Reviews – Page 257

SmartQ Lightning pen drive review

The SmartQ lightning pen drive is a small flash drive that plugs into an iPhone’s lighting port. It can be used to back up all of your important data, including calendar, contacts, and photos. Let’s take a look at how it did for me!

The SmartQ comes in various space sizes and colors. I received a 64GB drive with gold finish.

It comes with the drive, a short A-Male to Micro-B USB cable, and a user manual.

The SmartQ comes with a small plastic cap to cover the lightning port when the drive isn’t in use.

Here’s the bottom of the SmartQ drive

There’s a small loop to use if you want to hang the drive off of a key chain.

The SmartQ is here on my iPhone 7 Plus, and as you can see it sticks out a bit. I don’t mind this as I have a case on my phone and there’s still room to use the drive.

After downloading the PowerDrive app in the iOS App Store, you can plug in the SmartQ drive. It will prompt for access.

Inside the app, you can select Calendar, Contacts, or Photos to back up. It’s very easy to do and backs up in under a minute or two.

There’s also an option to use Touch ID or just a passcode to unlock the app, which is nice to keep your files private on the SmartQ drive.

In the PowerDrive’s finder, you can look for your files under Movies, Music, and Documents. You can also see how much space is left on your phone, and on the SmartQ. If you need to find your backed up photos, just use the PowerDrive finder to see them. It displays easy to view thumbnails.

You can also view the files on the SmartQ drive on your computer. On my Mac, It showed up as an Untitled drive. If you had a password in your app, you just need to give it temporary access via the PowerDrive app, and the files will mount in the finder (Or Windows Explorer) as any other USB drive.

I really like the SmartQ for the simple usage it has for backing up files and using it as a thumb drive. It’s convenient and great to use as a second backup method for your phone, with the added security of using a password on the drive.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by SmartQ. Please visit the product page on Amazon for more information.

Product Information

Price:	$39.95
Manufacturer:	SmartQ
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Password protected Extra backup for the iPhone
Cons:	None

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Flash Memory, iPhone accessory

SmartQ Lightning pen drive review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds review

I recently joined a gym and have been on a quest to find a set of wireless earbuds that I can wear while working out that are both comfortable to wear and sound great. The latest earbuds to show up for testing are the HERO wireless earbuds from Winnergear. Let’s check them out.

What is it?

Winnergear Hero earbuds are small Bluetooth sports earbuds that are completely wireless.

What’s in the box?

Winnergear Hero wireless earbuds
Ear hooks (small and medium)
Eartips (small, medium, and large)
Portable charging case
Instructions

Hardware specs

Noise Cancellation CVC 6.0
Bluetooth 4.2
AptX
8mm speakers
Built-in microphone
Sweatproof Coating
3-hour playtime

The HERO earbuds are wireless which means there isn’t a cable between them that connects the two earbuds together.

They have a black metal (I think) outer shell with a power button which doubles as a status LED on the outside surface of each earbud and two electrical contacts below the power button.

Each earbud is clearly labeled so you can easily figure which one goes in each ear.

A handy case is included with the HERO earbuds that not only holds them while you’re not using them, but it charges them as well.

The case has its own built-in battery that is charged using a micro USB cable. In the image above, you’ll also notice a small button above the USB port. This is the power button for the charging case. You’ll need to remember to press this button if you want to turn on the charger for the earbuds.

The HERO earbuds easily fit inside the case. Just make sure they are firmly seated before you close the cover and press the power button on the back of the case to start charging.

Two tiny LEDs on the front of the case glow red while the earbuds are charging. It’s a good idea to check these LEDs to verify that both earbuds are firmly seated in the charger. It takes about 1.5hrs to fully recharge the earbuds.

The portable charging case can recharge the earbuds up to 4 times before the case itself will need a recharge. Pressing the power button on the back of the charging case will blink the LED on the back a number of times to indicate how much charge is left in the case.

Fit and comfort

Comfort and sound are at the top of my list when I’m searching for a new pair of earbuds. The Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds are lightweight and surprisingly comfortable. The ear hooks do a great job of keeping the buds in my ears even when I am walking, running, or jumping. The earbuds never fell out of my ears while I was testing them. I can’t say the same about most earbuds that I test.

Button control

The HERO earbuds only have one button on each earbud. It is a multi-function button that toggles power, puts the buds in pairing mode, answers and ends calls, plays and pauses music, and can skip tracks in certain apps.

