Reviews – Page 207

ZAGG Rugged Book iPad keyboard case review

Functionality and protection, that is what I want in a case for my iPads. While functionality is a nice feature to have, protecting my investment is a must. I have owned several iPads since their launch and my main protection choice was some kind of Smart Cover and a protective back. All of the smart covers I had formed some kind of stand to make the cover more functional, but I was always felt I was missing something when it came to functionality, a keyboard. Obviously, this idea was not lost on Apple because they introduced their Smart Keyboard for their iPad Pro series. But what about the non iPad Pro users? ZAGG a maker of accessories for tablets and phones has introduced its latest functional protection for the iPad, the Rugged Book.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

What is it?

The ZAGG Rugged Book is a protective cover and keyboard for the new iPad, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Air2 and iPad Air. With a builtin rechargeable backlit Bluetooth keyboard and a two piece design the case is both functional and practical for those on the go.

Hardware Specs

Width 9.84”
Height 7.20”
Thickness 1.10”

What’s in the box?

Rugged Book keyboard
Detachable case
USB to Micro USB charging cable
Quick Start Guide

Design and features

The ZAGG Rugged Book is basically two pieces, the case that holds the iPad and the keyboard with a hinge mechanism to hold the iPad and case securely in several configurations.

For clarification, the section that holds my iPad is called the detachable case by ZAGG and the keyboard is called the Rugged Book so I will do the same. The back of the detachable case has cutouts for the camera and mic. According to the ZAGG website the case is made out of four layers of stainless steel, polycarbonate and rubber. I can definitely see the polycarbonate and rubber on the case, but I am not sure about the stainless steel (I think stainless steel is more likely on the keyboard section and hinged holder).

The detachable case has the proper cutouts on the top, bottom and sides, and the controls are easy to access. The cutouts for the Lightning cable and ear jack are large enough fit Apple designed and made products, but will also fit third party products as well. The rubberized material around the edges gives you a comfortable and secure gripping surface.

Although the case is a nice feature on the Rugged Book the keyboard is the workhorse. I have owned and reviewed several keyboards that I used for my various iPads in the past, and up until now the only one that was designed work well with iPads was the Apple Magic Keyboard. ZAGG has changed that, the Rugged keyboard is designed for iPads so it has a lot of features designed to work with iPads. The Rugged Book has a backlit keyboard and tablet function keys. The keyboard itself is similar to a laptop keyboard and in my estimate about 2/3rds the size of a regular keyboard. The keyboard is solid feeling and the keys are responsive. I have small hands and am not a touch typeset so the keyboard works great for all my needs.

What I like

I love the overall look and feel of this setup, think of it like a netbook on steroids. It just has a rugged look and feel (some might say beefy). I like the backlit keyboard with the ability to change the color of the light and the brightness. Maybe one of the best features though is the fact that the keyboard is designed with the iPad in mind. Unlike a lot of generic keyboards the ZAGG Rugged Book keyboard has keys that specifically work with the iPad such as the home key, the apps running key and the keyboard hide/show key.

What needs to be improved

Weight, the ZAGG Rugged Book is on the heavy side. I am guessing much of this is due to the battery in the keyboard.

Final thoughts

To me, this is a great set up at least for what I want to do with it, some travel but mostly work around the house. It is more practical than having a separate keyboard and stand when you want to type on your lap or in bed. The Rugged Book is also great for traveling. At $129.99 the ZAGG Rugged Book may be a little pricey, but it is in line with other similar products. Available at the ZAGG website the Rugged Book should definitely be on your list f you are looking for a keyboard/cover combo for your iPad.

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

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Tagged: iPad keyboard case

ZAGG Rugged Book iPad keyboard case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 22, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Liaboe Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush review

At the recommendation of my dentist, I switched from a manual to an electric toothbrush many years ago. Since then, I’ve used multiple brands with varying degrees of success, solely judged on the observations of my hygienist. Liaboe’s Electric Toothbrush looked to be a worthy contender to my long-time preferred Sonicare Elite.

What is it?

The Liaboe Electric Rechargeable toothbrush is… a toothbrush. The toothbrush charges using an inductive base and is equipped with three modes, Clean, White, and Massage. Wait… Yes, I checked it – the toothbrush has a massage mode, no kidding. The replaceable heads vibrate at up to 40,000 strokes per minute to help abate plaque deposits, freshen breath and whiten teeth.

