Reviews – Page 263

Archeer A110 wireless Bluetooth speaker review

I have always been a fan of cheap, useful gadgets. Sure, there are Bluetooth speakers on the market that are worth hundreds of dollars, but what about for those who are on a budget? Archeer came out with their A110 slim, portable Bluetooth speaker which has quite a low price for what it offers. Curiously, I had to try it out.

Inside of the box you’ll find:

– A110 speaker
– Micro-USB charging cable
– Auxiliary cable
– Instruction Manual

There are more features to this little speaker than just playing music via Bluetooth. It comes with Bluetooth, an FM radio, TF (microSD) card slot for playback and recording, and an auxiliary port.
Of course, the FM radio I had to try out first. To do so, you press the ‘M’ button on the back of the speaker until you reach the FM mode. I like to jump into things without reading instructions, so of course, I did that at first. I could not get a signal for the life of me. Well, I pressed the play button (via the instruction manual) and it found several signals that it saved to memory. Not only that, the FM broadcasts that were auto-saved came in pretty darn clear, and I could scroll through them easily with the volume buttons.

The volume buttons actually are volume and forward/backward buttons. Holding down the up or down button will change the volume, while a single tap will change your track or radio station. It might take a few tries to get used to how long to press it for the volume.

Pairing the Bluetooth was very simple. I pressed the pairing button on the back of the speaker and it showed up on my device right away and each time I turned on the speaker, it paired quickly to my phone. It will verbally tell you it is paired as well. Pressing play would automatically start whatever was last playing on my phone which was nice since after the initial pairing, I technically didn’t even need to pick up and use my phone to listen to music.

The middle button on the backside of the unit is for the lighting. Holding down the button will turn on or off the lighting, and pressing the button again will cycle through three lighting schemes; solid blue, multiple colors fading into each other, and one that goes along to your music. It doesn’t really go along to the music, but it makes it look like it is.
There is a stand on the back of the speaker to keep the speaker upright but also can double as a phone stand. I thought this was pretty nifty and it worked well to hold the phone. On tabletops, the vibrations from the speaker would make the unit move around, so I had to be extra careful not to let it fall off of an edge. There are rubbery feet on the bottom to prevent it from moving, but they are too far forward when it is angled on the stand, so they do not work.

It is supposed to have a six-hour battery life, and it seems pretty accurate to what is advertised. It will not turn off automatically when it does not detect music, so make sure to turn it off when you are finished. I left it on all day with the lights on accidentally and it still had about a quarter of its battery life left. Charging didn’t take too long either. I plugged it in around lunch time and it was done before my evening meal.

The sound quality of this little thing was surprisingly good. It isn’t going to blow the room away, but for a small room, or something to throw in your pocket and walk around with, it worked pretty well. There is a little bass that comes through, and the mid and high tones are pretty clear. Pop songs without the booming bass, along with classic rock music sounded the best on this speaker. All and all, for how cheap the speaker is, the audio quality was really good.

Overall, for the price of this little thing, I was very happy. If you are looking for something that will blow you out of the water with amazing sound quality and bass, you might want to look somewhere else, but if you are looking for a decent, portable Bluetooth speaker that is easy on the pocketbook, the Archeer A110 Bluetooth speaker might be worth a try.

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

Product Information

Price:	$23.98
Manufacturer:	Archeer
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	– Cheap price – Portable – Multiple ways to listen to audio
Cons:	– Does not turn off after being idle – Vibrates and moves around a lot on hard surfaces

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

Archeer A110 wireless Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 7, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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Cozmo is a robot with a big brain and an even bigger personality

“A robot’s primary function is to obey.”

If this is true, then Anki’s Cozmo robot fails—and fails spectacularly. When I first saw a YouTube video featuring Cozmo, my first reaction was “Is this thing too cool or what?” Cozmo is a robot with a mind of its own coupled with a major attitude. This Wall-e wannabe will make you laugh as his personality comes out.

Cozmo is a new robot from Anki, maker of the Overdrive and Fast & Furious robot race cars. Cozmo continually evolves as he interacts with you. He’ll prod you to play and will get into trouble as well. He always wants to play and wants to win at games. If he doesn’t win … watch out for his temper. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Cozmo doesn’t just play; he gets curious & explores. He doesn’t just learn; he plots & plans. He doesn’t just see you, he gets to know you. Call him self-aware, call him almost human. Just don’t call him a toy. He’s a supercomputer on treads.

Cozmo can see you with his built-in 30 frames-per-second camera with sophisticated facial recognition and software that helps him remember every interaction.

Drop-tested and built to last, Cozmo is tough. His 300+ parts are engineered to keep him alive for a long time to come. He’s an animal lover. He can detect dogs and cats and reacts appropriately to both. If you’re a DIY’er, you can use the Cozmo Software Development Kit (SDK) to tap into Cozmo’s advanced robotics hardware and software and create any experience you can think of.

