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Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth 4.2 40W speaker review


REVIEW – I’ve been borrowing my sons Bluetooth speaker from time to time, so I thought reviewing the Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker would be a good time to get my own.

What is it?

The Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker is a portable 40W wireless speaker that has a rich feature set and most of all, great sound.

Hardware specs

Model: Mega
Compatible: All Bluetooth enabled devices
Bluetooth version: 4.2
Transmission Range: 20m (Open field)
Output Power: 20W X 2
Battery: 3.7V/2*3300mAh
Power Supply: 5V/2.1A
Frequency Response: 115Hz-13KHz
Distortion: =1.0%
Driver Unit: 4ohms 20W/53mm
Playing Time: Up to 15 hours
Dimensions: 193mm x 57mm x 82mm
Weight: 662.3g

What’s in the box?

  • Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker
  • Micro-USB Charging cable
  • 3.5mm male-to-male audio aux cable
  • User manual
  • Warranty card


Design and features

The Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker features start with a simple rectangular design in a compact form factor, at 7.6″x2.25″x3.22″ (193mm x 57mm x 82mm) the speaker is comfortably carried in one hand and can be placed just about anywhere. The large Bluetooth speaker I was previously using was round, large and had three legs that didn’t always work well for some locations.

The top has a lighted touch panel and controls for mode, volume, play/pause, track forward and track back, as well as an NFC “button” for touch pairing from compatible devices. The volume control took a little bit of playing with to figure out exactly where I could and could not touch to adjust the volume. The controls feature a line between volume + and volume -, but only the ends of the actual line are touch sensitive. I initially thought I could slide my figure along the volume line to adjust the volume, but that was not the case.


On the rear of the unit is an aux audio input jack, on/off switch, TF card slot (micro SD), and the micro USB power charging jack. The bottom of the unit has two rubber non-slip pads.

Let’s talk about what really makes this a great speaker. Dual 20W drivers with a passive radiator and a large 28 core high-fidelity subwoofer deliver a total of 40W output. 3D digital sound integrated with DSP technology that almost eliminates distortion (<1% at full volume) means that you can basically turn this thing all the way up and have great sound – which is quite loud!

The Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth Speaker also has TWS technology that enables syncing two devices for true wireless stereo.

Two 3300mAh batteries provide for up to 15 hours of play time before needing another recharge. I like this feature as I occasionally listen to podcasts while driving, and since my truck doesn’t have an aux input, a Bluetooth speaker is the only safe way to do that. With the built-in battery, I don’t have to mess with micro USB charger cords along with my lighting cord.

I’ve had plenty of speakers for computers and several Bluetooth speakers ranging from the inexpensive to the really expensive and I must say, the sound quality from this speaker is phenomenal. I’m not an audiophile – but I do appreciate clear audio that doesn’t sound like it’s coming from an empty plastic box. If you are an audiophile, you probably already know you’ll want something larger if you really enjoy gut-punching bass sound.

The TF card slot (micro SD) supports cards up to 64GB. It supports MP3, WAV, APE, FLAC. The sampling rate is 44.1k, bit rate is 1411kbps. I really like this feature as I can put all of my music on one micro SD card and leave it in the speaker and I have all of my music with the speaker all the time. By the way, the THX movie intro sounds great at full volume.

There is no battery level indicator on the device, but on devices like the iPhone, you can see the battery level at the top of the iPhone screen and a more detailed battery level if you swipe right to see the battery widget.

The speaker also has a built-in microphone, but it’s nothing to write home about. It works good at close range (1-2ft) but at larger distances, it sounds, well, distant. Basically, it’s better than nothing when your hands are dirty and you don’t want to handle your phone.

What I like

  • Physical on/off switch
  • It’s loud
  • MicroSD card slot
  • Aux input

What needs to be improved

  • No battery level indicator on the unit
  • Volume controls a bit touchy

Final thoughts

I really like this speaker. It’s gotten a lot of use over the last few weeks and will get plenty more in the future. Whether I’m in my office, garage, or gallery it’s plenty loud enough to fill the room with clear audio.

