So KontrolFreek sent me a Mystery Box…

ARTICLE – Oh! What’s this? A cool little mystery box from our friends at KontrolFreek! Let’s take a peek inside and see what’s in store.

First, a greeting…

The first thing I came across was a lovely handwritten note:

Hi Jacob,

After a decade of making performance gaming gear, KontrolFreek has had many faces. The purpose of this box is to tell KontrolFreek’s story; past, present, and future. How each of these items fit that story is completely up to your interpretation.

The only thing you need to know is that as a performance gaming gear brand, we’re just getting started.

Happy interpreting,
Maron Moreau

PS. Give PolyOne some heat.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Thumb Sticks + Thumb “Wings”

I quite liked KontrolFreek’s thumbsticks when I reviewed them, and these look to be another pair of those, plus something else that I haven’t seen before. They look like a little “wing” grips that sort of cradle your thumb, rather than act as an extender, they keep your thumb from slipping off the edge of the stick. Personally, that’s something that happens a lot during those crazy quick-time events during cut scenes, like, “wiggle your thumb to escape something that’s biting at your face.”

Attached to the PS4 controller.

Black Cap

Some straight-up company swag, featuring the KontrolFreek icon itself. I like to think of that little guy as the Freek, with its gamepad/shaded face and cool, stoic demeanor. Unflappable. Ready for another round.

Performance Grips

Ah, another of their core products, Performance Controller Grips. The PS4’s DualShock 4 controllers aren’t exactly grippy. Their smooth plastic has a nice feel, but they become slippery with just a little bit of hand sweat. My hands get clammy when I’m playing for a while, or when I’m in the middle of a rare kill streak (because let’s face it, I’m traaaaash at multiplayer, but I still love it.) I’ll be happy to give these a try to see if it helps with my sweaty mitts.

PolyOne Thumbsticks

Interesting, another little handwritten note: “One of a kind.” And a small sample sheet of PolyOne thermoplastic. The material sheet feels very cool to the touch. If my guess is right, these orange mystery bits are a prototype of highly heat-resistant thumbsticks. The material is very grippy, and they fit the PS4 controller perfectly. I like the feel of that spiral pattern, they look a lot like the company’s Vortex thumbsticks. Interesting.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Performance Thumbsticks

Here’s another pair of high-rise thumbsticks, one of several branded items that KontrolFreek offers. It shows a commitment to offering products branded with popular franchises, and I imagine that will only expand. I think these will become another favorite of mine, the tops of the sticks seem very concave and grippy.

I noticed the A.D.S. acronym on the package (which stands for Aim Down Sights) and that’s a neat little addition that goes along with their brand … meaning that when you’re aiming down your sights in a shooter, you’re in control of your shots, just like using these thumbsticks helps you control your aim.

FPSFreek Epic

Here is another set of high-rise thumbsticks bearing a skull design reminiscent of the Gears of War series — that fact driven home by naming the product Epic, who developed the Gears series. These offer a concave design, but the material feels a little smoother compared to the Modern Warfare thumbsticks.

The Story

Even though I’m not extremely familiar with KontrolFreek’s history, the contents of this box feel like a virtual timeline of their products. From the thumb-wing / thumbstick combo pack, which feels like the company’s first offerings, to the officially licensed CoD:MW thumbsticks that feel custom-tuned for that style game, to the PolyOne prototype material. Past. Present. And a promise of things to come.

Each of the items in the Mystery Box felt … genuine. You know how you can sort of just tell when a company is trying to cash in on a trend? That sort of mentality is rampant these days, and feels almost like predatory marketing. Like, hey, kids these days like this Fortnite game, let’s make a Fortnite flavored thing. But these guys “get it,” making products that make sense for that type of game … making a high-rise thumbstick for quick building and easy aiming that also matches the colorful aesthetic of the graphics.

It feels like they understand what would work best rather than rushing something out the door that people might buy but ultimately be disappointed in. I appreciate that.

I’d like to thank KontrolFreek for their generosity and can’t wait to see what they come out with next.

To learn more about KontrolFreek and check out their line of gaming product, mosey over to their website.

