Reviews – Page 224

IK Multimedia iRig Pre HD microphone interface review

Got a favorite microphone with an XLR connector that you want to use with your computer? Do you want one small enough to work with your iOS device when you’re on the go? The IK Multimedia iRig Pre HD will do just that.

IK Multimedia makes affordable, quality audio gear, including a very clever clip-on microphone. But if you’re looking for something that works equally well in the field and in the studio that won’t break the bank, take a close look.

Hardware specs

Microphone Input

Microphone Input: balanced female 3-pin, XLR. Pin 2: hot / Pin 3: cold / Pin 1: ground
Microphone Input Level: from 6 mVpp to 1.4 Vpp
Microphone Input Impedance: 2 kOhms
Gain Range: 40 dB
Phantom Power: +48V ± 4V
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz +/-1.5dB
Input Noise: -97 dB RMS, -105 dB(A)

Stereo Headphone Output

Connector: 1/8” TRS Jack. Tip: right / Ring: left / Shield: ground
Headphone Level Control numbered thumbwheel
Headphone Level Power 100mW into 50 Ohms

Other Input/Output

Device Connector: micro-USB

Common

Conversion: 24-bit A/D, 24-bit D/A
Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz
Power:
• USB bus powered when used with a computer
• Battery powered (2xAA included) needed for +48V phantom only

Package includes

iRig Pre HD
Lightning to micro-USB cable
USB to micro-USB cable
2 x 1.5V AA battery
Velcro strip

Dimensions

Size: 40mm/1.57″ x 110mm/4,33″ x 34mm/1.34″
Weight: 75g/2.65oz (batteries excluded)
Cables length: 60cm/23.62″

Features

MFi microphone interface certified by Apple “Made for iPhone and iPad”
Compatible with Mac and PC
Direct monitor switch for real-time monitoring or for playback
+48V Phantom Power (with 2 x AA batteries)
Class A mic preamp with onboard gain control
Onboard headphone output (works with the latest iPhone)
High definition 24-bit converters with up to 96kHz sampling frequency
Multicolor LED for easy gain settings
Includes IK’s renowned, professional software and apps
Ultra-light and compact
Sleek and elegant design
Comes with USB and Lightning cables, 2 x AA batteries and a velcro mounting strip

Without AA batteries, the iRig Pre HD weighs less than three ounces.

You get two cables: One “normal” mini USB cable and the other is a peculiar looking mini USB to Lightning cable. That’s for connecting the interface directly to your iPhone or iPad.

On the input end is a female XLR connector. You’ll find a headphone jack and mini USB connector on the other end.

There’s a direct monitor switch and volume dial on the right side for headphone listening. On the left, a mic gain dial and a phantom power 48V switch.

Note the two LEDs on the top. One glows blue for phantom power. The other is multi-colored LED for the signal. Red if you’re clipping, orange/green if you’re good to go.

I was wondering what the velcro loop was for on the battery door. It’s for attaching to things like microphone stands.

I brought the iRig Pre HD to my recording booth. Here it is sitting with the Grace Audio M101 preamp and the Yamaha AG03 mixer.

Audacity users: The iRig Pre HD is detected. Windows 10 version shown.

My condenser mic is the Neumann TLM103. With it, I tried three different methods:

Test 1: Neumann TLM103 mic to Grace Audio M101 preamp, Yamaha AG03 to a fanless PC recording with Audacity.

Test 2: Neumann TLM103 mic to iRig Pre HD to Audacity

Test 3: Neumann TLM103 mic to iRig Pre HD to iPhone

I expected my usual studio setup with the Grace Audio preamp to be full and warm, and it was. However, the iRig Pre HD performed admirably for something pocket-sized and value-packed. I couldn’t discern any game-ending auditory flaws such as noise or artifacts. Unless you’re burning a hole in your pocket the iRig Pre HD is a terrific one-stop purchase for both field and home recording needs.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by IK Multimedia. Please visit for more info and order from Amazon.