Price: $47.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tronsmart.

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Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth 4.2 40W speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 22, 2018 at 9:04 am.

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Tap wearable keyboard and mouse review

REVIEW – I’m a touch typist and a mousist (is that a thing?). Even if I use a tablet, I want to be able to pair it with a keyboard and a mouse (Android) so I can enter text and navigate much faster than tapping on a virtual keyboard if I have a lot of work to do. I’ve tried alternative keyboards in the past but have always gone back to using a standard keyboard and a mouse for the sake of convenience. I was recently sent a Tap wearable keyboard and mouse to try. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

Tap is a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that you wear on your hand/fingers.

Hardware specs

OS Compatibility – IOS 9+, ANDROID 5+, OS X YOSEMITE+, WINDOWS 8.1+, LINUX UBUNTU
Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0+
Battery life – 8 hours tapping, 7-day standby

What’s in the box?

Tap wearable keyboard and mouse
Tap portable charging case
Micro USB charging cable
Quick start guide

Design and features

The Tap keyboard comes in a storage case that doubles as the charger. Inside the case, there are posts for each ring.

The thumb post has two electrical contacts and each post is magnetic to hold the rings in place even when the case is bouncing around inside your gear bag.

The case itself is charged with a micro USB cable. There’s a status LED on one end along with a button that you have to press the start the charging process.

The Tap keyboard is available in two sizes and is made of 5 rings, one for each finger and can be worn on either hand. The rings are made of a flexible plastic and are attached to each other with soft woven cables that remind me of shoelaces.

With the Tap keyboard installed on your hand, you can still use your fingers to pick things up, scratch your head, wave hello, type on a traditional keyboard, or use a traditional mouse… Oops, did I just say/type that? 😉

Wearing the Tap keyboard kind of made me feel like a cyborg or an alien with webbed fingers or something kooky like that since the rings are all connected to each other. The keyboard didn’t feel uncomfortable to wear, just different.

The thumb ring is the main control for the keyboard and has the power button on the top silver part of the ring. This button is also the charging status indicator and it has a blue LED ring around it that “breathes” while charging in the case.

There are also two flat bumps on the side of the thumb ring. The top one is the laser mouse and the bottom one is the gliding surface for the mouse. More about those features in a bit.

Let’s getting tapping!

If you’re already a proficient touch typist like myself, you’ll have to re-learn how to type with the Tap keyboard since you’ll be using only 5 fingers instead of 10 to type the alphabet, numbers, and symbols. Learning is made “easy” with the Tap Genius app.




The app has a simple user interface that helps you learn groups of letters at a time by playing a game where letters drop down from the top of the screen and you have to tap them with the Tap keyboard before they reach the bottom of the screen. This fun way to learn is easy at first but quickly becomes complicated and more difficult as more letters are added and complex finger tapping combinations are introduced.

Check out the Tap Code glossary sheet above. It’s not a problem at all to learn to type A, E, I, O, and U as each letter requires just one finger tap. But things quickly escalate as you learn the next set of letters N, T, L, and S which use two-finger taps at a time. Again, it’s easy when you use your index finger and middle finger together, or middle and ring finger together, but things got a little awkward for me when the letter S used the ring and pinkie finger tap. And it just got harder from there. It almost felt like learning to play piano or a guitar and having to learn a bunch of chords.

According to their website, you can learn to use the Tap keyboard in 30 days with 10 minutes of practice a day. I don’t doubt that claim, but you definitely need good hand/finger dexterity to use this keyboard and you need a flat surface to tap on. Although you can tap in the air, the accuracy suffers a LOT.

But wait, it’s a mouse too

I tried using the Tap as a mouse my Android phone and my MacBook and it was pretty awkward and was picky about the surfaces I tried to use it on. Check out the video above to see how it works.

