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Structure Sensor 3D scanner review

REVIEW – The iPad market share has hovered around 20 to 30% for the past few years. Imagine how different our world and experience would be if each one of those cameras had 3D capture ability. The Structure Sensor is an attachment to the iPad that provides the ability to capture 3D information. Read on to see what I think!

What is it?

The Structure Sensor is an attachment to an iPad, but also works with non-iPad tablets, iPhones, and can be modified to work with standalone applications. It contains two infrared LEDs, an infrared structured light projector, and an infrared camera.  The Structure projects a unique infrared pattern of dots out in front of it, and the infrared camera captures the projected pattern as it is reflected off of objects. Apparent variations in the position of the captured dots are interpreted by software to determine the relative position of a captured image. The graphic below, by Paul Kah of the Lappeenranta University of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, illustrates the technique in a cartoon.

The Structure Sensor uses images from the iPad’s built-in camera, so aligning the Structure sensor up to the built-in camera is critical. The Structure Sensor provides a custom designed mount to ensure alignment. The sensor software also uses the iPad accelerometer, compass, and computing power to generate the 3D images.

What’s in the box?

My employer purchased this device so I didn’t see the box it came in. The following description is from the Structure website:

Structure Sensors purchased directly from the Official Structure Sensor Store will arrive in a gift box, like so:

 

Structure Sensors purchased from Amazon.com will arrive already assembled, in a new “bento box” style, which doubles as a carrying case for your Structure Sensor, bracket, and cables:

Regardless of where it was purchased, your Structure Sensor should arrive with the following:

  • One Structure Sensor
  • One Lightning cable
  • One Power Adapter
  • One magnetic screwdriver
  • Eight (8) M1.6 screws
  • One user manual

Precision Bracket with Aluminum Latch

The Precision Bracket with Aluminum Latch will arrive in a separate box, like this one:

Precision Brackets with Aluminum Latch for iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 4 will arrive in a “bento box” style, which doubles as a carrying case for your assembled Structure Sensor, bracket, and cables:

Structure Sensor Bracket For iPad Pro

Your Structure Sensor iPad Pro Bracket should arrive with the following (shown from top to bottom):

  • One Bracket Alignment Tool
  • One Structure Sensor Base Plate
  • One Bracket

This is what the bracket looks like when not attached to the camera:

The bracket surrounds the iPad camera so that a specially designed 120-degree lens may be installed for use with some applications. The camera lens may be unusable by other hardware add-ons if the bracket secured with an adhesive is applied to the rear of the iPad.

Design and features

The Structure Sensor is an anodized aluminum device with a glass front and a plastic back. The back is designed to fit into or screw onto a bracket that connects it to the iPad. The Structure Sensor has its own internal battery to preserve the battery life of the iPad, The bottom side of the camera has a port for the dedicated AC charger. An LED indicator on the Structure Sensor’s glass face will pulse when your Structure Sensor’s battery is charging. As soon as your battery is completely charged, the LED indicator will be illuminated continuously until the AC charger is disconnected.

There is also a port for the data cable to lightning adapter cable

If the Structure Sensor is used with a non-iPad device a separate cable may be purchased that terminates in a USB type-A connector. This cable may also be used with a USB power adapter to charge the Structure Sensor and will charge the battery more quickly than the standard Power Adapter.

When the sensor is latched to the rear of a device and connected with the dedicated data connection to the device it looks like a kludge to repair an inoperable camera. Technically its similar to taping a Microsoft Kinect to the back of the iPad. However, despite its appearances, the bracket and camera are sturdy when attached and function as if the Structure Sensor were an integral part of the tablet.

The biggest feature of the Structure Sensor is that it was designed as a piece of standalone hardware and not a custom attachment for a specific program. Occipital, the makers of the Structure Sensor published an SDK for the hardware very early on. This development philosophy helps establish this hardware as a well-supported attachment to the iPad. There are over 80 apps built for Structure Sensor as of December 2018.

Rapid 3D scanning of objects and people and 3D scanning of interior spaces were the features I used. The sensor can also be combined with a virtual reality headset to provide augmented reality experiences that incorporate real integration of the 3D environment. 

I’ll talk about two of the apps I was able to use with the sensor.

