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Blockada ad blocker Android app review

REVIEW – Let me say first that I understand that many sites use ads as a means for additional funding for their site (including The Gadgeteer). I mean TANSTAAFL (There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch).  That being said I’m probably a marketer’s nightmare; my clickthrough rate on ads I do see is probably less than 1% and I actually don’t pay much attention to ads in any media.  I see a kewl ad on television and within an hour I know the ad but have no idea what the actual advertised product or brand is.

Blocking ads on your device can give you a much cleaner screen, protects your privacy and reduces your bandwidth usage. Blockada is a free, open source ad blocker for your Android device which works without root. How good is it? Read on…..

Blockada is a DNS-based ad blocker that (and I’m not going to get too technical here) that redirects all your network traffic to a local VPN interface and only allows queries to hosts that are not blacklisted in your chosen filters.  The filters contain hosts there are known to serve ads, tracking, spam, malware and other “nasties” like that.

You don’t need to have a rooted device to make this work however it’s not available from the Google Play Store as it “interferes with Google’s business model”, so you’ll have to go to Blockada, download the APK, make sure your device allows you to install from unknown sources and install the APK manually.

Once installed and turned on it works on both WiFI and mobile networks and also across all apps, not just the browser (like some ad blockers).

Once you’ve installed it here’s the main interface.  You can see that it’s blocked a fair few ads.  To turn Blockada on or off you just open the app and just hit the on/off button.  You can tell it’s on by the little key in the top right-hand side of my system tray.

Here’s where you can choose what host blacklist files you want.  Each one has strengths and weakness (which are described for each), and you can choose more than one.  Currently, there are 14 available, I use 2. There is also a whitelist for sites you don’t want to apply Blockada to as well.

For further ad, phishing and other bad thing filtering you can also change your DNS provider away from your ISP’s. I tend to use OpenDNS on all my devices.  They can often be faster than your ISP’s and give you an additional level of protection.

There are various other options in the settings tab like how often you want your list updated or if you want Blockada to start on boot.

As mentioned to turn it on or off you can just open the app, but there’s also a toggle in your pull down drawer (2nd from the right) to do this much more easily than having to open the app.

And here’s a typical page rendered on my Chrome Browser without Blockada active (see no key in the top right hand). Note the annoying self-playing ad in the middle of my screen and the small ad bar in the bottom.

Once ad blocker is turned on, no more ads, video or static.  OK, the grey boxes probably aren’t the prettiest but to me, it’s better than the ads. It’s worth noting that in Firefox I just get a grey box with no graphics. You can see because the ad domain is in one of the blacklists, the actual IP address of the site can’t be resolved from the address, so it can’t load the site.

An here’s the effects in an app. Nope, I’m not looking at refinancing my home. Ads begone!

Summary

For me, Blockada has a number of advantages as it allows me to block ads and other nasty things from known nasty sites. This also means less bandwidth used (especially for video ads) and faster loading times. Additionally, it easily allows me to change my DNS away from whatever ISP I’m connected to a more “secure” and fast one if I want to.  Of course, there are some disadvantages, sometimes it actually blocks sites that you do want to get to, especially where the site link you hit redirects first via an ad site to get to the requested site, but that being said you can easily turn Blockada off temporarily to get there.  Additionally, you don’t see ads, don’t click on them and hence the sites you visit may be missing out on click revenue but as I say I don’t click through much anyway. Well worth a try if you really don’t like flashy, horrible, irrelevant ads “shoved in your face” 🙂

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Blockada ad blocker Android app review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 2, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Cannae Optio Sling bag review

REVIEW – We’ve all noted the trend toward thinner devices and, thus, smaller, sleeker bags. My (current) favorite style is an over-the-shoulder sling bag. These allow for quick-on, quick-off, and easy sling-around access while wearing. The current model I am testing is from a company called Cannae, their Optio Sling bag.

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

What is it?

The Optio is a basic Cordura sling bag with a main pocket with a tablet/laptop sleeve for a very thin device and room for a few other items, as well as a few zippered pockets on the front. It’s available in Black, Sage, or Navy with Black trim. I was sent the Black model.

What’s in the box?

Just the bag

Design and features

The Optio is a slim-profile sling with a wide shoulder attachment and a two-piece strap that can be worn over either shoulder. Above this is a heavy-duty rubber padded handle.

The strap can be changed for left- or right-shoulder wear, is adjustable, has a clip to allow it to be opened and re-clipped easily, and a removable stabilizer strap. (See photos below for clip details and stabilizer strap.)

The bag has a single double-headed zipper around five of it’s edges. When the main compartment is fully opened, the front lifts up and away from the body so that you can place a stack of items inside without having to slide them in from the top. This also prevents you from losing items in the depths – you can see everything!

