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Tekto Gear TAKT automatic knife review

REVIEW: Earlier this year I reviewed the Amber automatic knife from Tekto Gear. It was my first Out the Front (OTF) knife I had ever held. The Amber’s hardwood and stainless steel construction give it a great old world, Game of Thrones feel to it. Tekto recently sent me their TAKT automatic knife to take a look at for this review. It’s vibe is the polar opposite from the Amber, with a no nonsense, Special Ops air about it.

What is it?

The Tekto Gear TAKT is an Out the Front (OTF) automatic knife, where the internal mechanism ejects the blade out the top/front of the handle and locks it into place then retracts it with the opposite motion.

Design and features

The TAKT is made from an aluminum alloy and high-quality stainless steel giving it modern, tactical look and feel. When the blade is deployed, the total length of the TAKT is approximately nine and a half inches in length.

Like the Amber, the TAKT isn’t a switchblade but a stiletto knife where:

A switchblade swings out from a folded position and needs to be manually reset. A stiletto is spring loaded straight out and can be retracted automatically. Much faster and efficient… The heels ? Supposedly the shoes were named after the knife.

Specifications:

  • Blade Length: 3.93” (100mm)
  • Blade Thickness: 0.11” (3mm)
  • Total Length: 9.44” (240mm)
  • Gross Weight: 0.94lb (385g)
  • Material:  Aluminum Alloy / 440 Stainless Steel

As I mentioned above, the handle is made from an aluminum alloy that is powder/spray-coated giving it a slight rubbery feel to it. The two side plates are held together by six hex-head bolts. The handle’s length is approximately 5.5 inches with a total weight of just under a pound.

The blade switch is located on the upper, front edge of the handle (vs the side like the Amber). The switch triggers the blade to deploy/retract and requires a good amount of force to move. So much force, it is unlikely to accidentally be actuated in your bag or pocket. Since I received the TAKT OTF automatic knife, I have flipped it in and out many, many times. The spring mechanism seems very solid and does not give any indication of issue or failure. Though the system does need to be maintained, Tekto has a page dedicated to walking you through how to clean and lubricate mechanism.

The quality of the TAKT is good but not great. There are several minor imperfections in the machining and finish of the handle, as you can see here and the picture above.

The serrated blade is made from 440 stainless steel. The blade is painted and nicely shaped. It is very sharp (as you would expect) with an extreme point on the end. The two-tone blade is 4 inches long and pretty scary looking. Tekto Gear uses chrome in their steel blades that adds greater rust resistance, strength, and durability. In this case, they paint the blade, then machine it giving a great metal/steel and black color scheme. When deployed, the blade has a zero wiggle or movement.

The TAKT has an integrated window breaker and a rigid, well-made belt clip on the butt end of the handle.

What I like

  • Good material quality
  • Special Ops, tactical styling
  • 440 stainless steel blade
  • Great weight and feel to it
  • Smooth action and easy to use
  • Integrated window breaker and belt clip

What needs to be improved

  • Illegal in many states
  • Build quality could be better

Here is a pretty good YouTube video showing several of the Tekto knives in action.

Legal or not legal

Tekto Gear does a decent job trying to keep buyers on the straight and narrow road. One of their forums is dedicated to helping you determine if it is legal to own an automatic OTF knife based on where you live. This page goes state by state on the legal details of ownership.

The Tekto TAKT has a nice weight, size, and feel to it. Unlike the hardwood and stainless steel of the Amber, the TAKT’s coated aluminum and knurled handle give it a modern feel to it. The handle is very grippable and easy to maneuver in your hand.

Final thoughts

While not perfectly finished, the TAKT works well and gets the job done. I have actuated the automatic OTF mechanism many times and it operates flawlessly but does need to be maintained over time. For me, both the Amber and TAKT are a bit big and heavy for my EDC bag though with its window breaker end would make for a great in-car or Carhartt pocket utilitarian knife. Sadly, the TAKT isn’t legal in Washington State so I won’t be packing it around with me much, if at all.

