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The Kwilt Shoebox Plus just made storing your personal memories even better

NEWS – A few days ago, I tested and reviewed the Kwilt Shoebox. This little device connects to your network via wifi and is controlled via an Android or iOS app. It allows you to transfer all of the photos and video from your Smartphone or tablet to local storage across your network. The Kwilt has a USB port where you can add a flash drive or a USB hub with multiple drives to create virtually unlimited storage. Once your files are transferred, you have the option to either keep the original files on your mobile device or to delete them. The beauty about deleting them is that the Kwilt Shoebox allows you to access your stored files from anywhere at any time via the app. You can also add pictures and videos that were never on your device to the storage attached to the Kwilt, and you can access them via your phone/tablet as well.

I absolutely love the Kwilt Shoebox, albeit that I would prefer if it has a built-in Ethernet port to provide a more reliable connection, and the ability to add multiple drives without having to buy a hub to do so.

I guess the folks at Kwilt must be reading my mind because they just announced the Kwilt Shoebox Plus. This updated version of the shoebox had a built-in Ethernet port, 4 USB data ports for adding storage and still keeps the HDMI port and all of the original functionality.

If you are as interested in the Kwilt Shoebox Plus as I am, you can purchase one for $119 on Amazon or from the Kwilt website.

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The Kwilt Shoebox Plus just made storing your personal memories even better originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Canvaspop PhotoBooks review

REVIEW – When I’m not writing code, my primary hobby is photography. I’ve never created a photo book, so when the chance to review the Canvaspop Photo Books product came along, I jumped right at the opportunity.

What is it?

The Canvaspop Photo Books is an iOS app that you use to create a 6″x6″ photo book in either softcover or hardcover.

Design and features

The Canvaspop Photo Books app is a pretty simple app. You start by selecting either the softcover or hardcover product. Next, you select between 20 and 30 photos, and then a cover photo.




You can tap and hold a photo to drag and switch it with another photo or tap a photo to either crop it or replace it with another photo.

When I initially started to add photos, I noticed that if a photo was added to your phone album after you start the app the list of photos in the app did not refresh, so make sure you have all your photos on your device before you start. There is also an option to add photos from your Instagram account.

You can also apply a filter at this point to all of the photos, available filters are: Natural, Black and White, Vivid.



After arranging your photos, tapping “Done” takes you to the checkout where you can set your quantity and start the checkout process. Both Apple Pay and credit cards are accepted. The rest of the checkout was pretty standard and my book arrived in about two weeks.


The photo book arrived in pretty minimal packaging but was in perfect condition. Overall I’m really happy with both the quality of the book materials and the actual printing and color.

The cover has an almost flat finish, whereas the pages have a slightly glossy appearance which I found to be perfect.

The app does not have any ability to add any text to any of the pages or covers, so you’ll want to edit an image with such information if you wish to have that included in your book. There’s also no ability to span an image across two pages, so if you want that you’ll have to create two images and add them to each facing page.


I did find that there was quite a bit of dust/crumbs in the book, probably from the trimming process, however that wiped of fairly easily.

What I like

  • Color accuracy was perfect.
  • Quality printing and binding.

What needs to be improved

  • App needs the ability to add text (title) and copyright information.
  • App needs the ability to save the book layout so you can finish or reprint it later.
  • No Android app is available yet.
  • There’s no ability to span an image across two pages.

Final thoughts

I am extremely pleased with the photo book, and the shortcomings of the app aren’t too big of a deal since if you know about them you can work around most of them.

Price: $15 to $25
Where to buy: Canvaspop
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Canvaspop

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Canvaspop PhotoBooks review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 11, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Nikon’s new COOLPIX P1000 lets you photograph a needle in a haystack from 1 mile away

Ok, that’s a wild exaggeration, but seriously, the just announced COOLPIX P1000 from Nikon has a 24-3000mm lens. Nope, that isn’t a typo and yes, I thought it was too. That’s right, this camera features an incredible 3000mm lens. That’s 125x optical zoom. It also has an aperture range of f/2.8-8, and a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor. A camera with this type of zoom lens works well for nature and moon photography. The COOLPIX P1000 will start shipping in September and can be pre-ordered now at Adorama and B&H Photo.

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Nikon’s new COOLPIX P1000 lets you photograph a needle in a haystack from 1 mile away originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 10, 2018 at 11:55 am.

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The Loupedeck+ makes photo editing even better!


Some time ago, I wrote a news story on a device called Loupedeck that is designed to assist photographers with editing photos in Adobe LightRoom. It is a great device that has a keyboard type form factor and it has quickly become a mandatory part of my photo editing workflow. It has allowed me to easily and accurately edit photos, and to do so exponentially faster than doing so with a regular keyboard and mouse.

Just recently, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there is an upgraded version called Loupedeck+. While the layout has remained mostly the same, they have built it sturdier and with mechanical keys, and they have added the ability for more customization. In addition, in a great advancement, the new version now works with Skylum Aurora HDR. The manufacturer has also indicated that “The Loupedeck+ is also currently in beta integration with Capture One, with full functionality on the way later in the year. It is apparent to me, that Loupedeck+ has the potential to become an almost mandatory workflow tool for just about every photographer.

If you would like to purchase the Loupedeck+, you can pick one up from B&H Photo Video and Amazon for $229. I did read somewhere that they are even offering a $50 discount for the folks that already own the original Loupedeck.

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The Loupedeck+ makes photo editing even better! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 25, 2018 at 12:30 pm.

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HUAWEI news: MediaPad M5 tablets are available now, Mate 10 Pro price cuts, and photo contest

It’s been a busy news day for HUAWEI! Just when it seems like Android tablets are a rarity these days, HUAWEI announced that their MediaPad M5 tablets are currently available at Amazon and NewEgg here in the US. Available in 8.4-inch and 10.8-inch versions in Space Gray and a 10.8-inch Pro version in Champagne Gold, the HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Series are competitively priced at $319 for the 8.4-inch version, $359 and $449 respectively for the 10.8-inch and the 10.8-inch Pro version. The MediaPad M5 tablets feature 2.5D curved glass screens and Harman Kardon tuned speakers. Check them out at Amazon and NewEgg. I’ll have a review of the 10.8-inch version of the M5 tablet soon!

Mate 10 Pro promotion

Huawei has a great deal on their Mate 10 Pro smartphone from now until June 30. You can purchase this smartphone for $549.99 which is $250 off its original price. Check out my Huawei Mate 10 Pro review for all the details on this excellent phone. It is available for purchase on Amazon and NewEgg.

HUAWEI launches second annual NEXT-IMAGE awards

HUAWEI’s Next-Image Awards is a global competition for the best smartphone photos taken with a Huawei device. HUAWEI is partnering with the International Center for Photography and judged by a panel of five industry experts including ICP’s Mark Lubell. The competition will be open for entries starting June 13, and will run until August 31st.

This year’s competition will have six photo categories that include Faces, Check-in, Storyboard, Timeline, Good Night, and Hello, Life!

There will be one Grand Prize winner who will win $20,000, a HUAWEI P20 Pro smartphone and a HUAWEI MateBook X Pro laptop. There will also be six best-in-category winners and 50 runner-up prizes.

For more details, please visit the official awards website: http://gallery.consumer.huawei.com

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HUAWEI news: MediaPad M5 tablets are available now, Mate 10 Pro price cuts, and photo contest originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 12, 2018 at 8:57 pm.

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