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North St. Bags Flanders Backpack review

After what seemed like an endless winter, including a late-season snowstorm that dumped a foot and a half of snow, we’re finally starting to see some decent weather. And all that sun and warmth has put one thing on my mind… long hikes on one of the many trails in the area. One of the necessities for a day on the trail is a sturdy, comfortable backpack.

Enter the Flanders backpack. This handmade rucksack from Portland-based North St. Bags is a fitting companion for your both your most rugged hike or a daily work commute.

The Flanders backpack is roll-top, weatherproof and ready for action.

The backpack’s construction and quality is top-notch. All of the hardware felt like it could withstand a small explosion. The zippers are easy to open, the buckles snap together easily and stay closed, and the straps stayed in place. And due to the fact that it’s handmade, the shoulder straps and side compression straps are extremely tough. I used to own a Chrome messenger bag and would say that it matches that epic build quality and waterproofing while remaining very much lighter.

You can see the roll-top length from this angle. Closing it is like rolling a large lunch bag.

According to North St.’s website, the Flanders Backpack is made from “1000 denier CORDURA® nylon” with a waterproof liner made from “lightweight and durable VX-21 X-Pac™ sailcloth.” It also features:

  • Handmade, built to last a lifetime
  • Easy access external pockets and internal Velcro rows enable adding or swapping out pockets as needed
  • Bright lining makes finding items fast and easy
  • Side-sleeve for u-lock or bottle
  • Internal laptop sleeve
  • 1000 denier CORDURA® nylon
  • Waterproof X-Pac™ sailcloth liner
  • 2” buckle and strap

This inner X-Pac material is indeed very thin and durable. The tradeoff is that it’s also very noisy. Digging around for something inside the large compartment or the front pockets creates a crisp rustling that wouldn’t matter so much while hiking but might be really loud fetching something from a pocket in the middle of the night.

The chest strap keeps the backpack from moving around too much and further balances the weight distribution.

As far as features go, the Flanders is fairly minimal. There are two zippered front pockets, two side pockets that could easily fit a large water bottle, and an internal laptop sleeve. The main compartment opening is a roll-top and held shut with a large buckle. I noticed that when the buckle is undone, it hangs down over the first zippered pocket and gets in the way, but that’s a minor quibble. One could probably fit a 15″ laptop inside the laptop sleeve.

The large main compartment is cavernous.

The main compartment is quite large and could hold plenty of stuff. There isn’t much division for this area, and even though it’s large, there isn’t a lot of room for maneuverability, so I’d pack the things that you need to access frequently near the top. Four expansion straps along the side of the bag allow it to hold its shape very well no matter how full it is.

All of these features would be useless if the backpack itself was a pain to wear. Fortunately, the Flanders is super comfortable. Thick padding on the shoulder straps coupled with the chest strap allows the bag to hug close to your back and distributes the weight very well across both shoulders. I almost forgot I was wearing it during the review time.

I didn’t get a chance to test the weatherproofing in a downpour, but it did stand up well to some splashes from my water bottle. I imagine it would be just fine sitting on a wet ground or during a steady rain.

There wasn’t a lot I’d change about the Flanders backpack. That crew up on Portland sure knows how to put together a quality product. If you’re looking for a virtually indestructible, medium-sized backpack for hiking, commuting or travel, this bag could be the last one you’ll ever have to buy.

The Flanders Backpack is available now for $199 from North St. Bags.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $199.00
Manufacturer: North St. Bags
Pros:
  • Comfortable padding on shoulder straps
  • Good weight distribution and compression
  • Holds its shape well when full
  • Weatherproof and very durable
Cons:
  • Average number of default dividers/pockets
  • Buckle/strap obscures front pockets when undone
  • Liner material is very noisy

Filed in categories: Bags, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged:

North St. Bags Flanders Backpack review originally appeared on on April 13, 2017 at 6:48 am.

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Netatmo Welcome Indoor Security Camera review

I reviewed the Netatmo Presence Outdoor Security camera a few months ago and really, REALLY enjoy using it because it uses deep learning to tell the differences between people, animals, cars, and other motions thus virtually eliminating unnecessary motion detection alerts. In addition, there are no subscription fees because all the video is stored locally and copied to Dropbox or your personal FTP server (if you set these up). Now I have the opportunity to review the Netatmo Welcome Indoor Security camera which has the ability to tell the difference between individual people with facial recognition. After having used it for a few weeks, I find that I like this camera too. It is able to tell the difference between individuals in our household and will alert you to an unfamiliar face or tell you that motion was detected if it can’t see the face of the individual. Like the Presence, the Welcome camera also records videos locally and will save them in your Dropbox account or personal FTP server thus eliminating subscription fees.