Price: $164.99
Where to buy: The Takt automatic knife is available directly from Tekto Gear.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tekto Gear.

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Tekto Gear TAKT automatic knife review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 3, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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JLab Flex Sport wireless Bluetooth headphones review

REVIEW – I love to listen to music while I’m at the gym or out walking my dog. So I’m always on the lookout for a good pair of workout headphones. I recently wrote about the JLab Flex Sport wireless headphones and was intrigued by their over-the-ear design and customizable fit. Fortunately, I was able to score a pair for a review. Let’s see how they stack up.

What is it?

The JLab Flex Sport Bluetooth headphones are exercise-focused over-ear headphones with a customizable fit headband and removable, washable earpads.

What’s in the box

  • Flex Sport headphones
  • 2 tension bands (FLEXFIT and FIRMFIT)
  • 1 extra headband padding
  • USB Type-C charging cable
  • Travel bag
  • Quick start guide

Specs

  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 40mm drivers
  • 20-hour Bluetooth playtime
  • USB-C charging port

Design and features

The JLab Flex Sports wireless headphones have a sporty look, from their black color to the grey jersey covered ear pads. And the over-the-ear design is something you rarely see in workout headphones. The headband is made of an extra flexible plastic that you can actually twist, hence the name.

There’s also a removable, washable headband pad for extra comfort if needed.

Flex Sports are built with multiple ways to customize your comfort. There are two tension bands that snap over the top of the headband, giving you the choice of three fitting preferences: Loose (without Tension Band), Normal or Tight. The bands are labeled on the bottom: FLEXFIT or FIRMFIT.

The earpads are made of a moisture-wicking polyester-cotton blend material, similar to that used in workout shirts. You can also remove and wash them when they get dirty. JLab recommends hand washing them, but you can use the included travel bag to machine wash them if you choose.

There are universal controls located on the right ear cup. They allow you to control things like volume, next track, and play/pause.

Below is a chart of each button’s function.

The buttons and charging port are rubber coated which helps to keep moisture, dirt, and dust out. The headphones have an IP44 rating, meaning they’re protected from a splash of water in any direction. So you probably won’t want to wear them to run out in the rain. 

A built-in microphone allows you to accept or reject calls using Siri or Google Assistant.

Charging the headphones is done via a USB-C charging port located on the bottom of the right ear cup. Flex Sport can be charged when powered on or off. The charging indicator (JLab logo) will be white while charging and will turn blue when fully charged. It also doubles as the Ambient Noise on-off button. (More on that later)

JLab states that Flex Sport has a 20-hour battery life. I use them at the gym for over an hour 4 days a week, and in 3 weeks I’ve only had to charge them fully once.

The headphones use Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to your smart devices, but oddly lack a headphone jack for wired listening.

Fit and comfort

I chose to use the FIRMFIT tension band with the headphones during my workout. The fit was perfect for my somewhat small head, tight but not to the point of being uncomfortable.

Going through my workout the headphones, never moved. They remained firmly on my ears during a variety exercises like bench presses and crunches that require you to lay on your back.

I’m not much of a runner, but I did some jogging on the treadmill for test purposes. Once again the headphones stayed securely on my ears and didn’t bounce around.

Besides feeling good on my head, the headphones are also extremely lightweight – just 6.3ounces. And they’re not bulky at all, easily fitting underneath my hoodie.

For on-ear security and comfort Flex Sport gets a big thumbs up.

As an added bonus the ear-cups help to keep my ears warm while out walking my dog on a chilly day.

Be Aware Audio

There’s an Ambient listening mode that’s activated by pressing the JLab logo button on the right ear cup, JLab calls it Be Aware Audio. The feature allows you to hear your music and natural ambient noise at the same time.

I first tested Be Aware at the gym. It definitely made me more aware of other people around me in the gym, but I found that it interfered a little too much with the music I was listening to. However, I can see how it would be beneficial if you were working out with a partner.

For me, it worked best when I paused the music. This allowed me to have a clear conversation with a friend at the gym without having to remove the headphones.

