas where models will be walking, since tripping is an inherent risk even when the cables are taped to the floor.

I have researched many wireless HDMI transmitter/receiver kits, but they have always been rather expensive, starting in the $1000S for one set.

Recently, I can across Freestream. It is an HDMI transmitter/receiver kit that claims to work with most HDMI enabled cameras. While we use SDI in most of our connections, we have the ability to use HDMI with no issues. Freestream features, an audio input to the transmitter, a removable and rechargeable battery, an LCD screen, 1080P 60 Hz frequency, a range of up to 1500 feet, and 4 channels that supports the use of up to 4 cameras simultaneously.

You can get more information on Freestream and pick one kit up with an included Pelican case for $699 at the Freestream website, or without the case for $599 at B&H Photo Video.

The post Feel free to connect with Freestream appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Feel free to connect with Freestream originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 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.