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Ultimate Ears MegaBlast Portable WiFi/Bluetooth speaker review

REVIEW – It’s been a while since I reviewed a wireless speaker. I’ve heard good things about Ultimate Ears speakers, and I wanted a speaker that was portable, waterproof and could replace the Echo Dot that I currently use in my living room. The UE MegaBlast meets all these criteria so I decided to give it a listen.

What is it?

Ultimate Ears MegaBlast is a portable WiFi/Bluetooth speaker with 360º sound and built-in Amazon Alexa. 

What’s in the box?

  • MegaBlast speaker
  • Micro-USB charging cable
  • Power adaptor
  • Removable D-ring
  • Quick start guide

Power Up

  • Power Up base
  • Charging D-ring
  • Quick start guide

Hardware specs

  • Maximum Sound Level: 93 dBC
  • Frequency Range: 60Hz – 20kHz
  • Drivers: Two 25mm tweeters, two 55mm active drivers and two 85mm x 50mm passive radiators
  • Wi-Fi range: 100m / 330ft
  • Bluetooth range: 45m / 150ft

Design and features

The MegaBlast’s design is similar to other offerings from UE. Cylindrical with rubberized surfaces wrapped in acoustic fabric with those signature oversized volume control buttons on the front. It stands vertically, so it takes up less space.  It’s aesthetically pleasing without being obnoxious, and it comes in cool colors. I choose to review the Merlot Red, it’s also available in Graphite, Bluesteel, and Blizzard.

MegaBlast is UE’s biggest speaker to date coming in at just under 91/2-inches tall. It has a little heft to it but is still extremely portable.

The on/off button, Bluetooth indicator LED, and LED power/Alexa indicator are located on the top of the speaker.

On the bottom, there’s a D-ring that when removed reveals a standard tripod mount insert. The Micro-USB charging port is located under the rubber weather door. There’s also a charge LED.

Connection

MegaBlast can be connected using both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Using WiFi, you can control your music with your voice. Or control Wi-Fi quality streams directly from music services such as Spotify and Amazon Music. When you’re away from Wi-Fi, you can use your smartphone or other Bluetooth devices, minus the voice control of course.

MegaBlast can be paired with other MegaBlast or Blast speakers for louder, more immersive sound. Using the app, you can instantly connect up to eight speakers in total.

Durability

The speaker has an impressive IP67 waterproof and dust-proof rating, which means it can be totally submerged in water for up to 30 minutes.

It’s also drop-proof, something I put to the test within my first hour of use. I accidentally knocked the speaker off of a countertop, it fell about six feet to the ground and came away with only a small scuff mark. Whew!

I also like the fact that if it gets dirty, you can just rinse it off and let it air dry.

Battery life

MegaBlast also boasts an equally impressive 16-hour battery life. I can’t speak on the 16 hours, but listening to music using Wi-Fi for over 2 hours at a medium volume it went from 100% to 90%. Not bad. However, when using Bluetooth, the battery went from 100% to 50% over the same time span. That’s not so good.

To check the battery percentage of the speaker, you can use the app or simultaneously press the + – buttons.

Power Up wireless charger

Speaking of battery life, UE also sent me one of their Power Up wireless chargers. The small white disk is the same size as MegaBlast’s base and it can be used anywhere it can be plugged in.

It comes with a charging D-ring that replaces the MegaBlast’s standard D-ring. To charge simply place the speaker onto the Power Up.

A small LED indicator on the front will blink to let you know that the speaker is charging. When the battery is charged, the light will remain solid. You can also use the speaker while it’s charging.

The Power Up allows me to keep the speaker on 24/7 so I have access to Alexa without having to worry about running down the battery. And when I grab the MegaBlast to take it into another room or outside I know that it’s fully charged.

It also means no more remembering to plug or unplug the speaker.

IMO if you plan on getting a MegaBlast, the Power Up is a must-have accessory and worth the $39 price tag.

Setup and Blast app

To set up the speaker, download and launch the Blast app then follow the instructions. With the Blast app, you can control volume, EQ settings, add and create speaker groups, and check the speaker’s battery and connection status. The app has a nice interface and is easy to navigate.

Say hello to Alexa

One of the MegaBlasts biggest features is that it comes with Amazon Alexa built-in. To enable Alexa, all you have to do is sign into your Amazon account using the Blast app during setup.

When you say the wake word “Alexa”, the indicator light on top of the speaker glows brightly indicating that she’s listening.

The only problem with that is if the speaker is across the room, it’s hard to know if Alexa is hearing you, might be nice if there was an audible tone indicating Alexa is listening.

Otherwise, it works pretty much like my Echo Dot. I can use Alexa to control my lights and smart lock, set a timer,  control my music or access one of Alexa’s growing range of skills.

The best thing is being able to do all these things wirelessly as long as your connected to WiFi or a mobile hotspot (Alexa does not work using Bluetooth).

I like being able to take Alexa with me from room to room. And being able to control my music without having to fumble with my phone is a definite plus.

Here’s a link to all the music services you can control using Alexa.

