Reviews – Page 231

Stand Corrected perfect posture stretching device review

Do you have soreness and discomfort from being hunched over your electronic devices all day? The Stand Corrected is a stretching tool designed specifically to relieve that tension in your upper body, neck and shoulders. The designers also claim that it can help to straighten your spine and undo years of bad posture problems with regular use. Let’s go check it out and see how it works!

What is it?

The StandCorrected was designed Dr. Tom Carpenter, a certified trainer, chiropractor, and corrective exercise specialist. By elongating shortened and tight muscles in the upper body, the claim is that the device will correct posture issues and pain associated with hunching over our electronic devices all day. They even claim that the StandCorrected can reverse damage from years of poor posture is used regularly over time.

Out of the box, the Stand Corrected is a simple device. There’s a foam tube, through which is inserted a nylon webbing strap with a series of loop handles stitched into it. A pair of Velcro strips is set in the strap at either side of the tube, to which you attach a pair of foam pads. It’s all well constructed with thick foam padding and wide, durable nylon webbing.

Using the Stand Corrected is just as simple. Start by standing or sitting up as straight as possible. You’ll place the tube behind your neck, with the pads resting on your chest at the shoulders. Grip the strap at the appropriate-length loops for your height, extend your arms to make sure it’s centered, then bring your hands around to the small of your back. Pull downward to create tension on the pads at your shoulders and the tube at the base of your neck, and look up. If you’re doing it right, you’ll feel the stretch at the base of your neck as you gently pull the straps down and continue to look up. Hold that stretch for up to 2 minutes (Stand Corrected recommends you start at 15 seconds, and work your way up), and release.

There are some very helpful instructions on the web site to help you get started, including a video to walk you through the motions. I was able to successfully execute the stretch within minutes of opening the box. It’s that simple.

Does it really work?

Getting older sucks. I’ve had issues associated with poor posture over the past few years, and have been working to correct them with stretches and exercise. Pulling the StandCorrected out of the box, it struck me as another one of those “as seen on TV” contraptions (Ab Roller, anyone?) that looks nice on an infomercial but doesn’t actually do anything. Honestly, I didn’t believe that this thing was going to work.

You know what? I was wrong.

At first use, I could feel a difference in my neck and shoulders. You know that lovely “pop-pop” sound you get from a good stretch, followed by that sense of tension relief? Yeah. I actually got that. I made my wife test it (despite numerous eye-rolls) and she was equally surprised.

I’ve been using it regularly for several weeks now. After working at home all day, pecking away on the laptop, I often get stiffness & soreness in my back, neck, and shoulders (again, getting older sucks). I’ll use the Stand Corrected a couple of times throughout the day, and it really helps to straighten things out and relieve that tension.

There’s also something to be said for simple convenience promoting regular use. Stow it in a closet or drawer, grab it for a quick two-minute stretch, and you’re on your way again. It’s easy to enough to use that you don’t mind strategic games several times a day. You could throw it in the drawer at the office, too… it’s also discrete and easy to pack if you want to take it with you on an extended trip.

Will it reverse alignment and posture issues over time? I don’t see any studies done with the device to support these claims. And you should consult your physician before engaging in any exercise or stretching routine, especially if you have chronic issues. I will tell you that, after several weeks of regular use, I do feel a difference. I think it’s a great addition to your regular stretching routine.

The Stand Corrected stretching device retails for between $20 and $25 depending on where you shop. It’s available at Amazon, Walmart, Sears, and Kmart. Visit the Stand Corrected site and click on the “Shop Now” link for purchasing options.

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

Product Information

Price:	$20-$25
Manufacturer:	Stand Corrected
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Works as designed for relieving muscle tension in your upper body, neck and shoulders. Well designed and constructed. Simple operation.
Cons:	May not work as intended if you have a chronic condition — always check with your doctor first!

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Health and fitness

Stand Corrected perfect posture stretching device review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 19, 2017 at 9:45 am.