What I like

  • Wearable
  • Fun game makes learning fun
  • Keyboard and mouse features

What needs to be improved

  • Steep learning curve
  • Not for people with poor finger/hand dexterity
  • Need a flat surface for it to work well

Final thoughts

The tech behind the Tap keyboard is definitely cool, but I’m surprised they didn’t go one step further and implement gestures for typing like swipe your hand to the right for space or even drawing the letters out with your finger. I bet I could type faster drawing the letters than trying to tap the finger combo for the letter J which is all your fingers except your ring finger. Try that right now on your desk and you’ll see how awkward it feels. I had a lot of trouble with those types of “chords” because my first three fingers would touch the desk first with the pinkie tapping last. It would often cause the wrong letter(s) to show up because a tap of the first three fingers is the up arrow and a pinkie tap is the letter U. And don’t get me started that ENTER a tap of your thumb with your ring and pinkie.

Trying to use the Tap keyboard was like learning to type from scratch (duh!) and to be honest, it was too tedious for me to use it. I tried it for a week or so and learned enough letters to spell most words, but when put into actual practice using it with my phone, it took me way longer to type using the Tap keyboard compared with either using the onscreen Google keyboard with the swipe feature or pairing my phone with a traditional Bluetooth keyboard and touch typing with both hands.

Does that mean that the Tap wearable keyboard and mouse is a dud? Nope, not at all. It’s just not for people who aren’t stuck in their ways and are already traditional touch typists. I think the Tap keyboard is a step toward what input devices will be like in the future and I can’t wait to see how they will evolve and hopefully get easier to use.

Price: $179
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tapwithus.

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Tap wearable keyboard and mouse review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones review

REVIEW – We’re big fans of wireless earphones ’round here at The Gadgeteer, and every of us have reviewed many pairs, myself included.  I’m always on the lookout for a pair that is moisture-proof and durable enough to survive my fairly rigorous workouts.  Having reviewed a few pairs of Optoma NuForce Bluetooth wireless earphones in the past, so when Julie offered me the opportunity to try out a pair of Optoma’s latest, the NuForce BE Live 5, I was pretty excited.  Let’s check ’em out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones are Optoma’s latest generation of Bluetooth wireless earphones that feature lower-profile earbuds, stylish design, moisture resistance, long battery life, and other features.

Hardware specs

  • Color options: Black or Gold
  • Driver type: 8mm, dynamic graphene
  • Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Impedance: 15 Ohms
  • Microphone sensitivity: -42 +/-3 dB
  • Bluetooth type: V4.1
  • Bluetooth range: 33 feet (10 meters)
  • Bluetooth profile: A2DP V1.2 (AAC, aptX, SBC), HFP V1.6, AVRCP V1.4, HSP V1.2
  • Sensitivity: 95dB +/-3dB at 1KHz
  • Weight: 0.49 oz
  • Audio support: AAC and aptX
  • Moisture resistance: IPX5 rating
  • Battery life: 8 hours of playback time

What’s in the package?

  • Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones with Cable Loop
  • Earwings in 3 sets of sizes (Small, Medium and Large)
  • Silicone tips in 3 sets of sizes (Small, Medium and Large)
  • “Comply” foam tips in 2 sets of sizes (Medium and Large)
  • Micro USB charging cable
  • Storage case
  • Instruction manuals

Design and features

As pictured above, the BE Live 5 includes multiple styles and sizes of ear tips to give the user plenty of options to fit their ears and their preferences.  Along the top row are small, medium and large sizes of silicone “earwings” used to help retain the earbuds in your ears, the middle row are small, medium and large sizes of silicone earbud tips, and the bottom row are medium and large sizes of Comply foam tips (more detail in the photo below).

The Comply Isolation tips are made of foam and provide a bit more ambient sound blocking than the silicon tips.  They work best when squeezed and compressed down a bit, placed in the ear, then allowed to expand to conform to the ear canal.

The photo above illustrates the setup that I used most for this review, which included the medium size “earwings” and the large size Comply foam tips.

