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.
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Sometimes you find a product that fulfills a simple need and does so very well. The Tsumbay Car Mount is one of those products. It has one mission: to mount your smartphone as a heads-up display, so that use your favorite navigation app in a way that promotes safer driving.
It’s a simple gadget, but what really makes it stand out is the attention to detail and execution in the design. Let’s go for a ride and find out more!
Design and Construction
The Tsumbay Car Mount consists of two parts. There’s a base that slides onto the cowl of your dashboard, and a gator-style clip that secures your phone. When everything is in place, your phone sits like a heads-up style display, just above the steering wheel in your line of vision. You can adjust the angle of the phone to best suit your driving position, but that’s about all the thinking required to get ready for motoring. It takes about 30 seconds to install.
If that was all there was to it, this would be a pretty clever device. Easy to install, one moving part (the gator clip), and it solves a common problem with distracted driving. But there’s more to like here, as we’ll see below…
The first thing you’ll notice about the Tsumbay Car Mount is the quality of construction. Made from heavy duty plastic, the whole unit feels substantial. The gator-style phone clip uses a heavy-duty spring to keep your phone in place, even after extended use. There are also thick silicone pads at all the contact points to both improve grip and to protect your dashboard & phone from unwanted scratches. It’s a nice build for a simple piece of plastic.
The base uses a “J” style hook shape to slide onto your dashboard cowl, with plenty of depth to accommodate a variety of dashboard styles. The base is also wide and contoured slightly to match the curve found in most dashboards, and flares towards the rear of the unit to provide additional stability. Once installed, its not going anywhere unless you choose to remove it.
The phone clip is just as substantial as the base and will accommodate a variety of smartphone sizes up to and including the iPhone 7 plus (for photo reference, my phone is the iPhone 6s in a case). The grip is firm and stable and takes a significant bit of force to knock the phone loose from the clip. The silicone pads also include additional a textured grip, so the phone won’t slide forward and back in the clip once you have it where you want it.
One last note on design: it actually looks pretty good in your car. Some inexpensive car mounts, while they do the job, look like cheap plastic add-ons. The all-black look and contoured design make this an attractive accessory that looks like it belongs on your dashboard.
In Use
Boy, is the heads-up display useful when you’re using your navigation app.
The car mounts that I have used & tested in the past typically mount to the air vents, so they are positioned to the right of the steering wheel. This presents two problems: they often interfere with the other controls on your dash and take your focus off the road if you’re glancing at your phone.
The heads-up display mount solves both of these problems. Since your phone is positioned just above the steering wheel in your field of vision, you’re not taking your eyes off the road to check your map. The position on your dashboard cowl doesn’t interfere with any of the dials, displays, or controls of the vehicle. It just feels safer, enabling you to concentrate on the road.
I also really like the simplicity of the device. The gator clip is the only moving part in the assembly. There are no other clips or adjustment features that could fail or wear with extended use. It also has the flexibility to accommodate a number of small and large phone sizes, which means you probably won’t need to buy a new mount when you upgrade your phone. Coupled with the overall build construction, I expect that this gadget will last a long, long time.
Something to consider: the mount is designed to hold your smartphone in the horizontal position. Depending on your phone and your apps, you may find this to be an issue. Google maps on my iPhone run horizontally, for example, while my podcast app and music apps do not. This can be a pain… I use voice activation for calls when driving, and the Apple CarPlay to control my music and such from my steering wheel controls. Your needs may vary, however.
Another minor point, but worth considering, is charging your phone while it’s mounted. Since many cars have the USB charging port at the bottom of the center stack of the dash, you may need an extra-long cord to reach the car mount. It’s something to check before you buy.
Caveats and Precautions
Of course, no gadget is perfect.There are some things you need to consider before you purchase the Tsumbay Car Mount.
While there is a lot of flexibility in the base design, it’s important to note that there are some car models whose dashboards won’t accommodate the Tsumbay Car Mount. The product description on Amazon (link below) contains a list of these car models for reference.
I think it’s also important to consider your driving position before purchasing this device. Steering wheel position, seat angle, and your height relative to the style of car you are driving could impact the effectiveness of using a heads up display mount like this.
