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gosh! easyPlay robotic pet fitness puzzle review

REVIEW – As a dog owner I’m always concerned whether or not my 9-year-old puggle Zoey is getting enough exercise. Her activity level isn’t what it used to be, and the summer heat limits the amount of outdoor activity she gets. She’s very finicky when it comes to her toys. Usually, if she can’t eat or destroy it, she won’t play with it. I thought a toy like the gosh! easyPlay would be great for her both physically and mentally. Let’s see if I was right.

What is it?

easyPlay is a robotic remote ball designed to keep your pet active. It uses a smartphone app that lets you interact with your pet and even reward them with treats for playing with it.

What’s in the box?

  • easyPlay robotic ball
  • Micro USB to USB charging cable
  • Feather cat toy accessory
  • User manual

Design and features

The easyPlay is made of a durable easy to clean plastic. The ball itself measures 6-inches in diameter and weighs just over 2-pounds.

The top of the easyPlay twists off to reveal the food pods. You can fill them with your pets food or small sized treats.

There’s a 720P HD wide-angle webcam located on the front of the ball. Just below the cam, there’s a speaker and microphone.

The backside of the ball is where you’ll find the treat dispenser, micro USB charging port, on/off switch, and the reset button. There’s also a battery LED indicator.

The wheel track, which is used to maneuver the ball is located on the bottom.

easyPlay app

To set up easyPlay, you first have to download the free app from the App Store or Google Play.

The app interface is simple and easy to use. The Homepage is where you access all of easyPlays features. You can set a profile pic, feeding times and even set and track your pets activity levels. It also allows you to see the network connection and the easyPlays battery level.

You can also select how you want to interact with your dog.

Manual play allows you to control the ball remotely and access the camera and speaker features.

When autoplay is selected, the easyPlay will move on its own for 30 seconds. Profile allows you to track and set your dogs activity level. The app keeps track of how many plays your dog has for that day. A play is registered every time the ball is rolled, so 1 roll = 1 play. You can choose to set either a daily goal or a minimum play goal. You can even have an alert sent to your phone when your dog hits their daily goal.

Performance

I was really excited to start playing with my dog Zoey using easyPlay. Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived. The first issue came with the fact that the easyPlay can only be used on a completely flat surface. Since most of my home is carpeted, I was relegated to using it in my kitchen where I have a small tiled area. So if you don’t have tile or hardwood floors the remote control feature is unusable.

Controls

Although the app is easy to use and pretty responsive, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get the ball to go straight. It always wanted to travel in a semi-circle. And the ball is easily knocked off its tracks and often becomes stuck in an unmovable position.

Treat / food dispenser

I was disappointed that there was no way to dispense a treat individually using the app. Instead, you have to set a specific time of day for this to be done. When its time the pod rotates so that it lines up with the dispensing hole. I use a small bite kibble, and Zoey was able to get all of the food out within a few rolls of the ball. I really was hoping it would be a little more challenging for her to get the food out. Even larger treats came out fairly easily, not much of a puzzle.

Camera

The camera works okay, but it’s positioned a little low for you to get any quality still shots. Unless your pet is standing a few feet away, all you see are legs and paws. It’s also located on the opposite side of the treat dispenser, so if your dog is like mine, that’s the part of the ball they’re most interested in. As you can see from the short video below it’s really hard to make out what is going on when your pet is actually playing with the easyPlay.

The app does allow you to save pics and videos to your camera roll or post them on your favorite social site. Although it’s hard to get any pics or vids worthy of sharing. Images below are unedited to give you an example of the camera quality.

The sound quality of the speaker isn’t very good, and the sound from the built-in microphone sounds like a garbage disposal, luckily you can mute the mic from the app.

Battery life

The easyPlay’s rechargeable battery has a continuous play time of  4.5 hours and a standby time of 12 hours. You can put the easyPlay into sleep mode to save the battery but, this disables the WiFi meaning you can’t access it with the app until the sleep mode timer expires. Another issue I ran into was the pop-up alert you get on the app when the battery is low. It pops up non-stop every few seconds, rendering the app utterly useless. Considering the app already has a battery indicator the pop-up isn’t really necessary.

