Smythe Richbourg - The Gadgeteer

Satechi CD-NT Universal CD car mount and SCH-121 Cup Holder Mount reviews

We Gadgeteers carry our phones everywhere. Even using wearable tech, we still want a phone with us, especially when we’re driving. The GPS/Mapping apps and constant connectivity your phone gives you can be the difference between sitting at a confusing intersection, trying to unfold that stupid gas station map and breezing through, confident of your […]

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Samson Go Mic Direct microphone review

By Smythe Richbourg / July 1, 2015 / Reviews / Audio, Video, TV, microphone / 1 Comment

If you’re using your computer for any sort of sound input, you’ve probably already decided the built-in microphone is useless after more than the occasional snippet. If you’re doing voiceover for video or Skyping/FaceTiming for any kind of podcast or hangout, you need a better mic. Samson Electronics makes a full range of audio products,

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Urban Armor Aviator iPhone 5/5s case review

By Smythe Richbourg / June 29, 2015 / Reviews / Cases and Covers, iOS, iPhone 5 cases / 2 Comments

Ah, the quandry of cases. Designers keep making phones and tablets thinner and lighter, and it sometimes seems that case manufacturers seek to make up for this by making cases stiffer, heavier, and bulkier. With my currently active phone, I started out without a case. It was the first phone I didn’t immediately entomb in

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Case Logic Ibira Backpack review

By Smythe Richbourg / June 14, 2015 / Reviews / Backpack, Bags, Laptop bag, Travel Gear / Leave a Comment

Recently, I moved back to having a MacBookPro again. I had moved to an iMac, since most of my mobile stuff was being done on the iPad. Then work got me a second iMac for a lab/testing machine, and my desk got too crowded. But, of course, that means I now “have” to have a

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Epson Perfection V19 scanner review

By Smythe Richbourg / June 12, 2015 / Reviews / Computer Gear, Scanner, USB / 4 Comments

Capturing images has changed dramatically since 2007 when the iPhone brought in the expectation of having a really capable camera with you at all times. With the miniaturization of smaller image capture sensors, scanners, as well as phones, have gradually increased in processing power to the level that every office of any size will have

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RAVPower 15W Foldable Solar Charger review

By Smythe Richbourg / June 1, 2015 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers, solar charger, USB charger / 4 Comments

Most of us Gadgeteers either spend some time daily in places with power (for sleep, if nothing else) or have battery back-up devices that we can use to recharge our devices. But sometimes, whether we’re out on a job site, or biking, or camping for long periods, we may be “off the grid” electrically, even

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Genius Pack 22″ Carry On review

By Smythe Richbourg / May 24, 2015 / Reviews / Bags, luggage, Travel Gear / 3 Comments

Have you ever stood at the baggage conveyor after a flight and wondered which black rolling bag was yours? I sure have. We have half a dozen in the attic in various sizes and weights, so when our Benevolent Gadgeteer Overlord offered the Genius Pack, I wondered if it might somehow be different. I had

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Urban Armor Gear Rogue Folio for iPad Air review

By Smythe Richbourg / April 28, 2015 / Reviews / Case and stand, Cases and Covers, iOS, iPad, ipad Air 2 / Leave a Comment

Protecting the slabs of glass we carry around has become a focus of concern for the modern Gadgeteer. We have these devices – tablets, phones, phablets, whatever – and they only want to succumb to gravity and destroy themselves in a crash of broken glass and shattered dreams. So we find cases to protect these

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TrackR Bravo review

By Smythe Richbourg / April 23, 2015 / Reviews / Android, iPhone, Security / 70 Comments

Update 09/15/15 Please do your homework before ordering this product. Read the comments below. It appears that this company is taking money and not shipping the orders. The Internet of Things (IoT) is all the rage right now. Adding smart tech to an old piece of tech or something non-tech like a set of keys

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Foldylock bicycle lock review

By Smythe Richbourg / April 18, 2015 / Reviews / Bicycle, Health and fitness, Outdoor Gear, Security / 4 Comments

Securing your bike when you’re out and about is perhaps the first thing a bike owner has to confront, once they’ve bought the bike and a helmet. As soon as you arrive at the post office, drugstore, or coffee shop on your first ride, you get off, and realize you’ll have to prevent someone else

