Tom Bihn is known for smartly-designed, well-built, made-in-USA travel bags. But their passion for “Portable Culture” extends to travel accessories as well. Tom Bihn recently introduced several new items to make your travels a bit easier, among them the Travel Money Belt. Onward!

Specs

From the Tom Bihn website:

• Materials: Webbing is 1.25″ (32mm) wide nylon webbing; buckle is plastic;  zipper is 20″ (500mm) #3.5 YKK coil zipper with plastic zipper slider
• Sizes: Extra Small fits waists 26″-28″, Small fits 30″-32″, Medium fits 34″-36″, Large fits 38″-40″, Extra Large fits 42″-44″
• Colors: Black
• Location of Manufacture: TOM BIHN Factory in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Packaging

Unboxing…er…Unenveloping

The Belt had just one simple product tag sporting the wistfully nostalgic plane logo present on many of Tom Bihn’s products.  I just slid the tag off and that was it.  Easy peasy.

The Belt

The belt, like all of Tom Bihn’s products, is simple but with just the intended features.  It’s basically: belt, buckle and hidden zipper compartment.

The belt is available in any color you want, as long as it’s black.  Sorry, old joke, but it’s true.  No worries to me—black goes with everything, right?  It’s also nondescript, which is what you want in a hidden compartment belt.

The buckle is straightforward, easy to use and adjustable (within its size range).

The opening of the hidden zipper compartment has two tiny tags.  One indicates the size, the other has a small Tom Bihn logo.  The zipper pull is tiny as well, but not so small that I couldn’t grab and pull it easily.

The Belt’s hidden compartment can be used to hold things that you might need as backup or in an emergency while traveling.  Below, I’ve shown a $20 bill folded longways as just one example.  Others items might be important directions to a must-visit pub, a list of secret passwords or a copy of your passport.

The only flaw I found on my Belt was on the free end.  The fibers of the nylon webbing had been melted together, presumably in an attempt to prevent fraying.  However, there was still some minor fraying at the tip that looked like it might progressively worsen if I ignored it.  I just took a lighter and re-melted the fibers at the tip.  Problem solved.  (DISCLAIMER: Do this at your own risk and if you do, please be careful.)

The hidden compartment is 20″ in length on all belt sizes.  This provides a fair amount of space into which you can stuff things, as long as the stuff you’re stuffing is narrow, thin and bendy.  The Tom Bihn site claims that it can hold “up to 15 US $100 bills.”  I should note that the belt and compartment are NOT waterproof or water-resistant.  This means that if you are hiking through an equatorial rain forest and perspiring profusely, get caught in a torrential downpour, or misstep and fall into a murky bog, the contents are very likely to get wet.

The buckle is a solid piece of plastic.  In fact, the entire belt—buckle, webbing, and zipper—are all non-metallic.  Per the Tom Bihn site, this means, “you can wear it through some airport security checkpoints (not Advanced Imaging Technology, though).”  However, in my travel experience, more and more airport security checkpoints are requiring travelers to simply remove their belt, period.  Combining this with the Advanced Imaging Technology situation could make a non-metallic belt less of a benefit in the future.

The belt is comfortable to wear.  I didn’t even notice the zipper or mini zipper pull while wearing it.  Regarding sizing, I asked for a belt in size Medium, which is intended to fit waists size 34″ to 36″.  My waist measures just shy of 34″; however, the Medium belt seemed like it could have been a bit longer—there wasn’t much excess as can be seen below.   I am dubious that it would fit anyone with a waist size up near 35″ or 36″.  One suggestion is that at 1.25″ wide, the belt could have been a bit wider.  This is just a personal preference as I’m not typically a wearer of narrower belts; however, a wider belt might allow a slightly larger items to be placed in the hidden compartment.

Conclusion

In classic Tom Bihn fashion, the Travel Money Belt is simple and straightforward.  It is built solidly of heavy nylon webbing with an adjustable plastic buckle and features a hidden, zippered compartment useful for storing spare cash or other items while traveling (but it won’t protect against moisture).  The belt could be a bit wider for my personal taste, and the sizing is a bit questionable, but at $20 it is affordable, comfortable to wear and does its job—both holding hidden items and holding up your pants.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Travel gear

Tom Bihn Travel Money Belt Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Back in the day when Palms and PDAs ruled the portable electronics market, you could get several designs of folding or mini keyboards to connect to your PDA to turn it from a ‘consumptive’ device (that mostly displays content) to a ‘creative’ one (one that allows you to easily create new content). Sure, you could use the other input options, but they had their limitations.

Now we have these cool, powerful Android smartphones and tablets, and have been mostly frustrated in finding good keyboards for them because they use a Bluetooth format called SPP instead of the HID format that Apple and other devices use. I finally found a keyboard I like that uses the SPP format for my Android stuff!  Let’s give a close look at the Freedom Pro Keyboard from Freedom Input. 

Note – this review will focus on how the keyboard works for me on my Toshiba Thrive tablet and Sprint Samsung Epic 4G (a Galaxy S phone). Results would almost certainly be different on other operating systems, carriers, and even other Android devices.

To over-simplify the issue – SPP stands for Serial Port Protocol and emulates data coming over a serial port, like the old Palms used to do before Bluetooth or even USB.  HID stands for Human Interface Device and provides support for a variety of input devices including gaming controls. It is commonly used by gaming systems as well as Apple and some other devices. Some devices can use either format, including some newer Android devices, but most of us need a SPP device. (The Epic is a Galaxy S phone, listed by Freedom Input as a HID phone, but I have not been able to connect using HID. They do point out that some carriers or plans limit the HID format, so perhaps that is what is going on.)

The Freedom Input Freedom Pro Keyboard has a switch so it can do either. Physically, it is identical to the Verbatim 97537 Keyboard without the SPP/HID switch (and the Verbatim unit is about $10 cheaper) and very reminiscent of several Palm keyboards, such as the venerable iGo Stowaway. (Just FYI, older iGos were SPP format. Those available now seem to be HID).

The specs include:

• Size Opened: 319.2 X 102.9 X 9.6 mm (12.6 X 4.0 X 0.38 ins.)
• Size Closed: 162.5 X 102.9 X 19.2 mm (6.4 X 4.0 X 0.75 ins.)
• Weight: 258g (including batteries)
• Formats: SPP, HID
• Power: Uses 2 AAA batteries (included). Over 90 hours use and 3000 hours standby
• Included in Box: Keyboard, leatherette case, batteries, instruction manual, ‘cheat sheets’ for some devices
• Compatible With: Pretty much everything:  Android, Apple, Blackberry, Palm, Symbian, and Windows devices

Open keyboard and folding device stand

Other points worth noting include:

• Full 5 row keyboard with 75 keys.
• 6 Dedicated keys to: Answer Call, End/Reject call, Open Messages/email, Open Address book, Open task and Open Calendar.
• 6 Additional ‘SK’ keys emulate on-screen controls or commands
• 12 user-defined quick launch keys.
• Control and function keys allow complete control of your mobile device from the keyboard.
• Separate LED indicators to show power and connection status.
• Pull-out folding device stand.

The unit is well-built and designed. It passes the Gadgeteer Creak Test and feels like it would survive the real world nicely. Once you open the keyboard, you can lock it with a sliding pin. There is a cleverly designed pop-up folding stand tucked into one side that can hold a phone at a convenient angle. The keyboard is flat, but the locking pin means you can prop it up safely. It even comes with a decent case.

I tried to set it up with both my phone and tablet. The phone was a bit easier, but following the directions on the site exactly eventually got them both going. You are going to need the slightly hidden on-line directions.   The manual did not help much; for some reason it seems to be missing an import pairing step – after telling the phone the code, you also need to enter it into the keyboard.  You also need to download a free app.

Folded- Samsung Epic phone for comparison

There are several customizable and ‘quick launch’ keys.  Twelve you can program for a variety of things and six that do specific things once configured; six other keys (labelled ‘SK’) emulate on-screen buttons or commands such as menu, back, and search bar. Additional keys can, on some devices, open the web browser or control playback. It is very important to note that not all of these button and keys work on all devices. In fact, many of them do not work on the Android, but those that do are easy to set-up, either in a pop-up menu or in the app.

How the keys line up and size comparison- typical USB keyboard on top, Freedom Pro on bottom

The open size can easily make you think that the keyboard is much smaller than a standard QWERTY board, but when you line it up as in the photo you see the keyboard sections are very close to being the same size. They do cheat a bit by making some of the keys narrower than usual, and the split space bar is narrower than you are used to. This throws off touch typing just a bit, but not being much of a touch-typist myself, it is not a big deal. I do keep missing certain keys though – backspace and shift seem to be my personal foibles on this one.

This is a decent keyboard in actual use. As mentioned, it is not quite ‘touch type’, but not bad. For basic text entry, tolerating errors that I could clean up later, I actually got nearly what I can do on a regular keyboard. There is little feedback for pressing keys – a bit of stiffness and a sort of a ‘flat’ response, but no vibration or noise. The keys are a tiny bit ‘stiff’, so just touching a key does not activate it. Holding a key causes repeats, just like my full-sized keyboard.

Turning off the keyboard does not automatically remove it as the preferred input method, but a couple quick taps on the Android disables it nicely… except that on my tablet, I keep getting an error message saying that it is not responding and must be forced closed. Stopping it in the application manager usually stops it.

As you read this review you may be uncertain of my real feelings for this device. Let me make it very clear. I like this keyboard. It is a nice compromise between keyboard size, packing size, functionality and cost. There are other options if you want a smaller board with smaller keys for better portability, or a more normal board for easier typing, but this is a great option that does both fairly well.

I could wish that the board itself had a few features – feet for propping it at an angle and a more visible on/off switch – or that the manual was more clear or the website easier to navigate, but overall this is a good product. I can accept some of the issues with it (non-functioning keys, etc.) as the price to pay for a device that is designed to play with so many different devices – as long as it plays with my devices nicely!

Filed in categories: Android related, Bluetooth Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Bluetooth keyboard, folding keyboard

Freedom Input’s Freedom Pro Bluetooth Keyboard Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 9, 2012 at 11:00 am.

We all know that a screen protector will help keep your iPhone’s display as pristine as the day you bought it. But installing one can be a huge pain in the butt. First you have to make sure the screen is clean so you don’t install the protector over dust particles. That’s actually the easy part. The difficult part is getting it lined up correctly and bubble free. There are many screen protector brands on the market. Some require water to install and some are dry apply. But none of them are as easy to apply as the PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield Kit for iPhone 4/4S. Their install method is pure genius.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

First of all, this is how my iPhone 4S looked before I installed the PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield. You will notice that I have a screen protector installed (I don’t recall the brand – it probably came with a case I reviewed), but there are bubbles. Those dreaded bubbles. Argh… No matter how careful you are it’s almost impossible to avoid them. With the PureGear protector, bubbles are a thing of the past.

The packaging is actually a fixture that has been designed to align your iPhone and the screen protector for perfect installation.

Just tear the paper tab on the back and pull off the outer cover / instructions.

What you’re left with is a plastic tray that has the screen protector attached to it. Also included is a microfiber cloth to polish the phone’s screen and a special roller.

The protector lifts up to reveal a tray that holds an iPhone 4/4S. PureGear also offers versions of this kit for the Motorola Droid 4 and Motorola Droid Razr.

Included with the kit is a dual roller that you use to install the protector. If you’ve ever installed other screen protectors, you have probably used a credit card to smooth out the protector. I like this roller a lot better.

With the iPhone’s screen wiped off with the microfiber cloth and firmly seated in the holder, the protector can flop back over the phone as shown above. Then all you have to do is place the special roller between the “rails” and roll it down the length of the phone.

As you guide the roller, it separates the top layer as it sticks the protector to the phone. The trick is to roll it slowly without stopping. I know this because I screwed up 2 protectors in the process of writing this review. With my first try, I didn’t roll it without stopping. I rolled it a few inches, snapped some pictures for the review, rolled it a bit further, took some more pictures, etc. I ended up with a protector that had several bubbles that would not go away. I knew the problem was completely my fault, so I pulled off the protector and installed a 2nd one that PureGear sent me. This time I rolled it in one continuous motion. I thought it had installed perfectly till I looked closely and noticed that t was not lined up correctly with the home button. Darn it! I emailed PureGear to tell them about my experiences and they agreed to send me another one.

That is a concern that you only get one shot to get the protector installed correctly. You won’t be able to peel it up and reseat it.

As they say, 3rd time is the charm. My last try was a complete success.

When you’re done, you’re left with a piece of plastic that you have to peel off.

You might notice that the dual roller looks different in this picture when compared to the earlier pictures. I think the new design may be based on the fact that people were having some issues with the protector not lining up correctly like I did on my 2nd try. This 3rd time it lined up just fine though.

Here is the finished product. No bubbles and perfectly lined up with the home button and the speaker at the top.The protector is slightly smaller than the display, meaning that it should work great with bumper cases.

If you click the image to zoom in, you might notice a couple spots along the very top edge. They disappeared after 24hrs leaving me with a perfectly protected display. The protector is made of an industrial strength film that has self healing technology. It feels smooth and looks clear.

Installing the PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield is easier and faster than any protector I’ve ever installed. As long as you pay attention to what you’re doing and don’t go too fast, you should end up with great results.

Update 2/9/12 – This morning after having the protector installed for 2 days, I noticed that there is a weird reflection issue when the display background is a light color. It sort of looks like thin vertical lines under the protector. This might be what some people refer to as a moire problem. I only noticed it when I went to send someone an text message. The background is a light Blue and I thought the screen had grease strikes on it. But, there’s nothing there. It’s very slightly distracting, but not horribly so. Unfortunately I can’t photograph the problem.

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Screen Protector

PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield Kit for iPhone 4/4S Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 8, 2012 at 3:58 pm.

The picture above is dominated by my giant 65″ TV, but you’ll notice two little speakers sitting in front of the screen (click for a larger view).  These little beauties are Mod 2 speakers from Orb Audio, a US-based “high-end speaker manufacturer who has proven that price does not equate to quality in the home audio industry.”  You’ll also see the Orb Audio Booster Amplifier in the right side of the TV cabinet (green lights identify it).  What you can’t see is the Super 8 subwoofer sitting on the floor behind the cabinet.  Orb Audio has added a couple of amplifiers to their offerings, and they offered The Gadgeteer the opportunity to review their Booster Mini Amplifier.  I was very excited to be selected to do the review, as it had been a few years since I had any sort of audio setup in my house.  I’d been making do with the wimpy built-in speakers in my TV and in my computer.  How do the Orb Audio Booster Mini Amplifier and Orb Audio speakers perform?  As a hint, we’ll find out their beauty is more than skin deep.

Most images can be clicked for an enlargement.

Orb Audio states their goal has always been “to turn the normal practices of many speaker manufacturers upside down, and to deliver speaker systems with the finest quality components, an attractive, upscale design and an affordable price.  The only way to accomplish all of this was to be different from the other players in the industry, make our speakers in the United States, and to sell them to our clients directly to avoid substantial (and totally unnecessary) markups.”  You won’t see Orb Audio products in a local store, unless you happen to be in New York City or Los Angeles.  If you wonder how you buy speakers without hearing them first, don’t worry.  You’ll get 30 days to try them out in your home before you commit to the purchase.

I’ve lusted for the Orb Audio speakers since Julie reviewed them with her own amp back in 2008.  I live in a small house with my family, and space is at a premium here.  The small size of these speakers is just what I needed, and I loved the sleek, round metal design.  I didn’t have an amplifier at the time, and I was paralyzed by the prospect of finding just the right amp to go with the speakers.  In 2008, I had a big rear-projection TV that had decent speakers, and I could listen to music with headphones, so I forgot about buying any A/V equipment at the time.

When I replaced my old TV with a flat-screen TV, I started thinking about home theater systems.  I didn’t want to buy one of those boxed systems.  I didn’t want a cheap system, but I didn’t want to buy a huge, expensive system, either. In the years since Julie’s review, Orb Audio has started offering some third-party home theater amplifiers that they have tested and determined to work well with their speaker systems.  I didn’t want to start with something as expensive as those amps, but I was intrigued by their own Booster Mini Amplifier.

The Booster Mini amp has entry-level home theater features.  You can use it with your TV, but you’ll only have left/right front channels.  There’s no surround sound with the Booster.  It was designed for use with computers, TVs, and MP3 players.  Just like with its bigger, more expensive cousins, you can hook up multiple sources and control playback with the included remote control.  You can add a subwoofer for fuller sound.  The Booster is great in the living room, bedroom, or anywhere you want music without investing a huge amount of money and needing a lot of space.

