Home Reviews

Deals of the day – Save on Molekule air purifier, Roborock vacuum, Echo Dot, and more


DEAL NEWS – I’ve got four deals for you today that will save you some cash on gadgets that clean the air, clean your floors, entertain, and keep you safe.

Save $100 off a Molekule air purifier

Read our Molekule air purifier review
Original price: $799
Discount: $100 savings
Deal price: $699
Deal ends: 09/8/2019 11:59 PM PDT
Buy it from: molekule.com and use the code LABORDAY19 at checkout

Save 20% off a Roborock E35 robot vacuum

Read our Roborock E35 review
Original price: $349.99
Discount: $70 savings
Deal price: $279.99
Deal ends: 08/23/2019 11:59 PM PDT
Buy it from: Amazon and use the coupon code ROBOROCKE3 at checkout

Save 20% off a Blink XT2 security camera

Read my review of the original Blink wireless security camera
Original price: $99.99
Discount: 20% savings
Deal price: $79.99
Buy it from: Amazon

Save $20 off an Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)

Read my article about how I use the Echo Dot to listen to free audiobooks
Original price: $49.99
Discount: $20 savings
Deal price: $29.99
Buy it from: Amazon

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Deals of the day – Save on Molekule air purifier, Roborock vacuum, Echo Dot, and more originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2019 at 10:02 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Mpow Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones review

REVIEW – Over the years, I’ve got through dozens of headphones for various reasons, usually ones that come with my phone. Typically they don’t last long and with Apple’s decision to get rid of the headphone jack on their phones it has made Bluetooth headphones pretty much mandatory. As I have found that my new office has an abundance of very loud co-workers, I decided to take a chance with these Mpow Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones.

What is it?

These are over-the-ear wireless Bluetooth headphones with internal battery and USB charging cord.

What’s in the box?

  • Headphones
  • Charging and aux cord
  • Storage Bag

Design and features

The headphones have simple controls, with the Play/Pause button acting as the power on/off button as well via a long press. A short press will activate the Play and Pause functions. Audible “Power On/Off” and a small LED indicator help you know the status of the headphones. There are simple pairing instructions. The Previous and Next buttons also work via a long press of the button, while a short press of each will turn the volume up and down. On the left earphone there is the ANC (Active Noice Cancelling) toggle switch to turn this feature on and off.

The active noise canceling, when activated, provides sound suppression via microphones on the inside and outside of the ear cup.

Additionally, when connected via Bluetooth to a cell phone, you can use the headphones in conjunction with Siri and your phone’s incoming and outgoing calls.

Performance

The active noise canceling is the first of two rather impressive features on these headphones. I use it rather frequently while working and listening to music. It may even work a little too well, as I have occasionally missed a call on my desk phone while listening to my music. Additionally, I have been able to effectively tune out a few co-workers who don’t quite understand volume control while they talk on their phones.

Next is quite possibly my favorite feature: 30 hours of battery life per charge. I go days and days without recharging considering I only use these at work. There is a warning when the battery gets low on power, but frankly, I’ve only heard it once. At 2-3 hours charging time, it doesn’t take long to get back to full charge.

The only qualm I would have with these headphones is the padding around the ears. Over long stretches, it does give some muscle fatigue to the ears and can be a bit warm as they trap in some heat. Taking short breaks is helpful, but I would say that I wouldn’t wear these beyond the 3-4 hours at a time that I typically wear them.

Finally, the audio quality is very good. I occasionally switch to my iPhone headphones and can tell a significant audio quality drop off between the two.

What I like

  • Battery Life is PHENOMENAL
  • Audio quality is great
  • Noise canceling on these units works great
  • Simple controls

What I would change

  • Better ear padding

Final thoughts

Overall, these are some of the best noise-canceling headphones that I have had the chance to use. Once again, I can’t say more about the battery life on these headphones, I’m very impressed. Compared to some of the other names in the industry, I feel like the price point on these creates some incredible value as well. I recommend these without hesitation to anyone looking for a new set of headphones.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by MPOW.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Mpow Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2019 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

EP Design Lab E.P.Light review

REVIEW – Lightbulbs have been around for years.  Thanks to Thomas Edison and his publicity and marketing genius, we are all familiar with the traditional, screw-in incandescent lightbulb. Of course, lately, incandescents have fallen out of favor due to their inherent energy inefficiency and have been all but replaced by LED bulbs.  These satisfy our basic lighting needs.  But…what if you have some decorative lighting requirements?   What if you’re looking to get something of a quirky, funky look without breaking the bank?  EP Design Lab might have the answer for you with their line of E.P.Light colorful resin bulbs with cool internal designs and colors.

What is it?

E.P.Lights are resin lightbulbs with LEDs in the base and various colors and design elements embedded in the resin.  Each bulb is unique.  EP Design Lab offers a wide variety of bulbs in several different color schemes and shapes. They are designed to screw into a standard Edison-style (E26 or E27) socket.

What’s in the box?

