Reviews - The Gadgeteer

Pink noise, Aeropress coffee maker, Hiboost signal booster, and more – Weekly roundup

NEWS – Congratulations, you survived another Monday thru Friday slog and most of Saturday. To celebrate, I have just the perfect activity for you. Sit down, relax, and catch up on all the news and reviews we posted this week. Ready, set, enjoy! ARTICLES Try pink noise for better sleep and memory September 30, 2019 […]

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Lefant M500 robot vacuum cleaner and mop review

By Howard Sneider / October 5, 2019 / Reviews / Home and Kitchen, Robots, Vacuum / 5 Comments

REVIEW – These days there are quite a few Chinese companies selling robot vacuums to compete with iRobot. The marketplace is similar to the plethora of Chinese manufacturers of action cameras that compete with GoPro. There are tradeoffs to quality, price, features, and performance. The Lefant M500 is a robot vacuum with low to middle

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Loog Pro Electric Guitar review

By Alex Birch / October 4, 2019 / Reviews / Guitar, Musical instruments / 1 Comment

REVIEW – Learning to play guitar is on a lot of bucket lists. It’s a skill set that you can continually improve upon your whole life and like a lot of other skills can be immensely frustrating and rewarding at the same time. Condensing the learning curve would go a long way for a lot

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Ausounds AU-Stream ANC TWS earbuds review

By Julie Strietelmeier / October 4, 2019 / Reviews / TWS earbuds / Leave a Comment

REVIEW – When I find a pair of truly wireless earbuds that ticks off all the boxes on my must-have features list, I tell myself that I’m done reviewing them. But then I’m offered a new pair to review and I just can’t seem to say no. The latest pair of TWS earbuds that I’m

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OGIO Alpha Convoy Travel Bag review

By James Garriss / October 4, 2019 / Reviews / luggage, Travel Gear / 4 Comments

REVIEW – Our family has several pieces of luggage, but after traveling to Asia and back and all over the east coast, they’re pretty beaten up. Additionally, they are not very flexible, as they have one main compartment for storing everything. It’s time to try something new, preferably something that is both durable and flexible.

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HiBoost 4K Plus Cell Phone Signal Booster review

By Joe Porletto / October 3, 2019 / Reviews / Cellular / 3 Comments

REVIEW – If you live in an area where there are cellular “dead zones” or the construction of your home or business makes cell reception difficult, it can be frustrating to not be able to use your cell phone to its full potential. Fortunately, if you have at least some signal reaching your location, a

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Ancel WF100 Wireless Endoscope Camera review

By Julian Perry / October 3, 2019 / Reviews / Tools / 2 Comments

REVIEW – When I was a kid, I was a DIY kid. As an adult, I have continued that passion and skill. Over the years, I have learned that having the right tool for the job is very important if I want to get the job done right and if I don’t want to waste

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RAVPower Portable Charger PD 20,000mAh review

By Alex Birch / October 3, 2019 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers / 3 Comments

REVIEW – As much as phone, tablet and computer brands might improve technology and increase battery density and performance, there’s always going to be a new app or connectivity struggles to drain that same battery much faster than you would like. That’s where portable batteries come in very handy. There’s lots of variations out there

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Ohsnap Phone Grip review

By Andy Jacobs / October 2, 2019 / Reviews / Crowdfunded / 11 Comments

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – We all have smartphones, yes? And despite grippy cases, poppy knobs, dangly strap, and other attempts, those smartphones continue to increase in size and therefore are more difficult to hold onto while using them. And because they also keep increasing in price, it seems like a good idea to keep a solid

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OWC USB-C Gen2 Travel Dock review

By David Ferreira / October 2, 2019 / Reviews / Dock / Leave a Comment

REVIEW – With the arrival of my shiny new Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, I decided to try an experiment. For quick out-of-town work trips, I would leave my laptop at home and use the keyboard case and the DeX software to replace it. I wanted to plug into the TV in my hotel room(s), be

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Verykal umbrella review

By Julian Perry / October 1, 2019 / Reviews / Crowdfunded, Outdoor Gear, Umbrella / 1 Comment