Package Contents

  • Netatmo Welcome Indoor Security camera with 8 GB micro-SD card
  • Ethernet cable
  • Micro-USB cable
  • AC power adapter
  • Welcome guide

Technical Specifications

  • SIZE: 45 x 45 x 155 mm / 1.8 x 1.8 x 6 inches
  • MECHANICS & DESIGN: Single piece durable anodized aluminum shell
  • CAMERA:
    • Video sensor: 4MP
    • Resolution: Up to 1920×1080
    • 130° field of view
  • CONNECTIVITY SPECIFICATIONS:
    • Ethernet RJ-45 port: 10/100 Mbits
    • Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4G)
  • DATA STORAGE: MicroSD card up to 32GB (8GB class 10 MicroSD card included)
  • IPHONE AND IPAD COMPATIBILITY: iOS 9 minimum required
  • ANDROID COMPATIBILITY: Android 4.3 minimum required
  • BROWSER SUPPORT: Webapp available for the two latest versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer
  • No subscription fees

Design & Build Quality



The Netatmo Welcome camera is actually a small camera measuring 6″ tall (15.3 cm) and 1.75″ in diameter (4.5 cm). It is encased in a very nice gold-colored aluminum cylinder housing and the camera, nighttime infrared LED, and motion sensor are contained behind black plastic. The back of the camera contains a micro-SD card slot (the camera comes with an 8 GB card), a micro-USB port, and an Ethernet port.

Setup

When setting up the Welcome camera, I decided to connect it to my network via WiFi rather than Ethernet cable, thus I only needed to plug the camera into an outlet for power. I placed the camera on a table facing the front door.




My camera did not come with a user guide, but the Netatmo Security app instructs you how to setup your camera. The above screenshots are taken from my iPod Touch 6G. If you do not have the Security app, you’d have to download it and create an account. Since I already use the app on my iPod and my Nexus 6 phone with the Netatmo Presence Outdoor Security camera, I needed to tap on the Menu icon located in the upper left of the Security app home screen, select “Setup a new camera”, then tap on the image of the Welcome camera in the app settings. I plugged the camera in, then turned it upside down. I needed to keep the camera oriented upside down during the setup process (I made the mistake the first couple of times of not keeping it that way and thus the app had trouble detecting the camera).




Once the app detected the camera, I selected it from a list (first screenshot) and was then connected. After that, I needed to name the camera (I named my Welcome camera “Indoor Cam” as shown in the last screenshot) and select the geographic location where the camera was installed (e.g. home, vacation home, business, etc.) – in my case, I selected my home (aptly named “Home”) which is the same place my outdoor security camera is installed.




At this point, the app informs you that the Welcome camera can recognize your loved ones from each other and from strangers after training the camera to recognize all the different faces captured of each of the residents. The app also suggests where to place the camera while warning you to be aware of backlighting.



You can adjust the camera settings by tapping on the ellipsis (three dots in the upper right of the Security app home screen) then tapping on the gear icon located under the name of your Welcome camera (“Indoor Cam”).



Welcome Camera Settings: The above screenshots were taken from my Nexus 6 phone. By tapping on the vertical ellipsis, you can also access the Alert Recording Settings on the Welcome camera or you can tap on “Tell Welcome everybody has left the house” (left screenshot). In the middle screenshot, there is a setting that allows you to set a time that if the identified individuals are not detected for that amount of time, they will be considered “Away” instead of at “Home”. The middle screenshot also shows how you may also set up whether or not the camera should record video and send a notification when it detects motion (“Never”, “Only when nobody is home”, or “Always”). The last screenshot shows additional camera settings.



Linking Dropbox to the Welcome Camera: The Welcome camera records all videos locally on a micro-SD card (the camera comes with an 8 GB card) and does not require any ongoing subscription fees like other security cameras. You can also set up your Welcome camera to upload a video of the events it detects to your Dropbox account or your personal FTP server. I chose to link the Welcome camera to my Dropbox account. After doing so, I was able to select things like whether or not to “Save videos of unknown faces on Dropbox” or “Save videos of motion on Dropbox”. I personally really like the fact that there are no subscription fees.