When I was selected to review the Booster Mini amp, I went to the Orb Audio website and ordered a Quick Pack set of Mod 1 speakers in hammered earth color to use with the amp. The beauty of the Orb Audio system is its modularity.  You can start small, like I planned to do, with just an amp and one pair of single orb speakers.  As you desire, you can build your system by adding a subwoofer, converting the Mod 1 speakers to Mod 2 or even Mod 4 speakers, adding a center channel speaker, or rear surround-sound speakers (with amps that have these other channels, at least).  I was going to start small with just one pair of Mod 1 speakers, and I planned to add a subwoofer later.

Imagine my surprise when a couple of big boxes arrived; Orb Audio had sent along some speakers and a subwoofer, too.

The Booster Mini amp is small, and it’s constructed of black aluminum.  It measures about 6″ wide X 6″ deep X 1.75″ tall.  The sides, bottom, and top are all solid metal with no grids or grills.  The front is simple with no gauges or dials.  You can see the power button at the far left (bottom) with a large IR sensor located above it.  Next is a status light (red when off, green when on), a button to select the input source, and four lights to indicate which source is currently selected.  There are two volume buttons, a mute button, and finally, indicator lights to show volume level (green, orange, red).

On the back, you can see there are four inputs: two sets of left/right RCA connectors and two headphone-style 3.5mm audio inputs.   With the Booster, you can connect a TV, DVD player, cable box, game console, or MP3 player, just like you can with larger amps.  Orb Audio says many people won’t even use 90% of the capabilities of bigger amps, so they created a small amp with the most essential features: multiple inputs, subwoofer support, remote control, and the like.  There’s also a connector for an IR blaster (not included) next to the subwoofer connector.  There’s a switch that lets you indicate if you are using the Booster with large speakers or small ones like the Orb Audio orbs.

You don’t connect the speakers to the Booster with RCA plugs.  You use bare speaker wire inserted into professional-quality speaker connectors.  Because it can be hard to connect speakers when the amp is installed in your equipment cabinet, Orb Audio uses a wiring harness that can be removed to connect the wires.  Once they are connected, you just snap the harness into the green connector seen above.

The Orb Audio website didn’t list technical specifications for the amp, but it does say the Booster produces 20W per channel.

You see the harness, complete with speaker wires, plugged in the back of the Booster here.  You’ll also see the DC power connector to the right of the harness.

There are only connectors for two speakers, left and right channels only.  There are no connections for a center channel speaker nor for rear surround-sound speakers.

This picture shows the beautiful Mod 2 speakers in hammered earth.  I had purchased a pair of hammered earth Mod 1 speakers, and Orb Audio included a pair of Mod 1 speakers in hammered earth in the kit they sent me.  They had also included a pair of Mod 2 speakers in bronze already installed on the optional stainless steel BOSS tabletop stands.  The bronze speakers are beautiful, but I had wanted the hammered earth in my living room.  I was able to captialize on the modular system, and I converted my two sets of Mod 1 hammered earth speakers into a pair of hammered earth Mod 2 speakers.

Technical Specifications for Mod 1 and Mod 2 Speakers

• Speaker type: Magnetically shielded full-range satellite speaker.  Crossover-free design for coherent, lifelike sound.
• Driver: Advanced high-excursion 3″ full range polypropylene driver cone with Santoprene surround.  These materials maintain their sonic characteristics over long periods of time and also through a broad range of temperatures and operating environments.
• Magnet assembly: Fully shielded, high-density neodymium magnet with proprietary voice coil in high tolerance gap to create strong, highly focused magnetic field.  Compact magnet design allows for maximum free internal volume and extension of low midrange performance.
• Binding posts: Custom gold-plated brass binding posts (fits up to 14 Ga. wire)
• Frequency response: 80Hz – 20,000Hz (120Hz-18,000Hz optimal)
• Efficiency:  89dB
• Impedance: Mod1:  8 ohms nominal; Mod2:  4 ohms nominal. (Mod2 is compatible with all popular receivers & amps rated at 6-8 ohms)
• Power handling: 15 – 115W (also compatible with most higher wattage receivers, max. recommended volume setting of about 3/4 will be LOUD!)
• Speaker dimensions: 4 3/16″ W x 4 3/16″ H x 4 7/8″ D
• Construction: American carbon steel, assembled in USA
• Finishes: metallic black, pearl white, hammered earth, polished steel, antiqued bronze, antiqued copper
• Included accessories: 16 gauge American steel adjustable desk stands (available in black and white)

This is a pair of Mod 1 speakers in bronze on the standard black tabletop stands.

I was worried about the magnets in these speakers, because I was going to set them on the TV cabinet in front of my TV.  Because of the strange shape of my cabinet, the speakers couldn’t be placed beside the TV.  The tech specifications say that the  neodymium magnets are fully shielded and have a very focused field.  I tried testing the magnets by seeing if a hairpin would stick to the speakers anywhere.  The same hairpin that stuck to the magnets in the Smart Cover on my iPad 2 didn’t stick at all to these Orb speakers.

The back of the speakers are threaded; you attach the speaker stands here.  The standard tabletop stands and the plastic-capped attachment screws are shown in the middle photo.  The speakers attach to the BOSS steel stands using screws and a plastic spacer.  You’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver to assemble the Mod 2s on the BOSS stands.

These gold-plated posts are the speaker wire attachments.  For Mod 1 speakers, you simply push down on the top and insert the speaker wires to make the connection.  The posts are marked red or black on the top.  To prevent damage to the speakers or the system, be sure you check out the online installation guides before hooking things up.  Mod 2 speakers require an extra step.  You have to use jumper wires (included) to connect the two speakers together.  Again, follow the directions found at the Orb Audio site.

I guess it goes without saying, but the difference between Mod 1 and Mod 2 setups is that you get more volume from more speakers.  There’s also a slightly extended frequency range with the Mod 2s.

And speaking of extended frequency ranges, you probably noticed in the technical specifications for the speakers that the lower end starts at 80Hz.  If you use only orb speakers and no subwoofer, you’ll probably still get better sound than you get from your computer or TV speakers, but it will be missing the thumping bottom end.  To be sure that I got to hear the Booster Mini at its best, Orb Audio also sent along their Super Eight Custom subwoofer.

Front of the Super Eight subwoofer

Technical Specifications for Super Eight Custom Subwoofer

• Speaker type: High-performance ported bass-reflex design.
• Port type: Precision-tuned flared snorkel port.
• Amplifier type and power:  Custom high-power BASH digital hybrid amplifier with digital switching power supply for enhanced peak power output.  200W (continuous), 450W+ (peak)
• Amplifier THD: <.05% (100hz at full power)
• Amplifier S/N: >95dB
• Driver: Super long-throw 8″ high-performance driver with composite paper/high density ABS cone.  This yields rigid, lightweight design with excellent low frequency performance and increased detail and musicality.
• Magnet assembly: 30 oz. ferrite magnet
• Frequency response: 28-180hz.  Adjustable Crossover (40-160hz)
• Max. SPL peak: 111dB
• Max. long-term SPL: 107dB
• Dimensions: 12″ H x 11 3/4″ D x 11 1/2″ W (optional 1″ feet); 26 pounds

Features

• Adjustable phase (0-180)
• Adjustable crossover (40-160hz)
• Temperature protect circuitry
• Auto/On/Off Power
• RCA gold-plated stereo line level inputs
• High level gold-plated inputs and outputs
• 12dB/Octave hi-pass circuit

Bottom, showing the snorkel port. The optional feet are installed.

The back of the Super Eight has a multitude of controls.  Refer to the installation booklet, available on the Orb Audio website, for instructions.  You’ll also notice that the subwoofer has its own 200W amp inside, so you don’t have to wonder how a 20W Booster is going to drive a big subwoofer.

The thick black cable on the left connects the subwoofer to the Booster amp.  The cables on the right are speaker cables for the Mod 2 speakers.  I don’t know if they always come attached to the wiring harness, or if Orb Audio sent them that way to be sure they were hooked up properly for the review. 

I’m thinking it was the latter, since the Booster box had another wiring harness in it, along with a screwdriver sized to fit the screws on the harness.  There were also two booklets, the power supply for the amp, and a remote for the amp.  (Not pictured: power cord for the subwoofer.)

This system will be used in my living room as the sound system for my HDTV.  I connected the audio out from my TV to one of the Booster’s inputs using RCA cables.

I’d also like to use it for my music library in iTunes on my computer.  Unfortunately, my desk is on the opposite side of the room from my TV, and I don’t want to have to drape a 15-foot audio cable across the room.  I also don’t want to have to take my computer over and connect it to the amp while I’m listening to music.

I got an Apple Airport Express Base Station so that I could stream music wirelessly from iTunes to the Orb Audio system.  I plugged the Airport Express into a power outlet and spent about a minute connecting it to my wireless network.  I then connected it to the Booster amp using a audio cable.

I still have one RCA connector and one audio connector free on the Booster for future expansion. 

I put the Super Eight subwoofer on the floor behind my TV cabinet.  (Please excuse the dust.)  My cabinet fits catercorner across one corner of my living room.  The Super Eight is small enough that I’ll be able to push the cabinet back into place in the corner.

Because of the elongated diamond shape of my cabinet, you can see that the Mod 2 speakers block a bit of the screen.  I have ordered some floor stands from Orb Audio, so I’ll be able to place the speakers to either side of my TV.  I’ll try to add a picture of the speakers on their new stands later.

You can see the Booster amp in its new home in my cabinet.  Luckily, I don’t need an IR blaster for this setup.  The remote works well with the amplifier behind the glass doors of the cabinet.

Okay, I’ve written books about this system – now how does it sound?  It sounds just as good as it looks – and it looks gorgeous.  I don’t know all the fancy audiophile terms to describe performance, but I’ll try to tell you how the system sounds.  I’ve tried playing back music from iTunes, I’ve watched TV shows, and I’ve watched DVDs.  Everything sounds wonderful.  As I listened, I tried a couple of different settings for the subwoofer to get the bass to the volume level I preferred.  I tried listening to the music with the subwoofer turned off, too.  The Mod 2 s sounded good by themselves, but the subwoofer adds a whole new dimension to the music.

I listened to classical music, rock music, live music, and vocal music.  It all sounds rich and warm.  Even at a moderate volume for both the speakers and the subwoofer, I get room-filling sound.  (For reference, my living room is 17′ X 13.5′.)  Next I raised the volume until the indicator lights on the front of the Booster went into the orange range, then I backed it off one click into the green range.  (It was loud enough that I sent my husband outside to see if we were blasting the neighbors.)  I never heard any distortion from the speakers at this level.

Between songs, the speakers were quiet as death – no hiss or hum at all.  Music was clean and clear and bright, but never shrill.  Acoustic guitars sounded like someone was sitting in front of me playing.  Vocals were rich.  Both Josh Groban and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s voices were deep and resonant enough that I could feel their lower notes. I heard things in live music that I had forgotten were even there.

The balance between the Mod 2 speakers and the subwoofer was perfect.  The bass was full and thumping, but it never overpowered the mid and high ranges.  I could feel the bass notes, but they never caused any rattling or buzzing.  It’s been a long time since I’ve heard music played back on really good speakers, and it was wonderful to experience it again.

The stereo separation is limited right now by the placement of my speakers, but I’ll be able to move them a bit once I get the floor stands.

The speakers also worked well with my TV and DVD player.  As I mentioned, the Booster doesn’t do surround sound, but the Booster amp and Orb speakers sound worlds better than the built-in TV speakers.  Action sequences have more excitement to them with the added clarity, volume, and bass.  Dialogue is clearer and easier to understand, too.

I think the Booster amp is a great entry-level amp for your home theater and audio system setup.  It has plenty of power to produce room-filling sound that improves on anything you’ll get from your standard TV or computer speakers.  Paired with the Orb Audio speakers and subwoofer, you’ll hardly notice it’s missing middle and rear channels.  It works well enough that I doubt I’ll ever be tempted to “upgrade” to another amp.  I love the speakers.  I love the way they look, I love the sound, and I love the size.  I’ve never had a subwoofer before, and I’ll admit I was a bit worried it would be too loud.  It’s amazing how much dimension it adds to the overall sound of the music.  I like the Booster Mini Amplifier and the Orb speaker system.  It brings a whole new level to my enjoyment of music and movies.

And I didn’t want to waste the Mod 1 speakers, so I ordered a couple of Orb Audio’s Mini-T amplifiers to use in other rooms in my house.  I’ll review the Mini-T soon.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Home Theater, Speakers

Orb Audio Booster Mini Amplifier and Speaker System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 8, 2012 at 11:00 am.

The topic of journaling has come up now and again here at The Gadgeteer, and has been popular of late.  I’ve been journaling daily for over a year now, and my media of choice is old school: a classic Moleskine notebook and pen.  I typically just toss my Moleskine into my messenger bag so that it is nearby to capture my daily activities, prayers and scribbled musings.  I’d been thinking about trying a case or cover for my Moleskine when I was serendipitously presented the opportunity to evaluate a Moleskine Folio from Rickshaw Bags.  Onward!

Background

Rickshaw Bagworks, also known as Rickshaw Bags, also known as simply Rickshaw, is a small, urban San Fran-based company that is best known for producing bike messenger-style bags and backpacks, many of them custom made-to-order in their shop.  Though they may not yet have the name recognition of some of the bigger boys, their product offering has grown steadily over the past several years.

Versions

When placing an order for a Moleskine Folio from Rickshaw, there are several options from which you can select.  First, you can select which version best suits your needs between the Classic Moleskine Folio and the Smartphone Moleskine Folio.  The only difference between the two is that the Smartphone version swaps a few writing implement pockets for a larger one that fits a smartphone.

Materials

After selecting between versions, you can select your choice of materials from among the following:

• Classic Cordura® – Cordura nylon exterior/Cordura nylon binding
• Performance Tweed™ – Performance tweed exterior/Cordura nylon binding
• Waterproof Sailcloth – X-Pac™ sailcloth exterior/Cordura nylon binding

Colors

After selecting the version and materials, you can select from several stock color combinations for each material.  Alternatively, you can also choose to customize your own Folio by selecting from a growing list of material and colors, and your personal Folio will be hand-assembled to order in Rickshaw’s San Francisco shop.

Dimensions

The empty Moleskine Folio measures 9.75 inches high by 6 inches wide by 1.25 inches deep.

The Outside

I received a Classic Moleskine Folio clad in olive drab Classic Cordura nylon with light green Classic Cordura nylon binding.  I like this particular color combo because it has sort of a military look. The Cordura material feels tough and durable, like it could take a lot of abuse.  In fact, in the few months that I used the Folio before writing this review, I handled and used it several times a day and it showed absolutely no wear at all.

The Classic Moleskine Folio fits nicely in the hand, not too large for the amount of cargo you can stuff into into it.

The Folio includes custom zipper pulls in a black with red trim color scheme which matches the Rickshaw logo.  Here, you’ll notice that the Moleskine notebook’s bookmark has gotten caught in the Folio’s zipper.  Unfortunately, this seems to happen regularly, unless you consciously make the effort to tuck the bookmark inside before you zip the Folio.

The Rickshaw logo sewn into the bottom of the spine, a lowercase “r” with a dot, is in black and red color scheme and matches the zipper pull.

 The Inside

The inside of the Folio is plain black.  The basic layout is an organizer panel for ID or business card, pens, and so forth and also a large zipper pocket.  If you order the Smartphone Folio rather than the Classic Moleskine Folio as shown here, the three rightmost pen pockets would be replaced with a single, larger pocket that includes a small Velcro flap.  In the center of the Folio is a padded neoprene flap used to protect the cover of your Moleskine notebook.

On the right is the pocket for the back cover of the Moleskine, as well as a larger transparent pocket.

Closeup of the “BTO SFO” (Built to Order in San Francisco) tag and another Rickshaw tag, both sewn into the interior of the Folio.  The little tags and logos are a nice touch; there are enough of them to get the point of the branding across without being obtrusive.

After snapping the pics above, I immediately loaded the Folio up with my large Moleskine notebook and some other stuff.  Taking a look at the organizer panel on the left side, at top I’ve placed in the upper transparent pocket an iTunes gift card.  Below that I’ve placed a small ruler, highlighter, two pens, and a click eraser.

The large zipper pocket on the left runs the full length and width of the front of the Folio.  It’s big enough for all kinds of stuff, like a passport, maps, other IDs or cards, or even a Kokopelli sticker.

The rear cover of the large Moleskine notebook slides into the large pocket on the right side of the Folio’s interior.  It is a snug fit, but once you get it in, it fits very securely.  Of course, this prevents you from fully utilizing the Moleskine notebook’s rear cover “bellows” pocket, but you can still place some things into this pocket in the Folio.