If you want a good laugh, watch the videos. Cozmo could bring out the kid in all of us. Cozmo is available now for $179.99. Visit Anki for more information and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Educational, Robots

Cozmo is a robot with a big brain and an even bigger personality originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 7, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank review

Getting a low battery warning when you’re no where near a power outlet feels like the end of the world to a gadget nerd. That’s why power banks are a popular product category and why EasyAcc is a company who makes these types of devices for mobile Gadgeteers. Let’s take a quick look at their new EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank.

What is it?

The EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank is a portable charger for devices that can charge through a USB cable. Such devices include smartphones, smart watches, fitness trackers, and more.

What’s in the box?

EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank
micro USB cable
Type-C USB cable
Quick start guide

If this device looks familiar to you, you have a good memory because we’ve recently reviewed another EasyACC power bank that looks incredibly similar. Jason Haas reviewed the EasyAcc Quick Charge 3.0 20000mAh Power Bank back in April. That back up battery is a physically larger version and larger battery capacity version of the EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank that I’m going to show you today. Why would you want a smaller power bank when there’s a larger version available? Weight, bulk, smaller hands, smaller gadgets? Any number of reasons really.

Hardware specs

Capacity: 16750mAh × 3.63V = 60.8 Wh
Battery Cell Type: 18650 Lithium Battery
Type-C Input: 5V / 3A
Micro USB Input: 5V / 2A
Total Input: 5V / 5A (max)
Green Output (Quick Charge & Latest Smart Charge): DC 5-6V / 3A, 6-9V / 2A, 9-12V / 1.5A
Quick Charge Protocols Supported: QC2.0, QC3.0, FCP
Black Output (Smart Charge): DC 5V / 3A (max)
Size: 135 × 76 × 22.8 mm / 5.3 × 3 × 0.9 in
Weight: 308g / 10.9 oz

Design and features

The MegaCharge is a black and orange plastic sandwich. The top and bottom are black with an orange center.

There are two USB outputs on the end and an LED flashlight which is a handy feature.

The Green output has Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0 capabilities, and the other output is considered a smart charge port that makes sure the device you’re charging gets the most power it can safely accept.

On the side of the MegaCharge are two inputs. There’s a micro USB and a Type-C USB input. These inputs are used to charge the MegaCharge’s 16750mAh battery.

On the opposite side is a button that will let you check the remaining battery capacity of the power bank and will toggle the flashlight on and off with a double click.

Four tiny white LEDs on the top of the power bank show the battery capacity while the unit is charging another device or when you press the button on the side.

The cool thing about the MegaCharge power bank is the Doubin feature which allows you to charge the power bank quickly when you plug BOTH a micro USB and a Type-C cable into the inputs and use compatible AC adapters. Using two cables will allow the power bank to charge in about 3.5 hours which is up to 60% faster than when using just the Type-C cable which takes 5 hours, with 3A input.

FYI: It’s up to you to find an AC adapter to recharge the MegaCharge because one is not included with the power bank. However, a micro USB and a Type-C cable are included.

I could not find any details on the flashlight as far as the number of lumens that it emits, but it’s bright enough to be used as a small flashlight so you won’t need to remember to carry a separate flashlight with you.

I did all of my testing of the EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank with an iPhone 7 Plus and an iPad Pro 10.5. I tested individually using the green Quick Charge output port.

Day one

12:13pm iPhone 7 Plus battery at 20%. Plugged into a fully charged EasyAcc MegaCharge

12:33pm iPhone 7 Plus battery at 38%.

1:04pm iPhone 7 Plus battery at 64%.

1:40pm iPhone 7 Plus battery at 90%.

1:56pm iPhone 7 Plus battery at 96%. Removed from EasyAcc MegaCharge. EasyAcc MegaCharge still has all LEDs lit up when doing a battery capacity check.

iPhone 7 Plus battery from 20% to 96% in 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Next day over 24hrs later

2:45pm iPad Pro 10.5 battery at 20%. Plugged into EasyAcc MegaCharge which still had all 4 LEDs lit up.

3:51pm iPad Pro 10.5 battery at 49%, EasyAcc MegaCharge down to 3 LEDs.

4:15pm iPad Pro 10.5 battery at 60%, EasyAcc MegaCharge down to 2 LEDs.

5:30pm iPad Pro 10.5 battery at 91%, EasyAcc MegaChage at 2 LEDs. Removed from charger.

iPad Pro 10.5 battery from 20% to 91% in 2 hour and 45 minutes.

Day three

7:45am iPhone 7 Plus battery at 25%, EasyAcc MegaCharge at 1 LED.

9:00am iPhone 7 Plus battery at 80%, EasyAcc MegaCharge at 1 LED flashing.