Hardware Specs

Plastic housing
Dimensions: Handle – 183 x 32.6 x 30.6mm; 7.2 x 1.3 x 1.2 in.
Dimensions: Base – 88 x 92x 32mm; 3.5 x 3.6 x 1.3 in
Weight : 9.91oz / 0.28kg
Power Rating: 100 ~ 240 VAC , 50/60Hz
Rated Voltage: 3.6 V
Clean mode current: 400mA ± 150mA
Whiten mode current: 330mA ± 100mA
Massage mode current: 200mA ~ 550mA
Clean mode: 31,000 strikes per minute
Whiten mode: 40,000 strikes per minute
Massage mode: clean mode alternates with whiten mode
App Support: Android 4.1 and iOS8.0 or higher

What’s in the box?

1 x Charging Base
3 x Brush Heads
1 x User Manual

Design and features

According to the manufacturer:

Cost Effectiveness: The same function and quality as Sonicare toothbrush, but only half price. This toothbrush uses an innovative magnetic levitation motor. Super strong vibration makes water and toothpaste transform into tiny bubbles in the oral cavity, and uses the impact force produced by tiny bubbles to scour the dead corners of the mouth, so as to reduce dental plaque. Compared with the ordinary toothbrush, the cleaning force is increased by more than 3 times.
Cleaner: As you know, the more vibrant frequency, the stronger cleaning effect, but over-high frequency makes the brush swing range too narrow that can’t clean teeth well. After a lot of experimental analysis, the 40000 times per minute vibration and the 8 millimeters left and right swing range is the perfect combination.
More Careful: The electric toothbrush has 3 different modes to meet different needs. After carefully rounding the tip of every single brush-hair, it can more deeply clean the tooth gap and reduce the bleeding of sensitive gum.
Smarter: Liaboe electric toothbrush cleans your teeth in only 2 minutes with 30 seconds intervals to remind you to brush all 4 quadrants of your teeth. Waken your teeth in the early morning to enjoy a whole day full of happiness and confidence.
60 Days Money Back & 2 Years Replacement Guarantee: We are always here to support you by providing the best customer service to ensure 100% customer satisfaction

My observations:

The Liaboe Electric toothbrush comes in a full-color box, nestled in a plastic tray and sealed in plastic bags. The manual recommends charging for 24 hours before use. The cord is quite long and the base does not have a location to store the excess. If your countertop is as crowded as mine, save the twist-tie to lasso the renegade cord and keep it out of the way.

After waiting the prescribed charging time, the Liaboe toothbrush took its maiden voyage in my mouth. Please note: sonic toothbrushes take some time to become accustomed. Initially, the motion of this brush will feel ticklish to sensitive gums.

The handle is comfortable and the brush head is small enough to fit easily behind my molars. This sub $30 toothbrush feels similar to my Sonicare Elite, but the amplitude of the vibrations is significantly lower. That being said, to my layman’s perspective, the Liaboe left my pearly-whites feeling equally as clean as the Sonicare, but the dentist will need to be the final judge. I admit I prefer the more aggressive oscillations of the Sonicare.

The two-minute timer is great to ensure I’m brushing long enough. There is a “blip” every 30 seconds I used as a reminder to switch to each quadrant of my teeth, (upper inside, upper outside, lower inside, lower outside) ensuring equal care from incisor to molar.

Impressively, the entire Liaboe toothbrush, charger, and heads are less expensive than a five-pack of genuine Sonicare Elite replacement heads. Sure, you can buy after-market heads, but I’m not a big fan of picking brush filaments out of my mouth. Disappointingly, Liaboe replacement brush heads could not be located and, according to an answer provided on Amazon, have to be ordered via email at Service@liaboe.com. I suspect after-market heads can be located somewhere.

I tried all three settings and found the “Whiten” setting to be the best for me. The “Clean” mode feels less aggressive. The “Massage” mode’s changing frequency is an odd sensation, but may be soothing or add an element of fun to induce the kids to brush longer It’s worth mentioning that if modes are changed during brushing, the 30-second and 2-minute timers restart.

Another note of caution: Try not to pull the toothbrush out of your mouth while turned on. The vibrations will send tiny droplets of toothpaste and saliva everywhere! If you do, be prepared to clean your mirror.

What I like

Easy to use and clean
Inexpensive
Timers prevent under-brushing

What needs to be improved?

Replacement heads should be readily available
Some bathroom counters are crowded. Cord management in the base would help.

