The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light promises a bright future!


If you are a photographer like me and on a budget, and you have frequently experienced the frustration of feeling like no matter how much you spend your flash never seems to recycle fast enough, then you are not alone. Flash heads with amazingly good recycle times can cost a “ton” of money, and with all of the gear we always want to buy, it seems like the investment in a premier flash is never quite the best bang for the buck.

I was very excited to see the Rotolight Neo 2 LED light particularly because it boasts to be both a capable continuous light and a flash, with no recycle times, so you never miss a shot. Here are some more very impressive specifications from manufacturer’s website: “A built-in Elinchrom Skyport flash receiver delivers ultra-reliable wireless triggering (1/8000th) up to 200m (656ft)”.

The Rotolight has a variable color temperature of 3150K to 6300K, and an amazing CRI-Color Rendering Index of 96. It can be powered by 6 AAA batteries or a D-Tap battery or by AC. It is portable and very compact, and it also claims to have True Aperture Dimming and a CineSFX mode to automatically program various looks for creating certain effects in scenes.

The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light seems like a great addition to a photo or video kit, and especially so for those like me seeking better flash recycle times. Since it can be used for both photo and video, it sure sounds like a winner. You can pick one up at Amazon or B&H Photo Video for $399.98.

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The Rotolight Neo 2 LED Light promises a bright future! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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RAVPower HyperAir 7.5-Watt Wireless Chargers review

Ever since purchasing my iPhone X I’ve been searching for a good 7.5-Watt wireless charger. RAVPower threw their hat into the ring recently introducing a new line of wireless Fast Chargers – HyperAir. The lineup includes flat charging bases, a charging stand, and even a power bank that can wirelessly charge your iPhone. RAVPower sent me all three HyperAir models to review. Since this was my first time using a wireless charger of any kind I was eager to test them out.

What is it?

Most fast wireless chargers on the market today are made to charge either IOS or Android phones. RAVPower’s HyperAir technology delivers the fastest charging speeds on contact for both iOS and Android devices – all with the same charger. HyperAir utilizes both 7.5W fast charging for iPhone X/8 plus/ 8 and 10W fast charging for Samsung devices like the Galaxy S9 and Note 8.

Hardware specs

PC069

  • Input: DC 12V / 2A Max
  • Output: 10W Max
  • Dimensions: 5.04 x 2.76 x 2.83 inches
  • Weight: 5.9 oz
  • Form factor: Angled Stand: 60°

PC066

  • Input: 9V/12V 2A
  • Output: 10W Max
  • Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 0.5 inches
  • Weight: 2.9 oz
  • Form factor: Horizontal pad

PB080 – 10400mAh Wireless Portable Charger

  • Capacity: 10400mAh / 37.4Wh
  • Input: DC 5V / 2A Max
  • iSmart output: 5V / 2A Max
  • Wireless output: 10W Max
  • Dimensions: 6.4 x 3.1 x 0.9 inches
  • Weight: 2.5 lbs

Whats in the box?

 

  • RAVPower wireless charger stand
  • Micro-USB cable
  • QC 3.0 power adaptor
  • User guide

  • RAVPower wireless charger pad
  • Micro-USB cable
  • QC 3.0 power adaptor
  • User guide

  • RAVPower wireless portable charger
  • USB to Micro USB cable
  • Micro USB to type C connector
  • User guide

Design and features

I really like the understated design of both the HyperAir charging stand and pad. Their small size makes them perfect to use on nightstands, end tables, or desktops. They also eliminate the need for having a bunch of charging cords laying around the house.

Both chargers work with most phone cases as long as they’re no thicker than 3mm and don’t contain metal.

Each model comes with both an 18-watt power adapter that supports the Quick Charge 3.0 standard and a nice braided USB-micro cable.

PC069 HyperAir charging stand

The HyperAir charging stand has a matte black finish and unique body design. A little more stylish than similar charging stands I’ve seen.

It has dual-coil charging which allows you to charge your smartphone in either portrait or landscape positions.

