Swann  is an Australian company who for the last 25 years have specialised in wireless connectivity, professional quality CCTV cameras with infrared night vision, digital video recording with motion detection and networkability, web surveillance and remote notification products, globally. We first reported on the Freestyle HD when it was announced in November 2011. This is a new entry into what seems to be an ever growing Action Point of View (POV) camera market.  Popular with outdoor and extreme sports enthusiasts, these cameras allow videos and stills from unique perspectives not available using “standard” cameras.  Their small size, wide-angle views, and mounting options really allow these cameras to be used very differently. Swann Australia was good enough to supply a unit for review.

Read on if you dare, extreme sports fans.  I mean, after my review of the  Drift HD (and please note this isn’t going to be a comparison review between the alternatives like the Drift HD or GoPro Hero2 HD) I’m not sure how I’m going to top my Spade Cam action.

For such a small little camera, the Freestyle comes in a big box. The top is taken up with the camera and an attached mount (removed in this picture ), and the bottom half has a box with all the accessories in it.

What’s in the box ?

And there are quite a few accessories included as standard.  From left to right:  camera mount, remote control, waterproof case, L mount bracket, curved adhesive bracket, flat adhesive bracket (2), camera, low profile mounting bracket, and LCD screen.  Also included in the pack, but not pictured, are another mount, a carry bag, AV cable, mini USB cable, instruction manual (in French, Spanish and English), CD with PDF versions of the manuals, some double-sided Velcro, a couple of spare tripod mount rubber grommets, and an AC  power adapter. More than enough accessories to get you started.

Size 

Here’s the camera with an Apple Shuffle 2G for size comparison.  The camera is 2.9oz/82g without the LCD screen and measures  2.36″ x 2″ x 1.6″ / 60mm x 51mm x 42mm. On the right front of the camera is the video record/snapshot indicator, and on the left-hand side is the laser transmitter (more information later). On the bottom is a standard 1/4″ tripod mount.

Controls and ports

On the left-hand side of the camera, you’ll find an AV out connector and mini HDMI connector under a rubber boot and a laser warning sticker  On the top left are the on/off switch and video record button. The middle has a LCD panel that displays mode, battery level, and SD memory level with a microphone located below it.

On the right-hand side are a micro SD slot (supports up to 32GB ), a miniUSB connector for charging and data transfer under a rubber boot, microphone, and a lanyard hole.  It might be picky, but it would be nice if the charge port was microUSB as most of my equipment these days uses micro, but then it’s just one more cable. A VOX switch, which allows you to set the camera to start recording if a noise over 65dB is heard, and a snapshot (photo) button are on the top.  The snapshot button is a nice touch, as on most POV cameras to change between video and photo you have to go into the menu system to change the mode.  If you take a mix of video and photos, it’s nice to have a dedicated button for each.  On the back is an LED (left) to indicate recording is on and a power LED (right).

The back cover pulls down to allow installation of the 3.7V 1000mAh battery, which Swann rates at 2.5 hours of operation.

The size of the buttons is going to make it very hard to operate in any activity where you have  gloves on, but given the size of the camera itself, it’s not surprising that the buttons are quite small.

LCD Back 

The camera comes standard with an LCD back.  The connector is protected by a rubber boot when the LCD isn’t being used; however, the boot isn’t attached in any way.  I assume this is so it doesn’t get in the way when the LCD is installed; I suspect that the boot is going to be the first thing I lose.   The screen is only 1.5″ in size, and I can’t find any indication of the resolution. It’s fine for using the menus, framing a shot or video, or reviewing what you’ve already captured. The LCD adds minimal weight (1oz/26g)  and size to the unit.

Menu Settings 

The LCD back has to be installed to get into the menu and change settings.  Swann’s website seems to be a bit behind in specifications for this camera, and the camera’s settings vary from the website specifications, which differ again from the instruction booklet.  So straight from the camera, here’s the options:

Video resolution:

• 1080P @ 30 fps (1920 X 1080) @ 135 degree angle view
• 720P @ 30 fps (1280X720) @ 170 degree angle view
• 720P @ 60fps ( good for slow motion )
• WXGA @ (848X280) @ 170 degree angle view

Camera Modes:

• Resolution 3, 5, and 8 MP
• Single shot
• Triple shot (3 shots per shutter press )
• Continuous mode ( for time-lapse ) (2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60 sec )
• Self Timer (5, 10 sec )

When installed, the LCD can be used to frame video and photos and also to review your videos or photos. The LCD is by no means a high-resolution display, but it’s more than sufficient to make sure you got the shot you wanted. In video playback, sound is supplied by the speaker on the bottom right.  You can delete or protect recorded sessions. In photo preview mode, you can zoom and move around using the cursor keys on the right-hand side. Photos can also be deleted, protected, played in a slide show, or set up for Digital Print Order Format (DPOF).

Laser targeting 

A nifty function (though I’m not really sure how much I’ll use it) is the laser targeting mode.  When turned on in the menu system, if you press the video record button on the camera or the snapshot button on the remote for more than 3 seconds, then a 1MW laser beam is emitted to allow you to see where the camera is being focused and indicates the centre of the frame. This is useful when you don’t have the LCD back installed to frame your shot or when you’ve got it mounted on say a helmet and want to check if it’s aligned correctly.

Remote Control 

The camera is supplied with a handy large and rugged remote control. The remote has both strap holes and a spring clip on the back for flexibility to mount it in a convenient place.  The buttons are nice and large and can be used with gloves on.  You can again control both video and photo mode separately, and if your camera goes into sleep mode from not being used, pressing either of the release buttons will wake your camera back up. The remote can operate the camera from up to 2m/6ft away.