Scanner – Structure Sensor Sample

The scanner app allows you to capture 3D models of objects and people by simply walking around them with your iPad and the Structure Sensor accessory. Captured objects can be sent via email (uses OBJ format). The camera collects color information as well to make a texture file. When scanning I got the best results moving the iPad up and down to cover the entire model and then making sure I captured distinct areas, such as the face, all at once so that the iPad would provide the best result when the data is stitched together. Having patience is important; moving too quickly will cause the model to not be assembled correctly. I make models of each of my children. You can see that the model I made of my son’s hair is corrupted on one of my earlier tries.

After some practice, I got the hang of it and was able to capture both of my children without any model errors. Here’s a model of my daughter.

You can view the full model here. The models import into the Windows 10, 3d builder in the wrong orientation and with an error, but the orientation can be rotated and the error is fixed by the program.

Canvas

Canvas is another app for the Structure Sensor. This app is designed to render a room in 3D and has an option to have the 3D scan converted into a CAD (computer-aided design) file so that architects and builders can use the captured measurements as a starting point for modification.

I decided to model a downstairs hallway in my house that has a number of doors and a coat rack area in order to test the capabilities of the device. I had some guidelines to go on but since the time I have made the renderings and now, a video on the scanning process has been published by Occipital. The video below gives an impression of what it is like to use the software.

Once some familiarity is gained with using the software, the whole process is quite fun. The software indicates the rendering of the space by apparently covering it in a white foam. The end result is that the entire scanned area looks like it is covered in shaving cream or marshmallow.

Here are some pictures and screenshots that I made of the capturing process.

This shows a screenshot of the other end of the hallway.


Instead of showing the camera image, it is possible to show the image depth view rendered in false color

The model files I made include the stairwell going upstairs.

Here is a view of the stairs from the opposite angle.

This is my best rendering. The remainder of the attempts below have some shortcomings. Some, like the capture with an incomplete floor, would be fine for conversion into a CAD model.

Both sides all crooked

Floating coat rack

Odd looking ceiling

Good but some missing wall

Incomplete floor

One side crooked

Rotated during scan

Like the Scanner app, the models import into the Windows 10, 3d builder in the wrong orientation and with an error, but the orientation can be rotated and the error is fixed by the program. CloudCompare is a good cross-platform alternative, has a portable build, and doesn’t have any importing issues.

What I like

  • Unique device
  • Powerful features
  • Open development

What needs to be improved

  • Learning curve
  • Cost
  • The adhesive bracket may limit camera use
  • The camera cannot be used with a case

Final thoughts

With the Structure Sensor, a whole new dimension can be experienced with your iPad. 

Price: $379 to $499
Where to buy: Structure
Source: The sample for this review was provided by my employer.

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Structure Sensor 3D scanner review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 14, 2018 at 11:04 am.

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Adonit Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger review


REVIEW – Almost every state in the USA now has laws prohibiting the handheld use of cell phones while driving. As a result, the marketplace has been flooded with auto mounts of various designs that hold your cell phone within reach and many offer wired or wireless charging as a feature. The Adonit Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger is a part of this very crowded field. Let’s see if it stands out as better than the rest.

What is it?

The Adonit Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger is a dashboard/windshield/vent mount for your cell phone that offers easy access to your phone and charges your phone while it is in the mount.

What is in the box


1 x Adonit Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger
1 x Micro USB cable
1 x DC Car Adapter Power Plug
1 x Air Vent Adapter
1 x Dashboard/Windshield Mounting Arm
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x Warranty Card

Design and features

Specifications:
Input: DC 5V/2A or 9V/1.67A
Output: 5W, 7.5W, 10W fast charging supported
Charging Distance: ≤ 8mm
Conversion Efficiency: > 75%
Working Frequency: 110 – 205KHz
Product Weight: 245g
Product Dimension: 131x77x13mm
Materials: ABS + Silicon Rubber

On the back of the charging unit, there is a ball mount that allows you to mount either the Air Vent Clip or the Windshield/Dashboard mounting arm.

The dashboard/windshield mount includes the ball mount on an extension arm that allows you to move the charging base and therefore the phone closer or further away from you. At the base of the mount, there is the suction mount pad and the mechanism to depress or lift to secure or remove the suction mount to or from the surface in the car. There is also a knob at the side that allows you to raise or lower the extension arm.


At the bottom of the charging unit, there it the micro USB port that you plug the micro USB cable into to provide power to the unit and to the left of that port is a LED that shines green when the unit is receiving power and a phone is in the mount.



