dimanche 30 avril 2017

Urbanears challenges you to get active with their new Stadion headset

Earlier this week Urbanears introduced their new Active collection including the light and flexible Stadion wireless Bluetooth headset that features stretchy coils and EarClick technology for a custom fit that is comfortable for any head shape.

With a sweat-proof design and a 3-button control on the back, the Stadion wireless Bluetooth headset lets users shuffle through their favorite music, adjust volume, and answer calls without worrying that the headset will get in the way or fall out of their ears.

“It can be a challenge finding the right pair of workout headphones that deliver your music without feeling restrictive,” says Oscar Axhede, Chief Evangelist & Co-founder, Urbanears. “With Stadion, we wanted to remove as many distractions as possible and make something that would almost become a part of you. It’s lightweight, there’s no cords, nothing that bounces. It’s just an easy, dependable fit you don’t even have to think about.”

Urbanears Stadion comes in four colors and is now available for purchase for $99 at urbanears.com, and soon at select retailers worldwide like Amazon.

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Urbanears challenges you to get active with their new Stadion headset originally appeared on on April 30, 2017 at 2:59 pm.

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Urbanears challenges you to get active with their new Stadion headset

Japanese table top juggling fidget toy

Fidget toys have become very popular lately and it seems like everywhere I look there’s a new crowdfunding campaign for a spinning toy. Fun, but not unique. That’s where the Kururin flipping toy is different. It’s made of wood and designed to tumble end over end across a flat surface.

Watching someone play with a Kururin reminds me a little of juggling. It’s mesmerizing and looks easy enough for anyone to do.

The Japanese toy helps improve hand-eye coordination skills while scratching your fidget itch. You can buy a Kururin rolling stick for $12.99 from Kendamausa.com. You can also check Amazon, who sells other brands of this type of toy.

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Japanese table top juggling fidget toy originally appeared on on April 30, 2017 at 11:02 am.

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Japanese table top juggling fidget toy

Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review

I’ve always been a fan of notebooks. They are great for keeping in one place all of your jotting, journaling, doodling, to-do listings, thought capturing, inventing and on and on. I’ve tried several different notebooks over the years, and my favorite had always been the venerable Moleskine. But I’m also a fan of the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, and while searching through it quite a while back I stumbled upon a campaign for the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover notebook.  It had a clean look and interesting dimensions, so I became a backer and pledged for one. Baron Fig has since become a successful company and has launched additional products, but their Confidant notebook remains their flagship. Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

Options

The Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook is available in the following cover colors:

  • Light Gray (reviewed here)
  • Charcoal

And in the following sizes and page counts:

  • Pocket (small) – 3.5 x 5 inches, 160 pages
  • Flagship (medium; reviewed here) – 5.4 x 7.7 inches, 192 pages
  • Plus (large) – 7 x 10 inches, 208 pages

It is also available with the following page types:

  • Ruled (reviewed here)
  • Dot Grid
  • Blank

Packaging

baronfig-confidant_01

The Confidant Hardcover’s packaging was a burgundy-colored sturdy cardboard box with a nesting lid and tray design that protects the notebook very well.  The front of the box features a prominent but simple artist’s depiction of the product inside the box, a Ruled Confidant Hardcover Notebook.baronfig-confidant_02

The rear of the box maintains the simplicity of the front and includes a few brief thoughts about the product inside.  At this point, I was pretty excited to open it.baronfig-confidant_03

Opening the box and removing the contents did not disappoint.  I was immediately taken by the Confidant Hardcover’s appearance, and things just got better from there.

Features, Functions, and Performancebaronfig-confidant_04

As mentioned above, I was immediately impressed with its look and feel.  I liked the gray, textured cover and the size.
baronfig-confidant_05

Opening the cover, there was simply a burgundy rectangle for the owner to write whatever it is that they want to write.  Could be your name, contact info, volume or edition number, a sketch of your dog—it’s up to you.
baronfig-confidant_06

One of the Confidant Hardcover’s features that I appreciated was its “lay flat” design.  I don’t think I did a great job of demonstrating this feature in the image above, but rest assured, the two halves of the notebook do indeed lay flat.

baronfig-confidant_07
baronfig-confidant_08

One thing I noticed about the Confidant was that, after fully opening the lay-flat cover for the first time, the cover didn’t want to lay completely flat against the rest of the pages with the cover closed.  Not really a big issue to me, but since the Confidant doesn’t have a built-in elastic band to keep it closed like many similar notebooks, this could be annoying to some folks.

