I love products that are simply designed, simply packaged, and easily installed. Products from SnapPower tick all three of those boxes. Three years ago I reviewed their GuideLights outlet covers plates which I still use today and today I’m going to show you their newer SwitchLight covers.
What is it?
The SnapPower SwitchLight is a cover that turns your ordinary switch light cover into a night light without any special wiring, batteries or a complicated installation.
What’s in the package?
SnapPower SwitchLight
Instructions
Design and features
SnapPower SwitchLights are available in two styles that include the Toggle style and a Decor style. They also come in white, light almond, and ivory colors. I was sent a Toggle style in white.
The SwitchLight looks like an ordinary switch light cover until you look closely. Then you’ll notice the small switch / ambient light sensor in the lower left corner and a row of LEDs along the bottom edge of the cover.
When you flip the SwitchLight over, you’ll see two tabs with electrical contacts on the end. These expertly designed tabs make installation literally a snap.
Installation
Installing the SnapPower SwitchLight will take you less than 5 minutes. All you will need is a light switch in a room that has a light fixture that is controlled by just one switch. You’ll also need a flat head screwdriver, a flashlight, and you’ll need to know where your electrical panel is located.
Step 1. Turn off the power to the light fixture by flipping one of the switches in your breaker box / electrical panel.
Step 2: remove the existing switch cover.
When I did this, part of the paint and drywall chipped off and I was immediately dreading the annoyed looks that I knew I would be getting from Jeanne as soon as she noticed that I damaged the wall.
Step 3: Notice the screws on the side of the switch. The tabs on the SwitchLight press against these screws to power the built-in LEDs. Genius right?
Step 4: Snap the SwitchLight in place.
Step 5: Tighten the screws.
Step 6: Turn the power back on.
That’s it!
I was overjoyed that the SnapPower SwitchLight plate is slightly longer than the original switch light cover. The extra length hides the chipped paint. Crisis averted!
It’s time to try it out!
Turn off the light and make sure the switch in the lower left corner is set to low or high brightness instead of off. Then as the room gets darker, the LED lights along the bottom edge of the SwitchLight cover will start to glow. The LEDs turn off as the room gets brighter. Simple!
However, I did notice something strange with the SwitchLight cover. If I have the switch set to bright and turn off the overhead light fixture by toggling the switch where the SwitchLight is installed, the LED bulbs in the fixture will still glow dimly. The image above makes the bulbs appear brighter than they are in real life. If I move the switch to the lower brightness setting, this doesn’t happen.
Final thoughts
I think the SnapPower SwitchLight is a great way to add ambient night lights to a room, hallway, etc., without complicated wiring or electrical know-how. Installation is incredibly fast and easy. The LEDs in the SwitchLights should last for 25 years and will only cost about 10 cents a year to power. You can’t beat that!
Source: The sample for this review was provided by SnapPower. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
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The popularity of minimalist wallets is driving innovation in this field, providing the people with what they have been craving – the downsizing of the traditional men’s and women’s wallets of the past. I’ll admit that I’m one of those people who has been craving a smaller wallet. This time I’m reviewing the SZNS (pronounced “seasons”) Burnt Sienna wallet. Thus far, I’ve found that it is an attractive minimalist wallet for today’s professional, it’s a nice size for credit cards and business cards, it’s made of very thin leather to minimize thickness, and has RFID blocking in each of its three pockets. However, because it is made of very thin leather, I wonder about the longevity of the wallet.
The SZNS wallet came in an attractive black box with a sliding drawer.
The wallet also came with an SZNS decal and a microfiber cloth to clean the wallet.
Design & Build Quality
First Impression: One of the first things that you notice about the SZNS Burnt Sienna wallet is that it holds your cards and paper money vertically. I love that feature. The front and back of the wallet are similar. Each side has a pocket with a diagonal opening to insert cards and/or banknotes. The front of the wallet displays the “SZNS” logo located along the bottom right corner and the back of the wallet contains a very nice self-retracting pull tab used to extract the cards or banknotes in the center pocket.