Waterproof Housing 

The included waterproof housing meets Ingress Protection Rating IP68, and it is rated for use 20m underwater. The housing is very well made and sturdy, and while it  does add some additional bulk and weight ( approx 105g), you’ll definitely want to use it when you’re recording in more rugged or wet conditions. You don’t have any control of the menu or settings when the unit is in the housing – in fact there’s not even the option to turn the camera on or off.  There are two buttons on top to control the camera, one for the video and one for photo shutter release.  To use, you need to turn your camera on before you place it into the housing, and if the  camera goes to sleep due to inactivity, you just have to press one of the releases to bring it back to life.

The biggest issue I have with the housing is that it’s not made to fit the camera with the LCD back installed.  This means that there’s no way to frame your pictures accurately while in the housing. Loss of use of the menu system isn’t such a big deal because of the separate shutter buttons.  Whether this has to do with condensation,  battery life, or is just a design consideration I’m not sure, but it would be nice to have the LCD installed in the housing. Other limitations with the case on are that sound will be affected given that your camera is totally enclosed, the range of the remote control will be affected, and you can’t use the laser sight.  Another issue for me  is that there’s no attachment hole on the housing to attach any sort of lanyard to, not even the included wrist lanyard.  If I was going to take this say snorkelling then I’d want to attach the camera to me some how.  The only possible mount point is the pivot pin on the hinge on the closure.

It’s worth noting that on the Swann website and in several of the reviews on the internet, a different housing is shown.  The one on the website and reviews appears to be a one piece design, but as you can see above the housing I have includes a replaceable front lens.  This is definitely a plus, as the lens cover is going to be the area exposed to rocks, mud, sticks  and debris, and if it does get broken or scratched, you really don’t want to have replace the entire housing.

Mounting System 

Using the included mounting system reminds me of playing with my Meccano set when I was a child.  Using a combination of the different joiners and tightening of the bolts allows you to manipulate the height and angle of your camera.  You can see how, once secured, this can give you access to some unique and quirky camera angles.

Photos 

Panasonic FT1 (TS1) 12 MP 28mm

Swann Freestyle HD 170 degree 8MP

Above are two shots (you can click on to get full resolution) taken seconds apart using a “standard” point-and-shoot camera and the Freestyle.  You can see the difference the 170 degree wide-angle lens makes to the picture.  From EXIF information, it would appear that the Freestyle ISO ranges from 100 to 400.  Like all cameras, as the ISO increases depending on light conditions, more noise is introduced into the picture.  It’s not a camera you’d be using for holiday or everyday snapshots, but then that’s not the market this camera is aimed at.  Note too the variation in the colour rendering.

Timelapse

Timelapse photography is pretty cool, and the Freestyle makes it easy to do.  The Freestyle was set on a tripod and set to continuous mode of 30 sec snaps.  In regards to processing, the 200 shots were loaded into Images to Video at 10 fps then uploaded to YouTube. Neat, quick and easy.

One thing to note here is that if you set the camera to continuous mode then turn the camera off and on again, it will NOT remember this setting and reset back to single shot.  This was an issue where I wanted to do continuous mode with the camera in the waterproof housing.  I had to set the mode with the LCD and then basically remove the LCD back with power still on.  The same holds for triple-shot mode.  There’s no indication in the manual if the LCD back is supposed to be hot pluggable, but so far, removing the LCD back with power on hasn’t appeared to have had any adverse effect on the unit.

Video Quality

Sorry folks, no extreme sports here. Instead, here’s part of my trip to work in the morning. Video was originally taken in 1080p, trimmed with Movie Maker, and converted to 1080p .WMV via Moviemaker.   The trip takes in a load of different light situations, and you can see that the Freestyle handles them pretty well.  There’s no major white blowout when there’s lots of sky and clouds, which is good.   Sound capture is good, the radio’s not that loud, but it’s easily picked up by the multiple microphones on the unit (Note that this is taken without the waterproof housing.)  Personally, I find the quality  a bit “soft’ and the colours a bit ‘muted”, and while this is taken on an overcast day, the same can also be said for video’s taken on much brighter days as well. Not a big issue, but enough for me to mention.

Low light performance

How well does the Freestyle handle low light?  Here’s a comparison going from a (semi) dark car park into the daylight.  You can see that in the beginning, there’s quite a lot of noise but as you get towards the light the picture cleans itself up as more light is available. Footage in low light certainly isn’t crisp and clear, but it is usable, and you can’t expect too much from such a small sensor.

“Noisy” Audio ?

In the interest of full disclosure, the Freestyle at this point of time has one ongoing issue.  When I received the review unit, video was perfect, but all recordings had very high pitch and annoying electronic beeping, screeching, popping, and static noises over the top of the audio channel. (It may be the aliens trying to communicate, but I was too scared to take off my aluminum foil hat off. ) Further research on the Net found several users complaining about exactly the same issue. I rang Swann, and after some extensive testing and diagnosis, they decided I had a dodgy unit and replaced it.

The second unit also had the same problem, and after discussions with Swann and some testing on my part, I finally narrowed it down to certain microSD cards being “incompatible” with the Freestyle.  I have multiple microSDs that work and others that give the annoying noise problem (including cards that have been used in other cameras to take video).  With the card I’m using now, I have no issues whatsoever.  It’s not transfer-speed related and I’m not sure if it’s a mechanical problem or can be fixed in firmware and the testing is still ongoing. I’ve made Swann aware of my findings so it’s pretty much in their hands at this time. If you have a Freestyle with this issue, I’d suggest trying a different card.

