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The Pakt Coffee Kit is a brewing system for the road

NEWS – Making coffee when staying in hotel rooms is easy. Making good coffee is darn near impossible. The tiny electric drip or pod based machines typically provided are generally not capable of making a good cup of coffee. Does it get the water hot enough? Who knows! How clean are the insides? Hard to say! Combine this with the dubious quality of the pre-packaged filters or pods and you’ve got a recipe for uncertainty and, most likely, disappointment.

Enter the Pakt Coffee Kit. This fully contained (well, almost, as it doesn’t include a grinder) travel brewing system is designed to give you a tasty brew by removing the uncertainty from your morning coffee routine. Pakt has managed to fit an electric kettle, grounds container, mug (stainless steel and double-walled, of course), pour over dripper, scooper and lids into a compact travel case. Nested together, the entire kit weighs 3.76 lbs (60.15 oz) and measures 12” x 4.5”.

The Coffee Kit contains a pour over style brewer and comes with a reusable mesh metal filter. If you prefer paper, the system is also compatible with the 01 size of the Hario V60. Just heat the water (I’d suggest bottled) and scoop your preferred amount of pre-ground coffee into the filter. Then, simply pour the water over the grounds and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying a hot and fresh cup of quality coffee.

The Coffee Kit is currently on Kickstarter and has surpassed its funding goal of $25,000 with 37 days to go (as of this writing). A pledge of $124 (a 34% savings off the $189 retail price) or more will get you one Pakt Coffee Kit with an expected delivery of December 2019.

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The Pakt Coffee Kit is a brewing system for the road originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2019 at 11:03 am.

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Keyport OmniFob, Ennercell wireless charger, Mokibo keyboard, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Here are four crowdfunding campaigns that caught my eye this week. Let me know if these products interest you too or if I missed a really good campaign that I should talk about.

OmniFob™ Smart Remote Fob – Home / Auto / Security / Locator

What is it?

The OmniFob is a small remote that becomes part of your EDC and can control a variety of smart home, car, and other devices.

Why do I like it?

I like the OmniFob because it can ultimately replace my car fob to lock/unlock and even start my car, along with opening my garage door, unlocking my front door, controlling my lights in the house, and more all with the click of a button. The OmniFob is made by our friends at Keyport, so I know that it will be a quality product that stands on its own or can be combined with other Keyport products like their Anywhere Tools modular EDC system.

Where can I find more info?

The OmniFob campaign ends on 8/16/19 they have just started working toward their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order an OmniFob starting at $78. After the OmniFob campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in February 2020. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Ennercell true wireless power bank

What is it?

Ennercell is a small portable 5000mAh power bank that charges your phone wirelessly.

Why do I like it?

I like the Ennercell because it’s completely wirefree. The power bank itself charges via a wireless (Qi) charger and it charges your phone by becoming a wireless charger itself. Another cool feature is that you can charge the Ennercell while also charging your phone. Just put the Ennercell on your wireless charging pad and then put your phone on top of the Ennercell to create a wireless charging sandwich!

Where can I find more info?

The Ennercell campaign ends on 7/31/19 they have more than met their funding goal of $7,679. You can pre-order an Ennercell starting at $29. After the Ennercell campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

HyperCube: Auto Backup Photos While You Charge

What is it?

HyperCube is a small adapter that connects between the USB charger and your phone and backs up your phone’s photos to a micro SD memory card or USB flash/hard drive while your phone is charging.

Why do I like it?

I like HyperCube because it’s a small automatic backup device that will let you keep another copy of all your images. Even though most of our images are backed up to the cloud, it’s always a good idea to keep an extra copy just in case. This product does it for you without any intervention.

Where can I find more info?

The HyperCube Kickstarter campaign ended on 7/16/19 they raised $295,098. You can still pre-order a HyperCube starting at $29. After the HyperCube campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2019. Visit their Indiegogo Indemand page for all the details.

Mokibo: 2-in-1 Keyboard Embedded with Touchpad

What is it?

Mokibo is a portable Bluetooth keyboard for multiple devices.

Why do I like it?

I like the Mokibo keyboard because it has a built-in touchpad right over the keyboard’s keys. How’s that for a unique feature. And what’s really cool, is that the touchpad gestures work with iOS devices in addition to Android, macOS, and Windows.

Where can I find more info?