To use the earbuds, you press and hold both power buttons for a couple of seconds to turn them on. A female voice will say that the buds are powering on and then it will say that they are connected to your device. Other voice alerts include a power down message and low battery alerts.

The left button will answer/end calls and play/pause music. The instructions that come with the earbuds say that pressing the right button will skip to the next track but this isn’t true. Pressing either the left or the right button while listening to music will pause the track and double click either the left or right button will skip to the next track.

Note that there’s no way to adjust volume from the earbuds themselves. You have to do that through the paired phone, tablet, or computer.

Audio quality for music, movies, and calls

I performed all of my testing of the Winnergear HERO earbuds with an iPhone 7 Plus and apps like Spotify and Amazon prime music, and phone calls.

Listening to music is enjoyable with these earbuds. Voices are crisp and you can hear distinct highs, mids, and lows. However, true bass heads will not be impressed. It’s not that there’s no bass at all, but it could be a lot better. That said, if you listen to all types of music, you should still enjoy hearing your favorite tunes through these earbuds.

While testing the HERO earbuds, I didn’t notice any reoccurring problems with audio cutting out between the two earbuds while listening to music while sitting at a desk, walking around in a large open gym, or walking outdoors with my phone in my pocket.

I tested the HERO earbuds with Youtube and Netflix apps on my iPhone and I did not notice any audio syncing between what I was seeing and hearing in the video. Dialog matched up perfectly with people speaking on screen.

I also tested call audio quality and like most Bluetooth headsets, I got regular comments that I sounded a little tinny. But on my side of calls, everything sounded really good which is really all that matters to me Ha!

Final thoughts

I have been using the Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds for several weeks and so far I don’t have any complaints except for the 3-hour battery life. I understand that the earbuds are small, which means the battery in each bud is small, but 3 hours seems really short because one charge won’t get you through a full work day. But other than that one complaint, I really like the HERO earbuds. They are my current favorites – at least until I find that something I like better.

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

Product Information

Price:	$149.99 from Winnergear / $99.99 from Amazon
Manufacturer:	Winnergear
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Wireless Good sound quality Built-in microphone WIreless charging through charging case
Cons:	Short 3-hour playback time per charge you have to remember to turn the charging case ON to start charging Can't adjust volume through earbuds

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Winnergear HERO wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2017 at 9:12 am.

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Nomad Sport Strap for 42mm Apple Watch review

If you read the Gadgeteer with any regularity you know that I love new and unique Apple Watch bands. So when I got the chance to review the new Nomad Sport Strap for the 42mm Apple Watch, I didn’t hesitate. Nomad is known for making premium leather replacement bands for the Apple Watch, with the Sport Strap they’re offering a silicone replacement band designed specifically to withstand the stresses of all forms of sports and exercise. Let’s check it out.

Nomad’s Sport Strap is made of Vulcanized LSR silicone, a naturally biocompatible, antimicrobial and hypoallergenic material. Silicone’s inherent ultraviolet resistance means that the strap will maintain its sheen through exposure to nature’s elements. It’s available in two-color combinations, black & slate or black & volt. And it’s priced @ $49.95. Currently, the Sport Strap is only available for the 42mm series 1 & 2 Apple Watch.

The Sport Strap came in a box with a slide out tray that the band was attached to. I like that the box gives me a place to store the band when I’m not wearing it. I already have way too many things cluttering my nightstand as it is.

One thing stands out right away when you put the band onto the watch. Unlike the Nike band, the Nomad Sport Strap’s face spans the width of the watch itself. This along with the chamfered edges and crosshatch surface give the Apple Watch a whole new look. Rugged yet sleek and sporty, and it pairs nicely with any outfit. You can easily go from the gym to a night out without having to switch bands. And putting the Strap onto the Apple Watch is easy, it just slides right into place and locks in.

The Sport Strap attaches to your wrist using a high-performance Polyamide buckle, which is designed to hold up to all environmental conditions. It uses a peg-and-notch system, which gives the band a very clean, secure fit. The Strap is one size fits most, designed for wrist sizes ranging from 150mm to 210mm. 75 mm length (buckle side) and 135 mm length (adjustment side). I have small wrists and still had 2 notches to spare. It can resist a 5-20 kg lateral slide-out force when installed in Apple Watch. Which means that no matter what you do while wearing it, it’s not going anywhere.