Product Information

Price:	$99.99
Manufacturer:	IK Multimedia
Retailer:	Amazon
Requirements:	AA batteries (included, but only if you need phantom power). USB port for computer, Lightning port for compatible iOS device.
Pros:	Flexible, inexpensive, portable and quiet.
Cons:	At the sub-$100 mark, this may not satisfy golden ears and gear snobs.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Audio gear, microphone

IK Multimedia iRig Pre HD microphone interface review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Lensball review

If you’ve been searching for a way to bring a unique element to your photography, I have an accessory to show you that you can use with any camera and any smartphone. It’s the Lensball. It doesn’t need an app, doesn’t run on batteries and is a simple to use. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Lensball is a sphere made of brilliantly clear crystal. Lensballs are available in 60mm and 80mm sizes. I was sent the larger 80mm size.

What is in the box?

Lensball
Drawstring cloth pouch
Example image cards
Lensball logo sticker

The Lensball is a crystal ball, but not the type of crystal ball that will show you your future. Lensballs are made of K9 crystal which is best described by the Marquis by Waterford site.

K9 is a Chinese Optical Borosilicate Crown Crystal (Optically Clear) with low inclusions and imperfections ideal for use in lenses and prisms, optics and decorative crystal lighting. … Lead crystal is the type that is most commonly used for wine glasses and other decorative ornaments around the home.

So now that we know what it is, why would we want one and what the heck can we do with a single Lensball?

The ball is so perfectly clear that you can shoot pictures through the ball with any camera or any smartphone to create interesting images.

To use it, you just hold up the ball in front of your subject and then shoot through the ball with your camera.

The result is a perfectly clear 180° degree view of the subject. Yes, it’s upside down and I realize that my subject matter isn’t the most exciting, but imagine taking the Lensball with you to the beach, a forest, a famous monument, etc. The options are endless. You can check out some examples by visiting Lensball on Instagram.

Things to keep in mind when using the Lensball are the fact that this crystal orb is heavy. You’ll feel the weight in your hand and your bag. The 60mm Lensball weighs 0.55lb (250g) and the 80mm Lensball weighs 1.45lbs (650g).

Unless you set the Lensball on a surface that prevents it from rolling away, you’ll need to hold the ball in one hand while holding a camera in your other hand which can feel a little awkward.

You should also be careful not to leave the Lensball unattended outdoors on a bright sunny day. It can act like a magnifying glass and in the right environment, it’s possible that it could accidentally start a fire if the sun shines through it on to dry flammable material. It’s best to always put the Lensball back in the included drawstring pouch when you’re not using it.

What I like about it

You don’t need a manual to figure out how to use it, you don’t need to keep a battery charged to use it, and it will work with any camera.

What needs to be improved

Nothing.

Final thoughts

The first time I saw the Lensball, I imagined all the interesting photos that I could capture using it. Now that I’ve had one, I haven’t captured any truly epic pics, but I’m still thinking about where I can take it. If you don’t mind a little extra weight in your camera bag, the Lensball is a unique accessory that might just take your ordinary snapshots to the next level.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Lensball. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Product Information

Price:	$24.95 – $34.95
Manufacturer:	Lensball
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Perfectly round Perfectly clear No batteries Works with any camera
Cons:	None

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Photography

Lensball review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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WOWSTICK 1fs Electric Screwdriver review

Now here’s a clever tool for the handyperson in your life: An electric screwdriver but for teeny tiny things. Meet the WOWSTICK 1fs electric screwdriver.

Wowstick 1FS Screwdriver Set 18pcs Bits
Powered by 2 x AAA batteries (NOT included)
LED Light
Speed: 150r/min (non-adjustable)
Material: Aluminum
Dimension: 170 x 16 x 16mm
1 x WOWSTICK 1fs Electric Screwdriver
18 x Bits
1 x Carry Case

By itself without batteries, the screwdriver body weighs just under 2 ounces.

Here’s a closeup of the specs from the paper insert.

A size comparison next to a pen and a large marker.

The screwdriver accepts two AAA batteries (not included). The rear end of the handle unscrews.

You also get three tubes worth of 4mm bits. I couldn’t identify them all visually (some are really tiny).

Fortunately, the Brando web page listing shows all of the included bits, spelled out.

It wasn’t obvious at first, but once you squeeze the black trigger to turn the bits in either direction (it looks like one long black button, but it’s actually a forward/reverse depending on where you press it), an LED light illuminates your work area.

The big question is: How well does it work? I found that under moderate torque, the screwdriver seems to struggle a little bit and the LED light dims considerably. Then again, the inclusion of all the extremely tiny bits tells me this was really intended for very, very small screws where torque may not be as much as found in this fairly ordinary light switch test.