The large Moleskine notebook fits a bit snug in the Folio; occasionally I had to do a bit of extra work to get the Folio to zip around the Moleskine’s corners.  Note that the Folio has been specifically designed for the large Moleskine notebook.  There are other types of notebooks that are similar in size to the large Moleskine (Field Notes, Rhodia, and others), but I can’t say whether these would fit in the Folio.  They may fit fine, they may not.

Here, I’ve stuffed a pamphlet and a few postcards into the large transparent pocket on the right side of the interior.

Below is a shot of the Folio and everything I stuffed into it.  There’s room for more than this, but adding too much more made the Folio difficult to fully zip closed.

Conclusion

The Moleskine Classic Folio is well designed and constructed solidly from durable materials.  A Large Moleskine notebook fits snugly into it, and it includes several organizational features to hold other items.  It’s a bit pricey, but for you journalers, note-takers, travelers and the like, this would be a great item to haul around your Moleskine notebook and a few essentials and not worry about whether the contents are protected.  As a daily journaler myself, it was great to be able to toss the Folio, loaded with just the stuff I need, into my bag and have everything I need to journal away.  We’re planning to take an extended vacation out west this summer, and I plan to fully utilize the Folio for daily travel journaling.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Moleskine, Rickshaw Bagworks

Rickshaw Bagworks Classic Moleskine Folio Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a home body. I’d rather be home than anywhere else in the world. Sometimes I think that I would be perfectly happy as a hermit. Of course I’m not a hermit and I don’t keep myself barricaded in my house 24/7. I go to work every day, go on vacations, etc. For those times when I’m away from home, I like to be able to check up on things remotely. I want to know if my cat Max is up in the windowsill when he’s not supposed to be. Or if the Fedex guy dropped off a package. Wireless network cameras like the D-Link Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera (DCS-932L) let me do that with a computer or a smartphone.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Package Contents

D-Link DCS-932L camera
Ethernet cable
Mounting screws
AC Adapter
Installation Guide
CD-ROM with D-View Cam Software (Windows)

Hardware Specifications

Built-in Network Interface – 10/100Base-TX Fast Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WLAN
Wireless Connectivity – 802.11b/g/n Wireless with WEP/WPA/WPA2 security
Video Codecs – MJPEG, JPEG for Still Images
Resolution – 640 x 480 at up to 20 fps, 320 x 240 at up to 30 fps, 160 x 120 at up to 30 fps

This D-Link camera is very similar to the Dropcam Echo wireless camera that I’ve been using for over a year now. The main hardware difference is that the D-Link camera has night vision.

The camera itself is made of white plastic. There’s a small LED below the lens that lights up Green when you’re connected to the network and Red when you’re not.

The camera is connected to a base that can be mounted on a wall or any other flat surface. It’s not necessary to attach the base to anything though as it is heavy enough to stand on a table or shelf.

On the back of the camera is the power connector, Ethernet jack, reset switch and a WPS button. WPS stands for Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Some routers have this feature to allow you to easily setup the D-Link for wireless viewing. Sadly, my older Linksys doesn’t have this feature, so I had to go through a little more work in order to get the camera to work wirelessly.

The camera comes with a CD for Windows users, but I had to download the setup app for my Mac from D-Link’s site. The setup wizard allowed me to easily get the camera up and running as long as it was connected to my router with an Ethernet cable. I had to go into the advanced options to set it up for wireless use. This wasn’t difficult, but the instructions do not mention how to do it or where to look for the settings.

One thing to note is that once the camera has been setup, you don’t have to have any computers on to use it. As long as your router is powered on, you’ll be able to access the camera from the web or your smartphone.

As part of the setup procedure, you create a free mydlink account. With this account you’ll be able to remotely view your camera and change the settings. I found the mydlink web interface to be a little slow to load. It installs a Java applet every time you login, which can take a few seconds.

From this web interface you can watch live video, digitally zoom in and listen to audio through the microphone built in to the camera. Video quality isn’t bad, but it’s a little fuzzy and the audio quality tends to have a lot of static / white noise. You can hear things, but the static in the the background gets annoying quickly, so I almost always turn it off.

Advanced settings allow you to adjust various options for image quality.

By default, the video size is set to 320×240 medium quality. I adjusted it to be very high quality which improves the slightly fuzzy image quality.

Motion detection settings give you the ability to mark areas of the image to watch for changes. By clicking squares on the grid, the software will keep an eye on those specific spots and will notify you via email when motion is detected. You can set it up to send you one image or have it send 3 images before the motion was detected and 3 images afterwards.

You can also specify the day and time period that the software can send email notifications.

The great thing about the D-Link camera is that you don’t have to pay a monthly fee for the email notification feature.

By default, the camera will automatically switch back and forth between day and night vision depending on the level of light. But if you would like to manually schedule when the camera will switch between the modes, you have that ability.

In addition to viewing a live feed from your camera on any web enabled computer, you can also view the feed with your Android or iOS device.

Here we see the free mydlink lite iOS iPhone app. It has a simple interface that loads quickly (much faster than the web browser viewer). There’s also a 99 cent mydlink+ version for the iPad that is full screen.

Turning the phone to landscape orientation provides a larger view. As you can see, the image isn’t exactly crystal clear. It is noticeably fuzzy. It’s not as bad as some network cameras I’ve tested, but isn’t as good as the Dropcam.

Tapping on the display will bring up a few options such as the ability to take a snapshot, toggle sound, and zoom. Like with the web viewer, audio through the smartphone app has static.

This is what the picture looks like when the camera is in night vision mode.

Here’s an example of what the camera shows in a normally lit room. This happens to be my utility room, which has florescent lights in the ceiling. I had one set of lights turned on when I captured this image with the iOS version of the mydlink app.

This is what the camera shows when all the lights are off and the door is closed. The room is in almost complete darkness. The image turns black and white, giving it a Ghost Hunters vibe. The D-Link uses infrared (IR) illumination for night vision up to 5 meters (16.4 feet).

You can also record video via the D-ViewCam interface if you have a Windows PC. At this time, there isn’t a Mac version of the D-ViewCam software. I tried to test D-ViewCam on the only Windows machine I have (an HP Mini netbook), but didn’t have much luck because it requires 1024 x 768 resolution which the Mini can’t quite do.

That’s one feature that the D-Link lacks, a DVR feature built in to the mydlink web portal. Dropcam has this, but they charge you a monthly fee for it.

I wish the picture was sharper, but all in all, the D-Link Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera (DCS-932L) is a good choice for an easy to use wireless networked camera. It’s not too expensive and offers decent control over motion detection and email notifications without having to pay a monthly fee.

Filed in categories: Home Tech, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Surveillance

D-Link Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera (DCS-932L) Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 6, 2012 at 11:00 am.

When I bought my Little Swift bag from Tom Bihn, I also ordered a couple of their Clear Organizer Wallets.  I wanted one of these little wallets to carry my “overflow cards” that don’t fit in my regular wallet, and my husband, Butch, was looking for something to replace the leather brick he’d been carrying in his back pocket.  So, what do we think of our Tom Bihn Clear Organizer Wallets?

All images can be clicked for a larger view.

The wallet has a clear front made of 0.015″ Urethane.  The backs are made of either 500 or 1000 denier Cordura, Vulcana hemp/recycled rubber (like my Little Swift), or cork.  Butch chose the steel Dyneema fabric.  His wallet perfectly matches the lining in my Little Swift. If you read my Little Swift review, you’ll remember I was torn between choosing the Vulcana hemp/recycled rubber or the cork version of that bag.  I selected the hemp bag, and thought I’d order the cork wallet so I could see what that fabric was like.  I didn’t consider the Dyneema because I thought it would “disappear” inside my bag.

Butch’s wallet looks “lumpy” compared to the cork wallet in the above photo.  When empty, both wallets lay flat.  Both wallets were photographed “fully loaded”, and his wallet has roughly twice the cards in it.  The Dyneema fabric isn’t stretchy by any means, but the wallet is flexible enough to mold around the contents.

The cork wallet measures about 5.75″ wide X 3.8″ tall X 0.25″ thick and weighs 0.7 oz when empty.  It closes with a plastic zipper along the top front.  A Tom Bihn logo ribbon is sewn into the zipper seam.  The edges are bound with a very sturdy-looking fabric.

One of the top corners has a plastic clip that’s used to attach the wallet to the O-rings sewn inside Tom Bihn bags.  Although it works great clipped into my Little Swift, I usually carry it inside one of the large clear pockets inside my bag, like the one holding my Sony PRS-T1 reader seen in this picture.

It’s called an organizer wallet because of the two Ultrasuede dividers found inside.  They are cut with “tabs” that extend above your cards so you can easily see how the cards are divided.  The dividers in my cork wallet are blue and red, but the colors vary.  The Dyneema wallet has light gray and red Ultrasuede dividers.

Here’s my wallet loaded up with my overflow cards.  You can clearly see the Ultrasuede dividers inside.  I don’t carry my driver’s license in this wallet, but Butch does (see lead photo in the review).  The Urethane front is clear enough that you can present your license for an ID check without having to remove it from the wallet.

I have 12 cards and a couple of Levenger wallet-sized note cards in my Clear Organizer Wallet, and it’s barely 0.5″ thick.  Butch’s wallet has 27 cards inside (6 paper, 21 thick, plastic cards) and is about 1″ thick.

As I mentioned, I carry mine inside my purse, but Butch carries his Clear Organizer Wallet in his pants pocket.  He always used to carry his wallets in his back pocket.  Always having a wallet in that pocket made the fabric wear faster, and sitting on it caused him back and hip pain.  He didn’t like to carry his normal wallet in his front pocket, but he always carries his Tom Bihn Wallet in a front pocket.  The thinner profile of the Clear Organizer Wallet looks nicer in a front pocket than the leather brick does.  And not sitting on his wallet all day has greatly reduced the pain in Butch’s back.

Here’s a closer look at the cork.  I’ve seen cork tiles before.  They’re thin and flexible, but they can be broken.  I was a bit worried about the structure and strength of the cork used in Tom Bihn bags.  There’s an article in the Tom Bihn blog that shows a cork bag after five years of daily use; the bag looks in great shape, so I decided I’d risk buying the cork wallet.

The cork has a matte surface and a vaguely woodgrain-like appearance.  (Cork does come from trees.)  It has a mostly smooth texture, but you can feel a few very low “ridges” in the surface.

It appears the cork “fabric” structure is similar to a vinyl fabric.  Inside the wallet, you see the woven backing for the cork.  It seems that a thin layer of cork is adhered to a fabric backing.  I’m sure this fabric is there to add strength and to stabilize the structure of the cork layer.

By the way, the cork bag has absolutely no smell that I can detect.  And I have a sensitive sniffer.  I used to be called “the canary” at work – as in the canary in the coal mine.

Both Butch and I love our Tom Bihn Clear Organizer Wallets.  Mine fits easily in my bag, and his makes a great front-pocket wallet.  Both wallets are so lightweight that they don’t seem to be any heavier than the cards themselves.  At $15, they are an inexpensive, sturdy, convenient alternative to traditional leather wallets.  If our previous experiences with Tom Bihn products are an indication, we can expect years of use from these Clear Organizer Wallets.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, Reviews

Tagged: Wallet

Tom Bihn Clear Organizer Wallet Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2012 at 9:00 am.

ZunZun is a Dutch company that has a great idea.  They make sun visor shades for computer laptops 10.5″ and 15.6″ and even GPS units. These shades are essentially flexible hoods that attach via elastic bands around your computer to shade the screen so you can see it and still type on your keyboard.  For the record, I like the idea of this product.  

I celebrate this idea.  I love writing outdoors.  I hate being cooped up and lately, my living situation being what it is, I am more prone to cabin fever than ever.   While I am no fan of the State of California per se, the state does boast some lovely parks and fabulous beaches.  All perfect for kicking back, enjoying the fresh air, temperate climate (seriously…it’s early February and even in January…highs were in the mid 60s) and the crashing of the waves.

I’m a surfer…internet surfer.  But still it’s cool to take my laptop out to the beaches near Pacifica or Half Moon Bay and watch the real surfer guys.  I’m a (struggling but aspiring) writer so there are a lot of times I just want to be on the beach doing my thing.   It’s not possible when you can’t see your screen. Computer screen technology has evolved over the years, yes, but Mother Nature on a California beach still has the last word, and I can’t see what I write half the time.

The hood works.  It definitely improves the clarity and reduces glare from the sun.  I have not used the ZunZun GPS sun visors, but the design of the GPS visor is what the design for the laptops should be.

The visor for the laptops encircles the screen while the visor for the  GPS units are really more of a hood covering the top and sides.  As you can see, the visor completely boxes in the screen. You view the screen almost as you would one of those eye exam machines where you view an image through a tunnel.  I’ve taken the bottom half of the visor off so that it’s now a three sided gabled hood, much like ZunZun’s GPS visor.  A hood design, like the computer sun shade featured here, does not interfere with the user’s keyboarding activity.

Simply put, the product works.  It does what it says it’s supposed to do.  But the box-like design of the laptop visor makes it awkward to use your keyboard.  I’m a type-by-touch kind of person but many keyboardists are not…they look at their fingers to see what buttons or keys they’re hitting.  The box-like construction makes that uncomfortable.  A better design for the laptop visor would be the design that ZunZun uses for their GPS units:  the gable-like hood.

At 19.95 Euro or $27.13 (depending on currency rates), you need to love this product in order to purchase it.  ZunZun is a Dutch based company and their products are sold from their website, not sold in stores in the USA.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Laptop, Sun shield

ZunZun Computer Laptop Sun Visor Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Accessories can sometimes be just as important to us as the gadgets themselves. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m always on the lookout for a new favorite gear bag, wallet, writing instrument, phone case, etc. Lately I’ve been fixating on finding the perfect capacitive stylus that I can use for drawing and writing. When I came across the Adonit Jot Pro Stylus, I knew I had to try it. I actually purchased it with my own cash because I didn’t intend to review it. But after using it for a couple weeks I knew I had to share my experience. So here goes.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Over the years, I tried many capacitive styli with my iPad and Android tablets. With only a few exceptions, they’ve all been pretty similar. In the image above, you see the Jot Pro next to a Targus stylus. The Targus has a typical large rounded rubber tip. Although it works fine for writing and drawing, it’s less than optimal because it’s difficult to do really detailed work because it’s hard to see what you’re writing due to the large tip. The Jot Pro has a very unique tip which solves that problem very well.

First of all the Jot Pro is larger than the typical stylus. It’s more along the lines of a pen or mechanical pencil. It is 6 inches long and .375 inch in diameter. It’s also nicely weighted and balanced to give it a true pen-like feel.

The barrel is made of aluminum and is available in Black, Silver and Blue. A rubber grip around the bottom half of the barrel makes the stylus comfortable to use for long writing or drawing sessions.

It also has a magnet in the barrel that allows it to “stick” to your iPad.

I love love love that there’s a threaded cap that protects the stylus tip when it’s not being used and stores on the opposite end when it is in use.

Replacement caps are available in several colors for $6.00.

The tip of the Jot Pro is what sets it apart from the other capacitive styli I’ve reviewed. It looks like a finely tapered point with a plastic disc stuck to the end. But if you look really close, you’ll see that the tip is actually a tiny ball.

The transparent disc snaps on to the ball tip allowing it to swivel in a variety of angles.

The bottom of the disk has a thin layer of plastic, so you don’t have to worry that it will scratch your display. Replacement discs can be purchased at $8 for 2 discs.

The Jot Pro glides effortlessly on an unprotected display. However, it didn’t work well at all on a Pure Gear screen protector which I had on my iPhone. It felt sticky and wanted to drag across the screen. The Pure Gear protector is thicker and softer than other protectors I’ve used, so it’s possible that the Jot Pro might work just fine with other brands of screen protectors.

The swivel disc lets the stylus adapt to the way you hold it instead of you having to hold it in a certain way against the display.

The best thing about the Jot Pro is that you can see what you’re writing and drawing through the disc. It really makes a huge difference when drawing and allows for more detailed work. I also found that the Jot Pro is the first stylus that actually feels like a pen when writing. In addition to the Jot Pro, Adonit also offers a classic (does not have the rubber grip or magnet) for $19.99 and a Jot mini that has a pocket clip (no pricing on that one yet). Even more importantly, Adonit will be offering a pressure sensitive stylus soon that I’m really looking forward to try. The Jot Touch will allow for varying line thicknesses when drawing depending on how hard to press it against the screen.

The Adonit Jot Pro is my new favorite stylus. What is yours?