  • The bulb

Hardware specs

  • Light source type: LED
  • Wattage: 3W
  • Voltage: 95VAC-264VAC, 50/60Hz
  • Dimmable: No
  • Color temperature: 3000K (warm white)
  • Base: E27-E26 (Edison)
  • Lifespan: >100,000 hours
  • Operating temperature: -20 to +50 degrees Celcius, -4 to +122 Farenheight
  • Material: polyethylene
  • Weight: 5.3oz (Blue Hydrangea); 8.6oz (Nebula)
  • Dimensions: 4.33″L x 2.36″W (Blue Hydrangea); 5.75″L x 2.52″W (Nebula)

Design and features

I was sent two different bulbs.  The blue bulb is their Blue Hydrangea bulb.  It is a light blue color with a flower-like internal design in a standard bulb design.  The brown/orange bulb is their Nebula bulb. The color ranges from reddish-orange to yellow to blue, depending on where you look. It has a spacey, cool, swirly look to it. It comes in a water drop bulb design that is larger than a standard bulb.

The first thing I noticed was how heavy and solid the bulbs feel.  The fact that they are solid is due to the fact that they are solid polyethylene resin. They feel almost unbreakable, but I wasn’t about to test that.

One issue I had in testing these is that I don’t have many plain-old lamps sitting around.  Luckily, I do have an arc lamp in the living room that takes a standard screw-in bulb. The bulbs are really designed to be on display, so a lamp with a lampshade simply won’t do justice to these bulbs.

Let’s take a look at the bulbs themselves.

One cool feature is the three-dimentionality of the bulbs.  Depending on which side you look at, they take on very different looks.

Here’s a look at the Blue Hydrangea from a couple of different angles.

And, the Nebula:

Putting the bulbs in a lamp is where they really shine. (See what I did there?) 🙂

Blue Hydrangea

Nebula

These are not reading lights.  They are accent lights designed to provide nice, soft accent lighting on a desk, in a corner, or hanging from a pendant fixture.  The soft glow from the bulbs is quite pleasing.  They provide just the right amount of accent lighting without being too bright to look at directly and enjoy the visually interesting internal designs. With the wide variety of bulb shapes, internal designs, and colors available, almost anyone should be able to find a design that can fit into their decor.

EP Design Labs has a couple of tabletop bases available, but, alas, I was not sent one.  The first is a basic wood base to set on a table with the bulb screwed in, facing up.  The second base has LEDs in an exposed cup. You place the bulb upside down on the cup in the base and let the LEDs in the base light up the bulb.  I really like this as it leaves the bulb’s screw-in base exposed for a really funky, contemporary art look.

What I like

  • Well made
  • Visually very interesting
  • Wide variety of shapes, colors, and styles available

What I’d change

  • If I had to come up with something, I guess I’d say they are a little heavy

Final thoughts

I like these bulbs.  I can easily see these becoming part of our home decor. I wish that EP Design Labs had included a base for testing as well.  I might take a swing at making one myself, or perhaps just order one. My next step will be to find a final location for these in our home. Then, I will need to get a couple of smart plugs so I can schedule these to turn on each night. Having these provide a nice glow in our living room will certainly be a nice accent.

Price: $29.95
Where to buy: EP Design Lab
Source: The sample of this product was provided by EP Design Lab.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

EP Design Lab E.P.Light review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2019 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Optoma NuForce BE Free6 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds review

REVIEW – Today I take a look at the NuForce BE Free6 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds from Optoma.

What is it?

The NuForce BE Free6 is a pair of tiny, Bluetooth wireless earbuds and charging case.

What’s in the box?

  • Left and Right earbuds
  • Charging case
  • USB–C Charging cable, about 12-inch length
  • Instruction manual

Hardware specs:

  • Battery Life: Up to 6 hours on a single charge; up to 24 hours with charging case
  • Bluetooth Profile: Version 5.0, HSP V1.2, HFP V1.7, A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6, SBC, AAC
  • Codecs: SBC, AAC
  • Audio Drivers: Dynamic, 5.6mm, Graphene diaphragm
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20 kHz
  • Impedance: 16 Ohms
  • Microphone Sensitivity: -38 dB +/- 3 dB
  • Earphone Sensitivity: 95dB ± 3dB at 1KHz
  • Range: Up to 33ft (10m)
  • Weight: Earphones 0.44oz, Charging case 2oz

Design and features:

The headphones arrive well protected in an attractive white box.

The oval case has a slightly grainy feel which aids in keeping a good grip.

The left and right earbuds are small!

The case is about 3 X 1-1/2 inches and smooth with no protrusions. I found them easy to carry in my pocket.

The lid opens smoothly and is held closed using a small magnet.

The earbuds are securely held in place using magnets. No amount of shaking I could muster could dislodge the earbuds from their nests.

The case is equipped with a USB-C power connection. It took about an hour to fully charge straight from the box.

Setup:

Pairing is as easy as holding the button on the right headphone for a few seconds, then selecting “BE Free6 R.” To use both headphones independently, the left earbud needs to be paired as well and appears as “BE Free6 L.” The earbuds automatically connect after pairing with a pleasant female British voice. If the left headphone is connected, then the right is connected, both need to be placed into the case and removed again to pair in stereo mode.