I’d read on several reviews that people have tried to email Swann about similar issues and had no response from them.  However, I had excellent service from them, with quick responses from friendly and helpful people.  I mentioned these reports of bad response to the people I talked to and was advised that they have increased their support personnel recently and that phone or their web-based live chat option was the best way to get a rapid response.  A list of  contact times and toll free numbers for the US, New Zealand and UK/Europe can be found here.

Final thoughts

All up, I’m really happy with the Freestyle HD (once I worked through the noisy audio issue) . For the price, you get a really good set of accessories out of the box with no optional extras required to get you started. This is good, because at this point in time, there are no optional accessories from Swann.  They advise that they are about to release a range of straps, mounts, and accessories like spare batteries. It would be nice if you could use the LCD panel inside the waterproof case, but because of the wide angle lens, it’s not all that necessary. Video quality is very good, though quality does drop off in lower light, but this is to be expected. The mounting system definitely allows you to mount the camera in quirky and unusual places, which just aren’t possible with a traditional camera.

If you’re in the market for a POV camera and you’re on a budget, the Freestyle HD is definitely worthy of consideration.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Digital Video Camera, Waterproof

Swann Freestyle HD Wearable Action POV Video Camera Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 10, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Recently a spate of videos showing a smartphone treated with Neverwet being dipped in water was doing the rounds; however,  Ross Nanotechnology’s  product goes well beyond that.  Neverwet is a spray on or dip application that applies a super hydrophobic coating that completely repels water and heavy oils.  Any liquid placed on the coating literally just rolls of without touching the underlying surface.

Besides its applications in electronics, it can be used on almost all materials.  It’s properties include:

• anti-wetting
• anti-icing
• anti-corrosion
• anti-bacterial
• self-cleaning

Although not yet available to consumers as a retail product, their web site indicates retail spray cans being available by mid 2012 (not early 2012 as indicated in the video).  Make sure you check out some of the videos on their website.

Filed in categories: Do-It-Yourself, News

Tagged: DIY, Waterproof

Keep Your Gadgets Dry with Neverwet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2012 at 10:00 am.

As you run, workout, cycle, snowboard, or do other activities that make you sweat, chances are that you listen to music while you do it. So then you wear your headphones or earbuds to keep yourself entertained. But as the abundance of sweat drips steadily from your sweaty head, your headphones become distorted from the moisture. So whether you wear expensive headphones or the little white earbuds, any form of moisture like sweat, rain, pool water, drink thrown at you by a jealous ex, etc. can potentially distort and eventually damage them.

Introducing the Go 4GB Waterproof MP3 Player Headphones from JLAB. These are a pair of cord-free headphones that have the MP3 player built into them, so there are no wires to fumble with. The wire that connects from right speaker to left speaker is hidden under  the thin, curved, strip of hard plastic that is positioned to contour the back of your head and out of the way. The best feature that the JLAB MP3 player offers is not only is it sweat-resistant but waterproof. You can literally jump in the pool and swim some laps without ruining these headphones. Forget about a little of sweat, gallons of pool water isn’t even going to shock this thing. So if you are a hardcore runner or triathlete  or anyone that loves to run or train in the rain, then these headphones are for you.

Since these headphones are waterproof they come with 3 tips for water use as well as 3 regular dry tips each ranging from small to large.

I selected a pair that fit my ears perfectly. The tips that came already attached were too small and went too far into my ear. Did not feel good. But the second tips I tried worked perfectly – almost like a custom fit. Kudos to JLAB for supplying all those extra tips. Other earbuds I have bought only had one extra tip, and the two didn’t really feel that much different.

Although the Go is pleasingly lightweight, I wasn’t too thrilled about the size of the player itself on my ears. The size of the player felt like the older style Bluetooth earpieces. Kinda boxy and bulky. The bulky profile did not compare favorably with my Plantronics Backbeat 906, which is slimmer in width so it is slightly hidden behind your ears, whereas, the Go is a bit thicker so it sticks further out from your ears.  This is not a deal breaker for me, just preference.

This Go has a 4GB capacity and can hold around 1000+  MP3s.  It also supports WMA files, which are generally smaller than MP3s, so you can actually fit more than 1000 songs on it. That’s a lot of music to listen to, so more power to you if you can fill up this MP3 player with that many songs.  One thing I really liked about the built-in MP3 player is its drag and drop feature. With the headphones connected to your computer via the included USB 2.0 cable, you just drag your selected music and drop into the Go folder. Simple.

There are  some nice color combinations like Black/Grey, Black/Yellow and all White. I received the Blue/Silver ones. Very nice.  JLAB makes a 2GB model too; however, it only comes in black.

The Go is fully waterproof with an IPX8 rating, which means that it is fully submersible in water so not only can it be used in the rain, but can be used in  pools,  lakes, oceans, in fresh water or salt water, bathtubs, etc.

The Go has standard control buttons on the right earpiece. On/Off, Next, Previous, Volume Up and Down.  The power button on the side of the player requires you to hold it down for about 4 seconds to turn on.  So if you happen to have the headphones in a bag or purse, chances are that it won’t accidentally get turned on. The volume buttons are on the top and the skip buttons are underneath the unit.

A nice feature that the Go has is the shuffle feature. (Earlier models didn’t come with this feature, but you can download a firmware update to get the shuffle feature.)  With the music off, just press the Next button to turn on the Shuffle option, and the music automatically starts playing. The light will flash to indicate that you are in Shuffle mode. To turn off the Shuffle function, just stop the music and press the Previous button.

