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BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor review


REVIEW – When editing photos or videos, a reasonably sized display with great color reproduction is really essential. I have always been a fan of the quality of BenQ monitors, but I have not purchased a new one for quite some time. When I was offered the opportunity to review one of their newer curved monitors, I jumped at the chance to see if they could keep me as a fan. Here is how it went:

What is it

The BenQ EX350IR is a 21:9 35″ Vertical Alignment MonitoCurved Monitor, boasting a  3440 x 1440 resolution.

What’s in the box

Unpacking

As you can see from the pictures below, the monitor and the accessories arrived well-packed and in a very large box that was cushioned in every way with styrofoam. The screen also had additional protection.




Contents


1 x BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor
1 x System CD-Rom
1 x Power Cord
1 x Power Adapter
1 x DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort Cable
1 x HDMI Cable
1 x USB Type-C Cable
1 x Back Cover
1 x Quick Start Guide

Specifications

Size: 35″
Screen Area: 32.26 x 13.62″ / 81.94 x 34.59 cm
Panel Type: VA LCD
Native Resolution: 3440 x 1440
Aspect Ratio: 21:9
Pixels Per Inch (ppi): 103 ppi
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 2500:1
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 20,000,000:1
Refresh Rate: 100 Hz
Adaptive Sync Technology: FreeSync
Bit Depth / Color Support: 8-Bit (16.7 Million Colors)
Color Gamut: 100% sRGB
Response Time: 4 ms (GtG)
Viewing Angle: Horizontal: 178°
Vertical: 178°

Connectivity:
2 x HDMI 2.0
1 x DisplayPort 1.4
2 x USB (USB 3.0) Output
1 x USB (USB 3.0) Input
1 x USB Type-C
1 x 3.5 mm Output

HDCP Support: Version 2.2
Dimensions (W x H x D): 32.8 x 19.8 x 8.8″ / 83.4 x 50.4 x 22.4 cm
Weight: 22.93 lb

Design and features

The BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor is a beautiful curved monitor that has a 178-degree viewing angle from each side. It is a 21:9 format that has a HD resolution up to 3440 x 1440.
The picture below shows the back of the monitor with the hole in the stand to pass the connected cables through. I already have holes on my desk to triage the cables, so I did not use this feature. You can also see where the stand with its triangular style platform connects to the back of the monitor. Ths stand can be removed, and an optional VESA wall mount transfer kit can be purchased separately and attached so that the monitor can be VESA mounted.

This angle below shows the tracks on the stand between the stand and the monitor that allow the height of the monitor to be raised or lowered simply by pulling it up or pushing it down. The tracks provide the necessary tension to keep it firmly in place. The visible spring that you see controls the tension when tilting the display.

This monitor has a nice selection of ports. (From left to right as pictured below):
1 x USB Type-C Port
2 x USB 3.0 Ports
1 x DisplayPort
2 x HDMI Ports
1 x Headphone Jack
1 x DC Power Input Jack


If you are facing the front of the monitor, the control buttons are underneath the bottom right side of the display (From left to right):
Button 1 – Power Button: Power On /Off
The next 6 buttons are “Control Keys or hotkeys” (Pressing any control key brings up a menu function)
Button 2 – Input Hot Key: Input Selection
“The Custom Keys perform as hotkeys to provide direct access to pre-defined functions. You can change the default setting and designate different functions for these keys”.
Button 3 – Custom Key 1: Picture Mode
Button 4 – Custom Key 2: Contrast
Button 5 – Custom Key 3: Brightness
Button 6 – Menu: Activates the Main Menu
Button 7 – Exit: Exit On Screen Display Menu
(For the record, I did not change any of the functions of the Custom Keys, since they worked well for me at the factory default settings)

Performance

I connected the monitor to my main workstation where many nights I work into the early morning hours editing videos and photos. (Note: Some aspects of the following pictures are purposely blurred).


In my testing, I worked with Adobe Premiere, LightRoom, and Photoshop, as well as PortraitPro Studio as my main editing tools. This monitor performed flawlessly. The color reproduction was great and extremely close to being 100%”true”. I made sure that I left everything as it was right out of the box, and did not do any color calibration. The added desktop space 0f 3440 x 1440 @21:9 is really great to work with, and this 35″ monitor still seems massive when compared to my previous 29″ monitor.


Here are some screenshots of the actual applications that I work with:




While I am not a gamer, I did test using a few gaming demos to see what they looked like on this display. While it may not be realistically visible in the pictures below, the colors are great from edge to edge, and I did not notice any kind of color bleeding or dead pixels in any scenario throughout my testing.