I found the feature to be more useful while out walking my dog. The sidewalk we use runs along a pretty busy street and being more aware of the passing traffic definitely gave me peace of mind. Especially while crossing at an intersection.

Overall, if you run or walk in a high traffic area, this feature could literally be a lifesaver. But inside the gym, I prefer to just listen to my music at a lower volume.

Sound performance

The logo button can also be used to switch between JLabs custom EQ settings. There are three options: JLab’s Signature sound with amplified vocals and bass, Balanced sound, and Bass Boost for a big bass sound. Cycling through the 3 modes is done by pressing and holding the logo for 2-seconds.

Since I like to listen to Hip Hop music while working out, I favored the Bass Boost mode. These headphones don’t produce a lot of natural bass, so the extra boost is welcome here.

For all other types of music, I found that the amplified vocals of JLab’s Signature Sound fit the bill.

One great thing about using over-the-ear headphones to workout is you get that truly immersive stereo sound, something you don’t get from earbuds or on-ear headphones. It really helps get you into and stay in the zone while working out.

These headphones get plenty loud too. So if you need to really pump up the volume to push through that last agonizing set, Flex Sport has your back.

Overall the sound quality of these headphones is very good, especially for $99.

What I like

  • Affordable
  • Great fit with your choice of 3 different fitting preferences
  • Good sound
  • 3 different EQ settings to choose from
  • Lightweight
  • 20-hour battery life

What needs to be improved

  • No headphone jack for wired listening

Final thoughts

There’s probably no such thing as a perfect pair of workout headphones. But the JLab Flex Sport wireless Bluetooth headphones are as good as it gets. With their customizable fit, good sound quality via 3 different sound profiles, and budget-friendly price point I feel very comfortable recommending these headphones. They’ve definitely earned a permanent place in my gym bag.

Price: $99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by JLab Audio.

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JLab Flex Sport wireless Bluetooth headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 3, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Jackery PowerBar review

Today, I’m bringing to you a new portable power bank, but it’s unlike the dozens we’ve reviewed here over the years. The Jackery PowerBar can power an AC device, as well as those USB-powered items in your kit. How’s that for differentiation?

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The Jackery PowerBar is a grey box 6.25”x2.5”x2.5”. It holds 23,200 mAh / 83.53 Wh of power. It can charge or power devices through USB2/3, USB-C, and 110 AC with a US power plug.

Hardware specs

Capacity – 20800mAh
Cell Type – Lithium-ion 18650
Material  – PC  Housing
Color Available – Grey
Weight – 690g
Dimensions – 160*65*65mm
Cycle Life – ≥500
USB 1 – Quick Charge 3.0
USB 2 – 5V 2.4A
AC Output – 110V 85W
USB C Output – 5V 3A
Minimum Output Current – 20mA~160mA
Input USB C – 5V 3A
Charging Time – 7H
Certificates – FCC ROHS UN38.3 ETL CE

What’s in the box?

  • PowerBank
  • USB-A to USB-C cable
  • USB charger

Design and features

When you first hold the PowerBar, you think “Hmm. Standard power bank, just square and a bit heavy for a new item of this capacity.” Then, you look at the end opposite the input and the power button and – wait. Is that an AC outlet? This is a game-changer!
The PowerBar 77 is a square, sleek metal box of power. The ports and other interface elements are all on the small faces, with an AC port on one end and 2 USB-A jacks and a USB-C jack on the opposite end. The matte finish of the sides gives plenty of gripiness while not appearing industrial.
On the multi-port face, there is an on-off button that activates it. An LCD meter is on when it’s active and shows the power available.
The AC outlet requires venting, so there are mesh windows on the sides parallel to the plug blades, and a fan turns on when the power is activated. This fan is so quiet that I have never noticed it unless I actually put the unit up to my ear in a relatively quiet room.

What I Like

  • AC power!
  • USB A and C output
  • Multiple input options

What needs to be improved

  • None that I could find.