When fully charged, the Go’s lithium-ion battery is listed as having 10 hours of play time. While charging, the light on the Go flashes to let you know that it is charging and stops flashing when it is fully charged. The battery seems to hold up to its word. Now, I haven’t worn it for 10 straight hours but have worn them at the gym for 1 to 2 hours at a time and have yet to recharge them. But I’m sure as of the writing this review I will be recharging them soon.

The Go has a port to plug the microUSB cable into. The port is sealed with a small round plug that you unscrew to reveal the microUSB plug. Just make sure you securely screw the plug back in to keep the Go in waterproof condition.

JLAB was kind enough to include an extra port cover in case you lost the original. That’s rare to get a lot of extra parts that come with a product. Normally you would have to buy them from the company.  That’s a plus in my book.

The MP3 player has an okay sound – but not horrible. It is pretty high in treble and a bit tinny. I’ve read other posts of people complaining that the Wave had a lack of bass but these headphones don’t have drivers in them so they won’t produce that deep bassy sound. However, keep in mind though, that if you wore these in a water environment like in a pool, you’d probably want to have a little more treble in your music to cut through the dull noise or even roar of the water as you swim.

All-in-all, I thought the Go 4GB Waterproof MP3 Player Headphones by JLAB was an exceptional MP3 player.  It’s lightweight, waterproof , and has no wires to get tangled or caught on something. There is some extra bulk that other behind the neck or head MP3 players also have, but the waterproof feature alone makes getting the Go worth it.

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

Tagged: Headphones, MP3 players, Waterproof

JLAB 4GB Go Waterproof MP3 Player Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 3, 2012 at 11:03 am.

As the title mentions, the Eco Terra Boombox from Grace Digital is a floating IPX7-rated waterproof smartphone speaker case which is fully submersible in water.  It’s powered by 4 C-cell batteries or the included AC adapter, and the two 3″ front-firing speakers are waterproof.  There’s an internal waterproof compartment for your phone/MP3 player that’s big enough to also hold your ID, cash, and keys.  You can use the Eco Terra at the pool, beach, or boating without worry, because the speakers will float if they fall into the water – speaker-side up so you’ll be able to hear the music.  It can also protect your phone from dirt, snow, sand, and shock.  Eco Terra plugs into the 3.5mm audio jack on your device, so it will work with most smartphones – Android, iPhone, Blackberry.  It’s available now for $149.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: External speakers, Waterproof

Keep Your Tunes (and Your Smartphone) Dry with the Eco Terra Fully-Submersible Boombox originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 1, 2012 at 9:00 am.

One thing you can never be without is a good flashlight, especially one that has a bright brilliant light. But for me a flashlight is just a flashlight. That is unless it has something about it that gives it a unique characteristic. And the PrimeTorch 1010 by Primus is one such flashlight.

One thing I really liked about this flashlight is its small size. I have other pocket-sized flashlights but none with the output that the PrimeTorch has. This little sucker has a strong output thanks to the Cree Q4 LED diode that emits 130 Lumens.  Keep in mind that Lumen is a measurement of light output while wattage is a measurement of power output. It is hard to compare Lumens to Wattage so it is hard for me to compare and contrast the two but I would say that the PrimeTorch’s light is just as bright as a medium sized Mag light. The light from the PrimeTorch is definitely blinding. I made the mistake of looking at the reflected light on my desk  and I can tell you that when I jerked my head away all I could see was a bright white light in my vision for a long while.

The PrimeTorch is made from an aluminum material. It has a metal clip on its body and has a dimension of 1 in. x 3.3 in. and is powered by one(1) Lithium CR-123 battery allowing it to have a 3 hour burn time.  It has a weight of  1.6 ounces.

The Lithium battery, not unlike a camera battery, is supplied along with a case with a belt loop.

According to the Primus website, the PrimeTorch “has  a “tactical switch”, which means that it is perfect for signaling with and can also easily be switched on and off”.  I’m not really sure if I quite understand what this is. However, I think it’s just a marketing term for “power button.”

In the back of the PrimeTorch is where this “tactical switch” is placed much like any flashlight this size. It has a normal tailcap click switch which has what I call a “half-way” button”. It is  kind of like pushing the shutter button on a camera half way down so it can get a focus on the subject. Pressing the red button on the back halfway down turns it on but turns off the moment you let it go. It is handy when you just have to shine the light for a  brief second and not have to bother with constantly clicking the button on and off.

A great thing about this little flashlight is that it is waterproof.  That’s a plus in my book of flashlights. It’s perfect for having when you’re camping or fishing or any outdoor activity where the flashlight may get wet. Several times, I’ve found myself using a flashlight at night when it was raining so one never knows when they will need a waterproof flashlight.

As bright as this flashlight is, I would have like to have seen a second output for a lower Lumen like the Modus 2 from Icon. I like the option of having a low and high output for specific situations. You can check out my review on the Modus 2 to see a flashlight with  dual output .

As many times as I use a flashlight and how long I keep it running, not to mention the cost of the Lithium batteries, a supplied rechargeable battery would have been nice to have with this flashlight. I have seen some really nice Cree flashlights that come with rechargeable batteries and you can just plug the charger right to the side of the flashlight.  Now that’s convenience and easy on the wallet.

All in all, this is a compact and durable flashlight. It is waterproof and comes with a clip to attach to your belt, pocket or anywhere that it can clip on to. And thanks to the Cree Q4 diode technology this flashlight is super bright.

Filed in categories: Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: ballastic, Flashlight, LED, Waterproof

Primus PrimeTorch Flashlight Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

Veto ProPac XXL-F tool bag. Seriously. The LAST tool bag/box/kit you will ever need.