The NuForce BE Live 5 casings are made of aluminum and polycarbonate and Optoma has done a good job of reducing their size and mass from previous designs so that they are less likely to fall out of your ears due to their weight.  In addition, their drivers include 8mm magnets that are 30% larger than other earphones which help produce clearer sound.  Optoma also claims IPX5 water and sweat resistance, and in practice, I found that even with my waterfalls of sweat during workouts, it never failed (at least in a way that would attribute to moisture of any kind).  In fact, I wore the BE Live 5 for a run in a light rain one day, and they were unaffected.

A simple feature that I noticed and liked immediately was that Optoma marked the “Right” and “Left” earbud brightly and in different colors, which make these marking much easier to read quickly.

As with Optoma’s previous NuForce products, the BE Live 5 have magnets embedded into the back of the casings such that they magnetically stick to each other.   This can come in handy if you are wearing them and want to remove them from your ears for a moment but not set them down somewhere (and perhaps misplace them).  You can just place them around your neck and let the magnets clasp together, turning the BE Live 5’s into a sort of necklace.

The BE Live 5 have an inline remote that is used to control its function.  It’s a simple design that has three buttons, +, O, and -.  Each of these serves various functions such as song advance or rewind, volume up/down, phone call answer/hang up and so forth.  Pairing with my phone was simple, and I should also mention that the BE Live 5 are capable of being paired with multiple devices, such as a phone and a laptop.

The side of the inline remote has a small cover with a lightning bolt symbol on it.  This cover protects the Micro USB charging port, as shown below.

Above, the included Micro USB cable is shown plugged into the BE Live 5’s charging port, with the charging port cover carefully rotated to the side.  The cover is a bit fragile in this position, so beware of it breaking off.  Also seen in the image above is a tiny hole for the BE Live 5’s microphone, which enables phone calls or voice commands (as through Apple’s Siri or “Hey, Google”).  Regarding battery life, Optoma touts that it takes 2.5 hours to fully charge the BE Live 5, giving a full 8 hours of use, and I’d guess this is roughly accurate.  I was able to use the BE Live 5 for 4 or 5 workout sessions of about 1.5 hours each.

Above, the tiny LED is shown in red when the battery is charging.

Above, a tiny blue light is shown illuminated on the inline remote, indicating that the BE Live 5 is fully charged.

As do many similar wireless earphones, the BE Live 5 includes a small Cable Loop that holds the cable together and can be used to tighten the headphones up and better stabilize them against your head.

The Optoma Nuforce BE Live 5 includes a clamshell-style storage case made from a molded foam with a zipper closure. The outside of the case is covered with a gray fabric that gives is a classy look and feel.

There is a small mesh pocket on one of the inside halves of the case where I placed the included Micro USB charging cable.

The BE Live 5 fit well in my ears, especially with the Comply foam tips, and the “earwings” did help to keep them secure, even during activities.  However, between my apparently large ear canals and my likely higher than average intensity workouts (which generate a ridiculous amount of sweat), the BE Live 5 tips, did not stay put in my ears.  I’ve given up being critical of wireless earphones for this, because I think I am a pretty extreme user, but bear this in mind if you have extremely large ear canals and/or work out to the point of profuse sweat production and motion.

Above, you can see that the BE Live 5 do stick out of the ear a bit, but I think they are lower profile than other wireless earphones that I’ve tried.

Now, how about their sound?  I really liked the Optoma BE Live 5’s sound, especially with the Comply foam tips, which I think help keep the ambient sound out and the intended sound in.  They don’t have super deep bass, but in this geometric size and shape, I wouldn’t expect that. However, Optoma has done a really good job of improving the sound quality of each of their successive wireless earphones and the BE Live 5 represents their state of the art.

What I like

  • Cool styling
  • Very moisture and sweat resistant
  • Lightweight and low profile
  • Long battery life

What needs to be improved

  • They fell out of my ears during vigorous activities

Final thoughts

I really like these Optoma BE Live 5 wireless earphones.  Optoma has done well with continuing to improve their product designs, and the BE Live 5 represents their state of the art.  Their styling is top notch and incorporated into this are lighter weight, lower profile earbud pieces that stay in your ear better and the multiple tips and ear wings help the user customize their comfort level for their preference.  Their battery life was impressive at somewhere between 6.5 and 7.5 hours for me, and their sweat and moisture resistance is solid.  Their sound is clear and sharp.  I still feel they are a bit pricey at their $99.99 retail price, but if you can manage to find them on sale for any kind of a discount, they are worth a serious look (and listen).