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Stylus

Adonit Jot Pro Stylus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I love tech. I love my dog. I really love things that allow me to use tech in relation to other things in my life, like my dog, Jack. Tom Bihn, a premier bag maker in Seattle, has a great specialty bag called the Citizen Canine which can help you keep all your “dog stuff” in one place. I was sent the black version with the Steel grid interior to test.

Top pouch can hold treats, toys, or both!

Over all, the bag is a sort of pouch, open at the top, but protected by a drawstring sleeve that closes against the weather and snuffling noses pretty nicely. There are two types of straps for the bag: an optional waist strap (which fits my 42″ girth with several inches to spare!), and an included over-the-shoulder strap. Either or both of these webbing straps (or neither, but then it’s going to be awkward to carry!) can be attached or detached at will, and both are adjustable. The bag’s material is all first-rate: U.S. 1050 denier Ballistic nylon and lined with Japanese nylon/Dyneema ripstop; zippers are #3.5  YKK coil with non-scratching plastic sliders. The straps are 1″ webbing with unique snap-on clips that allow you to customize the bag precisely. Build quality, a Tom Bihn hallmark, is also impeccable: bar-tacking and over-stiching at stress points, full lining and seams, etc. This bag is going to put up with years of use and abuse.

Strap connector open for removal.

In design, the bag is built on two levels: an upper pocket with a drawstring top, and a lower compartment with a plastic grommet for dispensing poop bags. Inside the lower section is a metal roller for dispensing standard bags on rolls. It’s fairly adjustable for the size of roll, but these bags are pretty much standardized within the pet industry, from what I’ve seen at various pet stores.

The bags are dispensed through a grommet on the back of the bag.

The bag hanger is heavy-duty, yet easy to open for adding new bags.

Included with the bag are clips that attach to the straps and can be used for a thick lead, ball toss stick, or other cylindrical item. They sent along their recycled leash to test, and having a place to attach it at the park is a major plus. The leash, from Krebs Recycling, is made from climbing rope, which is a kernmantle type construction. This means there is a woven sheath over an inner core of load-bearing nylon. Climbing ropes are taken out of use far before they are worn or aged, so Krebs creates these unique leases with them. They sew them with heavy, overlapped fabric at the joining points and use hot sealant to perfectly finish the ends. For $15, you’ll not find a better deal at your local pet super store. (I used a kernmantle leash for one of my pups, and it lasted all of his 14 years. We buried it with him, although it was still quite usable.)

Heavy duty cord, stitching, hardware, and end wrapping make this leash a solid addition to your dog park kit.

The leash clips can hold a rope leash, or a ball slinger.

So, how does it perform? I guess it depends on your dog interactions. My current pup is still under a year, so training happens at home and in our yard, more than in a public place like a dog park. Having treats handy, though, does make things more interesting. The other dogs find the smell very tempting, so I was glad for the drawstring. Jack is learning that just because he can smell a treat doesn’t mean he’s going to get one, which is a good lesson for everyone! That makes the treats more effective when they are given. While the pouch is easy to access, the drawstring can make it a two-handed affair. The waist belt allows me to center it during training, so I can handle any two-handed manouvers, or grab a treat with either hand, which is also nice.

I wasn’t a fan of the shoulder strap for the pouch, which actually surprised me. I usually carry a bag of some sort, usually a shoulder bag, but having this light one on my shoulder while bending down, running around, and fishing out treats for a dog was not easy. Even with it over the opposite shoulder, it was better on the waist for security and ease of use. I much preferred the waist band. I think it would be nice if it was an either/or thing, rather than having to get the shoulder strap plus pay extra for the waistband.

The size of the various pockets was good, with the possible exception of the front pocket. My iPhone 4s fits in it, but to zip it closed, I have to fiddle with getting the last little bit under the zipper. If you’ve got a larger phone, forget it. IDs, money, keys, and the like slipped in without a problem, but if phones continue to grow, a redesign may be in order.

The convenience of having everything in one bag is huge. I’m forever grabbing the leash for a walk, then having to figure out what to do when he stops for a nature break. I think my neighbors like seeing the bag, if no one else does!

Overall, I give it 4.5 stars. It’s quite well made, designed with a lot of great features, and shows attention to details that any dog-loving gadgeteer would love!

Filed in categories: Outdoor Gear, Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Bags and cases, Pet

Tom Bihn Citizen Canine Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 1, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Amazon introduced their first Kindle device back in 2007 when the dedicated eBook reader population was made up almost exclusively by Sony’s Reader line of products. The eReader population has grown to include more brands than I can count and in the last 5 years, we’ve seen the technology in this category evolve from e-Ink devices to readers with color LCDs. After several popular e-Ink Kindles, Amazon’s first color device is the Kindle Fire. Although it may look and act like a tablet, Amazon does not want you to compare the Fire to an iPad or dedicated Android tablet. They say the Fire is just a content consumption device for books, magazines, music and video.  Of course telling people not to compare their device to other tablets, will cause them to do the opposite. I’m going to take a look at this already very popular device and let you know what I think.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Hardware Specifications

Processor: 1Ghz Texas Instruments OMAP 4 dual-core processor
Operating System: Android
Display: 7″ multi-touch 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors
On-device Storage: 8GB internal (approximately 6GB available for user content)
Battery Life: Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content
Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB
Connectivity: Wifi 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or enterprise networks with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks
USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
Audio: 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers
Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8
Size (in inches): 7.5″ x 4.7″ x 0.45″ (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm)
Weight: 14.6 ounces (413 grams)

Included in the Box

Kindle Fire
U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V)
Quick Start Guide

Let me start out by showing you how the compares to the iPad 2 as far as device size. For me personally, a 10 inch display like the iPad’s is the sweet spot when it comes to web browsing and magazine reading. The smaller 7 inch display of the Fire is definitely great for portability, but it feels cramped when I’m using it for web browsing and viewing magazines. That said, I find the screen size of the Fire to be just fine for reading books, watching full screen video and playing games.

The Kindle Fire has a very spartan design. It’s available only in Black and you’ll find no flashy chrome trim, LED status lights or menu buttons on this device. Actually it has only one button… a tiny power button located on the bottom edge.

The front of the device has the display with a narrow bezel around all the edges.

The display is crisp and clear, with colors that are bright and vibrant. It’s not Samsung brilliant, but it’s still very nice. The image above does not do it justice. It’s very difficult to photography glossy color LCDs like the Fire.

The back of the Fire is made of a soft rubber like material that attracts smudges and grease.

Along the top edge are two speakers. Don’t expect to be able to hear audio in noisy environments. Even at max volume, it’s not very loud. In a small room, it works fine though.

On the bottom edge you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, micro USB connector for charging and the power button. That’s it. No dedicated volume buttons, microphone and no camera. These omissions definitely restrict the Fire from being considered a full fledged tablet since you’ll be unable to use it for Skype calls and other video chat type applications. The omissions do not end with the microphone and camera though. The Fire also does not include a flash memory card slot for file expansion and it lacks Bluetooth connectivity as well. The lack of Bluetooth means you will not be able to connect a wireless Bluetooth keyboard or headphones. The lack of a flash card slot isn’t a deal breaker since Amazon gives you free file storage in the cloud for all their content and the built in 8GB of memory (6GB available for user content) enables you to store 80 apps, 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books directly on the device.

In hand the Fire feels really solid. It feels like a slab of Lucite with no flexing, creaking or cracking. It’s comfortable to hold in your hand because the edges are rounded and the back has a slight grip to it.

User Interface

The Kindle Fire is powered by the Android operating system, with a highly modified front end.

The home screen uses a familiar bookshelf motif that consists of multiple shelves. The top shelf is a carrousel / cover flow style stack of icons of the latest accessed apps, books, music, videos and webpages. You can flip through the icons by dragging your finger across the stack. I don’t really like flipping through the icons because frequently I’ll tap an icon and nothing will happen or it will flip to the next icon in sequence and launch that one instead. You can add your own icons to the bottom shelf, which is designated to hold your favorite apps, books and magazines. If you add more than 4 favorites, a new shelf will be created to add more. Then the whole home screen will scroll up and down.

At the top of the screen is a search box that will allow you to search the content on your device. As you type a book title or app name, you’ll see a list of matching items that filters as you continue to type the search criteria. The search feature will not drill down into books though. It will only allow you to find items based on titles, authors and artists.

Below the search box is a navigation bar that takes you to the 7 areas on the device: Newsstand, Books, Music, Video, Docs, Apps and Web.

Like other Android devices, you can view your notifications by swiping down from the top left corner of the display. To access the volume slider and other hardware settings, you tap the little gear icon in the upper right corner.

You will also notice a Home icon and back arrow at the bottom of the display. This is a menu that isn’t static on the screen. You usually have to tap the screen to have it appear. I really prefer a dedicated home button (and volume buttons) of some sort on my devices.

Reading Books

Here we see the book area. You can view your library by cover art grid view…

Or display it as a list which shows the title and author. In list view it also shows a percentage of how much you’ve read for each book.

It would be great if there was a way to file books in named folders, but the only way to organize the book list is by author name, recently read or by title.

Notice the Device / Cloud button at the top of the display. You’ll find these buttons on the Books, Magazines and Apps pages. When you’re on the device tab, you’ll see the books, magazines and apps that have been installed directly on your device in the 8GB of built-in memory. The cloud on the other hand, is an online storage space for you to securely store and access all of your own personal content, from your own personal movies, mp3′s, documents, etc. You can access your “Cloud Drive” on Amazon from almost any device that can access the internet.

Your amazon account includes 5GB of free cloud storage. For $20 per year more, you get 20GB of storage space, plus unlimited space for your mp3 music files. If you need even more memory, there are additional paid plans.

Of course you can access Amazon’s store to browse and purchase books. You’ll need a WiFi connection though as the Fire does not include built in 3G connectivity like other Kindle devices.

I like the interface for the store a lot. It’s simple and easy to navigate. I always found the store on older (non-touch) Kindle’s to be a little tedious to use.

I love that you can download a free sample of a book that you’re interested in buying. The samples show up in your library with the rest of your books.

I found the book reading experience on the Kindle Fire to be enjoyable. I’m already very comfortable reading on devices with a color LCD as I do almost all my reading on an iPhone. I always switch the background to black and the letters to grey, but you can also have a white or sepia background.

When you’re reading there are no distractions on the screen. Just words.

To see the clock, you have to tap the center of the screen. Turning pages is accomplished by tapping the left or right side of the screen. You can select words or phrases for a definition. You’re also able to highlight and make annotations.

You can then view your notes and highlights for each book by clicking the menu button at the bottom of the display.

Reading Magazines

Reading magazines on a 7″ display isn’t a wonderful experience in my opinion because you can’t easily read the magazine pages as intended due to the screen size.

The Fire’s magazine reading interface does offer a solution to that problem by allowing you to toggle into a Text Mode. If you look at the image above on the Left, that’s the normal magazine page. In order to comfortably read the small text, I have to zoom in. But if I toggle to Text mode as seen above on the Right, the article text is reformatted in more of a book style. Pictures are still shown and you can even search text. However, you can’t annotate, highlight or bookmark pages in magazines.

FYI: turning the Fire into landscape view makes things worse. It shows 2 magazine pages side by side with even tinier text.

Listening to Music

The music player on the Fire isn’t overly fancy. It has the necessary features to get the job done. Just remember, that the max audio output from the built-in speakers is pretty low and the Fire does not have dedicated volume buttons. The music player has a volume slider right on the screen though.

You can use the music player to stream music stored in your cloud drive. But of course, you’ll need to have a wifi connection to do so.

Watching Video

The Fire comes with a free month of Amazon Prime service. Amazon Prime gives you free 2 day shipping on tons of products and unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost along with newer movies and TV shows that can be rented or purchased. For example, right now you can rent The Help for $1.99 for 48hrs. Or buy episodes of The Vampire Diaries for $1.99.

I did cartwheels (ok, not really…) when I saw that the original Star Trek episodes were available for free. I watched the very first episode, which I had somehow managed to have never seen. The episode streamed perfectly with no hiccups, pausing or stuttering.

It’s important to note that the Prime Instant Videos are streaming only. So you’ll need a Wifi connection to enjoy them. However, rented movies and purchased TV shows can be downloaded so that you can view them even when you’re offline.

Apps

The Kindle Fire is powered by Android, but you will not be able to access the standard app market with this device. You’ll only be able to use Amazon’s own appstore, which is a bit of a bummer considering that Amazon’s appstore does not include all the apps that the app market has to offer.

Don’t get me wrong, Amazon offers a very good selection of apps and even offers a paid app for free each day. But I hate not having it all. I’m greedy. One example of an app that I’d like to install on the Fire which is not included in Amazon’s appstore is the official Gmail app.

The good news is that there’s an email app included on the Fire. I set it up to connect to my Gmail account. Yay right? Well… not really. The app is ok for reading and responding to messages.

In portrait mode you can thumb type.

Or kinda touch type on a very cramped keyboard when in landscape orientation. But here’s the bad news… you can’t connect to your gmail/google contacts. What is up with that? Grrrr…

Good news again… you can use the Fire’s web browser to access your Gmail and your contacts.

Web Browsing

Browsing my favorite sites on the Fire is an ok experience. It’s not nearly as comfortable as browsing on the iPad due to the screen size though. You can browse in tabbed mode as shown above.

Or full screen mode, which gives you a few extra lines per screen.

In landscape mode, it’s much easier to read the text, but you have to scroll more often.

Browsing on a small screen can also cause frustrations when tapping links when they are small and next to each other. A lot of times you’ll need to zoom in so that you can tap accurately. I don’t know how many times I tried to tap something and would end up tapping an adjacent link and then have to press the back button.

Book marks can be viewed by thumbnail or list.

One of the touted gee whiz features of the Fire is this new web page loading technology called Amazon Silk. According to Amazon, it’s supposed to be a revolutionary Cloud-Accelerated “Split Browser” that dramatically improves web page loading times. Unfortunately, I really haven’t noticed it being any quicker than surfing on my iPad. If anything, it actually feels SLOWER to me. I wanted to do some speed test with my favorite Speedtest app, but guess what? It’s not in the Amazon market and my attempts to sideload it failed.

Another weirdness I noticed is that some flash based sites like CNN’s video pages, prompted me to install the latest Flashplayer and thought the Fire was an OSX device. Of course trying to install it didn’t work.

I had the same issue with Hulu.com. Android fans always brag about being able to load flash enabled sites but it feels hit or miss to me. I never really notice the lack of flash on my iPad because I don’t visit many (any?) flash enabled sites.

Performance

Changing from screen to screen, app to app, loading books, magazines, etc, all feels snappy. The Kindle Fire has a dual core processor, so it’s not laggy by any means. The only lag I can really complain about is with the web browser. I’m not the only one complaining, so I’m hoping and expect Amazon will improve the tech behind Amazon Silk.

Battery Life

No complaints here at all. Battery life is great. I can get days and days of use out of the Fire before needing to charge. Granted, I don’t watch many videos or surf for long periods of time using this device.

Conclusion

The Kindle Fire is already a wildly popular device because of its sub $200 price tag and Amazon’s brand reputation. The reasons why I like the Fire are its price, compact size, nice display, snappy performance and good battery life. The reasons why I don’t like this device are the lack of 3G, Bluetooth, dedicated volume and menu buttons, laggy web browser and no access to Google’s app market or core apps (Gmail, Calendar, etc.). I understand that this is Amazon’s first “tablet” device, so I’m cutting them some slack and am hoping that that future models will address at least some of these deficiencies.

I don’t consider the Amazon Kindle Fire to be a real tablet.  But it will be many people’s first taste of Android and using a tablet style device. I think this device is causing ripples in the tablet market which will benefit all of us. Even an iPad fan like myself.

Filed in categories: Android related, eBook Readers and Gear, Featured Items, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Android, ereader, Kindle, Tablet

Amazon Kindle Fire Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 31, 2012 at 11:10 am.

The Leatherman Skeletool has been on my ‘wish list’ for some time now (especially the carbon-fiber handled CX version), so when I saw them at a local Target over Christmas on clearance for 1/2 price, I finally snagged one!

Leatherman Skeletool (top), shown with a Leatherman Juice S2 for comparison. Closed position.

This is considered a small or pocket multi-tool since it is only 4″ long and weighs 5oz. More importantly, it does not have the long list of tools we generally drool over – limiting itself to a very nice pair of modified needle-nosed pliers (with the typical wire cutting and stripping section), a main blade (1/2 serrated), and a bit holder with two included double-tipped bits. Besides the main tools, it also offers a carabiner loop, can opener, and a removable pocket clip.

Open position.

This is a strikingly attractive tool, at least in my eyes. The skeletal frame is defined by gentle curving lines and many holes. A triangular hole in the blade allows it to be opened single-handedly. The pocket clip curves to match the frame, and even the back of the blade has a gentle humped curve that makes it pleasing to the eye.