I know you have one.   Those clunky, metal, red toolboxes.  That iconic American symbol of craftsmen, workmen, and Do It Yourself-ers everywhere.   Those expensive, heavy, red-paint-chipping, heavier-than-cement-crack -your-shin-on-it dead weights that holds a mish mash of tools and accessories that, once in, you can never find again.

Throw it out.  Seriously.  Throw that rusty bucket of bolts out. (Save the bolts though).  There’s a new sheriff in town and it’s name is the XXL-F Tool Bag from Veto Pro Pac.  It’s not a box but as strong as it is, it might as well be.

VetoPro Pac XXL-F tool bag is a waterproof, weatherproof, rust proof fabric bag that holds everything your red clunky box holds AND you can sling it across your body with the padded shoulder strap that comes with it.  You can’t do that with a tool box.  But you can do it with Veto Pro.

I’m not a tool person.  My husband is.  I’m not.  I’m more of a gardener.  My husband has one of the iconic red, clunky metal boxes.  I know this because I’ve tripped over it more times than I know how to count.  And I’ve kicked it as many times too.  When I first saw the XXL-F, I jumped for it.   Because my husband’s wrenches and sockets and screwdrivers and pliers, and needlenose pliers and drills and bits and pieces spend next to NO time in that stupid metal box.   No.  They hang out ALL OVER everywhere else.  Not just the garage…but pretty much everywhere else.  And of course he can never find anything when he wants it because it’s NOT in the toolbox…it’s somewhere else.

Why?  Because no man in his right mind REALLY wants to lug that heavy toolbox around with him as he goes forth to conquer the world’s loose nuts and bolts or just knock one more item off of the “Honey Do” list.

But then I thought…you know… as much as this is designed for tools….I could really use it to hold my gardening stuff because that too is all over the place.

Special thanks to Tractor Supply Company in Noblesville, IN for allowing me to come into their store and take photos.

Season after season, I go through whatever cute, floral, sweet looking “holds all your gardening tools” bucket/basket/contraption that the nurseries come out with.   These “gardening tool caddies” were not REALLY for those of us who take “playing in the dirt” to a whole new level.  Our trowels, hand rakes, dandelion pullers, hand spades, this and that, twine, seeds, it all gets filthy dirty.   So the newest Martha Stewart-y caddy gets dirty, ripped, torn and is basically useless after one season.  I’m sure it’s a conspiracy, so I choose to be a rebel.  My gardening stuff: seeds, twine, plant food, tools, gloves, goofy hat… it’s all being kept in the XXL-F.

Painters can use this bag.  Artists can use this bag.  Pretty much anyone who has to keep a lot of materials, tools, pencils, etc can use the Veto Pro Pac XXL-F.

And you can still fit more tools and gear into this section...

Why Veto Pro Kicks the Red Tool Box’s Butt

Not clunky

Won’t rust

It’s made of 3mm thick waterproof, weather proof propylene with a 1800 denier nylon fabric body.

Over-molded ergonomic grip

Rock solid but padded and comfy shoulder strap leaving your hands free to carry other stuff.

54 pockets of different sizes

47 tiered pockets,

can hold framing squares

open storage for really long tools

structured, sturdy zippers…not some cheap stuff.  These zippers are rock solid and won’t rust.

A minor scratching of the surface to demonstrate just how much stuff and of varying sizes the XXL-F holds.

Find me a metal toolbox, red or otherwise, that will hold as many tools, in as many pockets, as solidly made, that can withstand even the toughest of conditions and still keep your gear handy where you don’t go searching for it?   Because if you can, I’d like to see it.

Veto Pro Pac bags come in three different sizes designed for the user’s needs.  I don’t see too many metal toolboxes that do that.

Obviously, I dig this bag.  I like things organized and I know of a lot of craftsmen and plumbers who like to keep their instruments handy.  While toting this bag around Tractor Supply Company in Noblesville, IN, I had no less than three farmers ask to look at it and ask me where I got it.

And that’s a good question.  While I could not find this bag at your usual and sundry hardware stores, Veto Pro Pac includes a Dealer Locator (based on your zip code) of businesses that do carry the Veto Pro Pac tool bags.  There are five different businesses within a 50 mile distance of my zip code that carry this bag complete with addresses and phone numbers that the Veto Pro Pac provides.

Two words about their website: User Friendly. Whatever you want to know about the bag, you get.  You get specs, four separate views and detailed product information about each tool bag on the website and it’s easy to navigate.  You can purchase the bag directly from the website or use the Dealer Locator tab.

The XXL-F can be purchased on the Veto Pro Pac website for $179.95. That’s a pretty standard price.  Even Amazon.com lists the XXL-F at $179.95.   To some, that sounds pretty spendy.  Until you see what you get and realize that you never have to deal with metal toolboxes and disorganization ever again. For the dabbler or amateur gardener, it might be a bit much to spend.  For serious craftsmen, plumbers, service professionals, electricians, tech guys, professional interior/exterior painters, handymen, HVAC guys, it’s an investment.  They know that when they take this bag out in all sorts of weather, their tools and gear are going to be protected and organized.

Note: Links in this review are affiliate links. The Gadgeteer earns a small percentage of $’s for any sale that comes from this review.

Filed in categories: Do-It-Yourself, Gear, Reviews

Tagged: nylon, Organization, pockets, propylene, tool bag, Waterproof, weatherproof

Veto Pro Pac XXL-F Tool Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

What keeps you entertained when you hit the gym?  I’m sure most of your answers would be a mp3 player or flirting with that gorgeous guy/girl next to you.  But let’s stick with audio for this review.  Wearing headphones when working out is very common these days.  But the main problem is that most headphones aren’t sweatproof or waterproof.  I’v had many headphones ruined because of heavy sweat that gets into the headphones causing a short.  That’s where H2O Audio Surge Waterproof/Sweatproof Sport Headphones come in.

