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LaView ONE Link Battery Powered WiFi Outdoor Security Camera with Smart Station review

REVIEW – I live on a corner with lots of foot traffic both day and night. Pair that with the recent increase in porch thefts and I felt the need to install an outdoor security camera. I needed one that was totally wireless. The LaView ONE Link Wireless WiFi camera with Smart Station met all my needs, but does it work? Let’s find out.

What is it?

The LaView One Link WiFi security camera is a wireless 1080P security camera with a rechargeable battery and easy 2-step installation. The Smart Station plugs into your router. It connects to the camera with the touch of a single button, extends the cameras battery life and expands WiFi transmission.

Hardware specs

Camera

  • Field of view: Wide angle 130º
  • IR Night Vision: 25 ft IR distance
  • Weight: 0.47 lbs
  • Size: 3.6” x 2.2” x 2.8”
  • Storage: Laview Cloud storage – Micro SD Card (Max. 128GB)
  • Audio: Built-in omni-direction microphone – Built-in loudspeaker – Noise suppression
  • Video: Smart H.264 compression – 1920×1080 Max Resolution – 50hz @ 25fps, 60Hz @ 30fps, Adaptive frame rate
  • Power requirements: 5500 mAh rechargeable lithium battery and 5V DC

What’s in the box?

Camera

  • Battery
  • Magnetic mount
  • USB cable
  • Power adaptor
  • Screw kit
  • Surveillance stickers
  • Quick start guide

Smart Station

  • Smart Station
  • Ethernet Cable
  • USB Cable
  • Power adaptor

Design and features

The Laview One Link camera has a pod-like design similar to those offered by Arlo and Eufy. On the front of the camera is the 1080P lens, microphone, IR light (used for supplementing recording light), LED indicator, loudspeaker, PIR (Passive infrared) sensor and Photoresistor (used to detect light conditions to activate the Day/Night switch functions.

There’s a Sync button located on the top of the cam as well as a release latch to open the camera.

On the back of the cam, there’s a micro USB port used for charging the battery or powering up the camera. It’s protected by a flexible rubber cover that keeps out moisture.

The bottom of the camera has a threaded socket for mounting it onto a tripod.

Opening the camera reveals the rechargeable battery compartment and Micro SD card slot.

The slot supports up to 128GB of HD footage or if you prefer LaView offers affordable Cloud service options.

The camera comes with 30 free days of ONE Cloud service, after that, you must subscribe to continue to use the service.

Note: Although you can access the ONE Cloud service via the app I was unable to find any info on plans or pricing.

The 5500 mAh battery will last 6+ months on a single charge when paired with the Smart Station. And when it does need a recharge all you have to do is pull it down and plug it in.

Smart Station

The Smart Station is the brains of the security system, supporting access for up to 6 wireless cameras.

The tear-drop design is quite small (3.7” x 3.7” x 4.3”) and weighs less than half a pound.

The front of the unit has a power button, a sync/siren off button with LED indicator ring and a speaker for the built-in 120-decibel siren.

One the back there’s a micro USB power port, an ethernet port for connecting the Station to your router and a reset button.

The Smart Station creates a secure ecosystem of WiFi coverage. It also extends the battery life of the cam from 3 months to 6 months versus a WiFi only connection.

The built-in 120dB siren works in conjunction with the cameras motion detection. When enabled it will go off when the cam senses motion. You can set it to stay on from one to five minutes. Or you can manually disable it by pushing the siren off button on the Smart Station. I tested it, and it’s VERY loud! In fact, it had my ears ringing for a couple of hours afterward. And it was audible outside even with the windows closed.

The siren might be a little much for everyday use (especially if your cams motion sensor is set off by a critter at 3am), but I could see it being effective if you have it linked to an indoor camera. Or use it to ward off trespassers while you’re away on vacation.

Pairing camera with the Smart Station

Setting up the camera and Smart station is relatively simple. First, you must install and fully charge the camera’s battery. Fully charging the battery takes 6-8 hours.

Plug the Smart Station in and connect it to your router using the Ethernet cable.

To pair the camera to the Smart Station press and hold the SYNC button on both for 5 seconds. When the camera is connected to the Smart Station, the LED indicator on the front of the cam will slowly flash blue. There are also voice prompts that will update you on the connection status.

