Smythe Richbourg - The Gadgeteer

Wisenet SmartCam D1 video doorbell review

Remember watching the Jetsons as a kid, with their video phone, video doorbell, and flying car? Well, of those three, the flying car is the only one that’s not already sitting on store shelves waiting for you to take one home. Anyone with a smartphone has a raft of video chat clients at hand. There are several video doorbells on the market. In fact, we were offered one from Wisenet, née Samsung Security.

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808 HEX TLS Bluetooth speaker review

There’s a lot to be said for Bluetooth speakers. We review a goodly number here at The Gadgeteer, but I daresay few of us as reviewers stop and consider the fact that just 10 years ago, having a full-power speaker system embodied in a single device and your phone was a dream as yet unrealized.

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iOS Hacks: Put your icons where you want them… sorta

By Smythe Richbourg / December 12, 2017 / Articles / iOS, User hacks / Leave a Comment

Regular readers of The Gadgeteer know that there is an ongoing – umm – discussion among the writers and regular commenters here about the two most popular mobile operating systems – Android and iOS – and which has the better feature set. I’m not here to stoke those fires or to say if the feature

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Gear4 Oxford iPhone case with D3O protection review

By Smythe Richbourg / December 11, 2017 / Reviews / Cases and Covers, iPhone Case / Leave a Comment

A good cover is the first thing people usually buy after getting a new phone. If you’re someone who works, studies, or plays in an environment that includes the possibility of falling great distances, getting smacked by something unforgiving, or otherwise compromising the wholeness of a large slab of glass, you’ve probably found that you’re

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Bike-sharing in the 21st century

By Smythe Richbourg / December 10, 2017 / Articles / Bicycle / 2 Comments

I love riding a bicycle. I started riding again about 10 years ago and spent a lot of time riding in the town I used to live in. In 2013, we moved to a place that is a little more remote, and the roads around the house are a little more car-oriented than those where

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Dittrich Designs AllDock multi-device charging station review

By Smythe Richbourg / December 9, 2017 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers, charging dock / 2 Comments

Organizing our workspace and dealing with the perpetual need to charge our devices frequently seem to work at cross-purposes. Cables sprawl around mice, keyboards, and desk trinkets. A stand just for charging can seem like a lot – unless it can organize all the cables and charging devices into a single location. This is the

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Cat Phones Cat S41 rugged smartphone review

By Smythe Richbourg / December 7, 2017 / Reviews / Android, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

The landscape around Android handsets is a veritable cornucopia of products fighting for attention. Walk by any wireless store, kiosk, or even the electronics aisle in your Big Box store, and you’re pelted with names, numbers, sales, and BOGO offers. I was recently sent the Cat S41 smartphone with Android Nougat for review. I was

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Solgaard LifePack backpack review

By Smythe Richbourg / November 29, 2017 / Reviews / Backpack, Bags / Leave a Comment

Backpacks come in a variety of sizes, styles, and designs. Some are meant to serve students, some are more for photographers or commuting information workers, and some are designed more for travel. As much as I like satchel bags or messenger-style bags, there’s sometimes nothing like a backpack when traveling. On my last vacation, I

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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 5)

By Smythe Richbourg / November 12, 2017 / Articles / Bags, gadgeteer / Leave a Comment

Welcome to part five of our on-going series where we tell you about the gear that we use on a daily basis. Today we have the favorite gear bags for one more Gadgeteer team member, Smythe. Let us know if you enjoy these types of posts.