When I received the SZNS wallet, I took some pictures of it while it was empty. Then after having inserted all my cards and money into the wallet, I noticed a 5 mm slit in the leather above the logo that I don’t think was there before inserting my cards. It was such a clean cut that it was difficult to see, but it was there. I’m not sure how it happened since I hadn’t even started using the wallet yet – I only inserted my cards and money. However, Mr. Amir Sigari, the co-creator of the SZNS wallets with his mother, was very courteous and very quickly sent out a new wallet. They offer free returns on wallets with defects and will exchange it or give you a full refund. They also offer a two-year warranty on this wallet
Leather: The wallet is made of semi-aniline leather. What is that? Pure or full aniline leather is a full grain leather that has been dyed throughout and “has not received any coating of pigmented finish” (By the way, you want full grain leather as opposed to top grain, genuine leather, or bonded leather). Semi-aniline leather is also a full grain leather that has been dyed throughout like aniline leather, however, semi-aniline leather additionally has a “small quantity of pigment, not so much as to conceal the natural characteristics of the hide” (from leatherusa.org) which gives it a more consistent look, protects the leather from some stains, and makes it more durable. Since this wallet has a small amount of pigment on the surface, it will not develop a patina like full aniline leather wallets.
Thread: The thread used in this wallet is a thin a cotton/nylon thread. Although, according to Mr. Sigari, they intend on increasing the size of the thread in the future.
Lining: Each of the three pockets of the wallet is lined with a satin-like lining that incorporates RFID blocking. The above photo on the right shows how the center pocket has sewn into it a black elastic strap with a leather pull tab which extends through the top of the pocket to the back side of the wallet.
According to Mr. Sigari, “both the leather and the RFID blocking inner fabric are die cut by a large stamping machine, after that everything is done by hand.”
Size: The thickness of the wallet when it is empty is about 5 mm.
The wallet is about 4.25″ long (~11 cm). This is a good size to accommodate credit cards and especially business cards.
When compared to the Benjamin Bott Chickadee leather wallet that I recently reviewed, the SZNS wallet is taller but about the same width. You can also tell the difference in the leathers and thread used, both of which are thicker in the Chickadee wallet.
Use
I placed two plastic cards in the front pocket and six cards (two plastic cards, 4 paper cards) in the center pocket. I also placed two plastic cards in the back pocket as well as some cash (two banknotes).
Extracting the cards from the center slot was easy with the self-retracting pull tab. It was also easy to extract the cards from the front and back of the wallet because they were exposed enough to do so. The wallet was tight when filled with all these cards/bills but not too tight to make extracting the contents really difficult and yet not too loose so that you would lose your money or cards. When full, the wallet was a little less that 0.75 inches thick (or about 1.8 cm thick). The wallet fits well in my hand and comfortably carries everything that I need. It really does minimize the bulk of traditional wallets.
Final Thoughts
The SZNS Burnt Sienna wallet is a professional looking lightweight leather wallet. It has the benefit of having three pockets, each lined with RFID blocking material and is tall enough to accommodate business cards as well as credit cards and cash. I was able to insert all of my necessary cards without having to leave anything out (six plastic cards and four paper cards). The wallet was not too tight to make extracting the cards really difficult and yet not too loose so that I would lose cards or money. However, the wallet is made with very thin leather and thin cotton/nylon thread. In addition, the wallet has only a two-year warranty and it is my impression that the wallet may not last a lifetime.
When comparing the SZNS wallet to my two favorite wallets, the Benjamin Bott Chickadee wallet and the Garzini Essenziale Finestra wallet I find that I still prefer the other two. Even though the SZNS wallet has RFID blocking and a self-retracting pull tab, the Chickadee wallet is the best made and the most minimalistic of the three but I also love the design of the Garzini wallet for the accessibility of my cards and money.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by SZNS Apparel. Please visit their site for more info.
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Do you think the next logical step in video gaming is mind control? If so, then you’ll love the concept of Soap Studio’s MIND: The Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice Cerebral Combat Trainer. It’s a video game that I was sent to review. It sounded like fun, but it turned out to be pretty lame. Let’s take a look.
What’s in the package?
