Reviews – Page 14

SpyTracker Nano GPS tracker review

REVIEW – Wanting to track or find physical items by attaching some sort of small device is as old as suspicion. It’s taken until the advent of small wifi and cellular transmitters to make it happen at a price point that normal people can really consider. I’ve been testing out the Nano from SpyTracker, a wireless tracker which would have made for good science fiction just a few years ago.

What is it?

A closed box roughly 3″ x 1.5″ x 1″. There is a smooth face with three LEDs labeled for GPS, PWR, and CEL. On one of the long sides there is a waterproof covered charging port (miniUSB cable included) and on one of the smallest sides there is a power button, also weatherproof. Next to the power port is a SIM card port covered with a piece of plastic and secured by two very small Phillips screws. There’s also a weatherproof SOS button on the face with the LEDs.

What’s in the box?

GPS unit itself
USB-A to miniUSB cable
wall charger

Design and features

The Spytrack Nano is a solid little black box that broadcasts its position every ten seconds. The service is available worldwide and, while it’s not cheap, it’s better than most phone plans. You can view the location of the Nano from within the website, or with a mobile app. This is where all the setup happens.

There’s an SOS button the user can trigger to alert you, or you can determine a geographical area you want it to stay in, and get an alert when it leaves. You can see velocity, position, and travel routes in real-time or as history. If you have serious gear (think video gear for a location crew, or scientific gear that you have to ship to a location for a project), you’re able to see exactly where it is while it’s being shipped. With a ten-day standby time, any but the longest travel times will be covered.

This device is dead simple. While it’s not the “James-Bond, hide-it-in-your-shoe-heel-size,” it’s still able to tell you where it is reliably every ten seconds from anywhere on the globe. Sure, there are creepy ways to use this technology, but there are also very legit ways that this could enhance your life. Say you’ve got a route manager servicing stores with whatever product you’re selling. Someone calls and says, “Hey, when is the guy gonna be here today?” You pull out your phone, check the location of the truck, and see it’s on the way to your caller. Or 20 miles away in traffic. Without bothering your driver, you can give your customer a heads up so they can plan.

Or, in my case, I have an aging mother who still cherishes her independence. She lives near one of my sisters, but if she was in town, you can bet this would be in her bag, and at 63 grams, she’d never notice it. But she’d be happy to know her son was looking out for her. Sure, I could track her iPhone, or get her an Apple Watch to wear, but this is much cheaper, has longer battery life, and even offers her an SOS button if she just wants me to check on her. (Better believe that would be worn out!) The screenshot below will show your location, and that of the tracker, and allow you to plot an intercept course. My phone thought I was across the street in the neighbor’s yard, but the tracker knew right where it was. Different service, different towers, different triangulation.

Setup

When the unit arrived, it was already activated and a login assigned. I was able to resign it to a different account with no issues. Loading the app and logging in worked without a hitch. You can purchase additional service time in the app when your plan expires. Prices currently range from £10/device for a month to £85/device for a year, purchased in advance.

Performance

The app behaved itself like a pro throughout my testing period. I was able to see historical routes by date and time, watch the progress in real-time or speeded up, and find my way to the device from my smartphone.

What I like

Light and tough
No real operational tasks
SOS button

What I’d change

Price for service is a bit high, but it is global and unlimited

Final thoughts

At some point in your life, there’s going to be something you want to track: a parent, child, vehicle, or shipment. This unit provides that service in a fairly inexpensive package, and you can just toss it in a drawer and reactivate it (top-up) when you want to use it. There is no setup, other than to pair it to the app, which takes all of a minute.

Price: £59.99 (US$72.82 as I write this)
Where to buy: Rewire Security
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Rewire Security.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: GPS, tracker

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CookPerfect wireless meat thermometer review

REVIEW – Is anything better than a perfectly cooked meal? The main course, done exactly to your liking, makes for the perfect dining experience. But, how do you know when your main course is done? And, what if folks like things done to different levels? CookPerfect can help with its dual-probe wireless meat thermometer.

What is it?

The CookPerfect is a wireless meat thermometer that supports two independent temperature probes. It connects to their app on your Android or IOS device via Bluetooth to provide cooking progress and tells you when the meat is done.

What’s in the box?