Liaboe’s Rechargeable Electric toothbrush is inexpensive and has similar results to much more expensive models. The multiple speed modes I found to be somewhat of a gimmick, but others may find them appealing. I’m picky about my oral health and even floss daily. Even so, I would definitely trust my teeth to daily Liaboe scrubbings.

Price:$29.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample was provided by Liaboe.

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Tagged: Bathroom, Health and fitness

Liaboe Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Azpen Android My e-Bible Tablet review

What is it?

The Azpen e-Bible Tablet is in a nutshell, two versions of the bible that are available electronically on a tablet both in visual and audio form.

What’s in the box?

In the beautiful E-Bible box, there is the tablet, a very nice protective case, earphones, a wall charger, a micro USB cable and the instructions.

Design and features

The Azpen e-Bible Tablet has a 7-inch screen, and on one side, a micro USB Port, a headphone jack, a power-in jack, a power-on button, and 2 audio buttons for raising and lowering the volume. On the back there is a micro SD slot and a speaker. The tablet is slightly over ¼-inch thick.

When you power on the tablet, the Azpen logo appears.

After about 20 seconds, the full display is visible. The screen appears in three horizontal bands that make up the background. The top and bottom bands are white and the middle is yellow.
On the top part of the screen, there are three icons from left to right that are “Resume Reading”, “Notes” and “Bookmarks”. On the bottom third the four icons from left to right are “Search”, “Highlights”, “Help”, and “About”. The middle portion has just two icons, which are the two versions of the bible that are available on the tablet. They are from left to right, the NKJV – New King James Version, and the NIV – New International Version. Touching either icon reveals the first book, chapter and verse of the bible which is Genesis Chapter 1, or the chapter and verse that you were previously reading. The “Resume Reading” icon also takes you back to whatever chapter you were previously reading.

The built-in features also allow you to take notes which can be viewed via the “Notes” icon, and you are able to highlight text in the E-Bible and save the highlights and retrieve them later via the “Highlights” icon. You can do the same for bookmarking. In order to access the bookmarking, notes, or highlighting functions, you simply touch the relevant text for about 2 seconds and a dialogue box pops up with the options to highlight, bookmark, and underline. It also offers the choices of colors that are available for highlighting.

The “Help” icon displays a screen that shows what each control button is for.

The “About” icon displays information about the two versions of the bible that are installed on the tablet.

The “Search” icon takes you to a screen to search chapters, or to search by keyword.

At the bottom of the screen below the bands of colors, are the touch controls for brightness, volume, stop, and return to the previous screen. At the top right hand corner of the screen there is a font icon that allows you to change the size of the font.

What I like

I really like that the e-Bible Tablet offers two versions of the bible, and does so via both visual and audio media. It comes with wired earbuds and a really nice protective case. It is relatively lightweight, and the 7-inch screen while not large is quite adequate.

What can be improved

While the relatively low price for this tablet has to be a consideration, there are a few things that need to be improved. The touch screen is not as responsive as I would like, and the screen is not as bright as I would like, even at its brightest setting. The built-in speaker is not very loud but it is usable. The instructions also need to include more information on the tablet. I could not find any information on the micro SD card slot and what it could be used for, or not used for. Both Bluetooth and wifi are unavailable on the Azpen, so there is no built-in convenience for using Bluetooth earbuds or headsets, and there is no way to use it to connect to the internet to research something that you are reading in the text of the bible.

Final thoughts

The Azpen e-Bible Tablet is a great electronic bible that is the right size and weight, to be the only bible that I would need to carry whenever necessary. It has some very nice built-in features and it is easy to use. The highlighting and bookmarking options are great tools that make it an all-in-one solution. However, the lack of Bluetooth for use with wireless earbuds and the lack wifi, will likely not make it the choice of many who can carry a full featured tablet with a bible app loaded, and the convenience of everything else that such a tablet offers. While I understand that the reason the wifi is left out is for the tablet to be a dedicated bible with no distractions, I am not sure that it is enough of a reason to overpower the demand to always be connected to the rest of the world.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Azpen Technology.

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Tagged: Tablet

Azpen Android My e-Bible Tablet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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NFC Ring OPN review

How would you like to wear a magic wand on your finger? That’s sort of what an NFC Ring is because it can be used to grant wishes or in nerd speak, it can run macros, send your contact info, load a web page, open digital locks, and more. I reviewed the first NFC Ring by John McLear back in 2013 and then their 2nd gen NFC Ring in 2016. Now they’re back with a brand new version of the NFC Ring that looks snazzier and has a stronger antenna. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The 2018 NFC Ring OPN is an updated NFC ring that contains a single NXP NTAG216 IC tag which has an updated antenna design for improved operating range and enhanced compatibility with many devices and digital door locks that are on the market.