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SHOTBOX portable photography light box review

As a product reviewer, the pictures that I take of the products that I’m reviewing are almost as important as the words I write about those products. The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is still true and I want my pictures to be as good as they can be. I’ve been using a Canon 70D DSLR and a Canon Speedlite flash for years but now I’m actually switching over to using my Pixel 2 XL as my main camera and the SHOTBOX is going to make that transition much easier. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

SHOTBOX is a portable and collapsible photography light box that has been designed to be used with your smartphone.

What’s in the box?

I was sent the SHOTBOX Deluxe Bundle with the SideShot, Backdrops and Deluxe Tote, a PANELS Complete set,

SHOTBOX light box
SideShot smartphone holder
4 backdrops
2 glare strips
Smartphone shutter release cable
USB to power cable
AC power adapter
Instructions

Also included is black/white reversible floor panel.

The PANELS Complete set includes:
Magnetic base unit
12 Hematite magnets
4 panel sets that are separated into zippered storage sleeves

The panels include a variety of different textures and colors like you see above. They really help you get different looks for your product shots.

The deluxe carry tote is an awesome neoprene bag that has zippered pockets for everything that you see above except for the PANELS sets.

Setting up the SHOTBOX

The heavy duty plastic SHOTBOX is easy to setup because all you really have to do is lift up on the top and reach inside to position the back panel into the slots on the bottom.

The next step is to lift the support legs on each side to secure the box.

You can then slide in the reversible floor panel that has a white and a black side. In the image above, I have the white side up.

All that’s left to use the basic functionality is to attach the included AC adapter and flip the switch on the right to either have the left LED light strip on, the right LED light strip on, or both on.

Then the knob on the right will let you control the brightness. This knob also doubles as the power switch.

The LED lights strips are very bright and have a 50,000 hour lifespan which equals about 22+ years of use using the box for 6 hours a day.

At this point, you can start using the SHOTBOX to take product shots by placing the product inside the 14.25 wide x 15 tall x 15 inch deep box and shoot pictures either straight into the box from the front or from the top through one of the openings.

But to make the background look seamless, you will want to use one of the included backdrops.

The backdrop hooks to the back wall of the SHOTBOX to cover the back and the bottom like you see above.

If you want to create an even nicer background, you can buy the optional PANELS set which comes with a folding magnetic panel that slides into the SHOTBOX. Then using the included magnets, you can use a panel on the back and a panel on the bottom to create the look you want.

In the example above, I used a concrete panel for the floor and a brick panel for the back wall.

Here’s the resulting image. Very cool right?

Your options are almost limitless using all the different panels.

But wait, there’s more! You can also use the SideShot which is designed to hold your smartphone.

The SideShot has a support arm that fits into one of the openings on top of the SHOTBOX and then you can use the side knob on the SideShot to adjust the angle.

The included USB cable connects from the SideShot to the back of the SHOTBOX to provide power to the SideShot. Why does the holder need power you ask?

Because it lights up too! The SideShot has two LED strips of its own that shine into the SHOTBOX to provide more light on the product that you’re photographing.

When the SideShot is in position you can then place your smartphone upside down or sideways on the SideShot ledge so that the main camera points through the opening that looks into the SHOTBOX.

Here are some product shots that I’ve taken with the SHOTBOX and my Pixel 2 XL.

The first shot above of the fidget spinner was touched up in Photoshop to adjust the white balance and crop. The other two shots were straight out of the camera, so you can see that there can be some shadows that may or may not need to be cleaned up. But there is a way to minimise or even prevent shadows and glare, which is important if you use the SHOTBOX to take pictures of documents.

The SHOTBOX does a great job if you need to take pictures of documents. To do this, you just place the document on the bottom of the box and then use your smartphone or camera to shoot straight down from one of the openings on the top of the box.

You may run into glare issues from the side LED strips like you see in the image above.

To fix that, you can use the included glare strips which are magnet strips that you place over the LED light strips inside the SHOTBOX. These strips will cause the resulting image to be darker, but you can fix that with some post processing in Photoshop or even in your camera app.

