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Airthings Wave Plus indoor air quality monitor with radon detection review

REVIEW – I’m sure that you keep your house clean by sweeping the floors, dusting the furniture, and picking up clutter. But did you know that there could be serious threats to your health silently lurking in the air you breath while you’re relaxing in what you think is a safe environment? I’m talking about dangerous Radon gas, and TVOCs (total volatile organic compounds). The Airthings Wave Plus detector will let you know if there is an issue in your home so that you can keep you and your family protected. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

Airthings Wave Plus is a battery-powered sensor that detects Radon, CO2, TVOCs, humidity, temperature, and air pressure. Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, so it’s very important to know if there are high levels of this invisible, odorless gas in your home. TVOCs are emitted gases from things like paint, cooking, cosmetics, and more. TVOCs can cause headaches, eye, and throat irritations, to serious respiratory and even liver problems. High CO2 levels can also cause headaches, brain fog, drowsiness, and more.

What’s in the box?

  • Airthings Wave Plus smart indoor air quality monitor with radon detection
  • 2 AA batteries
  • Mounting screw
  • Info sheet

Design and features

I reviewed the Airthings Wave last year and the newer Wave Plus looks very similar to that device, like a traditional smoke detector.

The bottom of the unit has a magnetic lid that has a hole in the center so you can mount it to a wall or ceiling using the screw that is included in the package.

Removing the lid will give you access to the battery compartments. The Airthings Wave Plus is powered by 2 AA batteries which are included with the unit and should last for up to 16 months before they need to be replaced.

As mentioned, you can mount the Airthings on a wall or ceiling, or you can set it on a shelf. The advantage of putting in on a shelf is that you can walk by it and just wave your hand over the unit to see a visual indication of the air quality status.

There’s a built-in LED on top that will glow green if all the levels are safe, yellow when there is a problem, and red when you should run screaming from your house. Just kidding, but not really. If you see red, the sensor is telling you that the levels for Radon or TVOCs are not safe. But how do you get more details? You can use the Airthings mobile app or web client.

Airthings mobile app




The app’s data syncs automatically when your mobile device is within range as it uses Bluetooth to communicate with the monitor. The app’s dashboard shows the current levels for radon, TVOCs, CO2, Humidity, Temperature, and Pressure. If you want more info on each reading, you can scroll for a 48 hr, week, month and yearly graph.




The provides easy to interpret data for current sensor levels, but to get more info, you can use the Airthings web client.

I do want to mention that I’ve had issues with the app losing data when adding a 2nd device and once when I hadn’t synced in over a week due to being away on vacation. Since the unit uses Bluetooth instead of WiFi to sync, this could be an ongoing problem, but I’ve not taken another extended vacation yet to find out.

Airthings web client

The web client provides a better interface for viewing the graphs for each sensor’s data. Like the mobile app, the web client has a dashboard view, but clicking on one of the sensors takes you into graph page that makes it easy to spot trends.

You can see graphs for the past 12 hours, 48 hours, week, month, and even the past year.

I’m still trying to figure out what is triggering the high TVOC readings that you can see in the graph.

Changing to an expanded view helps provide more details and hovering over any part of the graph will show the date, time and level for each sensor.

You have the data, now what?

I became a fan of Airthings when the original unit that I reviewed last spring started reporting high radon readings this past fall. Everytime I’d walk by the unit and wave my hand over it, it would show red so I kept an eye on the readings and they were high. I’m talking through the roof high readings of 11 pCi/L. I read the following info on Airthings site:

It is important to do a long-term measure in places where you normally spend a lot of hours like bedrooms or your office. Overall, if concentrations are:
0 – 49 Bq/m3  (0 – 1.3 pCi/L):  No action necessary.
49 – 99 Bq/m3 (1.4 – 2.6 pCi/L): Experiment with ventilation and sealing cracks to reduce levels.
100 Bq/m3 – 299 Bq/m3 (2.7 – 8 pCi/L): Keep measuring. If levels are maintained for more than 3 months, contact a professional radon mitigator.
300 Bq/m3 (8.1 pCi/L) and up: Keep measuring. If levels are maintained for more than 1 month, contact a professional radon mitigator.