The Mokibo campaign ends on 8/10/19 they are still working toward their funding goal of $30,000. You can pre-order a Mokibo starting at $119. After the Mokibo campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2019. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

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Keyport OmniFob, Ennercell wireless charger, Mokibo keyboard, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2019 at 1:02 pm.

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Pitaka Air Trio triple device wireless charger review

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – How many of you need to charge more than one device every night? I’m guilty for sure. I’ve been an Apple addict since playing games on my Apple II as a teenager. These days I’m not without my Apple Watch (series 4) and my iPhone X. Both of those end up needing a charge every night and my iPad Pro (11″) frequently does as well. Well as it turns out Pitaka has a new product that solves that exact issue. It’s called Air Trio and I’ve got a pre-production unit from Pitaka that I’ve put through the paces to tell you all about. Here we go.

What is it?

Air Trio is a triple charger that can charge an Apple Watch, a device with wireless charging and a larger device with USB-C. It’s also available with a Lightning connector instead of the USB-C if that suits your quiver of devices better. There’s a lot of unique features, so let’s push on.

What’s in the box?

A reminder that this is a preproduction unit so some details could change before the Air Trio ships.

  • Air Trio
  • Wall adapter (supplies all necessary power)

Hardware specs

Device Support: 3 devices; Apple Watch, Wireless Phone, and USB-C tablet. (Lightning optional instead of USB-C)
Power:
– Input: DC15v/3.5A
– USB-C Output: 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12v/1.5A
– Apple Watch Output: 5V/1A
– Wireless Output: 3 coils supporting 7.5W and 10W fast charging

Design and features

Pitaka has followed its brand ethos with the main surface of the Air Trio. The entire top is their aramid fiber with the silky smooth soft-touch finish. The Apple Watch charger sits in the back half just in front of the USB-C connector and adjustable tablet rest, and there’s a small punch-hole to the left of the watch charger with a recessed LED.

Both of these connectors/chargers have additional functionality. On the right side of the device is a button which releases the Apple Watch charger allowing it to slowly rise to a vertical position. Here’s a closer look.

The USB-C has about 15º of range either side of the vertical position which allows for flexibility while connecting and disconnecting devices or adjusting the lean of your tablet. The dial on the right side raises and lowers that connector so you can match the depth of any case you might have on your device. Here’s a look at the high and low limits of that adjustment.

At the back of the device is the pivoting tablet rest which you can adjust between vertical and any amount of recline all the way to folded under for stowing. Without taking it apart I can’t really tell, but it’s either a friction pivot or opposing springs and holds its position without being difficult to move.

Also on the back is the power-in port (left) and an additional port which houses the LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) which enables a sleep mode of reduced brightness.

On the bottom are four rubber feet for a stable stance and it’s here that you realize just how much of the device is a polished zinc alloy. The entire bottom, sides and complete tablet rest have this finish.

The wall adapter resembles a MacBook charger with a fixed cable that could stand to be a bit longer and barrel jack at the end.

Setup

The sample I received did not have any kind of instructions but I’m pretty confident the retail units will. Regardless, setup is pretty easy. Figure out where you’re going to place the unit, connect the wall adapter’s barrel jack to the back of the Air Trio and then plug the adapter into the wall. Any additional setup is specific to your devices so let’s move on to how it works.

Performance

First off, the Air Trio has some significant heft in all the right ways. It weighs in at a little over 2lbs, 3oz. For reference, my 11″ iPad Pro with keyboard and pencil is about 1lb, 110z, so the stand has plenty ballast to keep from tipping over even before you add a phone and a watch.

For my purposes, I’ve been using the Air Trio on my nightstand. It’s super handy for being that last stop as I go to sleep. I can plop my watch and phone down and then dock my iPad after I finish getting just enough blue light to let me have trouble sleeping.

The iPad rest is set a little shy of vertical. I have the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio on my 11″ iPad Pro and between the lean angle and the amount of space between the connector and the rest, there’s no issue docking it with the cover closed or folded behind.

I mentioned the adjustable height USB-C before which lets it adjusts for both case depth and/or your lean angle up until the point you go beyond the connectors angle limitation. Only things to know here is that if you’re running a case with a charge port really tight to the Apple USB-C cable, it could be tight. It’s also really tricky to dock your iPad with a single hand because the connector moves forward and back. This gets even tricker if you’ve got the Apple Watch charger flipped up as I do.