The charging pad and base both use a non-slip silicone that helps to keep the phone and charger in place. It does a really nice job of cradling the phone.

The backside of the charging stand has small perforations that help to disperse heat. Unlike traditional wireless chargers that overheat affecting charging speed and battery health, HyperAir features triple temperature controls. An intelligent chip monitors and adjusts charging temperature and the advanced internal structure allows for 15% higher heat dissipation. This allows the charger to maintain charging speeds for a longer period of time. In my testing, none of the chargers got overly warm while charging.

The front of the charger has a LED charging status light. While your phone is charging the LED slowly pulses green. The light will turn solid green for 15 seconds when charging is complete. If the charger senses a foreign object (like metal) the LED will blink red and the charger will stop working.

HyperAir shares that same fixed frequency program as iPhones, allowing the charger to both accurately detect it and start charging immediately. When you place your phone on the charger it quickly detects what type of device it is and adjusts the charging profile.

PC066 HyperAir charging pad

The HyperAir charging pad has a sleek square design with smooth rounded edges. It’s small, light, and very thin, a perfect fit for my iPhone X.

It shares the same LED indicator on the front as the HyperAir stand, however, I noticed that it’s kind of hard to see in a well-lit room.

It has the same non-slip silicone surface and base as the HyperAir stand.

A vented aluminum alloy panel on the bottom of the pad helps to better disperse heat while charging.

10400mAh Wireless Portable Charger

Along with the HyperAir charging stand and pad, RAVPower sent me a 10,000mAh portable power bank. With the power bank, you can charge two devices simultaneously, one using the built-in wireless 7.5W charging pad and the second through a 2.4A USB port.

With 10,400 mAh there’s enough power to charge multiple devices multiple times.

The smooth matte black design of the power-bank is nothing special. But its size does make it perfect for carrying in both an EDC bag or backpack.

The working status LED located on the side of the charger works the same as it does on the other HyperAir chargers.

The battery power of the charger can be determined by four small blue LED lights located on the top surface.

RAVPower does include both a flat 24-inch Micro-USB cable, a USB-C to micro-USB adaptor, and a handy microfiber carrying pouch in the box. Unfortunately, they do not include the recommended 2A adaptor, and I think that’s a pretty big omission, considering its price of $67.99.

Charging speed

I tested the speed of all three HyperAir wireless chargers. I charged my iPhone X for an hour on each. Here are the results.

Charging stand- 40% – 80% = 40% charge
Charging pad – 53% – 86% = 33% charge
Portable power-bank – 60% – 92% = 32% charge

My not so scientific tests showed that the HyperAir stand yielded the best results. I was surprised that the HyperAir pad didn’t do as well. The power bank didn’t do quite as good as either of the wired HyperAir chargers, but not bad considering this is for charging on the go.

What I like

  • Small and considerate design
  • Less clutter
  • Work with most phone cases
  • Easy to use
  • Both the HyperAir stand and pad come with recommended QC 3.0 power adaptors and braided charging cable
  • The power-bank allows you to charge 2 devices at the same time
  • Portability of the power-bank

What needs improvement

  • HyperAir power bank is a little pricey and does not come with a power adaptor

Final thoughts

I really like what the RAVPower HyperAir chargers bring to the table. Both the charging stand and pad now have permanent spots in my house, and if I ever need to unplug the power bank provides a great alternative.

As an iPhone user, I waited a long time to be able to take advantage of fast wireless charging. This line of RAVPower HyperAir chargers made it worth the wait.

Price: PC069 charging stand – $49.99, PC066 charging pad – $39.99, PB080 power bank – $67.99
Where to buyAmazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by RAVPower.

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RAVPower HyperAir 7.5-Watt Wireless Chargers review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Hide your valuables in plain sight

There are lots of ways to protect your valuables in your home, from wall safes to small lock boxes to ziplock bags in the freezer.  I’ve seen hollowed out books and fake canned veggies used as small safes, but I’ve never seen a hairbrush used as a safe.  You could even take the hairbrush with you when you travel, which would look a lot less suspicious than traveling with a can of peas and carrots, for example.