baronfig-confidant_09

There are two things to note in the above photo.  First, the texture of the Confidant’s fabric cover. Although the Confidant is indeed a hardcover, it has a cloth/fabric exterior. Additionally, the Confidant, like many notebooks, includes an integrated bookmark in a bright yellow color.
baronfig-confidant_10

As mentioned above, I think Confidant is a nice size and feels good in the hand.  In fact, the fabric texture on the cover helps give a bit of grip to it.
baronfig-confidant_11

Because the Moleskine notebook is so popular and considered by many to be the “gold standard” in notebooks, I thought it would be useful to include a bit of a comparison between the Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover with the Moleskine Large Ruled Notebook.  As seen in the image above, the footprint dimensions of the notebooks are slightly different.  The Confidant Hardcover, on the left, is 5.4 inches wide X 7.7 inches tall, while the Moleskine Large Notebook is 5 inches wide by 8.25 inches tall.  In addition, the cover material is different as well.  The Confidant is more like a gray cloth or fabric, while the Moleskine is the recognizable smooth black leather-like material (I’m not sure if it’s real leather, but I suspect not).baronfig-confidant_12

In the image above, the Confidant Hardcover is on the top, with the Moleskine on the bottom.  The Confidant’s pages are thicker than the Moleskine’s.  in fact, I found that, depending on the type of ink used, the Confidant seemed to have a much lower risk of ink bleed-through compared to the Moleskine.

baronfig-confidant_13

In the above photo, the Confidant is again on the top, with the Moleskin on the bottom.  Both have integrated bookmarks, but I think I prefer the Confidant’s wider, more boldly-colored one.  The Confidant also had a bit lighter and more subdued lines on its pages.

baronfig-confidant_14

Conclusion

I’ll just come out and say it: I’m a big fan of Baron Fig’s products and their Confidant Notebook in particular.  I like its size, color and texture and its lay-flat design is handy as well.  Can you find these features in other, similar notebooks?  To a large extent, yes; however, there is just something I really like about the Confidant.  In addition, the Baron Fog Confidant is available in two colors, three page types, and three sizes.  If you are in the market for a new notebook, I would encourage you to give the Baron Fig Confidant a look.

Source: The product in this review was purchased with the reviewer’s own funds. Please visit Baron Fig at BaronFig.com for more info or to order. You can find some of the products on Amazon too.

 

Product Information

Price: $18.00
Manufacturer: Baron Fig
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • None
Pros:
  • + Dimensions are just right and cover color and texture are appealing
  • + High-quality paper with low bleed-through risk
Cons:
  • - No folder on the inside back cover for loose items like other, similar notebooks
  • - Cover didn't stay fully closed after fully opening it flat for the first time

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Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review originally appeared on on April 30, 2017 at 9:30 am.

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Baron Fig Confidant Hardcover Notebook review

These beautiful steampunk pens will look perfect on your Victorian style desk

Are you a fan of steampunk style? Do you also have a lot of expendable cash lying around? Then check out the Megan Kening Etsy website for some really cool, beautifully handmade steampunk pens like this In Memory of Bessie Sm. V2 Steampunk fountain pen. This particular pen was made in memory of 1920’s American jazz and blues vocalist, Bessie Smith. It is made up of 18K gold, brass, and copper. It comes with ink (five), a stand, and a velvet trimmed storage box. The In Memory of Bessie Sm. V2 Steampunk fountain pen is quite expensive being $329. There are other steampunk style pens available from the same site which range in price from $129 – $669.

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These beautiful steampunk pens will look perfect on your Victorian style desk originally appeared on on April 30, 2017 at 8:36 am.

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These beautiful steampunk pens will look perfect on your Victorian style desk

samedi 29 avril 2017

LG G6 review, Spotcam review, Bluetooth speaker reviews and more – Weekly roundup

It’s that time of the week where you’re happy you’re not at work, but you’re already feeling like the weekend is going by way too fast. I have the perfect way for you to slow things down and relax for a few minutes. It’s my weekly roundup listing of everything we’ve posted this week on The Gadgeteer. Click through and enjoy!

Reviews

News

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LG G6 review, Spotcam review, Bluetooth speaker reviews and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on on April 29, 2017 at 6:00 pm.

