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Peel Super Thin Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus case review

Here’s a new flash: cell phones are expensive.  With the upcoming flagship phones from Samsung, Google, and Apple the upward trend in pricing probably won’t stop.  So with a significant investment in technology that generally lives in your pocket or in a bag, most people develop a powerful motivation to protect that investment.  The Peel line of cases for your smart phone positions itself as a minimalist protector, but does it do the job?  Read on to find out.

The Peel brand has been around for a while, making minimalist cases for Apple and Samsung devices.  Their main claim in the case market is that they are the thinnest case available for your device.  And in that claim I am reasonably sure you won’t find many contenders – this case is thin.  I mean almost not there thin.  Ridiculously thin.

Before you put the case on the phone one of the first things you should notice is that there is literally no branding on the case.  Nothing about this screams “we’re Peel and we made this case!”, which to me is a plus.  I spent a lot of money for a nice looking phone, and I am not fond of the idea of turning it into a billboard.  With the Peel case, you get to see the curves of the phone without having a brand name shouted out at you.

The fit on the phone is snug without being so tight it is difficult to put on or take off.  When the case is on the phone you would be hard pressed from a foot or two away to tell there was even a case on the phone.  There are precise cutouts for all of your ports, and the buttons come out flush with the edge of the case.  That means I have not accidentally pressed buttons with the case as I did with the naked phone, but when I want them I don’t have to feel like I am trying to push the button out the opposite end of the phone like you do with some cases.

The question, though, is how well this case protects your phone.  And the answer lies in the intent of this particular case.  A more traditional case seeks to protect against drops so these types of cases are bulkier.  Put one on your phone and you will know it is there.  The class of case Peel represents is more about protecting your phone against the everyday indignities – being scratched by something in your pocket or worse, the glass back of your phone cracked accidentally.  Because the case is so thin there is practically no protection against the accidental drop from, say, 3 feet onto a concrete sidewalk.

And because the case is so thin, unlike the bulkier cases there is no lip around the edge of the screen to protect the screen should you set your phone face-down on a table.  Your phone’s screen will come into contact with whatever surface you set it face-down on.

The Peel case is not a rugged case, nor does it try to position itself that way.  It wants to protect your phone from the casual accident and do so unobtrusively.  The case feels “grippy” in your hand, so unless you really have butter on your fingers, it should not slip from your hands.  And if you are like me – and not like my son – you don’t idly flip your phone around, so the case should handle most of the accidents you would encounter on an average day.  There have been complaints around the Interwebs that the case will stretch if removed repeatedly (and therefore no longer fit well), but in the 2 weeks I have had this case I have removed it pretty much daily and it still fits as well as it did day one.

At $24.99 it is not an inexpensive case and there are cases like this that can be had cheaper.  I tried a couple of those when I first purchased my Galaxy S8 Plus and had bad results.  The first case literally tore as I tried to fit it on the phone, and the second one had loose sides that caught on things like the edge of my glasses.  I haven’t had any of those issues with the Peel case, so I guess this is one of those rare occasions where you actually get what you pay for.

After years buying bulky rugged phone cases, I am now a convert to the minimalist design of the Peel case.  It comes in a few colors including a white-ish one that will let the actual color of your phone shine through (especially nice if you were able to buy a Hulk Smash Green S8 model).  The Peel case will remain my daily carry up until the release of the Note 8 – and hopefully soon after, Peel with have a case for that, too.

The sample for this review was provided by Peel.  For more info please visit their site.