Comfort wise this band is a 10. It’s very comfortable and very light weight. The smooth silicone feels soft against your skin and it doesn’t pinch or feel clunky. The big test for me was wearing it to the gym and It passed that test with flying colors. The Sport Strap felt very secure on my wrist during my workout. One very small complaint I had while wearing it during my workout was that my wrist seemed to sweat more than usual. But since the Sport Strap is water and sweat proof it’s not a big concern. I also noticed that it tends to pick up dirt and lint fairly easily. But simply running it under warm water and shaking it out easily takes care of that. If you do happen to get some dirt wedged into the cross hatched surface it’s easy to remove using a soft brush while running it under the faucet. I used an old toothbrush and it worked great.

Final Thoughts

Nomad, the company behind the Sport Strap has what I think is a great philosophy, “own fewer things, be resourceful and seek adventure.” To me it means they design their products to be versatile, simple yet productive, and capable of going almost anywhere. With the Sport Strap, they accomplished this. It’s versatile enough to wear to the gym or out on a hike or run, yet you can leave it on for a night out on the town. The band is simple in design and uses a material that’s thin, yet strong and is both waterproof and hypoallergenic. And as far as the adventure part, well that’s up to you. But rest assured no matter what adventure you chose the Nomad Sport Strap will be up for the challenge. At $49.95 the Sport Strap is a worthy addition to any collection. In fact, I liked the Sport Strap so well that it has earned a permanent spot on my Apple Watch. Well, at least to the next really cool watch band comes along.

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

Product Information

Price:	$49.95
Manufacturer:	Nomad
Pros:	Comfortable Lightweight Durable Water and sweat proof
Cons:	Picks up lint and dirt easily

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Apple Watch

Nomad Sport Strap for 42mm Apple Watch review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 26, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Tsumbay Car Mount, HUD Simulating Design Car Phone Holder review

Sometimes you find a product that fulfills a simple need and does so very well. The Tsumbay Car Mount is one of those products. It has one mission: to mount your smartphone as a heads-up display, so that use your favorite navigation app in a way that promotes safer driving.

It’s a simple gadget, but what really makes it stand out is the attention to detail and execution in the design. Let’s go for a ride and find out more!

Design and Construction

The Tsumbay Car Mount consists of two parts. There’s a base that slides onto the cowl of your dashboard, and a gator-style clip that secures your phone. When everything is in place, your phone sits like a heads-up style display, just above the steering wheel in your line of vision. You can adjust the angle of the phone to best suit your driving position, but that’s about all the thinking required to get ready for motoring. It takes about 30 seconds to install.

If that was all there was to it, this would be a pretty clever device. Easy to install, one moving part (the gator clip), and it solves a common problem with distracted driving. But there’s more to like here, as we’ll see below…

The first thing you’ll notice about the Tsumbay Car Mount is the quality of construction. Made from heavy duty plastic, the whole unit feels substantial. The gator-style phone clip uses a heavy-duty spring to keep your phone in place, even after extended use. There are also thick silicone pads at all the contact points to both improve grip and to protect your dashboard & phone from unwanted scratches. It’s a nice build for a simple piece of plastic.

The base uses a “J” style hook shape to slide onto your dashboard cowl, with plenty of depth to accommodate a variety of dashboard styles. The base is also wide and contoured slightly to match the curve found in most dashboards, and flares towards the rear of the unit to provide additional stability. Once installed, its not going anywhere unless you choose to remove it.

The phone clip is just as substantial as the base and will accommodate a variety of smartphone sizes up to and including the iPhone 7 plus (for photo reference, my phone is the iPhone 6s in a case). The grip is firm and stable and takes a significant bit of force to knock the phone loose from the clip. The silicone pads also include additional a textured grip, so the phone won’t slide forward and back in the clip once you have it where you want it.

One last note on design: it actually looks pretty good in your car. Some inexpensive car mounts, while they do the job, look like cheap plastic add-ons. The all-black look and contoured design make this an attractive accessory that looks like it belongs on your dashboard.

In Use

Boy, is the heads-up display useful when you’re using your navigation app.

The car mounts that I have used & tested in the past typically mount to the air vents, so they are positioned to the right of the steering wheel. This presents two problems: they often interfere with the other controls on your dash and take your focus off the road if you’re glancing at your phone.

The heads-up display mount solves both of these problems. Since your phone is positioned just above the steering wheel in your field of vision, you’re not taking your eyes off the road to check your map. The position on your dashboard cowl doesn’t interfere with any of the dials, displays, or controls of the vehicle. It just feels safer, enabling you to concentrate on the road.