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LG G6 review, Spotcam review, Bluetooth speaker reviews and more – Weekly roundup

Coding iPhone Apps for Kids – New from No Starch Press

New from No Starch Press: Coding iPhone Apps for Kids A Playful Introduction to Swift
by Gloria Winquist and Matt McCarthy. This book teaches children and adults to code in Apple’s free beginner-friendly programming language called Swift. This 336-page book full-color book is a fun guide that will explain the building blocks of app programming, from loops to variables, strings, and more.According to No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock

“App development is fun for kids because it’s exciting to make something that hundreds of thousands of people might use. This book will show readers how to make something amazing, and it continues our tradition of making technology more accessible for everyone.”

This book will help you learn how to create a fully functioning iPhone app even if you’ve never programmed before. Coding iPhone Apps for Kids will be available in May from No Starch Press but you can pre-ordered a copy of the book now for $29.95.

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Coding iPhone Apps for Kids – New from No Starch Press originally appeared on on April 29, 2017 at 5:00 pm.

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Coding iPhone Apps for Kids – New from No Starch Press

Be a geek from head to toe with ChattyFeet scientist socks

Fly your geek flag high and proud with these silly socks from ChattyFeet. Available in a variety of fun styles, these cotton socks will keep your feet warm and let everyone know (when you take off your shoes) which famous scientist you admire most.

Whether you choose the Albert Einstoe, Stephen Toeking, Sigmund Socks, or Prof. Brian Sox, these socks will inspire deep conversations on the all things science… like why is it that you always end up with one sock that has no mate every time you do the laundry?

The ChattyFeet scientist socks come in men’s sizes and are priced at $10.34 per pair. Visit ChattyFeet.com for more info.

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Be a geek from head to toe with ChattyFeet scientist socks originally appeared on on April 29, 2017 at 3:53 pm.

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Be a geek from head to toe with ChattyFeet scientist socks

The Bastron Transparent Touch Glass keyboard – now you see it, now you don’t

The Bastron Ver.3 Transparent Touch Glass Keyboard is a cool looking keyboard that is made out of tempered glass and has a gold colored aluminum frame. It is a USB keyboard (micro-USB cable included) that is touch sensitive, waterproof, supports gesture controls, and even has a blue LED backlight feature. If you enjoy an unusual twist to your tech accessories, then perhaps this keyboard is for you. If however, you don’t have a lot of cash, then perhaps not since it is $94.69 from Amazon.

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The Bastron Transparent Touch Glass keyboard – now you see it, now you don’t originally appeared on on April 29, 2017 at 11:13 am.

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The Bastron Transparent Touch Glass keyboard – now you see it, now you don’t

Amped Wireless Artemis-EX high power AC1300 Wi-fi range extender review

 

Do you have areas of your house that have weak or no Wi-fi coverage?  Perhaps the ‘dead zones’ are due to distance, numerous walls, or the type of walls between you and your router.  Not only that but maybe there are so many people in your house requiring Wi-fi that your bandwidth is getting eaten up.  Enter the Artemis High Power AC1300 Wi-fi Range Extender, model RE1300M.  This device can help your resolve your Wi-fi woes; extending your current routers’ range by up to 12,000 sq ft.

One of the best things about this Wi-fi extender is that it can extend the range of ANY router by up to 12,000 sq ft. That’s right. With only a few exceptions*, this extender will power you up with AC1300 speeds.

*May not work with non-standard Wi-Fi routers or routers with altered firmware or proprietary firmware, such as those from third party sources or some Internet service providers. May not work with routers that do not comply with IEEE or Wi-Fi standards. (per AmpedWireless.com)

The device is loaded with special features, too. 8 strong amplifiers and 2 antennas, Multi-User MIMO, Unmatched AC1300 Wi-fi for flawless HD & 4K streaming, More bandwidth for more devices (with no lag, even when multiple devices are streaming), Parental security features and Guest Networks, BoostBand™ Technology maximizes speed, Universal compatibility, High-powered Quad-core internet processor, Network bridging with 5 Gigabit wired ports, a signal strength LED that ensures you have optimal placement of the unit, Simple setup (more on that later), and a USB 3.0 port that lets you share files quickly (over your network or via FTP client).