The refresh rate of this monitor works very well for all of my needs and for all of the applications that I work with. And since I work a lot with editing and rendering videos, that is a major help when rendering and utilizing “live view” simultaneously.

In terms of additional hardware functions, I also tested the audio output jack. The sound is very good and close to the sound I get from my external USB DAC. However, for my purposes, I did not find it practical to have the headphone cable draped across my desk from the bottom of the monitor. If the choice is to use the audio output from the monitor, I would suggest using a Bluetooth audio transmitter and receiver to make the connection wireless.

What I like

First of all, I absolutely love the size of this display. I also love the color reproduction and the refresh rate. The build quality is great and despite its size, this monitor is sturdy and stable. It performs very well for photo and video editing, as well as for watching movies and performing everyday tasks.

The only thing that could make me more overjoyed about a BenQ monitor like this is if/when I get the opportunity to test a 4K version. For me, the 4K capability would make a BenQ monitor like this the “above all” monitor for my use.

What can be improved

Since this monitor has a sizeable bezel, I think the design would work better if the control buttons are on the bottom right front face of the monitor. In my opinion, the design that places the buttons underneath the display where you have to feel for them, and either memorize their position or keep pressing buttons until you get the right ones is not practical unless there is at least a corresponding label on the front.

Final thoughts

Since I have always been a fan of BenQ monitors and their quality, I was expecting a whole lot in the design, build, and performance of this monitor, and it does not disappoint. While there is the issue of the location of the control buttons that I find inconvenient, that is as far as “MY” negatives go. We may all have a difference of opinion about a product like this, especially when it is a major part of the typical workflow experience. However,  I would not hesitate in any way to recommend this monitor. Just like with my previous BenQ monitor that I purchased probably over 12 years ago, I am a fan.

Price: $849.00
Where to buy: Amazon and B&H Photo Video
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BenQ.

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BenQ EX350IR Curved Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Air Vinyl Design Leather AirPod case review

REVIEW – AirPods have been out for the better part of a year now, and I’ve been seeing them in more places “in the wild.” There are, of course, AirPod cases and leashes and all manner of add-on products for the new Apple wireless buds. I was sent a Leather Case for AirPods from Air Vinyl Design in a camel brown to test. The cases are also available in Black, Red, and a Chocolate Brown.

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

What is it?

The Air Vinyl case is just that – a cover to fit over the AirPod recharging case. The inside is a smooth plastic that fits perfectly around the AirPods case, and a hinged cover fits perfectly into the flip-up top of the AirPods cover. Once it’s installed, it’s actually difficult to remove the case.

What’s in the box?

Just the cover – nothing more, nothing less.

Design and features

The cover is based on a plastic form-fitting overcase for the AirPods and covered with a thin, glove-soft overskin of leather. The inside of the case is the actual plastic, but the outer covering is pure leather, with its true feel and scent and wearability. In the few weeks I’ve been using it, I can already see the personality of the leather develop. There is a hole in the bottom center which allows charging with every Lightning cable I’ve used with it.

What I Like

  • Individualizes my AirPod case
  • Gives me a bit more grip when taking AirPods out or replacing them
  • Looks nice

What needs to be improved

  • Not really necessary

Final thoughts

I was perfectly happy with my AirPods with just the bare case in my pocket. My boss has a silicon case around hers, and I thought I might want a case, but then I thought “I’m not going to try and resell these.” Others in my office have their AirPods on their desk, but we rarely have them out together in a conference room or snack area where they might get mixed up. Not like phone cases or your computer or iPad. Usually, with a phone, I need the grip, and I want to protect the phone for resale. But, now that I have the AirPod case, I do like it and enjoy the feel of the leather. Would I buy it? Probably not. But I can’t deny it brings me a little happiness. I would love it as a gift.

The company also has vinyl stickers sized for your bare AirPod case for major cities ($7.99) and offers custom designs as well. I might like a Bull City logo even more than leather.

Price: $19.99
Where to buy: Air Vinyl Design
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Air Vinyl Design.

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Air Vinyl Design Leather AirPod case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Kora Shola 230 Zip yak wool shirt review

REVIEW – You’ve no doubt heard of clothing that has been made of merino wool right? It’s well known for keeping you warm when it’s cold, comfortable when it’s warm, and it can be worn multiple times without getting smelly. Many people seek out clothing made of this material, but is there another type of wool that is even better? How about yak wool? Let’s take a look at the Shola 230 Zip yak wool shirt from Kora.