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So KontrolFreek sent me a Mystery Box… originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Sztrokia Sleep Sound Machine white noise generator review

REVIEW – If you enjoy the soothing sounds of rain, a fan, the ocean, or perhaps the gentle quiet sound of nature at night, then the Sztrokia Sleep Sound Machine would be a great device for you to have. Whether you like to listen to these sounds while you sleep, study, or just need some kind of distraction in the background, then this sound machine is a perfect companion to achieving that white noise you are looking for.

What is it?

The Sztrokia Sleep Machine is a sound maker that features 10 different sounds from rain to ocean waves to fans to white noise to nature night sounds to help you rest, relax, sleep, study, or meditate. This sound machine also features a USB port on the back of the unit so you can plug in your phone’s USB charging cable. Since you have to plug in the sound machine’s AC adapter into the wall plug you will still have a way to charge your phone or other devices should you need to. Whichever sound you choose, that sound is intended to block out any unwanted noise or just to keep your mind relaxed and focused.

What’s in the box?

  • Sound Machine
  • Wall plug adapter

Design and features

The Sztrokia Sleep Machine is a small sound maker that allows the listener to choose between ten recorded soothing sounds to help you relax, meditate, or focus. This little sound machine is perfect for when you need a little ambient atmosphere to help drown out any unwanted sound or noise while you study, while you read, put a baby down to sleep, meditate, paint, work on the computer, or any other activity that you would want some white noise sound in the background. The sounds that this machine produces is meant to help you block out unwanted or distracting noise. Even if your environment doesn’t have these unwanted noises, this device can be used just as a standalone peaceful sound maker. The dimensions for this machine is 4.6 x 1.2 x 4.6 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces.

There are five types of sounds to choose from and every sound has two versions each so there are ten sounds in all. The available sounds are rain, fan, night, ocean, and white noise. You can make your selections using the buttons on the front of the sound maker. For each button, you can press it to cycle through the two choices of each sound. It’s nice that the buttons on the front are raised so they are easy to operate. Plus, they have a nice bounce back and sturdy click when you press them. So, you should not have any problems making your sound selection with these buttons. There are also small icons of the corresponding sound on the front of each button so you can tell which button is for which sound.

On the left of the sound buttons is the Power button. The Power button allows you to cycle through three Timer options, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes. However, the first press of the Power button puts the Sound Machine into an All Night option, meaning that the Sound machine will stay on until you turn it off. Since I like to listen to the Rain sounds for extended times, the All Night setting is best for me. Just so you know which Timer setting the Sound Machine is on, a convenient green light is illuminated directly above the chosen Timer setting.  Keep in mind that the All Night option doesn’t have any lights illuminated.

On the right of the sound buttons is your typical Volume knob. Turning it to the left lowers the volume and turning it to the raises the volume. Simple. The thing that I noticed about this sound machine is that it only has one speaker. Although the sound quality isn’t bad, I feel that this sound machine could benefit from a second speaker.  It’s hard to get a good sound quality when you only have a mono speaker. I think a second speaker would give more depth and dynamic resulting in a more realistic natural stereo sound.

 

On the back side is a USB port just above the power plug. The USB port is convenient to have so you can connect the charging cable for your phone or another device that may benefit from the USB port. A bonus to plugging your phones charging cable to the sound machine is that you get extra length added to your charging cable should you need it. Plus, since this sound machine is very light and compact, it is perfect to bring along with you when you travel. It doesn’t take up much space and it’s not bulky at all. In fact, its narrow square shape makes it easy to slip into a small bag or small luggage. And speaking of travel, this would be a perfect companion traveling and you’re staying at a hotel and need to get some sleep or take a nice restful nap. You could skip turning on the TV for the background noise and just turn on this sound machine, select the sound of your choice, and get some peaceful rest.

On the back is a small kickstand to prop up the sound machine so you can position it to the desired angle. The kickstand retracts flushed onto the sound machine for maximum storage and portability. On the bottom of the sound machine is a rubber strip pad to help prevent the sound machine from sliding on smooth surfaces. Plus, the rubber pad helps from scuffing those surfaces as well.

Performance

Although the ten pre-programmed sounds are pleasant to listen to, I found that because there is only one speaker this dulls the clarity of the sounds because after all, the sounds are coming out from a single speaker. I think having two speakers will give the sounds more dynamic range and clarity because it seems that the tone of the speaker is low. So, as a result, you would have to turn the volume up to get a cleaner and crisper sound. The downside on that is that maybe you don’t want the volume too loud because then the sound would become distracting rather than welcoming.