We all have so many devices connected to our networks at home. Smartphones, TV’s, ROKU, Apple TV, computers, laptops, tablets, even large appliances.  The list goes on and on.  A typical family of four can have around 50 or more devices pulling bandwidth from their network. Sometimes you just need a boost, and that’s where the Artemis-EX RE1300M comes in. It’s specially designed for multi-user, multi-device households. And with the features I mentioned above, this device can deliver unmatched range and reliability for up to 12,000 square feet of coverage in your home. The AC1300 technology can deliver 399 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, and up to 866 Mbps on the 5GHz band. Another great thing about this extender is that it has MU-MIMO tech, too. That means that it can send data to multiple devices at the same time, and with no lag or buffering. Uninterrupted streaming for everyone!!

How can it do this? It expands the range of your EXISTING Wi-fi network from your current router (2.4GHz and/or 5GHz) and redistributes it farther away from your current router at very fast speeds. This helps you get rid of Wi-fi ‘dead zones’ in your home. Amped Wireless says that you can “seamlessly stream, game, and download on all your devices at once with up to 1.26Gbps Wi-fi speeds.”

The picture below shows why the Amped Wireless Artemis-EX RE1300M is better than other Wi-fi extenders out there:

And these are comparisons between Artemis’ extender vs. “standard” range extenders:

It’s pretty cool that you get an antenna gain of up to 5dBi and output power of up to 800mW.

So let’s talk about the ports and connectors on the back.

From top-to-bottom, you have your AC power jack, then the power button. You’ve got 5 Gigabit wired ports, then a USB 3.0 port (for file sharing). Below that is a little red “Reset” button, then a WPS 1-touch setup button. And finally, there is a button that lets you turn the LED’s on the front of the unit on/off.

I like the layout on the back of the router. Everything is spaced nicely, and it’s laid out in a logical fashion. Another nice feature of the Artemis-EX is that it comes with a little attachable stand. You can put the stand on either of the extender’s sides, with the front facing down on the stand. or on its belly (using the pre-attached rubber feet). Basically, the stand allows you to decrease the footprint of the device.

What about the BoostBand technology that I mentioned earlier? I can’t explain it any better than Amped Wireless; “BoostBand Technology increases the overall speed and performance of your extended network by streamlining dual band network traffic through a single Wi-fi frequency band between the router and the Range Extender.” Here’s a picture to illustrate:

We need to talk about the setup of this Artemis-EX Range Extender. Before I begin, let me preface by saying that this unit extends your CURRENT network. Hopefully, you already have adequate security and firewalls on your current setup. If not, make sure everything is ‘up to snuff’ because 1) you need it, and 2) this extender basically clones your current network and puts an “_RE” on the end of your home network’s name. So if your home network’s SSID is “MIRROR2.4”, after being cloned, you would want to connect to the “MIRROR2.4_RE” network in parts of the house that previously had ‘dead zones’.

One thing I absolutely hate about this Range Extender is that there is no built-in security, firewall, or password. The moment you plug it in, scan for Wi-fi networks, and you see that there are two new networks available: “Amped_ArtemisEX_2.4” and “Amped_ArtemisEX_5.0”, and they are both OPEN networks. In my opinion, that’s a giant risk. The setup process IS pretty easy, and it only takes a few minutes get this unit up and running. But in today’s world, a few minutes is all a malicious hacker needs to get into your network. So work fast!! Read through ALL of the instructions before you even plug this thing in, and everything should go smoothly. You’ll know what you have to do and what to expect, and you should be OK. But I surely hate that it’s not pre-locked with a password or SOMETHING! Anyway, perhaps I’m paranoid, but I’m a secure paranoid.

Here’s what you have to do to get set up:
1) Find a location about half-way between your existing router and your ‘dead zones’.
2) Attach the antennas to the Range Extender, then plug it in.
3) Go to your computer or tablet, scan for networks, and choose either “Amped_ArtemisEX_2.4” or “Amped_ArtemisEX_5.0”. (If your current router has 5.0 service available.
4) Open a web browser. Amped Wireless recommends using Google Chrome, Safari, or Internet Explorer 8.0 and up. You can NOT use Firefox. Go to the link they have listed on the included instructions. Accessing the site does not require internet access.
5) A Dashboard will come up. It looks like this:

6) Click “Scan” for an available network to EXTEND.

7) You’ll want to select your current network name. If your home network name is “MIRROR2.4” and “MIRROR5”, and you have both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, you would click on “MIRROR2.4” and “MIRROR5” in each column. (See Artemis_EX example below). Be sure to select BOTH the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz if you have them. The left side has radio buttons in a BLUE 5GHZ column, the right side has radio buttons in a GREEN 2.4GHz column.  See picture below.  Make sure that the signal strength from your current router is 70% or higher. If it’s below that, you’ll need to move the Range Extender closer to your router.