What is it?

The Shola 230 Zip is a base layer shirt made of 100% pure Himalayan yak wool fabric that has been sourced from nomad families on the Qinghai Tibet plateau in the Himalayas. The Himalayan yaks live in altitudes between 12-18,000 feet which causes their wool to be finer and according to Kora, up to 40% warmer and more breathable than merino wool.

Design and features

I was sent the women’s version of the Shola 230 Zip in obsidian blue. The shirt is thin and lightweight with a YKK zippered neck and contrasting wine colored stitching along the flatlock seams on the shoulders, arms, and sides.

When fully zipped the shirt has a sleek sporty turtleneck style. The only noticeable branding on the shirt is the Kora logo which is embroidered in silver on the left shoulder.

There is a decorative fabric tape on the left cuff that depicts the contours of the Himalaya mountains and the colors of Tibetan prayer flags.

The Kora Shola 230 Zip has tapered sides for a flattering fit. It’s available for women in sizes XS up to XL and for men in sizes S up to 2XL.

I asked for the Shola 230 Zip in size medium even though I normally wear a size small shirt. I decided to go up one size larger just because I knew this shirt was designed as a base layer and I don’t really like a skin-tight fit. As you can see from the image above, the shirt does fit me. But even with the medium size, it was still much tighter than I find comfortable and almost felt like a compression shirt. That said, I found the length of the sleeves and the hem of the shirt to be fine and the tightness of collar/neck area was also just fine. It was just the arms and torso that felt too tight to me.

I don’t know if the tight fit of the Kora shirt made me notice the very slight scratchiness of the yak wool, or if that’s just the way yak wool feels next to my skin, but unlike the Shadow Pass Trailhead bamboo and merino wool shirt that I also reviewed, recently, the Kora shirt wasn’t quite as soft or comfy. Of course, the Kora shirt is all wool, while the other one is 50/50 merino and bamboo. But according to the Kora website, yak wool is actually supposed to feel softer than merino wool. Note that I’ve worn other clothing made entirely of merino wool like socks and haven’t had issues with them feeling itchy.

What I like

  • Lightweight
  • Sporty look
  • Keeps you warm
  • Wicks away moisture
  • Machine washable on cold (don’t dry in the dryer though)

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive
  • Size runs small
  • Felt a little scratchy

Final thoughts

I wore the Kora Shola 230 Zip shirt off and on for a few weeks without washing it and it never got smelly even when I got sweaty which is easy to do right now since it’s in the upper 90’s here in southern Indiana. This really isn’t the right time of year to review base layers, but I gave it my best shot by giving the shirt a day to day wear type of test.

With clothing this expensive, I expected to feel the difference, but I really didn’t. Yes, the Shola 230 Zip is well made, looks nice, kept me warm, and didn’t stink after wearing it for a few weeks. But that’s about all I can say about it. So I looked at a few other reviews of the Kora products to see what others were saying about them and most people really loved Kora’s yak wool garments. So I guess yak wool just might not be the best choice for me personally. Hey, every product isn’t perfect for everyone.

If you decide that you want to buy one of these shirts, make sure that you order a size or two larger than your regular size. At least Kora allows for 30-day exchanges or returns with no questions asked if you end up getting the wrong size on your first order. If you’re going to spend $160 on a shirt, you definitely want it to be the right size so that you’ll actually wear it.

Price: $160.00
Where to buy: Kora
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kora.

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Kora Shola 230 Zip yak wool shirt review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2018 at 4:36 pm.

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Black+Blum Eau Good Duo water bottle review

REVIEW – Every minute, a staggering one million plastic bottles are purchased, many of which simply contain filtered water, and that figure is on the rise. Homeware designer Black+Blum aims to help curb that rampant bottled water consumption with their double-duty water filter and infuser bottle, the Eau Good Duo.

What is it?

The Eau Good Duo is an easy-grip, dual-purpose plastic water bottle that has both charcoal purification and infusion capabilities. It’s meant to act as a natural replacement for that packaged bottle of water that you’d normally grab from the fridge or gas station.

Hardware specs

  • holds 700ml/24 fl oz
  • 122g/4.3oz empty weight
  • 24.2cm/9.5″ high x 8.2em/3.2″ max width
  • built-in infuser cap filters infusing ingredients
  • easy-grip silicone hand strap
  • bottle made from taste-neutral, lightweight Tritan™
  • fast-flow polypropylene spout
  • binchotan charcoal filtration stick

What’s in the box?