What I like

  • Durable, well constructed
  • Easy to use
  • The app interface

What needs to be improved

  • Too expensive ($150)
  • Remote control feature only works on completely flat surfaces
  • Poor camera placement and quality
  • Poor sound quality from speaker and microphone
  • Can’t immediately dispense treats
  • Short battery life
  • Food and treats come out too easily, not challenging enough

Final thoughts

Conceptually the easyPlay is a great product, unfortunately, most of what it does suffers from poor execution. Sometimes MORE is LESS, and that’s the case here. easyPlay does a lot of things, but it doesn’t do any of them particularly well. I really wanted to like it, but there are just too many flaws that just can’t be overlooked. However, Zoey does like playing with it if only for the food, so that’s a positive.

Price: $149.95
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by gosh!.

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gosh! easyPlay robotic pet fitness puzzle review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Giesswein boiled wool shoes review

REVIEW – Giesswein (pronounced geese vine) is an Austrian company who has been in the shoe business since 1954. They offered to let me try their boiled wool shoes and I thought sure, what the heck. They sent them, I’ve been wearing them, let’s find out if boiled wool shoes are as comfy as they look.

What are they?

Giesswein shoes are boiled sheep’s wool shoes that have been designed for indoor use and/or outdoor use. Giesswein sent me two styles from their variety of offerings. They sent me the Vent in Plum which are indoor and outdoor shoes and the Andau in Charcoal which are indoor only shoes.

What is boiled wool and how are these shoes made? I’ll let them explain it.

To create our shoes, we begin by weaving the wool into a soft Tyrolean knit, which is then put through a unique process called “fulling” or “Walk” (pronounced vahlke) in German. The knit is washed, agitated, compressed, and subjected to high and low temperature variations in fresh mountain spring water… Giesswein wool is not your average boiled wool, and should never be mistaken for felt. It is lighter, software, and more flexible than felt, and because of the intricate fulling process, it is completely machine-washable.

Design and features

Vent style

The Vent style shoe is what Giesswein calls a lodge shoe which just means that it is designed to be worn as both an indoor and outdoor shoe. The Vent style is available in several colors including the Plum version that they sent me. I’ve always wanted “purple” shoes 🙂

This style comes in Women’s size 5 – 10 US and Men’s size 7-15.

I’ve never had anything made of boiled wool and had an image in my mind of thick heavy material. Those thoughts were wrong. The Giesswein shoes are not heavy, the natural boiled wool upper makes the shoe relatively lightweight with a soft fuzzy feel.

The Vent shoe has a waterproof rubber outsole which provides a decent grip on slick surfaces and allows you to wear them both in the house and outdoors.

The sole in the image above makes the shoes look sturdy and yes, they are, but they aren’t clunky feeling when you wear them. At least I didn’t think they felt too heavy or awkward to walk in.


These shoes include a removable cork-latex footbed that has metatarsal and medial arch support. What does that mean? It means your foot is going to be supported and you’ll notice the difference if you’ve been accustomed to wearing shoes and slippers without any support. I sure noticed a difference. At first, I didn’t like the Vent shoes at all because I felt like I was walking around with a ball under my foot. But after just a short adjustment period, I found the shoes to be comfortable to wear all around the house, up and down stairs, out to the garage, down our gravel driveway, etc. The cork footbed is designed to mold to your unique foot shape over time.

Note that these shoes are pretty much impossible to step into and out of without assistance from your hands. This is especially true if you tighten them around your ankle with the built-in cord.

The Vent shoes can be washed in a cold gentle cycle (after removing the cork footbed) and then allowed to air dry overnight.

Andau style

The Andau shoe is a house shoe/slipper and has been designed to be worn as an indoors-only shoe/slipper. It only comes in Charcoal and looks more masculine than the Vent shoe. Like the Vent, the Andau has a removable footbed.

This style comes in Women’s size 5 – 10 US and Men’s size 7-15.

These shoes have a natural latex-dipped outsole that provides grip for hard slick surfaces while remaining thin and flexible.

The Andau footbed isn’t made of cork, but is made of wool and can be washed along with the shoe by removing it and washing in a cold gentle cycle and then allowing it to air dry overnight.

The Andau’s footbed also offers arch support, but I think the Vent’s footbed’s arch support is a lot more noticeable.