Camera installation

Installing the camera is as easy as 1-2-3. 1) screw provided screw where you want to mount the camera. 2) Secure magnetic dome to the screw. 3) Secure cam to the magnetic dome. You’re done!

LaView ONE app

Launching the app takes you to the home screen which features thumbnails of both the Smart Station and the cams live view. From there you can access the cams live view by tapping the thumbnail.

You can also access settings for both the Smart Station and cam. From there you can customize the camera and Smart Stations various features.

The Messages screen lets you view and playback recorded PIR (motion detection) events.

You can enable alerts and choose Motion Detection Sensitivity in the app’s settings.

When the cam detects motion, you receive an alert notification on your phones lock screen. Tapping the notification opens up the app, from there you have to go to Messages and tap on the thumbnail of the event to view it.

It would be nice if when tapping on an alert the app would open immediately to the cams live view or at least the recording of the PIR event.

Things I like about the app

  • Works with Face ID for faster login
  • Clean interface
  • Easy to navigate
  • You can view both live cam and recorded motion detection events
  • Easy to view and change settings for both the Smart Station and the camera
  • Ability to easily add cameras to the system

Things I don’t like about the app

  • Both the live view and recorded PIR events can be laggy
  • No way to check WiFi connection strength
  • Tapping on an alert doesn’t immediately take you to the cams live view
  • Not optimized for iPad

Camera performance

This camera has a lot of features, I wanted to touch on a few that I thought were the most important.

Motion detection

The camera has a PIR thermal detection sensor for advanced motion detection that focuses on objects with significant heat signals like people and animals. Weeding out false alarms caused by inanimate moving objects.

I did receive a few false alarms, but it was during extremely windy and rainy conditions. I found that lowering the Motion Detection Sensitivity level in the app helped with this.

During normal weather conditions, it works flawlessly.

Night vision

The cams night vision feature works at a distance of up to 25ft. As you can see from the pics below the picture quality is quite impressive.

2-Way audio

The 2-way audio feature is hit or miss at best. The biggest problem is that the built-in loudspeaker isn’t loud enough. And there’s no way to adjust the volume level to make it louder. I suppose that it would work to ward off a trespasser at night but trying to have a conversation with someone is nearly impossible.

What I like

  • Easy setup
  • Easy 2-step installation
  • Option of onboard SD card or Cloud recording
  • Good picture quality
  • Rechargeable battery lasts 6 month on a single charge
  • IP65 weatherproof

What needs to be improved

  • Viewing live cam and recorded alerts on the app can be laggy (Overall app performance is a little buggy)
  • 2-way audio doesn’t work as advertised

Final thoughts

The LaView ONE Link isn’t perfect, but its benefits far outweigh its flaws. If you’re looking for a totally wireless camera setup with lots of features that’s easy to install and use this camera should be on your shortlist.

Note: If you would like to add additional cameras to your system at a later date they can only be purchased by phone from LaView. To order call (626)566-7550.

Price: $229.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by LaView.

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LaView ONE Link Battery Powered WiFi Outdoor Security Camera with Smart Station review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 29, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Dodocool DA189 True Wireless Earbuds review

REVIEW – Truly wireless Earbuds have been out in the world for a while now, but I have yet to pick up a pair for myself. They seemed nifty, but I always felt they’d just fall out. After testing out my friend’s EarPods, I decided the next time I had an opportunity, I’d try some out. The Dodocool DA189 Earbuds were in my price range, so I thought I’d give them a try.

What is it?

Dodocool DA189’s are truly wireless earbuds that also boast being sweat and water resistant.

Hardware specs

  • 42 mAh battery (headphones)
  • 450 mAh battery (charging case)
  • Working time: Up to 5 hours
  • Standby time: 500 hours
  • 10 m Wireless range

What’s in the box?

  • Dodocool Earbuds
  • Charging case
  • Micro-USB cable
  • 3 Eartips
  • 3 Wings
  • Instruction Manual

Design and features

The case/earbuds took a little over a few hours to charge up, but the case charges the earbuds in less than an hour. I really liked how compact the case was, and that it was solid and could easily be tossed around.. Or batted to the floor in the case of my cats. It was also really easy to remove and replace the earbuds in the case. There was a magnetic pull that locked them into place. I did notice, however, that a bump would loosen the connections enough to turn on the earbuds. Enough of these bumps drained the battery down. It seemed random though, as major bumps like floor drops didn’t seem to bump the connection.