Another interesting design choice: You must remove the bit from the screwdriver if you plan to use the included carrying case. It simply will not fit.

If you do normal handyman things around the house, you may want to reach for a slightly meatier electric screwdriver with more power. For lighter-duty tasks, the WOWSTICK 1fs could be a handy featherweight tool for very small screws if you’re doing a lot of repetitive work.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Brando. Please visit for more info.

Product Information

Price:	$62
Manufacturer:	WOWSTICK
Retailer:	Brando
Requirements:	Two AAA batteries (not included). Works with 4mm bits (included).
Pros:	Lightweight, comes with many tiny bits
Cons:	Not designed for tougher screws (not a lot of torque.) LED light seems to dim at the slightest hint of resistance. No variable speed.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Tools

WOWSTICK 1fs Electric Screwdriver review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Jelly Pro super mini 4G smartphone review

While most new smartphones make it a point to feature larger displays with each new generation of phone, the designers at Unihertz decided to go the opposite direction when they created the Jelly Pro smartphone. This doll-sized Android smartphone might fool you into thinking that it’s a toy. Let me tell you, it’s not. Grab your magnifying glass and let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

Jelly is a tiny Android smartphone that’s pocket and budget-friendly and can support 2 SIM cards and a micro SD card for memory expansion.

What’s in the box?

Jelly Pro
micro USB cable
User manual

Hardware specs

Processor: Quad Core 1.1Ghz
Display: 2.45 inch 240×230 pixel touchscreen
Operating System: Android 7.0
Memory: Flash: 2GB RAM + 16GB
Expandable Memory: Removable microSD
Network: 4G LTE, GSM 850 (Band5)/900 (Band8)/1800 (Band3)/1900 (Band2) MHz;WCDMA 850 (Band5)/900 (Band8)/1900 (Band2)/2100 (Band1) MHz;FDD-LTE Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/19/20; TD-LTE: Band 40
WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera (rear): 8MP, (front): 2MP
Battery: 3,300mAH, Non-removable
Dimensions: 3.07 x 4.92 x 1.97 in
Weight: 7 oz

Design and features

When they say that the Jelly Pro is the world’s smallest smartphone, they aren’t kidding. It looks positively adorable next to an LG V30 in the image above.

The Jelly Pro is available in black, blue, and white like the one that was sent to me.

You won’t find a metal or glass housing on the Jelly Pro. It features good old plastic which I don’t think is a bad thing. Plastic is lighter weight and tends to hold up better than glass and metal as far as scratches go.

A plastic shell can also mean that the back of the phone can be removed to gain access to a removable battery which is just what the Jelly Pro has inside.

The Jelly Pro is powered by a 950mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Also inside the phone, you’ll find 2 SIM card slots and a micro SD card slot for memory expansion.

The Jelly Pro smartphone also sports a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge.

On the bottom edge is a microphone.

The volume buttons are located on the left side of the phone.

And the power button and micro USB charging port are located on the right side of the phone.

Although the Jelly is a mini-sized phone, it has quite a large “chin”, “forehead”, and bezels for its size.

The phone is comfortable to hold because it fits easily in even the smallest of hands. It also fits in the “girl’ pockets in my jeans which I love!

The Jelly phone feels solid and is able to survive my crushing Gadgeteer squeeze test without surrendering. However, I do hear faint rattling when I shake it, which comes from the volume and power buttons.

Display

The Jelly’s touchscreen display is an eye-squinting 2.45 inches diagonally.

Tapping icons and scrolling isn’t a problem, but reading text can be a challenge.

Surfing web pages using the Jelly phone doesn’t provide the best experience either because you constantly need to scroll the page to read more text.

But the worst part about the tiny screen size becomes very noticeable when you need to input text to type in a web page address or send a text message. The onscreen touch keyboard is so small that it takes some finesse to tap the right key because your fingertip is large enough to touch 4 keys at a time. Let’s just say that I spent more typing pressing the backspace key than actual letter keys.

Camera

The Jelly Pro has a built-in 8mp camera. It’s not fair to compare this $125 phone’s camera with the camera on a $1000 iPhone X or the Pixel 2 XL, so I won’t. I’ll just show you some sample images and you can make up your own mind. But as the saying goes, the best camera is the one that’s with you, so the camera on the Jelly Pro is better than not having a camera at all.