So, why does the charger flip up? One, it enables nightstand mode on your watch. Super useful for me as I like my bedroom dark and the watch display will time out until I knock on my nightstand for it to display again. Two, some of the bands available for Apple Watch do not fully disconnect which makes charging them on a flat surface very hard, if not impossible. Here’s Apple’s Link Bracelet to demonstrate that point and one of a flat charging position.

All the real estate to the front is for wireless charging your phone or other accessory. My iPhone X fits there really well, perhaps feeling a bit cramped when the watch charger is flipped up and occupied. Those of you with larger phones may find your phone overhanging the front a bit. There are three charging coils up there to help deal with the different coil placements in phones.

Overall, the Air Trio is a solid accessory if you’re charging a trio of Apple accessories. Here’s some things to be aware of…

As you can see, some of the screen of my 44mm watch is obscured when I also charge my phone. Definitely not a deal breaker by any means, but if your case is much thicker it could be frustrating.

The charging coil is relatively tolerant to position, just experiment with your particular phone and adjust to make sure you’re actively charging.

With as heavy as the Air Trio is, I was expecting to be able to grab my iPad with one hand for removal. Alas, the USB-C connection is a good one and I’d rather not wiggle the whole thing until it releases. One hand on the front of the base lightly while the other lifts and you’re good to go.

That little LED to the left of the watch charger is really bright, and for some reason, it blinks while your devices are charging. If you put a piece of tape over the light sensor at the back, the LED power cuts in half. I’m relying on my devices to tell me they’re charging so my piece of tape is going over the LED itself.

Finally, you can order any color you like as long as it’s Aramid/Polished Zinc (carbon fiber look with chrome). This is sitting on my nightstand, so not a huge deal, but otherwise could be polarizing for potential customers.

What I like

  • Fast charging for 3 devices with 1 charger (remember to choose USB-C or Lightning for the tablet at purchase)
  • Heavy and stays put
  • Works with cased devices and any watch band combo

What I’d change

  • Remove the LED since your devices show charging status
  • Power cable could be a bit longer for getting behind furniture
  • More color options, less or no chrome

Final thoughts

Pitaka has a great charging product here and it’s less Apple centric as it might initially sound. The Apple Watch charger is actually the only Apple specific thing as the USB-C rear and wireless front chargers can work with many devices. I really appreciate fewer cords and the Air Trio is a sweet spot for the accessories I use daily. It replaced 3 separate chargers on my nightstand with a single unit that works very well for me.

Price: $129 and up
Where to buy: Kickstarter (campaign launches in 2-3 weeks)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Pitaka.

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Pitaka Air Trio triple device wireless charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 9, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Linkind Aroma Coffee Brewer review

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – I am a coffee drinker, and each day at work I drink at least 2 large mugs of French Vanilla coffee that I brew from ether Dunkin Donuts or Folgers ground coffee. I keep a medium size coffee brewer at my desk and each day I go through the process of brewing my coffee and then washing the filter and carafe which is made from glass and is quite fragile. Nevertheless, it continues to serve we well after 2 years and counting. The Linkind Aroma Coffee Brewer promises the perfect cup of coffee along with portability, durability and it should also be very easy to clean. Will I forsake my old trusty coffee brewer for the new? Let’s see!!

What is it?

The Linkind Aroma Coffee Brewer is a battery-operated brewer that works by creating the ability for evenly poured hot water over ground coffee to yield an evenly brewed aroma rich cup of coffee. It is made of impact-resistant material for longevity.

What’s in the box


1 x Linkind Coffee Brewer Main Body
1 x Coffee Grounds Filter
1 x Filter Holder
1 x Water Reservoir and Cover
1 x Coffee Measure Spoon
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

The Linkind Aroma Coffee Brewer is made up of a main body and parts that compliment it to make up the entire device. On the side of the main body, there is a battery compartment and an on/off switch.

There as a metal reusable filter that is used to hold and filter the ground coffee.

The filter sits in a holder than then sits in a hole at the bottom of the brewer that rests above your coffee cup.

Performance

Once you unpack the brewer, the instructions say that you should wash all of the parts with warm water and soap. I washed everything except for the main body because it contains the battery compartment and because it does not come into contact with the coffee. I then dried all of the parts that I washed and inserted the 2 AAA batteries.