8) This is when you set up your home security settings, (as Amped Wireless puts it: “if necessary”).  :::eyes rolling:::  You need to enter your current Wi-fi security key, here.  HOWEVER, you CAN choose to “Clone” the settings of your current network (the one(s) you selected in Step 7).  In that case, go to step 9.

9) Configure settings for your new EXTENDED network. The default SSID’s of the extended networks are “Amped_ArtemisEX_2.4” and “Amped_ArtemisEX_5.0”, but if you Cloned your existing home network, your home network name AND security key(s) will automatically copy for you. The new SSID’s will be, for example, “MIRROR2.4_RE” and “MIRROR5_RE”. IMPORTANT!!! DO NOT CLOSE THE BROWSER OR REFRESH THE SCREEN AT THIS POINT!

This is something else I do not like about the Range Extender: It takes 140 seconds to reconfigure before it even reboots. 2 minutes and 20 seconds of vulnerable time…

10) Connect to the new Extended Network.  So after your 140 seconds are over, the Range Extender reboots and disconnects your Wi-fi connection.  After it restarts, scan for networks again, and choose your EXTENDED network SSID, like “Amped_ArtemisEX_5.0” or “MIRROR2.4_RE”

11) Apparently, depending on which browser you used to set the device up, you may or may not get a Setup Summary page displayed on your browser once the new extended network is reconnected, which looks like this:

If you don’t get a summary page (I didn’t when using Chrome) after you’ve re-connected to the extended network, THEN it’s okay to refresh the page or go to a different website.

Here are some other shots of the product & packaging:

Here is a list of all specifications for the Artemis-EX high power AC1300 Wi-fi Range Extender:

Wireless Standard: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Frequency Band: 2.4GHz/5GHz Simultaneous
Wireless Speed: 2.4GHz: 399Mbps (Rx), 399Mbps (Tx)
5GHz: 866Mbps (Rx), 866Mbps (Tx)
Amplifiers: 2 x 2.4GHz Amplifiers
2 x 5GHz Amplifiers
4 x Low Noise Amplifiers
Processor: Quad-Core Processor
Memory: 128MB DDR3
Wireless Coverage Control: 15% – 100% Output Power
(Individually adjustable for 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks)
Antennas: 2 x Detachable High Gain 5dBi Dual Band Antennas
Ports: 5 x RJ-45 10/100/1000M LAN Ports (Local Ports)
1 x USB 3.0 Port for USB Storage
Power Adapter Rating: Switching Adapter (Input: 100-240v, Output: 12v, 2A)
Mounting: Wall or Desktop
Warranty: 1 Year
Setup Requirements: 2.4GHz or 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n or ac Wi-Fi Network
Computer, tablet or smartphone with a web browser
Package Contents: ARTEMIS-EX High Power AC1300 Wi-Fi Range Extender with MU-MIMO
2 x Detachable High Gain Dual Band Antennas
Power Adapter (100-240v)
Setup Guide

If you have any problems or questions, during or after setup, Amped Wireless Elite Support is readily available. And I can vouch for the “Elite Support”. I needed to contact them for some clarifications, and they arranged a day/time that was convenient for me, and called the exact minute they said they would. I was very impressed by that and with the Elite Support agent that assisted me who was patient, understanding, and professional.

In summary
Overall, this device is well worth the price ($99.00), and it performs very well. I’ve voiced my concerns about the security issues, but that being said, the ODDS that you would be successfully hacked during the setup time are slim. It has a wealth of features and functions, with advanced technology that will make everyone in your house a lot happier about their internet needs. Once you have it set up, you can set parental controls as you wish. It allows you to set the exact days and times that the networks are available, control the strength of your signal, and even block specific devices from accessing the network at all. It is compatible with Android and iPhone. In fact, it’s compatible with all Apple networking features, Like AirPlay® and AirPrint™.  It’s very fast, and with the Multi-User MIMO, it pretty much solves any streaming, downloading, and gaming issues you may currently be having. This device lets you create up to 8 networks for guests and restrict access to specific users. The 8 amplifiers and 2 antennas give you ample power output and signal boost. The Range Extender works with all brands of a standard single band (2.4GHz) or dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) wireless routers and service provider gateways. There are Red, Yellow, and Green LEDs on the front of the unit that indicate the signal strength being received from your router. The USB 3.0 port make file sharing easier than ever. It’s even wall-mountable! I would strongly consider buying this product. The only reason I can’t suggest to definitely buy is because of the setup time security issue.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Amped Wireless. You can get more information on their website and order there, or visit Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $99.00
Manufacturer: Amped Wireless
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Good price
  • Multitudes of features
  • Powerful
  • Fast
  • BoostBand technology
  • Very customizable
Cons:
  • Security issues during setup
  • No built-in initial password protection