 

Product Information

Price: $24.99
Manufacturer: Peel
Pros:
  • Minimalist
  • Logo-free
Cons:
  • Not as protective as a traditional case

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Peel Super Thin Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 1, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Activ5 isometric workout device review

The Activ5 handheld system, by Activbody, is a portable isometric workout program that can be used for 5 minute (or longer if you choose) workouts at home, at the office, or while traveling. I’m a fitness junkie,  so I was more than excited to give this a try!  Let’s take a look…

What’s in the box (See pic below)

1 Activ5 handheld device
1 Stand for your smartphone during workouts
1 Towel

Setting it up

The first thing that is required is to go to the app store (Apple or Android) and get the free Activ5 mobile coaching app.  After you follow the directions to register, you will be instructed to power on the device. There is only one button and it is located on the side of the unit next to a little indicator light.  You need to hold down that button for 2 seconds and the indicator will turn blue, which means it’s looking for a Bluetooth connection. After it’s connected, the light turns green and when not connected, the light will be red.  Very straightforward and easy to set up.

Now comes the fun part!  The screen appears below that runs you through a quick tutorial on where to place your hands on the unit to get the maximum benefit and most precise readings on the display.

Now you get to set the max power for each exercise as they come up so you have a starting point and you can track your strength as time goes on. As you can see for the shoulder press, I set my new personal record at 22 lbs. of pressure.  After you set the max power, you go on to the actual exercise.

How it Works

There are many different kinds of exercises and workouts. There is the Activ5 challenge, which is a 6-week workout that you do three times a day for 15 minutes.  Circumstances didn’t allow me to do that for this review, but I will be doing that next and I’ll post an update on my results.  Other types of workouts to choose from are: Upper Body, Lower Body, Get Strong, Get Toned, Yoga Pilates, Awesome Abs, Butt Burner, Lean Legs, Office, Watching TV, Car/Plane/Train, Hotel, and Surprise me! Below are examples of some exercises that you can do (Click on the pics to enlarge).



You can also choose between over 100 sitting, standing and advanced exercises that target the shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps, forearms, core, obliques, back, glutes, hip flexors, quads, abductor and adductors, hamstrings, or calves and shins.  Each exercise has very detailed instructions on how to do them and give you a diagram on what specific muscles are being targeted.  So, depending on your mood or what you want to accomplish, you just pick a workout, follow the instructions and away you go!

When you are actually doing the exercises, the screen looks like the ones below depending on which you choose.  When you squeeze and put pressure on the device from whatever position you are in, you try and keep your indicator stream (the squiggly orange line) as close to the dotted line as you can.  You will be required to push harder at certain times and the goal is to keep as steady as you can on the line.  In general,  I think isometrics are challenging and keeping a position for any length of time requires some mental discipline.  With the Activ5, you don’t think about how long you are holding a pose because you are concentrating on staying on that line!  It’s pretty amazing.

I personally like the top one because I like it to go horizontally across the screen rather than vertically in the skiing screen.  Just my personal opinion.

Additional Uses

There are games on this thing!!!!!  Sorry, I’ve been waiting to blurt that out.  But seriously, if there are days when you just can’t mentally get yourself to focus on exercise (we’ve all been there), playing these games can make you feel accomplished anyway. There are independent gaming companies that have made games that may just get you addicted to exercise.

My personal favorite is Creep Jump (see screenshot below).  If you remember the game “Flappy Bird” from a few years ago, this is a lot like it, but you have to apply pressure to the device to keep the square from dropping or hitting anything. See the screenshot below.  You can play it on different difficulty levels and use different parts of your body to squeeze the device for an extra challenge.  The first time my daughters and I played this game, we all couldn’t put it down and we were very sore the next day!

Final thoughts

All in all, I was very impressed with this device.  I can see people at any age and activity level benefitting from its use. I used to work with patients in an elder care facility and I led chair exercises.  This would have been a great tool to use to help motivate them to move.  I think it would also be a great tool for people recovering from injuries that need lower impact exercise to stay fit while they recover.  As with anything, to see results you need to DO IT and the nature of this program makes you want to keep going.  The results are trackable so you get input from each exercise and each week as you go forward.  It was my intention to complete the 6 week Activ5 Challenge right off the bat and report my results, however, a vacation and a broken phone interrupted that process.  I realized I had used it enough to do a Part 1 review and now I will begin Part 2, which will be the Challenge and I’ll see first hand how my strength improves. Stay tuned!