Final thoughts

I won’t beat around the bush, I love the SHOTBOX. It’s allowed me to simplify my photography setup so that I no longer need a DSLR. The SHOTBOX is easy to use, folds down and can be stored when I don’t want to leave it set up on a desk, and just plain works great. I have tried another small light box, but the SHOTBOX is the one to get if you’re serious about document scanning and small object photography.

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

Product Information

Price:	$109.00 for just the SHOTBOX, $290.50 for everything reviewed here
Manufacturer:	SHOTBOX
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Well made Lots of features and add-ons Easy to adjust LED light strips
Cons:	None

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Photography

SHOTBOX portable photography light box review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 18, 2017 at 11:38 am.

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North St Bags Pioneer 8 Hip Pack review

Several months ago, while reviewing North St Bags Pioneer 12 hip pack, carrying and using what was essentially a big fanny pack for a few weeks challenged the stigmas tied to it. That is, the long-held belief that a pouch you strap to your waist is nothing more than a dorky bag for dorks. It turns out that I loved that pack.

So when I was approached with the idea of trying out the new baby brother version of that hip pack, I was happy to oblige. And you know what? I’m officially calling it. Fanny packs are cool.

Who’s it for?

Initially, I felt spoiled from using a larger hip pack for so long. Trying to pare down my EDC items to fit into this regular size fanny pack was a bit of a challenge, for me, at least. I think something of this size would be very well suited for essential items. Like a multitool, wallet, phone, a couple granola bars, maybe a Red Bull, keys, and a few other small items. I think it would work well for someone who feels they need to securely carry more than would fit in their pockets, but doesn’t want to tote a backpack.

Integrated belt. Check.

Personally, there are some pairs of jeans and khakis I have that don’t comfortably fit my iPhone 7+, so having something like this is a nice option. I used it while jogging as well when I didn’t want to strap my monster phone to my arm, and it worked well in this case.

I feel like any other suggestions would be similar to what you’d need any hip pack for, and not really specific to this one, so I think you get the idea.

Look! I’m a marsupial!

The belt is secure and comfortable, adjustable out to 46”. And the colors and design are pretty great. I love the options North St has on their website… think, Timbuktu style colors, with bright, interesting combinations. They’re meant to be seen.

Size and Build

The Pioneer 8 looks very much like you’d imagine, even more so now because it’s about the right size and holds what you’d expect from a hip pack. There are only 2 pockets… one large main compartment and a smaller one in the front.

Small front pocket. Check.

The belt is directly integrated with the pouch. I mean, it’s a fanny pack, straight up, but it’s super rugged, looks great, and is extremely well made.

Large main pocket. Check.

Dimensions: 8″ wide x 2.5″ deep x 4″ tall
Capacity: 90 cubic inches (1.5 liters)
Weight: 7oz (199 grams)

Rugged 1000 denier CORDURA® Nylon
Fully adjustable belt fits sizes 30″ – 46″ waist
Water resistant DWR finish
Handmade with a lifetime warranty
Extra long zipper ties

Conclusion

The Pioneer 8 is about as basic as you can get. A small pouch with pockets and a belt. It’s the classic fanny pack, meaning it doesn’t do anything new with the medium, but it’s a really good one, and it looks great.

All in all, sweet looking pack.

It feels very well suited for carrying your essentials when you’re wearing something without pockets, or just needed some extra space for a camera, notebook, and pens, some extra tools or granola bars… and not a whole lot else.

That said, it’s small and light enough to put on and forget about, and, just like I mentioned in my review of this pack’s big brother, the usefulness far outweighs any lingering self-consciousness of wearing a fanny pack.

The Pioneer 8 is available now from North St Bags’ website for $39 and, like their other offerings is available in a large variety of colors.

Plus, if you purchase one of the Pioneer 8 size bags through Nov 22nd, North St. Bags will donate $5 to the National Parks Conservation Association.