Each time I used the earbuds, I would drop them into the case to charge, with the longest use time at around 2.5 hours. They would also turn themselves off when they were not in use. This allowed me to use them for a good amount of time before needing a recharge.

Setup

When I initially paired these to my phone, I could only get one headphone to work at a time. They wouldn’t talk to each-other! Despite the instructions, they would continue to work in mono mode. I am not sure what I did, but eventually, after several tries, I got them to work together. Since then, they’ve worked flawlessly together without going back to mono mode.

Performance

I used these headphones for a solid week thinking they had terrible sound quality. They would fit fine in my ears, but there was no bass at all. I took them for a run, and when stopping to adjust them on my way back, I managed to push one into a better fitting position. The sound quality was night and day! After that, I made sure to push inward more than standard Earbuds, and if I got it ‘suctioned’ in, the sound quality was good. The mids and highs on these were just average, but the bass/lows were above average for the price range once they were suctioned into my ear.

During my run, they stayed in place for the most part. I had to adjust them once before heading back, but since my ears are terrible for earbuds, I was impressed. The wings help a lot, and I am really glad those come in three different sizes so that I could find the one that fit just right. Not only did they fit correctly, but they were comfortable to wear for a few hours as well.

What I like

  • Automatically connects to the phone when taken out of the case.
  • Compact
  • Customization for different ear sizes

What needs to be improved

  • Earbuds are loose in the case causing them to turn on by bumping the case
  • Pairing was a challenge

Final thoughts

Overall, the Dodocool DA189 Earbuds were ok for the price. They did stay in my ears during a run, and once I got the fit figured out, they had decent sound quality. I was disappointed when I went to use them when washing my car and they had no battery life due to being bumped every morning and evening on my nightstand. For less than $40 though, they weren’t too bad.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Dodocool.

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Dodocool DA189 True Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 29, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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PlayShifu Plugo STEM kit review


REVIEW – Earlier this year, my son was diagnosed with ADHD, and since then I have been in pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) type kits and devices to aid in his growth, learning, and expression. It was very obvious that his creativity was one of his strong skills. He has the ability to put together or to fix just about any assortment of parts that seem unrelated to many but in fact do belong together. I have purchased a few different STEM kits and after seeing him actually become attentive for very long periods of time, I have been seeking as many kits of this type as I can possibly acquire. I am elated that I have the opportunity to test and review the PlayShifu Plugo STEM kit. Here is a summary of my experience with it.

What is it?

The PlayShifu Plugo is described by the manufacturer as “An AR gaming system to stimulate STEM skills”. The entire suite offers the power of AR and education combined in 5 gaming kits: Quest, Count, Link, Steer, and Piano.
This kit contains the Plugo Count which stimulates your child’s interest to solve mathematical questions and the Plugo Link which uses magnetic hexagon building blocks in the form of games to stimulate your child’s mental abilities with puzzles and constructional challenges. It is recommended for ages 5+.

What’s in the box





1 x Plugo Count Set
Includes:
1 Count Spike
2 sets of 0-9 numerals
4 Operators
4 games on Plugo app

1 x Plugo Link Set
Includes:
15 Hexagon blocks
4 games on Plugo app

1 x Plugo Gamepad

Design and features


The PlayShifu Plugo kit parts are made of plastic. The Count kit comes with 2 sets of 10 blue numbered game pieces with numbers on each side. One side in white and one is brown.

It also comes with two additional yellow pieces with a plus, minus, divide and subtract symbols, one symbol per side are included with each set of number pieces.


The Count central base piece is yellow and connects magnetically to the gamepad. One side has brown dots to direct how the piece should be used based on the game requirements and the side of the game pieces that should be used.


The gamepad is blue and folds out flat. On one end there is the spring-loaded mobile device holder that accepts the tablet or the phone. On the back, there is a purple PlayShifu logo.

Performance

Setting up the Plugo is very easy. Once you lay the gamepad flat and insert the tablet/phone into the spring loaded device holder slot the gamepad is ready to go. You then download the PlayShifu Plugo app and follow the setup instructions. Despite the compatibility instructions, I decided to try my 2nd generation iPad first because it is the only 9″ iPad in the home. The others that I have are 12.9″. I also knew that the IOS version was older but I gave it a shot and it initially worked all the way through the setup. It is only when I tried to play the games that the app crashed every time and I eventually had to reluctantly switch to my iPhone. This also explains why some of the pictures below are with an iPad and some with my iPhone.