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Daniels NYC Leather Briefcase review

By Smythe Richbourg / November 7, 2017 / Reviews / Bags, Leather / 1 Comment

When my sister finished her Master’s program, I gifted her with a leather portfolio/briefcase. When I finished mine, an aunt and uncle did the same for me. I still have the leather folio my dad was given early in his career. Leather briefs, it seems, are a rite of passage of sorts. They are cherished

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Morph: Pillow of the Gods review

By Smythe Richbourg / November 6, 2017 / Reviews / Pillow / Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever taken a long trip that involves public transportation, you’ve been there: you’re trying to catch a nap, but your head keeps bobbing around, or is rattling against the bulkhead or window. Travel pillows come in all shapes, materials, and sizes, from plushy inflatables to beanbags filled with soft foam pellets. Into this

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Felix Gray eyeglasses promise to fix all the bad things screens do to your eyes

By Smythe Richbourg / October 30, 2017 / News / Glasses, Health and fitness / 1 Comment

OK, that title may be a bit over the top. But if you’re like the typical Gadgeteer, you spend much of your work and leisure in front of some sort of screen, whether it’s coding, IT support, financials, or just a hot & heavy FPS. Even the classic “Netflix & chill” brings with it staring

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Incase Compass backpack review

By Smythe Richbourg / October 7, 2017 / Reviews / Backpack, Bags / 1 Comment

Carrying around all the things we feel we need on a regular basis means most of us take a bag of some sort with us to most places. It may be a purse, waist pack, laptop bag, satchel, or backpack, but it’s all the same in the end: does it carry what you need to

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PhotoFast Call Recorder review

By Smythe Richbourg / September 25, 2017 / Reviews / iPhone accessory / 1 Comment

For years, we have had the ability to record analog phone conversations with little effort. Suction-cup mics, dual-socketed wires that sent the audio to tape or another listener, or even build-in features of corporate phone systems have been around for 30, 40, 50 years or more. But now we have digital cell phones, and end-to-end

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Paxamo Zen Bomb aromatherapy diffuser review

By Smythe Richbourg / September 23, 2017 / Reviews / Diffuser, Health and fitness / 2 Comments

Aromatherapy, to some, is like healing crystals, chiropractic, or homeopathy – you either appreciate it and take benefit from it or think it’s a bunch of hooey. Whether it is healing, beneficial, or just a nice scent, though, our olfactory sensations can be pretty powerful tools in our situational awareness. Reviewers here rarely post about

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ThinkSound ts03+mic headphone review

By Smythe Richbourg / August 17, 2017 / Reviews / Headphones / Leave a Comment

You Gadgeteers all remember wired earbuds, right? What am I saying – everyone gets a pair of these with their phone, even if it’s an iPhone 7 with no headphone jack! The quality of those bundled earbuds, however, can vary widely. ThinkSound has been doing a lot of work on improving the sound of headphones

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DxO ONE camera attachment for iPhone and iPad review

By Smythe Richbourg / August 14, 2017 / Reviews / Camera gear, iPhone, Photography / 7 Comments

I have been a digital photographer for over 15 years now. I started with the equivalent of an Instamatic, and moved up to a prosumer, then full DSLR cameras. I have bought and sold lenses, filters, and other equipment. While I don’t pretend to know how to adjust f-stops and ISO for challenging conditions, I

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Aukey SK-M12 SoundTank Bluetooth outdoor speaker review

By Smythe Richbourg / August 10, 2017 / Reviews / Bluetooth speaker / Leave a Comment

Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes these days. Finding one to meet your particular set of requirements is a tough job. Aukey has recently entered this market with a tough nicely sized unit that integrates speakerphone functions as well as weatherproofing and long battery life – the SK-M12 SoundTank. I was sent one

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Urban Armor Gear Metropolis iPad Pro 12.9 case review

By Smythe Richbourg / August 5, 2017 / Reviews / Cases and Covers, IPad Pro Case / 3 Comments

In April of 2015, I reviewed my first case from Urban Armor Gear – the Rogue case for the iPad Air. I really liked the cover and found it quite protective. I now have an iPad Pro 12.9″, and am happy to be the one chosen to review their Metropolis case.

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Orico DUK-10 10-port USB charging stand review

By Smythe Richbourg / July 24, 2017 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers, charging dock / Leave a Comment

Everyone has devices of some sort today. Whether it’s the shipping crew in your warehouse or the executive team meeting in the boardroom, they all have phones, tablets, and wireless earbuds that frequently need a power bump during the day. Students hover around outlets between classes and in the cafeteria. I was at a baseball

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