The tool fits well in your hand. I like just holding it. The blade and screwdriver are not perfectly placed as they would be in dedicated tools, but they work well here. The curves of the frame seem to fit my hand almost perfectly and offer a very solid-feeling grip. When using it as a pliers, there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to hold it due to the curves. Hold it the right way and you can almost feel the power flow into your grip. Hold it the wrong way and you’ll find yourself repositioning it almost without thinking.

Comparison of pliers jaws.

The 2″ pliers head and 2.5″ long blade are both strong and well-made, as is typical for Leatherman tools. The pliers head seem small if you are used to the ‘full-sized’ tools like the Kick or Wave but is the about same size as my beloved and well-used Juice S2 - the Skeletool’s is a bit thicker and a bit more squarely cut.

Comparison of blades.

The knife blade is half-serrated and has an odd but attractive overall shape. A large cut-out makes it easy to open with one hand while the slight hump and a wide spine on the back of the blade make it comfortable to use even for heavy cutting jobs. The blade is secured by an interframe lock helpfully stamped with a padlock icon.

Comparison of Philips bits

The bit is an odd and ‘new to me’ element. I need a lot of tools in my work day, including several Allen or hex tips, and a tool that lets me carry some conveniently would be a huge boon. The Skeletool features not only a locking bit holder, but it can store a spare bit in the frame! It comes with two double-ended bits- a #1 and #2 Phillips, and a small and medium slotted.

The proprietary bits (sorry for the photo quality).

The thing is – the bits are not ‘off the shelf’ things you can find in the store. The bits are greatly flattened and very proprietary. The good news is that you can get a selection of bits, a modified holster, and even a handy extension bit for pretty reasonable costs. The optional extension is cool since it holds the proprietary bits as well as standard bits!

One really slick bit of engineering is that as you close the tool, the bit fits neatly inside the frame around the carabiner. Speaking of the carabiner, I rarely find myself using it. Clipping it to a belt loop makes for an awkward carry since the tool is too short to ‘tuck’ into a pocket that way and it sort of pokes out a bit for me. I prefer using the spring clip in a back pocket… until I noticed that the protruding head was catching on things like my car seat. This is not really a design flaw, but it bothers me enough that I stopped carrying it for now (I will re-evaluate when I get the case, which I still have not ordered.)

My ‘wish list’ for the Skeletool is pretty short. I wish it had a detent that held the tool so you could use the bit at right angles for more power, and I wish it could carry bits and the extender more easily without the case, perhaps some sort of ‘snap-on bandoleer’-like device. I also wish there was a version with scissors – I use the scissors on my Juice S2 quite a bit – although I would not want to give up the light weight and small size of the Skeletool for them.

Overall, this is a solidly-built smaller multitool that feels great in your hand or pocket. It has not quite replaced my Juice S2- but it well might if/when I order the extension bit, bit kit, and case.

Filed in categories: Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Leatherman, multitool

Leatherman Skeletool Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 30, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I’m torn about the PFE 232 Earphones from Phonak Audeo. They are about the best sounding universal-fit earphones I’ve yet heard. They are well made, extremely comfortable, customizable (more on that later), and have replaceable cables.

But wow, are they expensive. There is no getting around that. It’s an elephant in the room you can’t ignore. And when the price of universal-fit earphones approach, and sometimes even surpass the cost of custom fit earphones, they better have something unique to offer.  Let’s find out.

Phonak Sounds AG is a Swiss maker of hearing aids that got into the audio market because many of the components in modern hearing aids are also used in high quality earphones. It’s a natural symmetry.

Phonak’s first earphone was the PFE 111/112 which won raves for both its design as well as sound. They became a favorite among those wanting topnotch quality at a reasonable price. Even with one armature, the PFE 111/112s were favorably compared with earphones costing more.

Well, as they say, that was then; this is now. Many competing brands of earphones have come out since the PFE 111/112 and have been reviewed at The Gadgeteer. Today, there are a lot of good sounding earphones covering many price ranges.

Phonak has released the Perfect Fit (PFE) 232 with two balanced armatures instead of the single armature used in the 111/112s. They didn’t change the shape, since the original worked so well, and only did subtle exterior design changes. They are a gun-metal gray with black plastic. At first glance, you may think that at this price, they should have either aluminum or wood accents. But plastic is extremely light in weight and moldable to a more ergonomic shape. These earphones weigh almost nothing.

Let’s look at the ergonomics of the PFE 232. It is an unusual shape. No other earphones look like them. Yet when they are worn, it makes sense. They’re called Perfect Fit for good reason. They wrap around and behind the ear, much like Westone and Shure earphones. You can also wear them with the cable down if you’re willing to swap left for right, and the audio may be compromised. While they may not be the most comfortable universal earphones I’ve used – the Klipsch X10s own that crown – the 232s are very comfortable, and I can wear them for hours without ear pain or irritation. Being able to wear earphones comfortably for hours is not as common as you may think.

The PFE 232s come with a decent array of accessories. Included are two sets of cables; one with a mic for smartphones and one without. To be truthful, I hardly ever use earphones on my iPhone. The iPod Classic is my primary music device. So whether earphones have a mic or not is irrelevant to me. However, I know many people use a smartphone exclusively for music and the mic feature is essential. The multifunction button on the PFE 232 works as advertised. You can adjust volume, pause, forward, reverse, take calls… all the usual stuff. Note that the multifunction button only works on Apple devices.

Also included are six pairs of eartips; three different sizes of foam and silicone. There are also silicone ear-shaped guides which help keep the wires in place behind the ears. Eyeglass wearers can just tuck the wires behind the eyeglass earpiece without the guides. Since I wear glasses, I prefer this method. The ear guides are comfortable, but cumbersome to use.

One of the common problems with earphones in any price range is the durability of the thin cords. No one wants to replace a pair of expensive earphones just because of issues with the wires. Phonak has equipped the PFE  232s with removable cables. What that means is that no matter what happens to your earphone cables – worn, torn, chewed by your dog; whatever – you just disconnect the wires and reconnect new ones. It makes you wonder why everyone isn’t doing this.

The included accessory that matters more than the others and accounts for some of the cost are the three color-coded acoustic filters with included case and changing tool. These filters are tiny and difficult to change, but they can dramatically alter the sound depending on your tastes. The green filter promotes bass at the expense of mids and treble. Using the green filters makes the PFE 232s sound like $50 earphones marketed to teenagers. The bass may be cleaner than cheap earphones, but I don’t understand the logic. The black filters boost bass and treble much more accurately and could be considered the closest to a traditional earphone sound signature. The black filters do sound good, but on some songs, there is a harshness in the treble that bothers me. I prefer the gray filters for their overall neutral and balanced sound, but then, I lean toward that type of sound anyway.  Phonak packages the PFE 232s with the gray filters already installed and supply an extra gray set along with the black and green filters. My advice is to live with the gray filters until you are familiar with the sound and then change to the black or green filter to decide what you like.

In my listening tests, I decided to try old and new music. The song, “Roads to Moscow,” from Al Stewart’s “Past, Present and Future” album features just about everything to test headphone quality. It begins with a high, flamenco-styled guitar overlaying some purposeful acoustic strumming followed by a choral bridge. The PFE 232s effortlessly pick up the squeakiness of the guitar strings, the different vocal ranges of the choir and the excellent soundstage of the song delivering a complete audio treat.

A new song, “Colors,” by April Smith and the Great Picture Show is a joyful romp complete with accordion, hand clapping and a thumping bass drum. The attack and recovery of the drum hits in this song allow the visceral kick of the drum to be felt without letting it bleed into the other frequencies. That’s the mark of good headphones and earphones. That means any aural muddiness heard in a particular song would be the result of the recording and not the earphone speaker.

Roxy Music’s ode to Texas, “Prairie Rose,” is one of the harshest songs I have in my collection. I don’t know if it was intentional, but the recording quality leaves a lot to be desired, despite how good the song is. That actually makes it a perfect test song. Here the high frequencies were not brittle or painful, so I could listen to the whole song without wanting to rip the earphones from my head. Conversely, Honeyroot’s song, “Falling” has deep, deep bass that can buzz and distort cheaper speakers. The PFE 232s don’t seem to care. The bass is musical and rich without any boominess or buzzing of any kind.

The PFE 232s don’t have what I would call a jaw-dropping sound – unless you are migrating from Apple’s earbuds or other cheap buds. But what the PFE 232s do have is what you should be hearing; accurate sound as the musicians intended it to be heard.

The PFE 232s are unfazed by whatever style of music I throw at them. I have heard and reviewed many earphones – custom and universal – and very few have a sound signature as balanced and easy to listen to as the PFE 232s. There are many earphones that excel in reproducing bass, vocals, or the higher frequencies. But the ability to handle the entire frequency range and still keep the clarity and power in the music is difficult to achieve. I commend Phonak for this and can highly recommend the PFE 232s if you have the means. But their high cost holds me back from making my recommendation unconditional.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Earphones

Phonak Audéo PFE 232 Earphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 29, 2012 at 12:31 pm.

So you just got yourself a brand new iPhone 4S, and now you’re looking for that one perfect case that will help protect it but also make it stylish at the same time.  I’ve tried many different cases for my iPhone 4S, and none has come close to my ideal case other than the BookBook from Twelve South.

Like its name, Twelve South’s BookBook is in the shape of a book.  It’s made of leather and is designed to have an aged look and feel to it.  It feels quite good in the hand.

The iPhone is situated on the right side of the BookBook.  The iPhone slides in from the top and is held down by a leather flap with a red pull tab.  The red pull tab barely sticks out enough for my fingers to pull at it.  It might not be a problem if the iPhone is always in this case, but it’s necessary to pull out the iPhone to take a photo because Twelve South for reasons unknown has decided to not make a hole for the iPhone’s camera.  So it does get quite annoying constantly removing it from the case if you like taking photos.

On the bottom, there are holes for the port connector, speaker, and microphone.

On the left side is a hole for the mute switch; the volume buttons are covered.  The volume buttons can still be easily pressed, and you can still feel the click of the button through the leather.

The right side is fully protected.

The BookBook holds 3 cards, and an inner pocket holds a few folded bills.  It was quite difficult to take the cards out at first but the leather stretched over time and is much easier now.  The bills will stick out if you only fold them in half.

The BookBook doesn’t quite close all the way with the 3 cards and 2 bills inside.  A quick remedy would be just to put the side with the cards down first, and the iPhone’s weight will keep the case fully closed.

To answer a call, you’ll have to fold the BookBook cover back.  It will expose your cards, but your hand should cover most of it from prying eyes.

Can you spot the BookBook?

Twelve South’s BookBook is a very nicely designed case.  I’ve been using it for a few months, and I’m very satisfied with it.  The BookBook creates a unique style for any iPhone 4/4S owner.  It’s priced at $59.99 from Twelve South.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPhone Case

Twelve South’s BookBook for iPhone 4/4S Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 28, 2012 at 11:30 am.

When SGP Case sent me the iPhone 4 Valentinus case I reviewed recently, they included a couple of extra goodies in the box.  They sent along the Steinheil Ultra Mirror Half Mirror Screen Protector for iPhone 4S/iPhone 4/CDMA iPhone 4 and the Kuel H10 Stylus Pen.  While the screen protector is obviously only for iPhones, the stylus should work with any capacitive screen.  How do they work?

The Kuel H10 (that’s H and the number 10) High Sensitive Stylus Pen packaging says it works with iPhone and iPad, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for any capacitive screen.  It’s available in black, red, yellow, pink, and white;  I received the black.  It’s about 3″ long, not including the hanging loop, and about 5/16″ in diameter.  It weighs about 0.2 oz.

The barrel of the stylus is made of brass.  It’s coated with a textured paint, or as SGP says, “harmless-material-plated brass.”  The cap is a silver-colored metal, and there’s a thin cord coming out of the top.  If your case has a lanyard connector on it, you could loop this cord through to attach the stylus to your device.  If you don’t have a lanyard attachment, you can attach the cap to the small plastic strap plug that you’ll see near the bottom of the package.

Getting the snap plug attached with a bit difficult; the cord was just barely long enough to work.  The snap plug goes in the iPhone’s headphone jack.  You can see it worked with my Bumper Case, too.

The stylus tip is made with “special silicone with high polymer abrasion-resistant coating.”  It has a diameter of just under 1/4″.  It doesn’t have any padding underneath; it feels like just a thin layer of the silicone.  It compresses very easily.  There’s a hard nub inside that you can feel when you completely compress the tip.

The barrel of the Kuel H10 is only about 2.75″ long without the cap.  It’s short enough that it’s difficult to support the top end against your hand.  It caused my hands to cramp up very quickly.  Luckily, the Kuel isn’t designed to be used this way.

Grab the sliver tip and pull to extend the barrel to almost 4″.  That length is long enough to allow the Kuel to rest against your hand.  It feels more like holding a normal pencil or pen, and it doesn’t cause my hand to get tired or crampy nearly as quickly.

Like with all styluses I’ve tried, I have to press harder with the stylus tip than I do with my finger tip.  Some styluses require you to hold the barrel almost perpendicular to the screen, but that’s not the case with the Kuel H10.  I could hold it at the same angle I hold pens, and it worked great.  I could tap, swipe, and slide with the Kuel.

The Kuel H10 Stylus would be a great accessory for people who wear gloves in the winter or for people who just don’t like to get smears on their screens.  The snap plug will fit into any 3.5mm headphone jack to keep the stylus handy for those people who aren’t always using their headphones.  It’s cheaper than a lot of styluses I’ve seen, too.

I debated whether I should review the Steinheil Ultra Mirror Half Mirror Screen Protector.  It wasn’t that I didn’t like it or think it would work.  The package says it’s only for the black phone, and I have a white phone.  I decided I would try it, because I wanted a screen protector.

The package contains two front screen protectors, a microfiber cloth to clean your iPhone before application, and a squeegee to remove air bubbles.  The directions are found on the back of the package.

Both the back and the front of the screen protector are covered with a protective film.  You can see from this photo that these screen protectors are those seemingly opaque sliver films.  The package calls it a “half mirror,” and that apparently means there’s a layer of silvering that’s dense enough to increase reflectivity but not enough to make it look like a regular mirror.

Application was easy.  I was very happy that no water was involved in the application.  Those wet-apply films always tell you to remove the battery and not use the device for a couple of days, but you can’t remove the battery from an iPhone.  I cleaned the screen of my iPhone with the included microfiber cloth, removed the film from the top of the backside of the protector, lined up the holes at the top of the protector with my phone, and began.

I only ended up with a couple of air bubbles, and they were quickly removed with the squeegee.  After I was happy with the appearance, I removed the top protective film.

You can see I was just the tiniest bit off lining it up with the home button.  You can also see that the screen definitely doesn’t appear like an opaque silver mirror.  On the white areas, the protector almost has a pearlescent look.  If you had a black phone, it would all look like the black screen area on my iPhone.  I understand that SGP Case was going for a uniform look, but I don’t mind the appearance of the white bezel at all.  The bezel area doesn’t work as part of the mirror, but the black touchscreen area is big enough to check your appearance.

You’ll also notice that the Ultra Mirror Screen Protector has cutouts for the front-facing camera and the phone’s speaker, but the ambient light/proximity sensors are covered by the film.  The sensors still seem to work.  I have found that the screen protector does make my display appear a bit dimmer.  That’s not because of the ambient light sensor; I don’t use the auto-brightness feature with my phone.  I increased the brightness of my phone a little, and it looks great.

The screen protector is just a bit smaller than the screen itself.  I was able to put my Bumper Case back on without peeling up the edges of the protector.  SGP Case says the “Steinheil Ultra Mirror does not peel after extended use due to the optical nanotechnology that offers higher abrasion resistance than regular films.”

You can see the screen protector is reflective enough that my camera focused on it’s own reflection instead of the icons.  It doesn’t appear reflective like that to my naked eye, though.  Once I brightened up the screen a bit, it’s easy to see my screen.  The Ultra Mirror screen protector is as slick and slippery as the naked Gorilla Glass itself, so it doesn’t interfere with using the touchscreen at all.

SGP Case says the “oleophobic coating on the Ultra Mirror enhances your phone’s picture quality, prevents fingerprints, and protects your LCD from scratches and dust.”  I haven’t seen as many fingerprints on my iPhone using the Steinheil, but I still do see some smears when I put the phone against my face, and I do see dust sometimes.  The screen cleans up easily using the little gray microfiber cloth, though.

SGP also says that the reflective coating should protect your screen from prying eyes, but I haven’t found that to be true.  It’s much shinier than the naked screen itself, but I can still read the screen from other angles.