The H2O Audio Surge Headphones were designed by athletes for athletes.  It solves the problem of having to replace sweat ruined headphones.  It’s designed to be 100% waterproof/sweatproof and submersible down to 12 feet underwater.  The cable length is a comfortable 3.9 feet.

These headphones comes with 5 different sized ear plugs to ensure a perfect fitting for any type of ears.

The audio jack is totally waterproof also.  I did find the jack a bit long and stiff but I think they designed it that way so that it will have less problems with bending and breaking from overuse.

My pool has already been winterized and closed for the season so I’ll be using a glass of H2O for the water test.  I submerged the Surge headphones for 30 minutes while playing music through it.  I could hear the music resonating through the glass jar.  After 30 minutes, the Surge headphones still work as advertised.

The Surge headphones were pretty comfortable to wear for an extended amount of time.

8mm dynamic drivers with a max power of 5mW drives the Surge headphones.  Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have enough bass to provide great sounding audio.  It’s probably caused by the fact that the audio drivers are sealed to be waterproof and sweatproof.

The H2O Audio Surge Waterproof/Sweatproof Sport Headphones cost $49.99 direct.

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

Tagged: Audio, Headphones, sweatproof, Waterproof

H2O Audio Surge Waterproof Sport Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 1, 2011 at 12:30 pm.

Typical waterproof fabrics are coated with a chemical that leaves the fabric feeling plasticy or rubbery.  The Shinnorie Go! Sleeve for iPad uses new CrossClimate™ microfiber fabrics that have interstitial areas that are smaller than water molecules, so water can’t penetrate the fabric.  Air molecules can still penetrate the openings, so heat can dissipate.  The Go! Sleeve also has the ZipSeal ™ dual-track industrial ziplock closure system for extra water and dust protection.  The Go! Sleeve is an envelope-style case that’s big enough to hold an iPad wearing a silicone or plastic wrap case.  The Go! Sleeve is $49.95.  Use the gosleeve gift code to save 20% during the introductory period.

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

Tagged: iPad case, Waterproof

Shinnorie Introduces Water-Resistant Go! Sleeve for iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 5, 2010 at 9:00 am.

It’s summer! Today marks the first day of Summer 2010. It’s hot, schools out and the pools are open. Let summer time begin! Kodak has just the thing for catching all your summer fun with the Kodak Playsport HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera.  This video camera is made for play. It’s waterproof up to 10 ft. and built to sustain a tumble or two.  Not to mention it shoots in 1080p, has a glare shield feature, 2-inch LCD screen, USB connection, rechargable Li-Ion batteries, SD card slot and color options (purple, blue, grey). The Kodak Playsport looks to be a good take along for beach vacations and summer days at the pool.  The Kodak Playsport is available for $149.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear

Tagged: Digital Video Camera, Spotlight Gadgets, Waterproof

Underwater Video in HD originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm.

The Vandal backpack by Mission Workshop. The first, best and last backpack you will need.

There are backpacks and then there are BACKPACKS.  I love backpacks, always have.  I’m the ultimate Bag Lady in that I just love all kinds of bags.  I’m not “fashionista” in that I carry around a Coach bag with all the Cs all over it or a Louis Vuitton with the tapestry logo.  No. Seriously, I’m over that.  The older I get, the more practical I get.  Where other women have all kinds of designer handbags, I go for the laptop bags and backpacks.  But rather than the “showiness” aspect, I’m looking for one that can hold as much stuff as I feel necessary to haul about.

Backpacks are great for kids’ schoolbooks, lunchboxes and artwork.  I’ve always used them at work to schlep the kinds of things that a woman just has to have handy just in case. Cloth and reusable grocery bags are another necessary item for obvious reason so long story short; I gotta lotta bags.

The Vandal backpack by Mission Workshop changes most of that.  Essentially, this is a serious backpack.  I don’t have to carry anything except The Vandal to do anything and go anywhere. It’s also the best travel backpack I’ve seen yet. And it’s virtually indestructible.  Good luck trying to destroy it.  This pack is solidly made. It contains three weatherproof compartments, two accessory pockets on the outside, undo the outside waterproof zippers and the bag expands so that you can, seriously, carry anything and almost everything in it.

I’ve looked for a number of ways to test this pack.   I took it upstairs to my laundry room and waited until all of the family wash was clean, dried and folded and packed it into the pack and brought it downstairs.  I got four loads in before I started with the towels.     I also contacted the producers of CBS’ The Amazing Race reality show to ask what their contestants use in the race.  In this show eleven teams of two travel the world looking for clues and trying to finish each leg of the race in a favorable position.  All they are allowed to carry with them for the three to four weeks they are competing in this race is what they can carry in their backpacks.  They never know where they are going to go but must pack smart enough and comfortable enough to hit warm and cold weather countries. Plus toiletries et all.  I asked the producers for a list of what the contestants should or should not bring.   I was told that the contestants, outside of a strict list of “Can Not Bring” items like cell phones and cameras, could bring anything they wanted.  As long as it fit in the pack.

The Vandal backpack can and will fit enough stuff for 30 days on the go.  If you go to the farmer’s market, it will carry all of that, it will contain and carry bottles for recycling, it will carry books, newspapers, computers, and your favorite pillow.