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by NuForce.

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Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer review


REVIEW – For the past decade or so, I have relied solely on laser printers both monochrome and color for all of my printing needs. Prior to that, I tried several Inkjet printers with very mediocre printing results both in quality and efficiency. Apart from the fact that laserjet ink does not dry up, the quality was just always better. Recently, many of my friends have been telling me about the great strides that Inkjet printers have many both in efficiency and quality. I was recently offered the opportunity to test and review the Epson XP-7100 Inkjet Printer. Here is my experience with it.

What is it?

The Epson XP-7100 Printer is a multifunction all-in-one Inkjet printer that offers both wireless and wired connectivity as well as access via multiple platforms including IOS and Android for mobile.

What’s in the box


1 x Expression Premium XP-7100 color inkjet printer
1 x Setup and instruction manuals
1 x CD-ROM containing software and drivers (Windows and Mac8)
1 x AC Power Cord
5 x Claria Premium ink cartridges: 1x 410 Black ink cartridge; 3x 410 color ink cartridges: Cyan, Magenta and         Yellow; 1x 410 Photo Black ink cartridge

Design and features

This Epson Inkjet printer comes in a nice compact footprint measuring just 15 1/4″ x 12″ x 7 1/2′ when the control panel and printer tray are enclosed. It is shipped very securely with the necessary sections taped to ensure that no parts are broken during shipment. On the top of the printer, there is a label that highlights its features and functionality, and the access door that opens and folds out into the top feeding/loading tray for scanning and copying.



On the front of the printer, there is the control panel, an SD card slot, and a USB slot.


On the back of the printer there or 2 slots that you squeeze together to remove the rear paper mechanism to clear any paper jam and for cleaning. On the bottom left there is the AC plug port.


On the rear right of the printer at the bottom, there is a network jack and a USB printer jack.

When you open the top cover of the printer there is the glass that is the “bed” used for copying and scanning documents.

In the main compartment of the printer, there is the printer mechanism and the ink trays.

Performance

Specifications:

Printing Technology: 5 ink cartridges (CMYK, Photo Black), drop-on-demand MicroPiezo inkjet technology
Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 5 ink droplet sizes, as small as 1.5 picoliters
Maximum Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi
ISO Print Speed: Black: 15.8 ISO ppm Color: 11 ISO ppm
2-Sided ISO Print Speed: Black: 5.4 ISO ppm Color: 4.9 ISO ppm
Photo Print Speed: 4″ x 6″ borderless photo in as fast as 12 sec (Draft Mode)
CD / DVD Printing: Inkjet printable CDs / DVDs
PC-Free Printing: Auto Photo Correction, Select and print photos, Crop, Rotate and enlarge, View and print-by-date, Print your own picture packages, Print passport and photo ID, Select multiple photos to print on a single page, Print your own school papers, College-ruled, Wide-ruled and graph paper, Make personalized notepaper using your own photos, Photo greeting cards, and coloring book pages
Layouts: Borderless, Classic borders, Picture packages, Photo ID, 2-up, 4-up, 8-up, 20-up, Jewel index, Jewel, Upper 1/2, lower ½, CD layouts (single, quarter, variety)
Ink: This printer is designed for use with Epson cartridges only, not third-party cartridges or ink.
Ink Type: Claria Premium Ink (smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant photos)6
Ink Palette: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Photo Black
Ink Configuration: 5 individual ink cartridges
Replacement Ink: 410 Standard-capacity Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Black, 410XL High-capacity Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Black
Ink Yield Information: 410 Ink Yield: ISO pages – Black: 250, Color: 300, Photo Black, 410XL Ink Yield: ISO pages – Black: 500, Color: 650, Photo Black
Fade Resistance / Print Longevity: Up to 200-year album storage
Operating Systems: Windows 10 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 8 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 8/8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista® (32-bit, 64-bit), Mac® OS X® 10.6.8–macOS® 10.13.x8
Operating Temperature: 50 ° to 95 °F (10 ° to 35 °C)
Storage Temperature: -4 ° to 104 °F (-20 ° to 40 °C) [one month at 40 °C]
Weight: 21.5 lb.