After a month my radon levels were still too high, so I ended up having a mitigation system installed and within 6hrs the levels were down to 0.5 pCi/L and have remained that low. Whew! Crisis averted!

The high powered fan on the outside of my house isn’t the most attractive thing in the world but it sure helps relieve the anxiety of worrying that I (or Jeanne) might develop lung cancer from the radon gas. I’ve already had cancer once, and don’t want it again thank you very much. FYI, the smoke in the image above isn’t from the radon fan unit, it’s from the dryer vent and the fact that it was only 30 degrees outside when I took the pic.

What I like

  • Easy to use
  • Helps detect dangerous radon levels quickly
  • Battery powered

What needs to be improved

  • The app is buggy especially when used multiple Airthings devices
  • Needs a carbon monoxide sensor too

Final thoughts

Airthings sensors are just as important to me and my home as our smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and security system. I will admit that I mainly pay attention to the radon levels and haven’t really cared that much about the TVOC levels unless they remain in the yellow or red (haven’t seen red yet) level for any length of time. So far the TVOC levels have only spiked a couple times into the yellow levels, so I’m not too concerned (yet).

The Airthings Wave Plus indoor air quality monitor with radon detection is pricy at $269 and I do wish it included a carbon monoxide sensor, but when you consider that this monitor can help protect your health, it’s priceless. If there are known issues with radon gas in your area you should consider a sensor like the Wave Plus or the lower priced Wave.

Price: $269.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Airthings.

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Airthings Wave Plus indoor air quality monitor with radon detection review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 18, 2019 at 11:05 am.

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Saddleback Leather Boot Leather iPhone Case review

REVIEW – A warm leather hug for your iPhone. That’s what I’m testing this week with Saddleback Leather’s latest phone case design. Forget about plastics, silicone, or rubberized bits… this is 100% leather, and each one is made by hand. To the review!

What is it?

The name says it all. It’s a handmade leather iPhone case. ‘Nuff said.

Design and features

The Saddleback Leather Boot Leather iPhone Case is made from a single piece of heavy boot leather, by hand, in a process that takes 5 hours to complete. Not only are there no plastic or rubberized components, but you won’t even find a stitch of thread in the build. Check out this video to see how each case is cut, shaped, and molded by hand for the final product. Neat, huh?

The cool thing about this process is that the finished piece also shows all the little handmade details, so each item has its own unique personality. Here’s a shot of the front and back of the case… note that mine has been in use for several weeks now, so it’s started to pick up some patina from use (and maybe a water spot from an accidental splash… but that’s another story):

The edges are cut and molded to wrap around the phone. You’ll even see the marks from the shaping process:

The volume buttons on the left side are covered, with the leather being shaved to a thin bevel to allow for clicking. The mute switch is also shaved, but a bit of a cut out so that you can flip it:

The main button on the right hand side is also covered & shaved from the leather, while the camera pod is cut out:

 

I’ve got an iPhone XS Max, and the case is perfectly sized for a snug fit.

Just slide it into the case, and you’re good to go. Note that the bottom panel is completely open for access to your speaker and ports. The camera pod cutout is right on the money, cut perfectly so that it doesn’t interfere with the functionality.

And that’s all there is to it. Slide your iPhone into the case, and you’re off and running!

Performance

There’s something refreshing about the simplicity and elegance of the Saddleback Leather Boot Leather iPhone case. Don’t get me wrong, I love how designers are pushing the limits with cutting-edge materials to create new products. But it’s also impressive to see a company that’s able to create the same modern usability we demand from our tech with the classic attributes of materials like leather.

From the minute I opened the package, the Boot Leather iPhone case was fully functional. Not only is it easy to install, but I haven’t seen any signs of stretching or loosening in the case that would cause it to slip off the phone. It’s just as tight and snug as any molded plastic or silicone case I have played with. In reading the product details, it looks like Saddleback made some tweaks to this design to address issues with access to the ports and buttons. I’ll tell you that I have seen no issues with any of that so far. The lightning cable pops right into place, buttons work as designed, and the speakers aren’t obstructed. The cutout for the mute switch was a *teeny* bit tight but loosened up after about a day of use. You really don’t notice any degradation in performance or functionality when using the phone on a regular basis.

