Hide and protect your handgun or other valuables with Covert Cabinets

These cabinets aren’t like those huge metal gun safes weighing hundreds of pounds, but they protect your handgun in a cleverly disguised hiding place and make them more quickly accessible (when you know how to open them) than having to dial open one of those big safes.  When closed, the Covert Cabinets shelf looks like a regular display shelf.  Underneath, the molding that decorates the bottom of the shelf conceals a locking, drop-down storage compartment that requires a magnetic key to open.

The shelf is 21″ X 12″ X 4″, with a 13.5″ X 8″ X 1.75″ interior storage area.  Total load the shelf can hold – concealed and displayed items – is 20 pounds.  The hinges operate smoothly using a dampener gas spring which allows for a controlled opening.  There’s a foam pad in the interior space that can be cut to hold your stored items securely.

Covert Cabinets are available at Amazon in a couple different colors and designs.  This particular shelf is available a with free Prime Shipping option.  This black Covert Cabinets HG-21 Gun Cabinet Wall Shelf Hidden Storage is $169.95 at Amazon.

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Hide and protect your handgun or other valuables with Covert Cabinets originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Take my advice check out Gamevice controllers for the iPad Pro

Not content to rest on their laurels, the folks at Gamevice have made new game controllers that work with the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 and 12.9. These new controllers fall in line with the ones that are made for the iPhone 6 through 8 (no information on the X as of yet). If you are not familiar with Gamevice controllers, they are designed to plug into your Lightning port and use your device for power. The Gamevice controller also allows for pass-through charging with a charging port built into the controller.

With mobile devices becoming more powerful and having better screens, gaming on one seems more appealing than ever and the Gamevice controllers for the iPad Pro series seems like it may be a perfect fit.

The Gamevice controllers can be purchased for $99.95 from the Gamevice website and Amazon. They also have controllers for Android products (Galaxy S8/S8+/Note8 and Galaxy S7/S7 edge).

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Take my advice check out Gamevice controllers for the iPad Pro originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 2017 at 2:57 pm.

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Lensball review

If you’ve been searching for a way to bring a unique element to your photography, I have an accessory to show you that you can use with any camera and any smartphone. It’s the Lensball. It doesn’t need an app, doesn’t run on batteries and is a simple to use. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Lensball is a sphere made of brilliantly clear crystal. Lensballs are available in 60mm and 80mm sizes. I was sent the larger 80mm size.

What is in the box?

Lensball
Drawstring cloth pouch
Example image cards
Lensball logo sticker

The Lensball is a crystal ball, but not the type of crystal ball that will show you your future. Lensballs are made of K9 crystal which is best described by the Marquis by Waterford site.

K9 is a Chinese Optical Borosilicate Crown Crystal (Optically Clear) with low inclusions and imperfections ideal for use in lenses and prisms, optics and decorative crystal lighting. … Lead crystal is the type that is most commonly used for wine glasses and other decorative ornaments around the home.

So now that we know what it is, why would we want one and what the heck can we do with a single Lensball?

The ball is so perfectly clear that you can shoot pictures through the ball with any camera or any smartphone to create interesting images.

To use it, you just hold up the ball in front of your subject and then shoot through the ball with your camera.

The result is a perfectly clear 180° degree view of the subject. Yes, it’s upside down and I realize that my subject matter isn’t the most exciting, but imagine taking the Lensball with you to the beach, a forest, a famous monument, etc. The options are endless. You can check out some examples by visiting Lensball on Instagram.

Things to keep in mind when using the Lensball are the fact that this crystal orb is heavy. You’ll feel the weight in your hand and your bag. The 60mm Lensball weighs 0.55lb (250g) and the 80mm Lensball weighs 1.45lbs (650g).

Unless you set the Lensball on a surface that prevents it from rolling away, you’ll need to hold the ball in one hand while holding a camera in your other hand which can feel a little awkward.