If you are unfamiliar with NFC tags, take a quick look at an article that I wrote about 5 years ago that explains what NFC tags are and what you can do with them.

Design and features

The NFC Ring OPN which stands for “Open” because according to John McLear:

Reference is:

Used to open doors / devices.
Software being open source
For open communities / open minded thinkers

Or if you want it to sound super cool: “Orbital Precision Neurons”

The ring is made of a hypoallergenic hardened advanced scratch-resistant ceramic (95% zirconium oxide + 5% yttrium oxide). It’s rated at IP66 for water and dirt resistance.

The ring looks lovely. No one would guess that it hides an NFC tag inside it because there are no markings on the outside or inside to give anything away. The only markings are the letters OPN and the ring size on the inside of the band.

The black version of the ring that was sent to me looks like a ring made of hematite because it has a gorgeous black glossy shine and feels smooth and cool to the touch.

Although you can see a seam on the edge of the ring in the image above, it’s not noticeable in real life.

The OPN ring is available in sizes from 4.5 all the way up to a size 16. NFC Ring offers an app that will help determine your ring size if you don’t already know what it is.

The app uses your phone’s camera to take a picture of your hand holding a standard sized credit card so it can figure out the size of your fingers.

It’s an interesting concept for the app, but when I tried it several weeks ago it had some technical issues and didn’t accurately report the ring size of my right ring finger. I already knew that the ring finger on my right hand required a 6.5 sized ring but the app couldn’t figure out the size and it reported that the ring size for the ring finger on my left hand was a size 5 which is way too small. So I ignored the app and asked for a size 6.5.

Size 6.5 fit my finger perfectly so I can tell you that if you already know your ring size, the NFC Ring OPN is sized correctly so don’t worry about needing to order a size up or down to fit your finger.

What can the NFC Ring do and how do you program it?

First of all, it’s important to realize that the NFC Ring OPN is not payment enabled, so you can’t use it to buy things. However, a version of the NFC Ring is coming soon from Mclear.com which will offer that feature.

The NFC Ring OPN can be programmed using the official NFC Ring settings app which allows you to program the ring to do one of six basic functions which are shown on the screenshot above on the right.

Don’t worry though, you’re not restricted to just these six functions. You can download other NFC Tag writing apps to program the ring. I did my testing using an app called MacroDroid which allows you to string a bunch of macros together to trigger various commands on the mobile device running the app with you touch the ring to the back of the device. The only caveat is that a ring programmed using the MacroDroid app will only work on the device where it’s running.

To use the NFC Ring to open digital door locks, you’ll need to program it using the app that came with the lock. Since I didn’t have any digital door locks to test with the ring, my testing was only done with the NFC Ring Settings app and the MacroDroid app. Both of those apps made it easy to quickly write info or a command to the ring.

Once the ring is programmed, all you have to do is touch the ring to the back of your Android or iOS smartphone. Note that it’s still easier to use NFC tags with Android smartphones compared to iPhones. I did my testing with my Pixel 2 XL. To read NFC tags on an iPhone, you’ll need an iPhone 7 or newer and it needs to be running iOS 11 or newer. You’ll also need an NFC app running in the background.

Each phone / device has what is called a “sweet spot”. That’s the area where the NFC tag reader is located and is where you want to tap the ring.

Compared to the earlier NFC Rings, the OPN version is easier to use because it doesn’t have an orientation. The other rings had two tags so you would have to turn the ring so that one tag was facing out and one tag was in. Think fist bump vs. high five. With the NFC Ring OPN, you don’t have to turn the ring any special way to have it trigger your device when you tap it. The improved antenna in this ring means it just works.

As mentioned earlier, I used the MacroDroid app to program the tag in the ring to perform multiple tasks based on different constraints. For example, I set up the ring so that if I tap the ring on the back of my phone when the phone is connected to my MINI Cooper’s Bluetooth, and it’s Monday through Friday, it will launch the phone app and call Jeanne. If I’m sitting at my desk at work and I’m connected to a specific cell tower (so it knows I’m at work instead of at home), it will turn off WiFi and lower the volume levels.