Audio quality

This phone is small, but the built-in speaker is surprisingly loud. You’ll have no problem hearing alarms and notifications, and if you’re so inclined, you can even listen to music through the speaker. Music doesn’t sound stellar through the built-in speaker, but it’s good enough in a pinch.

Plug a set of headphones into the 3.5mm jack or pair with Bluetooth headphones and music sounds fine to pretty darn good.

Software and user interface

Surprisingly, this phone doesn’t have a watered down version of Android. It runs on Android v7.0 (Nougat), which is one version older than v8.0 Oreo which is currently the newest version of the Android operating system. That said, v7.0 is still the version that most phones are currently running.

The phone doesn’t come with any bloatware. It has just the standard core Android apps and a few extras like an FM radio app, pedometer app, file manager, flashlight, sound recorder and SIM toolkit.

Speaking of the SIM toolkit, the Jelly Pro can switch between 2 different SIM cards if you happen to have a card for work and a card for your personal business.

I’ve had the Jelly Pro for almost a month and in that time the phone has received at least two updates, which inspires confidence that this phone will have support going forward.

Using the Jelly Pro for phone calls

I have no complaints using the Jelly Pro to make and receive calls. Volume levels on both sides of the call are fine and I didn’t have any issues with dropped calls.

Overall performance and battery life using the Jelly Pro for day to day tasks

The Jelly Pro has a cool little LED battery charging indicator on the front of the phone that glows red while charging and then turns green after the phone is fully charged. I like this feature which is great considering that I had to look at it a lot due to the short battery life per charge.

If you don’t do anything at all with the Jelly Pro, you should be able to make it a full day on a charge. But if you’re using the phone to make calls, send texts, surf Instagram, etc. You’ll be charging the phone halfway through the day, if not sooner.

What I like about the Jelly Pro smartphone

The size of this phone is my favorite feature mainly because it fits in the front pocket of my snug jeans and I forget it’s there unlike my Pixel 2 XL which sticks 2/3rds out of the back pocket of my jeans.

The Jelly Pro is a cute phone and people will ask you about it when they see you using it. It’s also fun to use as long as all you really want and need to do is to make and receive calls with it.

What needs to be improved

Although the Jelly Pro is considered a smartphone, you probably won’t want to do a lot of smart things with it. You won’t want to read the latest ebook on it, surf your favorite sites on it, play your favorite games with it, or even text your BFF with it unless your answers to questions consist of 1-3 letter answers like K and sup. The screen is just too freaking tiny for any of those tasks.

I’m not saying that it isn’t possible to do all those things with the Jelly Pro smartphone. I’m just saying that you probably won’t want to if you have adult sized fingers and older eyeballs like me.

Final thoughts

In a world full of phablets, it’s refreshing to see an alternative like the Jelly Pro. Testing this phone made me remember the early days of cell phones when I could carry one in my pocket without worrying that it would fall out.

The Jelly Pro is the perfect little phone for people who only want to make and receive calls or want a vacation from a “real” smartphone.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Unihertz. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Product Information

Price:	$124.99
Manufacturer:	Unihertz
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Bargain priced Pocket friendly Built-in FM radio
Cons:	Battery life is short Tiny onscreen keyboard is tough to use

Filed in categories: Featured Items, Reviews

Tagged: Android, Smartphone

Jelly Pro super mini 4G smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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Chipolo CARD Bluetooth Item Finder review

Coming in from a brisk walk around the park near your office, you sit down at your desk and notice something is… off. The familiar lump in your front pocket where you always keep your wallet is conspicuously absent. You try the other pocket, nothing. Your stomach feels cold.

Then your mind begins to race, trying to remember everywhere you could have been in the past couple hours. Just then, you remember the small device you have pushed between the other cards in your wallet, a tiny device from Chipolo, the CARD Bluetooth wallet finder.

Wallet, found! At least as close as Bluetooth range.

You dig out your iPhone and launch the app. Sure enough, it can’t find the device within range, so you know it’s somewhere out there. The park perhaps. That bench you like to sit on every once in a while when the sun is out. You can see on the map screen that your hunch is correct, there’s a circle toward the middle of the park where you’re pretty sure you were sitting.