Security App Settings: By tapping on the Menu icon located in the upper left corner of the home screen, you can access other settings. From here you can add a new camera, change your email address or password, or tap on Home (or Vacation Home, Business, etc. – wherever you installed your camera) to view all of your connected cameras. After tapping on Home, you will be able to set up your camera(s) to upload to Dropbox or your private FTP server (middle screenshot). When you tap on each of your connected cameras (last screenshot), the app will show you the strength of the WiFi signal, it’s MAC address and the current firmware being used.

Use




Security App Home Screen: When you launch the Security app, the home screen will display whether or not any faces have been detected by the Welcome camera. Once the camera has been trained to recognize each of the residents of your home, it will show you if it has detected them. If it has not detected anyone in a certain amount of time, it will flag them as being “Away” from home. Swiping up (or tapping on the “Up” arrow located in the upper right of the video display) will hide the “faces detected” screen.

Viewing Live Video: By tapping on the Live icon just below the video, you can swipe left or right on the video display to view the view from your different cameras. The third screenshot shows the view from the indoor Welcome camera and the last screenshot shows the view from our outdoor Presence camera. To view the live video streaming of the indoor camera, you must tap on the Play button in the middle of the video display.

When viewing any live activity going on in front of the camera, there is a few second delay in the live feed and also when a motion is detected. This happens with the Netatmo Presence Outdoor Security Camera as well which according to the Netatmo website, “Presence uses http Live Streaming protocol. Experiencing a slight lag time of a few seconds is normal, as live stream is sent through an encrypted connection from Presence to your device.” This may also be the case with the Welcome camera.




Setting Up Facial Recognition Profiles: When the Welcome camera captures the face of someone it doesn’t recognize, it will display that face on the home screen of the app above the video display. Long pressing on the image in this “faces detected” screen will allow you to identify the person, forget the person, or tell the app that the image is not a face. When you are identifying the person for the first time, you will set up a profile for that person by giving them a name, uploading a profile picture if desired, and flagging the image as yourself or someone else and using your phone’s location to assist Welcome in determining whether or not you are home.




When the Welcome camera detects my face, it identifies that I am at “Home” versus “Away”. Long pressing on my image in the “faces detected” area, allows me access to my profile to change the settings. I can tell the camera to record videos of myself or not during the time that I designate.

I would have preferred to see the setting that allows me to set a time interval to tell the Welcome camera whether I am “Away” or at “Home” here in the Profile settings right under the “Use my location to assist Welcome”. As it is, that setting is located under the “Alert recording settings” for the Welcome camera.

If the Welcome camera can see your face, it will flag it as an identified person or unidentified person. If it cannot see your face, it will notify you that a motion has been detected.

Alarm Detection: If the camera detects an alarm of any kind (smoke alarm, CO alarm, etc.) it will also notify you of this alarm if you set the camera up to do so in the “Alert recording settings”. The Welcome camera did give me a couple of alarm notifications but none of our alarms went off (I was home at the time and did not hear anything). Curious.


Notifications: Whenever you receive a notification about a motion, if a face is detected, it will identify the person as a known or unknown individual, otherwise it will identify it as a motion. The screenshot on the above left illustrates the iOS notifications and the right screenshot is that from my Android device (Nexus 6 phone).

Facial Recognition Accuracy and Sensitivity: I found that Welcome camera detected almost all motions or faces that passed by the camera. It was fairly accurate in discerning the faces of the individuals in our house. However, it did not always send a notification that one of us had passed in front of the camera even though I set up the camera to always send notifications when motion is detected.

Resolution: The clarity of the videos was a high-quality 1080p resolution with clear sound (when sound was detected). However, in a few instances when viewing the videos, the resolution was lower. I think this is a function of the strength and quality of my WiFi. Here is a video captured of motion that was detected by the camera during the day.

One-Way Audio: The camera also picks up sound very well but it is only one-way audio. It is not possible to speak to your invited and uninvited guests when they approach the camera.

Here is another video of motion that was detected at night. I was pleased with the quality.

Android vs. iOS App (Zoom features): Just like the Presence Outdoor Security camera allows you to zoom in and out of live or recorded video (when playing them), you can do the same for the Welcome Indoor Security camera videos. There were only a couple of differences between the Android app and the iOS app that I have noticed. The iOS app (top screenshot) allows you to zoom into a specific area of the video using the pinching gesture, while the Android app (bottom screenshot) requires you to tap on the magnifying glass zoom icons located along the right side of the video screen. I found that after tapping on the zoom icons, I then needed to reposition the video thus I really appreciate the “pinch” zoom feature of the iOS app – with it, I could zoom in on the specific area that I was curious about quickly and efficiently.

