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Give your cat a climbing structure even if you don’t have a lot of free floor space

NEWS – Cats like to climb, and if you don’t give them something to climb on, they’re likely to climb your curtains.  If you don’t have enough floor space to dedicate a chunk of it to one of those big climbing trees, you may think you have no other options, but that’s not true.  The K&H Hangin’ Cat Condo hangs over the back of a door, leaving your floors free for furniture and walking paths.

The condo is made of waterproof, 600-denier nylon fabric that can be washed.  The compartments have a stiffening board in the bottom for support, and there are five levels with a total of seven exterior holes for your cat to climb in and out of.  There are also connecting holes inside so the cat can climb between levels.  It mounts to most any door with four brackets, two on the top and two on the bottom of the door.

The structure is 65″ tall and 16″ deep.  It’s available in your choice of 16″ (small) or 23″ (large) widths.  The small climbing condo is $64.20; the large is $85.63.  The K&H Hangin’ Cat Condo is available at the Chewy website.

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Give your cat a climbing structure even if you don’t have a lot of free floor space originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 17, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The new JLab Flex Sport just might be the ultimate on-ear fitness headphones

NEWS – I love working out, and an essential part of my workouts includes listening to music, so a good pair of headphones is a must. Over the ear, Bluetooth sports headphones are nothing new, but the Flex Sport Wireless Bluetooth Headphones from JLAB Audio may be the perfect workout headphones.

The Flex Sport Wireless Headphones offer 20 hours of listening time and a custom fit adjustable tension headband. Two removable Tension Bands allow for three different fitting preferences. Loose, normal or tight.

And the headband is capable of being twisted 180 degrees without breaking. 

The headphone’s ear pads are sweat resistant and moisture wicking. They can also be removed for quick, easy hand or light machine washing.

As far as audio is concerned there are 3 different equalizer settings, Signature, Balanced, and Bass Boost modes, all without having to download a separate app.

JLab also uses something they call Be Aware Audio which allows you to hear your music and natural ambient noise at the same time. So you can hear things around you like car horns or your workout partner. This feature can also be turned off for those times when you really want to get into the zone.

Other features include universal controls for volume and music track control, Bluetooth 4.2, 40mm drivers along with a built-in microphone for taking calls. The microphone can even be used to activate Siri and Google Assistant.

The JLAB Audio Flex Sport Wireless Bluetooth Headphones sell for $99.99 and are available from the JLab website or Best Buy.

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The new JLab Flex Sport just might be the ultimate on-ear fitness headphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 17, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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PackTidy keeps your shirts from getting crushed and wrinkled in your luggage

NEWS – You take your nice, crisply-ironed dress shirt, carefully place it in your suitcase for a trip, and pull out a wrinkled mess when you get to the hotel.  You’ll have to iron that shirt again before your meeting tomorrow – unless you’ve packed your shirt in a PackTidy Shirt and Tie Commuter Travel Organizer.

These PackTidy shirt organizers are molded from high-quality EVA to hold a single shirt and necktie and are designed to protect the collar from being crushed.  The hard-shell case measures 14″ x 3″ x 11″ and fits inside luggage, a carry-on, or even a backpack.  They come with a folding board with instructions for easy shirt folding.

Amazon has the PackTidy Shirt and Tie Commuter Travel Organizer in brown for $23.99 or gray for $29.99.  Other websites, like Walmart, eBay, and Overstock.com, have them, but usually offer them only in brown at higher prices than Amazon.

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PackTidy keeps your shirts from getting crushed and wrinkled in your luggage originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Xbox’s new game streaming service: what you should know

NEWS – People are already accustomed to streaming TV shows and movies, and Xbox is bringing that capability to games, too. There’s no word yet on pricing for Xbox’s game-streaming option — known as Project xCloud — but the brand plans to launch public trials of the service next year.

Open to Third-Party Developers

In June 2018, people who attended the E3 technology conference heard from Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s vice president of gaming, that Microsoft intended to bring Xbox games to mobile devices. Project xCloud is the result of those efforts.

Early details indicate game developers could put content on the streaming service. That would mean people would not be limited to interacting with first-party titles. According to a blog post about the service, developers “will be able to deploy and dramatically scale access to their games across all devices on Project xCloud with no additional work.”

The Mobile Availability Could Be a Competitive Advantage

The part of the quote above that references being able to use Project xCloud on all devices is significant. PlayStation Now is another major entity in the streaming game market. But, people who subscribe to that service can only interact with the content on a PlayStation 4 console or a PC.

Notably, more than a minute’s worth of a YouTube video Microsoft released about Project xCloud discusses how its service will not be device-dependent. So, anyone in the world with a device capable of handling streaming content could use the technology.

Some Hardware Is Already in Place

Microsoft has some of the console hardware for Project xCloud installed in one of its data centers now. Moreover, the company broke down an Xbox console into its separate components. The purpose was to build a “blade unit” capable of hosting numerous Xbox systems simultaneously, as well as the necessary infrastructure.