I also really like the simplicity of the device. The gator clip is the only moving part in the assembly. There are no other clips or adjustment features that could fail or wear with extended use. It also has the flexibility to accommodate a number of small and large phone sizes, which means you probably won’t need to buy a new mount when you upgrade your phone. Coupled with the overall build construction, I expect that this gadget will last a long, long time.

Something to consider: the mount is designed to hold your smartphone in the horizontal position. Depending on your phone and your apps, you may find this to be an issue. Google maps on my iPhone run horizontally, for example, while my podcast app and music apps do not. This can be a pain… I use voice activation for calls when driving, and the Apple CarPlay to control my music and such from my steering wheel controls. Your needs may vary, however.

Another minor point, but worth considering, is charging your phone while it’s mounted. Since many cars have the USB charging port at the bottom of the center stack of the dash, you may need an extra-long cord to reach the car mount. It’s something to check before you buy.

Caveats and Precautions

Of course, no gadget is perfect.There are some things you need to consider before you purchase the Tsumbay Car Mount.

While there is a lot of flexibility in the base design, it’s important to note that there are some car models whose dashboards won’t accommodate the Tsumbay Car Mount. The product description on Amazon (link below) contains a list of these car models for reference.

I think it’s also important to consider your driving position before purchasing this device. Steering wheel position, seat angle, and your height relative to the style of car you are driving could impact the effectiveness of using a heads up display mount like this.

Finally, it goes without saying that you should never allow yourself to be distracted while driving. I use this device exclusively to run Google Maps for navigation, and use the hands-free tools in my car for all other functions. Be safe, folks!

Conclusion and Pricing

For a simple piece of gear, the Tsumbay Car Mount is a pretty useful item. It features easy one-handed operation and adds some additional safety when driving by taking advantage of the benefits of a heads up display when you’re using your navigation apps. It’s also really well built with few moving parts, and I expect that it will outlast several phone upgrades. The little details in the finishing make it a cut above most inexpensive car mounts, and it actually looks good in your car. I think it’s a safety upgrade worth considering if it works for your driving position and if it fits your car model. At about $17, I think it’s also a good value. Check out all the specs and purchasing information on Amazon.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tsumbay. Please visit the product page on Amazon for more information.

Product Information

Price:	$16.99
Manufacturer:	Tsumbay
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Simple, one handed operation High-quality construction Fits a variety of large and small smartphones Nice safety upgrade for using your navigation apps while driving
Cons:	May not fit all dashboard styles Designed for horizontal positioning of your phone, which may not work with all apps May not work with all driving positions

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, Device mount

Tsumbay Car Mount, HUD Simulating Design Car Phone Holder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 25, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Fitbit Alta HR review

I’m new to the world of Fitbit and its wearable fitness trackers. What got me interested in trying a Fitbit was my wife’s company was doing a fundraiser for charity based on steps with the leading team being able to donate to the cause of their choice. Spouses were allowed/encouraged to join in on the fun and since I wanted to get in better shape I wholeheartedly agreed. I don’t typically wear a fitness tracker or smartwatch, preferring a classic timepiece on my wrist. So, the Alta HR’s sleek and slim form factor appealed to me; allowing me to wear my watch on my left wrist and the unobtrusive Fitbit on my right. For this review, Fitbit sent me their stealthy Special Edition gunmetal Alta HR to try out.

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

The Alta HR is one of the slimmest and most stylish fitness trackers on the market today. The HR is a follow on to the original Alta adding Fitbit’s PurePulse heart rate sensor, quite a feat considering the device’s tiny size. In addition to built-in heart rate monitor, the Alta HR has an OLED display, 7-day battery life, all-day fitness tracking, sleep tracking with Fitbit’s new Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights feature, notification mirroring, etc.

In the Box:

Alta HR fitness tracker
USB charging cable
Instructions

Like the device itself, what you receive in the box is relatively simplistic…fitness tracker, charging cable, and a few pages of instructions.

Getting the Alta HR operational is more about getting your Fitbit account setup and signed into the app than anything on the device side of the house. Once charged and paired to your smartphone, the device syncs with the app and you’re more or less good to go.

Design:

Like the original, the Alta HR has a plastic body surrounded by a metal frame with a 1.4 inch, 128 x 36 resolution OLED touchscreen display on top. The display is monochrome with decent contrast, though sometimes difficult to see in bright/sunny conditions. The Alta has a buttonless design; its “Single Point Touch Screen” allows you to navigate the fitness tracker’s various screens by tapping its front face. The display is off until you either raise your wrist to look at it or double-tap it. Approximately 3/4 of the time it correctly senses the wrist-raise motion, but the remaining times I would have to double-tap the screen to bring it to life. It did take a bit of initial practice to get the screen to respond. At first, I found the interface quite irritating with how unresponsive it was but with time I finally got the hang of it or the mechanism itself needed to be broken in. Either way, the device is currently responding well to screen taps with perhaps 10% of the time needing to repeat the effort.