Resolution Information: I also noticed that when you tap on any area of the live video feed within the Android app, the information displayed included the resolution of the video which isn’t included in the iOS app.

Web Access: Netatmo also allows you web access to your Netatmo energy, weather, or security products. I have both the Welcome Indoor Security camera and the Presence Outdoor Security camera. The web interface does not appear to provide any additional features than that provided by the iOS or Android apps, which I appreciate because then I can see and alter any settings that I want to from any device, not just my computer.

Final Thoughts

I liked using the Netatmo Welcome Indoor Security camera. Setup was straightforward, it recorded identified faces, unidentified faces, and motion in 1080p (most of the time) whether it was daytime or nighttime. It has a 130° viewing angle and it records videos locally and to your Dropbox account or personal FTP server thus avoiding subscription fees. It is important to consider backlighting issues when placing your camera in a spot in the house.  Just the fact that it can tell the differences between the inhabitants of the house and unidentified faces is a wonderful feature, thus allowing us to ignore those individuals that are known and to tell us when someone else is in the house.

There are a couple of things to consider before you purchase. The camera did miss us a few times when we passed in front of it (perhaps because we had passed in front of it a little earlier?), I received a couple of alarm notifications when no alarms had gone off (smoke alarms, security system alarms, etc.), and the camera has only one-way audio. However, for the most part, the camera worked well for me.

Source: The sample used in this review was provided by Netatmo. Please visit their website for more information or visit Amazon to purchase.

 

Product Information

Price: $159.90
Manufacturer: Netatmo
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • High-speed Internet connection needed
  • Public hotspots not supported
  • iOS 9 minimum required
  • Android 4.3 minimum required
Pros:
  • Recordings are 1080p
  • Facial recognition fairly accurate
  • Records only videos we deem important
  • No subscription fees – records videos locally and to my Dropbox account (or personal FTP server if I had one)
Cons:
  • Did not always send notifications when one of us passed in front of the camera
  • One-way audio

Filed in categories: Home and Kitchen, Reviews

Tagged:

Netatmo Welcome Indoor Security Camera review originally appeared on on April 12, 2017 at 7:38 am.

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SoundMagic BT100 Bluetooth over-ear handphones review

We all know the logic: the larger the speaker, the better the bass. With headphones, this means that over-the-ear units are going to sound better than similar quality on-ear or earbud units. So I was really excited when I was offered the SoundMagic BT100s to test.

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


The Soundmagic BT100s arrived in a semi-rigid case, along with a microUSB and .125″ AUX cable and a sheet of instructions. The earcups fold up into the cushioned headband for travel, and the whole unit is very compact.

If you use the case, it’s a little larger, but you can carry along the cables and some other small things in the net pocket in the lid. This may be important because I found that the cables are not standard. Both jacks are extra long, in order to connect to the recessed ports on the earcup. This was the most infuriating part of the whole unit. I’m not sure why they would build something that can’t use a standard cable, either for audio or for charging. It’s the single reason I can’t recommend the headphones, no matter how good they sound. Who cares if they sound great, if you can’t connect or charge the batteries because you lost or broke or forgot the cables?


All of the features are controlled from the left earcup. One of the most interesting features of the BT100s is the built in mic.

It is a short, solid arm that extends 1.5″ from the left earcup, and is a great point of reference when you’re reaching for the multifunction button to stop/start sound, change pairing, or turn the headset on/off. I found the system produced clear sound using the phone or Siri or taking voice memos. Across the back of the left earcup are the track change buttons, and, up on the upper rear side, are the volume control buttons. The AUX cable plugs into the lower side of the same earcup, and the power/charge cable plugs into the front side of it.

The large earcups house great speakers but are also very comfortable.

I was able to easily sync the BT100s with my iPhone 6s Plus, with my iPads, and with the Hammo TV headphones I reviewed a while back. I did have an issue with the first unit I was shipped, where the Bluetooth connection stopped working in the right channel. Wired connections were fine, and I thought for a while that I had somehow changed a setting, and checked out the online support for information. I sent in a ticket and waited a week or more with no reply. We finally contacted the PR company and got a second set, but as far as the SoundMagic support desk is concerned, I’m still out here with a busted headset. I’ll let you know if I ever hear back from them.