For example, say you want to have the sound of a fan in your baby’s room but the sound is soft because the tone is low, so to get a clearer sound you have to turn it up. But then turning up the volume may get too loud for the baby to sleep to. Although it’s a personal preference to have the crisper cleaner sound, the sounds aren’t half bad considering the single speaker.

What I like

  • Pre-set settings of 15, 30, and 60 minutes and all night timer.
  • USB port on the back.
  • Small in size.
  • Convenient sound buttons on front.
  • Portable for travel.

What I’d change

  • I would add another speaker to produce stereo sound.
  • I would make the nature sounds such as the rain, waves, and night noises more natural and realistic.
  • Include a rechargeable long life battery.

Final thoughts

If listening to relaxing sounds like rain, beach waves, fan noise, or other white noise sounds makes you feel at ease, helps you sleep better, or if you just need some background noise to replace the environmental noise that you’re in, then a sound machine is a great tool to achieve this. There are times when you need some artificial aide to help combat those unwanted background noises or times when you just want some familiar sounds to help you sleep, Having a sound machine like this one is a good companion to keep in your bedroom, baby’s room, office, studio, or even to bring with you while you travel, thanks to the sound machine’s small and compact design.

I really like the Sztrokia Sleep Sound Machine from Sztrokia. Although there are only ten pre-programmed sounds, I do find that the rain and the beach waves are sounds that I generally like to listen to the most so those are sounds are enough for me. However, having the other sounds available could come in handy and maybe a nice change to listen to.

Price: $17.99
Where to buywww.sztrokia.com and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by www.sztrokia.com.

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Sztrokia Sleep Sound Machine white noise generator review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Gotek’s Wireless Rollable Keyboard provides you with function and entertainment on the go!


CROWDFUNDING NEWS – As an iPad fan and as someone who uses my iPad every day and for hours each day, any accessory that will add to the functionality and enjoyment is worth it if it works well. I have several accessories like USC-C multi-port attachments and USB-C hubs, and also a few keyboard cases and stand-alone keyboards.

A couple of days ago ai came across the Wireless Rollable Keyboard with BT Speaker by Gotek. This device seems like it could be the perfect accessory and it is universal, durable, lightweight and compact. It is designed to be used with your mobile devices including your iPad, iPhone, Android and Windows-based tablets (including Amazon Fire), and all the devices can be connected via a single touch. It has a built-in stand that folds out to support smartphones and tablets up to 10″. While its current design specs do not seem to say that it can support the iPad Pro 12.9”, it looks like it just might.

The built-in Bluetooth speaker can be used together or separately from the keyboard and it also includes a built-in microphone that adds versatility including using it for phone calls. It is made from an aircraft-grade aluminum alloy that should keep it durable.

If you would like more information on this Wireless Rollable Keyboard with BT Speaker you can head over to the Indiegogo page and check it out. It can be purchased for $99, although it seems to be out-of-stock at the moment.

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Gotek’s Wireless Rollable Keyboard provides you with function and entertainment on the go! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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After Equifax Settlement, Capital One Discloses Data Breach of 100 Million Credit Card Applications

Millions of people are reaching some financial relief, albeit limited, with the Equifax settlement that was reached last week. If you suffered a loss or spent money trying to protect your credit after your information was stolen, you’re getting something, even if it’s just a $125 check. Yet, just days later, the news hit that there’s now been another data breach. This time it affects potential users of Capital One credit cards. You don’t even have to use one to be affected, as the data breach affected around100 million credit card applications. Capital One Data Breach … Read more

Posted by / July 30, 2019 / Posted in News

What Does “4K” Mean for Televisions?

If you’ve been shopping around for a television recently, you may have seen the term “4K” thrown around. Unfortunately, the term doesn’t explain what it means all by itself; as such, many people may be confused as to why this is so important. So, what is 4K, and why is everyone talking about it? Related: Is a 4K TV Worth Buying in 2019? What Does “4K” Mean? If you stream videos online, you’ll probably see terms related to video quality. These will be numbers that end with a “p,” such as 360p or 720p. These represent… Read more