CookPerfect main unit
Temperature probe with storage spool (a second probe/spool was also included for this trial)
Screwdriver
AAA batteries (2)
Quick start guide

Hardware specs

Width: 76mm
Height: 25mm
Probe length: 100mm (134mm overall)
Probe cable length: 1m
Bluetooth range: 100m
Battery life: 150 hours
Temperature range: -40C – +300C
Water resistance: IP45 (Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction)

Design and features

The top and bottom of the main unit are covered in shiny stainless steel. It’s pretty but prone to fingerprinting and spotting. The bottom has a magnet in the base so you can stick it on ferromagnetic surfaces (think: steel).

The round main unit has two probe connectors on opposite sides of the unit.

While they resemble USB ports, the probe connector is a proprietary design.

Setup

Setup involves two steps:

Install the batteries by removing the back of the unit with the included screwdriver, installing the batteries, and reinstalling the back
Download the CookPerfect app to your Android or IOS device (and let it update the firmware…)

Performance

To begin cooking, attach one, or both probes to the main unit. Connecting a probe powers-up the unit. The center blue light flashes until it makes a Bluetooth connection to your device, at which point, it turns solid blue. Each probe has its own status light. Flashing means it is connected. Fast flashing means the internal temperature is within five degrees of the target. Solid green means cooking is done.

Once the app is open and a probe is connected, insert the probe into the meat to the scribe mark on the probe. The probes have multiple sensors along its length allowing for a more accurate core temperature reading. The exposed end of the probe has an ambient temperature sensor so the app can tell what the temperature is in the grill or oven.

Each probe can be programmed for a different cook level or even different type of meat. To start, after selecting the probe to set up, you get a meat selection grid:

You choose the meat you are cooking, or, just pick quick start and select a target temperature.

If you go the meat choice route, you are presented with three options:

You can just choose the target temperature (same screen shown above), choose target doneness level or pick your doneness level by photo.

Here is the doneness selection screen:

And if you don’t know what those terms mean, you can use the visual doneness selection menu:

To me, the visual guide seems kind of silly, but I guess they are designing for newbie cooks who might know well done from medium-rare.

Once you get the probe in and the meat on the grill or in the oven, clicking Start Cooking brings up the status screen.

Note that the design of the screen needs work. As long as temperatures are two digits or less, it looks good, but if the temp hits three digits, the degree symbol gets stuck behind the last digit. Not a big deal, but lack of attention to this makes one wonder what else got missed in the app.

The Time when finished indicator remains a spinning circle for the first five minutes of cooking until the app calculates the remaining time based on internal temperature changes and ambient temperature in the grill or oven. Then it is replaced by an end time estimate in military time. There is no option for a twelve-hour display.

Note that this screen doesn’t show Bluetooth status. To make sure that the app is still connected to the CookPerfect, you need to go back a screen to the probe screen.

This screen has the same issue with the degree symbol. It shows both the core temperature and ambient temperature along with the Bluetooth connection status but doesn’t show the estimated completion time. It sure would be nice to see everything on one screen.

Once cooking the target temperature is reached, the app sounds an alarm, letting you know it’s time to get the meat out of the grill or oven.

All this is fine and good, but it is only of value if the results are perfect. I targeted medium steaks and the app used an internal temperature of 138 degrees Fahrenheit as the target temperature. The steaks were perfectly cooked, just as we wanted.

Other niceties in the app include the ability to set multiple alarms based on cook time. For example, you can set an alarm to let you know when there are 15 minutes remaining in the cooking time, perhaps so you can pop the dinner rolls in the oven or prepare the salad. You can choose between Celcius or Fahrenheit displays, but as I mentioned above target completion time is only in 24-hour format.

The biggest problem I have with the CookPerfect is that the Bluetooth range is nowhere near the 100-meter advertised range. Granted, my situation isn’t ideal. My house is built with metal studs, and that certainly negatively affects Bluetooth range. Even so, if the CookPerfect is supposed to have a 100-meter range, you’d think it would work from about 10-meters, even through the two walls between my living room and my grill. But it doesn’t. The Bluetooth disconnected constantly, forcing me to move more in a line-of-sight to my grill. I have another Bluetooth meat thermometer that has the same problem, so this isn’t unique to CookPerfect. Its promised range is way more than my other thermometer so I was hopeful, but alas, I am disappointed.