As fine as the sound is for the cans, I can’t recommend them, due to nonexistent support and proprietary cables. But if you’re willing to take a chance, they are comfortable and deliver full, rich, deeply textured sounds from movies, games, and music on both wired and wireless connections.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $149.99
Manufacturer: SoundMagic
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Sound source with Bluetooth or AUX output
Pros:
  • Large, comfortable ear cups
  • Big, lush sound for a mid-price set of headphones
  • Collapse for packing
  • Semi-rigid storage case
Cons:
  • Cables are not standard – both have longer metal jacks. Nothing on their website mentions replacement cables
  • Support never responded to my request for assistance after a brand-new unit failed

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Reviews

Tagged:

SoundMagic BT100 Bluetooth over-ear handphones review originally appeared on on April 11, 2017 at 7:23 am.

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Solo Altitude backpack review

Why another backpack review from me you ask? I may ask myself the same question. I do have several excellent backpacks that I have reviewed in the past such as the Razer Tactical Gaming backpack and the Altego 17″ Polygon Sunfire backpack to name a few. While these two backpacks are great for carrying a lot of items including a laptop and iPad, I have found myself in need of something a little less extreme, with a smaller footprint, something like a day pack. The Solo Altitude backpack looks like it could be just the right pack for my new needs.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

The Solo Altitude is part of Solos Black OPS collection, designed to be lightweight and ultra durable. The Solo is made of lightweight parachute nylon, with aviator-inspired hardware and military grade velcro. The Solo dimensions are 18.50″ x 12.6″ x 4.92″ and the weight is 2.2 pounds. The Solo features a 17.3″ padded laptop compartment, an internal iPad/tablet compartment, a front zippered organizer section and side pockets.

The front of the Altitude has a lower zippered compartment with a large velcro strip gong across it and a vertical strap with a buckle designed to attach to a top flap that covers a cargo area. The flap also has a zippered compartment good for holding keys and phones. The front has a set of buckles on the right and left sides to compress the Altitude making as compact as possible. The interior of the lower zippered compartment has a yellow lining and is designed to hold pen, pencils and other supplies. At the top of the front section is yet another zippered compartment good for carrying file folders or magazines.

The compartment under the upper flap runs the width and depth of the front section making it a great place to store a light jacket or sweatshirt. The top of the opening has elastic in it to help keep items inside.

The inside of the Altitude backpack’s main compartment is designed to hold up to a 17″ laptop and a tablet device. It also has a cargo net section that can be used to hold cables and other accessories. Like the other interior sections of the Altitude, it is lined with a yellow colored material. The laptop pocket also has a strap with Velcro on the end to keep your laptop and tablet from sliding out of the pocket.

The back of the Altitude backpack has adequate padded straps with a plastic D-ring on each strap. The straps also have a chest strap to keep the shoulder straps on your chest area. The back section is nicely padded and has an opening to allow the Altitude to slip over the handle of a rolling suitcase or similar item. All of the buckles and D-rings are made from sturdy plastic and should hold up to normal use and then some. At the bottom, sewn to the back of the backpack, is a manufacturers tag.

 

The right side of the Altitude has a mesh water bottle holder that has some stretch to it allowing for the use of different size water bottles.

On the left side, the Altitude backpack has what I would describe as pen and pencil pockets with Solo printed on one of them. On both, the left and right side of the backpack are cinching straps designed to compress the sides of the backpack making it a tight package so it is not flopping around on your back.

The top of the Altitude has a nylon handle for easy carrying while the bottom has a nonporous type material to allow you to set the pack down and not get the contents wet if the ground is wet.
So, what’s my bottom line here? First, let me say that you should not think of the Solo Altitude as a traditional backpack, it is more like a briefcase backpack. The design is great for a person on the go who is not interested in lugging a traditional computer back or messenger bag to work. The metal zippers are a great feature and are sturdy. With a mix of metal aviation inspired hardware and the lightweight plastic buckles, the backpack is both stylish and practical. There are enough pockets, nooks, and crannies to hold almost any kind of doodads you could think of. For a pack this small there is a lot of storage space for your computer and other larger objects. The included Velcro “New York” patch is a nice styling touch along with all the printed nomenclature info placed around the backpack. At a price of $79.99 on the Solo website, the Solo Altitude is on the moderate to high side of pricing in my opinion, but I do think it is worth the price. If you’re looking for a laptop bag for work, travel or just recreation you should check out the Solo Altitude.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $79.99
Manufacturer: Solo
Requirements:
  • None
Pros:
  • Plenty of pockets and storage
  • Great size for a laptop backpack
Cons:
  • None

Filed in categories: Bags, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged:

Solo Altitude backpack review originally appeared on on April 10, 2017 at 11:31 am.