Source:  The sample for this review was provided by Activbody, Inc. please visit their site to learn more or to purchase.

 

Product Information

Price: $199.90
Manufacturer: Activbody, Inc.
Requirements:
  • iOS or Android device with Bluetooth
Pros:
  • Portable
  • Fun
  • Can be used by a person at any fitness level
  • Requires only 5 minutes per workout
Cons:
  • If you don't like isometric exercise this is not for you

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Activ5 isometric workout device review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 31, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Plotagraph iOS image animation app review

The iPhone’s camera can take amazing pictures, but if static images bore you and you want to take your photography up a notch, you need to check out Plotagraph.

What is it?

Plotagraph is an easy to use image animation app for the iPhone or iPad.

How does it work?

First, you take a static image that can be improved with an animated element. The image above looks fine as it is, but wouldn’t it be cool if the water showed movement? Plotagraph can’t do that with just a few clicks.

The app has a very simple interface with the tools at the bottom.

I like to anchor or mask all the parts of the image that I don’t want to animate first. This is can be done using the mask or anchor tools at the bottom of the screen. I like the anchor tool best. All you do is tap around the areas that you don’t want to move.

Then you use the animate tool to draw little lines in the direction that you want the image to move. That’s it! When you press the play button, you’ll see the results which are pretty freaking cool. I’ve exported this example as a 3 second MP4 video clip below.

Pretty cool right? The app will also let you crop the image and adjust the speed of the animation.

Let’s do another.

Water and cloud images are a good choice to animate.

Load the image from your existing camera roll.

Mask off or anchor the area of the image you don’t want to move.

Draw some animation lines.

And check the results. This app is a lot of fun because it’s so easy and fast to use.

Here’s another one saved as a PNG.

In the Plotagraph app, you can choose different time lengths for the clips and export them to your device’s camera roll as an MP4 video or animated PNG. You can then submit them to your favorite social media sites like Instagram or Facebook. Unfortunately, you can’t share directly to those sites from the Plotagraph app.

Watch the video below which shows the whole process.

Final thoughts

I had a lot of fun playing around with the Plotagraph app on my iPhone 7 Plus and my iPad Pro 10.5. Animate images like this remind me of Harry Potter. 😉

I found it was easier to use the app on the iPad Pro just because the screen is larger and it’s easier to do a better job masking off areas that you don’t want to animate. With the iPad Pro, you can also use the Apple Pencil to make things even easier.

If you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned using this app with Android device, that’s because this app is not available for Android devices yet. Supposedly a version for Android is in the works but there’s no info when it will be available.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Plotagraph Inc. Please visit their site for more info and App store to buy it.

 

Product Information

Price: $4.99
Manufacturer: Plotagraph
Retailer: App store
Requirements:
  • iOS device
Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Transforms old photos into living photos
  • Can't see where there loop starts and ends
Cons:
  • Can't share directly to social media from app
  • No Android version

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Plotagraph iOS image animation app review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 31, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Zipbuds 26 wireless sports headphones review

There is no shortage of Bluetooth headphones on the market. You can find them for less than $25 on the low end of the pricing spectrum, and to several hundred dollars on the extreme opposite end. What features justify the price for higher end Bluetooth headphones, earphones, and earbuds and would you spend $150 for the interestingly designed Zipbuds 26 wireless sports headphones? Let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

Zipbuds 26 wireless sports headphones are Bluetooth earbuds that feature a built-in sub-woofer and long battery life.

What’s in the box?

Zipbuds
micro USB charging cable
Magnetic charging dock that doubles as an attachable extra battery pack
Quick start guide

Zipbuds also ships with a large selection of ear tips so that you can easily find the best fit and comfort possible for your ears.

3 pairs of Fitness lock stabilizers
3 pairs of C-Lock stabilizers
3 pairs of silicone ear tips
3 pairs of memory foam ear tips

Design and features

If you remove the somewhat odd looking inline modules attached to each Zipbud earbud cable, these headphones resemble countless of other Bluetooth earbuds that you can find on Amazon and other online retailers. But those inline modules are what set the Zipbuds apart from other wireless headphones.