Multiple Ways to Play

Besides being able to get engrossed in Xbox games on any device, people who use Project xCloud won’t even need controllers. Indeed, one way to interact with the games is to connect a wireless controller to a Bluetooth-compatible device. Microsoft demonstrated that option in its YouTube video.

Information has also emerged about a game-specific, touch-sensitive overlay that allows playing the games controller-free. In that setup, buttons might appear on a tablet and respond when a person presses them, making that Project xCloud possibility particularly attractive for people on the go and traveling light.

Rumors and Speculation Are Rampant

Microsoft still needs to publicize crucial details about Project xCloud, such as the cost and the available library of games. Due to those unknown factors, people are weighing in with their thoughts rapidly. For example, some people think Project xCloud will not be fee-based and could target people who subscribe to Xbox Gold.

Such a subscription gives people access to advanced multiplayer games on their consoles. Some individuals think Microsoft might position Project xCloud as a free extra for Xbox Gold subscribers.

Also, Microsoft’s answer to PlayStation Now is Xbox Live. It allows people to browse from an ever-growing library of games, then download and play them as often as they’d like. The prevalent assumption is that Project xCloud wouldn’t replace Xbox Live.

What Sets Project xCloud Apart From the Pack So Far?

Despite the lack of concrete details, there is something exceptionally significant that differentiates Project xCloud from other offerings available from Xbox or otherwise: the ability to play on any device. It’s not difficult to see how that benefit opens gaming to people around the world who can’t afford consoles.

In India, for example, stores sell both consoles and games at a significant markup compared to their U.S. counterparts. Also, the country doesn’t benefit from Black Friday sales that could make game equipment more affordable for a small window of time. It doesn’t help that professionals in India earn less than people in numerous other countries, either.

But, if Project xCloud offers people the chance to access a library of games and never buy a console, a monthly rate for the service could make such entertainment affordable in India and elsewhere. It’s worth remembering Playstation Now allows console-less playing, too, if people use their PCs.

Smartphones are especially ubiquitous, though, making the availability of Project xCloud on those devices seem like an undoubtedly positive point. One report predicts there will be 5.5 billion smartphone users by 2021. To put that another way, only 5.3 billion people in the global population can get running water.

Device Independence Could Accelerate Gaming’s Appeal

It’s too soon to say when Project xCloud will get its first paid subscribers or how much they should expect to get charged. However, being able to play Xbox games on any device could make them more accessible forms of entertainment, both for experienced gamers and the casually curious.

Photo by Arturo Rey 

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Xbox’s new game streaming service: what you should know originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Let Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds help you sleep better at night

NEWS – Year round, my husband wants a big fan running in our bedroom at night.  In the summer, I don’t mind it so much, because it helps keep the room cooler.  In the colder months, I don’t want it running because it can make the room too chilly for me.  My husband needs it for the white noise, though, because every little sound can bother him.  If he had a pair of these Noise-Masking Sleepbuds from Bose, he wouldn’t hear the ambient sounds that bother him, and I could sleep without freezing.

Sleepbuds may look like regular earbuds, but they can’t stream music, nor do they have acoustic noise cancellation.  Instead, these truly wireless buds fit comfortably in your ears and, when paired with an app on your smartphones, play “pre-loaded, soothing masking sounds to cover up unwanted nighttime noises so you can get to sleep and stay asleep.”

Bose says: “Instead of streaming music, Bose sleepbuds deliver soothing sounds that mask unwanted nighttime noises. And while we’re the first to champion the use of active noise reduction, we discovered that, when it comes to sleep, noise-masking technology is a better solution for the range of sounds that keep you awake — especially voice-based frequencies. So all you will hear is a soothing sound that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.”

With the app, you’ll choose a uniquely-engineered sound to mask unwanted noise – traffic, talking, snoring – and lull you to sleep.  And don’t worry that the noise-masking will prevent you from hearing your alarm, because the app has an alarm function built in to wake you without disturbing your bedmate.  If needed, you can adjust the volume of the masking sounds, so you won’t be completely shut off from sounds you need to hear, such as a crying child.

Of course, you won’t sleep if you are uncomfortable, so Bose did 3-D scans of scores of ears to help them design small, comfortable sleepbuds   The sleepbuds measure 0.94″ high x 1.06″ wide x 0.56″ deep and weigh  0.081 oz each.  To ensure they fit your ears, Bose includes S/M/L StayHear+ Sleep tips; pliable fins conform to the upper ridge of your ear to keep the sleepbuds in place all night.  Bose even has a video to help you get the best fit.

The battery in the sleepbuds last about 16 hours between charges, more than enough time for a good night’s sleep.  They come with a charging case that recharges the sleepbuds as it protects them.  The case’s internal battery provides a full charge, so you can keep the sleepbuds charged when you travel.  The case measures 1.06″ high x 3.03″  in diameter and weighs 3.93 oz.  It comes with a carrying pouch so you can pack the sleepbuds in your bag when you travel.

The Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds are $249.95.  You can purchase them directly from Bose, from Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers.

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Let Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds help you sleep better at night originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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