You should also be careful not to leave the Lensball unattended outdoors on a bright sunny day. It can act like a magnifying glass and in the right environment, it’s possible that it could accidentally start a fire if the sun shines through it on to dry flammable material. It’s best to always put the Lensball back in the included drawstring pouch when you’re not using it.

What I like about it

You don’t need a manual to figure out how to use it, you don’t need to keep a battery charged to use it, and it will work with any camera.

What needs to be improved

Nothing.

Final thoughts

The first time I saw the Lensball, I imagined all the interesting photos that I could capture using it. Now that I’ve had one, I haven’t captured any truly epic pics, but I’m still thinking about where I can take it. If you don’t mind a little extra weight in your camera bag, the Lensball is a unique accessory that might just take your ordinary snapshots to the next level.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Lensball. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $24.95 – $34.95
Manufacturer: Lensball
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Perfectly round
  • Perfectly clear
  • No batteries
  • Works with any camera
Cons:
  • None

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Lensball review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Learn to draw, build, or stitch a galaxy far, far away

Crafty fans of Star Wars will enjoy this series of books from Quarto Knows.  With the Master Models series, you can build scenes from Star Wars movies, construct models of characters (like Darth Vader or R2-D2) or ships (like the Millennium Falcon).  The Learn to Draw series helps you learn, step-by-step, how to draw your favorite characters.  There are books to help you explore the Star Wars mythology and blueprints.  There are even books of cross-stitch patterns for needle artists.  Quarto Knows has books to help any Star Wars hobbyist explore their interests.  Books range in price from about $15 to $100.

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Learn to draw, build, or stitch a galaxy far, far away originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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WOWSTICK 1fs Electric Screwdriver review

Now here’s a clever tool for the handyperson in your life: An electric screwdriver but for teeny tiny things. Meet the WOWSTICK 1fs electric screwdriver.

  • Wowstick 1FS Screwdriver Set 18pcs Bits
  • Powered by 2 x AAA batteries (NOT included)
  • LED Light
  • Speed: 150r/min (non-adjustable)
  • Material: Aluminum
  • Dimension: 170 x 16 x 16mm
  • 1 x WOWSTICK 1fs Electric Screwdriver
  • 18 x Bits
  • 1 x Carry Case

By itself without batteries, the screwdriver body weighs just under 2 ounces.

Here’s a closeup of the specs from the paper insert.

A size comparison next to a pen and a large marker.

The screwdriver accepts two AAA batteries (not included). The rear end of the handle unscrews.

You also get three tubes worth of 4mm bits.  I couldn’t identify them all visually (some are really tiny).

Fortunately, the Brando web page listing shows all of the included bits, spelled out.

It wasn’t obvious at first, but once you squeeze the black trigger to turn the bits in either direction (it looks like one long black button, but it’s actually a forward/reverse depending on where you press it), an LED light illuminates your work area.

The big question is: How well does it work?  I found that under moderate torque, the screwdriver seems to struggle a little bit and the LED light dims considerably.  Then again, the inclusion of all the extremely tiny bits tells me this was really intended for very, very small screws where torque may not be as much as found in this fairly ordinary light switch test.

Another interesting design choice: You must remove the bit from the screwdriver if you plan to use the included carrying case. It simply will not fit.

If you do normal handyman things around the house, you may want to reach for a slightly meatier electric screwdriver with more power. For lighter-duty tasks, the WOWSTICK 1fs could be a handy featherweight tool for very small screws if you’re doing a lot of repetitive work.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Brando. Please visit for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $62
Manufacturer: WOWSTICK
Retailer: Brando
Requirements:
  • Two AAA batteries (not included). Works with 4mm bits (included).
Pros:
  • Lightweight, comes with many tiny bits
Cons:
  • Not designed for tougher screws (not a lot of torque.) LED light seems to dim at the slightest hint of resistance. No variable speed.

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WOWSTICK 1fs Electric Screwdriver review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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