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – As a part of my EDC, I carry an umbrella to be prepared for the predicted or unexpected downpour. Most of the small and compact umbrellas that I have tried have been very cheaply made, and after a gust or two of wind, end up in the garbage can along the street

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Solo New York Packable Backpack review

By Jacob Haas / October 1, 2019 / Reviews / Backpack / Leave a Comment

REVIEW – When packing for a long trip, it’s easy to forgo including a smaller bag for your shorter journeys after arriving at your destination. Backpacks are usually bulky and add unwanted weight to your already heavy luggage. The Packable Backpack from Solo New York could be the answer to this dilemma. What is it?

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OCLU action camera review

By Raul Sanchez / September 30, 2019 / Reviews / Action Camera / Leave a Comment

REVIEW – When people speak of action cameras, the first thing that comes to their mind is the GoPro camera. In addition to that, the image that comes to mind is the typical rectangle matchbox shape of them as well. However, thanks to the OCLU action camera, the OCLU will shatter the stereotypical shape and

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AeroPress Coffee Maker review

By Andy Jacobs / September 30, 2019 / Reviews / Coffee, Coffee Brewer / 12 Comments

REVIEW – I’m a daily coffee drinker, but I suppose not as sophisticated a connoisseur as some coffee aficionados. Because the free coffee at my work is an abysmally-flavored near-poison, I’d been considering the purchase of a French press with the intention of brewing my own coffee there. A few colleagues had mentioned a type

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YooTech Qi Wireless Charger Stand with Cooling Fan review

By Smythe Richbourg / September 29, 2019 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers, Qi, Wireless charging / Leave a Comment

REVIEW – Most moderate- to high-end phones these days include Qi charging as a given. Because of this, manufacturers are finding it profitable to bring out chargers that can fit into our environment easily, but sometimes, you just want a simple stand/charger with no frills, right? YooTech has just released such a charger and we

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EarFun Free truly wireless earbuds review

By Brooke Hall / September 28, 2019 / Reviews / TWS earbuds / 1 Comment

REVIEW – If you’re looking for super lightweight earbuds, EarFun Free earbuds are only 2 ounces and they’re comfortable enough to wear all day. They have a sleek, efficient design that can fit into your pocket. But most importantly, they deliver impressive sound quality without being outrageously expensive. What is it? In-ear headphones that are

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BlitzWolf Selfie Stick review

By Smythe Richbourg / September 28, 2019 / Reviews / Camera gear, Photography, Smartphone accessory / 6 Comments

REVIEW – Selfie Sticks are a universally polarizing thing. Folks either adore them or detest them. But if you add in a shutter remote and a tripod that folds up into the handle, is it still a selfie stick? This is the question brought to mind by the new BlitzWolf Selfie Stick model BW-BS10, which

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Roland BTM-1 Bluetooth Speaker review

By Alex Birch / September 27, 2019 / Reviews / Bluetooth speaker, Musical instruments / Leave a Comment

REVIEW – Bluetooth speakers are not hard to find. They come in all shapes and sizes. Guitar amps are also readily available and many now support Bluetooth. Roland’s BTM-1 strikes a different balance and pairs a tastefully retro portable Bluetooth speaker with an instrument input that might just be the speaker you didn’t know you

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Secura Hot ‘n Crispy 5.3L Air Fryer review

By James Garriss / September 27, 2019 / Reviews / air fryer, Cooking, Food, Home and Kitchen / 1 Comment

REVIEW – Some people love to cook and are good at it. Others of us are not-so-skilled, but we still have to eat. Eating out every night is rather expensive, and Ramen noodles get old in a hurry. What’s a non-cook to do? I have a theory: I think it’s possible to do a lot

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Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant + Shutoff review

By Dave Moore / September 26, 2019 / Reviews / Home Automation / 12 Comments

REVIEW – A few months ago, my neighbor had a burst washing machine water line, resulting in substantial damage, a huge mess, large expense, and a lot of frustration. It got me thinking that there should be a better way to prevent this from happening. I’m thrilled that the Phyn Plus Smart Assist shutoff should

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