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Amped Wireless Artemis-EX high power AC1300 Wi-fi range extender review originally appeared on on April 29, 2017 at 9:33 am.

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Amped Wireless Artemis-EX high power AC1300 Wi-fi range extender review

Amazon announces the Echo Look style assistant

Amazon has announced a new member of the Echo device family, the Echo Look. The Echo Look has the same basic functionality as the Echo Dot and original Echo (aka Alexa), but with a new, sleek design and an added built-in depth-sensing camera and flash.

Being marketed as an Amazon Echo and “Style Assistant”, the Echo Look’s camera and LED flash allows you to take full-length photos or videos of yourself via voice command. You can share the photos or add them to a daily lookbook to keep track of outfits you’ve worn recently.

Once you build up your lookbook, Style Check will start showing you recommendations based on your style which you can then purchase via your Look or Amazon’s website.

You can also use your photos to compare two outfits using Amazon’s Style Check. Style Check is a new Amazon service that “combines machine learning algorithms with advice from fashion specialists” to help you pick which outfit to wear. The videos taken with the Echo Look can be viewed via the companion app as well, allowing you to check out all angles of an outfit before heading out the door.

You can also still use the Echo Look like any other Echo device, asking it questions, playing music, getting weather updates, etc.

Amazon is constantly upgrading the functionality of their Echo devices via software updates, this is the first new hardware offering since the release of the Echo Dot.

The Amazon Echo Look is priced at $199.99 and currently is available only by invitation.

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Amazon announces the Echo Look style assistant originally appeared on on April 29, 2017 at 8:36 am.

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Amazon announces the Echo Look style assistant

vendredi 28 avril 2017

Now you can garden like Wolverine

Live out your wildest Wolverine fantasies – in the garden – with Garden Genie gloves. These latex and nylon gloves are waterproof, puncture resistant, and feature ABS plastic claws which make them perfect for dangerous outdoor projects like planting flowers.

The gloves are one size fits most, but only the right-hand glove has the built-in claws. Lefties like me are left out. Boo!

Garden Genie gloves look like they would be handy for other jobs in addition to digging in the dirt. I can see using them when pruning plants with thorns or other prickly plants.

I found a bunch of different branded gloves like these online from a variety of sources, but the best deal I found has two pairs of Garden Genie gloves for $5.50 and that also includes free shipping. Head over to Amazon for more info.

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Now you can garden like Wolverine originally appeared on on April 28, 2017 at 1:56 pm.

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Now you can garden like Wolverine

IOGEAR USB-C Ultra-Slim Dual Display Docking Station review

Recently Julie and I both purchased 12″ MacBooks and while extremely light and portable, the sleek and slim laptop is lacking in ports to say the least. That is a known “design feature” and for me, really is not an issue when on the move. But there are definitely moments where going port-less is a bit of an inconvenience. That said, IOGEAR has several USB-C docking stations engineered to provide you with what Apple has taken away 😉 including monitor support, USB ports, SD card slots, and everything in between. For this review IOGEAR sent me their Ultra-Slim dock to checkout. 

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Here you can see (or perhaps you can’t) my MacBook resting on the Ultra-Slim stand, not only being powered but connected to wired ethernet and pumping video to my 25″ QHD monitor. If I didn’t know better, I would say this IOGEAR dock was designed specifically for the 12″ MacBook. The docking station is the exact width of the MacBook with insets/divots perfectly placed for the back feet of the laptop to sit in.

Features:

  • Stylish and ultra slim docking station
  • Instantly dock up to 10 devices including
    • 3 x USB 3.0 (USB Type-A) with 1 x BC 1.2 Quick Charge Port
    • Built-in memory card readers (SD/MMC/Micro SD)
    • 3.5mm audio input/output
    • Gigabit Ethernet
    • HDMI (4K), Mini DisplayPort (4K) and VGA
  • Charge your laptop while docked-Power Delivery Pass Through*
  • Stunning 4K resolution

* PD Pass-Thru requires USB-C charger from your laptop. Up to 60W can be charged to the laptop.

