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qottle 30oz Double-wall Vacuum Insulated Tumbler review

The often referenced requirement of eight glasses of water a day may not be based in pure medical fact, but I know that if I don’t drink enough during the day, I feel sluggish and blah. Any product that can help me want to drink water and tea is worth a look in my opinion. So let’s take a look and a sip from a qottle insulated tumbler.

What is it?

qottles are 30oz/878ml drink tumblers that are double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel BPA free, sweat proof beverage holders.

Design and features

qottle tumblers (just typing that makes me smile) both look and feel nice in hand. First of all, they have a tapered shape that allows smaller hands to grip the approximately 3-inch base. The power coded exterior adds to the ability to grip the tumbler.

qottles are available in black, blue, red, and white. I was sent a black and a blue version of the 30 ounce tumbler.

The 30 ounce tumbler is lined with BPA-Free, 18/8 Stainless Steel.

The clear plastic lid has an opening that allows you to drink from the tumbler or use a straw.

Around the edge of the lid is a thick black silicone seal that is designed to keep liquids from leaking out of the tumbler when you drink from it.

Also included with each qottle is a rubber stopper that you can use to plug the opening in the lid.

I guess the idea is that you plug the lid when you have the qottle in the cup holder in your car or in the bottle holder in your backpack, to keep the contents of the bottle from leaking if the bottle tips over.

When you’re ready to drink, you can remove the stopper and hang it over the edge of the tumbler. Yeah, I think this is a weird design too. I’d much rather have a better lid that has a spring loaded opening than a stopper that will get misplaced within a day or less.

Keeping cold things cold and hot things hot

qottle tumblers are double wall vacuum insulated and are able to keep liquids cold for up to 24 hrs and hot liquids hot for up to 6 hours. That sounds impressive and I wasn’t sure I believed the claims till I tried it myself and sure enough, I was able to fill the tumbler with water and ice cubes and there was still ice in the tumbler the next day with no condensation on the outside of the tumbler.

And for hot liquids, ooooh boy, you have to be really careful if you fill the qottle with boiling water to make tea and then try to drink it. The outside of the tumbler only becomes very slightly warm, so it tricks you into thinking that you can safely drink from it. Trust me, this tumbler will keep hot liquids hot for hours and hours. I made a tumbler of tea and wasn’t able to take a drink without burning myself for about 45 minutes after I filled the tumbler. And that was after I removed the lid for about 20 minutes.

I’m also happy to report that the stainless steel tumbler does not impart any flavor to your beverage.

What I like

I like the look of the qottle tumbler and the power coated exterior that makes it easy to grip.

I also like that it delivers on the claims that it will keep your cold beverages cold and your hot beverages hot for many hours.

What needs improvement

The qottle tumblers need a better lid with a spring-loaded drink opening because that plug thing is pretty lame.

It would also be nice if the tumbler came with a removable handle.

Final thoughts

Stop refilling your old plastic water bottles and get a stainless steel tumbler. It will keep your beverage cold (or hot) and is better for the environment. You can make the switch easily with a qottle tumbler because it’s nicely designed and doesn’t have an outrageous price tag.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $13.99
Manufacturer: qottle
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Nice style
  • Power coating provides grip
  • Keeps cold liquid cold and hot liquid hot for hours
Cons:
  • Lid and stopper design needs improvement

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qottle 30oz Double-wall Vacuum Insulated Tumbler review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2017 at 1:00 pm.

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Plantronics Voyager 3240 Bluetooth headset review

There used to be a time when a new Bluetooth headset would come out every other day. I rarely speak on the phone anymore, but I do have a collection of Bluetooth headset lying around. The Plantronics Voyager 3240 is the latest version of their Voyager lineup, and I just happen to have the previous version the Voyager Edge. How different is the 3240 vs, the older Edge?

  • Listen/talk time: Up to 6 hours plus up to 10 extra hours with charging case (available in select bundles); up to 7 days standby time
  • Range: Up to 98 feet (30 meters) with Class 1 Bluetooth enabled device
  • Audio performance: Triple-mic DSP noise-canceling technology, mobile wideband compatibility up to 6,800 Hz; echo cancellation, proprietary DSP, A2DP, mobile wideband compatibility (HD Voice enabled)
  • Hearing protection: SoundGuard®: Sound leveling for listening comfort and acoustic limiting for protection against sounds above 118 dBA
  • Headset controls: Call answer/ignore/end/redial, mute, volume +/-, smartphone VPA access, power on/off
  • Weight: 9 g/0.019 lbs
  • Wireless frequency: Bluetooth v4.1
  • Smart sensors: Answer calls by simply putting on the headset. Automatically transfer calls between mobile phone and headset based on wearing state (enabled using Plantronics Hub mobile app)
  • Multipoint technology: Stay connected to two phones and answer calls from either one
  • Streams audio: Stream music, driving directions, podcasts, and more with Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
  • Voice alerts: Enhanced voice alerts announce talk-time, mute, connection status, and more
  • Firmware: Update firmware and change language settings using Plantronics Hub for iOS/Android

My sample came with the headset, ear accessories, charging cable and the external battery “dock”.