Once you load the app it asks a math question which is the same every time you start the setup process. After that, you are prompted to select the grade level of your child. Then you are prompted to give the app access to the device camera and after that, there is a sync process to sync the modules. Once the syncing process is completed for each module, in this case, the Count and the Link are the modules that I have, you are ready to play.







In order to start using the plastic game pieces for the Link and the main control piece for the Count, they have to be paired with the gamepad. The following screens are the instruction screens for placing the required pieces on the gamepad so the pairing process can be completed.




Once the game pieces are paired to interact with the gamepad, you can select a game and a level. To select the module and the game you can either touch the screen and in the case of the Count module, you can place the game piece over the center spike of the base control piece. For example, if you place the game piece marked “3” over the center spike, it will select game 3. How it works is better explained in the following

As shown below, the game that I selected has 28 levels.




The pictures below show a link game that displays a word and requires you/child to connect the game pieces to match what is shown on the screen and spell the word.



The screens below show a game my child played using the Count module. and also below there is a video showing how the screen displays the confirmation for choosing the correct answer.

There are several games and levels that your child can play and interact with for hours of fun and learning. I am looking into buying additional modules like Quest and Steer that I know my children will love.

What I like

  • The learning options that it provides
  • The ease of use
  • The smartphone/tablet compatibility
  • The design that appears attractive to children

What can be improved

  • A gamepad that can accommodate more of the popular and regularly used tablet sizes including the 12.9″ iPad

Final thoughts

Over the past few months, as I have become more familiar with STEM learning tools, I have also become a fan. Using various STEM kits, I have watched in amazement as my son explores and showcases his creative abilities. The PlayShifu Plugo has added to his world and his ability to learn and grow via a mechanism that he understands and identifies with. Just like my other STEM kits, I give this one two thumbs up!!

Price: Plugo Link – $49.99; Plugo Count – $49.99
Where to buy: PlayShifu and Amazon
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by PlayShifu

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PlayShifu Plugo STEM kit review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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Edifier W860NB Bluetooth Active Noise Canceling headphone review

REVIEW – As wireless headphones and earphones are becoming the norm rather than a luxury, it only makes sense that customers will keep asking headphone makers “How can you top that?” with each new headphone. Now that wireless is common, the next step is making ANC or Active Noise Canceling standard. Currently, it seems Bose and Sony have ANC locked down, but more headphone companies are incorporating ANC into their product line with varying degrees of success. One of those companies is Edifier—a maker of first-rate (and expensive) home speakers, downright inexpensive computer desktop speakers and everything in-between. They also make good sounding headphones that provide a lot of bang for the buck.

What is it?

The Edifier W860NB headphone combines a warm sound signature, ear pad tracking and ANC into a successful mix of good sounding tech. It’s an affordable headphone that sounds better than its price might indicate.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 20Hz～20kHz 
  • Impedance: 32 Ohms (easy to use with smartphones)
  • Input sensitivity: 100dB
  • Bluetooth: 4.1 
  • Bluetooth profiles: HSP HFP A2DP AVRCP 
  • Connection distance: 33 feet 
  • Battery capacity: 1400mAh rechargeable battery
  • Battery standby time: About 800 hours 
  • Charging time: About 3 hours 

In the box

  • W860NB headphone
  • Hard case
  • Micro USB charging cord
  • Mini plug cord
  • Airplane adapter

Design and features

The Edifier W860NB headphone loosely reminds me of Bose ANC headphones. They don’t look like them, but there are similarities. The W860NB is mostly plastic but feels solid and not cheap—like Bose. The ear pads are quite soft and comfortable with head clamping that holds securely without being too tight—also, like Bose. It’s a mama bear approach—just right. These are the kind of headphones that can be worn for hours with no issues—with or without glasses. The ear pads are tilted at the same angle as human ears, so the fit is more “eargonomic” than many other headphones. Because of this, the W860NB headphone looks and feels perfectly natural when wearing—so why is this a rarity?

Black is the go-to color for headphones that aren’t trying to make a designer statement and the W860NB headphones are no exception. The look is all business with black plastic mated with black protein leather ear pads and a subtle silvery-black trim. It’s a classy look, if a bit forgettable. However, they don’t sound forgettable. More on that later.