As per the instructions, I filled the included coffee spoon with coffee and then poured it into the filter.


The next step is to place the filter into its holder and into the main body of the brewer that should be sitting over the coffee cup. For this test, I used a drinking glass so that the brewing process can be easily seen.

See it in action

Brewing………….

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The functionality that makes a tasteful and aroma filled cup of coffee
  • Easy to clean

What I’d change

  • Should include a good carry/travel case
  • Should include batteries
  • Should have a slightly larger reservoir so that it yields a full cup of coffee
  • It does not heat/boil water

Final thoughts

Linkind‘s Aroma Coffee Brewer is a nice lightweight and compact coffee brewer that works well for a nicely brewed single half-cup of coffee. The coffee that it brews does taste like a well-brewed, flavorful mixture, but my biggest gripe is that I would like a bigger reservoir so that I can pour enough hot water at once to get that full perfect cup of coffee. At the Max line on the reservoir, I get approximately a bit less than half a cup of coffee and I am using what would be considered a regular size cup. My solution is to keep the kettle nearby and to keep pouring water to make a full cup, which also requires more than a spoonful of ground coffee. This is obviously an inconvenience especially considering that you are using hot water and spills and other mishaps can occur, and you have to carry a flask of hot water to make the portability worthwhile.

I drink at least 2 large cups of coffee every weekday, and while my coffee brewer does require electricity and is much larger with a somewhat fragile/breakable carafe, it only cost me $21, it boils the water as a part of the process and so far it has worked well for over 2 years. I like the portability of this brewer, and if access to hot water whenever you need a cup of coffee is no problem, then this might just work for you.

Price: Super early bird price $38.99 US ($304 HKD)
Where to buy: Linkind’s Indiegogo page
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by Linkind.

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Linkind Aroma Coffee Brewer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 8, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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TRIO of screens for your laptop, Noni Tyvek bacpack, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Here are four Kickstarter campaigns that caught my eye this week. Let me know if these products interest you too or if I missed a really good campaign that I should talk about.

TRIO: The on-the-go dual & triple screen laptop monitor

What is it?

TRIO is a magnetic dual monitor setup for your laptop.

Why do I like it?

I like TRIO because it lets you add additional screen real estate to your laptop at home and even on the road without having to lug large heavy traditional monitors. I’d love to use this at home with my MacBook and ditch my regular monitors just because it looks like it would save me some desk space.

Where can I find more info?

The TRIO campaign ends on 8/3/19 they have more than met their funding goal of $35,000. You can pre-order a TRIO starting at $185. After the TRIO campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in January 2020. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Get™: Hi-tech bracelet with bone-conduction technology

What is it?

Get is a wearable bone conduction headset for your phone that transmits sound from your wrist through your finger into your ear.

Why do I like it?

I like Get because it’s a futuristic way to take calls while you’re on the move without having to use an uncomfortable headset. I’m not sure how it sounds to use tech like this, but you can’t deny that it looks really cool. The only downside is that it isn’t “handsfree” since you do have to hold your hand up to your ear to hear the audio.

Where can I find more info?

The Get campaign ends on 7/31/19 they have already met their funding goal of $24,848. You can pre-order a Get starting at $130. After the Get campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in March 2020. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

The Pocket Guitar Stand

What is it?

The Pocket Guitar Stand is exactly what you would guess it is It’s a guitar stand that fits in your pocket.

Why do I like it?

I like The Pocket Guitar Stand because it’s much nicer looking than the ugly metal stands that I have for my guitars. The Pocket Guitar stand is made of wood and you can take it with you when you travel with your guitar. Heck, I’d like to have one (or three) for my house!

Where can I find more info?

The Pocket Guitar Stand campaign ends on 7/11/19 they are still working towards their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a Pocket Guitar Stand starting at $49. After the Pocket Guitar Stand campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Noni Backpack – Moving with Ease

What is it?

The Noni Backpack is a backpack that is made of Tyvek.

Why do I like it?

I like the Noni Backpack because it’s ultra lightweight (18oz when empty), waterproof, and stainproof.

Where can I find more info?

The Noni Backpack campaign ends on 8/1/19 they have already met their modest funding goal of $735. You can pre-order a Noni Backpack starting at $44. After the Noni Backpack campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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TRIO of screens for your laptop, Noni Tyvek bacpack, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 6, 2019 at 11:57 am.

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