  • one Eau Good Duo bottle
  • one charcoal filter (good for 6 months)
It comes with the bottle and a charcoal stick (not pictured).

Design and Features

The Eau Good Duo can be used just like any other water bottle. Fill it up and hit the road. It’s perfectly fine for that, and the silicone hand straps and quick-flow spout make it a nice little sports bottle. But it’s true strengths lie in its purification and infusion functions, which I’ll get into below.

A nice sporty look and easy to grip.

One note about the spout, at least on my sample bottle, it was really hard to open. I think if the spout were made of a more flexible or softer material, it would have been easier to wiggle and pull up with my fingers, but most of the time I had to employ my teeth to pull it out, which is probably cringeworthy for any dental professionals out there. The other option was to completely remove the cap and push the filter from the other side, popping the spout up… or just drink directly from the bottle.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you decide to drink from the capless bottle, the threading for the cap is on the inside of the bottle, so the outside is nice and smooth, like drinking from a glass.

The thread is on the inside of the bottle, so you can drink from the mouth without feeling the thread on your lips.

After using the bottle for several weeks, I’ve found that it was best to simply treat it as a replacement for a single-use water bottle. Since it’s roughly the size of a bottle of Dasani or some other 20oz water, I found myself grabbing it out of the fridge in the morning for my commute into work, refilling it when I arrived and grabbing it out of the work fridge around lunchtime. That allowed for enough time to purify and chill the water in each instance.

Infusion

One could make the argument that pretty much any container could be used to make flavor-infused water, but there are a couple of built-in features that make the Eau Good Duo good for that purpose. One being the wide opening, allowing for easy insertion of ingredients, and the other being the fast-flow filter on the spout. The filter keeps seeds, stems and other pieces of fruit or mint debris from blocking the flow of water.

The quick-flow spout has a handy filter to block seeds and large pieces of infusing ingredients.

I really like the design of the spout. It allows for the water to flow quickly without creating that suction vacuum effect on the bottle.

Of course, placing an entire wedged lemon or bunch of strawberries into the bottle takes up a lot of space, and since the bottle can only hold about 24oz of liquid, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for actual water. In each of my tests, I was able to gulp down that delicious lemon water in a short amount of time, leaving me wishing the bottle was at least a little bit larger.

All that fruit and ice takes up a lot of volume.

Filtration/Purification

Binchotan charcoal is a type of activated charcoal that has been used for hundreds of years as a natural water filter. When left in a bottle of water overnight, it purifies water by absorbing chemicals (such as chlorine) and heavy metals commonly found in tap water. This leads to better tasting and pH-balanced water.

The bitochan charcoal stick balances pH and removes impurities… eventually.

The Eau Good Duo comes with a perfectly-sized charcoal stick, ready to be inserted into the bottle and locked into place with a quick squeeze on the nifty locking mechanism. One of the key factors to remember about charcoal purification is time. The instructions recommend 8 hours for the best effect, and once you’ve downed that 20 oz or so of purified water, it’s another 8 hours until you can drink some more, if you want the best taste.

The charcoal sticks absorb chemicals and flavors for about 3 weeks or so and then can be “recharged” by boiling them to release the absorbed chemicals. The stick should be replaced every 6 months.

I don’t buy a lot of bottled water, but over the last few weeks, I tried to imagine that every time I emptied the Duo, that was one less plastic bottle I’d be putting out into the world. That’s a lot of bottles for just one person! Not to mention potentially a lot of money.

Positives

  • charcoal filter neutralizes water flavor well
  • spout filter flows well and keeps infused ingredients from blocking water flow
  • replacement for individual bottles of water

Negatives

  • is not insulated
  • spout is rather hard to open
  • bottle could be a bit larger

Final thoughts

Overall, the Eau Good Duo is a nice little water bottle. I almost wish it was a bit larger so that one could purify more water at a once, since it takes about 8 hours for full effect. But it’s super-lightweight, has a unique, easy to carry design, and I love the high-flow spout. And most important, it accomplishes the goal of keeping plastic out of the landfill.

Price: Pre-order for £25 (approx. $33.42)
Where to buy: The Eau Good Duo filter/infusion bottle is, at the time of publishing, only available for pre-order on Crowdox. One bottle plus 1 charcoal is £25.00, or about $34. There are two other pre-order levels with additional charcoals and bottles.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Black+Blum. Visit their website for more information and to check out their other products.

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Black+Blum Eau Good Duo water bottle review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2018 at 2:51 pm.