To test the claims that it can be removed without leaving behind residue, I sacrificed the first screen protector I had applied.  It lifted right off without undue tension on the screen, and it did leave the screen perfectly clean.

I like the Steinheil Ultra Mirror Half Mirror Screen Protectors well enough that I installed the second one on my iPhone 4.  Now I don’t have to worry so much about scratches to my iPhone’s screen.  I only wish they had included a protector for the back of my phone, too.

Filed in categories: Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Screen Protector, Stylus for capacitive touchscreen

SGP Case Steinheil Ultra Mirror Half Mirror Screen Protectors and Kuel H10 Stylus Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 27, 2012 at 11:00 am.

My iPhone 4 is always in a bumper case, and I carry it inside my Dooney and Bourke Multi-Function Zip Around wallet.  That wallet is small enough to fit in my purse, but it holds some cards and cash, so I can just grab it and go.  If you’d like an even smaller wallet plus iPhone case – or perhaps one more unisex in style – the iPhone 4 / 4S Leather Wallet Case Valentinus Series from Spigen/SGP Case may be for you.  Let’s give a closer look at the one they sent us.

The Valentinus wallets are made of “premium genuine leather” in either black or brown.  It is a folio style case that’s held closed with a non-magnetic snap.  Stitching is even and straight.  There’s a Valentinus logo stamped into the front bottom corner.  It measures 4.6″ long X 2.5″ wide X 0.75″ thick at the snap closure.  The empty case weighs about 0.5 ounce.

The leather is very thin and supple.  There is minimal stiffening in the front of the case.

The spine of the Valentinus is closed in.  The open side shows the closure strap and the hard-shell case that holds the iPhone.  This polycarbonate frame is black, even for the brown leather case, and it has a matte finish.  Click on the lower picture, and you’ll see that SGP Case has added an Apple-like “Designed by SGP in California, USA” statement.  You can also see a hint of the camera opening on the back of the case.

The interior of the case shows more of the polycarbonate shell.  You can see the opening for the camera.  Confusingly, they also have an opening that would expose the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone, if the polycarbonate frame wasn’t glued into the leather folio.  The SGP website has a warning about the proper method for removing the phone to prevent the frame from pulling free of the leather: “Phone must be removed from the left side plastic frame. Do not remove from right side as the leather may tear away from the plastic frame.”  I wasn’t sure if they meant my left as I looked at the case, or the case’s left.  In any event, I removed the phone by lifting out the side without the volume buttons first so that I didn’t put undue pressure on the buttons.  I also inserted the side with the volume buttons first, again to prevent undue pressure on them.  I’d rather risk messing up a case than messing up my iPhone 4.

The leather folio is lined with a fabric that SGP Case calls “microfiber chamude.”  It has a fuzzy texture, and it’s been embossed with a repeating pattern of the SGP logo.

Opposite the iPhone frame are two slots where you can store a couple of cards.  There’s a pocket underneath where you can fit more cards or some folded up currency.

Here’s the Valentinus loaded up with my things.  I have three cards in the slots.  Like the song by Tim Curry, you know I never carry cash, so I didn’t have any bills to put in the pocket.  The polycarbonate case encloses the sides of the iPhone and wraps over to cover just the very edge of the front.

The back of the case has an SGP Case logo at the bottom and a cutout for the iPhone’s camera at the top.  The case didn’t interfere with taking pictures.

The top and bottom of the polycarbonate shell is cut away so you have free access to the sleep/wake button, top microphone, and headphone jack, plus the bottom microphone, speaker, and the 30-pin connector.  I could access all of these connectors and controls easily.  You’ll notice the polycarbonate shell wraps around the corners of the iPhone for protection and a firm hold.

The case closes nice and flat with the phone and my cards inside, as you can see from the lower picture.

Here, you can see the openings for the mute/lock switch and the volume buttons.  I had no trouble using these buttons.

The leather for the Valentinus is very thin and flexible.  You can see that the front folds to the back so that you can easily hold the phone to make a call.  It feels much thicker and wider in hand than does the naked iPhone, but it’s not uncomfortable.  The problem I did have was with the closure snap.  It’s stiff enough that it curls up, as you can see in the picture.  I wear glasses all the time, and this strap kept bumping the frames of my glasses when I held it up to make a call.

I like the SGP iPhone 4 / 4S Leather Valentinus wallet case.  Although it doesn’t have a lot of stiffening in the front flap, adding the cards to the slots will stiffen it and provide screen protection for the iPhone.  It holds my Verizon iPhone 4 well, and all controls and connectors are accessible.  It’s lightweight, but it offers quite a bit of protection for the phone inside.  You can stick your driver’s license, debit/credit card, and some cash inside, and you’ll be ready to go anywhere.  It’s small enough to fit in your pocket, purse, or gear bag.  You get a lot of protection and convenience for $55.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Cases and covers, iPhone 4/4S

SGP iPhone 4 / 4S Leather Wallet Case Valentinus Series Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 26, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I’m addicted to Diet Coke. I don’t drink gallons a day or anything like that (spoken like a true addict…), but I do drink a 20 oz. bottle almost every day with my lunch. That probably doesn’t sound like a lot, but I can tell when I’ve been drinking it too many days in a row because my joints will start aching from the Aspartame sweetener. My partner Jeanne has the same issue with Aspartame and Splenda as well. We are also big tea drinkers in our house; a few years ago we switched from using Splenda to Stevia. Unlike Aspartame, Splenda, Sweetnlow and similar sweeteners, Stevia is natural. A plant native to South America, the extract from the Stevia leaf is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but has 0 calories and does not effect blood sugar. This natural sweetener has been used in Japan for decades, but is just now catching on here in the US. You’ve probably seen commercials for Truvia and may have also seen Stevia Raw for sale in your grocery store. While the liquid and power forms of Stevia can be found pretty easily, we haven’t seen many pre-packaged food products sweetened with this sweetener… till now. I have been taste testing Zevia, an all natural Stevia sweetened soft drink for a couple weeks now. Can Zevia help me kick my Diet Coke problem for good? Let’s see.

Zevia is available in 12 flavors and is packaged in 12 oz. aluminum cans. 9 of the flavors are caffeine free, but for those of you like that like your caffeine, three of the flavors (Zevia Cola, Dr. Zevia and Mountain Zevia) contain caffeine naturally derived from coffee. Here’s a break down of the amount (mg) of caffeine in each of these flavors.

Cola – 45mg / 12oz can
Dr. Zevia – 42mg / 12oz can
Mountain Zevia – 55mg / 12oz can

Jeanne and I have been taste testing these drinks for the past 12 days. One flavor each day. Our comments on these flavors are going to be pretty subjective because everyone has flavors that they like and dislike. Just because we really enjoy one flavor, but turn up our noses at another, doesn’t mean that everyone else will have the same opinion. That said, here are our results:

Grapefruit Citrus – This is the first flavor that we tried. It’s an awesome flavor and very refreshing! Reminded me a little bit of Sierra Mist or Sprite, only a lot better. I didn’t expect to like this as I don’t drink grapefruit juice or even like to eat grapefruit. But it’s one of my favorite Zevia flavors. Big thumbs up from Jeanne too.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), GRAPEFRUIT OIL, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, ORANGE OIL, LEMON OIL, LIME OIL

Grape – Great flavor! We both enjoyed it. We would definitely drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), NATURAL FLAVORS, WHITE GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE

Caffeine Free Cola – This one tasted flat with a sort of fruity background flavor. Neither of us liked it and we wouldn’t drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), FUMARIC ACID, LIME OIL, LEMON OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CASSIA OIL, NUTMEG OIL

Cola – Not a lot different than Zevia’s caffeine free Cola. Bummer. Neither of us liked it and we wouldn’t drink it again. It’s flat and doesn’t have enough bite. I was really hoping this particular flavor would be a Diet Coke kill for me, but no luck.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), FUMARIC ACID, CAFFEINE, NATURAL FLAVORS, NUTMEG OIL

Cream Soda – This one tastes less sweet than most cream sodas I’ve tried before. I liked it and would drink it again, but Jeanne didn’t particularly like it.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CITRIC ACID, CARAMEL COLOR

Black Cherry – Tastes like Cherry 7up. Both of us liked it and would definitely drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), NATURAL FLAVORS, CHERRY ESSENCE, CASSIA OIL, CLOVE LEAF OIL

Orange – This is the first one that we both grimaced after the first swallow. It has a strange, almost chemical after taste that neither of us liked. It’s another won’t drink again flavor.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT).

Ginger Ale – Jeanne liked it better than I did. She said she’d drink it again. It wouldn’t be a flavor I’d choose. But then I’ve never been a big fan of any brand of Ginger Ale.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CARAMEL COLOR, LEMON OIL, LIME OIL, GINGER EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS

Mountain Zevia – Neither of us cared for this flavor. It’s down there with Orange for both of us. Neither of us are fans of Mountain Dew though… It has a slight after taste that isn’t enjoyable.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CAFFEINE, BETA CAROTENE

Lemon Lime Mist – Yay, another winner. This one is a great alternative to Sprite. We both loved it and would drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT)

Dr. Zevia – Not overly sweet like real Dr. Pepper. Good flavor, but I wish it had just a little more bite to it. Even so, we would drink this flavor again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), FUMARIC ACID, CAFFEINE, NATURAL FLAVORS, NUTMEG OIL

Rootbeer – Another winning flavor. It’s not creamy like diet A&W (one of my faves). But it’s a good alternative since it doesn’t contain Aspartame. We both give it thumbs up.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS, WINTERGREEN OIL, ANISE OIL, LEMON OIL, ORANGE OIL, GINGER EXTRACT

If you paid attention to the ingredient lists, you might wonder what Erythritol is as it doesn’t sound very natural. Here’s the info from Zevia’s site.

Erythritol is one of those ingredients that we love but shouldn’t judge by its overly scientific sounding name. Erythritol is a natural component of fruits and vegetables. It is called a sugar alcohol, even though it is neither sugar nor alcohol. It is removed from fruits and vegetables through a natural fermentation process, much like that of yogurt. It has absolutely no calories and no effect on blood sugar. Super safe? You betcha! In fact, unlike its sugar alcohol cousins, Xylitol and Sorbitol, Erythritol is not known to cause digestive issues.

So in the end we both loved 6 of the flavors, liked 2-3 of the others and really disliked 4 of them. Does that mean that Diet Coke is history for The Gadgeteer household? I wish I could say yes, but I’m afraid not. It’s not due to flavor. I know I could happily ditch Diet Coke in exchange for the 6 Zevia flavors I really like. The reason why I won’t be switching comes down to price. Zevia is just too damned expensive.

A 24pk of any Zevia flavor is going to set you back a whopping $23-$28!  I found that pricing online through Amazon as Zevia is tough to find locally where I live. I was able to find 3 flavors at my local Kroger which you see in the image above. They were selling it for $4.99 for a 6pk. Ouch. Compare that to Diet Coke which is on sale this week at Target for $2.99 for a 12pk. So you can buy 2 12pks for $6. That’s considerably cheaper than $28. I don’t understand why Zevia is so expensive. Unfortunately I don’t have a bank account like Oprah, so my quest to find a healthier alternative to Diet Coke continues. It’s a shame because I really like Zevia.

Filed in categories: Kitchen Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Beverage

Zevia Stevia Sweetened Zero Calorie Soda Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 25, 2012 at 8:35 pm.

Extreme is right!  The Monaco Extreme Charge Car Power Adapter, simply put, is the best money you’re going to spend for car charger.  And you’re not going to spend that much. WirelessGround sent one of these chargers to The Gadgeteer for review, and you’ll find that their price of $14.95 isn’t going to break the bank. You can pay more and you will do worse.

If you’re anything like me, you’re running low on juice for ALL of your electronics.  You see, I’m not a nerd, I don’t even play one on TV.  But I love them.  I love nerds, geeks, smarty pants…whatever you want to call them.  Some girls like rogues who speak in flowery (read: B.S) words.  I like a guy who can sing the Periodic Table of Elements to me.  What can I say…I’m weird like that.

But for all my quirks, I just don’t recharge my toys with the same fervor as say…my husband the software engineer.  For him, everything gets plugged in at night before bed religiously.  Like brushing his teeth, he plugs in his laptop, tablet, phone, Sprint Overdrive…whatever…if it’s electronic and he needs it to get 3 to 4G coverage, it’s plugged in at night.   So you can imagine his consternation when I get into the car and my phone is dead or my laptop is powered at 15% or I just don’t get that the Overdrive needs to charge.

The Monaco Extreme is the Bang for your Buck that you’re looking for.  At 3.1 amps (2.1 and 1.0 respectively for the two USB outlets), you will charge and charge fast, and you can charge two devices at the same time.  If you’re like me…you’ve got electronic devices running on fumes.  You want that second port.  You NEED that second port.

Your 2.1 AMP port is going to charge your tablets, iPads etc., while your 1.0 AMP port will charge smart phones, iPods, iPhones etc.  Totally compatible with just about everything.  ”Compatible with the (but not limited to) Apple iPad, Apple iPad 2, Apple iPhone, Apple iPhone 3G, Apple iPhone 3GS, Apple iPhone 4, Apple iPhone 4 (White), Apple Verizon iPhone 4, Apple iPhone 4S, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices and other USB supported smartphones, tablets and devices.”   No kidding.   It’s sleek, it’s sweet, it’s inexpensive, and it just works.

Easily in the Power Outlet in your automobile. No fussing around.

In the photo just above, notice my power outlet with the Monaco Extreme Car Charge Power Adapter plugged in. (And please look past the obvious need to vacuum my SUV.)   And let’s face it, those of us who run TeleNav or other GPS applications from our smartphones know full well what a juice suck those apps are.  It helps to have a cool charger with 3.1 AMPS to power up your gear when you’re mobile.

It’s normally priced at $29.95 but theWireless Ground currently has them priced at 50% off.  I’d stock up.

Filed in categories: Android related, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: car gear, USB charger

Monaco 3.1 AMP Extreme Charge Car Power Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 25, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Shinnorie makes a line of gadget cases that have caught my eye before.  I’ve told you before about their customizable cases for phones, iPad, and small leather card cases.  I was selected to give a some of their cases a closer look.  I requested three cases from their Ringo series; one for the iPad, one for my phone, and one card case.  As soon as I received them, Shinnorie suspended their customization program.  I’ve kept an eye on their website since then, and I see that they are starting to offer custom cases direct to the public again.  Not all of these cases are available now, but they are beginning to offer customized cases again.  The ordering process should be the same, so I thought I’d finally post my review.

Some pictures in this review can be clicked for a larger view.

Shinnorie offered a variety of colors to choose from in the Ringo line.  Each case allows you to choose three colors that will be used for the body, flaps, straps, and handles.  I decided I wanted to have a color coordinated set of cases, so I chose blue for the body color, black for the flaps, and a mint green for the accent color.  When my cases arrived, they were completely encased in sewn bags made of heavy plastic.

My first impression was that the colors are beautiful and bright.  Not everyone will agree, but I find the color combination very pleasing.  But that’s the beauty of being able to customize your case – you can choose the colors you like.  My second impression is that the very is very soft, but it seems to be a bit thin.  The stitching is even and straight.  Some bags have color-matched threads, others have white thread.

Bear in mind, only the iPad case is still available.  There’s a new iPhone pouch that’s very similar to the Ringo iPhone pouch I reviewed.  I don’t find the wallet on their website any longer.

Ringo iPad Pouch

The Ringo iPad Pouch (not currently in stock, but still shown on their website) has a grab handle that attaches to the case with metal studs inserted through one side of the case and through holes at the ends of the strap.  The holes in the handle are very snug.  I could pull the handle off, but it would take some effort.  I think the handle will be pretty secure.  These studs do change the shape of that side of the bag, and it takes up a little bit of the room.  The bag is lined with a black velvety fabric that protects the iPad from the metal.  The back of the case is plain except for a stamped logo near the bottom.  (Note: this strap may not be available on the current model.)

The opposite side of the pouch has a leather tab with a grommet-reinforced hole that holds a keyring.  I requested the optional wrist strap for the Ringo iPad Pouch.  The wrist strap attaches to the keyring with a dog leash-style clip.  The clip, keyring, and metal studs are all silver-colored.  The wrist strap can be removed from the bag when you don’t want to use it.

The bag closes with a leather flap.  I chose black for the flap, and the snap that holds it closed is also black.  There’s a bit of reinforcement around the male portion of the snap on the case body.  This is important because the leather is a bit thin, as I mentioned earlier.

A naked iPad 2 fits easily into the pouch.  I also found that the iPad 2 with a Smart Cover also fits, but it’s a snug fit.