The protection offered by the phone is also excellent. I’m prone to fumble fingers, so my iPhone takes its share of drops and bangs on a regular basis. The heavy leather does just as good a job of protecting my precious as any silicone or rubber base I’ve had. Now don’t get me wrong… I’m not planning on tossing it out a second story window to be sure! But for general whoopsies, it’s good. Note that the screen is not protected, but that’s common to all phones in this category. I have a secondary screen cover on the phone for that purpose anyway.

You also get all the benefits of beautiful full-grain boot leather with this case. The leather is just fantastic, as we’ve come to expect from Saddleback Leather products. A month in and my case is already starting to pick up a nice patina as well as some personality from use, which will just get better over time. It’s also surprisingly slim and lightweight, well in line with other cases geared towards protection. I’ve had no issues carrying it in a bag or in my jeans pocket; I really don’t notice anything different from a typical phone case.

What I like

  • Simple, elegant construction
  • No parts of any kind that could come loose, break, or fail
  • Beautiful leather that will age wonderfully
  • All the protection benefits of modern-day materials in a classic looking case

What needs to be improved

  • None that I am seeing yet

Final thoughts

This is my second review from their newer lineup of Saddleback Leather products that feature the simpler, streamlined design language. Like the iPad case review I did last October,  the Boot Leather iPhone Case is another winner. Usability and functionality are both excellent, imparting all the benefits of modern design with the simple goodness of high-quality handmade leather. It’s beautiful and durable, and will probably outlast my phone. It also retails at $79, which is well within the competitive price range for high-end iPhone cases… and pretty great for a hand made product. I’m a fan.

Please note that, as of this writing, the Boot Leather iPhone Case is available for the newer generation of iPhones (X, XS, XS Max, and XR).

Price: $79.00
Where to buy: Get ye to the Saddleback Leather product page for this item.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Saddleback Leather

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Saddleback Leather Boot Leather iPhone Case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 18, 2019 at 9:17 am.

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xFryo XS2 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds review


REVIEW – It is now 2019, and I am happy to continue my enjoyable challenge of finding the “perfect” earbuds for my taste. in 2018, I enjoyed the battle of the contenders, and this year I believe with the continuous evolution of technology, that there will be new earbuds that will “wow” me beyond my imagination. Let’s start the year off with the xFryo XS2 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds.

What is it?

The xFryo XS2 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds are lightweight, and like all others, 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 xFryo XS2 Earbuds
1 x Micro USB Cable
3 x Ear Tips
1 x User Guide
1 x Warranty Leaflet

Design and features

Specifications

  • Measurements: 6.25″L x 1″W x .75″H
  • 2-in-1 Wireless Earbuds And Charging Tube
  • IP67 Certified Dust-proof And Waterproof Technology
  • V4.2 + EDR Bluetooth Technology With 10 Meter Wireless Range
  • CVC 6.0 Noise Cancellation
  • Rechargeable 850 MAh Capacity Power Bank
  • Music / Talk Time: 5 Hours
  • Charging Time: 2 Hours
  • Standby Time: 300 Hours

Features

  • Materials: Aluminum Alloy, Silicone
  • Aluminum Alloy Shell
  • Lightweight and Portable
  • Answer, Reject, and Redial Calls
  • Pause And Play Music
  • Built-In Microphone
  • Dual-Port Charging Tube With USB And Micro USB Ports
  • Patented Aluminum Polishing

The earbuds are what I would call medium sized, but they sit firmly and securely in your ears. The charging case is black with gold plated inserts and the earbuds connect to each end of the case.



There are rubberized waterproof covers on each side of the charging case that protect the ports/electronics. As shown below, on one side there is a rubberized cover that is marked “In”. Under the cover is the micro USB charging port.


On the other side of the charging case there is an “On” button, and underneath the rubberized cover, there is a standard USB port that can be used to charge devices, like cell phones. etc via the built-in power bank.


Performance

The first thing I did was to fully charge the case and earbuds. While being charged, there is a blue LED on the case that blinks.

Once fully charged, the LED remains a solid blue and when unplugged but charging the earbuds it is a solid red.