I did run into one issue. When playing music at a high volume, Alexa had trouble hearing me even at close range. Hopefully, this is something that can be addressed with a firmware update.

If you don’t want Alexa listening to you, you can enable Alexa Privacy Mode either through the Blast app or by simultaneously pressing the volume down and Bluetooth buttons.

Sound performance

With a name like MegaBlast, you would expect this speaker to get plenty loud, and it does. But it does so without losing any of the music’s clarity. What you get is a rich, vibrant sound that is well balanced.

MegaBlast also delivers that bass but in a way that’s not over manufactured or fake sounding.

The design of the speaker allows it to radiate music 360º, and it fills the room with sound. You feel like the music is surrounding you instead of coming directly at you.

You can use the Blast app to choose from 5 different preset EQ settings. The Standard, Custom, Voices, Cramped Spaces, and Bass Jump. I recommend using either The Standard or Custom to get the best sound.

I’ll be the first to say I’m not a music snob or audio aficionado. But to me, the overall listening experience with the MegaBlast is excellent.

What I like

  • Cool design
  • Portable
  • IP67 waterproof
  • Durable
  • Built-in Alexa
  • Works with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Very good room filling sound
  • Power Up wireless charger (sold separately)

What needs to be improved

  • It’s hard to tell if Alexa is activated
  • Alexa has trouble hearing you over loud music

Final thoughts

The UE MegaBlast is the best sounding wireless speaker I’ve ever used. The built-in Alexa feature, while not perfect, is still very good and it sure beats my Echo dot for sound and of course portability. The only major issue I have is Alexa not being able to hear me when I listen to music at a high volume.

Price: $199 w/o Power Up – $239.98 w/Power Up
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Ultimate Ears.

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Ultimate Ears MegaBlast Portable WiFi/Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 25, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Colonel Littleton Possibles Bags review

REVIEW – In our hectic lives, our world can get pretty crazy at times with work, school, home improvement projects, travel, etc. We have several spots in the house we call the Danger Zones, where if you’re crazy enough to leave something important in those spaces, you do so at your own risk.  I’m pretty AR about some things and have several sanctuary spaces I keep my gear so 1) I know it’s safe and 2) I have it when I need it and don’t have to go searching around the house to find my stuff when I’m late getting on the road. All that said, I also like keeping my gear organized/protected in these spaces and use various boxes, bags and bins to make that happen. Colonel Littleton has created three general purpose leather pouches to help do just that, called the Possibles Bags. He’s sent me one of each size to checkout for this review.

What is it?

The Possibles Bags are handmade drawstring leather pouches created to hold nearly any small to medium item(s). The Possibles Bags come in three sizes: small/No. 1, medium/No. 2, and large/No. 3.

In times gone by, people used bags like these for trips into the wild and stuffed them with medicines and survival items. It’s still a jungle out there – only the essentials have changed. Today, you might stash your bag with jewelry and accessories, coins, mobile phone, etc. Use them to hold your valuables in your golf bag, or to hold your cat’s eye or aggies. The possibilities are endless.

Hardware specs — Sizing & Weight

  • Large No. 3 – 9.5″ H x 7.5″ W / 1.4oz
  • Medium No. 2 – 7.25″ H x 6.5″ W / 2.1oz
  • Small No. 1 – 5.13″ H x 3.75″ W / 2.9oz

Design and features

The Possibles Bags are handmade in the Colonel’s workshop from soft, dry-milled leathers. They have a simple, practical design meant to carry anything from some of your EDC bits/cables to your golf balls. The drawstring closure ensures that what you put in them stays safely and securely within. The design and engineering on these bags are very old school but are meant to be nearly foolproof.

These bags are constructed from two pieces of leather stitched together with thin nylon thread. The leathers are soft, supple and has a wonderful smell. The bags feel great to hold and will last many years of use, growing softer with time.

The top opening is held closed by a round leather lace drawstring threaded through brass eyelets. These eyelets not only serve in the closure system but adds strength along the top of the bag similar to rivets.

There is a small circular piece of leather that the drawstring ends go thru that enables you to synch the bags closed. There is a small copper tab on the drawstring ends to keep the leather cord from coming undone.

The back of the bag has the Colonel Littleton logo, product name, warranty, and Lynnville, TN embossed into the leather.

Our family and friends have a semi-regular card game we play (Tripoly) and keeping your stash of dimes in a safe and known location is key. I’ve decided the black No. 2 bag is the perfect size to do this. Plus when I belly up to the card table with this bag, it reminds me of an old western movie as the cowboy sits down to play poker and plunks their bag of loot on the table. I’ve also been using the largest of the pouches in my 1943 Navigator Bag to hold all my EDC gear that rattles around the bottom of several of its pockets.

What I like

  • Excellent handmade craftsmanship
  • Soft, supple dry-milled leather
  • Simple/practical design

What needs to be improved

  • None

All three sizes of Possibles bags are available in black, vintage brown or saddle tan leather. There is a brass tag for your initials.

I have easily found uses for the No.2 & No. 3 bags but am still searching for a purpose for the smallest of the trio in my world. It’ll most likely end up holding some jewelry that is currently bouncing around our safety deposit box.