Typically with wireless headphones, there is one inline controller that has a micro USB connector for charging, a power button, and volume buttons. But with the Zipbud 26 wireless sport headphones, there are two inline modules. The module hanging from the right earbud has a power / pairing button on the bottom edge and a multifunction play/pause/call answer/end button on the side. There’s also a volume rocker button and a status LED on the other side. of the inline module.

I like that the volume down button has raised bumps that make it easy to figure out which button raises the volume and which button lowers it.

The module that is attached to the left earbud has four electrical contacts.

The included magnetic charging dock magnetically snaps to the module to charge it. A full charge provides up to 7hrs of talk and playtime with 400 hours of standby time.

The magnetic dock has its own built-in battery that can be used as an extra power bank for the Zipbuds headphones. That means if the Zipbuds run out of juice, you can snap on the battery dock mobile charging clip and keep rocking with your favorite tunes for an additional 8 hours of play time.

Five minutes of charge = 1 hour of play time and the headphones and mobile clip are fully charged in 2 hours.

Fit and comfort

To create the best fit possible, there are several different types of ear tips included with the Zipbuds. You can mix and match the tips for the perfect fit. I tried the C locks first.

Next, I tried the memory foam tips and then fitness locks. I ended up settling on the C locks with regular silicone ear tips which provided me with a secure and comfortable fit.

Even with what would be perceived as being extra heaving due to the inline modules, the Zipbuds are very lightweight. I barely noticed them while I was wearing them and they stayed in my ears even when walking and working out. I’m not a runner, so I didn’t test them with high impact type of activities.

Note that these headphones are sweat and water resistant and designed to survive epic workout sessions.

Audio quality

I was impressed by the audio quality of these wireless headphones when listening to all types of music and even podcasts. Audio is clear and crisp and the built-in subwoofer gives hard driving beats extra thump.

I paired the Zipbuds with an iPhone 7 Plus and really enjoyed listening to music through Spotify and Amazon Music apps.

If I could find one complaint as far as audio is that I noticed that sometimes that volume levels were too loud and even turning the audio all the way down wasn’t low enough before automatically muting the audio. I actually had to play around with the volume limits settings on the iPhone.

Call quality

I wasn’t as impressed with call audio quality or I should say that people on the other end of my conversations weren’t impressed. Calls sounded fine on my end while wearing the Zipbuds but on the other end, people said that I sounded like I was in a can and would ask me to repeat myself.

Final thoughts

You’re not going to find Zipbuds 26 wireless sport earbuds in a bargain bin. This Bluetooth headset is in on the pricier side of the Bluetooth earbud ladder. But are they worth the extra cost? In my opinion – yes, they are. They sound great and they are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. But the best feature of the Zipbuds is the dock that doubles as a clip on extended battery. This is a great feature that comes in handy when you’re listening to music or your favorite podcast and your earbuds run out of juice. Instead of waiting for them to charge back up, you can just snap on the battery clip and enjoy up to 8 hours of playtime.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $149.99
Manufacturer: Zipbuds
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Good sound
  • Long play time
  • Clip on battery
  • Comes with lots of ear tip options
Cons:
  • Call audio quality not the best on the receiver side of the conversation

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Zipbuds 26 wireless sports headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2017 at 3:03 pm.

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Flowfold Wallets review

Are you in the market for a wallet? I’ve got something new to tell you about. Flowfold is a cool little company out of Maine that sent me a trio of their wallets for evaluation. They’re thin, lightweight, and made from high-tech, super-durable materials. They also rock a modern, distinctive look that stands out from your typical money/card carriers. Pretty cool, right? Let’s check ’em out!