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

Product Information

Price:	$39
Manufacturer:	North St Bags
Pros:	– Very well made – Love the look and color scheme
Cons:	– Might be a bit too small for some – Doesn’t do anything new

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bags

North St Bags Pioneer 8 Hip Pack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 18, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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iStorage datAshur PRO USB Flash Drive review

If you are in a hurry and dropping in to get the bottom line on the passcode protected datAshur PRO USB 3.0 USB Flash Drive from iStorage here it is: it’s by far the best flash drive I have ever had and probably like you, I have had dozens upon dozens of them. It protects your data with a personalized passcode, can be used on any computer, is encased in a waterproof aluminum body and can even be personalized with your name, company name, etc.

For the rest of you who have a little more time, I will get into the details of my new favorite data storage device. I can honestly say I go into each product review I write for the Gadgeteer with a completely open mind and put each product through its steps, keeping in mind what our audience will want to know about the product and the tasks I need the product to perform. That being said, I take assignments that fit my life, work or interests and are something I can speak on with a modicum of intelligence about and when this product popped up I was very excited to see if it backed up the claims made by iStorage.

Before I opened the package, I could see that the drive had been personalized with my name on the aluminum case. This is a very nice touch for something that I have been taking into meetings, have in my pocket and have been using daily. For a modest £5 per location on the drive, you can add laser etching to the top or side of the sleeve or the side of the drive (the etching on my drive is on the top of the sleeve). You can also upload fonts to personalize your text or upload your logo in outline form to be etched onto the top of the sleeve, also for £5.

I have bought password protected flash drives in the past, only to learn the hard way that not all of them function the same way when it comes to where the flash drive can be used. I have two password protected drives that I cannot access because they are linked to a computer that I no longer own. This is not an issue with the datAshur PRO. The password is held directly on the flash drive, not a computer so this device can be used on any computer since it is OS and platform independent. Just enter your passcode, plug it in and you are ready to save/retrieve your information.

I bought my first password protected hard drive a few years back after my company had some safety and emergency training. We were taught what to pack in an emergency “go bag” in case we had to leave the house without notice. A password protected thumb drive was one of those items that I would have never thought of. Now I have a scanned copy of our passports, drivers licenses, credit cards, bank accounts, etc. on a drive in my go bag. I have been using the datAshur PRO for work and use it every day. The rugged case allows me to toss it in my bag or pocket and not worry about being damaged or dust getting into it and the protection of having a PIN on the flash drive keeps me from worrying about my information being in the wrong hands should I accidentally leave it behind.

There is a rechargeable battery within the flash drive that charges when it is plugged in and allows the user to enter their personalized 7-15 digit PIN onto the keypad. Your data is encrypted in real time with its onboard hardware encryption engine and is completely protected in the event your device is lost or stolen. The datAshur PRO automatically locks when it is disconnected and can even be set to lock after a predetermined amount of time, making for an extremely secure place to store your sensitive information. It can be programmed with independent user and admin PINs making this a great option for corporate use in addition to the personal applications mentioned above. There are additional safety features that can all be found on the product page.

The datAshur PRO is offered in 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 GB models, is USB 3.0, has AES 256-bit hardware encryption (no software required), is IP57 certified as water and dust resistant, can be used on any OS and platform and has a number of certifications and validations that can be found on the product page. Prices range from £49 to £129 ($75 – $135 US from Amazon) for the different capacities with the personalization options of £5 each.

For the security, durability, and peace of mind you get I think this is well worth the investment and should be seriously considered by anyone who wants to keep their data secured and private. I don’t think I will be going back to an unprotected flash drive ever again after using this. I highly recommend this product and have already recommended that the IT department at my company looks into these for those of us who handle sensitive information. iStorage also offers a wide range of secure data storage that will fit all of your capacity needs.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by iStorage. For more information please visit their site and you can order one from Amazon.