At $239.00, you’re going to need a serious reason to purchase this besides carrying laundry down from upstairs.  If you’re a hiker, bicyclist, kayaker, camper, all around outdoors person, this backpack is the Gold Standard. Throw out what you have.  This is the backpack to use.  If you’re a college student traveling home or backpacking through Europe, if you are competing in a television reality show, if you’re competing in a triathlon, or if you want something that stows in an airplane overhead compartment or under the seat, this is your Go To bag.

See it in Action

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

Tagged: Backpack, Outdoors, Waterproof

Mission Workshop Vandal Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2010 at 11:30 am.

M-Edge has announced the Guardian, a waterproof, floating case for all Kindles with 6″ displays.  The case is made of molded, transparent polycarbonate.  The navigation buttons and keyboard are available through flexible, sealed cutouts, and there is an anti-reflective film over the screen to allow reading in bright sunlight.  Gaskets and a dual-hinge, 4-closure system make the Guardian safe in up to 1 meter of water.  Internal bouyancy chambers make the case float upright, so you can read handsfree.  The front of the case is clear, of course, but the back of the case will come in five colors.  It’s not available right now, so I don’t know a price.  M-Edge has a contest now so you can win your own Guardian – read about it at M-Edge.

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear, News

Tagged: Kindle case, Waterproof

A Floating, Waterproof Case for all 6″ Kindles originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 20, 2010 at 3:21 pm.

Have you ever fried a keyboard because you spilled a drink on it?  Do you have to share a keyboard at work and you wonder how clean those keys are – especially now when everyone is concerned with preventing H1N1?  Unotron makes a line of waterproof, washable keyboards, mice, and even card readers.  They offer corded and wireless products that can actually be submerged in hospital sanitizing solutions.  They are still inexpensive enough that home users can afford them.  Corded waterproof, antimicrobial keyboards start at $46; mice start at about $50.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, News

Tagged: Computer peripherals, Waterproof

Unotron Washable Keyboards originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2010 at 1:31 pm.

One of the earliest reviews at The-Gadgeteer was an OtterBox PDA case, and the tough little suckers have been a favorite review ever since. Being a long time fan of these colorful, tough, waterproof boxes, I jumped at the chance to do a new review. Besides, I had a project in mind that as right up their alley!

OtterBox offers an incredible array of boxes now- a variety of colors and sizes of the classic waterproof boxes, like the 3000 and 3250 we will look at here, and far more- boxes with ‘listen thru’ features, hard-shell waterproof cases you can access touch screens through, skins, silicon cases, etc.

The 3000 and 3250 are ‘classic’ boxes- thick impact-resistant plastic with built-in ribs, a full length molded-in hinge, two strong latches, a silicone seal, and so forth. The clear boxes and the colored boxes have a couple minor differences- the colored boxes are made of tough ABS plastic and have foam padding built-in. The clear boxes are polycarbonate and are not padded.

The toughness of these things is legendary. They are often shown with a car parked on them. I could not replicate that, but my full weight does not cause them to creak, and I can jump on them without worry. Hitting it full-on with a hammer just made the hammer bounce.

They are rated to waterproof to 100 feet, so I loaded the 3250 (7.587″ x 3.648″ x 2.226″ interior dimensions) with heavy metal parts and a piece of colored paper towel that would show any leaks.

Completely submerged, and trying hard to float!

Egads! It leaked!

Whaaaa?????? OK, I’ve owned several of these boxes and none has ever leaked. A quick check shows that the left latch does not take as much effort to lock, and that a piece of paper trapped in the seal near the latch can be easily pulled out. An apparent manufacturing flaw. Well, let’s try out their customer service.

An email to the customer service department got me a result within hours and a tracking number for a replacement box within24 hours. No muss, no fuss. This further confirms my long-held theory that the best companies have great customer service- you just rarely need it. As an aside, when we were setting up this review, there was a minor miscommunication on our part, and they stepped up and took care of things without blinking an eye. The shipping has been almost spooky fast.

The other box they sent, the 3000 (7.639″ x 3.723″ x 1.229 inside), passed the test perfectly. OK, they are rough and tough, and waterproof. But… these things seem to challenge me to come up with creative uses, much like Altoids tins do. At work, we use a special TV remote for people with disabilities. It is a great device, but rather fragile- a couple of settings that can get changed, a somewhat fragile jack for a switch, etc. Ours tend to take a lot of abuse. Can Otterbox help?

Remote in place, with padding and spacers added

Added a 'pass through' plug, and a security tie (that I will shorten in a bit)

Cut out for IR beam

Perfect! The remote works when a user hits the switch (not shown, but it plugs into the jack donagle). That starts a light showing the choices one by one- power, vol. up or down, channel up or down, mute- when it is on your choice, hitting the switch again activates that choice. (If you are interested, this is a TASH Mini-Relax remote)

The remote is now secure from tampering, bumping, dropping, and casual wetting (the IR hole and the cord pass-thru violate the waterproofedness, but most spills, etc. should not bother it. I might not have needed to cut out the IR port, but my informal tests showed that the range was shortened without the hole. By the way, the polycarbonate of the clear box drills and cuts with basic tools wonderfully without chipping or cracking.

The OtterBox makes a great indestructable project box. They are often used for weather-exposed things, like Geocaching caches, and more. These boxes inspire creativity so much they should use a slogan like “OtterBoxes- when you have outgrown mint tins!” For my next project, I am thinking about making a ruggedized power box – batteries, solar cells, and a bunch of jacks and plugs to power cell phones, iPods, my netbook, cameras, and rechargeable batteries in the field. Or maybe a floating music player for the pool- mount the speakers on the inside of the lid, behind some small drilled holes covered with plastic film on the inside. Or maybe a small aquarium so I can take my pet fish on walks with me. Or maybe…

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: box, Otter Box, Waterproof

OtterBox Waterproof Boxes Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 3, 2009 at 12:45 pm.