Finally, it goes without saying that you should never allow yourself to be distracted while driving. I use this device exclusively to run Google Maps for navigation, and use the hands-free tools in my car for all other functions. Be safe, folks!
Conclusion and Pricing
For a simple piece of gear, the Tsumbay Car Mount is a pretty useful item. It features easy one-handed operation and adds some additional safety when driving by taking advantage of the benefits of a heads up display when you’re using your navigation apps. It’s also really well built with few moving parts, and I expect that it will outlast several phone upgrades. The little details in the finishing make it a cut above most inexpensive car mounts, and it actually looks good in your car. I think it’s a safety upgrade worth considering if it works for your driving position and if it fits your car model. At about $17, I think it’s also a good value. Check out all the specs and purchasing information on Amazon.
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As sad as it is to day, it’s not uncommon to hear about a parent accidentally leaving their baby in the back seat of their car. You know how the story usually ends when something like this happens. No one wants to be part of a story like that. One possible solution is a product like eClip from Elepho.
Elepho is an established health product company who used Kickstarter to get funding for the eClip. eClip is a battery powered Bluetooth device that clips to the baby’s seatbelt or clothing and pairs with the parent’s smartphone.
If the parent gets out of the car and forgets the baby, their phone will sound an alarm when the parent walks a few feet away. It’s sort of like a Bluetooth tracker for your gadgets, although a baby is infinitely more valuable than a gadget. But that does make me wonder if anyone has thought of using a Bluetooth tracker on a baby before? Maybe I just thought of a genius new use for those little tracker tiles.
In addition to alerting you that the child is still in the car, eClip will also alert you if the temperature is too warm or too cold.
And for parents that do not use a smartphone, eClip also works with a key fob with a built in speaker that sounds an alarm.
You can read more about eClip at www.elepho.com/eclip. It will be priced around $80, but can save $20 on the final price by pre-ordering now with shipping due in December.
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Last year I reviewed Thinkware’s F50, a minimalistic, plug & play dashcam that does a great job capturing video while motoring down the road…quick to setup and easy/simple to use. For this review, Thinkware sent me their new upper end X550, a more feature-rich, GPS-enabled dashcam with 2.7″ LCD screen and driver assist that fills the gap between the F50 and their flagship, the F800. The X550 definitely has more bells & whistles than the F50 that should only add to the dashcam experience. But we shall see…
Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.
The Thinkware X550 is an upgraded version of their X500 dashcam. Its overall design is similar to a high quality digital point & shoot from back in the day. The X550’s metal and dark plastic construction give it a premium look and feel. The X550 is a relatively feature rich device even in the crowded dashcam world, including built-in GPS, SONY CMOS image sensor, (optional) dual-channel recording, driver assist notifications, backup/dual-save, etc.
Package Contents:
X550 Dashcam
Mount with 3M tape (1ea)
Car Charger
Adhesive Cable Holder (5ea)
microSD memory card with adapter (consumable)
USB Micro SD card reader
Quick Start Guide / Warranty / User Manual (stored in the Micro SD card)
Specifications:
Dimension:
104.3 x 51.4 x 29.3 mm / 4.1 x 2.02 x 1.15 inches
Weight:
111 g / 0.24 lbs (Excluding microSD)
Camera:
2.4M Pixels, 1/2.9″ (SONY CMOS Image sensor)
Display Panel:
2.7″ Clear Display (320×240)
Viewing Angle:
Approximately 140° (diagonally)
Video:
ALL Full HD (1920X1080) for front & rear view camera when connected
Capacity:
Micro SD Card 16GB / 32GB / 64GB UHS-I
Recording Modes:
Super Night Vision / Time Lapse / Continuous Recording Mode, Incident Recording Mode, Manual Recording Mode, Parking Surveillance Recording Mode, Audio Recording
Acceleration Sensor:
3-Axis Acceleration G-Sensor (3D, ±4G)
GPS:
Built-in GPS (Glonass supported)
Power:
Input Voltage: DC 12/24V (Max 35V), Power Cable Port x 1 (3.5pi) / Power Consumption: 5.3W (mean) – 2ch,30fps , 3.5W (mean) – 1ch,30fps / Super Capacitor
Hardware:
Like I said, the X550 is pretty and looks just like a digital camera from a decade ago. Its dark textured plastic and brushed metal housing give it a polished, stealthy look. The X550 records in standard/full HD (1920X1080 @30fps) and is dual channel capable, enabling you to record front and back views with Thinkware’s optional rear facing camera. The X550 uses the A7 processor instead of the latest and greatest A12 that is in their new flagship the F800 but that does not seem to be an issue with overall performance.