On the rear panel that is against your back, there is a sleeve sewn into three sides with a 1.5” wide elastic Velcro strap to keep the contents in. It’s a pretty tight fit for my iPad 10.5” iPad in a thin case. (See photo above.) The original 12.9” iPad Pro won’t fit in unless it’s out of any case. My Lovely Bride’s 2016 MacBookAir will fit, but is quite tight. The opposite side has a few sleeves, good for passports or Moleskines and a couple of silos for more bulky pens and such. This whole pocket is padded and large headphones, cycling shoes, or water bottles will fit in here with ease.


On the outside, there is an 8” x 8” double-zipper pocket that has inner organization. There are a few pen loops, a zipped net pocket that will hold keys, mints, earbuds, etc.

The cover for this is loop material so you can stick anything to it with hook-sided velcro like a concealed carry holster, ID badge, or similar.

On the outside of that are two mirror-image pockets that zip across the top and most of the way down the side in a butterfly-wing manner. (Note the locking zipper heads on the 8″ x 8″ pocket above.) The left pocket has soft, no scratch padding for glasses, phone or anything else you don’t want to get damaged. (My iPhone 8 Plus fits easily, even with its ShiftCam lens case.)

The right-hand pocket has 2 slots sized for phone-shaped battery packs as well as a key clip.

On the left side, there is a very tight pocket on the side near where the strap snaps in. It’s too small and tight for a Moleskine or a passport, but a knife, bike tool, or pocket tool fits fine. Opposite that is a mesh pocket that looks like it’s built for a water bottle, but none of mine could fit, it’s so tight. A 10-ounce disposable plastic bottle fits, but it’s tight.

What I Like

  • Can be used on either shoulder.
  • Heavy-duty grab handle.
  • Locking double-headed zippers on 2 larger pockets.
  • Weather and dust resistant zippers.

What needs to be improved

  • A couple of the pockets are very tight.

Final thoughts

The motto for Cannae from the hang tag is “Battle Ready Professional Gear.” They take their name from the village where Hannibal Barca and the Carthaginian army severely trounced the far larger Roman army. The takeaway from this is a combination of Preparation, Intelligence, Strength, and Bravery.

It’s a pretty stealthy bag. There are no reflective materials on the black version I was sent. The single black molded logo centered below the grab handle is all that identifies it from the outside. There is another logo under the strap that doesn’t show when being worn.

Some of the pockets are tight for devices or items that you may use every day. If you carry a bare laptop or iPad, you’ll be fine with the sleeve, but if you’ve got a case on it, you’ll most likely not be able to fit it in. While the materials and workmanship are topnotch, be aware that it’s not a huge bag, and may not have a specific pocket for what you may think it needs. But if your stuff fits, it’ll be protected and near to hand for whatever you face.

Price: MSRP $85.00
Where to buy: Cannae web store and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Cannae Gear.

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Cannae Optio Sling bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 2, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Tom Bihn Road Buddy 60L duffel bag review

REVIEW – Tom Bihn bags are awesome. They ooze quality, made in USA, and are really durable. How durable? Read about the time I got hit by a car. I was excited to get the chance to review something bigger, without getting hit by a car.

What is it?

The Road Buddy is a 60 liter-sized duffle bag that looks as good as it works.

Hardware specs

  • U.S. high tenacity 1050 denier ballistic nylon exterior
  • 210 denier 2×2 Ballistic nylon lining
  • #10 YKK Coil Zippers
  • Tough Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components
  • Made in USA with fabric from Korea / Japan / U.S.A.
  • 100% finished seams
  • Dimensions: 26″ (w) x 14″ (h) x 12″ (d) / 660 (w) x 355 (h) x 305 (d) mm
  • 1050d high tenacity ballistic nylon: 2 lb, 14 oz / 1310 g
  • Volume: 60 liters / 3700 cubic inches
  • Total O-rings: 12 (4 in the main compartment, 2 in the inside-flap zippered mesh pocket, 1 in the left side compartment, 1 in the right side compartment, 2 in the left exterior pocket, 2 in the right side mesh exterior pocket)

What comes with the bag?

A very nice shoulder strap comes with the bag. The pad feels grippy and durable, and the strap itself feels very similar to seatbelt material.

I found this collection of cord and plastic. What is it? They’re zipper pulls! Very easy to assemble.

Design and features

Here’s a shot of the duffle with the shoulder strap removed.

There are loops on the bottom (and sides) for external lash straps. Two straps come with the duffel. Strap on a camera tripod, blanket, sleeping pad, you name it!

The main handle is also nicely detailed. Two metal snaps keep the two halves together, and the thickly-padded wrap keeps its shape even when released.

The end pockets are slightly different from each other. They both have single zippered pouches but one end is made of mesh.

Another slight difference is found on the inside. Both are roomy but one has an attachment for a Tom Bihn key strap.  One is included.