All controls are on the right ear cup. Edifier calls the On/off button a Multi-function button. It will power the W860NB headphone on or off, but pressing it longer begins the Bluetooth pairing process. Anyone who hasn’t read the manual may get quickly frustrated trying to pair for the first time. NFC is available for most smartphone users—except Apple, of course.

Next to the Multi-function button is the active noise canceling switch. This slider button is easy to find with fingers without looking while wearing the headphones.

The left ear cup houses both the micro USB charging port and mini-plug port for wired listening. I listened to music both wired and wirelessly. Usually, I can tell the difference between the two sources, but not with the W860NB headphone. That’s rare.

The right ear pad has a touch screen (track pad) built into its slightly rounded surface. Dragging your finger up and down adjusts the volume up and down. Dragging forward will skip to the next track and dragging back go will either go to the previous track or return to the beginning of a track. Double-tapping the center of the ear pad pauses and un-pauses music or accepts/rejects a phone call. 

This is all a nifty feature with a couple of caveats. Sliding a finger up and down changes volume alright, but there’s no finesse. I was either adjusting the volume too loud or soft. I realized that short-flicking my finger on the ear cup rather than dragging changed the volume in more accurate, shorter increments. The other issue I had is that anytime I touched the ear cup to adjust it on my head, I  would perform one of the trackpad functions when I didn’t mean to. I needed to be aware of where I touched the ear cup. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but its a learning curve.

Call quality using the built-in mics is okay—not great. People I talked to could hear me just fine, but when (unfairly) compared to Apple’s AirPods, there is no comparison. I sounded a bit muffled and far away. To be fair to Edifier, I haven’t had any headphones yet that can rival the AirPods in call quality—regardless of price.

The W860NB headphone comes with a hard, protective case. The W860NB does not fold, so the case is a bit large. An additional soft, commuting bag would have been welcome, but at the price of this headphone, I can’t argue that point too much. Also included are a mini plug to mini plug cord and a USB to micro USB charging cord. There’s even an airline adapter, though those are becoming more unnecessary as time goes on.

It takes about 4 hours to fully charge the W860NB headphone. Play time is rated at 25+ hours with ANC on or 45+ hours with ANC off. Note that volume can also affect battery time.

ANC is one of the main features of the W860NB headphone. It’s not quite as effective as either Bose’s or Sony’s ANC but hey—the W860NB headphone is a bargain compared to those two brands and it’s almost as good! When on an airplane or in a daily commute, the W860NB headphone’s ANC will eliminate any drone-like background and adequately muffle vocals so you can either rest or have better concentration. ANC on the W860NB headphone does what it’s designed to do and that’s a good thing.

The W860NB headphone’s ANC does affect the quality of music when on. ANC tends to “flatten” the sound a bit. This has the effect of distancing emotional connection to what music I’m listening to. However, with ANC off, music takes on a more engaging, fuller sound. There’s just the right amount of bass for easy listening with no hint of harshness in the high frequencies. Technically, the W860NB headphone may not be as accurate as it could be, but who cares? They’re fun to use, comfortable and can wirelessly make music sound good. That counts for a lot.

Even if music sounds better with ANC off, I would not hesitate to use ANC if I thought it was necessary.

What I like

The main attraction of the Edifier W860NB headphone is not its comfort, ANC or relaxing sound signature. All that works just fine. The attraction is that Edifier manages to provide all this at the price they do.

  • Well made
  • Comfortable
  • Long battery life
  • Good ANC

What needs to be improved

  • Too bad they don’t fold
  • Case is protective, but big for travel
  • ANC flattens the music a bit

Final Thoughts

Edifier has a winner with the W860NB headphone, It’s not too expensive—especially with all the extras factored in. The headphone can easily compete with Bose and Sony at a much better price—and still look good doing it.

Price: $169.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Edifier.

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Edifier W860NB Bluetooth Active Noise Canceling headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2019 at 9:09 am.

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Ninja Foodi, MX10 Android TV Box, robot vacuums, and more – Weekly roundup

NEWS – Wow, is it just me, or did the last seven days flew by in a flash? If the week was a blur for you too, then take a few minutes to check out this comprehensive list of all the reviews and news that we posted this week.

REVIEWS

NEWS

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Ninja Foodi, MX10 Android TV Box, robot vacuums, and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 27, 2019 at 4:05 pm.

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