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IPPINKA MKC Tab Wallet review

KICKSTARTER REVIEW – If you’re a minimalist, we’ve got a cool little wallet for you to check out today. The folks at IPPINKA are offering up a Kickstarter for the MKC Tab Wallet. Not only is it hand made from glorious full-grain leather, but it has an integrated solution for your keys in addition to your cash & cards. Ditch that clunky old keyring banging around in your pocket! To the review!

What is it?

It’s a full grain minimalist wallet that also organizes your keys.

What’s in the box?

You’ll get the wallet. You can also order accessories that fit the key swivels (a bottle opener and a 16 GB USB drive).

Hardware specs

  • 2.6″ by 3.75″.
  • Full grain leather.
  • Chicago bolt screws.

Design and features

The MKC Tab Wallet is a beautiful, simple design. Rugged style is the name of the game here. Here’s what the front and rear faces look like:

The leather quality is excellent. I’m measuring it at about 1/16″ thick, and the dye runs through the full fabric. It’s burnished but not sealed, so you’ll see some nice character and patina develop over time. The interior faces and edging are left raw, adding to the rugged character:

The wallet is sized at a compact 2.6″ by 3.75″. Access to all of your stuff is from the top of the wallet, so it forms a slim wedge-like shape that slides easily into your front pocket. The pocket on the front face is sized for a couple of cards or a small fold of cash:

The center pocket holds 4 cards (give or take), and is RFID-blocking. It also uses a vinyl strap to facilitate getting to the contents:

When you stuff your cards into that center slot, you’ll pull the tab on the front face to slide them out:

The hidden trick behind the MKC Tab Wallet is the ability to wrangle your keys. A pair of Chicago bolts create swivels that allow you to swing your keys out for use. When you get the wallet, you unscrew the caps and slide your keys onto the bolts like so:

Screw the caps back into place, and you can swing out the business end of your keys for use:

Two different sized bolts are included in the kit. The longer bolts will allow for two keys on each side, while the shorter bolts allow for one key. You can also buy additional accessories provided by IPPINKA that work with these posts. A bottle opener and a USB drive are offered. You could also fit any accessory that you may have on your current keyring that has the same size and shape as a key.

Performance

As a minimalist wallet, there’s a whole lot to like here. Day-to-day usability is excellent and straightforward with quick & easy access to all the goods. Minimalism is the key here, though, so don’t expect to carry more than 4-6 cards and maybe a few bills. I also like that the internal pocket is RFID blocking while the external pocket is not. That means I can keep my work ID (or public transportation pass) in that external pocket for quick use while keeping my credit cards protected in that middle compartment.

The integrated key management will really be a matter of personal use. You won’t be able to add chunky non-standard keys or car keys that integrate a FOB. I don’t have an issue with this because I tend to keep my car key separate anyway. Both of our cars have keyless entry and start, so I just keep that thing clipped in my bag. I also tested these slots for some keyring-style shopping cards, and they won’t fully slide into the wallet. If you have a need for standard style keys or similar accessories, however, you’ll be very happy with this arrangement.

What I like

  • Slim, front-pocket-friendly design.
  • Excellent quality leather.
  • Simple, functional, usability.
  • Easy to setup or change to add/remove keys.
  • Built in RFID-blocking slot.

What needs to be improved

  • Support for standard sized keys may not work for some users.
  • If you carry a lot of cards and cash on a regular basis, the size won’t work for you.

Final thoughts

I’m really liking the IPPINKA MKC Tab Wallet so far. It’s a great little design that combines excellent functionality with durable hand made leather quality. The Kickstarter just launched, so you have until July 10th to get in on this one. As of this writing, you can still get in on the limited pledge discount price at roughly $53 USD if you act quickly. Accessories are an extra charge. Estimated delivery of finished products is September 2019.

Price: Pledges are available starting at roughtly $53 USD.
Where to buy: Visit the Kickstarter page.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by IPPINKA.

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IPPINKA MKC Tab Wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 14, 2019 at 2:01 pm.

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SPRYNG Muscle Recovery Tool review


KICKSTARTER REVIEW – Every week I try to walk 10 to 15 miles as a part of my fitness program. As I get older, I do find that many evenings, especially closer to the end of the week, that my legs ache and are in need of a nice massage and some form of rejuvenation. Recently, I got my hands on the SPRYNG Muscle Recovery Tool that on paper seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

What is it?

The SPRYNG Muscle Recovery Tool provides a portable, convenient, and affordable way to deliver un-tethered, on-the-go Compression Therapy for fast muscle recovery anywhere and at any time in as little as 15 minutes. The therapy it provides reduces swelling and blood-pooling and alleviates soreness. It is designed to help everyone dealing with the effects of their daily routine all the way to athletes who constantly needs muscle recovery therapy.