On the face of the charging unit/cell phone holder, there is the Qi wireless charging interface in the middle and an infrared sensor at the bottom that allows the unit to detect when a phone is near so that it opens and closes the securing arms.


On the lower left side of the charging unit, there is a silver touchpad that when touched triggers the arms to open so that you can remove the phone.


The DC power adapter plug has 2 ports, a quick charge 3.0 port, and a 3.1A port and a blue LED light around its surface.

Performance



The Adonit Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger performs as expected. As you can see in the pictures below, I use the mount on my dashboard. While I did quickly test the air vent mount and can confirm that it does clamp onto the vent louver as it is designed to do, I absolutely despise air vent mounts and chose to use the dashboard mount since I have other devices mounted to my windshield. The mount with the phone it is very stable even when driving on rough surfaces. So far, the phone has never dislodged from the base unit. The one issue that I have with it is that the infrared sensor in the base unit is very sensitive and even when I am sitting back in my seat, it will at times detect me or some movement and the arms will repeatedly open and close even though I am not attempting to mount a phone. The arms also make a very annoying squeaking sound when moving. In terms of charging my phone, I usually have varying amounts of charge remaining on my battery phone when I place it in the mount, and I have never tested the charging when my phone battery is completely drained. However, I am very impressed at how quickly this mount charges my iPhone 10 XS Max.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The grip of the securing arms
  • The wireless charging feature’
  • The sturdy dashboard/windshield mount
  • The overall appearance

What can be improved

  • The sensitivity of the sensor that controls the gripping arms so that it does not activate so easily and from so far away
  • Possible the addition of a baseplate for the bottom of the phone to rest on

Final thoughts

This dash mount/windshield mount wireless charger works well and I have been using it continuously since the day I opened the box. I was concerned that with just 2 side arms/clamps and no baseplate to hold the phone, that it would fall when driving on bumpy roads or in the case of a sudden stop. So far, it has proven me wrong and has held strong. Only time will tell if continuous use reduces the clamping power and grip on the phone. Other than the overly sensitive sensor for the automatic arms that grip the phone, this charger is well made and a good buy.

Price: $48.74
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Adonit.

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Adonit Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 14, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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ScreenBeam Mini2 wireless display adapter review

REVIEW – Have you ever wanted to display content from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop wirelessly to a TV or monitor without bringing your home’s WiFi to its knees? Actiontec has a solution for Windows and Android devices called the ScreenBeam Mini2. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The ScreenBeam Mini2 is a wireless display adapter that plugs into an open HDMI port on a display/TV and receives streaming video from a Windows laptop, Android smartphone, or Android tablet through the WiFi network created by the ScreenBeam Mini2 adapter and not your home’s wireless network.

Hardware specs

  • Supports up to full 1080p30 HD video and 2 channel stereo
  • Dual Band: Supports both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequencies

Compatibility

  • Windows device running Windows 8.1 or newer AND supports WiDi
  • Android device running v4.2 or newer AND have native Miracast, Smart View, or Mirroring support.

What’s in the box?

  • ScreenBeam Mini2 wireless display adapter
  • HDMI extender cable
  • Micro USB cable
  • AC adapter
  • Instructions

Design and features

The ScreenBeam Mini2 looks like an oversized USB thumb drive, but instead of a USB-A connector on the end, it has a full-sized HDMI connector.

On one side is a reset switch and a micro USB port which is used to power the adapter.

Installing the ScreenBeam Mini2 adapter is simple as long as you have a TV or monitor that has an available full-sized HDMI port.

All you have to do is plug the adapter into the HDMI port and also connect the included micro USB cable to the power adapter and plug it in. If you don’t have an outlet near the TV or monitor, you can do like I did and plug the micro USB cable into a USB port on my Denon AV receiver or even one on your TV or monitor.

I tested the ScreenBeam Mini2 with two different displays and four devices. The first test was with the BenQ 27 inch PD2710QC monitor and the Huawei MediaPad M5.

After plugging in the ScreenBeam Mini2 adapter, I switched to the HDMI input with the ScreenBeam Mini2 adapter and was greeted by the screen you see above.

The next step was to go into the MediaPad’s settings and start MirrorShare which is a built-in feature of this tablet. As soon as I enabled it, it started scanning for available devices and displayed the ScreenBeam Mini2 as an option.

Tapping the icon on the MediaPad changed the display on the monitor to show that it was connecting to it.