What I like

A well made ring that doesn’t look like it’s “special”
Easy to program using any NFC tag writing app

What needs to be improved

The NFC Ring sizing app didn’t work very well
Price – It’s very expensive

Final thoughts

Most people will see the $120 price tag and say “Why should I spend this much on a ring with an NFC tag when I can get one on Amazon for less than $10?” and that’s a valid question so I asked John McLear to tell us why:

Oh man! I just looked at Amazon and holy crap that’s a lot of terrible copies! Starting from just $0.99!!!! It’s amazing how many reference our 2013/2016 design, China went crazy copying huh!

It’s a bit weird describing the difference because it’s a bit like comparing a Ferrari and a Skoda but here goes..

Those cheap rings on Amazon:

Often are the wrong size so don’t fit well. We size check each ring.
Often don’t come in most sizes IE we support 20 sizes, most cheap alternatives support 7 sizes or so.
Have an operating range of 1-2mm Vs our 5-40mm — They have no idea about the science/engineering. Our operating range reflects our understanding.
Often are made from cheap Steel (so rust etc) or cheap Titanium and have high nickel content so cause skin irritation and with no brand to protect they don’t care about you. We use the highest quality fully tested advanced Ceramics.
Are often detuned so often don’t work / match / pair / operate with other devices IE phones. We frequency test each ring 3 times through production.
Have fake chips inside so don’t read/write properly. Often using NTAG203 fakes so 1/8^th the storage of NTAG216 and also missing security layers etc. We use genuine NXP products.
Don’t have any supporting software IE NFC Ring Control / Unlock or if they do they are terrible. We have all of this and it’s also open source.
Have terrible customer service/support. We obviously have full customer service
Fall apart after a few days. We provide full warranty.
Aren’t QA checked prior to shipping. We have 3 steps.
Have no testing / certification, for example we have RoHs, REACH etc.
Claim to be waterproof but aren’t / don’t list rating. We have full QA testing of each design prior to mass production, testing for heat/cold etc.
These guys just copy our designs. We have all the IP / patents that these guys are infringing, that means we are defended to make them and receive the investment to make improvements. Customers investing in our ecosystem or product are making a long term investment.
Are terribly ill/poor fitting IE no comfort fit or just a poor design so feel terrible on your finger. We test our products in prototype stage for months before going into production getting blind user feedback etc.
Will fall apart when you drop/heat/expose to sunlight. We test for all of these things and the OPN is a result of all of this testing.
Might be a one of our QA fails from our old supplier. We see this on Amazon / Alibaba a lot.

So there you have it… I found the NFC Ring to be a fun “gadget” that can do some useful things. Do I really need one? No, but most of the gadgets that we buy, are not really needed but are still interesting to play around with because we’re geeks.

I’m very much looking forward to trying the pay enabled ring.

Price: $120.73
Where to buy: NFC Ring Store
Source: The sample for this review was provided by NFC Ring.

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Tagged: Geek jewelry, NFC

NFC Ring OPN review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2018 at 12:11 pm.

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Picture Keeper Connect photo backup software/adapter review

Using a portable device is immensely freeing, as most of the world has discovered over the past decade. What happens, though, when you run out of space on your phone/tablet and don’t have a wireless service to back it up to? While having a Mac or PC around is nice, that defeats the mobility aspect, if you’re on a long-term trip or project where carrying a laptop is not practical. There are a number of small devices that have come on the scene to bridge this gap, and we were recently offered a new one that offers a few new wrinkles to this solution. It’s called the PictureKeeper Connect and is from Simplified I.T. Products, LLC.

What is it?

The Picture Keeper is a data backup/transfer device and service combination that gives you access to your mobile’s photos, videos, and contacts without having to have an internet service. With the standard USB type A port, you can upload this data to a computer, or download it for uploading to a new device for setup.

Hardware specs

Mobile Requirements: iPhone 5 and newer (iOS 8+) and Android OTG (Android 4.1+).
Computer Requirements: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP (SP3), Mac OS 10.7 (and newer) computers.
Newer devices with a USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 3) port will require an adapter, like our Keeper Converter.

What’s in the box?

In the box, there is the PictureKeeper itself (which has a USB type A plug on one end and a Lightning connector on the other), a cable to attach the USB-A plug to a micro USB device, and an instruction sheet.