After I fully charged the earbuds I took them out of the charging case, I powered them on and they automatically synced with each other. They immediately showed up ion the Bluetooth device list on my smartphone. Pairing was quick and easy and they were ready for listening to music and of course conducting phone calls. These earbuds function well and hold their charge for a long time. Using them approximately 90 minutes each day for 5 days weekly, I only recharge the case once weekly.

I tested them by listening to several genres that I usually listen to including Contemporary Jazz, Easy Listening, The Classics, Gospel, etc., and I enjoyed the sound across all of the genres. The sound is quite good and well balanced for the lows, mids, and highs. Once listening to a quality track, there was no real discernable distortion in any frequency range, and there is a built-in volume limiter to add to the quality of the listening experience.

I also tested these on phone call functions and was pleased that they worked very well for both parties on the call. I usually encounter issues with using earbuds for phone calls where I cannot hear the other party or they cannot hear me. These earbuds worked well.

I also like the built-in option to charge my phone or similar device via the built-in power bank using the USB out port on the charging case.

What I like

  • The design and attractive style of the charging case
  • The build quality of the charging case
  • The built-in Power Bank feature

What can be improved

  • The inclusion of more ear tips of various sizes

Final thoughts

When I first saw the xFryo XS2 I really got a good first impression. Since then, I have really grown to like these earbuds. I am very pleased that despite what seems like a risk, the earbuds remain firmly in place when in the charging dock. They also stay in place in my ears and really provide a pleasurable listening experience. As I review more earbuds it is becoming very hard to rank them in my list of the best earbuds for me. I would say that these earbuds likely tie for 3rd place in my growing list of the top 5. Nicely done!!

Price: $125 (you can get 10% OFF sitewide by using the following this link, or by entering the following discount code at checkout: GADGETEER10
Where to buy: xFryo website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by xFryo.

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xFryo XS2 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 17, 2019 at 9:30 am.

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Xiaomi Roborock E20 robot vacuum cleaner review


REVIEW – The floors in my home are carpeted with Berber carpet with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms which are tiled. We vacuum every day, and for the past few years, we have been using the Dyson V6. The Dyson works quite well, but over time I have grown tired of this chore which I usually do at night when I return home from work, and when the kids are in bed and can no longer make a mess, at least until they wake up next the next morning. Recently, I was offered the opportunity to test and review the Xiaomi Roborock E20 Vacuum Cleaner and I readily accepted. Here is my summary!!

What is it?

The Xiaomi Roborock E20 Vacuum Cleaner is an efficient vacuum with built-in Artificial Intelligence. It works quickly and efficiently with 1800Pa of suction power and uses a dual-gyro system, and motion tracking sensors to create a high-efficiency cleaning path for every room. There are 13 onboard sensors to provide drop avoidance, anti-collision, trap prevention, self-charging, and resumption. It is able to vacuum and mop and with the use of the relevant app it can be controlled to start, stop, schedule, customize, charge, spot clean, check accessory status, and control movement direction. It is able to switch/increase its suction power automatically when it transitions from wood floors to carpet, and if it runs low on power it returns to its dock to recharge then resumes where it left off. It communicates with the app via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and has a 2600mAh lithium battery for a long-lasting charge.

What’s in the box


1 x Xiaomi Roborock E20 Vacuum Cleaner
1 x Dock Charger
1 x AC Power Cord
1 x Waterproof Docking Pad
2 x Mopping Pads
1 x Water Tank
1 x Brush Cleaning Tool
2 x Vacuum Filters
1 x Quick Start Guide

Design and features

Features
Methodical cleaning: Dual-gyroscopes and high-precision optical tracking sensors allow E20 to clean methodically around a room, starting around the edge then the areas in between.
Intelligent systems: A full suite of sensors gives E20 the intelligence to effectively tackle complicated environments without falling off ledges, getting stuck, or running out of power.
Tangle Free: All brushes and wheels are designed to be tangle free, eliminating the need to open E20 robotic mop for cleaning. An included cleaning accessory can be used to remove hair from the outside of the cleaner making it perfect for picking up after your pets.
Obstacle crossing: Able to clamber up over obstacles as high as 0.8in, E20 easily handles thresholds, thin carpets, and other low barriers.
Carpet boost: When a carpet is detected, suction is increased to maximum to pull up deeply lodged dirt. Once off the carpet, normal suction returns.
Washable Filter: A high-efficiency E11 filter captures 99.2% of dust and allergens, down to just 0.3 microns. Its washable design extends its life and reduces replacement frequency.
Holiday Mode: In this mode, the LED indicator will dim, functions that have nothing to do with charging such as cleaning, recharging and remote control via wifi will be disabled, and the cleaner will enter low power consumption mode to maintain optimal battery performance.