About Flowfold

Flowfold has been creating every day carry products since 2005, featuring a variety of modern and lightweight materials with an emphasis on functional design. Everything is made in the USA, and the company is committed to environmental sustainability and giving back to the community. The term “flowfold” is used in geology to describe layers of rock that flow smoothly together over time; this concept defines their design philosophy and how it translates to rugged, minimalist, interesting carry pieces.

I was sent three wallets to evaluate: a minimalist bifold wallet, a tri-fold wallet and a passport wallet for travelers. Each sample uses different materials, but the whole set demonstrates Flowfold’s approach to consistent, functional, elegant design. 

The Flowfold Sailcloth Vanguard Bi-Fold Wallet

First up is the super-minimalist wallet in the testing lineup: The Flowfold Sailcloth Vanguard Bi-fold Wallet. I’ve been using this as my go-to wallet for several weeks. Here’s a sample picture to give you a sense for what it carries:

The wallet provided for review uses a really interesting base material: high-performance sailcloth with X-ply technology that sandwiches additional reinforced threading between the layers of fabric. This stuff is made for use in racing boats as sail material (literally), and boasts extraordinary durability while being extremely thin and lightweight… while the wallet measures in at a fairly standard 3.25” by 4.25” folded, its only 0.1” thick and barely taps the scale at a weight of 0.7 ounces. That’s ideal if you’re looking for a thin front-pocket wallet, especially if you’re wearing dress pants and don’t want unsightly bulges.

In the sample provided, Flowfold uses a combination of clear fabrics with different embedded thread patterns that give the wallet a slick, modern look (more color combinations in this fabric are available on their web site). There’s a middle layer of solid gray X-pac material, and the interior card slots are faced by another layer of clear X-ply fabric that uses a wider “X” pattern of black threading. It’s a sharp combination that looks good dressed up with a suit or dressed down for casual adventuring. It’s a vey modern-style design, however, so it may not appeal to those who seek a more traditional wallet look. Check out the picture below to see what the exterior looks like:

I thought that the wallet felt a bit plasticky when I first opened it, and expected it to show scratches and folds over time… I should have paid more attention to the benefits of high-performance sailcloth.  For a super-thin construction, it’s really resistant to abrasion and scratches. The wallet also uses ballistic nylon to reinforce all the seams and stress points, including extra reinforcement at the card slots so that they don’t fray as your constantly pulling your credit cards in and out. I have yet to see any signs of wear and tear anywhere in the wallet. Here’s a shot showing a closeup of the detail in the stitching and edges:

From a design perspective, it’s a super-minimalist layout. You have a billfold slot that runs the length of the wallet and two pockets on each side (four total) for your credit cards, ID, etc. The clear material allows you to easily see what’s in the pockets, which saves some time when you’re fumbling for a particular card while in line at the grocery store. The pockets are also slightly oversized so you can fit multiple cards in each slot without feeling like you’re going to pop a seam. It’s easy to use and easy to live with on a day-to-day basis, which is about the best you can expect from a well-designed wallet.

I’m always trying to minimize my daily carry, and the Vanguard is a great choice for this. It’s just big enough to handle some cash, your drivers license and work ID, and a couple of extra cards that you may need for the daily essentials. According to the specifications you could fit 10-16 cards in this wallet, but I would expect that this would get pretty bulky pretty quickly.

If there is one drawback to this particular wallet, it may be the contemporary use of materials. It does have a very smooth surface, which makes it easy to slide in and out of your pocket… but some may be looking for a less “techy” look. I like it personally, but Flowfold also offers this style in a variety of materials that may be more to your liking.

The Flowfold Traveler Trifold Wallet — Limited Edition Heather Grey

The next wallet I tested was the Traveler Trifold Wallet, in a different material. This is a limited edition version and uses X-pac ultra lightweight fabric instead of the X-ply sailcloth material.