What’s in the box


1 x Pair of SPRYNGS (L&R)
1 x Dual Head Charging Cord
1 x SPRYNG String Bag
1 x Instruction Booklet
1 x Box with Instructions

Design and features

Specifications


Key features

The SPRYNG is covered with a nice material that is easy to clean and yet quite sturdy. It has a nice design and velcro on the top and bottom to secure it.

The inside of the SPRYNG device is very soft and has a suede/felt-like surface that goes against the front of your leg. This makes them very comfortable to wear.

On the outer top of the tool, there is a control pad that has the LED status indicator lights, the on/off button, and the intensity and modes buttons.

To the side of the control pad, there is the charging port and infrared sensor.

Performance

The SPRYNG Muscle Recovery Tool is available in 4 colors.

The micro USB 2-headed charging cable that comes with the tool makes charging very easy. Initially, it took a couple of hours for them to be fully charged.

On the inside of each side of the tool, there is a label for which leg it is designed to be used for and how to attach the device.


The tool easily and comfortably wraps around my legs and the massaging and therapeutic effect is really nice. The ability to change the level of intensity and to have the option of more that one mode is great. What it even better, is that they each have a built-in rechargeable battery that allows me to walk around while receiving the therapy and I don’t have to worry about an AC outlet and an attached cord.

There are LED lights at the top of each control pad that are indicators for status, mode, intensity, etc.



What I like

  • Built-in battery
  • Portability
  • Lightweight
  • Comfort
  • Therapeutic effect

What can be improved

  • Time will tell, but right now they do exactly what they are designed to do

Final thoughts

The SPRYNG Muscle Recovery Tool is the 2nd or 3rd type of device that I have tested that performs this type of massaging and therapeutic function. For me, the ability to maintain proper blood circulation especially in situations where you might be in a position with very limited mobility for extended periods of time is very important. Over the years, I have heard of many people who have suffered from blood pooling or blood clots or embolisms and some have resulted in deadly consequences. In addition, this tool takes this type of therapy to another level by adding portability and independence that makes them applicable as desired. I really like the SPRYNG and I am pretty sure that I will continue to use them often. I give the SPRYNG Tool a well done and two thumbs up!!

Price: $189.00
Where to buy: Kickstarter page
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by Spryng

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SPRYNG Muscle Recovery Tool review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 14, 2019 at 10:06 am.

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Peak Design has redesigned the humble tripod

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Peak Design has been one of the more successful players in the field of Kickstarter funded camera accessory companies. One of their first campaigns, a clip system that allowed a user to carry their camera hands-free either on their belt or backpack strap, was a huge success. Other successful centered around straps/slings, backpacks and sling bags.

Their latest campaign is for a travel tripod. What sets their current effort apart from other travel tripods was the desire to reducing as much space as possible in order to maximize packability. They approached this by making the legs wedge shaped and the center column pie shaped. This allows the legs and center column to fit together with virtually no space between them. The resulting diameter, when closed, is only slightly larger than a water bottle. Peak Design also developed a ball head that adjusts with a single control. While this does not allow for separate pan and tilt adjustment, it decreases the overall size of the head.

Other specifications include a 20 pound weight limit, lever locks, a stowable phone mount, and a soft case. Closed, the travel tripod measures 15.5 inches in length and 3.125 inches in diameter. It’s available in aluminum (3.44 lbs) and carbon fiber (2.81lbs).

The Travel Tripod is currently on Kickstarter with 39 days to go. Its already reached $6,290,220 of its $500,000 funding goal. A pledge of $289 will get you an aluminum tripod and $479 will qualify you for the carbon fiber version. The full retail prices of the aluminum and carbon fiber versions will be $349.95 and $599.95 respectively.

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Peak Design has redesigned the humble tripod originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 10, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Jibbon Key Organizer review

REVIEW – I have been using a product called the OrbitKey since June of last year to organize and hold my car keys.  I was recently given the opportunity to review the next iteration of this key holder.  It promises to do a lot of nice things in addition to what the original OrbitKey does.  Let’s see how it worked out for me.

What is it?

The Jibbon Key Organizer is exactly what it states it is.  It is an organizer for your keys.  It wraps them in a nice leather sleeve and keeps your keys from scratching anything else that happens to be in the same container (pockets, purse, bag) as your keys.

What’s in the box?

In the pictures above you can see the actual box the Jibbon came in and then the individual items were taken outside of it.  You can see the box is very minimal, but everything is nicely packed and contained in its own pocket.  In the box I received:

  • A leather Jibbon Key Organizer that was engraved with my initials.  The color I was sent was tan.
  • Two different sets of screws to hold the actual keys.
  • A USB key accessory made to fit the key holder.  My key was 32GB.

Design and features

I want to start off by saying I was given a preliminary version of this key holder.  The Kickstarter for this key holder has just started and a few changes have been made since then.  The picture above shows a close up of the embossing of my initials in the key holder.  They did an excellent job on this.  I love the way it came out.