Just as a reminder… Unlike Google’s Chromecast dongle, the ScreenBeam Mini2 does not require that you have a WiFi network in your home or any internet connectivity at all for that matter. The adapter itself uses its own WiFi to connect the two devices without any need to configure, type in login IDs or passwords.

Within seconds, I was viewing the same thing on the monitor that was displaying on the tablet. I was able to see a mirror of the Android tablet’s display while running apps, browsing the web, viewing pictures from the image gallery, videos I’d recorded, etc.

But within minutes I ran into some issues worth noting. Although the Netflix app launches and displays the interface on the mirrored display, as soon as you begin watching a video, the mirrored display turns black. You can still hear audio though. I then tried the Hulu app and had the same disappointing results.

But when I tried YouTube, I had success. Videos played fine and looked great. Look, it’s Casey Neistat. Love that guy!

One other thing to note is when I turned off the display on the tablet, the connection between the two devices was broken.

I then tested the Huawei P20 with the ScreenBeam Mini2 and my VIZIO M-Series (M65-F0) 4K HDR Smart TV by plugging the ScreenBeam Mini2 into the AUX HDMI port on my Denon AV receiver.



As expected, the setup was pretty much identical to using the MediaPad with the BenQ monitor as the P20 also has the MirrorShare feature.

One thing to keep in mind is that for best video and audio results, the source device (in this case the P20 smartphone) should be placed within 30 feet of the receiver (in this case, the Denon AV receiver connected to the Vizio TV).

Just like with the MediaPad, viewing my pics, local video, apps, browser, and YouTube all worked fine and turning the phone to landscape view would cause the video to go full screen – or almost full screen. You can see that there is a big “frame” around the video on the Vizio TV.

But as soon as I tried to play a Netflix flick, I was denied…

Hulu fared the same. 🙁

My third test was with my Pixel 2 XL and I had even worse luck with the previous tests because good ole Google removed screen sharing features like Miracast from Pixel devices because they want people to buy their Chromecast. Grrrrrrrrrr… Google, you’re not my friend right now.

For my fourth and final test, I tried my Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and whaddya know, it was the best combo yet!

Samsung’s mirroring feature is called Smart View and it works wonderfully in a couple different ways. First of all, Netflix works perfectly, no black screen of sorrow!

And second of all, the screen will blank out on the tablet to conserve battery life. Yay!

What I like

  • Easy to install
  • Doesn’t require an existing network

What needs to be improved

  • Needs support for Apple devices
  • Needs to be able to work with Netflix, Hulu, and other popular streaming services through all mirroring types
  • Needs to support streaming 4K Ultra HD videos.

Final thoughts

If you’re looking for a dirt simple way to mirror your Android or Windows screen on a TV or Monitor without using your network or wires, the ScreenBeam Mini2 might be the perfect solution for you. That is if you have an Android device that supports Miracast, or a Windows device that supports WiDi AND you don’t mind potentially not being able to use it for Netflix or Hulu depending on your device. Yes, there are a lot of caveats to this product, but I think it will be an easy way to bring my favorite shows with me when I’m on vacation and want to watch them on a larger screen.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ScreenBeam. Please visit their site for more info.

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ScreenBeam Mini2 wireless display adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 13, 2018 at 12:52 pm.

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Roborock S5 Robotic Vacuum and Mop cleaner review

REVIEW – When you have had two total knee replacements and you have a weak back, you could use some help with the housework.  I have a lot of trouble wrangling the upright Dyson we have, but I hadn’t really thought about trying a robot vacuum again because of a bad experience I had with one a few years ago.  It could get lost in my 80 sqft bathroom.  And when it wasn’t stuck in the bathroom, it wandered aimlessly around the house, never completing a room before meandering off to another room.  That was a long time ago, and a lot of progress has been made since then.  When I read that the Roborock S5 Robot Vacuum Cleaner has high-precision LDS laser distance sensors that can do five 360°-scans of your room per second so it can map out the best pathway for cleaning, I was hoping I’d find a useful partner for cleaning my floors without breaking my back and knees.