The main compartment is roomy. I was able to pack 34 t-shirts without difficulty. Under the flap is yet another mesh pocket.

On the ends of the interior compartment are two divided pouches on each side for a total of four.

What I like

  • Premium materials
  • Beefy zippers
  • Made in USA
  • Lifetime guarantee

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

If you want the best, look no further. Just be prepared to pay for quality.

Price: $200
Where to buy: Tom Bihn.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tom Bihn.

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Tom Bihn Road Buddy 60L duffel bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 1, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE tabletop grill and panini press review

REVIEW – I don’t consider myself a cook as much as I consider myself an eater. I like to eat but to do that I have to cook. The best thing about cooking is the eating part. The worst thing about cooking is the cleanup. For that reason, I’m always looking for shortcuts and ways that can make cooking quicker and easier without sacrificing taste. I’m already a huge fan of the Instant Pot, and now I have another favorite kitchen helper. It’s the Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE tabletop grill and panini press. Let’s get cooking and check it out!

What is it?

The Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE tabletop grill and panini press is a small tabletop 5-in-1 cooking appliance. It’s a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half grill/half griddle.

Specifications

Adjustable temperatures from 175-450 degrees
Weight: 12lbs
Dimensions: 8.75″ x 16.00″ x 13.75″

What’s in the box?

  • Cuisinart GR-5B
  • Scraper
  • Instruction/recipe book

Design and features

The Cuisinart GR-5B is a compact tabletop appliance that has a stainless steel exterior with a large handle on top and a small backlit LCD on the front.

Attached to the back of the unit is the non-replaceable power cord which felt a bit too short to me at 36 inches.

The right side of the unit has a sliding latch on the side of the handle that allows you to open the lid 180 degrees if you want to use the cooker as a griddle.

Without unlocking the handle, the lid opens as you see in the image above. It opens far enough that it will rest in this position without needing to manually hold it open.

Unlocking the handle will allow the lid to swing open and then rest on the handle to create a full cooking surface.

As mentioned, this is a 5-in-1 cooking appliance. You can use it as grill like you see above…

Or you can press the black button on the side which allows you to remove the non-stick cooking plates which are reversible.

Just press the button on either side and lift out the dishwasher safe plates.

Then you can flip one or both over to the flat griddle cooking surface shown above. This will give you the ability to cook different foods on either side like pancakes or fried eggs on the flat side and bacon or sausages on the grilled side that has the ridges that keep the food out of the grease/oils.

If there is any excess grease, oils, or juices, they will run off into the built-in collecting tray that can be removed for cleaning.

Let’s get cooking!

The first step to using the Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE is to plug it in and press the on/off button. When you do this, the LCD will light up and will show the default temperature of 400 degrees. You can use the knob on the right to change the temp from 175-450 degrees in 25-degree increments and switch between grill and griddle modes.  When the mode and temperature are set, the grill will preheat and then beep when it is ready to be used.

The first cooking test I did with the GR-5B was to make some toasted meatloaf sandwiches. I love using leftovers and toasted meatloaf is one of my all-time favorites. I also decided to split some leftover baked potatoes and put them on the grill too.

The GR-5B’s cooking surface is roomy enough for two standard sized sandwiches when using it as a panini press.

With the sandwiches in place, you can close the top. When I say “close”, that doesn’t mean that the lid will lock in place. The lid floats, so it presses the food between the two cooking plates but does not latch shut. The lid is heavy enough to keep everything in place and cooks from both sides so don’t have to manually flip the sandwich mid-way through which in the past usually meant losing some of the meat and other toppings in the process.

Besides the mode and temperature, you can also set a timer to count down or count up to a certain length of time so you won’t overcook your food.

For toasted sandwiches, I just opened the cover after 5 minutes to check to see if the bread was toasted to my liking and adjusted from there. Timing will be dependant on the type of bread and the selected temperature. I will say that at 375 degrees, the sandwiches toasted much quicker than my usual stovetop frying pan method and the meat inside was perfectly heated.

It was definitely love at first bite!

And the clean up was crazy easy too. I just waited for the grill to cool down and then wiped the plates with a paper towel since there wasn’t any residue left on the plates other than a little bit of grease from the butter.

A few days later I grilled up some smoked sausages.

Sausages don’t squish like sandwiches when you cook them with the cover closed, so the cover didn’t want to float too well at first.

Jiggling the handle and opening and closing the cover a couple of times fixed that and the back tilted so it would be flat against the sausages. Now I always look at the grill from the side to make sure the lid is positioned correctly for optimal cooking.