MIND headset
Holo-Box
USB charging cable
Instructions
Design and features
The Cerebral Combat Trainer has two main components. The MIND headset and the Holo-Box. First, let’s talk about the MIND headset which is shown above. It looks like a pair of headphones, but the adjustable band rests against your forehead and not the top of your head.
The headset has a micro USB connection for charging the internal batteries. On the top of one of the “ear pieces” is a power button and a tiny status LED.
The shiny parts of the headset rest against the backs of your ears. The headset does not play any sounds. It’s just there to detect your brain waves.
The other component is the Holo-Box which is just a three-sided open-topped plastic box. A clear piece of plastic is inserted into the box at an angle to act as a mirror.
Your Android or iOS device rests face down on the Holo-Box. The phone’s screen reflects off the angled plastic to create a very viewing box.
I tested the MIND Holo-Box with my iPhone 7 Plus and didn’t really see any advantage to using the Holo-Box because the size of the “screen” in the box wasn’t any bigger or better than just viewing with the phone. The info on the package says
By combining a smartphone and a Holo-Box, players can experience a 3D holographic projection, as if in a private cinema.
Yeah… no. Not even close. It’s just a mirror image of your phone’s display. Nothing 3D about it. At all.
It’s time to control Batman with my brain!
Before getting all brainy, you first have to charge the headset with the included (or any) micro USB charging cable. Then you put on the headset with the band touching your forehead and the earpieces resting on your ears like the frames of a pair of eyeglasses. And that’s where I ran into another problem with the MIND Cerebral Combat Trainer. It doesn’t fit if you wear glasses because the eyeglasses temples prevent the headset from properly resting on your ears.
With my glasses removed and the MIND headset in place, I launched the MIND app on my iPhone 7 Plus and was giving the choice of using the Holo-Box or just the phone. I tried it with the Holo-Box first and was instructed to place the phone on the Holo-Box.
The app then begins the headset connection phase.
I had a hard time getting the headset to fit correctly on my head. See that tiny icon in the lower left corner that looks like a pair of headphones with a red X in the center? That icon would continuously switch from X which is bad, to yellow which is good.
I finally got a good connection and went through some calibration tests where I was asked to blink twice and to make the Batman logo spin faster.
Once I passed the calibration steps, the game proceeds.
The game has several levels which are represented in a circular pattern. By double blinking your eyes, you can switch between the levels, but to select the level to play you have to tap the screen. If you’re using the Holo-Box, that means you have to pick up the phone, tap the screen and then set it back on top of the Holo-Box.
Each level instructs you to do something with your mind. In the first level, it’s your job to have Batman fly through gates.
The idea is that you use your mind to make Batman fly higher or lower so that he doesn’t miss a gate.
Easy right? Actually yes. Very easy. I didn’t even try to focus my thoughts on Batman’s flying. I just watched the screen and he was able to get through every gate without problems. Hmmm…. Either my brain is insanely powerful, or this game is lame…
The next level has you help Batman hack a lock by spinning gears until they snap in place. Again, I had no problem getting through this level by no even trying.
I didn’t run into trouble until the third level. In this level, Batman is in a parking garage and bad guys appear out of thin are. You’re supposed to us your mind to move a target over the bad guy and then Batman will zap him. I was horrible at this level and got seriously annoyed at the game because it seemed like it would just do things randomly no matter if I focused or not.
Final thoughts
After the third level, I was done with the Soap Studio’s MIND: The Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice Cerebral Combat Trainer. It’s not fun and it’s crazy expensive at $120 with over $80 shipping to the US. A kid might enjoy goofing around with this game (for about 30 minutes), but not at that price. My advice is to skip this one and use your mind for something more productive like reading an actual Batman or Superman comic.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Soap Studio. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
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I have been reviewing charging stands almost since the first day having an Apple Watch. We have seen everything from metal folding stands to exotic wood travel stands to charging gizmos that take over every function on your nightstand but the controller for your electric blanket. Some have been great, others have been – um – misguided. None, however, have not required you to add your own Apple Watch charger (which adds an additional $30, minimum, plus the hassle of threading it through the stand’s wiring channels.) Until now. Kanex has just released a stand for Apple Watch that includes the magnetic charging puck, as well as a single USB port. I was sent one to test and was excited to give it a go.
Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.
The stand is disarming in its simplicity. It’s a disc almost 4″ in diameter, with a space gray plastic finish and black plastic accents. There is a simple company logo centered on the disc. The 5/8″ thick base has a rubber gasket on the bottom to keep it firmly on your desk or nightstand. A metal tube almost 1/4″ in diameter rises just over three inches from the base, and curves gently to a position centered over the base. The charging puck is affixed to a metal holder set at a permanent 29º angle. The holder is smooth and nicely rounded. The fittings between the puck holder, the tube, and the base are both smooth and tight. There is no play at all.
The unit weighs only 7.35 ounces but feels substantial. Because of the right angle between the base and the upright of the watch stand, this is not something you’re going to pack for trips or move about – it’s going to sit quietly on your desk or nightstand and do what it’s supposed to when called on.
The single USB port on the rear of the base means you can also charge an iPad, iPhone, or your partner’s Apple Watch, but you’ll need to supply your own cable. I was a bit put off when I unboxed it and found that the power was provided by a round positive-tip plug, rather than the standard mini- or microUSB. Kanex, however, took the important step of providing an extra long plug that fits deeply into the body of the base for added strain relief. There is virtually no possible way to get the plug and pin misaligned and possibly damaged. It holds tightly, and powers the charger and USB port reliably.
At $79.95, it’s a little spendy, but, remember, there’s a $30 Apple Watch charger included, and a single USB charger, which would run another $5-$10. I, personally, would not hesitate to spend $80 for a quality piece like this.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kanex. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
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With so many action cameras on the market today, the only real decision you have to make is how much you want to pay. Sure, you can spend hundreds for the top of the line POV action camera but what if your budget isn’t hundreds of dollars? Well, with the MGCOOL Explorer ES I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the price that it goes for.
The MGCOOL Explorer ES is a mid-range action camera that has a price point of less than $40.00 and is geared toward the average consumer looking to capture high quality HD footage without spending that high end camera price. Nowadays, people using action cameras aren’t just the usual extreme athlete from the earlier days of extreme sports trying to record themselves jumping off of bridges on bungee cords, or parachuting out of a plane, or jumping huge gaps on a mountain bike, or skating a huge session on a vert ramp or surfing the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. More and more people using action cameras today are your everyday people like a mom or dad on a family vacation, a college student at a music festival, or a kid filming an intense water balloon fight at their birthday party.
The specs on the camera as follows: first of all it can record in 3K, 2.7K, 1080, 720, and 480. Keep in mind that shooting in 3K there is only a 15fps frame rate when recording in this setting. Although the footage is usable, you won’t get that fluid motion that you would get a recording in 30fps or for even smoother footage recording at 60fps. And if you are looking for the more cinematic look, there are action cameras that record at 24fps.
The next setting down is 2.7K, which records in 30fps, then 1080P at 60fps and 30fps and then 720P at 120, 60, and 30fps. The MGCOOL Explorer ES records at an MP4 video format and has a H.264 compression mode.
In still camera mode, you can capture in 16M, 12M, 8M, 5M, and 2M.
The Explorer ES has a nice 170° wide angle lens so capturing all the action in front of the camera won’t be missed. It has a 2.0″ inch screen display on the back which is great to help frame your shots and it makes it easier to review your captured footage so you won’t have to squint to see it.
The Explorer ES has the familiar rectangle shape that is common whenever anyone thinks of an action or POV camera. It is 2.3″ in. x 1.61 in. x 1.14: in. and it weighs in at 1.94 ounces.
One thing that I paid close attention to is the picture quality of this camera. I wanted to see how good the quality was on a mid-range camera versus the quality of a higher priced high-end camera. On a bright sunny day, the video was good and picture quality on the MGCOOL Explorer ES looked great for a mid-range camera. However, in low light, the camera struggled a bit. There was graininess and soft images. But, if you aren’t doing a lot of low light or night shot then this camera will do just fine. How can you go wrong on a camera for under $40 dollars?