9:45am iPhone 7 Plus battery at 96%, EasyAcc MegaCharge completely drained.

iPhone 7 Plus battery from 25% to 96% in 2 hours.

So a fully charged EasyAcc MegaCharge was able to almost completely recharge an iPhone 7 Plus at 20-25% two times and an iPad Pro 10.5 at 20% once.

Recharged the EasyAcc MegaCharge in about 3 hours and 45 minutes using both a micro USB and Type-C cable.

Final thoughts

The MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank from EasyAcc is an easy to use external battery that can recharge your USB enabled gadgets multiple times when you’re on the go. There are many power banks on the market, and this one from EasyAcc offers some extra features like the built in flashlight and Doubin battery recharge feature that make it worthy of a 2nd look.

It’s a great accessory for travelers, campers, and anyone else who finds themselves away from regular power outlets.

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

Product Information

Price:	$37.99
Manufacturer:	EasyAcc
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Easy to use Charges devices quickly Device itself can recharge quickly when using two cables Built in flashlight
Cons:	None

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, External power supply

EasyAcc MegaCharge Doubin 16750mAh USB-C Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 6, 2017 at 2:15 pm.

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Nucleus Wi-Fi intercom with Amazon Alexa review

I never get tired of trying out new smart-home devices. Whether they are security cameras, home automation devices, or smart assistants, I absolutely love playing with these new gadgets.

Imagine the joy I experienced when I heard about Nucleus, a tablet sized Wi-Fi intercom that can function as all of the above.

In the box

Nucleus
Wall mount
Power adapter
Power cord
Desktop stand
Adhesive cord clips
Anchors and screws
Level
Cable fasteners

Specifications

Dimensions – 8.08” x 6.85” x 0.95”
Screen size – 8 inches diagonally
Resolution – 1280 x 800
Wi-Fi – 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth Low Energy
Power – DC adapter or Power over Ethernet
Sensors – Temperature and Humidity
Stereo Speakers
Camera – 5 MP, 120 degree wide angle with night vision

Design

Nucleus looks somewhat like a square tablet with an over-sized camera at the top.

The front of the device has a 5 megapixel HD camera, a notification LED, stereo speakers, and a microphone.

The back of Nucleus is where you insert the desk or wall mount, and where the power port, mirco-USB port, and Ethernet port are located.

The top of the device contains the power button and a manual camera shutter for privacy.

There really isn’t much more to the design of Nucleus. It’s an uncomplicated design that should allow for ease of use.

Setup

Setting up Nucleus is very simple.

First, you have to choose whether to mount the device to a wall or place it on a desk/table.

If you’re going to mount it to a wall, it’s suggested you find a stud to mount it to. Wall mount installation is made simple by an included level and wall anchors.

Once you’ve mounted or placed Nucleus, you power it up and go through the setup wizard. You select your Wi-Fi network, create an account with Nucleus, and sign into your Amazon account.

After creating or signing into all relevant accounts, Nucleus will then ask you to name and take a picture of the room you’re placing the device in.

During the setup process, Nucleus will also check for updates and install any that are located.

After setting up the physical Nucleus device(s), you can also download the Nucleus app for Android or iOS.

The process for mobile setup is roughly the same as a standard setup.

You first enter a home code provided by the physical Nucleus device(s). You then select which permissions to grant the app. Finally, you take a photo to identify yourself to callers.

The Nucleus can also connect to Nucleus devices in other homes; unfortunately, I don’t know anyone else with a Nucleus so I was unable to test this feature.

As long as you know your Wi-Fi and Amazon account passwords, setup is very easy.

Home screen

Pictured below is the Nucleus home screen. This is where you will primarily interact with Nucleus.

From the home screen, you can access all your contacts, the settings menu, disable/enable Alexa, change your privacy settings, and broadcast.

You can choose from three different privacy settings:

Instant – all calls from a “Home” contact are automatically answered
Privacy – you can choose to accept or deny all calls
Do Not Disturb – no calls will come in

There are also several different settings to adjust.

Most of the settings are exactly what you’d expect; however, I was surprised to see there was a setting for the “Ring Video Doorbell”. The website doesn’t make any obvious mention of this feature and you’re not given the option to sign in during the setup wizard.

I own a Ring doorbell; this is a terrific feature that shouldn’t be buried in the settings.

Call Quality

Nucleus is capable of making several different types of calls:

Audio calls
Video calls
Check ins
Broadcasts

Audio and Video calls need no description.

To make an audio call press the phone button; to make a video call press the video camera button.

Depending on privacy settings, the location you are calling will have the option to decline or accept the call.

If the call is accepted, you will see live video from the Nucleus you called.

While in the call screen, you have the option to mute or end the call.

An audio call is roughly the same, with the obvious exception of live video footage.

A check in is basically baby monitor mode.

It allows you to see a live view from the Nucleus you’re connecting to; however, that Nucleus doesn’t receive any audio or video footage from you.