Scanner Specifications:
Scanner Type: Color flatbed (CIS line sensor/Automatic 2-sided ADF)
Optical Resolution: 1200 x 2400 dpi
Maximum Resolution: Max. Hardware Resolution 2400 dpi, Max. Resolution 4800 dpi interpolated
Color Bit Depth: Input: 48-bit color / 16-bit Grayscale & Black/White, Output: 24-bit color / 8-bit Grayscale & Black/White
Scan Bed Size: 8.5″ x 11.7″
Scanner Features: Scan to memory card, scan to computer – Event Manager, scan to PC, PC (WSD), scan to cloud7, auto 2-sided scan with ADF
Automatic Document Feeder Capacity: 30 sheets plain paper
Connectivity: Hi-Speed USB, Wireless 802.11 b/g/n4, Wi-Fi Direct4, Ethernet (10/100/1000) Mbps
Supported Memory Cards: SD/SDHC/SDXC, CF2
Direct Camera Connection: PictBridge® port (cameras)
Mobile Printing Solutions: Epson Connect, Epson Email Print, Epson Remote Print, Epson Scan to Cloud
Epson iPrint App (iOS, Android), Epson Print and Scan App (Windows), Creative Print App (iOS, Android)

Other: Apple® AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Android printing, Fire OS printing, Mopria® Print Service, Easy Photo Scan

Paper Handling:
PC-Free Paper Support: Plain (8.5″ x 11″, A4), Photo (4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, A4, 16:9 wide), Inkjet-printable CDs/DVDs
Special Media Support: Inkjet printable CDs / DVDs
Paper Sizes: 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, 8.5″ x 14″, A4, B5, A5, A6, half letter, executive, 8.5″ x 47″
Paper Types: Supports plain paper, Epson Bright White Paper, Iron-on Cool Peel Transfer, Photo Quality Self-Adhesive Sheets, Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Ultra-Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss, Ultra-Premium Photo Paper Luster, Presentation Paper Matte, Premium Presentation Paper Matte, Ultra-Premium Presentation Paper Matte, Ultra-Premium , Presentation Paper Matte Double-sided, Brochure & Flyer Paper Matte Double-sided
Automatic Document Feeder: 30 sheets plain paper
Borderless Sizes: 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, 16:9 wide
Envelope Types: No. 10
Input Paper Capacity: Main Paper Tray: 100 sheets plain paper
Output Paper Tray Capacity: 30 sheets plain paper
Secondary Paper Tray Capacity: Dedicated Photo Tray: 20 sheets Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Printer Details:
Display: 4.3″ touchscreen with gesture navigation
Printer Language: Epson ESC/P® Raster, ESC/P-R
Software Included: Epson printer drivers, Epson Print CD, Epson Scan, Epson Easy Photo Scan, and User Guide
Supported Digital Camera Technologies: Exit Print
Image Enhancement Technologies: Auto Photo Correction with advanced face detection, preview on LCD, red-eye removal and photo restoration
Color Management: Auto Photo Correction and ICM
See full specification list here.

In terms of functionality, this printer comes with several bells and whistles. The setup is easy and the instructions are clear. I connected the printer via an ethernet cable as opposed to a wireless connection. The basic functionality includes an automated touchscreen control panel that opens when powered on and closes when powered off.

The printer tray is also automated and moves outwards for printing and inwards for the shutdown. Scanning and copying are pretty straightforward and function well. Printing and print quality is where this printer really stands out. The printing function is quiet and relatively quick.

Epson provided a Reviewer’s Kit with several types and sizes of paper/print stock for me to test the printer. In all cases, it printed wonderfully including the CD/DVD printing which is a great feature especially for me and the custom DVDs I like to create for my clients.