Performance:

The headphones fit snugly in each ear, with the bulk of the earbuds facing upward. I use the term “bulk” loosely as these are really tiny and quite comfortable and fit completely in the area surrounding the car canal. The rubbery tips fit into the ear canal and, if fitted properly, do an excellent job sealing the wearer from outside sounds.

I made a call to my mom and she told me fidelity on her end was excellent, among the best of any headset on which I’ve used her as a guinea-pig. I consider that a pretty big compliment!

Over the course of the next week, I used the Be Free6 earbuds to watch movies, make calls and listen to lots and lot and lots of music, from bluegrass to Beethoven, Rap to religious, and I can say these are among the best-sounding wireless headphones I have used to date. Treble is snappy without being overtly sharp and the bass is booming, luscious and rich without being muddy, distorted, or over-modulating. The specs indicate 20-20,000 Hz as the frequency response and I believe it! I listened to many old favorites with new ears, hearing both sparking and ear-vibrating tones that would be lost on inferior playback equipment. Great job, Optoma!

The only issue I encountered was the buttons. Each earbud has a large button on its outward face. Removing the earbuds from the charging case and inserting them into each ear almost always resulted in pressing the button and stopping playback, advancing a track, disconnecting a call or even entering pairing mode if the button is held too long.  Once they are in place, this is not an issue, unless your intention is to sleep or have your head against something as you listen.

What I like:

  • Excellent audio
  • Reasonably priced
  • Comfortable
  • Good battery life

What I would change:

  • The button is easy to accidentally operate, particularly when inserting the earbuds.

Final thoughts:

With lovely, lovely audio, good battery life, and comfortable fit Optoma’s NuForce BE Free6 earbuds are an excellent all-around choice in the flood of headphone competing for your ear-holes.

Price: $99.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Optoma.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Optoma NuForce BE Free6 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2019 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

CatTongue Grips non-slip phone grip review

REVIEW – Let’s face it, phones are as slippery as they are expensive. But what do we do? We buy these fancy phones that make our wallets cry, only to cover them up with a bulky and ugly case to protect them. There has to be a better way right? That’s where CatTongue Grips come in. Let’s check them out and you can be sure that no actual cat tongues were harmed in the making of this review.

What is it?

CatTongue Grips are specially designed peel & stick sheets of material that add “gription” to the back of your phone.

Design and features

CatTongue Grips are available in a variety of colors and patterns and in two sizes, Kitty cat and Tom cat. As you probably can guess, the Kitty cat size is 2.25 x 4.00 inches for smaller phones, while the Tom cat size is 2.50 x 5.00 inches for larger phones.

I was sent 2 of the Kitty cat size grips in gray and a cool blue/green gradient.

For this review, I used my Huawei P30 Pro which is insanely slippery. So slippery in fact, that Huawei includes a clear case with the phone. I used this freebie case for a long time and then one day I decided to be daring and took it off because I don’t particularly like cases. Long story short, The caseless phone slipped out of my fingers and fell onto the concrete floor in my garage from about waist high (I’m 5’6″). Luckily the screen didn’t break, but the fall did scuff up two of the corners. Needless to say, the case went back on. 🙁

But then I was offered the CatTongue Grip and the case came back off again because I like to live dangerously (sorta).

Each CatTongue is a flexible soft almost quilted sheet of plastic.

Although you think it would be sticky like a cat’s tongue, it really isn’t. Instead, it reminds me of one of those bottle gripper thingies that helps you grab the top of a bottle to open it.

Installing the Grip on the back of your phone is as easy as you would imagine it would be. Just remove the protective sheet over the adhesive…

And press the CatTongue Grip to the back of the phone. Done!

I was sure that a product that has been designed to “stick” to surfaces would a magnet for all manner of dust, dirt, hair, and fluff, but I am happy to report that I was wrong in that assumption. I insert and remove my phone from pockets all day long and nothing at all is stuck to it.

The Grip isn’t very thick which can actually be a problem because it’s not thicker than the camera bump on the back of my phone. That means that the phone doesn’t always lay flat so that the full surface of the Grip comes in contact with the surface that it’s placed on.

Even so, I was able to drive with the phone on my dash as you can see above. Even driving over potholes didn’t dislodge it. I didn’t see if stopping suddenly would cause it to fall though. I don’t drive around with my phone on my dash, but I have found that the Grip does add just enough gription for me to pull the phone out of my pocket without me worrying that it’s going to slip from my fingers and fall on the ground.

What I like

  • Easy to apply
  • Adds grip without being a magnet for dirt

What I’d change

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

This material is an interesting alternative to a case for people who don’t usually drop their devices. If you already use a case because you’re a clutz, I would not expect this product to change that and it should be obvious that it will not protect the corners or display of your phone if you do drop it on a hard surface. CatTongue Grips are easy to apply sheets of material that provide some extra grip to an otherwise super slippery device.

Price: $14.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by CatTongue Grips.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

CatTongue Grips non-slip phone grip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2019 at 1:26 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.