Jeffrey Donenfeld

Category: Reviews – 4N

DJI Phantom 4 Quadcopter Review – Your Eyes On The World
This is the summer of drones. DJI has its Phantom Series, Yuneec has Typhoon, and today GoPro released Karma. Earlier this summer I flew and reviewed the Yuneec Q500 Phantom drone – with mixed reactions. Over the past month, I’ve had the pleasure of flying the DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter drone – which is an absolute dream.

What It Is

The DJI Phantom 4 Drone is DJI’s flagship drone. It sits at the intersection between hardcore professional filming drones and more accessible consumer level drones, offering easy flying, lots of advanced features, and great image quality. The packaging, handling, and utility is made to be easily accessible to first time flyers, and continuously useful to experienced pilots.

DJI Phantom 4 Product Page

Who It’s For

The Phantom 4 is aimed at semi-pro flyers who want to focus on getting the shot, every time. The drone comes almost completely assembled, and is a breeze to get all setup and into the air. Without reading any instructions, I got the drone setup in under 10 minutes, and was ready to fly in 20 for the first flight. The camera, with its fixed lens, is well suited for semi-pro photographers who want easily spectactular shots, but who don’t necessarily need to customize their choice of lens focal lengths. Finally, the Phantom4 is for enthusiast pilots who just want a drone that’s a kickass fun time to fly – high, fast, close quarters, etc – it’s just plain fun and easy to use.

First Impressions

Out of all of the consumer electronics I’ve reviewed lately, the packaging of the Phantom 4 is by far the most slick – it comes in a great foam box which doubles as a storage and transport case. There’s not too much extraneous accessories or packaging. The extra propellers come in a nice microfiber bag. The entire drone and controller are packaged nicely, and make an immediate impression.

The Phantom 4 certainly feels like a premium item. The white plastic is tough and solid, as are the rest of the accessories. Fit and finish of the entire package has been carefully considered, and it really comes together as a unified system. No piecemeal attachments here.

First flight was scary, but easy. Using the DJI GO app on my iPhone connected to the controller, I was able to get the Phantom 4 airborne with a quick swipe. On first flight, the software puts the pilot in “Beginner Mode”, restricting flight options until gaining more experience. Great idea! I flew my first flight for 20 minutes on a tour of the neighborhood, and used to “return to home” feature to make a smooth landing right in front of me.

The first round of footage looked great – I shot in 1080P, and it was certainly spectacular to look at. Smooth, stable, and with great exposure. The only issue I had with my first couple of shots is that the controls are so responsive, it’s easy to make jerky flight movements, which result in jerks in the footage. This is all tunable in the software – but it does take a bit of fiddling around.

Recharging the battery was easy, as was the controller. The only question I had about the controller was, why can’t we charge it with Micro USB? I know it charges slower, but it would be a nice fallback option for charging on the go.

Flight Platform

The Phantom 4 is a rockstar in flight. It’s solid as a rock, super agile, and flies reliably in very sketchy conditions. The one time I ran it into a building, it actually bounced off the roof, and recovered to normal flight in seconds – amazing!

Like
- Easy to get started flying. The automatic modes are robust and easy to use, as well as give good expandability as your skills get better. I love that there are programmed flight modes, allowing you to setup a shot and then have the drone reproduce it for multiple takes.
- Status lights on the craft are bright and easy to see, especially at dusk.
- After flying at 12000+ feet, I’m confident that this thing has the power and stability to fly in almost any situation. It takes off easily, and holds its position in the sky without any difficulty. Take your hands off the controller, and the P4 just hovers perfectly still.
- Range is great, and the video transmission quality is dynamically scaled back as the drone gets farther away.
- Return to home works great. Upon pressing the button, or loss of signal, the drone flies reliably back home. There were many many many instances where I was flying the drone well out of visual range, and pushed it as far as it would go. After it got so far away that the connection was completely lost (a few miles in rugged mountain terrain at 10000ft), the thing just made its own way back to takeoff point and landed smoothly. With battery to spare. Amazing!
- Sport mode is FAST! So much fun to fly like this.
- Battery life – 20 minutes or so, is pretty good! Of course I want to fly this thing for hours, but the 20 or so minutes you get per charge is perfectly acceptable. Be sure to pick up extra batteries.
Don’t Like
- Turning the unit on and off is weird – it requires a “dot-dash” button press to turn it on and off – not super intuitive.
- A few times while auto landing, it got into a major vertical oscillation, forcing me to take over manual flight to get it to land without crashing.
- While it is fairly small, given how much fun it is to fly, I wanted to take it lots of places with me. I know there’s a backpack for it, but it’s still a bulky system. Would be cool if the legs folded and camera detached, to make the whole thing fit in a more flat profile (hint hint).
- I know you can get prop guards as an accessory, but I really think they should come standard. People fly these things around other people. Prop guards.
Camera System

The 4K camera of the Phantom 4 is gorgeous. It’s a fixed focal length, gimballed and stabalized camera, with a rotating filter mount on the front. The camera takes up to 4k/24 video and raw quality photos, and offers a great versatile field of view.