The Diversion Safe Hair Brush from Stash-It has a screw-off top that conceals a 1.25″ diameter, 4.5″ deep storage area that can hold 30 rolled US bills.  It comes with a smell-proof bag that can be used in the safe, too.  Best of all, you can actually use the hairbrush, which will help it blend in with your toiletries.

The Stash-It Diversion Safe Hair Brush is $13.45 from Amazon.

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Hide your valuables in plain sight originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Hercules may just be the motion that you need


Whether the goal is to shoot smooth motion video to create great effects or to shoot time lapse photographs, videographers, cinematographers and photographers are constantly looking for the perfect slider to bring their creative ideas to life. I am always on the lookout for the same, and I own at least two relatively expensive sliders and the attachments that compliment each of them. When we work as individuals without a crew, the problem we all face in this industry is carrying around all of the bags of equipment required to get the full functionality out of the sliders, and then the time it takes to get everything all setup.

In my quest to find a small, light, versatile and effective slider or slider system, I stumbled across the Rollocam website and a very promising solution. According to the website, “HERCULES is a patent pending, pocket-size, motorized camera system that creates cinematic dolly shots and motion control time-lapses”. It is small and compact, and the videos on the website show it to be versatile enough to fit into many scenarios where a slider or slider system is needed.

If you are tired of walking around with a heavy slider and looking for something capable and portable, you may want to give the Hercules Motorized Camera System a try. You can head over to the Rollocam website and pick a package up starting at $249.

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The Hercules may just be the motion that you need originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2018 at 8:50 am.

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Pixel 2 XL review, Colonel Littleton notebook cover review, camera gear news, and more – Weekly roundup

Guess what I’m doing this afternoon? Working on my taxes. Let me sum up how that makes me feel in one word – ugh! I always wait until almost the last minute because… ugh! So I took a little break to make you this handy list of all the gadget news and reviews that we posted this week. Go read some of our articles while I drudge through paperwork and numbers. Enjoy!

Celebrating the life and humor of Stephen Hawking – see the Quantum Chess showdown with Paul Rudd

Spring cleaning has never been so easy with this robot vacuum

News

Charge your phone with the power of dilithium crystals!

Just say no to brown guacamole with Guac-Lock

This Monument is up to the task of managing your photos

Keep your feet toasty warm with this heated pouch

A recording microphone and a shouting caterpillar – two great things that go great together!

Focal focuses on color with new Listen Wireless Chic headphones

Gnarbox allows you to edit and share photos and video on the go!

Make your own granola bars at home

What’s cracking? This new toy! What’s popping? These colorful eggs!

The Arsenal Intelligent Camera Assistant seems to be an amazing product that can guarantee the perfect photo

Marshall’s new MID A.N.C. Bluetooth headphones go up to 11

Everything you need for a picnic for two except the food

The Gear Eye keeps an eye on things for photographers

Nookmark – for when a normal bookmark just won’t do

Bring history to life with these letters

Be part of the movie with Edifiers uniquely luxurious e255 5.1 Home Theater System

Easily feed your pet on-the-go with the Pet Travel-Tainer

The TRILENS is a 3 lens holder for Photographers on the go

Tutti Matti wireless speaker, Morsel Spork, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

ElevationLab CordDock is not just a clever name

The Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder is really handy after all

Nest x Yale smart door lock is finally available for purchase

The Universal Lens Cap is the answer to great lens protection

Reviews

Tsumbay Mini Portable Bluetooth speaker review

Propel Star Wars TIE Advanced X1 Collector’s Edition Drone review

Canvas Press canvas print review

PortraitPro 17 Studio Max photo editing software review

Alexa in your car, Bellroy wallet, and more – Review updates

Colonel Littleton No. 30 Leather Composition Journal review

VogDUO 30W Wall Charger review

Toffee Berlin Backpack review

Pixel 2 XL review

Master & Dynamic MA770 Wireless Speaker review

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Pixel 2 XL review, Colonel Littleton notebook cover review, camera gear news, and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 31, 2018 at 4:59 pm.

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