The back of the X550 sports a 320 x 240 resolution 2.7″ color LCD display that can be easily seen in daylight. Left of the display are four buttons for managing the user interface and manual recording option. The display enables you to tweak the X550’s settings whenever you like without the need for your smartphone. The screen also allows you to view video footage without taking the microSD card out or need for a computer. All of Thinkware’s X-series dashcams have this form factor featuring a display.
The top of the X550 has the mounting hard point, propitiatory power port, micro USB for Video-IN (rearview camera), and micro HDMI port. I find it interesting Thinkware uses a micro USB port for connecting the rear camera but not to power the device (which is pretty standard these days).
The base of the dashcam has the reset button, microphone, and serial number/production date sticker.
The right side has the microSD memory card slot and power button. The X550 supports up to a 64gb microSD card. Which seems a bit small by today’s standards especially considering the dashcam’s dual-channel recording ability. Thinkware also considers the microSD card to be a “consumable”, stating “it will need to be replaced periodically”. They also suggest reformatting the card every 2 weeks to reduce recording issues and to get greater life out of it. The X550 actually reminds you to reformat the card and continues to nag until you do. That said, reformatting is an easy one button click process that doesn’t take long at all.
Noteworthy Features:
GPS sensor with GLONASS – the X550 has built-in GPS, and is able to track both US and Russian positioning networks, for faster lock-ons and greater accuracy. I found the X550 ability to get a solid GPS lock one of the fastest I have ever tested.
Driver assistance – Includes lane departure, forward collision avoidance, and forward vehicle departure warning.
Speed camera alerts – the X550 has an internal database that warns you when you’re coming up to an intersection or location with a known speed camera standing watch.
Dual Save Mode – The dual save technology enables the dashcam to save the video to the camera’s internal flash memory when an incident is detected (via the G-sensor). Giving you an internal backup copy in case the SD card is lost or damaged.
Optional second camera – Thinkware also offers a rear camera that captures HD video @30fps.
Optional Parking Mode with permanent installation – Thinkware has an optional wiring kit that allows you to hardwire their dashcams directly into your cars electrical system. This enables you to use the X550’s Parking Mode with time-lapse recording to capture video when you leave your car or regular video if it detects an impact.
Installation:
While not the smallest dashcam I have ever used, the X550 mounts nicely behind my rearview mirror with the power cable tucking away so you can barely tell the system is there, especially when sitting in the driver’s seat. The mount itself adheres to the windshield via 3M double sided adhesive pad. The X550 slides onto the mount from the left and clicks into place. The mount does a good job of reducing vibration but my little roadster is pretty unforgiving when it comes to bumps and rough roads. It would be nice if Thinkware integrated active image stabilization into their higher end devices.
Daytime Video:
The X550’s daytime video is good with average resolution and better than usable image quality. Even though the X550 sports a 2.4MP SONY CMOS image sensor some details are lost at HD (1920X1080) quality video. I firmly believe Thinkware needs to up its game in this department, bumping its higher end dashcams up to 4MP – 2K (2560 x 1440 @30 fps) HDR video. The lens has 140 degrees of viewing angle with little fish-eye effect.
Nighttime Video:
Thinkware’s Super Night Vision and 2.4MP SONY CMOS image sensor are very good at capturing light, producing excellent nighttime video when it is dark.
Thinkware Viewer:
I found the Thinkware PC viewer one of the best perks of using their dashcams. It is an excellent integrated tool for viewing not only your driving video but speed, lat/long, Google map location, and three-dimensional G-forces the car is experiencing at any particular moment. These G-forces are illustrated in the bar graph under the video and the dial with a car in it with X- Y- and Z- axis in the lower left corner of the window. The X550 records in 1:00 minute chunks that are approximately 85mb in size. The only issue I had with the viewer was the Google mapping integration was a bit hit or miss.