Specifications


When you open up the cover on the top of the vacuum, you find the removable dust canister.


On the removable dust canister, there is a removable filter that attaches to the canister and prevents dust and debris for entering the suction chamber of the vacuum. The filters are actually washable and they provide two so that you can use the second while the first dries.


On the surface of the vacuum, there are 3 touch buttons. From left to right they are the spot cleaning button, the clean/on/off button and the recharge button. To reset the WiFi, you press and hold the spot cleaning and recharge buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds. The knob that is seen above the 3 touch control buttons is the omnidirectional recharge sensor.


If you look carefully at the picture below, you will see a small LED in the upper right-hand corner of the canister compartment. This LED is the WIFI indicator.


On the circular sides of the vacuum, there are two visible grilles. In the picture shown below, the grille on the left is the speaker, and on the right is the air outlet.


Underneath the vacuum, there is the main brush and suction port in the center, an extended 3-prong brush off to the side that allows the vacuum to brush square corners and to move dust into the path of its suction port, and the 3 wheels that it uses to maneuver. The diagram below the photo shows the details.



The picture below shows the docking mat that attaches to the charging dock. The vacuum rests on this mat when charging and when docked. The second row of pictures below shows the charging dock and the AC port located on its side.


Performance

This vacuum was basically a plug and play exercise, and it works very well. Initially, I did not find any clear instructions regarding the app, but I soon figured that I needed to download the Xiaomi Mi Home app which seems to recognize and control all AI devices within the Xiaomi device family. The Vacuums mapping ability is great and I am pretty sure that it does a better job of coverage than I do when using a handheld vacuum. I  like the options to regulate the suctioning power and that even when it is at full power, its noise level is much lower than a conventional vacuum. Here is a short video of it performing. I included the ambient sounds for reference.

The following are some of the screens from the app:



For more information, click here to view the manual.

What I like

  • The size
  • The built-in technology
  • The overall vacuuming performance
  • Its ability to know when it has finished vacuuming or when it is low on power and automatically return to its base
  • The versatility that makes it adaptable to multiple surfaces
  • The app and its ability to control the vacuum for anywhere

What can be improved

  • Since there are no clear instructions regarding the app, maybe they can add QR Codes for IOS and Android to their manual
  • I don’t know. Maybe it can learn to bring me dinner?
  • Possibly makes me lazy? (lol)

Final thoughts

Initially, I was very excited to test and review this robot vacuum, but I was really not sure what to expect. I was unsure of its ability to really vacuum effectively in regards to sucking up dist and debris, and if it could do a good job of properly vacuuming the entire area. I have to say the I am more than pleased with this vacuum and so much so that my Dyson now resides in the closet and has been reassigned to cleaning furniture and other items/areas that the robot vacuum can’t. I give this vacuum two thumbs up and then some!!! Well done!!

Price: $329.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by Roborock.

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Xiaomi Roborock E20 robot vacuum cleaner review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 16, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Sense home energy monitor, iLive voice activated clock, and more – Review updates

REVIEW – We love testing products, but once we press the publish button on a new review, that doesn’t mean that will be the last you’ll hear about that product. Nope, we will revisit some of our reviews weeks, months, years, and even decades after we’ve posted that original review. Here’s our latest batch of updates. Scroll down to the bottom of each review to read the newest update.

Sense home energy monitoring device review by Howard Sneider

Tronsmart Mega Bluetooth 4.2 40W speaker review by Mike Dixon

DrinKup smart water bottle review by Lynn Lopez

MIUO Solar Motion Sensor Light Review by Lynn Lopez

iLive – Voice Activated Clock with Amazon Alexa Review By Lynn Lopez

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Sense home energy monitor, iLive voice activated clock, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 15, 2019 at 1:48 pm.

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