Final thoughts

Power packs are a fact of life until the invention of wireless dedicated power or something else Star Trek/Star Wars worthy. Everything we do, at least online, requires power. While batteries have progressed a huge amount in the last dozen years, they are still not able to run phones, laptops, and tablets forever. Usage costs power. Carrying around a source of power is easy with a power pack, but there’s always a trade-off. Weight, heat, or ventilation will affect the amount of power available and what type of power it is – AC or DC. The Jackery Powerbar, while a bit heavy for the amount of power it offers, adds a clear advantage in the AC power plug it offers. Count me as a fan. If you’re needing juice for your laptop or another AC device, you’ll be one, too.

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Jackery.

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Jackery PowerBar review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 2, 2019 at 11:02 am.

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GameSir VX AimSwitch for PC and Console gaming keyboard review

REVIEW – Not long ago my preteen son and I built a gaming PC together, and I came across this half-keyboard thing. Since most PC gamers use the left side of the keyboard with the left hand, and the right hand on a mouse, this combo from GameSir caught my attention. There was a lot more this thing did than I had anticipated.

What is it?

The GameSir VX looked like all the lookalikes I’ve seen on Amazon except this one was wireless. Well that’s pretty neat, I thought, except why did it come with a wired mouse? It turns out the USB mouse plugs into the keyboard, and the pair communicates wirelessly to the included USB dongle… and is compatible with game consoles such as the Xbox One, Playstation 3/4, and Nintendo Switch.

Hardware specs

  • Mechanical keys (blue clicky)
  • MicroUSB rechargeable (cable included)
  • Works with PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch

What’s in the box?

In the box, you get the keyboard, a detachable wrist pad, USB mouse, wireless dongle, microUSB charging cable, and instructions.

Design and features

The keyboard looks like someone chopped a mechanical keyboard down the middle. The wrist pad slides on with a very satisfying rat-tat-tat ratchet sound.

Speaking of sounds, you’ll be immediately drawn to the blue mechanical keyboard switches, which produce a very satisfying (and very audible) click-click-click noise. This is not for stealth gaming sessions.

The backside features some rather large, grippy pads… even on the wrist pad.

On the top end, you’ll find the full-size USB port for the wired mouse, microUSB for charging, and the power switch.

There are four “G” buttons on the left (not mechanical switches). In PC mode, they correspond to keys 7, 8, 9 and 0. For console games, they are for “HIP sensitivity adjustment” and “ADS sensitivity adjustment”, according to the manual. Apparently they keys are configurable but I didn’t find any documentation other than this YouTube video.

Here’s my hand over the keyboard, for size reference.

In the box is a gaming mouse I found… not to my liking. Too many sharp angles and creases. If you’re a gamer, maybe this is your style. I found two buttons on the left side, a DPI adjust button on the top, and a scroll wheel on top. The backlight glows different colors when you switch DPI.

Finally, a wide USB dongle rounds out the kit.

Setup

There are ways to connect the kit to the Xbox, Playstation and Switch, but I don’t have either of those.

Instead, I simply plugged the USB dongle into a USB port, and Windows just recognized the GameSir VX as just another keyboard.

Performance

I set my son loose on the GameSir VX and his game of choice (Fortnite). He opted not to use the included wired mouse since it was a little large for his smaller hands.

What I like

He liked the wireless freedom of not being tethered to a conventional wired keyboard. It also took up a lot less room than even a tenkeyless keyboard. I found it interesting he chose to remove the wrist pad. He just felt more comfortable without it. At least it’s an option!

What needs to be improved

I was really surprised to hear his chief complaint. “It’s too noisy” and “It’s too tall”. He was used to flatter, laptop-style membrane keyboards. As for the noise issue, he’s certainly right about that. The blue keyboard switches are VERY audible. In my experimentation with mechanical keyboards, a lot of the noise is from the keys bottoming out. That can be softened with the addition of rubber O-rings, but you still have the tactile click of the blue switch itself.