With your phone in hand, you start back toward the bench. A quick glance at the app’s “connected devices” screen reveals that your wallet is nearby. You tap the icon and press the “sound alarm” button and hear a faint electronic melody. As you approach your favorite bench, the melody grows louder, and at last you spot it. Your wallet, right where it fell out of your pocket.

You feel a rush of relief as you rifle through your cash and cards, everything’s still there.

This was about the distance I was standing where I could connect and hear the alarm.

This little story is a rather common occurrence… however the difference between a happy ending and finding your lost wallet, or having to cancel all of your credit cards and get a new license could be due to a simple little device from Chipolo called the CARD.

By the time I walked up to it, it was chiming fairly loudly.

Specs and Function

The CARD is a small, thin device that looks like it could be a simple remote control.

Easily fits into any credit card slot in a wallet.

The exact size is 1.45 inch x 2.67 inch x 0.08 inch and it weighs next to nothing. The CARD primarily designed to be placed in a wallet, but you can put it in almost anything you want to keep tabs on, like a purse or perhaps even a bike bag. It’s waterproof and the battery lasts for approximately 12 months, according to the website, which is also the length of time it’s guaranteed for. Naturally, the device is useless once the battery is dead, but Chipolo has a renewal program that offers you a discount on replacement devices.

The CARD itself is very simple. Basically, it’s a simple Bluetooth finder that, when paired with an app, will show you its last location when the connection was lost. You can easily see in Chipolo’s app if the device is within range. If it’s connected, you can tap a button on your phone to sound a musical alarm on the device. Or, conversely, if you have the device and can’t find your phone, you can press the large button on the CARD to make your phone ring.

That’s a pretty nice feature and especially handy if you’re prone to losing your phone at the bottom of a bag or in couch cushions.

In an effort to give the CARD a fair test, I left the device itself at my house and drove several miles away. When I looked up the last known location, it identified that the device was at a location I labeled “home,” and displayed where it was, and where I was, on a map.

You can assign locations on the map to make finding your lost item even easier.

I immediately knew where it was and how much time had passed since I was out of range. It also gave me a fairly specific area of where it was when zoomed in on the map. More than likely, when going back to find the lost CARD, you might have to keep the Connected screen up until you see it come within range. Of course, if someone made off with your item, there would be nothing there to find, and it wouldn’t show back up on the map.

In case of such an event, the CARD has a “Lost” mode. If a device is labeled as lost, then it sends out a signal to any Chipolo app in range and tells the stranger that there is a lost item nearby, and sounds the alarm. If another user finds the device, it will notify you through the app, email you the new location, and guide you to the lost item. Of course, this mode only works with users who have the app itself. Likely, perhaps, in a large city or heavily trafficked area.

You can also use Chipolo’s web app to find your phone. Just log in to the community page to send a message to your phone’s screen and sound an alert. With any luck, the person who finds it will see that message and be able to contact you. It’s like a “Find my Phone” function on top of the one already embedded in your OS.

Another nice feature is the ability to share CARD locations with friends and family members, so they can see where other devices are on a map at any time, sort of like Find my Friends. You can even see where their phones are as well, if they have them enabled to display on the map.

Conclusion

In my experiments with the CARD just to see how it worked, I think it would be moderately useful in finding a lost item. It would take some guessing out of where exactly you dropped something, as long as it was a stationary place. If your wallet fell out in a bus or taxi, man, good luck. The tinny chime that emits from the CARD when in search mode is fairly quiet. I think that if it was inside a wallet inside another purse or bag, in a noisy environment, it would be difficult to hear unless you were right on top of it.

That said, the app interface is really slick and I love that they included a community feature just in case another user would happen to come across a lost item. Hopefully, the only thing you’ll forget is the fact that you’re even carrying the device in your wallet. That extra piece of mind is a very nice thing.

The CARD is available now from Chipolo for $35 (or two for $70), along with other Bluetooth finder devices.

Source: The sample for this review as provided by Chipolo. Please visit their site for more information and to order.

Product Information

Price:	$35
Manufacturer:	Chipolo
Pros:	– slightly thicker than a credit card – year-long battery life – excellent smartphone app
Cons:	– battery cannot be replaced, need to buy more every year – could take some searching to find exact location – alarm tone is not very loud

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Finder

Chipolo CARD Bluetooth Item Finder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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