OtterBox: 10 years of iPhone Protection

2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple iPhone, and OtterBox, a company I thought only made dry boxes, has been making cases for every single model since the original game-changing phone ever since.  To mark the milestone, OtterBox hosted an event in San Francisco, CA.

“Pass it On” refers to an iPhone that OtterBox sent to seven cities around the world to highlight the wide variety of cases they make to suit nearly every style you can think of.

The autographed phone itself that traveled the world was on display.

The entire product line was out on display, including a rather curious, squat-looking one.  The black and yellow one in the middle is a case for the very first iPhone, next to a case for the newest iPhone X. As of this writing, the iPhone X has not been released for sale yet. However, OtterBox had this rugged full-size sample on display.  Note the vertically-oriented lens cutout.

Did you know that Lifeproof is also under the OtterBox family?  I didn’t know!

Here’s another iPhone X prototype. Unlike most Lifeproof cases I’m familiar with, this one doesn’t have a front cover, so it’s mostly “splash resistant”.  However, the newest iPhones already have a degree of water resistance, but this case has a black rubbery seal around the opening to keep some moisture out.

Not to be outdone by the likes of Yeti and other premium coolers, OtterBox also had one of their Venture coolers on display.  This one is the Venture 25, which has a 25 quart capacity.  Also available in 45 and 65 quart.  The Venture features latches that can be operated with one hand quite easily, plus modular accessories such as dividers, cutting boards, and external attachments. The Venture coolers are actually made in Detroit. Yes, I was surprised, too.  That tiny gap in the rubber seal is designed to allow pressure equalization to avoid situations where you can’t open the lid after a change in altitude. With two-inch thick refrigerator-grade insulating foam that will keep ice for 14 days, I can attest that this thing feels built to last. And if you’re wondering, it is certified bear-resistant, and prices start at $249.99.

I was sent home with this Pursuit-series iPhone case for my model 7 Plus.  The Pursuit is one of OtterBox’s slimmest yet rugged case.

The case comes in two halves.  The front half has no cover, but it keeps the screen inset so the screen doesn’t lay flat.  An OtterBox tech on site suggested assembling the case with the phone face down into the “front” part of the case first. I noticed a foam ring around the camera cut out. Nice touch. See where the speaker cutouts are? Those audio “holes” actually have a membrane to resist liquids.

That tiny hole on the bottom can accommodate a lanyard (not included)

It’s a little hard to see, but the sleep toggle switch above the volume is actually a rotary cam switch.

The back of this particular color combo is actually a deep blue.

Here I am peeling back the charging connector.  Note how the audio “holes” tilt forward instead of down.

To read more about OtterBox and their family of products, please visit OtterBox.com.

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OtterBox: 10 years of iPhone Protection originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Harness the power of the sun to charge your gear while you drive, fly, or just sit around at home

The Port Solar Charger from XD Design is designed to stick to a window and use the sun’s rays to power your gadgets.

This solar charger has a built-in battery that can be charged with a USB cable which will take about 2 hours or by sunlight which can take up to 20 hours. Yeah, you can’t be in a hurry 🙂

The Port Solar Charger’s built-in battery has a capacity of 1000mAh, so it won’t fully charge your phone. But it’s better than nothing and it’s free power.

I am not sure how well a solar charger like this works, as it depends on how much sunlight is hitting the window it’s attached to. But it would be a cool way to power your devices for free if you frequently travel by train, plane, or automobile, or if you have a nice big window that gets a lot of sunlight.

The price of the Port Solar Charger, on the other hand, isn’t free. It is priced at $49.99. For more info head over to www.xd-design.com and you can buy one from Amazon.

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Harness the power of the sun to charge your gear while you drive, fly, or just sit around at home originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2017 at 6:00 pm.

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Crank up the perfect weenie roast

My mouth is watering just thinking about a perfectly roasted hotdog in a soft bun with just the right amount of ketchup but no mustard because mustard is disgusting 😉 I can’t remember the last time I had a hotdog cooked on an outdoor grill, let alone over a campfire. If I had a fire pit, I would seriously consider buying a Crank-Eez from Firebuggz.

The Crank-Eez is a specially designed hotdog skewer that has a 36-inch long food grade stainless steel rod and a fun wooden handle that you can crank to turn the hotdog over the fire for just the right level of burnt goodness.

The fork at the end of the Crank-Eez secures the wiener so it won’t fall into the fire. And if you’re not a fan of hotdogs, you can roast two marshmallows at a time.

You can read more about the Crank-Eez at firebuggz.com and you can order one for $19.39 from Amazon.

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Crank up the perfect weenie roast originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2017 at 4:55 pm.

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ThanoTech K11 iPhone Bumper review

When I recently switched to an iPhone 7 Plus, I felt the need to find a case to protect my investment without adding a lot of extra weight and bulk. When I stumbled upon the ThanoTech K11 Bumper while doing some online shopping, I knew I had to try it. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The ThanoTech K11 is a bumper style case for the iPhone made of anodized aluminum and flexible TPU. It’s a way to protect the iPhone from up to a 16-foot drop without adding the bulk of a full coverage case.

The K11 is available in black, silver, gold, rose gold, and red. I was sent the silver version.

The K11 is a bumper style case that only covers the outside edges of the phone, which doesn’t sound like it would be very protective, but bumper features two layers of material. There’s an interior layer that’s made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and an exterior shell of 6063 T6 aircraft grade anodized aluminum. TPU is a hybrid material that’s a mixture of hard plastic and soft silicone. It helps absorb shock from drops and can protect the iPhone from up to a 16ft drop when it’s in this case.