What I like

Simple setup
Temperature sensors seem pretty accurate based on the cooking results
The probe cable is sufficiently long to allow easy placement in the grill or oven
You can create alarms based on remaining cooking time to help with meal prep

What I’d change

Improve Bluetooth range
Fix user interface display issues
Show time in 12-hour format as an option
Have a single screen that shows both cook progress and Bluetooth connection status
The app is pretty basic and doesn’t provide resting time after the cook
Change the battery compartment to not need a screwdriver to open

Final thoughts

Overall, the CookPerfect is a capable wireless meat thermometer. It produces great results and is pretty easy to use. Its app is far less sophisticated than others I have used and there are some nagging display issues that I hope can be fixed with a software update. If your needs are basic and the range isn’t an issue, the CookPerfect will most certainly improve your meat cooking results.

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

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cooking, Home and Kitchen

CookPerfect wireless meat thermometer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 12, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Pivo Tiny Pod camera mount review

REVIEW – I am usually interested in almost every type of gadget that is designed for videography and/or photography. These days, almost everyone has a smartphone and many people use the built-in features to shoot either videos or to take pictures or both. In response to this popularity, many companies have manufactured various kinds of gadgets to help phone users to get more enjoyment and versatility when shooting. The Pivo Tiny Pod is just that type of gadget.

What is it?

Pivo is a smart interactive pod for smartphone photography and videography. It is built around 12 main features that include 9 quick create modes, 2 auto-follow modes, and 1 multi live streaming mode.

What’s in the box

1 x Pivo Pod
1 x Panoramic Mount
1 x Adjustable Mount
1 x Remote Control
! x Micro USB Cable
1 x Travel Case
1 x User Leaflet

Design and features

Specifications
Pivo Pod –
Max Load: 1kg
Bluetooth: BLE 4.0
Rotation Degree: 360 degrees
Speed Rotation: 10s/r-2h/r
Bluetooth: 2402MHz~2480MHz
SRD: 2440MHz
Battery: 500mAh
Charging Method: Micro-USB Part, 5VDC, 0.5A
Charging Time: 1 hour
Working time: 10 hours
Height (without mount): 5 cm / 2 inches
Height (with mount): 7.3 cm / 2.9 inches
Width: 6.3 cm / 2.5 inches
Weight: 176g / 6.2 ounces

Remote Control –
Controller: 2.4GHz RF
Distance: 50ft (15m)
Height: 8.8cm / 2.7 inches
Width: 3.65cm / 1.4 inches
Weight: 30g / 1.0 ounces
Battery: 3V Coin Button Cell

Looking at the Pivo Pod, on one side, there is the grip fastener at the top, the 360-degree rotation gear below that, and a USB charging port at the bottom. Around the body of the Pod, there is a sort of rubberized finish/coating.

On the opposite side of the Pivo Pod, there is the power button.

Looking down at the Pivo from the top, there is the smartphone holder/grip and a bubble level.

At the bottom/underneath of the Pivo, there is a 1/4-20″ tripod mount and 3 extendable feet.

The Pivo Pod also comes with a remote that controls shooting modes, speed, capture and rotation functions.

Performance

The Pivo Pod is very easy to set up and use. Just take it out of the box and charge it, download the app and it is ready to go. The app requires that you create an account and then login. It connects via Bluetooth but the app controls the connection. Once you mount the phone into the Pivo you can start recording. You can mount it either vertically or horizontally.

It has several modes that can track in different ways to handle tasks like panoramic or 2 persons back and forth switching or individual movement tracking, timelapse, motion timelapse, etc. Since it is a bit hard to explain and showcase all of its functionality, here is a video to help do so:

The Pivo Pod app is also easy to setup and use. Here are some screenshots from the app:

The following is a short tracking video test that I did from my point of view:

What I like

The compact size
The features and functionality
The versatility
The ease of use
It works with the remote, snapping your fingers and even saying cheese
It uses front and back cameras

What I’d change

It works great so I can’t think of anything at the moment.

Final thoughts

I really like the Pivo Pod, especially in my case for shooting product videos and product photography. It shoots 360-degree photos/video. The tracking feature is great and responsive enough that it allows for versatility when shooting video. The remote works well for any distance that I have need. You also have the ability to stream live to popular platforms like Facebook and YouTube, and they have partnered with Ustream to allow streaming to over 30 platforms. I give this device a well done and two thumbs up!!

Price: $109
Where to buy: The Pivo Website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Pivo

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Camera gear, Photography

Pivo Tiny Pod camera mount review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 11, 2019 at 9:47 am.