The Ultra-Slim docking station provides all the ports your MacBook or ultra-portable USB-C enabled Windows laptop are missing: three standard USB 3.0 ports (one has quick-charge), SD & microSD slots, gigabit ethernet connection, DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, and docked-power delivery pass through.

Requirements:

  • USB-C compatible laptops with DP Alt-Mode support
  • USB-C AC Adapter from Laptop is needed for Power Delivery Pass-Thru Function
  • Mac OS X 10.10.5+ (*MST is not supported by Mac OS)
  • Only one additional video output can be utilized for extended desktop using Mac OS
  • For dual screen extended desktop in Windows, you must use HDMI with Mini Display Port
  • When VGA output is utilized, only one additional extended desktop screen will be available

The IOGEAR docking station is made from high-grade aluminum and is as small and compact as its name implies. It measures: 11″ (27.94cm) x 3.0″ (7.62cm) x 0.6″ (1.52cm) and weighs in at a mere 0.70 lbs (0.32kg). Here you can see the two insets in the top of the dock for the feet of the laptop to sit in.

The dock is sloped downward for a better typing angle if you do not use a separate keyboard and mouse. According to IOGEAR, “the intelligently contoured design provides the best ergonomic typing experience for your laptop.” The right side of the dock has an earphone jack andthe left side has a non-detachable USB-C cable for connecting to your laptop.

The rubber feet on the base of the docking station do a decent enough job of keeping the unit where you place it on your desk. Though due to its lightweight, the dock does slide around if you’re not careful inserting cables, SD cards, and thumb drives.

The IOGEAR Ultra-Slim dock enables you to connect a single 4K monitor or two 1080p monitors to your laptop concurrently.

The dock allows you to mirror or extend your Windows USB-C laptop to two monitors or extend your USB-C MacBook to one additional monitor (due to MacOS limitations).

Here you can see the ethernet, DisplayPort and power cables connected to the dock in addition to a thumb drive and SD card inserted as well. Overall the Ultra-Slim docking system works very well, delivering great connectivity and video quality.

The wired gigabit ethernet provides very zippy connectivity.

The only design tweak I would make on this docking station would be to shorten the USB-C cable that connects the dock to the laptop. Or better yet, engineer a standard USB 3.0 port on the side of the dock so you could choose any length of USB-C cable you want. The integrated cable is unnecessarily long and sticks out pretty far, lessening the tech-Zen the dock brings to my desk space.

A few other noteworthy limitations or nuances worth calling out:

  1. the dock is not able to power Apple’s optical SuperDrive,
  2. inserting and removing the microSD card is a bit of a pain/hassle. I found it difficult to do with the MB on the dock,
  3. the metal on metal design of resting your finely crafted 12″ MacBook on the dock’s metal casing worries me that the dock may eventually scratch or mare the underside of the MacBook. But a skin of some type would eliminate this issue.

The IOGEAR USB-C Ultra-Slim Dual Display Docking Station is a great way to expand the port and viewing options of a USB-C laptop lacking such features. There is little doubt in my mind this minimalist trend is with us to stay. And for the most part, I believe the average laptop user would trade ports for portability a majority of the time. Especially if when they are tied to their desk an integrated single-cable solution dock is waiting for them to plug into giving them a full suite of port options and expanding their workspace experience. The bottom line is the IOGEAR Ultra-Slim dock is making the transition from 15″ MBPro to the port-less 12″ MacBook nearly seamless.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by IOGEAR. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order. See below for latest price.

 

Product Information

Price: $129.95
Manufacturer: IOGEAR
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • USB-C laptop
Pros:
  • Quality construction
  • Well thought out design
  • Excellent single cable solution
  • Dual monitor support (Windows only)
  • Adds a multitude of ports - dock up to 10 devices
  • Supports HDMI (4K), Mini DisplayPort (4K) and VGA
Cons:
  • USB-C cable is longer than need be
  • Difficult inserting/removing microSD card
  • Metal on metal design

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews

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IOGEAR USB-C Ultra-Slim Dual Display Docking Station review originally appeared on on April 28, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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IOGEAR USB-C Ultra-Slim Dual Display Docking Station review