In terms of paper printing, my son had a school project to built a model of his house. Of course, I had to do most of the work (smile), and after building the structure I decided that the exterior should look like the outside of my building. I decided to print images of a brick wall and of windows and cover the model of the house. Here are a couple of photos from what I did:


As a photographer, I am also impressed by the color reproduction of this printer. The following are 2 photographs of my children that I photographed and printed with this printer, and framed as a gift for their Grandad.


I own an iPhone, and setup and printing via the Epson iPrint App was incredibly simple. Here are a couple of App screenshots:


What I like

  • The ease of set up
  • The amazing color reproduction
  • The features and functions
  • The small footprint
  • The built-in automation

What can be improved

  • As someone who stayed away from Inkjet printers for a long time, I have no complaints

Final thoughts

To say that I am impressed by the Epson XP-7100 is an understatement. It is a feature-rich printer that prints, scans and copies and does everything quite well. The color reproduction is outstanding and good enough to reproduce photography work for framing. It will be some time before I can say how long the ink lasts and possibly how quickly it dries out. However, so far it has been great and shows no sign of dring up even after 30 days albeit of regular use. This Inkjet printer gets a very well done from me and two thumbs up!!

Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Epson

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Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Light review

REVIEW – It seems like everywhere you turn nowadays everything is going “RGB”, LED, or connected. I thought maybe these LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Lights might make a nice addition to my computer setup. Read on to find out if they worked out.

What is it?

The LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Light is a 10 watt LED light that is IP65 waterproof, and can be controlled by the included remote or via their smartphone app.

What’s in the box?

  • 3 LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Lights
  • Remote control
  • Remote control instructions
  • Light instructions



Design and features

The LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Lights come in a three pack, with an included remote. The box was deceptively small as they did not include much protective material, probably because these lights are built like a tank. I thought the remote was a nice touch, as some companies just rely on smartphone apps lately. The lights are controlled via bluetooth.

The case of the lights is an aluminum alloy and appears to be extremely durable and well built. The lights also have a bracket/stand on the back that already has holes in it to make mounting them to a surface much easier.

The power cord is heavy duty, almost too stiff as it made the lights hard to stand upright. They would be best mounted to a small board as a base. I was disappointed to see that the power cords were only 30″ long. It really should have at least a 4 to 6-foot cord. The LED’s have a 50,000 hour rating.


The lights support 16 million colors, with 8 preset dynamic editable light modes. There is also a dynamic lighting mode which can change the light color between single color, 3 color, 7 color, or random color changes. There is a setting for gradual change or direct change (instant) as well as a speed setting for the change delay.

One thing I really liked was the ability to group lights and control those groups individually. Changing the brightness, color, and on/off for an entire group of lights at one time.

The iLux Mesh smartphone app is really nice. It’s simple to use and does just about everything you would want to do with these lights.






The included remote has quite a few buttons including 4 group buttons that turn on and off a group of lights. One nice thing I found with the remote was that it has glow-in-the-dark buttons! When you just want to turn the lights on or off you don’t need to find the app on your smartphone, you can simply press a button on the remote.


My thought when I accepted this review was to use them as backlighting for my computer setup and possibly for accent lighting for photography shoots. Although they’re great for backlighting on my computer, they’re not quite bright enough for use in most photography setups – although I’ll probably use them occasionally.



The following photos were taken outside. I was hoping for a little snow, but we didn’t get but a dusting. Taking photos of lights is actually pretty tricky, but I tried to get as close to what I was actually seeing. You can somewhat compare the brightness of them to the porch light that is on the left side.





What I like

  • Smartphone app
  • Remote Control
  • Thin
  • Sturdy

What needs to be improved

  • Short power cord
  • Power cord comes out of the bottom too far

Final thoughts

These lights work well despite the shortcomings of a short cord. They’re plenty bright enough for outdoor accent lighting and will add a nice touch to your landscape or holiday lighting.

Price: $67.99 (set of three)
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Lighting Ever.

Filed in categories: Reviews

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LE iLUX Smart LED Flood Light review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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