Screen Capture:
Even under perfect conditions (sunny, no glare, little to no movement, vehicle distance), you can barely make out the license plates of the vehicles directly in front of me (picture captured from the viewer).
Overall the X550 dashcam’s HD video quality is good but far from the best I have seen. I hate to say it, but there are definitely a few specs and features Thinkware needs to raise the bar on for their upper end devices. The lack of SuperHD or 2K video capture is the X550’s biggest limitation followed closely by image stabilization.Itss overall feature-set is very good especially if you’re in the market for a dual-channel/camera set-up. Bottom line is that the Thinkware X550 is a solid middle tier dashcam with excellent higher end features, viewer, and overall product support.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Thinkware. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
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Is it wrong every time I receive a new dashcam to review I hope and pray for something crazy/insane to happen in front of me while driving? I firmly believe in the benefits of dashcams and recording the world zipping by while motoring down the road. You never know when something bad is going to happen; when it is your word vs the person who hit you and a picture or in this case video proof could be priceless. For this review I’ll be looking at the X2 Pro, ddpai’s latest and most ambiguous dashcam to date, packed full of high-tech features and is the first duel channel dashcam I have ever tried.
The ddpai X2 Pro features dual cameras/channels enabling one camera facing forward through the front windscreen and one pointed behind. In addition to featuring dual cameras, the X2 Pro is a high resolution, GPS/WiFi enabled, social media capable dashcam. I really like the X2 Pro’s form factor…preferring screen-less dashcams, finding them less distracting or intrusive.
Package Contents:
ddpai X2 Pro dashcam
xX2 Pro rear dashcam
Connection/extension wire for rear dashcam
microUSB 12v power cord
Remote Snapshot button
32gb microSD card
Spare 3M adhesive pads and wire stays
Wire shim tool
Specifications:
HUAWEI HiSilicon processor; Format H.264 HD video coding
OmniVision Image Sensor
6-class glass lens and 1 infrared filter with zero distortion; Front cam – 140°wide angel & F1.8 aperture; Rear cam – 120°wide angel & F2.2 aperture
Front cam – 2592×1520P image; Rear cam – 1440×896P image;
Digital image stabilization
New generation GPS system; High speed positioning
3 axis acceleration sensor
High sensitivity microphone; high power loudspeaker (1w)
Front cam – 12V@1A~2.1A; Rear cam – 5V@1A~2.1A
Built-in super capacitor allows video shooting when electricity is turn off
The top of the X2 Pro dashcam has its mounting hard point which allows for easy installation and removal of the device. The bottom of the X2 has a speaker, microphone, and convenient LED-lit mute button. Even though I installed the X2 Pro in my truck, I find being able to quickly unplug and remove any device a convenient/important security feature so I can lock it in my glovebox vs closing the top of my convertible or if I’m in the wrong part of town.
The front facing camera takes a very respectable 2592 x 1520 resolution for still images and 2560 x 1440 for videos. The front camera has a 6-class glass lens with a 140° wide viewing angle & F1.8 aperture. The X2 uses an OmniVision Image Sensor that provides “excellent video monitoring performance under low light & WDR”. The front camera is able to be rotated for best line of sight based on the angle of your car’s windshield.
The smaller rear camera’s resolution is 1280 x 720 for both still images and video. Like the front camera, the rear also has a 6-class glass lens but a more narrow 120° wide viewing angle & F2.2 aperture. It can rotate in its mount as well.
The back of the X2 Pro has one microUSB port for power and a port for connecting the rear camera. There is also an indicator LED on the far side. I did find it interesting the camera would not work with my Macgyver’d USB power outlet I mounted behind my rearview mirror or any other microUSB cable I tried. My best guess why neither worked is that the X2 Pro is more power hungry due to the built-in GPS, capacitor, rear camera, etc.
The right side of the dashcam has the microSD card slot. The X2 Pro is compatible with up to 128gb class 10 microSD cards. The left side has a speaker that is loud enough to hear 99% of the time. The X2 Pro has built-in NAND flash memory (D2 Save technology), that acts as a backup should your microSD card fail.
The windshield mount installed as you would expect, quick and easy. ddpai includes an adhesive mount but no suction cup option. There is little to no movement or shaking/vibration in the video when driving on a smooth roadway. Though the X2 Pro has digital image stabilization for bumpy roads.