Swimming laps in the pool back and forth-back and forth.  As you’re swimming you hear the splashing of waves against the lane barriers and sides of the pool. Exhaled bubbles rush past your ears in loud succession.  If you were running, you would be listening to your favorite tunes, picking up the pace with each new song, rather than listening to your breathing and nearby road noise.  In fact, like caffeine, music is indisputably a performance enhancing “drug.”  To help pick up the pace of your swimming workout, Finis (pronounced fin-ees) applied a revolutionary technology to the lap pool to deliver the SwiMP3v2.  The SwiMP3v2 allows the lap swimmer to bring their favorite music into the pool with them with surprising audio quality.

The SwiMP3v2 is the second version on the market from Finis, but substantially lighter and more streamlined than the first.  The unit consists of two “earpieces,” though counter intuitively these pieces do not go over the ear and may be better referred to as speakers.  Theses speakers actually go over the cheekbone forward of the ears, underneath your goggle straps.  The speakers themselves actually use bone conduction (used in the professional diving industry to communicate with SCUBA divers for decades) in this new application to the lap pool.

Your ears hear in two ways: through the air via the outer ear, and through bone conduction to the inner ear.  Have you ever put on ear plugs at a loud concert, to find that you can still hear the music (though not as loudly), no matter what level of hearing protection you put on?  Sound is actually vibrating your skull and making its way directly to the inner ear, vibrating the fluid and creating the sound you hear despite the ear plugs.  Dive medics use this physiological phenomenon in combination with a tuning fork to actually distinguish between inner and outer ear problems related to diving.   A tuning fork is placed near the ears, then placed directly on the skull in several locations to determine which is louder.  In a person with normal hearing, above-water through the air sound conduction is louder than bone conduction.  What all this means for you, the swimmer, is that you can actually hear your music below the water based on a well developed technology that Finis first applied to the pool in 2004.

Bringing my favorite music into the water turned out to be easy.  As an iTunes user, I connected the device to my Mac by pulling off the USB protective cover and connecting the device directly to my computer (no patch cords needed).  I then proceeded to drag and drop music files onto the device from an iTunes window to the SwiMP3v2 window.  Connecting it to a pc was just as easy.  The Finis website contains “walkthrough” instructions for iTunes on the Mac and pc, as well as for software they provide.  I found that the 256 MB storage capacity was ample to transfer my normal running mixes, and left the device connected to my Mac to fully charge the battery, which took only one hour, though the manual indicates the lithium ion battery can take up to 3 hours to charge, if fully expended.  I also found some great instructions on creating “beats per minute” music mixes to tailor the music to your specific workout in the product video, which is probably nothing new to regular iTunes users.  Once fully charged, the battery has 8 hours of life in it out of the box—more than adequate for a swimming workout.  I ejected the unit just like any removable drive once I had moved my desired music, and charging was complete—indicated by the green light ceasing to flash—indicating a full charge.  Lastly before the pool, I switched the unit to shuffle play by holding down the “next / vol +” and “next / vol -“ together.  The unit was ready to get wet!

Before donning the unit, as in low visibility polluted water diving where you can’t see anything as you move through pea-soup water, I visualized the controls so I could “see” them in my mind’s eye and find them without needing to stop my workout and take off the goggles to actually see them.  No one likes to “break the pace” once their workout has started!   With the control speaker on my left check, the volume controls are forward, and the power button is located towards the back of your head.  Pressing the volume up/next button quickly advances to the next song, while holding it down for at least a second adjusts the volume, and so on.  The volume button towards the top of your head intuitively will increase volume, while the one closer to your feet lowers it.

When donning the unit I found that no adjustments were necessary for my goggles to put them on.  I simply placed my goggles on normally, and slip each earpiece upward and under the goggle strap, pulling them back down with a fingernail underneath the strap clips to allow the straps under each clip to secure them.  Once the straps were all the way under the clips, the speakers over my cheekbones, I would tuck the USB dongle.

I typically tuck the USB dongle under the strap behind my head to ensure the unit is as streamlined as possible, and it doesn’t flop around.  Interestingly, the web site notes that if you lose your USB port cap, that the unit still won’t be damaged in the pool by fresh water exposure, though I can tell you in working with underwater audio and photo electronics that salt water would do a number on it eventually.  The cap’s only purpose is to keep the electrical connection dry so you may sync or charge the unit with your computer without a lot of drying beforehand (and of course the aforementioned corrosion if you are a salt water swimmer).

Swimming with the unit surprisingly did not involve any time consuming goggle strap adjustments during my workout.  Once the speakers were in place, they stuck to the side of my cheeks well, and never fluttered in the current—even when doing flip-turns, pushing off quickly from the side of the pool, or high cruising speeds from use of fins.  Volume adjustment was a little tricky, as it seemed to get louder when under the water (without any air between the speakers and my cheekbones) versus being exposed to the air.  Sound quality was very crisp and clean below water, but when breathing with one speaker out of the water, sound on occasion would become muffled or slightly distorted.   At the right volume level, I could hear my music well during turns and laps, above and below water.

Overall, bringing my music into the pool seemed to shorten how long my workout seemed to be—even though my workout duration remained the same.   The end of my workout seemed to come much faster!  As with running with a music player, my speed improved considerably.

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

Tagged: MP3, Swimming, Waterproof

Finis SwiMP3v2 Waterproof MP3 Player Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 12, 2009 at 1:57 pm.