Thankfully, Plantronics provides this handy reference sheet to decipher what all the buttons and controls are for.

The 3240 is a “shove in your ear” kind of headset.  It does not wrap around your ear unless you use the optional hook. I’ve never had an issue with poor fit. This dock gives you the option to top off your headset battery when your’e away from a home charger.  Yes, you can charge the headset itself directly from a microUSB cable, or you can just leave the “dock” plugged in and drop in the headset when you need to fuel up. Tapping the top of the dock illuminates red or blue LEDs showing the charge status of each battery.

Keen-eyed readers will notice the similarity to the previous headset version, the excellent Voyager Edge. It is difficult to tell them apart aside from differences in color and finish.  The charging docks are different, of course.  In case you’re curious, the two docks are cross-compatible.

But how does the headset sound?  Incoming audio is loud and clear, but to me, the outgoing audio is just as important.  To test this, I recorded samples of both the older Edge and the newer 3240 in my garage with a Shop Vac running.

It seems they both cancel out background noise pretty well, but I’d give the “edge” to the newer 3240 for sounding slightly more natural and recovering from the effects of background noise a little better.

If you already own the Plantronics Voyager Edge and you’re happy with it, there’s not any huge reason to upgrade. But if you’re looking to move up to a high-quality Bluetooth headset with excellent outgoing voice quality, consider the Plantronics Voyager 3240.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Plantronics. Please visit their site for more info and you can order one from Amazon.

 

Product Information

Price: $129.99 MSRP
Manufacturer: Plantronics
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Bluetooth
Pros:
  • Lightweight, excellent outgoing voice clarity
Cons:
  • A little expensive. Only slightly better than the older Voyager Edge headset.

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Plantronics Voyager 3240 Bluetooth headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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UE Boom 2, SlimFold wallet, and more – Review updates

Today we have 5 updates from reviews as recent as this past summer and as far back as 2014. We like to revisit our past reviews to provide ongoing info about how well the products stand up over time. Click through to see a list of our recently updated reviews and then scroll to the bottom of each review to see the latest update.

PlusUs LifeCard Powerbank review by Andy Jacobs

SlimFold Soft Shell wallet review by Andy Jacobs

Douni A5 Bluetooth speaker review by Kathleen Chapman

Logitech x300 Mobile Wireless Stereo Speaker review by Kathleen Chapman

UE Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker review by Kathleen Chapman

 

Product Information

Price:

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UE Boom 2, SlimFold wallet, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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WyzeCam security camera review

Would you believe me if I told you that you can have a home security camera that is priced at only $19.99 per camera AND there are no monthly subscription or cloud storage fees required? Yes, I’m serious. Let’s check out WyzeCam.

What is it?

WyzeCam is a small 1080p home security camera that’s crazy inexpensive but still has all the features of the big guys like Nest and even some features they don’t have, all for only $20 per camera.

What’s in the box?

WyzeCam
Steel disk w/3M adhesive
USB cable (5.5-foot in length)
AC adapter

Hardware specs

2.8mm focal length
110 degrees wide angle lens
1920 x 1080 resolution
8x digital zoom
10fps recording
Night vision
2-way audio

Design and features

The WyzeCam is a small 2-inch white plastic cube with a grey base and a camera lens and IR sensor on the front.

On the back of the camera is a speaker, a Type A USB connector, and a micro USB connector.

In a standard setup, you would connect the included micro USB cable into the micro USB port on the camera and then connect the other end into the included AC adapter.  The Type A USB connector allows you to daisy chain the cameras so that they can share one power connection. To do this, you would connect one WyzeCam the standard way and then connect the included USB cable with a 2nd WyzeCam into the back of the first WyzeCam.

The base of the WyzeCam has a QR code that is used during setup.

The base unfolds so that you can customize the viewing angle of the camera.

The base of the WyzeCam is magnetic, so you can attach the camera to any steel surface or you can use the included disk to mount the WyzeCam on a wall.

When you unfold the base, it also reveals the micro SD card slot that you’ll use if you want the camera to capture video 24/7. Note that you have to supply your own micro SD card. There’s also a button on the bottom of the camera that is used during the setup procedure.

Setup

The Wyze camera is one of the easiest security cameras that I’ve ever installed. All you do is install the mobile app, add a camera, power up the camera, and follow the screen and voice prompts. I had the first camera up and running within 2 minutes which I think is a record. Adding additional cameras is just as easy.



The WyzeCam app is similar to most other security camera apps. It gives you the ability to see a live view of the camera and customize settings.

The WyzeCam can notify you via your phone when it detects motion, sound, and even a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm in your home.

This camera can also record motion detection clips locally on a micro SD card (not included), or you can set it to continuously record to the card.