This pic does a good job showing off the heart rate sensor and charging port on the back of the Alta HR.

The Alta HR charges via its propitiatory USB cable that clamps onto the back of the tracker, locking it into place. The Alta HR charges relatively quickly (within a few hours) and operates nearly a week without needing to be recharged.

Setup:

Like other Fitbit fitness trackers, configuring the Alta HR is done via the smartphone app. The pairing and setup process is quick and easy. Considering how small the screen is, Fitbit has done a good job optimizing what and how your fitness data is displayed. Being able to see your steps and heart rate on the fly is convenient and helps keep you motivated.

Though getting an in-depth workout analysis comes when you open up the Fitbit app and can see a multitude of data sets.

Functions:

As you can see above, the Alta HR tracks steps, estimated distance traveled, calories burned, and sleep quality; plus it nags you to move if you have been sedentary too long. I found all of the Fitbit’s features very motivating, especially during the fitness competition. There is no doubt that between the two, I regularly hit 20k steps and beyond during the challenge.

Like its predecessor, the Alta HR auto-scenes what type of workout you’re doing and records them as blocks of effort. Though it did get a little confused with tennis but was spot on when I ran, walked, or did the elliptical machine. The Fitbit app keeps track of not only the type of exercising you’re doing but its duration, calories burned, average heart rate, and type of exertion (aka burning fat/cardio/peak). With more data within each workout for greater in-depth analysis as seen on the right screen capture.

I found the heart rate data pretty accurate. When I compared my heart rate count to the grips on my elliptical machine, the Fitbit was within 2-5 beats/minute of the workout machine’s. I was also pleased with my resting heart rate ( a good indicator of overall health) regularly at or below 60 bpm.

Fitbit’s new sleep tracking is my favorite and most interesting feature of the Alta HR. I firmly believe that a good nights sleep is a key component to staying healthy and motivated. I shoot for 8 hours a sleep per night but rarely achieve it. In addition to tracking the duration and type of sleep, the tracking feature helped me realize lifestyle choices that impacted the quality of rest I was getting on any given night.

When paired with and in range of your smartphone, the Alta will also display notifications of incoming calls, text messages, calendar alerts, and will provide reminders (aka nagging) to get up and move throughout the day. These notifications can be difficult to read due to the small display but at least let you know they’re there and to reference your phone if need be. I also like vibration on my wrist for calls, messages, and alarms cause there are many times I have my iPhone on silent and miss them.

A few features that would be nice to have:

Altimeter
Physical button similar to the Charge 2
Waterproofing (vs just being sweat proof)

I do quite a few stairs during the average week. Whether I’m walking from the bus tunnel to work or running the stairs in our building during lunch, it would be nice to track stairs climbed in addition to just steps taken. But in my case, it is a minor issue compared to wearing a larger device to gain that feature.

The Fitbit Alta HR is available in Black/Stainless Steel, Blue Gray/Stainless Steel, Fuchsia/Stainless Steel, Coral/Stainless Steel, Black/Gunmetal, and Soft Pink/Rose Gold. Fitbit leather accessory bands are available in Brown, Indigo, and Lavender. There is also a Stainless Steel option as well.

In addition to the stock Fitbit bands, there are MANY aftermarket Alta bands out there to express yourself. The Alta HR is engineered to swap bands in a blink of an eye. The design makes it quick and easy to exchange bands whenever you please.

I really like the Alta HR’s slim, stealthy design with the Special Edition gunmetal version definitely being my fitness tracker of choice. Fitbit has done an excellent job creating a less is more fitness band that is comfortable to wear with solid features and specs. While the HR is lacking a few nice to have features, its form factor, heart rate tracking, accurate activity tracking, excellent sleep tracking, week-long battery life, and stellar app platform/ecosystem more than makeup for it.

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

Product Information

Price:	$149.95 / $179.95 (Special Edition as reviewed)
Manufacturer:	Fitbit
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Slim & stylish form factor Excellent app & fitness ecosystem Solid build quality Does basic features well Sweat-proof Easy to swap out bands
Cons:	Expensive Lacking a few nice-to-have features

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Activity tracker, Health and fitness

Fitbit Alta HR review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 24, 2017 at 11:15 am.

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