I really love the way the Shinnorie Ringo iPad Pouch looks.  I love that I can customize the colors to get just the look I want.  I’m not sure that the bag will last for years, because the leather is soft, but the reinforcement around the snap should prevent the snap from pulling out after the bag is opened and closed many times.

Ringo iPhone Pouch

Apparently the Ringo iPhone pouch has been replaced with the Lori medium or large pouches for smartphones.  The Lori pouches don’t have the little exterior pocket like the Ringo has.  Shinnorie is taking pre-orders for the Lori cases now, with shipping expected for February 8, 2012.  Either size Lori pouch costs $39.00.

Although I didn’t have an iPhone at the time, I requested the Ringo iPhone Pouch.  I also added a small optional pocket to the front of the case.  This Ringo Pouch is made of the same thin leather and the same black velvet lining used for the iPad case.  I requested all the same colors, and the color match between the two cases is very close.  The red patch is stamped with the Shinnorie logo and information.  The color for this patch wasn’t selectable.  The bag closes with a strap that slides under a leather strip.

The strap serves two purposes.  In addition to closing the bag, the strap is part of a sling that the phone sits in.  Pull up on the strap to raise the phone up and out of the case.  The back of the case is plain, but you can see the impression of the strap as it continues down the back side of the bag to form the sling.

The little pocket on the front of the Ringo iPhone Pouch closes with a snap, colored black to match the flap.  It’s the perfect size to hold my 6th generation iPod nano.  I always turned the screen of the nano away away from the snap to prevent possible damage when the flap is snapped.

This bag also has a leather tab with a grommet-reinforced hole to attach a keyring.  The wrist strap is permanently attached to the keyring on one end.  The other end has a dog-leash clip so you can loop the wrist strap around your purse’s strap.

I tried the Ringo case with the LG enV3 phone I had and with my 2nd generation iPod touch.  Both devices fit easily into the pouch.  When I got the iPhone 4 from Verizon, I was very pleased to see that the iPhone with a Bumper fit perfectly into the bag.  The sling worked beautifully to lift the iPhone up so I could get a good grip on the phone to pull it out of the case.  I used this Ringo pouch for weeks – until I noticed that the black velvety lining inside the case was rubbing dye onto the blue Bumper case.  This black dye wouldn’t come off the Bumper.  I wasn’t pleased that my Bumper was ruined.  I think the dye would probably have stained the light blue Smart Cover on my iPad 2 if I had used it as constantly as I used the phone case.

Ringo Leather Cardholder

I requested the Ringo Leather Cardholder in the same colors to complete my set.  I requested the same colors, but you’ll see that very little of the mint green was used on this case.  The case closes with a black strap with a color-matched snap.  The back has the red Shinnorie logo square.  The card case also has the leather tab with the grommet-reinforced hole for the keyring.  Like the iPhone pouch, the wrist strap is attached to the keyring on one end and has a dog-leash clip on the other end so you can open it and loop it around your purse strap.

There are six credit card slots inside.  Cards fit easily into each individual slot, but it gets hard to slide the cards in and out when all slots are filled.  Each card holder is open on the spine side, so you could fit more cards under there.  I think it would be difficult to snap the case closed if you put cards under there when the slots are all filled.

There’s a slot for storing bills, but there’s no place for coins in this case.

You can see that the case is bulging a bit with six cards in the slots.  There’s nothing else in the case.  I think adding much more would either mean you couldn’t close the snap, or the cards would be under a lot of pressure and could crack or be damaged.

I think the Shinnorie Ringo cases are pretty, fun “fashion” cases.  The look nice, but I don’t think they’re built for the long haul.  The iPhone Pouch and the Cardholder both start at $59.99, and the iPad Pouch is about $100.  I think they’re too expensive, but they are pretty.  The Lori sells for $39.00 in either large or medium.  The iPad Ringo case is $99.00, but is currently out of stock.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Leather cases, Leather wallet

Shinnorie Custom Cases Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 24, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

As unmanly as it sounds, the first thoughts that ran through my mind when I first saw and touched the Saddleback Classic MacBook Air Sleeve was……’Ooooo, pretty’. To make it worse, I even took a (nice long) whiff of the leather as I was unpacking it….smelled wonderful. Saddleback’s rich leather, craftsmanship, and incredible attention to detail have never failed to impress me. So, when I upgraded from my 2010 13″ MacBook Air to the latest, more petite 11″ version I, of course, needed new tech-accessories to properly protect my new laptop and this sleeve is a great (stylish) place to start.

The Saddleback Classic MacBook Air sleeve is created from a single piece of thick, rich full grain leather.  A majority of Saddleback Leather creations are constructed of 4-5 ounce full grain leather, which comes from the top layer of the cow hide (the toughest part). In the case of the MBAir sleeve, the leather is folded over and double stitched along three of its four sides.

The front of the sleeve is stylishly embossed with the Saddleback logo; the only distinguishing nuance of this relatively simplistic, yet classically styled, laptop accessory.

Other than being a gorgeous piece of leather, there is little to note on the backside of the sleeve. The cutouts on the top and bottom make it easier to get the MBAir out of the sleeve. At the beginning, the sleeve was tight, needing two hands and a good deal of force to get my MBAir in and especially out. Over the past month or so of use, the sleeve has stretched a bit, enabling me to insert and remove my MBAir more easily.

That said, the sleeve remains snug and form-fitted enough so that the laptop will not accidentally/unexpectedly slip out. It still takes two hands to remove but does not take a huge effort.

The design of the Saddleback Classic MacBook Air sleeve really works well with the wedge shape of the MBAir. As you can see, the folding of the leather creates a rounded side for the thicker part of the sleek laptop. While the stitched side tappers to a near point for the thinnest part of the MBAir.

The smooth, curved edge is ideal, in terms of comfort and function, for carrying the sleeve and MBAir around in your hand.

As discussed above, the bottom of the sleeve has an access point to push on the laptop while pulling from the other side to more easily remove the laptop.

Even though some of the MacBook Air is exposed, the Saddleback sleeve does a good job of protecting a majority of its aluminum casing. The sleeve primarily protects against bumps and dings (vs falls and drops).

The inside of the sleeve is lined with pigskin (which has the 2nd toughest tensile strength rating of leathers (FYI: kangaroo is the toughest)).

As you would expect of any Saddleback product, the sleeve’s finishing and stitching are of the highest quality and craftsmanship. The stitching along the sides and bottom is done with a single strand of continuous-filament, marine-grade U.V. resistant polyester thread. Like all the Saddleback Leather creations I have seen/reviewed over the years, they are built to withstand the test of time. So far, I have yet to have one of their items even break in let alone wear out.

The MBAir Sleeve is available in Saddleback’s four usual colors:

• Chestnut
• Carbon black
• Dark coffee
• Tobacco

Specifications:

• Outside Dimensions – W: 8.625″ x D: 0.75″ x H: 12.625″ (21.91cm x 1.91cm x 32.07cm)
• Inside Dimensions – W: 8″ x D: 0.5″ x H: 12.375″ (20.32cm x 1.27cm x 31.433cm)
• Weight: 0.65 lbs
• Lining: Lined with pigskin

The extra small sleeve is designed for the 11″ MBAir and the small is sized for the 13″ MBAir.

Not only does the Saddleback Classic MacBook Air sleeve look professional, but it feels great to carry as well. The sleeve adds approximately 10 ounces to the 2.2 lbs MBAir, not a huge amount of extra weight considering the protection it provides. This sleeve radiates Old World charm, handmade quality that is difficult to find in today’s day and age. Considering it comes with a 100 year warranty, its cost of under $70 is very well spent.

Note: The links to Saddleback Leather on this page are affiliate links, which earns a small percentage of any sales that come from The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Laptop Bag, Laptop Sleeve, Leather

Saddleback Classic MacBook Air Sleeve Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 24, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I’ve mentioned before that I have three TVs in my house but only two cable outlets.  I want to be able to watch TV in my bedroom, but I don’t want to have to pay to have a third outlet installed in my house – and then pay a monthly service charge for the outlet, cable box, and remote.  That’s not my main TV, so I don’t have to be able to receive all 5,000 channels (approximately ) that I receive on my living room TV.  We don’t have an outdoor antenna, and I don’t want to have one installed.  I decided I’d try a cheaper alternative for my bedroom TV and bought one of those set-top rabbit ears antennas with the built-in amplifier.  I could get the local station with the rabbit ears, but not much else that wasn’t pixellated and unwatchable.  When Urban Freedom offered The Gadgeteer one of their WallTenna indoor omni-directional antennas, I asked Julie if I could try it out.  

Most images can be clicked for a larger view.  The top picture is courtesy of the WallTenna website; all the rest are mine.

I was especially interested in WallTenna because they are based in Greensboro, NC, just like me!  Snowdon Parlette was inspired to design the antenna while living in New York City.  After he got a beautiful new HD flatscreen, he realized that his old rabbit ears just weren’t up to the challenge of receiving digital signals.  With the old analog signals, indoor antennas could pull in distant signals that were fuzzy but were almost clear enough to watch.  Digital signals are an all-or-nothing proposition – antennas just don’t pick up weak signals at all.  He exhausted all commercial digital antenna options without finding anything to suit his needs, so he set about designing the WallTenna.

The WallTenna is a flat antenna that’s for indoor or attic use only.  It’s made of two clear plastic sheets that are laminated together.  Between the layers, strips of copper tape have been arranged in a double bowtie design like that used in some rooftop antennas.  The WallTenna measures 16.25″ wide X 14″ tall X 10mm thick.  The copper tape looks a lot like the copper tape I used to use when I made stained glass lamps many years ago.  The double bowtie design reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright art glass designs, too.

The WallTenna is designed to be hung on a wall or inside a window.  There are two holes at the top and two at the bottom of the antenna that can be used with hooks or picture hangers to attach it to the wall.  You can also use tape to secure it to your wall or window.  If you remove the clear logo sticker at the top, the WallTenna almost looks like a piece of glass art.

In addition to the WallTenna, you also get an instruction sheet and a 12-foot RG-59 cable to connect your TV to the WallTenna.  Information on the WallTenna site says you can also use RG-6 cables.  “RG-59 is smaller in diameter and especially well-suited for HDTV signal frequencies (37 MHz). For over-the-air (OTA) signal transmission RG-59 works slightly better over long runs. The RG-6 is designed for use with satellite and cable systems where high frequencies (above 50 MHz) are the norm. For connecting WallTenna, either cable will work. However, we prefer the RG-59 because it is smaller, more flexible and less obtrusive than the larger diameter RG-6.”

This is the balun, or the connection point for the coaxial cable.  The instruction sheet says you may install the antenna with the balun pointing down or up, but reception will be seriously degraded if you install the antenna sideways.   They also recommend that you secure the balun to the wall with tape once you’ve settled on your permanent installation location to prevent stressing the connection to the copper strips.

The WallTenna is designed to receive the free, over-the-air (OTA) digital TV signals that are available in the US.  If your TV was sold after May 25, 2007, it is has a built-in ATSC digital tuner, and you won’t need anything other than the WallTenna and its cable to receive these OTA signals.  If your TV was sold before that date, you’ll need a converter box.  My TV is only a year old, so I don’t need a converter.

I also don’t have a Tivo or a DVR for my bedroom HDTV, but the WallTenna is compatible with these devices.

These free OTA signals are digital, but not all are high-definition.  Digital signals, even the standard-def ones, are all much clearer than the old analog signals that used to be the standard for television transmission.  Most stations transmitted in the VHF (very-high frequency) range before the digital switchover, and a few channels used the UHF (ultra-high frequency) range.  Rabbit ears antennas were designed to pick up the VHF signals.  As analog stations began to use UHF frequencies, a loop was added to the base of the rabbit ears for better reception in this range.  With the digital switchover, about 75% of stations switched to UHF frequencies.  Although there’s really not an “HDTV antenna,” those optimized for UHF will work better for receiving digital transmissions.  The WallTenna, like most indoor antennas, can receive signals from transmitters up to 30 miles away.  Of course, hills or mountainous terrain can interfere with reception, as can trees, buildings, and other structures.  I live in the Piedmont region of NC, so there aren’t mountains between me and the stations, but there are a lot of buildings and trees.

Digital OTA signals can transmit in full 1080 HD tv.  With a good antenna, you should be able to receive TV signals that rival or exceed the clarity of cable signals.  WallTenna tells us “at best, cable can only match the quality of the free broadcast signal. All cable companies compress their HD signals in order to fit in the hundred-odd junk channels include in their packages. The result is a degraded signal that is usually inferior to OTA broadcast.”

I’d be happy to get ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox on my bedroom TV.  When I had tried other indoor antennas, I had been able to get the local CBS station pretty well, but ABC and Fox had problems with pixellation or the picture freezing.  I couldn’t get NBC at all; that station is in Winston-Salem, and the transmitter is about 36 miles away.

WallTenna directed me to the TV Fool website where I learned what OTA channels I should be able to receive for my address.  They go into far more detail than I can understand – or care to.  Suffice it to say, you enter your street address and TV Fool gives you a list of local broadcasters, their distance from you, the direction you should point your antenna to best receive their signals, and the strength of their signals at your location

Above is the report I received for my street address.  The stations shown with a green background should be available with an indoor set-top antenna.  Yellow means an attic-mounted antenna would probably be required for reception, red means a roof-top antenna is probably required, and gray means the signals are so weak at my location that extreme measures are required for reception.  The bullseye diagram shows where the stations are in relation to my house so that I know which direction to point an antenna to receive the strongest signal.  The WallTenna is omni-directional, so I won’t have to worry about reorienting the antenna each time I change the station.  According to the report, I should get ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, Ion and a couple of other stations, but NBC is probably out of range.

WallTenna can be stacked or arrayed to improve reception in your area, just as outdoor antennas can be.  Stacked means you place one WallTenna above the other and connect them to a signal joiner before connecting the TV.  Arrayed means they are placed side-by-side, but this makes them much more directional.  The company says a single WallTenna should provide an excellent signal in most cases.  I hope so, because I only received the one;  there’s no stacking or arraying happening for this test.

Now I just had to find the proper location to install my WallTenna.  The installation instructions say you can attach the WallTenna to a wall, window, or any other vertical surface.  You can even attach it to the back of a picture on your wall, if you’d prefer to hide it.  They recommend that you position the WallTenna on the inside of one of your house’s exterior walls.  You should place it on a wall facing the station with the weakest signal, if possible.  Windows are an ideal place to install the antenna, if one is close enough to the TV and you don’t mind having the antenna in your window.  The clear design almost disappears in a window, and as I mentioned earlier, I think it looks a bit like art glass and wouldn’t be unattractive in the window.

Higher on the wall is usually better for reception, unless you live in a steel-framed house.  With a signal splitter, you can also connect multiple TVs to the WallTenna.  Check the installation sheet and the WallTenna website for more information about finding the best location for your antenna and hooking up multiple TVs.

Luckily, my bedroom TV is very near a window that faces due east.  Unfortunately, the NBC station is west of here.  I’ve never been able to receive NBC on any TV I’ve had in my bedroom with any antenna I’ve tried.  Oh, well.  I just hope I can watch CBS (The Big Bang Theory), ABC (Castle), and Fox (Bones).

I put the WallTenna in the top of my east-facing window and taped the balun to the wood sash.  The antenna itself isn’t obtrusive, but I need to find a way to direct the white coax cable so it doesn’t hang down the middle of my window.

After I screwed the coax cable into the back of my TV, I had to go into its setup, select “antenna” as my source, and have the TV scan for available channels.  It found 27 channels – including NBC and the UNC public TV station that were listed in the yellow zone of my TV Fool report.  In addition to the standard broadcast networks, I also receive THIS, Ion and Ion Family, Qubo, a couple of Spanish-language channels, and some local independant stations – everything listed in the green section of the TV Fool report.

Every single station I receive using the WallTenna is clear and sharp.  I don’t have to do any adjustments to the WallTenna when I change stations.  Everything stays sharp and clear during the day, night, and even during rain.  Funnily enough, I do get a little interference on the NBC station when my 6’2″ husband is walking around in the room, but it clears right up when he sits down.  At 4’11.75″, I don’t seem to be tall enough to cause interference.