What I like

  • Cute
  • Warm if it’s cold and cool if it’s hot
  • Machine washable

What needs to be improved

  • Price, they are expensive

Final thoughts

The Giesswein shoes are well-made and comfortable (after you get used to the arch supports) to wear. The sheep’s wool construction makes them breathable and great at wicking away moisture, all without being itchy and scratchy like you might assume that wool can be. That said, I have two main issues/concerns with these shoes. 1. The fuzzy wool picks up lint and pet hair easily so I am always picking stuff out of the material. 2. These shoes are expensive and pricier than I would care to spend on one pair of house shoes.

I wore these slippers for a couple of weeks and they were comfortable enough, but I can’t say that they were more or less comfortable than other slippers I’ve worn in the past that cost much less. Am I cheapskate when it comes to paying for slippers? Probably. But for the $100+ price tag, I expected the Giesswein shoes to wow my feet. My feet didn’t complain, but they didn’t do a tap dance of joy while wearing them either. So it comes down to if you like the look of these shoes and if you don’t mind the price. If so, then by all means, buy a pair.

Price: Vent $146, Andau $98
Where to buy: Giesswein USA and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Giesswein.

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Giesswein boiled wool shoes review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2018 at 1:32 pm.

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Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand review

REVIEW – Monitor stands are just the kind of gadget accessory that suits me. They lift your monitor up to a level to help ease any neck discomfort and they help to free up space below the monitor. Since I love small gadgets like the Apple Wireless Keyboard (or Apple Magic Keyboard), the space below the monitor stand is a perfect storage area for a keyboard. I had the opportunity to review the Understands Evo Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand. I found that it is a beautiful high-quality monitor stand made out of walnut and birch and the legs are tall enough and just wide enough to accommodate my keyboard.

What is it?

The Understands Evo Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand that I received for review is a gorgeous hand-crafted computer (monitor) stand made out of walnut (with a birch plywood iMac undermount) and is used to elevate your monitor to a level that eases neck pain, frees up space, and brings a bit of nature inside your home or office. Understands makes other styles of wood stands (some with drawers) and also uses different kinds of wood (see the Understands website). All Understands products are made in the United States.

Hardware specs

What’s in the box?

My Understands Evo Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand came with an information sheet that provided information on the care of the stand and stated that it is guaranteed for life.

Design and features

The Evo Walnut stand is hand-made and crafted from “urban walnut sustainably harvested from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.” The stand has been tested to hold up to 50 pounds according to Understands.

The above three photos illustrate the beauty and the high-quality materials and craftsmanship involved with making this stand. It also displays the “live edge” feature which gives each piece a distinctively unique look as shown in the last photo. “Live Edge lets you imagine the profile [of] the tree. … Lacquer coating enriches natural beauty and protects from aging and mishaps.”

There is an iMac undermount in this stand for iMac and iMac Pro. The bottom of your iMac slides right into this space. If you don’t have an iMac, you would just place your monitor on top of the stand.

The iMac undermount is made of Baltic birch plywood (for strength).

There were supposed to be furniture slides applied to the feet of the stand, but mine was missing these. I applied my own adhesive felt furniture sliders to the stand to help avoid scratching the surface that the stand would rest on.

The Evo Monitor stand is 18″ long…

by about 9.5″ at it widest point (each stand will differ in this measurement due to the variation in the Live Edge feature)…

by 3″ tall.

The measurement between the legs of the stand is slightly over 11.5″.

And last, the width of the legs is 8″.

Performance

The Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand elevated my monitor to a comfortable viewing height for me.

And there was enough room under the stand to store my keyboard.

Not only did it perfectly store my Apple Wireless Keyboard (it will also store the small Apple Magic Keyboard), but I found a place to store my mouse too (right next to the right leg of the stand as shown in the photo above)! Ergonomic viewing height, storage for my keyboard and mouse, and high-quality materials and craftsmanship all make this a wonderful computer accessory. It’s also durable, strong, and brings the outdoors in. I have really enjoyed using this stand. I’ve also enjoyed just looking at it because it is so attractive.

To keep the stand looking its best, Understands recommends using a damp cloth to clean it and they suggest keeping it out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents which can cause cracks and warping.