This next set of pictures show the inside of the key holder.   On the top left, you can see one of the screws that have been screwed into one side of the organizer.  That top head of the screw snaps into a metal holder on the other end completely flush with the leather.  The top middle picture is the D-ring that can hold additional items like your car remote.  The inside of the holder is stamped with the Jibbon name.  You can also see the stitching which is very clean and neat.

The Jibbon Key Organizer is made to hold three to nine keys.  I currently have 3 keys in my OrbitKey holder.  I have them pictured above.  These keys fit very nicely in my current key holder.  I chose the smallest screw and attached them to the Jibbon.

In the video above you can see how the keys are not held tightly in the key holder.  Now, this could be due to the fact that the last key is a slightly thinner key than normal, but there was no way to tighten the key organizer to make it hold the keys solidly without making them swing.   As I mentioned earlier, I was given an early prototype of the key holder.  They may have a way to prevent this from happening.  In the OrbitKey, they provided some flexi-washers that let you control how tightly the keys were held in place.

Since my house keys did not work, I decided to try out the keys I have for my motorcycle.   One of the keys has a large rubber coating on the end.  I used the longer screw in this case.  I screwed them down until it felt snug and I was still able to move the keys easily.  In the middle picture above you can see the screw holding the keys in place.  Note that you have to keep the screw head centered so it can clip into the opposite side of the key holder.  The third picture shows the key holder closed.  I do love how the head of the screw pops into the metal snap on the other side to be completely flush.  You don’t see any extra washers or the screw itself when you have enough keys to keep them in place.

The next two pictures above show the top of the key holder with the keys in place and with a single key extended.  You can see that it is a very nice and clean look.  I also want to mention that the metal ring at the end of the key holder is removable if you wish.  You simply rotate it and it will slide out of its slot.   You can see a video of the D-ring being removed here.

The shot above shows the new Jibbon Key Organizer on the left and my OrbitKey on the right.  You can see that I use the D-Rings at the end to attach my car remote and the larger key for my motorcycle.  The picture on the right is a side shot of the OrbitKey with my original 3 keys.   You can see it makes a nice compact package, but it does have the metal button on the outside that can still possibly scratch items in your pocket.   The OrbitKey also requires the use of a coin in order to remove or add keys.   The Jibbon is designed to require no tools at all.

Another cool feature of the Jibbon is that they offer additional accessories for the key holder.  In addition to the USB key, they offer a nice multi-tool device.  The multi-tool has a bottle opener, box cutter, and nail file all in one.

Finally, I included a picture of the key organizer on my motorcycle.  A lot of bikes are keyless now, but for those that require an actual key, you often end up with scratch marks from the other keys around the ignition switch due to the wind knocking them around.  With my keys now in the Jibbon Key Organizer, I now no longer have to worry about scratches on my bike.  Since it is leather it will be pretty weather resistant as long as I treat it with some conditioner.

What I like

I love that there are very few parts to this key organizer compared to the original OrbitKey.  There is just the leather strap and a single screw.  I also love that you do not need to use any tools to add or take away keys.  The organizer is very elegant looking and will certainly not scratch my motorcycle or anything in my pockets.  They use real Italian leather and it shows in the quality of the device.   The materials are solid and well made.

What needs to be improved

The only suggestion I can make is to possibly have the smaller screw have a few extra threads on it so it can screw in a bit further.  I really wish it could have held my original three keys solidly.

Final thoughts

I am really enjoying this key organizer.  I can totally recommend it for anyone who is looking for an elegant and efficient way to hold their keys.

Price: $31 – Early Bird Kickstarter
Where to buy: Kickstarter
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Jibbon.

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Jibbon Key Organizer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 7, 2019 at 10:01 am.

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One charging cable to rule them all?

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – d

What is it?

The C17 All-In-One Charger Cable is a 4FT (125cm) USB cable that provides 3 or 4 different connections (depending on the cable version) for USB-C, micro USB, Lightning, and the Apple Watch.

Why do I like it?

I like the C17 cable because it’s one cable with all the connections most people would need. Besides that, the cable has a nylon braided cover which I like, and even better is the fact that you can use all 3-4 connections at once. You can charge your Apple Watch, an iPad or iPhone, a USB-C device, and a micro USB device all at the same time only using one USB power adapter. I think this would be a great cable to have for travelers.

Some things to consider before pledging

It’s important to know that although this cable can charge up to 4 devices at the same time, it does not support data for all of those connections. According to the FAQ on the campaign page, the only connection that will work for data is the Lightning connection with an iPhone.

You will also need a USB power adapter which won’t be included with the cable.

The max 3.8Amp current load and the Fast Charging is up to USB power adapters. We recommend the minimum output current 2.2 A/ 5V when you charging all devices at the same time.

Where can I find more info?

The C17 All-In-One Charger Cable campaign ends on 7/3/19 they are working towards their funding goal of $5,101. You can pre-order the 3-in-1 version of the C17 cable starting at $19. After the C17 campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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One charging cable to rule them all? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 5, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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