Almost done! Yum, another winner winner not a chicken dinner. 🙂

What I like

  • Easy to use
  • Easy cleanup
  • Faster than using a frying pan to grill/fry meat and toast sandwiches

What needs to be improved

  • A longer power cord would be nice

Final thoughts

The Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE tabletop grill and panini press has become a regularly used cooking appliance in my home. My favorite use for it is to make toasted sandwiches because it makes them quick and perfectly. I also like to use it grill up chicken breasts, sausages, pork cutlets, etc. I prefer to use the GR-5B with the cover in the closed position because it keeps grease spatters to a minimum which means less clean up for me. And speaking of clean up, popping the plates off and throwing them and the drip tray in the dishwasher is about as easy as it gets. The Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE tabletop grill and panini press gets two thumbs up and a happy tummy from me.

Price: $99.95
Where to buy: Cuisinart.com and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Cuisinart.

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Cuisinart GR-5B Series Griddler FIVE tabletop grill and panini press review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 1, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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BlitzWolf BW-FYE1 wireless earbuds review

REVIEW – The second contestant for 2019 into the challenge of finding the “perfect” earbuds for my taste is the BlitzWolf BW-FYE1 True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds. These earbuds have the unique look of a combination of part of the Apple earbud design along with the design of the typical standard earbud. I wonder if they also managed to merge the best sound and performance characteristics from both. Let’s see!!

What is it?

The BlitzWolf Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds are lightweight, and in some aspects have a form factor that is a mixture of Apple and standard earbud designs. Functionally, they are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. As with most earbuds, they should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box


1 x BlitzWolf Wireless Earbuds
1 x Micro USB Cable
3 x Ear Tips
1 x User Guide

Design and features:

Specifications
Bluetooth Version：5.0
Waterproof: IPX4
Transmission Distance：≥ 33 feet (10m)
Frequency：2.4GHz, Class 2
Charging Box Output Voltage: DC 5.2V 120mA
Charging Box Input Voltage: DC 5.2V 1A
Temperature Range: 0-45℃
Battery Capacity: Earbud: 50mAh/3.7V Polymer lithium battery
Charging Box: 700 mAh/3.7V Polymer lithium battery
Charging Time – Earbuds: 1-1.5H
Charging Time – Battery Case: 1.5H
Music Playing Time – Monaural Earbud with Full Charge: 2.5H-3H
No. of Charges – Charging Box: 4 times
Call Time: 3H
Standby Time: 77h
Dimensions – Charging Box: 61.5 X 43.5 X 30mm
Dimensions – Earbud: 34.2 X 17.5 X 23.8mm

The charging box/case is quite small and very portable and can be kept in just about any pocket. On the front of the charging case, there is the brand name in white.



On the back of the charging case, there is the micro USB charging port and 4 LEDs that show the built-in case battery charge level.

On the inside, there are the 2 charging slots for the earbuds and the gold plated tips that make contact for charging.

Performance

When I took these BlitzWolf earbuds out of the charging case that arrived almost fully charged, they automatically powered on and appeared in the Bluetooth device list on my phone. Pairing was just that simple and they were ready for use. Looking at their physical design, I was immediately concerned about their comfort factor and since they seemed a bit large for my ear, I figured that they would stick out quite a bit. Boy!! was I wrong!! They somehow seem to possess the ability to morph, fit perfectly, securely and comfortably in my ears, and there was no extended protrusion as I thought might be the case.


These earbuds are controlled by one button multi-function controls which makes them very easy to use.


Similar to all of my testing, I use these earbuds approximately 90 minutes each day for 5 days weekly, and I place them in the charging case after each use. I have to recharge the case once per week. I also use them to watch TV on my iPad Pro, and the voice command indicates “low battery” just short of 3 hours.

Also as I do with all of the earbuds that I test and review, I listen to several genres that I enjoy including Contemporary Jazz, Easy Listening, The Classics, and Gospel. Keeping in mind that these are not in the audiophile category, I did and do enjoy them for all of the listed genres and more. The lows, mids, and highs are well balanced and at the maximum volume on my phone, there is no bothersome level of distortion. Even for phone calls, I can hear the other party quite well, and they indicate that they hear me well too, albeit not as clear and crisp as some of the other earbuds I have tested. I usually use the same folks to test my earbud phone functions.

What I like

  • The smooth and sleek look
  • The fit and comfort
  • The solid connectivity
  • The sound reproduction

What can be improved

  • The earbud battery life

Final thoughts

Based on the cost of these earbuds and a brand that I had never heard of, I have to honestly say that I was expecting a disappointing experience. Well, I am also honest enough to say that I was very wrong. Keeping in mind that there are several individually subjective dynamics that create great variations in perspective, I will stand by my opinion, that these BlitzWolf earbuds are a really great bang for the buck!!

Price: $49.99 Amazon 20% off code for the earbuds: 20L7MYCO. Expires 3/29/19.
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BlitzWolf.

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BlitzWolf BW-FYE1 wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 28, 2019 at 4:00 pm.

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