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Leatherman Free T4 pocket multi-tool review

REVIEW – How many times have you needed something – a screwdriver, knife, something to pry with? One solution is to carry the well-known Swiss army knife, but those tend to be bulky and heavy. That need led to the creation of multitools – small, pocketable tools and Leatherman is at the forefront of that market. Always innovating, Leatherman has a new tool in the game – the Leatherman Free T4.

What is it?

The Leatherman Free T4 is a small and lightweight multitool that comes with a cool dozen tools.

What’s in the box?

Leatherman Free T4 tool
A really basic “how to use” card

Hardware specs

Closed length: 3.6 in / 9.3 cm L x 0.62 in / 1.51 cm W
Blade length: 2.2 in / 5.6 cm
Weight: 4.3 oz / 121.9 g

Design and features

Each side has a lock-release thumb switch to release opened tools. The back has a removable pocket clip with a lanyard loop included on the clip.

The T4 feels great in the hand. It’s super-solid and at the same time, very lightweight. In fact, my wife, the engineer, couldn’t believe how light it was. But, a tool’s value isn’t in how it feels or how light it is. It has to function, and the T4 brings a dozen tools to the party. Let’s see what’s included in this beauty.

Item #1 is a 420 high-carbon stainless steel knife
Item #2 pulls triple duty as a pry tool, package opener and, a medium screwdriver
Item #3 is is a twofer with a wood/metal file and a small screwdriver
Item #4 is a spring-action pair of scissors
Item #5 is both an awl and an extra-small screwdriver
Item #6 is a Phillips screwdriver as well as a bottle opener
Item #7 is a pair of tweezers in the top of the unit and pictured below

When a tool is opened, it locks in place. There are two releases – one for each set of tools. A push of the thumb releases the lock so the tool can swing back to its stored position.

A cool feature of this locking mechanism is that it uses magnets and makes for a very smooth open/close.

Speaking of opening – historically, that was one of the pains with multitools. To get at specific tools, it took industrial-strength fingernails to pry the tool out from its stored position. The Free T4 changes that with a thumb-driven opening mechanism that simply pivots the desired tool up so it can be easily accessed.

This design allows for one-handed opening operation – a very nice feature.

What I like

It’s solid
It’s light
It has most everything I need

What I’d change

It is a tad thick in my pocket, making it a challenge to get my wallet out (perhaps that’s a bonus…), but I don’t know how I would include all these features in anything smaller
Including a reusable toothpick would have been nice

Final thoughts

I tend to travel light. I have my trusty cell phone in one front pocket and wallet (and sometimes key fob) in the other. Adding the Free T4 on the wallet side was a non-event. I never felt it. It clipped perfectly on my pocket and rested in my pocket. As I mentioned above, because it is a little thick, it will take some getting used to getting my wallet out, but I expect that won’t take much time.

All Leatherman tools (including the Leatherman Free P2 which we also reviewed) are proudly made in the USA. The Free T4 comes with a 25-year warranty. I really like the Free T4 and look forward to it becoming a key player for every day carry.

Price: $59.95
Where to buy: Direct from Leatherman. It is announced on Amazon but pricing and availability are not available.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Leatherman.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: EDC, Knives, Multi-tool

Leatherman Free T4 pocket multi-tool review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 11, 2019 at 8:40 am.

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REECHO EchoWeek Wireless Earbuds review

CROWDFUNDED REVIEW – Today, we’re taking a hard look at the REECHO EchoWeek to find out if these truly wireless stereo earbuds are an instant classic or a cautionary tale of crowd-funding gone awry.

What is it?

REECHO’s EchoWeek TWS earbuds are yet another entry into the crowded wireless earphone market. They are currently in prototype stage and have only in the past month or so sent out their first batch of product to their Indiegogo backers. I received a sample product with that first shipment, and I really hope I didn’t jump someone’s place in line who paid real money for a pair.

Behold, another tiny Truly Wireless earbud.

What’s in the box?

earbuds and case
3 different earbud tips and sports wingtips
micro-USB cable
manual and quick guide

It does come with an array of eartip and wing sizes.

Hardware specs

Unique rounded balanced armature
True-wireless stereo earbuds
3 sizes of wingtips & 3 sizes of eartips
IPX6 sweat resistance
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection
Up to 48 hours with use of charging case (750mAh case capacity, 50mAh earbud capacity)
Easy access to voice control smart assistants

Design and features

The EchoWeek earbuds have a nice look to them. Made from smooth, black matte plastic, they have sleek, sporty feel and are very lightweight. I was pleased that the largest of the earbud tips fit well in my notoriously difficult ears, fully sealing my ear canals.