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Sbode Bluetooth speaker review


REVIEW – The world of Bluetooth speakers continues to grow. With summer weather, there are more opportunities that ever to venture outside and take your tunes or podcasts with you. Sbode has created another in the endless list of portable Bluetooth speakers. What can they possibly add to the device to make it stand out? Read on to find out.

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

What is it?

This 11 ounce, 4+” high 3” cylinder can handle sound from your Bluetooth or AUX stereo devices. With a speakerphone, FM Radio and memory card support, as well as the option for stereo linking with another speaker, it’s a weatherproof can of fun.

Hardware specs

(from product website)

  • Crystal Clear Bass Sound
  • True Wireless Stereo Function
  • Durable & Portable & Waterproof
  • Hands-Free Calling
  • FM Radio
  • Micro TF/SD card supported
  • Aux line-in

What’s in the box?

  • Speaker cylinder
  • USB-A to microUSB cable for charging
  • Instruction folder

The Sbode Bluetooth speaker (that’s really the official name, even on the product box!) is a black cylinder with a rubbery, wavy black rim on both ends. The wavy ridges allow sound to eek out from the underside if you happen to set it down on a flat surface. The rubbery texture prevents scratches to delicate surfaces and adds a touch of grippiness. If you set it down beside your plate at lunch, however, expect to accidentally try to drink out of it at least twice.

The surface of the outside, where you’d print the label for a soda can, is a woven fabric with a single row of rubberized buttons down in one place. They cover the basics – volume + or -, play/pause, or pairing – or so one would think. Turns out, the + and – take you forward and back in your playlist, but the play/pause and on/off toggles work as expected. The only control over volume comes from the device you’re playing from. On the opposite side of the top rim, there is a braided cord lanyard 3” long. Below that is the covered input inset.

By far the most noticeable feature is the center metalized plate in the center of each end. They’re speakers, but they don’t resemble the usual cone we’re used to seeing. Also, since this is a sealed, IPx6 system, there’s no ingress point for sand or water. It’s not submersible, but camping or poolside activities should pose no threat. I feel a bit like Monk when I look at these flat, slightly vibrating discs, though. I just wanna poke them.

The AUX in and charging port are under an easily opened silicon seal, along with a reset pinhole and a TF/SD card slot. There is also an FM radio tuner built-in, in case you don’t have any tunes on a card or your device is otherwise in use. Simply press the power-on/pairing button, and the friendly voice announces “FM Radio Mode.” In FM mode, the “+” and “-“ buttons take you through a group of scanned presets of stations. Holding down the play/pause button will initiate scanning of local stations. The instructions weren’t clear on how to stop scanning on a station you like or add it to the presets. And I was never able to figure out how to control volume.

The weight and size of the unit are perfect for the use cases suggested: taking along everywhere, either in your cup-holder, bike water-bottle cage, or hanging from a carabiner from a branch or equipment of some sort. It sits easily on any remotely flat surface and the sound will radiate from whichever end happens to be up. If you have two (and, at $36 each, it wouldn’t break the bank), you can pair both of them and there is some circuitry inside that handles audio channel separation. (I’m perfectly willing for Sbode to send me a second review unit to give this feature a try.)

For what it is, the sound and durability is quite a nice bundle for the price. There are many better-sounding speakers units on the market, but most are gonna cost a good bit more than this one. I found the sound could not get as loud as I would like, for one thing. Not that I want my music blasting, mind you, but I never felt I was going to hurt my hearing with it all the way up. And often, other things in the environment (oven timers, cars driving by while on the porch, lawn mowers a few yards over) could not be overcome. By contrast, most of the other speakers I’ve tested have had a good deal more volume headroom. The sound is uniform in all directions around when it’s firing upwards. I did find that sitting it on the side gave a little better sound, but I never heard the “crystal clear bass sound” mentioned in the website verbiage listed above.

What I Like

  • Easy pairing and use
  • Integrated carrying loop
  • Weatherproof

What needs to be improved

  • Cannot adjust volume, except on device
  • No way to adjust volume in FM mode
  • Volume is never really “loud”

Final thoughts

If you’re someone who likes to have music, podcasts or even sports coverage with you, having a speaker you can carry along usually enhances the experience, and allows you to share your audio with those you are with. If you want to hear details and “get into” the music, this speaker, while functional, is not going to fill a room or deck or campsite with sound. If your needs are a quiet podcast by your chair on the porch, you’ll probably be OK, unless someone starts up a leafblower closer than 3-4 houses away. There are better options out there for the same or maybe a little more money.

Price: $35.49
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Sbode.

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Sbode Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2018 at 9:45 am.

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