The cool thing about the combination of TPU and aluminum is that the TPU makes the bumper flexible and that makes it much easier to insert and remove the phone.

Installation is simple. Just put the bottom corners in the bumper snap the top edges in place. It takes only a little effort, but you won’t feel like you’re going to snap the phone in half like I’ve felt with other iPhone cases and bumpers.

Once seated, you still have access to all the iPhone’s ports and buttons. The lightning port cutout on the bottom edge is large enough to fit most 3rd party cables. I’ve yet to find one that is too large.

On the left edge of the bumper, there is a cutout for the mute switch and individual buttons for volume. Unlike some cases, that have molded buttons, the K11 has individual metal buttons that provide excellent tactile feedback.

You’ll find the same type of button over the power button on the opposite side of the phone.

And on the back of the phone, you’ll see that the entire back of the iPhone is exposed. The front and back edges of the bumper are raised so that the front and back of the phone is slightly elevated when placed on a flat surface.

The area above the camera lens is raised evfurtherter to protect the camera lens.

If you’re worried about scratches, ThanoTech includes a protector that you can install on the back of the phone. Actually, they include two back protectors with the Kll Bumper

The K11 is pretty minimal as far as cases go, but it does add some width all the way around the phone. If you have small pants pockets, you might notice that you have less wiggle room when using your phone in this case and you try to put it in your pocket.

You might be wondering if the aluminum has a negative impact on your signal reception. The answer is no, it doesn’t due to the layer of TPU that’s between the phone and the aluminum. I’ve noticed no issues with signal strength degrading in the weeks that I’ve been using this bumper case on my iPhone 7 Plus.

Final thoughts

I had not heard of ThanoTech before reviewing their K11 Bumper. I’m impressed with how nice their products are. They look sharp and are really well made. They also sent me a charging adapter for the car which is made of stainless steel which is extra nice.

Bumper cases might not be right for everyone, but for people who want drop protection without completely covering every surface of their phone, the ThanoTech K11 Bumper is an option.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $34.95
Manufacturer: ThanoTech
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Easy to install
  • Easy to remove
  • Edges raised to keep screen, camera, and back from scratching
  • Less bulk than a full coverage case
Cons:
  • Does add some width to the phone

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ThanoTech K11 iPhone Bumper review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2017 at 1:58 pm.

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TaoTronics 2K car dash cam review

I have never had a dash camera before so you are getting my review of the TaoTronics 2K Car Dash Cam (TT-CD06) as a total neophyte. The camera comes well packaged and includes:

  • A camera that supports 2K video recording at 30 fps and 1080P footage at 45 fps for high-quality captures even in low light conditions and a 160° Wide Angle Lens
  • Dual- port USB 12V adaptor
  • 11.8’ and 5.9” USB cables
  • Suction cup and 3M adhesive window mounts
  • Installation kit includes cable guides, extra adhesive pad, and spudger for putting the cable around the windshield
  • 32GB Class 10 Micro SD card (Samsung)
  • User Guide and offer card

Setup was easy and included installing the card, attaching the mount and cable, and powering up. The TT-CD06 starts automatically on power being applied via the USB cable and starts a rolling record. A blinking red led in the upper right corner indicates the record mode and a blue light indicates power.  Connectors include USB and HDMI out. The display (backlight) turns off automatically after three minutes. The rolling record time is selectable between 1, 3, and 5 minutes. Other settings exist for date and time, mic on/off, video resolution, exposure, white balance, and file management. The unit does not have a GPS. In case of a collision, the latest recording is locked (did not test…!). Recording and microphone can be triggered manually as well for things like traffic stops, etc.

My experiences with the camera were generally positive. The display is bright even in the southwest sun as was the suction cup mount.  Night vision is good as well.  I did have a problem with the unit powering off but this was fixed by the firmware update on the TaoTronics web site. The update is performed by loading the firmware on a formatted SD card. It would have been nice to have it available over the USB cable. Another minor gotcha for me was the unit itself says “connecting USB” even when it is already connected.

I kept the unit in the 1920×1080 HDR. This also looked quite good at night. My biggest complaint about the whole experience is the poor translation of the manual. There are two features mentioned in the manual – G-Sensor and Park mode. The unit will automatically lock the video in case of a shock but there is an additional mode. The manual also recommends that this mode be OFF during normal driving. The unit also has a high power capacitor supporting park mode with power removed. When the unit is in park mode, it will recode a bump to the car, however, this mode is also recommended to be OFF in normal operation. I found it annoying to turn on every time I stopped the car. A better feature would for this mode to enable automatically upon power being removed. I asked support and the marketing manager and never got a good explanation of how to use these TT-CD06 features effectively.

Overall, I think the unit is well made and operated flawlessly after the firmware update. It is small and discrete and was almost unnoticeable behind my rear view menu. The user interface is fast and responsive. Video quality is quite good. As for features, there are a couple I would like but they do drive the cost up for dash cams. The first would be GPS or a GPS interface, be that wired or wireless, to stamp the location of a video. The second would be both front and rear-facing cameras, esp. if I were a Lyft or Uber driver. Though the driver in the front car of a rear end collision is rarely at fault, it would be nice to have a record if that occurred. As for Lyft/Uber drivers, sometimes passengers are not always well behaved and I will leave it at that… For an entry-level unit, I was pleased with the TaoTronics 2K Car Dash Cam and think it is fairly priced.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $68.99
Manufacturer: TaoTronics
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Small and Discrete
  • Fast
  • Everything included and ready to go
Cons:
  • Some confusing instructions
  • No provisions for GPS

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TaoTronics 2K car dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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