The trifold uses a 3-panel design which measures in at 4.4” by 3.1” by 0.2” when fully folded, and weighs 1.1 ounces out of the box. The cash pocket is deeper and wider, allowing for international-sized currency of varying sizes. You’ll also find 6 card pockets here, with a transparent center pocket. You’ll easily fit a dozen cards or more in this wallet, with room to spare for extras (like your frequent-buyer coffee club card, which I find critical for survival).

The material and construction choices here shows the versatility in Flowfold’s design philosophy. You’ll find the same design language used in the Bi-Fold, with different base materials. The X-pac ultra lightweight fabric is an outdoor-use material that is found in a lot of outdoor materials these days, tweaked in this case to present a more refined & classic look while still maintaining the durability and lightweight attributes of the whole product lineup. It’s got a nice textured feel to the material, and a more traditional look (if that’s your thing). Build quality is just as tight as I found in the bifold wallet, with reinforced seams and stitching throughout. Here’s a closeup of the interior flap to give you a sense for the material combination:

Here’s a shot of the center panel, leveraging the clear sailcloth X-ply material:

Just like the Vanguard Bi-Fold, the Tri-Fold model can be had in a variety of different materials including the funky X-ply performance sailcloth. You’ll see a bunch of combinations on their web site if you want to explore other styles.

Overall, I found this wallet to be great for days when I need to carry more stuff, specifically multiple cards. It’s still plenty thin and light but offers you lots of room for extras without getting really bulky. There’s also some nice water- and abrasion- resistance to be had here if your journeys take you off the beaten path.

The Flowfold Navigator Passport Wallet — Limited Edition Grey X-pac

Finally, we get to the Big Daddy of the group: the Navigator Passport Wallet. The version I am testing is a limited edition in Grey X-pac fabric, but they also offer variations on their site in the high-performance sailcloth material used in the Vanguard Bi-Fold wallet that I tested.

This wallet is designed for international travel. It measures 6″ by 4″ by 0.12″ deep, and weighs in at 1.1 ounces. You’ll find a pocket specifically designed for your passport, three card pockets with the clear sailcloth material, and several internal pockets that run the height of the wallet for cash, tickets, receipts, and assorted bits that accumulate while traversing planes, trains, and automobiles.

This version uses the typical X-pac material that’s becoming more popular in bags & carry products today, and it’s lovely to use. It’s lightweight, extremely durable, and water-resistant without any additional coatings or liners. It works quite well here as the primary material choice making for a wallet that, while fairly large, is still super slim and lightweight. The look is clean, classy, and unobtrusive… an important feature when traveling so that you don’t draw undue attention. You can also get the X-ply material in it’s high-tech variations if you prefer,

Here’s a closeup of the seam construction for your consideration:

I was just on a business trip to Germany for work a few weeks ago, and used this as my primary wallet for all my travels. Unlike many passport wallets, this one is thin enough that its comfortable to carry around wherever you go and still keep your passport and essentials handy. As I mentioned above, it also offers some dedicated stash pockets for receipts and tickets on-the-go so that you can throw everything in one place and don’t have to carry around an extra envelope of stuff.

Pricing and Conclusion

There’s something I really like about what Flowfold is doing here. I really dig their modern design aesthetic, attention to detail, and use of innovative materials that don’t detract from the form and function of their products. As a community-oriented company that makes everything in the USA, they are also an easy company to like.

Here’s where it gets better: Flowfold’s wallets are very well-priced, ranging from $29 to $45 depending on the style and materials choices, with some super minimalist styles coming in at under $20. That’s a great buy for unique products using cutting-edge materials, made by a company you can get behind. They also stand by everything they make with a lifetime warranty. It doesn’t get much better than that. For more information and to check out their whole lineup of wallets, bags, and apparel, check out the Flowfold web site.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Flowfold. For more info visit their site

 

Product Information

Price: $12 – $45
Manufacturer: Flowfold
Pros:
  • Minimalist design
  • Cutting edge materials
  • Excellent construction and finish
  • Thin and lightweight
Cons:
  • May not appeal to those that prefer traditional design and materials

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Flowfold Wallets review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2017 at 9:30 am.

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