What I like

  • It stores my Apple Wireless Keyboard perfectly
  • It places my monitor at a comfortable viewing level to help alleviate neck strain
  • It is made from high-quality solid walnut and birch plywood
  • It is hand-crafted
  • It is durable and strong (will hold up to 50 pounds according to Understands)
  • Its Live Edge feature makes it unique and beautiful
  • It is guaranteed for life

What needs to be improved

  • It is a bit expensive

Final thoughts

I thoroughly enjoy using the Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand. It’s so difficult to find such beautiful high-quality solid hardwood furniture these days, but the Evo Walnut stand is one of those pieces. It is a fabulous, well-made, hand-crafted, durable monitor stand that keeps my monitor at a comfortable viewing height, provides me with enough room to store my Apple Wireless Keyboard beneath the stand and even tuck my mouse off to the side. It’s also just beautiful to look at. It is a bit expensive, but if funds aren’t an issue, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this purchase.

Price: $109.00
Where to buy: Understands
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Understands.

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Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Leatherman Micra multi-tool review

REVIEW – I’ve been carrying a little red Leatherman Squirt multitool in my gear bag for several years but I’ve always wondered if I might like the Leatherman Micra more than the Squirt. I now have the answer to that question because I’ve been using a Micra for the last few weeks. Let’s take a look and find out.

What is it?

The Leatherman Micra is a keychain-sized multitool made of 420HC Stainless Steel in several colors that features spring-action scissors, and a variety of other tools.

Specifications

Closed Length 2.5 in (6.5 cm)
Weight 1.8 oz (51 g)
Blade Length 1.6 in (4.06 cm)

Design and features

The Leatherman Micra is available in 7 colors that include plain stainless steel (silver) and the green version like you see above.

The Micra has the Leatherman Logo and model name painted on the side and a split ring hanging off the end to make it easy to add to your keychain.

If you check out the sides of the Micra multitool, you can see the 4.7 inch (12.0 cm) ruler that is etched into the handles.

To use the Micra, you need to unfold the handles. When you do so, the folded multitool turns into a pair of spring-assist scissors. Even for their small size, they work just fine for string, threads, paper, cardstock, etc. However, I would not want to use them to try to cut really heavy cardboard.

In addition to the scissors, the Leatherman Micra has 9 other tools that unfold from the handles. The tools include:

Scissors
Knife
Ruler
Flat/Phillips screwdriver
Nail cleaner
Tweezers
Bottle opener
Nail file
Medium screwdriver
Extra small screwdriver

Having used a Leatherman Squirt for so long, the first thing I noticed about the Micra is that you can’t get access to the knife without unfolding the handles first. That makes the Micra multitool less convenient to use compared to the Squirt.



It’s also awkward to use the Micra knife due to the handle being in the way. The easiest way I found to use the knife is to only unfold one handle as shown in the first 2 images above. If you unfold both handles, you’ll have to deal with the open scissor blades which might cut the palm of your hand while you’re trying to use the knife.

For comparison, here’s what it’s like to hold the Leatherman Squirt with the knife blade extended. It’s much easier to access and use.

What I like

  • Compact
  • Spring-action scissors
  • Available in a variety of colors
  • 25-year limited warranty

What needs to be improved

  • The knife blade  and other tools can only be accessed by unfolding the handles

Final thoughts

Like other Leatherman tools that I’ve used and reviewed in the past, the Leatherman Micra is well-made and offers a variety of functionality. But the fact that I have to unfold the handles to access the tools (especially the knife blade), it makes the convenience of the Micra multitool a step down from the Squirt. That said, the Squirt has pliers instead of scissors. The scissors on the Squirt are much smaller than the Micra scissors. If you think you need scissors more than pliers, that’s a reason to consider the Micra over the Squirt. For me, I’m sticking with my Leatherman Squirt.

It’s also important to note that neither the Squirt or the Micra is TSA approved, so frequent travelers will need to make sure that they remember to put these multitools in their check-in luggage if they don’t want a TSA agent to confiscate it.

Price: $29.95 MSRP
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Leatherman.

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Leatherman Micra multi-tool review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2018 at 1:10 pm.