The Nucleus you’re checking in on notifies anyone in the room they are being watched and allows them to end the connection.

Broadcast mode is like a reverse check in mode. It allows you to send live video and audio footage to all of your available Nucleus devices, but you don’t receive any footage in return.

Making and receiving phone calls was extremely easy. It was something my kids picked up on immediately.

Video and audio quality were acceptable – not great, but good enough for video chat.

Alexa Integration

Perhaps one of Nucleus’s most intriguing features is its Alexa integration.

Like Amazon’s series of Echos, the Nucleus can be set to “always listen” and respond to the “Alexa” hotword. As far as I can tell, there are no limitations on the available Alexa functions.

While testing the Alexa integration, I did discover two issues.

First, the hotword recognition was too sensitive. Several times Alexa was activated even though no one actually said “Alexa”.

Second, when you do intend to use Alexa, the voice recognition doesn’t appear to be as good as an Echo’s voice recognition.

I can’t say for certain, but I’m guessing this is an issue with the Nucleus’s microphone; I assume the actual voice recognition is done via Amazon. If the microphone isn’t picking up high-quality audio, it may impair Amazon’s ability to recognize your voice.

Ring Integration

Another great feature is Ring’s integration with Nucleus.

Anytime someone rings your doorbell you get an alert on the Nucleus.

If you choose to answer the call, you get a pop-up window similar to what you see on the Ring phone app.

This is a really great feature and I’m not sure why Nucleus doesn’t bring it to the forefront.

Conclusion

I’m really thrilled I got to review Nucleus; it was incredibly easy to set up and use.

It’s a great Wi-FI intercom system with a variety of calling options.

Integration with Alexa is almost flawless. The hotword detection and voice recognition could use some work, but overall it works great.

Even though its integration with Ring isn’t as well advertised as its Alexa integration, it’s a wonderful feature.

As I said in the intro, Nucleus is several different smart devices wrapped in one; the best part, you can get all of this for only $99. That is almost half the price of an Echo and $130 less than the new Echo Show.

If you’re looking for a great Swiss Army gadget for your home, you won’t go wrong with Nucleus.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Nucleus. Please visit their site for more information and check them on Amazon to order.

Product Information

Price:	$99.00
Manufacturer:	Nucleus
Retailer:	Amazon
Requirements:	Wi-Fi Amazon account to use Alexa
Pros:	Easy to use Easy to setup Good video quality
Cons:	"Alexa" hot-word detection too sensitive Voice recogniition not as good as Amazon Echo's Sound quality below average

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Alexa, smart home

Nucleus Wi-Fi intercom with Amazon Alexa review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 6, 2017 at 8:29 am.

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Urban Armor Gear Metropolis iPad Pro 12.9 case review

In April of 2015, I reviewed my first case from Urban Armor Gear – the Rogue case for the iPad Air. I really liked the cover and found it quite protective. I now have an iPad Pro 12.9″, and am happy to be the one chosen to review their Metropolis case.

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

Like the smaller version, this one is also a full-on piece of body armor for your iPad. It meets MIL STD 810G-516.6. This means:

UAG cases specifically have been certified Military Grade through NEBS Certified Testing Laboratory. To achieve this certification, a device must be dropped from a height of 48 inches, on each face, corner, and back. The device is dropped a total of 26 times and must function properly after the test, while not sustaining any damage to the screen.

Als, like the original Rogue I tested, the Metropolis has a pliable, grippy frogskin texture on the outside, and a nappy microsuede on the inside.

The cover folds back to allow you to view your iPad in several different viewing angles, without having the inner surface of the case lay flat on the table.

One secret superpower that the Metropolis has above it’s smaller sibling, however, is that the outer cover is detachable, and you can use any Apple Smart Cover-esque magnetic folding screen cover with the armored back.

Along the inner hinge, almost the entire side where the Smart Connector touches is free and accessible, so many chargers, keyboards, and stands that are designed for an iPad Pro should work with this case. I’d definitely try it out with the keyboard or stand you have in mind, but the Apple models are what they were designing it to fit.

Since the iPad Pro 12.9 is now being replaced by a newer model with a slightly different form factor, you can pick up one for your original iPad Pro for only $29.95! A $90 case for 66% off – not a bad deal.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Urban Armor Gear. Please visit Urban Armor Gear for more info, and their Amazon store to purchase.

Product Information

Price:	Originally $89.99, now only $29.95
Manufacturer:	Urban Armor Gear
Retailer:	Amazon
Requirements:	Original iPad Pro
Pros:	Very Protective, yet easy to put on and off Military-grade protection Allows use of other screen covers, if desired
Cons:	None, really

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cases and Covers, IPad Pro Case

Urban Armor Gear Metropolis iPad Pro 12.9 case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 5, 2017 at 8:33 am.

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