Hardware specs

Main unit

  • Size: 13.9″ x 13.8″ x 3.8″
  • Lithium ion battery; 14.4V, 5200mAh
  • Weight 7.7 pounds
  • Wireless, smart contact charging
  • Rated voltage: 14.4V
  • Rated power: 58W
  • Suction power: 2000Pa
  • Obstacle crossing: 2cm
  • E11 filter is Teflon-coated for easy washing; reusable for about a year
  • Smart laser navigation
  • 13 sensors to avoid obstacles and falls
  • Laser range sensor scans the room quickly for distance information and planning cleaning route

Charging dock

  • Size: 5.1″ x 5.9″ x 3.9″
  • Rated power: 42W
  • Rated input: 100-240V
  • Rated output: 20V, 1.8A
  • Rated frequency: 50/60Hz
  • Protective floor mat when using the mop function (seen in above photo)

What’s in the box?

  • Roborock S5 robotic vacuum 
  • Dock charger with US plug
  • Beak-like cleaning tool
  • Washable filter
  • 2 Pairs of replacement water tank filters
  • Water tank and waterproof pad
  • 2 Mopping cloths
  • User manual

Design and features

In addition to the LDS laser sensors to map your room mentioned above, the Roborock S5 has other sensors to help it navigate your house and individual rooms.

  • There’s a collision sensor, which is the band around the front of the vacuum (seen in the following photo), that moves to indicate the vacuum has bumped something.  The S5 will change its path when a bump is felt to prevent damage to the object blocking it.
  • The little tower on the top of the vacuum is the bumper sensor that feels even the slightest brush against the top.  This prevents your vacuum from getting stuck under something.
  • Four cliff sensors on the bottom of the machine prevents it from going off an edge that’s too high for it to navigate.
  • An STMicroelectronics laser TOF range-finding module precise to millimeters helps the vacuum maintain a distance of about 10mm from the wall.  This close distance and the rotating side brush means the floor is cleaned all the way up to the wall.
  • A fall sensor can detect whether the wheels are in a  pressed-in state on the floor. When the wheels are off the floor, the cleaner will stop working immediately, significantly increasing the safety during handling.
  • An odometer measures the number of wheel rotations and calculates the mileage it travels in your house as it cleans.
  • A tri-axial gyro can detect angular changes in the yaw/pitch/roll directions to determine the orientation of the cleaner, while the tri-axial accelerometer can detect the acceleration of the cleaner in three axes X/Y/Z to determine whether the cleaner tilts or collides with any obstacle.
  • Dual electronic compass sensors can detected “virtual walls” by sensing magnetic fields. Virtual walls are created by laying magnetic tape down to create the “wall”.  The cleaner will automatically avoid the area defined by virtual walls.  Use these walls to keep the vacuum away from areas you don’t want disturbed, like around the Christmas tree or a room where it may get stuck or damaged, like a craft room.  The magnetic tape is an optional purchase.
  • The dust bin sensor prevents damage to the motor by preventing using the vacuum when the dust bin or its filter aren’t in place.
  • The fan speed sensor accurately measures the speed to determine whether the filter is clogged and to keep a record of the fan speed.
  • A recharge sensor that allows the S5 to quickly locate and return to the charging dock when it needs recharging.

Setup

To get started with the Roborock S5 vacuum, you’ll need to set up the charging dock and put the vacuum on it to charge up the battery.  There are a lot of videos on the Roborock website that guide you through setting up, using, and maintaining the vacuum.  I found them very helpful in getting to know the Roborock S5.

You’ll also need to download an app to your mobile device that can be found here.  This iOS version of this app is somewhat confusing to use, but you’ll need it to connect to your home WiFi, which your vacuum will need to create a cleaning map of your home.  This app apparently is also used by another company to control their many types of speakers and home automation devices, including robot vacuums.  There is not much information to be found about using this app, so I wasted a lot of time trying to define the rooms in my house, only to learn later that this information is only used by devices from the other company.  The Roborock S5 vacuum creates its own map of the house and doesn’t use these room definitions.  It would be very nice if Roborock could create their own app, or at least create a video or text document explaining how to use the current app.  I found that it does have a few functions for the Roborock vacuum, but they aren’t “inherently obvious to the user”, as I say.

Once you’re connected to the WiFi and your Roborock S5 is charged, you’re ready to start cleaning and letting the vacuum map out your house.  I started my first cleaning by pressing the power button on top of the S5.  As soon as I did, the vacuum moved off the charging dock and starting moving around in my hallway.

The above image from the Roborock website shows you the information you can use in the app.  You can see the progress your vacuum makes by watching the little green light.  You can send commands from the app to start a timer cleaning, or use the app as a remote control to start it cleaning or have it return to the charging base.  There’s another function for zone cleaning that we’ll discuss more later in the review.