The images from a sunny day and well it rooms looked crisp and clear and there was a good balance between the brightness and contrast. However, I did notice that the center of the footage was the sharpest and around the edges were a little soft but not too soft to be a deal breaker. Not bad for a mid-range camera at this price.
Keep in mind that since this is a mid-range camera you don’t have much control over the camera settings. There is only a setting for Exposure and White Balance. You can increase or decrease the brightness in the Exposure settings and select between Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent Light, or Florescent Light for the White Balance.
The MGCOOL Explorer ES has a microSD card slot on the side of the camera and directly beside that slot is the microUSB charging port. The Explorer ES can support microSD cards up to 64GB. Although, there are microSD cards that are geared specifically towards recording 4K, 3K and 2.7K footage, I used an 8GB Centron microSD card while recording in 3K and had no problems whatsoever. I tested out the other resolutions and the Explorer ES did just fine. Just be sure the microSD card you are using is a Class 10 card. Anything lower than that and you could have issues recording in high HD resolutions, especially recording in 3k or 2.7K.
Aside from the minimal camera controls, another thing to point out that puts this camera into the mid-range category is the lack of a mini-HDMI out port. Unless you find yourself constantly connecting your action camera to your TV to view your footage, then the lack of the mini-HDMI port won’t be missed. I know that I myself typically view my captured footage on my computer after I insert the microSD card into a card reader, so not having a mini-HDMI port wasn’t a big deal for me. I can still review footage I shot on the camera with the large 2″ inch LCD screen on the back if I need to.
On the plus side, although this is a mid-range camera it does have WI-Fi capabilities so you’ll be able to monitor and review your camera from your Android or iOS device via MGCOOL’s app for Android and iOS devices. I was happy to see that there was barely any lag from the camera to my LG G4 Android phone. Some action cameras I have used there was a lag in the app’s video monitor when I moved the camera. There was about a one second delay after I move the camera. With t he MGCOOL Explorer ES, the movement was almost instant. For me, the delay, or lag, is more of a pet peeve. For some users out there it may not bother you. You’ll have to play around with it and see what you think. The connection distance between your device and the Explorer is a 10m or 30ft. To activate the Wi-Fi, you can just press the top toggle button on the side of the camera and it will activate the camera’s Wi-Fi. If you look very closely you can see the Wi-Fi icon on the top button.
Another nice feature that the Explorer ES can do is the option to record in Driving Mode. Basically, you can use this camera as a dash camera in your car. In this setting, the camera will automatically write over the microSD card when it gets full. This is good to have when the camera records all the action in front of your car in case you find yourself in a fender bender.
The MGCOOL Explorer comes with a 1050mAh Li-ion battery which is nice compared to other action cameras that only come with a 900mAh Li-ion battery. The bigger battery gives you some extra juice for the camera. As a matter of fact, I tested the camera shooting in 1080P/60fps and managed to squeeze out 2 hours on a single charge. While I was surprised at that battery life I tested it again on another day using the same 1080P/60fps settings and got the same 2 hours out of the battery. In the 3k setting, I got and hour and 30 minutes and in the 2.7K I got one hour and 20 minutes. So, I’m not sure if shooting in a lower resolution helped prolong the battery life but I would need to do more testing. Either way, having a 1050mAh battery is a nice option to have with action cameras. The more juice the better.
For a mid-range camera, the MGCOOL Explorer ES is an action camera that captures high-resolution footage at a low price range. And when I saw low price range I mean low. So for people out there that want to get into shooting with action cameras but don’t want, or need, to spend a lot of money, the Explorer ES by MGCOOL is a perfect camera to introduce yourself into the world of action and POV cameras. I would say this is a great starting camera if you want to dip your proverbial foot into the pool of action cameras and find out what quality and resolution you have a need for.
The Explorer ES comes with several accessories and mounts to get you going and to start using the camera in many action scenarios. For the quality and price of this camera, you can get several Explorer ES cameras for the price of one high-end camera. MGCOOL also offers a 2 year warranty on this camera.
Although I really don’t like uploading videos larger than 1080 to Youtube because of Youtube’s compression, you can check out a small test clip I shot with the Explorer ES below.
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