When motion is detected, the camera will save a short clip to the cloud which you can view through the app from anywhere in the world. These clips are saved for 14 days on the WzyCam servers and you’re not charged anything for that service.


The camera’s image quality is very good, as is the viewing angle.

You can record action manually or snap an image by clicking the onscreen buttons in the live view window. You can also listen in on what is happening and have a two-way conversation using the built-in microphone and speaker.

However, night vision is a little fuzzy compared to other security cameras that I’ve tested. but it’s not bad enough to be a deal breaker.


In addition to watching a live stream from the cameras from a remote location, you can also watch past events if you insert a micro SD card into the camera. The WyzeCam even has a time-lapse feature that you can use to condense an entire day down to a few minutes. This is a feature that you have to schedule and you can only view the time lapse when you’re on the same network as the camera.

Time-lapse video example




What I like

There’s not much that I don’t like about this camera. It’s small, the price is affordable for anyone, it has good image quality, alerts you when it detects motion, sound, smoke alarms, CO alarms, provides two-way conversation feature, and is simple to set up.

What needs improvement

There are only two main things that stand out for me that Wyze needs to improve. One is that the application is a little flakey. When I launch the app, 7 times out of 10, it will freeze or not connect to the camera until I kill the app and restart it.

The other improvement that I’d like to see is with motion detection. Sensitivity even when set to the lowest setting is pretty high resulting in motion alerts for things like tree limbs moving or shadows from the sun. I would also like to see a motion trigger zone feature.

And one more that really isn’t an improvement as much as it’s a wish… It would be great if they come out with a water and weather-resistant camera for outdoor use.

Final thoughts

WyzeCam security cameras are an inexpensive way to outfit your home with live streaming cameras that will alert you to motion, sound, smoke, and CO alarms. For only $20 a camera, it’s an obvious choice to go with WyzeCam over other security camera brands that cost 10x as much and lock you into a monthly fee to use their cloud services.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Wyze. Please visit their site for more info. Amazon also sells them, but for some reason, they are more expensive than buying them right through Wyze.

 

Product Information

Price: $19.99
Manufacturer: Wyze
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Very easy to setup
  • $20 per camera and no monthly fees
  • Good image
  • 24/7 image capture option with microSD card
Cons:
  • Can't customize motion trigger areas
  • App is a little flakey

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WyzeCam security camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2017 at 2:43 pm.

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DBPOWER T21 LED projector review

It seems that inexpensive projectors are everywhere. Today we’re going to look at an LED-based projector in the $100 range, the DBPOWER T21 1800 lumen LED projector.

  • Imaging technology: TFT LCD, Brightness: 1800 lumens
  • Contrast: 1000:1
  • Aspect ratio: 16:10
  • Projection ratio: 1.4:1
  • Native resolution: 800×480 pixels
  • Supported resolution: 1920×1080 pixels
  • Keystone: Manual correction 15°
  • Throw distance: 1.5-5M
  • Screen size: 32-176 inches

The kit came with an HDMI cable, composite video cable, power cord, height screw, remote and manual. A lens cap was already attached to the projector.


The top side has the focus and keystone correction dials, as well as 9 push buttons if you can’t find the remote.

Note the power plug on the side.  The AC cord goes directly here. No external power “brick”.

From left to right: Headphone output, composite video input, SD card slot, USB port, USB charging port, and HDMI port.

The bottom, with the height-adjustment screw in place.

The handheld remote duplicates the functions of the control panel.  Batteries not included.

We just finished repairing our floors in our downstairs room (note the tape on the walls), so I had a clear space to set up the projector.  As you can see, the image is easily washed out from the ceiling lights.  Turn the lights off, and the image becomes much clearer.

This table should give you a pretty good idea on the scaling.  I found the keystone correction dial to be quick and easy to use since it’s a physical adjustment, not pixel tweaking.

Since the native resolution of the projector is only 800×480, expect some strange scaling artifacts to happen. Here I’ve connected my laptop to the projector via HDMI, and you can see the “jagged” effects of scaling.

The projector also accepts SD card and USB to playback images and video.  Since you’re not reading text, the results are much more pleasant.

I would probably not use the DBPOWER T21 projector for projecting web page text or Powerpoint presentations from a laptop since the native resolution of the projector is only 800×480. In fact, the Amazon page “reminders” even indicates “Not recommended for PPT, word, excel or business presentations.”  I have no way to verify if the projector puts out 1800 lumens, so you need to be able to dim the room completely for best results.  If you can control your ambient lighting and you just need simple video, the DBPOWER T21 is an inexpensive, simple to use projector.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by DBPOWER. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one and read other reviews.

 

Product Information

Price: $101.99
Manufacturer: DBPOWER
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Lightweight, no external power brick, simple manual focus and keystone controls
Cons:
  • Native resolution is only 800×480 pixels (supports up to 1920×1080 with scaling). Ambient light washes the image out pretty fast.

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DBPOWER T21 LED projector review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2017 at 11:30 am.

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