Performance

The Roborock S5 is supposed to be good for homes with pets.  My house put it to the ultimate test, because I have a Shiba Inu who sheds huge amounts of hair 365-days a year.  It’s like living in the Wild West, what with the tumbleweeds of dog hair that can accumulate overnight.  The Roborock sucked up all the dog hair it encountered without a problem.

The Roborock is very quiet.  It’s not noiseless, but I could certainly continue with what I was doing without being disturbed by the noise.  I live in a high-rise building, with neighbors on three sides of me.  I feel I could use the vacuum without them hearing it through the cement walls of the building.  Because of the layout of the building, I feel I could even vacuum my living room, dining room, foyer, kitchen, or hall bathroom on a timer overnight without them hearing anything.

After that first pass through my hallway, I was quite pleased with how clean the floor was.  The little side brush swept up the dust and dog hair that gathers against the wall without bumping into the wall.  In my kitchen, it could navigate around the legs on my work table, and it easily climbed up on and cleaned the two anti-fatigue floor mats in there.  It could switch from my hardwoods to my area rugs without problem in the living and dining rooms.  It did push my little door mat at the front door out of place, but I need to buy some anti-slip tape for that rug anyway.

It did have a bit of trouble climbing over the marble thresholds for my bathrooms, so I just need to put the S5 into the bathrooms and shut the door while it vacuums so it won’t try to go back out of the bathrooms after it has cleaned.  The bathrooms are the only place it can’t reach parts of the room to clean.  It’s big enough that it can’t fit between the toilet and wall in one and the toilet and the shower in the other bathroom.

When the Roborock S5 starts working, it wants to do your entire house.  I had hoped that I’d be able to tell it to vacuum a specific room and have it go clean that then return to the charging dock.  That’s why I was trying to define the rooms of my house in the app.  Well, you can’t do it that way – or at least I can’t figure out how to do it that way.  But I don’t have to always have the vacuum clean the entire house.  Once the Roborock has defined the entire house, I can go into the app and select Zone Cleaning.  With this option, you just draw a square around the area of the house you want cleaned, and the vacuum will go clean that area and return to the dock when it’s finished.  I have long had a zone approach to cleaning my house – Mondays are for the living room, dining room, and foyer; Tuesdays are the kitchen; etc.  Because I can set up a zone for vacuuming, I can start the Roborock S5 cleaning the room I’ll be working on that day while I run my early morning errands, then I’m ready to dust and straighten that zone when I get back.  I LOVE the zone cleaning function!

The Roborock S5 can also wet mop.  It has two microfiber cleaning cloths and a water reservoir that attaches to the bottom.  It can do zone cleaning with the mop, too.  I haven’t used the mop function because I have hardwoods everywhere except the kitchen and bathrooms, and I clean the floors in those rooms with a steam cleaner.

What I like

  • Quiet
  • Vacuums efficiently and thoroughly
  • Can “measure” the room’s shape and size and eventually produce a map of your entire house
  • Can use timers to start cleaning
  • Can set zones for cleaning
  • Will return to the charging dock when it needs recharging
  • Can wet-mop as well as vacuum

What needs to be improved

  • Could use more documentation about using the current app – OR –
  • An app just for the Roborock S5 would be perfect

Final thoughts

The Roborock S5 robot vacuum is a great addition to my cleaning arsenal.  It’s quiet enough that I don’t have to worry about bothering the neighbors or waking up my daughter whenever I decide to vacuum a room.  I could even have it run overnight without worrying about noise.  It picks up dust and dirt and the rolling tumbleweeds of dog hair without a problem.  And I love that I can draw a zone on my home’s map and have the Roborock S5 clean that area immediately or on a timer.  The Roborock S5 is a great value for the price.

Price: $565, as reviewed
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roborock

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Roborock S5 Robotic Vacuum and Mop cleaner review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 13, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Linedock MacBook dock review


REVIEW – For the past few months, I have been testing and reviewing various PC docks, hoping to find one that captures my enthusiasm and has all of the functionality that I need. The docks generally come in various sizes and mostly look like square black boxes. I was extremely excited when I came across the Linedock and even more excited when I got the opportunity to test and review one.

What is it?