Like
- It’s certainly stable. Video footage looks smooth and nice, with good image quality, and good auto exposure.
- Photos are great too, and I love that it can capture in raw.
- Notably, the app also can record the lower quality video it receives over the air. So even in the case of a flight system loss, you’ll still have a little footage on the app. Great idea.
- The SD card for the camera is held on the side of the flight platform – meaning it’s fairly well protected against impact, and is also easy to take out. If it were mounted in the camera, it would be a pain in the ass dealing with a swiveling camera mount every time.
Don’t Like
- The Phantom 4 is nimble. Super nimble. And with the stock control configuration, it’s easy to make quick, jerky flight moves. This translates into jerks on the camera too, which although stabilized and relatively vibration-free, still looks weird when the gimbal suddenly moves quickly. There are controls to add speed buffering to the controls to make each move slower or faster – but I was a bit confused by how to set that up.
- Only up to 4k/24? I’d love a slightly higher framerate, at least 4k/30.
- I know this is the way it is, but I’d love an interchangeable lens on the camera. Maybe not even the whole Micro 4/3 mount of the Inspire1, but perhaps some interchangeable lens kits – Wide, normal, tele?
- As far as flying while shooting.. What are those four “nav”cameras (two forward, two down) seeing when you’re flying? I know they’re looking for obstacles.. but why can’t I see what they’re seeing on my screen, as a bit of a nav/engineering cam view? This could help me keep situation awareness during the flight, while the main camera captures pretty footage.
Controller

The DJI controler is a tight package. It includes a white controller with rechargable battery, antenas, and a holder for your iOS or Android device.

Like
- Pairing the controller with your iOS or Android device is a BRILLIANT move for DJI. This allows them to distribute the primary flight software as an easily updatable smartphone/tablet app, and lets you use your own device – where a tiny iPhone up to a huge iPad Pro.
- They have an SDK! This is an incredible feature which allows 3rd party developers to create their own flight control apps, opening up the doors for all sorts of creative use cases. This is a whole article in itself.
- The controller uses a wired connection to your smartphone or tablet – meaning the connection is solid and sure.
- If for some reason your app crashes, the drone is flyable only with the controller – no app required. This is great for emergencies.
Don’t Like
- For some reason, the controller doesn’t charge your smartphone while connected. I know this has to do with battery life issues – but still, it would be a nice little feature.
- The antennas are not replaceable – so short of modding the whole thing, there’s no way to swap out more powerful antennas.
Should You Buy It?

If you want a super easy flying drone, with great image quality, and an almost infinite universe of features to explore, yes, go buy this thing immediately. It’s so so so much fun to fly. If you’re looking to shoot a big studio movie, then move on up to the Inspire 1 or Matrix. If you just want a toy to fly in your living room or backyard, then go to the toystore.

Final thoughts

Flying the DJI Phantom 4 is a revolutionary experience. The company has absolutely nailed the fit and finish of the product, made a solidly performing piece of hardware, and has build a memorable experience. I’m certainly sad to be returning the Phantom 4 to DJI after this review.

Find It Here

Amazon

DJI Direct
2016-09-28
Shooting Lightfield Photos with the Lytro Illum

Last November, I had the privilege of testing out the Lytro Illum Lightfield Camera while exploring Cuba. Here’s my quick review of the innovative camera.