The rear camera is small and does not interfere with your view. Running the wires to the back of your vehicle may take a bit of trial and error but overall it is a simple enough project depending on the interior of your car. I’m pretty AR and I was relatively pleased with my efforts. Total setup time was less than an hour.
As I mentioned above, the X2 Pro needs the dual USB charger (Front cam 12V@1A / 12V@2.1A; Rear cam5V@1A / 5V@2.1A) ddpai includes in the package. The X2 has IPS (Intelligent Protection System) technology that protects vehicles against extremely low voltage and intense heat by cutting off the power to the dashcam automatically. The X2 Pro has a built-in “super capacitor” that holds a charge and enables it to function in Parking Mode video capture that records even when electricity is turned off.
ddpai also includes a wireless, one-click physical button that when pushed captures a still image and automatically downloads it to your smartphone. It attaches nearly anywhere in your vehicle with a double sided sticky pad. The button is a surprisingly convenient and useful.
The internal GPS acquires the satellites fast enough. It’s not the quickest dashcam in this respect but not the slowest either. The GPS tracks not only location but calculates speed as well. The X2 Pro also has a built-in G-sensor to monitor your acceleration in three-dimensional space and collisions, that will lockdown that video/moment for future review.
Since the X2 Pro does not have a screen, setting up the camera, viewing live video & driving telemetry, watching past recordings, and downloading pictures and video is all done via your smartphone. The X2 Pro is the most complex and capable dashcam I have ever used. It is definitely not a plug & play, beginners dashcam setup by any stretch of the imagination. It’s smartphone control and management app is complicated and does take a bit of time to get used to. It also takes time to understand all the features of the X2 that you can tweak and/or manage via app as well.
The ddpai X2 Pro supports photos, videos, and driving stories sharing via the app linked to multiple social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and etc.).
The I mentioned above, your connection to the X2 Pro is 100% via your smart device. The interface is well designed and thought out. It provides you not only 2k front facing video but a PIP with the rear view/video plus: date, time, speed, temp, power (I believe), G-forces, compass direction, GPS connection, elevation, time and distance traveled. The vertical orientation of the app also adds a map with your location superimposed on it. Though you have to toggle between two screens to get all the telemetry.
It is a shame you do not get all of this data and rear view PIP captured in the video you download from the dashcam. Worse yet, ddpai has not created any desktop software to view all of your driving perimeters holistically from the microSD card.
The X2 Pro records video in H.264 / .mp4 format in 5-minute segments. When the microSD card is full, the dashcam continuously overwrites the oldest video with new. You can tweak the video resolution, various video, and card management settings via the ddpai smartphone app.
Daytime Video:
The 2K video is very clear with more detail than the standard 1080p resolution that a majority of dashcams record at. The 140-degree viewing angle has nearly no fish-eye effect towards the edges. The camera does a great job blocking out glare.
Skipping Video:
Occasionally the video would record with hiccups/skips happening every few seconds for no apparent reason.
In addition to skipping, I did have my fair share of other issues with the X2 Pro as well.
These included:
The dashcam occasionally failed to begin recording when I started my vehicle, often never turning on until I unplugged it for a few seconds then reinserting the power plug.
When in parking surveillance mode, it occasionally didn’t record or did but in normal time for the whole duration (aka hours). It does have a smart shutdown mode when power is low, but this happened right after driving long distances.
Occasionally after sitting in a cool garage all night, it immediately shuts down due to overheating and doesn’t start back up again until I reset the power. Sometimes continuing to shut down over and over again.
The rear facing camera does not work every now and then. Turning the X2 Pro on & off occasionally fixes the connections other times not.
I worked with ddpai and some of the issues were fixed with a firmware update. Though I am still working thru many lingering sporadic glitches.
I really wanted to like the ddpai X2 Pro, its screen-less form factor and a long list of high-end features definitely appeal to me. But its poor performance and sporadic reliability are more frustrating than anything…never knowing when it will operate as advertised. Sadly the X2 feels like a beta product still in development. Bottom line — I plan on uninstalling it ASAP and replace it with a more dependable dashcam.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ddpai. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.
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