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Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera review


REVIEW – Since the launch of the GoPro action cameras, many other companies continue to produce similar products with comparable features for much less of a purchase price. Here is the result of another similar action camera that I reviewed.

What is it:

This is a GoPro type 4K action camera that takes both video and photos using its 170-degree lens to provide high-resolution wide-angle footage.

What’s in the box

1 x Hawkeye 8SE Action Camera
1 x Waterproof Case
1 x Waterproof Case Front Cover Case
1 x Bicycle Stand
1 x J Base
4 x Strap
1 x Plastic Tie
1 x Long Connector with Screws
1 x Short Connector with Screws
1 x 1/4 inch Adapters Set
2 x Mounting Base
1 x Battery
2 x Adhesive Tape
1 x Metal Cable Tie
1 x Cleaning Cloth
1 x Lens Protection Frame
1 x Lens Protective Cover
1 x Microphone
3 x Stickers
1 x English User Manual

Design and features

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera is a normal styled action camera and it comes with its compatible waterproof housing. Just as with other GoPro style action cameras, it can be used in a variety of ways including as a dash cam, a surveillance camera, an aerial camera, a selfie camera, etc.


On the front of the camera on the left from top to bottom, there is a LED that lights green for photo mode and blue for video mode. Below the LED there is a circular selfie mirror. Below the selfie mirror is the power/mode button. On the back of the camera, there is the touch screen, the micro SD card slot, and the Playback button.


On one side of the camera, there are 2 up/down buttons to navigate through the settings and other screens. On the other side there a micro HD output jack and a mini USB power jack.


On the top of the camera there is the OK/selection button, and on the bottom, there is a 1/4-20″ threaded mount and the battery compartment and door.


Performance

Specifications:
Chipset: Ambarella A12S75
Chipset Name: Ambarella
Model: Firefly 8SE
Type: Sports Camera
Type of Camera: 4K
Max External Card Supported: TF 128G (not included)
Screen resolution: 320×240
Screen size: 2.0inch
Battery Capacity (mAh): 1200mAh Li-ion Battery
Battery Type: Built-in
Charge way: USB charge by PC
Charging Time: 2.5h
Standby time: 5h
Working Time: 1.33h
Lens Diameter: 12mm
Image Format: JPG
Video format: MP4
Video Resolution: 1080P (120fps),2.5K (60fps),2.7K (30fps),4K ( 3840 x 2160 ) 30FPS,720P (240fps)
Water Resistant: 20m underwater with the waterproof case
Waterproof: Yes
WIFI: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
WiFi Distance : 10m
Camera Timer: Yes
Anti-shake: Yes
Aerial Photography: Yes

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera works like most other action cameras and it has a lot of settings to control the recording and photo modes. The waterproof housing is, in fact, waterproof, and the buttons built into the housing work well to manage the controls. They do not require much extra effort to engage and are well placed. When the camera is not being used in the housing, the touch screen works very well and is very responsive. The settings screens offer much of the same in terms of functionality and capability, and I like that there is a “rotate” option that can be turned on when using the camera upside down such as when it is being used as a dash cam. The design features both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability to allow remote control from their app or an optional remote control (to be purchased separately). I am very impressed with their app, and its functionality, and it is just about the best I have seen so far. Here are some of the screens from the app:



Pictures: It takes clear pictures with the usual fiseye perspective.



Videos: I do like the quality of the videos even the one below from the smoggy underground railroad platform.

What I like

  • The size and built quality
  • The responsiveness of the buttons even when in the waterproof housing
  • The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Capability

What can be improved

  • The mini USB power jack should be changed to the more current and popular micro USB standard

Final thoughts

The Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera works very well and is really a nice GoPro alternative. While I am not a big fan of the fisheye view, the wide lens works very well. It is lightweight but feels well made and I do think that it is well priced. Unlike several other action cameras that I have tested so far, it has not responded negatively to being on my windshield in the direct sunlight, but that is not to say that it may not eventually do so. If you want a nice action camera with nice features to use in various relevant scenarios, this camera should meet most of your needs. It has handled my scenarios well, and since it comes with a nice collection of accessories, I still have a few more ideas yet to try.

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Gearbest
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Gearbest.

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Hawkeye Firefly 8SE 4K Touch Screen Action Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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