I love the WallTenna!  It’s small and hangs in my window, so I don’t have to try to find a tabletop to set it on.  It doesn’t require constant adjustment for each station that I tune in, and it even gets a couple of distant stations I’ve never been able to receive with other indoor antennas.  Reception is sharp and clear for every channel.  I may not be able to watch cable shows like Ghost Hunters on my bedroom TV, but I can watch all of my can’t-miss programs.  At only $39.95, you can’t go wrong with the WallTenna.  That one-time charge is much cheaper than the $10 a month that adding a cable line, box, and remote would cost.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Antenna, Digital TV

WallTenna Indoor Omni-Directional Antenna Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

Power, storage and access are the holy trinity of the geek. We cannot have too much access to the Internet, too much storage (digital or physical, for our gadgets) or too many different ways to get powered up. While USB seems to be well on its way to powering everything from GPS units to phones to wrist watches, it’s still difficult to carry enough battery power around to recharge your gear if you’ve left the grid or your laptop behind. Choiix has a line of power devices that are designed to this exact market: small, light, nicely priced, and, most important, very powerful. As a test item, Coolermaster sent me the Choiix Power Fort 5600 in white, which is a rechargeable 5600 mAh brick a little smaller than a deck of cards or a pack of smokes, yet able to recharge your iPhone, iPod, Droid, GPS, flip phone, or just about anything else that you’d usually charge through your computer’s USB port. It’s even capable of charging the iPad, which takes 10 watts, rather than the usual 5 watts most standard USB ports deliver.

Tiny, but powerful, the Choiix Power Fort can fit into almost any small space in your gear bag.

On one side edge of the device is a micro-USB port, and on the opposite edge, a full USB port. The top is a glossy plastic (white or black is available) with a brushed metallic button in the center. Off to one side from this button is a band in the same brushed finish with 4 blue LEDs. All sides except the glossy top are clad with a grippy material. This is helpful if you’re fumbling around in your bag for it, because once you get into your mind where the top is, you’ll know where the power port is, even in the dark.

Full-sized USB port accepts just about anything that can be powered from USB. Note the rubbery texture of the back and sides.

Four LEDs show status when charged, or when charging.

When you press the button for a few seconds, It will display your available power. When charging (through the micro-USB port) the buttons blink as the battery fills up, with the “full” amount staying lit and the next blinking. To go from one, single blinking LED to four solid ones takes about an hour using my iPad charger. I never noticed any loss of charge unless I actually used it to charge something. This is important in this type device, because the usual use case is filling it up, tossing it into your bag or pocket, and only pulling it out if you need to charge something. If you had to continually monitor it’s power level, even if you never used it, that would seriously impact the convienence factor, or it being ready when you need it.

During testing, I invited many friends to “power up” while at lunch or out after work. I saw every phone go from being “in the red” to completely or nearly full in every case. Usual time for, say, an iPhone 4 at 20% was 40-50 minutes to get into the 80% range. That’s a nice bump when you’re facing the prospect of a long drive home and have forgotten to top-off during the day.

Take a look at the above chart I grabbed from the Choiix web page to get an idea of the extended use time this little box can deliver: 6 extra hours for a tablet, 28 more for your smartphone, and 172 more on your MP3 player. They may be a little on the high side (all those times are listed as “up to”, remember), but they are not far from reality, at least from my experience thus far.

As I’m writing this (on my iPad in Evernote), I’m in a park on a biking weekend in Savannah, GA, with my iPhone charging in my saddlebag. The iPad power adapter, iPad, iPhone, and Power Fort are all I brought with me for the 2.5 days I’ll be gone, and between wifi in the motel and cafes, and great 3G coverage on my phone, I’ve not felt cut off in the least. I’ve done other trips with similar equipment, and always felt a little fearful that I’ll not be close to power and will thus run shy somewhere. With the Power Fort, I think that’s behind me. I hope so, anyway.

So, are there any drawbacks? Maybe a few. The microUSB port that is used for charging is one of those that make it difficult to tell which way you plug it in. Over time, I’m wondering if it will become worn out from me trying to plug in, realizing that it’s at the wrong orientation, and then putting it in correctly. Once you’re in the right orientation, it fits fine, but those connectors are so easy to get wrong, I wish companies would stop supporting it. The miniUSB connector is more obviously trapezoidal, so less prone to this issue, but that’s not the fault of Choiix, except in using what I feel is a poor standard. There are worse ones on the market. (Regular USB, I’m looking at you!)

I hate these tiny micro-USB ports. They are easy to plug in wrong.

Another drawback is the lack of a clear “charging” mode. When you plug something in the full-sized USB port, you then have to hold down the button on top, next to the level LEDs, and then it will start charging your device. And it will keep on feeding power at that rate, until you either unplug it or hit the button again. It would be nice if you could plug it in and it would auto-charge until the device was full, then stop charging. On more than one occasion during initial testing, I accidentally just left it plugged in, and ran the Power Fort down, while the device had been fully charged for hours. Once you learn that it’s manual, you know to keep checking, but it’s irritating. Maybe the lack of auto detect power metering is one of the things that keeps the price reasonable.

Something I’d like to see: a ”play-through” feature, where you can power another device through the USB port while you’re charging the Power Fort. It doesn’t do it right now, but it would sure be nice to recharge both the Power Fort and your iPad or whatever at the same time. Otherwise, you have to have more than one adapter, and more than one available outlet.

All things considered, the Choiix Power Fort is much more asset than liability. At $40, it’s half the price of many of the similar devices on the market. I’ve not tested any other USB chargers, but have loads of friends and customers who have, and I’ve not heard good things from many of them. Mophie’s Juice Pack series gets good reviews for an integrated case/battery charger (I reviewed one for my iPhone 3G and loved it!), but their power units that would compare with the Power Fort are nowhere as cheap or powerful.

Included in the package is the Power Fort, a USB cable that will work for recharging, a miniUSB cable, and a velveteen drawstring bag that will hold all items. Also included is a whale of a lot of peace of mind for the roaming gadget user. Four and a half stars.

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: External battery

Choiix Power Fort 5600 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2012 at 11:00 am.

The Switch Modular Pocket Knife from quirky could be a perfect gadget for Swiss Army knife fans it can be customized with your choice of 18 different tool attachments. Let’s see if this  multi-tool is worthy enough to add to your gear bag.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

When is the last time that you saw a multi-tool packaged in a plastic box like this one? Opening the box reveals a variety of blades.

Package Contents

2 exterior body covers, for encasing the tool attachments.
2 slotted caps to hold the tool together, which can be removed with the twist of a quarter to disassemble the unit.
3 interior chassis assemblies – small (2-6 tools), medium (4-10 tools), and large (7-13 tools)
18 tool attachments: Basic Blade, Serrated Blade, Woodsaw, Bottle Opener/Flathead, Can Opener/Wire Stripper, Scissors, Nail File, Flathead Screwdriver, Phillips-Head Screwdriver, Eyeglass Flathead Screwdriver, Eyeglass Phillips-Head Screwdriver, Magnifying Lens, Corkscrew, Wrench, Pen, Magnet, Tweezers, LED Flashlight
Plastic storage case
Instruction sheet

The idea behind the Switch Modular Pocket Knife is that you can build your own customized knife with a variety of blades / tools. You start by choosing a small, medium or large steel chassis. The smallest chassis will accommodate 2-6 tools, the medium chassis can hold 4-10 tools and the largest chassis will hold 7-13 tools.

Here are the 18 tool attachments. Top row: Magnet, Corkscrew, Tweezers, LED Flashlight, Eyeglass Flathead Screwdriver
Middle row: Eyeglass Phillips-Head Screwdriver, Pen, Scissors, Wrench, Magnifying Lens
Bottom row: Phillips-Head Screwdriver, Basic Blade, Woodsaw, Serrated Blade, Bottle Opener/Flathead, Can Opener/Wire Stripper, Flathead Screwdriver, Nail File

Some of the tools have “handles” that are made of plastic, while the others are made of steel. In the image above, you’ll see the tweezers, corkscrew, Black ballpoint pen, magnet and magnifying glass. These extra non-knife tools look like they could be handy, but in reality some of them are less than useful. The magnet tool is a great idea, but the magnet itself is pretty weak. The magnifying glass is completely useless. It might work for trying to make a fire with a beam of sunlight… but to actually magnify something, forget it. The lens is tiny and blurry. The ballpoint pen could be cool, but trying to write with it while it is in the Switch handle is pretty uncomfortable. I’m also not sure how you would go about refilling it as I can’t seem to pull out the pen from the handle.

Assembling your tools into the chassis can be a real challenge. The instructions tell you to line up all the tools into the chassis and then slide in the appropriate axle. I found this to be difficult because the tools tend to slide around making it hard to slide the axle completely through the hole.

I found it easier to slide the axle partially through the chassis opening and then load the tools one by one. Just don’t forget to put the cover on before inserting the axle. Once you’ve added all the tools and have the axle seated properly, you can add the other cover and the axle cap. To tighten the cap, you can use a quarter. Be warned that the axles are made of aluminum, which is soft and easily scratched and marred by the quarter.

Here’s an assembled Switch using the medium chassis with 6 tools.

At first I thought my customized Switch modular pocket knife was really cool… until I tried to access one of the blades. I soon became frustrated because the blades seemed to all catch on each other making it almost impossible to pull one out. Adjusting the tightness of the axle caps didn’t help and just caused the tools to flop around too easily.

The idea is a good one, but it just doesn’t work well at all.

I think there needs to be some type of nylon spacer between the steel tools to keep them from binding together.

On the bottom of the chassis is the blade lock.

When a tool is fully extended, it locks in place. At least it’s supposed to. Again, it doesn’t always work that well.

The Switch Modular Pocket Knife is a great idea but it really needs some more engineering and / or better components to make it an actual useful tool. As is, it’s just a novelty item. And a frustrating one at that. My advice is to not waste your $80 on this product. Take your money and buy a Leatherman multi-tool or a real Swiss Army knife. Trust me, you’ll be much happier with your purchase.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Multi-tool, Pocket Knife

Switch Modular Pocket Knife Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 22, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Make no mistake.  We’re suckers for flashlights at The Gadgeteer!  I thought I’d seen it all, but this odd duck grabbed my attention.  The WorkStar 2000 Technician’s Floodlight from Maxxeon has a swiveling head, magnets, a hook and a rechargeable battery?  Let’s take a look!

You get a wall charger, car charger, belt clip and instructions.

The Maxxeon WorkStar 2000 Technician’s Floodlight’s most notable feature is the rotating head, which rotates 360 degrees and tilts 180.

The two silver discs are a pair of very, very strong magnets.  This light measures just over 10 inches long.

The red button is the on/off switch.  It also toggles the brightness level between hi (300 lumens) and low (75 lumens).

Feeding time!  The internal NiMH pack, which the manufacturer says is replaceable, charges in about three hours.

The belt clip stays put via the magnets.  I thought this would never hold, but there are two posts that slide into the body that keep it from just popping off.  I wouldn’t go mountain climbing or engage in extreme sports with this on my belt, but it works!

The bottom has a tripod screw and a pull-out hook that extends out 3 inches.  I nearly missed this feature, but the hook has proven very useful.

This is the business-end of the light.  A Cree XP-G, Cool White, 5 W LED really shines, literally.

And how does it look?  Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see how “crisp” the edges of the light was.  No hotspots in the center.  Very uniform throughout. And boy is it bright!  I found that the “low” setting (75 lumens) was plenty bright for most close-up work.

Light on "LOW" (about 75 lumens)

Light on "HIGH" (300 lumens)

I attempted to take snapshots of the two brightness settings.  It’s difficult to tell the difference in these photos, but “high” is definitely brighter, but it’s a little hard to tell what mode you’re in as you toggle between them.  Some kind of visual indicator like on the status LED (which only blinks once every few seconds when in use) would have been nice.

The hook, combined with the swivel head, is my favorite feature.  I like to have some extra light when I’m working on some project in the car.  Here, the hook is hanging off the sunroof opening.

I can’t say enough good things about this light.  I’ve used it nearly every day for a few weeks now, and the battery shows no sign of letting up.  I suppose it helps I always use it on the “low” setting, which I find perfectly adequate for close-up work.

Filed in categories: Do-It-Yourself, Reviews

Tagged: LED flashlight

Maxxeon WorkStar 2000 Technician’s Floodlight Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 21, 2012 at 11:05 am.

The iPhone continues to be my favorite smartphone almost entirely due to the fact that I love the built in 8MP camera and all the photography apps devoted to it. But it isn’t just the apps that keep me interested, it’s also the camera accessories created specifically for the iPhone. We’ve reviewed a few of those accessories like the Pixeet Panorama Lens, which is an attachment that enables you to capture 180 and 360 degree panoramic images. I had fun with that product, but I have something even more interesting to show you. It’s the GoPano micro. It also allows you to capture panoramas with your iPhone. But instead of static images, it captures video and audio in 360 degrees. Let’s take it for a spin (sorry, couldn’t resist…).

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Package Contents

GoPano micro panoramic lens attachment
iPhone 4/4S case
Draw string pouch

The GoPano micro kit comes with an iPhone 4/4S case that must be used to attach the lens. This is a 2 piece slide on case that snaps together like a puzzle.

The GoPano attachment is designed to fit into the case opening for the lens.

The attachment is made of plastic.

It’s designed like a periscope with a funnel shaped mirror at the top and another smaller mirror at the bottom near the attachment point.

You just press the GoPano into the opening in the included case. It’s held there with friction. If you click the image above, you’ll notice that there is extra space around the GoPano. At first I thought the design was flawed, but then I realized that it’s made this way so that you can still use your iPhone’s LED flash when you’re not using the GoPano micro.

Here we see the iPhone 4S and GoPano micro connected and ready to go. I would have to advise NOT using the GoPano if you are going to be in an environment where you could be bumped or are moving around quite a bit. I say this because the lens is only attached by friction and can easily be knocked off if bumped. I’d like to see a better method of attaching the lens to the phone so you could use it in more active / extreme ways.

Unlike with the Pixeet lens, the GoPano does not require you to snap a picture, rotate the camera, snap another picture, rotate, snap, etc in order to capture a 360 degree image.

Its funnel shape can capture video in 360 degrees all at once.

The iPhone’s built in camera application can’t be used with the GoPano. It requires a special free GoPano app which is registered with a code included in the package. The application is very easy to use and allows you to view videos uploaded by other GoPano owners as well as record your own.

The video recording interface has 3 buttons. Done, Record and Calibrate. Done takes you back to the main menu, Record starts video capture and Calibrate  brings up the focus screen. The focus screen is used to make sure the image is as sharp as possible. Unfortunately focus is the biggest problem with the GoPano. But more about that in a minute… The image that you see above on the right is actually the image that the GoPano captures. The software will then turn that image into a more traditional looking flat version.

Once you’ve recorded a video, it can be uploaded to the GoPano website, saved to your iPhone’s camera roll or shared to iTunes file sharing which means it will sync to iTunes and will be available on your desktop/laptop for easy access.

Here are a couple example videos that I captured. You can use your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard to rotate the video. Give it a try.

Walking by the Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus, IN. It was a cold day, hence my fuzzy hat

Another walk by the Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus, IN. I wasn’t in a bad mood while filming this… the sun was in my eyes.

A walk around the Commons Mall in Columbus, IN.

As I had mentioned above, you can export your videos to your iPhone’s camera roll. From there you can email them to your friends. They will be saved as a .MOV (Quicktime) file, and won’t allow for mouse or keyboard panning, but they are still kind of cool because it’s the whole 360 degrees in one long strip. Here’s my walk around the Commons Mall video in .MOV flat format.

I’m sure you’ve noticed an issue with all these videos – they are not in focus. That’s the biggest problem with the GoPano. No matter how many times you use the calibrate feature, the resulting videos are always blurry. My guess is that the process to convert the donut shaped image into a flat image somehow degrades the focus. The picture can also look a bit stretched or warped and isn’t very flattering for the person doing the filming. When I first watched the videos I had captured and panned around to see myself, I was like “yikes!” It’s a shame about the focus, but the coolness factor of being able to make a 360 video that you can manually spin around kind of makes up for the blur. That said, I do wish it was in better focus. Even with its faults, the GoPano micro panorama lens attachment is fun and easy to use.  It is just one more reason why I love the iPhone.

Update: The folks at GoPano explain the focus issue:

The focus issue you mentioned in the article, is not actually a focus problem- it’s because of the lack of usable resolution. Due to the circular nature of video capture, the app discards a major chunk of the image sensor, the app then slices the donut and then wraps it around you. Read more about the tech here: http://goo.gl/S5xX7 (You would notice the videos look perfectly in focus in flat mode, as you see the entire resolution at once). The better the resolution of the base camera the better the final resolution of your 360 videos.

Good news:
- The resolution with the iPhone4S is much better than what you get with iPhone4. The better the resolution gets the better resolution you get on your 360° videos.
- We wish apple gave us the choice of selecting the shape and size on its image sensor – we try to fit the circular mirror in the rectangular image sensor, if we had the choice of chooseing say a square sensor- the resolution increase would have be phenomenally better!

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPhone, Photography

GoPano micro Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 20, 2012 at 11:00 am.