The case is … fine. It’s colored metal, with chamfered silver edges, and you can tell that they were simply trying to match the color of the plastic cases pictured in their Indiegogo campaign page. Looking at what they were promising versus what they delivered, it’s clear that they either ran out of time or the glossy plastic of the 3D prototype just couldn’t be achieved.

They don’t even match the box they were shipped in. It must have been a really late decision in the manufacturing process.

The earbuds were supposed to match the color of the case, but instead, all of the shipped products were black, which garnered a lot of complaints from their project backers. I would have preferred a straight silver case instead of this color, but I’m assuming they still had to try to match the seven colors they were offering in the campaign.

What they were promising vs. what they delivered. Yes, really. Big oof.

I wonder if REECHO called it the EchoWeek because there were 7 colors, one for each day of the week. Indeed, the top-tier perk ($399) was for a 7-pack. Just a random thought.

Setup and Functionality

Pairing is, as usual, pretty straightforward. I’ve heard that these TWS earbuds are sort of hit and miss when it comes to Bluetooth setup, since they’re technically two separate devices that work together as one, but I’ve never run into any issues.

Once you’re paired up, it’s a simple matter of opening the case and removing the earbuds from their chargers to connect to your device. You can use one or both earbuds, which is nice for when you want to keep an ear free for traffic or talking to others.

One thing that I’m a bit torn on is the button function. Look at this button guide.

It’s comprehensive as to what you can do with the buttons, but difficult to remember what hitting the right button 2 times or the left button one time will do. Plus, the buttons are a bit tough to press, so completing a triple-click is quite difficult. Compare that to a programmable double-tap on Apple’s AirPods, and, well, even if that’s not a fair comparison, I guess I just like things simple.

Just look at this “easy setup guide.” Come on.

Sound

The sound drivers, which Reecho is dubbing their “balanced armature drivers (BADs?),” are claimed to have superior sound isolation, require less power, and are very small and lightweight. And given the apparent uniqueness of this driver, REECHO can tout on their IndieGoGo page that the EchoWeeks are the “smallest rounded BA TWS Earbuds,” because everything has to the be the first and/or only thing of its kind on crowdfunding sites.

Overall, they sound pretty good! Especially if these earbuds would only set you back a mere $29. They sound a little flat, overall, like the highs are a bit muted. I can’t say if the

Connection

As with some past TWS earbuds that I’ve come across, the connection seems rather spotty. Reecho claims 10m “straight line connection distance,” but it seems even putting my phone in my pocket is enough to interrupt the audio at times. Placing my hands over my ears is also enough to cause music to fuzz out to silence.

You’re certainly not going to be full on swimming with these things on, despite REECHO’s promotional videos might show. I mean, seriously?

I can’t even get a wall to work between these earbuds and my iPhone, and this dude is full on Michael Phelps-ing around the pool. I’m not buying it.

Battery Life

Unsurprisingly, the battery life on these earbuds didn’t quite match their advertised 6 hours. I got about 3.5 hours of constant music out of them before they died. I imagine you would get 7 charges out of the case, though, mathematically speaking, bringing that total listening time to over 24 hours. That’s not too bad, it’s in keeping with most other TWS earbuds of this size.

What I like

They do sound pretty great for the apparent price
Build quality is good, too

What I’d change

Buttons are a bit hard to press
Weak connection, sound drops out
Simplify the button controls

Final thoughts

If the time spent with the EchoWeek’s taught me anything, it would be to approach crowdfunded products with a side of caution, because this is a very real outcome.

From an objective standpoint, these earbuds sound great for $29. If REECHO somehow launched their product on a mass scale at this price, they’d be a clear favorite. Even with the weak connectivity issues. But as to whether or not you’ll actually be able to get your hands on a pair … let’s just say I wouldn’t hold my breath.

I tried to get in touch with a representative from the company and didn’t hear back from them. Reading the comments on the Indiegogo page, there are a lot of others who unfortunately had the same issue.

Price: Lowest backing “secret” price was $29, but no word on what the final retail product cost will be or if they’ll go into full production.
Where to buy: This product is, as of the time of writing, unavailable for purchase. You can find their closed Indiegogo page here. And if you want a bit of schadenfreude for their backers, read through the comments section.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by REECHO.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Crowdfunded, TWS earbuds

REECHO EchoWeek Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 10, 2019 at 10:10 am.

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