Final thoughts

Like all of the Colonel Littleton gear I have used over the years, the Possibles Bags are made with the same old world craftsmanship and attention to detail I have come to know and appreciate. These bags are relatively basic, yet not only get the job done but give off a vibe of times gone by. The Possibles Bags are made of high quality leather and materials and will certainly last the test of time.

Price: Large (#3) – $75 / Medium (#2) – $65 / Small (#1) – $55
Where to buy: available directly from the Colonel Littleton website.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Colonel Littleton.

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Colonel Littleton Possibles Bags review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Julie’s favorite gear, SnapRays Guidelight, Hairmax LaserBand, and more – Review updates

REVIEW – You have probably wondered what happens to the products after we review them. Do they break shortly after the review is posted or do we continue to use them for years and even decades later? To answer these questions, we regularly add quick updates to our reviews so you can read our comment on how well the product has held up over time. Check out these latest review updates by clicking on the review titles below and then scroll to the bottom of the page to read the latest dated updates.

Julie’s favorite gear

Pixel 2 XL review By Julie Strietelmeier

Snap Power SnapRays Guidelight review By Julie Strietelmeier

Zibra Open It! review By Julie Strietelmeier

Hairmax LaserBand 82 hair growth laser light device review By Samuel Pair

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Julie’s favorite gear, SnapRays Guidelight, Hairmax LaserBand, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Wyze Sense review

REVIEW – Let me get this out of the way right from the start… I love Wyze products. I reviewed the Wyze Cam and have gone on to buy additional cameras and help my neighbor purchase and set up more cameras for his home. I think they are an awesome bang for your buck when it comes to small home security cameras and now Wyze has added two new sensors that work with the Wyze Cam to create an affordable basic home security system. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

Wyze Sense are small contact and motion sensors that work with Wyze cameras to create a basic home security system.

What’s in the box?

Starter kit comes with:

  • 2 Contact sensors
  • 1 Motion sensor
  • 1 Sensor bridge
  • Reset tool
  • Instructions

A Wyze Camera is NOT included in the starter kit, but one camera is required for the setup.

Design and features

The starter kit comes with 2 sensors.

There’s the small motion sensor shown above which can detect motion 120° up to 26′ away. Just place the sensor about 6 ft up on a shelf and it is good to go.

The contact sensor has two pieces that use a magnet to know when the contact between the pieces has been opened or closed.

Installation

Wyze knows how to design a system that anyone can install. The Wyze Sense installation isn’t any different. It takes only a couple of minutes to get up and running and most of that time is just figuring out where to place the sensors.

You will need a Wyze camera though. The camera is needed for the Sensor Bridge which plugs into the USB port on the back of the camera.

The Bridge is the module that the sensors will talk to.

To install the contact sensor, you remove the adhesive on each piece and then stick them on something that will open, like a door, a window, a cabinet, etc.

I placed mine on the front door so that when the door opens, the contact between the two pieces is open and when the door shuts, the contacts close.

For the motion sensor, I placed it on a high shelf. Can you find it in the image above?

The only criticism about the sensors that I can think of is that they are bright and stick out since they are made of white plastic. It would be great if Wyze offered them in black too.



The next step in setting up the sensors requires you to launch the Wyze app on your mobile device and add the new products. The app leads you step by step through the process which only takes a couple of minutes. As you can see, you have to link the sensors with one of the Wyze cameras so that any triggered events will capture a video clip.




When the setup is complete, the sensors will show up in the Wyze app dashboard where you can quickly see their status.




Going into each sensor from the dashboard will allow you to see more info including times when the sensors detected an event. The sensors also send alerts just like camera motion events do.

I’ve been testing these sensors for the past few weeks and have had zero false positives on the contact sensor and the motion sensor has been rock solid too. Just know that it will detect your pets which may or may not be an issue for you.

What I like

  • Inexpensive
  • Simple to install
  • Reliable

What needs to be improved

  • More sensors please! 🙂

Final thoughts

Wyze has done it again. Not only do they offer the absolute most affordable and best experience in security cameras, now they are branching into sensors to create a basic home security system. If I sound gushy that’s just because I have loved using Wyze products in the past and am truly excited about what they will come up with next. FYI, I already know what’s next. It’s a smart light bulb and of course, I’ll have one to review soon.

Price: $19.99
Where to buy: Wyze
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Wyze.

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Wyze Sense review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Slitit helps you open plastic packaging the easy way

NEWS – Eleven years ago I reviewed the Zibra Open It! and I still use it today when I receive or buy a product that is packaged in a sealed clamshell plastic container. That tool has worked pretty well over the years but I just stumbled upon the Slitit package opener tool while surfing for cool products to share with all of you this one looks like it can do the job much easier and faster.

The Slitit package opener isn’t designed like a heavy duty pair of sheers. It’s just a hollow plastic tube with a blade on one side that makes it easy to slice through the edges of blister packs and sealed clamshell package. Want one? You can buy a Slitit for $9.95 from The Grommet or Amazon.

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Slitit helps you open plastic packaging the easy way originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 23, 2019 at 1:09 pm.

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