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Logitech ZeroTouch air vent car mount review

When I find a gadget that can make my life easier in some way, that gadget tends to stay in my life.  And the gadgets that just look pretty usually don’t end up finding a place in my day-to-day routine.  So when I ran across the Logitech ZeroTouch car mount (air vent model), with its plethora of features, I was willing to give it a try.  I love my Kenu Airframe+ for its simplicity and ease of use, but I was willing to try another car mount if it could make my life easier somehow.  So how did the Android-only Logitech ZeroTouch measure up?  Let’s discuss.

First things first, let’s see the specs from Logitech:

Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth):

  • ZeroTouch Air Vent: 1.50 in x 1.50 in x 1.22 in
  • ZeroTouch Dashboard: 2.83 in x 2.56 in x 2.40 in
  • Inner case adapter: 1.50 in x 0.02 in
  • Outer phone adapter: 1.50 in x 0.78 in x 0.02 in

Package Contents:

  • ZeroTouch Air Vent or ZeroTouch Dashboard
  • 2 metal adapters
  • Documentation

System Requirements:

  • Android™ device OS 5.0 or later
  • Bluetooth® Smart technology
  • For full functionality, an active mobile data and text message plan are required.
  • Carrier charges may apply.
  • For full music functionality, an active account with Spotify™, Pandora, Google Play™ Music, or SoundCloud® is required.

Setting it up

Setting up the ZeroTouch was a breeze.  You download the free app and follow the instructions on the screen to connect the Zerotouch to the phone.  You’ll need Bluetooth of course, and I was able to use both the ZeroTouch and my Plantronics Bluetooth headset at the same time with my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is good because that would have been a deal-breaker for me.  The Zerotouch enables you to control many apps and services on your phone (more on that later), but I found that one minor hassle with the setup is that you’ll have to log into each one in the ZeroTouch app settings.  So I had to add my login credentials and email settings for all my email addresses, Spotify, my home and work address, and Amazon Alexa.  All of those things are already setup/specified on my phone, so I was hoping that ZeroTouch would recognize those automatically, but it did not.

The ZeroTouch comes with 2 adhesive metal pads to attach either to your phone or your phone case.  I have a case, so I choose to attach the oval pad to the outside of my case.  I should also mention that once you attach the pad, it ain’t coming off!  You should also pay close attention to where you attach it because you can’t attach it in the same area where the wireless charging part is.  So for me, I had to attach the pad to the bottom on the back of the phone.  That means that my phone is somewhat top-heavy when I connect it to the ZeroTouch in my car, and attaching it in landscape orientation isn’t an option for me.

Finally, you have to attach the ZeroTouch to either your dashboard or the car vent in your car.  I got the car vent model, and I can tell you that the gap between the rubberized fingers on the back of the ZeroTouch is very small, and it took quite a bit of force to get it attached to my car vent.  I had to use both hands, but that isn’t a negative to me because that means there is no way it will ever just fall off the vent.

What I liked

As mentioned, the ZeroTouch only works with Android phones which is good for me, but not so good for iPhone users.  I feel sure a ZeroTouch for you is in the works though.  Connecting your phone to the ZeroTouch requires almost zero effort. (See what I did there?)  The magnet inside the ZeroTouch snaps quickly and easily to the metal pad adhered to the back of my phone.  And removing it is just as easy.

The app has big letters and drop-down menus, and lots of white space.  It is pretty intuitive and easy to setup.  There are options for setting the speed of the voice, the gesture that you use to activate the app, and how long the prompts are that are used to interact with you while using the app.

I liked how Amazon Alexa worked.  I will admit up front that I don’t have any smart devices in my home, so I wasn’t able to control any lights or security systems.  But I still used Alexa to give me weather updates, read my news, order Starbucks, and more.  Basically, anything that Alexa can do for you at home, you can do in the car.  Which is pretty nice.  I can see the power of controlling things in the house before you get home or if you forget to set something.  The ZeroTouch car mount can do those things for you, so if you are an Amazon Alexa user, this car mount will be pretty sweet for you.