Product Information

Price:	$75 – $135
Manufacturer:	iStorage
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Sturdy construction; hardware password protected; water and dust proof certified; can be used on any computer or system; personalization options for name or company logo; easy to set up out of the box; rechargeable internal battery; great value and piece of mind for protecting your data in a standard sized thumb drive.
Cons:	I honestly have no criticism or cons for this product. It is only available in blue at this time so some may wish for other color options but this is hardly a con for me.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Flash Memory, USB

iStorage datAshur PRO USB Flash Drive review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 17, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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SmartOmi Q5 wireless earbuds review

Earlier this year Apple introduced the world to their AirPods. Admittedly, I was intrigued by the idea of wireless Bluetooth earbuds; however, as an Android loyalist, I assumed it wasn’t meant to be.

Fortunately, SmartOmi offers a similar product that’s compatible with Android. The SmartOmi’s Q5s are completely wireless, Bluetooth 4.1 earbuds. I was recently given the chance to take them for a test run.

In the box

SmartOmi Q5 wireless earbuds
5 various sized eartips
Universal 2 in 1 combo USB cable
Travel pouch
Manual

Specifications

Dimensions – 4.5 x 1.9 x 3.7 inches
Weight -0.2 ounces
Bluetooth 4.1

Design

The Q5s are very small earbuds, about the size of a quarter.

The outside facing portion of the earbuds have a multi-function button and a notification LED; while the interior of the earbuds contain the micro USB charging port.

The opposite side of the earbuds have the speaker where you place the eartips. The Q5 comes with five different sized eartips.

All in all, it’s a very simple design; it’s basically every wired Bluetooth headset I’ve ever owned, sans wires.

Performance

Like all Bluetooth headsets, the Q5 has to be paired with your smartphone. As wireless earbuds, the Q5s pairing process is slightly different than most; instead of pressing one button, you simultaneously press the multi-function on both earbuds until the notification LED is purple. Next, you open the Bluetooth menu on your phone and select “SmartOmi Q5” from the available devices.

Once the earbuds are paired, and each time you power them up, you should hear “left channel” and “right channel” in the respective earbuds, indicating both are paired properly.

Once paired, the Q5s function in much the same way any Bluetooth headphones/earbuds would. The multi-function button answers/ends calls and pauses/plays music; although, you can’t control volume or skip tracks from the earbuds.

I primarily tested the Q5s while mowing my lawn and using an exercise bike at the gym. For the most part, I found the sound quality was good; however, one time while at the gym the right earbud kept cutting out. It wasn’t once or twice either; it happened over a dozen times in a matter of minutes. I’m not sure what the cause of the problem was and I haven’t been able to replicate the issue, but it was incredibly annoying.

Accessories

The Q5s come with two very important accessories for wireless earbuds.

First – and perhaps more important – a travel pouch is included.

I am 100% going to lose at least one earbud sometime in the near future. I haven’t owned a pair of Bluetooth headphones that I haven’t misplaced at one time or another. At least with a travel pouch, I’ll be able to minimize the number of times I lose them.

The second included accessory is a bifurcated micro USB charging cable.

The one downside of wireless earbuds is they each have to be charged separately. Thankfully, you don’t have to take up two USB ports charging the Q5s. This wasn’t an issue I had even considered prior to testing the earbuds, but it’s one I’m glad SmartOmi had to foresight to avoid.

Conclusion

The Q5s were the first wireless earbuds I’ve ever tested. I can definitely say it’s nice to use headphones and not have a cord constantly tickling my neck.

Overall, sound quality was good; although, I wish I knew why I was having connection issues at the gym. Additionally, I wish I could skip tracks and adjust volume from the earbuds, but I suppose you have to assume sacrifices are a must when going wireless.

The inclusion of the travel pouch and dual charging cord is an added plus to an overall great product.

At $39.99, the Q5s are a very affordable product and one I have no issue recommending.

The sample for this review was provided by SmartOmi. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

Product Information

Price:	$39.99
Manufacturer:	SmartOmi
Retailer:	Amazon
Requirements:	Bluetooth compatible device
Pros:	Comfortable Easy to use Affordable Quality sound
Cons:	Possible issue with interference Easy to lose

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

SmartOmi Q5 wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 16, 2017 at 4:11 pm.

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