Linedock is a slim and sleek dock that was primarily designed to work with the MacBook Pro and it matches the footprint of the MacBook. It is offered in multiple memory storage configurations and includes a built-in 20,000mAh battery.

What’s in the box


1 x LineDock
1 x USB-C Cable
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

Specifications:

PORTS
3 USB Type C ports – Full Power Delivery 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 10 Gbps), DisplayPort
USB Type C Voltage – Supports full power delivery: 5V — 3A (USB PD) / 9V — 3A (USB PD) / 15V — 3A (USB PD)
3 USB 3.0 ports – Both Qualcomm QuickCharge 3 (when no laptop connected) and USB 3.0 (5GB/s Data Transfer)
Pass-through charging – Yes
SD Card slot – Supports all SD™ UHS-II card interfaces up to 300MB/s
Multi-devices docking – Supports up to 7 ports simultaneously

DISPLAY SUPPORT
USB Type C Port Video – Supports one 4K Display at 60Hz
HDMI Port Video – Supports HDMI 2.0 with 4K Resolution at 60Hz
MiniDisplayPort Port Video – Supports DisplayPort with 4K Resolution at 60Hz

BATTERY
Power Delivery – Full Power Delivery 2.0
Charging capabilities – 5V, 9V, 15V and 20V
Output – 100W
Battery Nominal Capacity – 20,000 mAh / 71.61 Wh
Output Power – 60W / 100W Pass-Through Charging
Output Voltage – 5V 3A / 9V 3A / 15V 3A / 20V 3A (5A Pass-Through Charging)
Input Power – 10W to 100W via USB Type C
Device Charging – USB Type C
Simultaneously – Charge up to 7 devices at the same time

CHARGING REQUIREMENTS
Side Ports – Can support up to 60W of charging
Central Port – Up to 100W — USB Type C. Linedock can be charged using a regular USB-C laptop charger
Input – Can support up to 100W of charging

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS
Measurement – Width 11.97 in (30.41 cm), Height 0.35 in (0.9 cm), Depth 8.36 in (21.24 cm)
Weight – 2 pounds (912g)

On one of the short sides with the accessory ports, there are 2 USB 3.0 ports, the SD card slot, and the display button followed by 10 LEDs each of which represents a 10% charge.


On one of the long sides, there are air vents on either end and in the center, there is the USB-C input power port.


On the long side opposite the side with the input power port, there are air vents on either end.


On the other short side with accessory ports, there is the HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, a USB-C 3.0 port and a USB-C port.

Performance

When I first removed the Linedock from its packaging, it revealed a thin, sleek and sexy device. I charged it and then decided as my first test to try it with my iPad Pro 12.9″ (2018) just to see what it would allow and if it would work at all. To my surprise it easily allowed me to mirror the iPad’s display to an external monitor and the iPad photo app even popped up when I attached a USB flash drive. I was not able to import the pictures from the drive, but there may be some app that I can find that will allow me to do so. (TBD)


As it is designed to do, the Linedock worked flawlessly with my MacBook in every way with every accessory that I tried and also with adding an external monitor.


I tried to use the Linedock to attach an external monitor to my HP Windows laptop but it did not work.


Below shows the message that popped up when I attached the Linedock to my Windows laptop.

What I like

  • The sleek and slim design
  • The number of ports and the ability to use a large number of accessories simultaneously
  • The pass-through charging capability
  • The multi-platform adaptability
  • The ability to add storage

What can be improved

  • Greater compatibility so it can be fully functional for multiple platforms
  • Addition of a supporting IOS app

Final thoughts

When I first heard about Linedock I was very excited and eager to get my hands on one. Now that I have, it has not disappointed. It easily allows me to add accessories/peripherals while using my MacBook and has some limited functionality with my iPad. I have seen comments online that indicate that it also works with Windows PCs but I was unable to get it to work for me. Unfortunately, Linedock sent me the model without the internal hard drive storage, so I was unable to test that feature and to measure its performance out of the box. I do plan to add flash storage to this one in the near future. I have been told by Linedock that it is compatible with M2 SATA III storage. I really like this device and everything about its design and function. While is it somewhat heavy for its size, I take with me in my backpack back and forth to work every day. The Linedock gets two thumbs up from me!!

Price: Starting at $299 up to $799 for the 1TB version
Where to buy: Linedock and B&H Photo Video
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Linedock.

Filed in categories: Reviews

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Linedock MacBook dock review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 12, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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