I liked how the app read my text messages to me and allowed me to send a response simply by speaking.  The vast majority of the time it worked just great.  It took me a little time to learn how to make myself understood, but I had to do that with Google’s voice service as well.  The ZeroTouch shines in this area of reading and handling text messages and emails.  It provides a truly hands-free experience in this regard, which is great if you want to use your phone while you are driving.  I would often turn this off if I had other people in the car though because I didn’t want the phone reading texts and emails to everyone in the car.  And you also have the option in the settings to automatically respond to texts and emails with a message to tell folks you are driving and will contact them soon.  That’s pretty neat too.

What I didn’t like

Some folks have complained that the ZeroTouch doesn’t charge your phone like some other car mounts, but that doesn’t bother me.  I am not crazy about the fact that the adhesive metal pad is pretty much a one and done setup.  It isn’t coming off your phone/case, which isn’t going to bode well for resale value.

I experienced some spotty performance with the app voice prompts.  For example, there were random times when I would ask it to play Pandora and the app would respond that Pandora wasn’t supported when clearly it is.  I would reboot my phone and it would start working again.  Same thing with Spotify, so maybe it has something to do with just music apps, I don’t know.  I will also say that as an Android user, it is pretty easy to become spoiled with the various ways that Google is integrated with the phone, including their voice search.  The voice recognition with the ZeroTouch just isn’t as robust or easy to use as Google’s.

In my daily use of the ZeroTouch for over a month, it has been my experience that my battery performance suffered greatly when I started using ZeroTouch.  The Bluetooth inside the ZeroTouch as a low-energy Bluetooth 4.2 radio, and yet it is killing my battery all day.  I found myself having to charge my phone multiple times a day.  When I uninstalled the ZeroTouch to test out my theory, my battery life no longer suffered like it had been.  I have always left my Bluetooth on 24-hrs a day because I use a Bluetooth headset all day, but I saw a noticeable performance hit to the battery after I started using the ZeroTouch.  Maybe because my phone was constantly searching for the ZeroTouch all day, I am not sure.

Probably the main thing that I don’t like about the ZeroTouch has to do with how you activate the voice recognition.  You can’t just speak out loud “Ok Alexa” and then Alexa responds.  You have to wake the app first by waving/holding your hand in front of the proximity sensor in the upper left corner of the screen.  Nothing happens until you do that.  Then the app prompts you and you tell it what to do.  The waving my hand in front of the screen is a little awkward when you are driving, but that isn’t really why I dislike it.  The reason is that for Android users we spend a great deal of time swiping down from the top of the screen to pull down the window shade to interact with notifications.  When you use your right hand to do that while driving, you invariably swipe your finger near the proximity sensor, activating the ZeroTouch app.  I have lost track, literally, of the number of times that I have had to say “cancel” to the ZeroTouch voice prompt because I didn’t mean to activate it.  It is driving me bananas.  And before you comment, yes, I have tried to train myself to not do that.  Trust me, I’ve tried.

The bottom line

I love the low profile and ease of use of the ZeroTouch.  The app is easy to use and has many features.  I also love the Amazon Alexa integration.  That’s where the strength of this product really shines.  Folks who are already Amazon Alexa converts will get some immediate benefit from this car mount even though it is $60, which is expensive for a car mount.

But for those of us who haven’t gone all-in with Amazon Alexa, I don’t think there is enough here to compel you to need the expensive ZeroTouch.  The voice control, while you are driving, is robust, and for some folks that may be enough to justify the cost and the learning curve.  But for me, the battery performance hit and the false-positives I get every time I try to use the pull-down notification tray will probably cause me to go back to my Kenu Airframe.  If/when I get my Amazon Alexa device at home, and I start automating my home, I could see myself changing my mind.  Amazon Alexa is pretty awesome.

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

 

Product Information

Price: $59.99
Manufacturer: Logitech
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • An Android phone with a cellphone data plan, and Bluetooth.
Pros:
  • Ease of use/setup
  • Outstanding Amazon Alexa integration
  • Robust hands-free voice integration and features
Cons:
  • Proximity sensor false-positives
  • Expensive
  • Battery performance suffered

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: ,

Logitech ZeroTouch air vent car mount review originally appeared on on April 10, 2017 at 7:23 am.

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