Final thoughts

Despite my son’s misgivings about the mechanical switch noise, this is probably a godsend for those craving keyboard-mouse connectivity for consoles such as the Xbox One, PS3/4 and Switch. But if you have housemates or kids who are picky about noise, you may wish to look for more silent options.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: GameSir and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by GameSir.

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GameSir VX AimSwitch for PC and Console gaming keyboard review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 2, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub review

REVIEW – If you’ve been reading The Gadgeteer for a while, you’ll know that I like to bend gadgets to my will. That usually means that I  try to turn tablets and smartphones into my only computer. In my past attempts, I’ve failed at these experiments and running back to the comfort of my 12-inch MacBook. But now I’m feeling that old familiar tug to try another experiment. Why is that? I blame the Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub is an ultraportable USB-C hub that plugs into devices that have a USB-C port to provide the device with an HDMI port, USB A port, USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Design and features

This little hub has been designed for the 2018 Apple iPad Pro, but it can be used with other mobile devices that have a USB Type-C connector like a variety of Android smartphones and tablets. Available in space grey or silver, the hub is about the same size as a pack of gum. It features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a full-sized HDMI 4K 30Hz port, USB 3.0 port, and a USB Type-C 3.0 PD port that will let you charge the device that is connected to the hub while you’re using the hub.

The other side of the Type-C Mobile Pro Hub has a Type-C plug that is used to connect to mobile devices.

I tested this hub with 4 different devices: my new 2018 11-inch iPad Pro, my Pixel 2 XL, Huawei P20, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 tablet. All of these devices have a Type-C port, which of course, is a requirement to use this hub. I tried them with my BenQ PD2710QC DesignView 27-inch Designer Monitor and VIZIO M-Series (M65-F0) 4K HDR Smart TV.

The Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub inserts into your device exactly how you would expect any Type-C device to plug into another Type-C device.

In the image above you’ll notice a tiny blue LED between the HDMI and USB 3.0 ports. That LED lets you know that the hub is connected and is ready to be used.

I tried the hub first with the Pixel 2 XL which was a big fail. No output to my BenQ monitor at all. Next up was the Huawei P20 smartphone.

Success! And the cool thing about the Huawei P20 is the EMUI interface that turns the phone into a desktop type of experience with a full-screen windowed desktop.

The phone’s touchscreen even can become the touchpad of the computer. Nifty!

Next up, I tried the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and like the Pixel 2 XL, it was a fail. ARGH…

Time to test the device that the Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub was designed for in the first place, the new 2018 iPad Pro.

Look at that, it’s iOS on a bigger screen. Success #2.

I connected headphones, which worked as expected, and connected a Type-C power cable and it also worked as expected. I connected a USB flash drive with a bunch of files into the USB 3.0 port on the hub and… fail. But that was to be expected. I already knew that you can’t connect a flash drive to the iPad Pro and expect to see all your files as you do on a Windows or Mac. Thanks Apple. BUT, if you have a flash drive with images or video files on it, the iPad Pro will see those files if they are in a DCIM folder structure and will allow you to import them into the Photos app which will automatically launch when the flash drive is plugged into the hub. So, yay. You can also connect a camera with a USB cable and transfer photos and video that way too.

What I like

  • Ability to hook up some Type-C mobile devices to a larger display
  • Adds a 3.5mm headphone jack to the iPad Pro
  • Adds a USB 3.0 port and Type-C charging port

What needs to be improved

  • Type-C connector not long enough to plug into iPad if a case is being used.

Final thoughts

You know that we are living in a dongle world and I’m a dongle girl (hat tip to Madonna). But seriously, as devices get smaller and thinner, we’re losing ports like 3.5mm headphone jacks, and USB ports. Dongles and adapter like the Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub are filling the void and solving this connectivity issue. Will this hub work with every device that has a Type-C port? Nope. But it’s been designed for 2018 iPad Pros and it does work very well with them. So there you have it!

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Satechi and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Satechi.

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Satechi Type-C Mobile Pro Hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 1, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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