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HelloNomad mobile products review

By Smythe Richbourg / March 22, 2015 / Reviews / Android, Batteries and Chargers, cables, iOS / 2 Comments

There’s a certain balancing act we Gadgeteers play with our cables. You know you do it – you have a short one for when you’re using a laptop or a battery charger on a table or desk, a longer one for when you’re in a “normal” room where you can sit near the outlet, and,

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Avantek Bluetooth Headphones review

By Smythe Richbourg / February 21, 2015 / Reviews / Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth, Bluetooth headphones, Headphones / Leave a Comment

I have a strong preference for over-the-ear headphones, rather than earbuds or on-ear models. I also tend to get so involved in whatever I’m listening to that I tend to walk away from the source without disconnecting. This is not good for cables or lighter music sources that are not attached to my person. So,

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Koreball collapsible kettlebell review

By Smythe Richbourg / February 7, 2015 / Reviews / Exercise, Health and fitness, Travel Gear / Leave a Comment

Exercise is a difficult thing to work into your life sometimes. Gym closings over weekends or holidays, changes in work schedules, and travel for work or pleasure can cause you to miss your workouts. Traveling with equipment more bulky than a few resistance bands and running shoes becomes quite bothersome as well. Enter the Koreball. This

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MB Quart QUB Bluetooth speaker review

By Smythe Richbourg / February 5, 2015 / Reviews / Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth, Bluetooth speaker, Portable speakers / 3 Comments

In the continuing expansion of the Bluetooth speaker market, I have noticed a few trends. There are those designed for personal, near-field listening. These boost the sound from your tablet or smartphone enough that you can hear it as a bubble around your person, but those further away hear it as tinny noise. Next, there

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Moshi SenseCover for iPhone review

By Smythe Richbourg / January 11, 2015 / Reviews / Cases and Covers, iOS, iPhone Case / Leave a Comment

My iPhone is constantly giving me notifications. I chose to have this feedback, but sometimes, I have to interact with it to turn off a reminder or timer. If I’m using a case, swiping across the face requires pulling the phone out, swiping, then replacing it in the cover. Enter Moshi’s Sensecover case. This cover

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The future of gadgets is going to be software

By Smythe Richbourg / January 9, 2015 / News / Apps, Smartphone / 5 Comments

Reporting on CES, NY Times columnist Farad Manjoo, in an article titled In a World of Phones, Gadgets Must Adapt, speaks to a Gadgeteer’s greatest fear: getting a gadget that is no longer needed because of being subsumed by your phone. I saw this meme-type photo the other day and this story reminded me of it. I

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iZon view camera review

By Smythe Richbourg / January 8, 2015 / Reviews / Audio, Video, TV, Home and Kitchen, iOS, security camera, WiFi / 1 Comment

I’ve not seen the need to get a security camera. I neither live in a huge, obviously-full-of-expensive-things home, nor in one of “those” areas where break-ins are common. But I do have this cute little dog, and when I’m gone, I often wonder just what he’s up to – when he’s not sleeping in his

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GOQii fitness band review

By Smythe Richbourg / December 31, 2014 / Reviews / Activity tracker, Health and fitness / 7 Comments

In case you’ve been living in a cave for the last few years, I have some news for you: there’s this thing called fitness bands (or activity trackers or wearables, depending on what your angle is), and it’s everywhere. Julie has collected the entire set, I believe. She has also offered the team several, so,

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Lorton and Horn iPad sleeve review

By Smythe Richbourg / November 6, 2014 / Reviews / iOS, iPad sleeve / 1 Comment

As an iPad user, I am always interested in seeing what new covers and sleeves are available. I especially like the “non-form-fitting” sleeves, so that I can use them with other covers, backing cases, etc. Such is the Lorton and Horn iPad sleeve.

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PhoneSuit Flex XT review

By Smythe Richbourg / November 2, 2014 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers, iOS / 8 Comments

In an ever more-crowded field, PhoneSuit has released an interesting charger for iPhones, iPads and iPods. It’s not a big brick to plug your official cable into, but a svelte little tube that connects directly to your device and provides about a full charge. I was sent two for review, in black and a deep

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