Design and features

The Picture Keeper looks for all the world like a larger-than-normal thumb drive with an extra connector. One end is a standard USB type-A connector, and the other end has an Apple Lightning connector, which will fit any iPhone or iPad made in the last few years. The included female USB-A to male micro USB plug allows you to plug it into any but the most recent Android devices. If you have a newer device that requires USB type-C, the company will send you an adapter.

When you plug the PictureKeeper into either a portable device or a computer, you are given the opportunity to create an account, and can then backup photos, contacts, and videos. Once you’ve backed them up, you can then, through the app or your device, remove them from your device or from your iCloud backup.

Built into the software on this unit is also an installer for MacOS and another for Windows that will install a program to manage the picture archives copied from your portable device. This allows the same access to your data.

Once your photos, videos, and/or contacts are loaded, you can access them from any other device the PictureKeeper is inserted into. Data is stored on the unit itself but can also be linked to your online repository.

Creating an account isn’t required to use the device, nor is uploading your content to the service. (There is a separate app where you can upload photos for magnets, mugs and the like.) Initially, I could not figure out how to use it without sharing it with the service, which was a bit unnerving. With privacy concerns abounding due to data breaches, I’m less than excited about loading up one more online service from an unknown company with my most personal of data. But once I found the data is not tied to my iCloud account (unless I specifically link it), I was a little less panicky.

Performance

I was kind of shocked that the device would hold as much as it does. I’m not sure if there is some sort of compression going on beyond what is normal, but I have quite a few photos at very high resolution, and they did not fill this 16 GB of storage. I think I may have stopped it early since there’s not really a way to tell it “only back up the past year of photos.” The interface is a bit spartan, only offering a view of 6 at a time on my iPhone 8 Plus. There’s no way to do anything other than “Select All” or “Unselect All” from the menu, and no filtering at all. For a product offering to help manage large photo collections, there are few data management tools.
Also, there is zero security. When you plug it in, you have to create an account, but putting in any combination of characters that fit the format will create an account on the device that will then be able to read every file stored on it from any account. I’d rather they not have the account thing at all, rather than give the illusion of security without the reality. (I was worried I would forget my password or which email address I used until I tested it with the default data in the fields.)

What I Like

Small, easy to use “one trick pony” that does what it says.
The softwaree is functional and supports all major platforms and devices
Allows sharing data without giving access to iCloud accounts

What needs to be improved

No deep filtering of data
No indication on the device when data is being written or read
No real security – any account can read everything on the drive

Final thoughts

I like the idea of this device, but I think it’s about 6 years too late to market. Between Google Photos and iCloud, not to mention the dozens of others not tied to an operating system, there are any number of ways to backup and share photos and videos that don’t require keeping up with another device.

Only two scenarios where this device would be needed come to mind in 2018: You’re traveling to a truly remote area that has no cell signal or wifi, and are planning to document a lot of activity. The jungles of Costa Rica, Peru, or Africa, for instance. I have been to the far north of Wales, the West of Ireland, and central Italy in the last 5 years, (not to mention rural areas in the US) and have never been more than a few hours away from an internet connection if I wanted it. (When you’re in a Gaelic-first community and the publican understands the phrase “Wifi Password” in my Southern US English, the internet is truly everywhere!)

The second scenario is if you’re someone who is just violently opposed to putting your photos online, then this would be a good thing. I feel the security risk of losing this device, however, is larger than having your iCloud or Google account hijacked – unless you are reusing passwords or just cluelessly careless. Those are not traits that are going to go well with an unsecured device like this.

As a point of price comparison, the price of online storage on iCloud is cheap. For a dollar a month, you can get 50 GB of online storage that is way more secure than this, and share it with your “family” account – up to 4 other people, on all their devices. At the Picture Keeper’s $120 price for 32 GB, that’s almost twice the storage for a full ten years! I’m sure I’ll lose this device or it’ll get broken in less than 10 years. And what do I do when I run out of room on this device? I’ll have to buy another, but with iCloud, I can get four times the 50 GB storage for only 3 times the price ($3 a month for 200 GB), and it’s instantly available as an increase in space, not another account. For $10 a month, I can get 2 TB. And if there are several family members in various places, how do you share a physical drive? My advice? Bite the bullet and pay the buck a month to iCloud.

Price: $119.00 USB-C adapter adds $4.99
Where to buy: Picturekeeper.com and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Simplified I.T. Products, LLC.

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Tagged: Adapter, Backup, Photography

Picture Keeper Connect photo backup software/adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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