The Lytro Illum takes photos using a specially developed lens and sensor that essentially captures all focal lengths and multiple angles of a scene simultaneously, and lets the photographer recompose and refocus a photo after it’s been shot. It’s an incredible new technology, and essentially adds a whole new element to the post-processing creative possibilities of digital photography. With traditional digital photography, exposure, color balance, and light levels can be tweaked and edited after the photo has been taken. Now with the Lytro Illum, focus is added to the creative possibilities.

https://vimeo.com/102169690

Shooting with the Illum

While the Illum was an interesting camera to shoot with, after snapping multi thousands of photos with it, and editing a countless number, I can say that it’s not really the best camera I’ve ever shot with. Sure, the perspective shift and focus shift features are really neat and enable more creative possibilities – but besides these neat tricks, the photos the camera makes is just not that great quality. When looking at just the flat photos it takes, I’m underwhelmed, and was constantly wishing I had my RX100m3 in my hand instead, to just take a great quality version of the same scene, even without the re-focusability. So I’m definitely a fan of the Lytro Illum for it’s extremely innovative new features and unlocking of new photographic realms. However, I don’t feel like these new capabilities really added anything substantial and long lasting to my photos, once the novelty of clicking around in the custom viewer wore off.

Holding the Illum

The Illum is a cool looking camera. It’s futuristic and sleep, representing an SLR from the far future. However, its actual physical functionality is extremely limited, compared with the functionality of a similarly sized and shaped standard DSLR camera, for example any Canon Digital SLR, from a Rebel on upwards. The buttons just weren’t as responsive as the could have been, the screen not as bright and clear as it could have been, and the touch screen interface is just not great. For in-the-field, from-the-hip shooting, you need to have your physical controls dialed in perfectly, easily adjustable, and to a point where there’s absolutely no time needing to be spent waiting or dealing with the interface. The Illum wasn’t there yet.

The Illum is an interesting proof of concept camera, and a valiant effort to make it appealing the pro photogs. It was fun shooting with it and learning the quirks – but I’m still looking forward to the next advance.

Shots from the Lytro Illum

Exploring Cuba:

The Fall 14ers – Grays and Torreys:

2016-04-02
Stay in Contact with the Thuraya SatSleeve Hotspot
Staying in contact while traveling across the remote and inaccessible reaches of our globe is an issue I’ve (fortunately) been faced with quite often over the last few years. Between multiple Antarctic deployments, a myriad of open ocean sailing expeditions, and the usual stream of backcountry and alpine mountaineering adventures, sometimes it seems like I’m more often relying on deep-field comms rather than my good ole iPhone. So when I was offered the opportunity to be able to actually pair my loved iPhone with a satellite data gateway, I jumped at the chance. Enter the Thuraya SatSleeve Hotspot. Thuraya was nice enough to send me a unit to test out during a recent trek around northern Japan – here’s the rundown.

What It Is

The Thuraya SatSleeve Hotspot is a Satellite Wifi Hotspot. It connects to a Thuraya satellite in geosynchronous orbit around the earth and establishes a data connection. It then rebroadcasts that data connection as a standard WiFi hotspot, accessible to standard iPhone and Android smartphones running the Thuraya app. Your smartphone can then send messages on whatever messenger service you use, sync emails, and whatever else you need data for. Additionally, within the Thuraya app, you can place satellite phone calls and send/receive SMS messages. Finally, the SatSleeve unit itself has a dedicated SOS button that can be programmed to call any number you like, and used independently of a smartphone in emergencies.

“The SatSleeve Hotspot supports the communication needs of all smartphone users – from frequent travelers and adventurous explorers to corporate and NGO users.

Created for customers preferring to use their smartphone separated from the satellite unit, with the SatSleeve Hotspot, a portable Wi-Fi Hotspot, you have the range and the room to move while you make calls, use email, send messages, or enjoy your favorite social media apps in the comfort of being in an indoor location while the hotspot is outside and facing the satellite.

The SatSleeve Hotspot comes with a stand inside the package and is compatible with various iOS and Android models.“

Find official specs here: http://www.thuraya.com/satsleeve-hotspot

Who It’s For

It’s for the frequent far out traveler who absolutely needs to be able to stay in touch on a range of data-centric internet services, including syncing emails and chat messages. It’s for the person who can’t be bothered to have to go stand outside to make a call, but wants to be able to talk on their smartphone like normal, while using a satellite connection. It’s for the group of people who need to place their data uplink outside, while wirelessly using the data inside their base or heated tent. It’s for the sponsored expeditioner who needs to be able to send status updates, tweets, and photos from the deep field. It’s NOT for the extreme traveler who needs a foolproof emergency communicator that will absolutely work when they need last ditch effort critical communications. It’s not for the person who primarily needs to make voice-based calls to register their location or communicate expedition details only. It’s not for the survival minimalist who wants a pack-and-forget backup comms system. And importantly, it’s NOT for anybody wanting any of these services in the Americas – Thuraya covers Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia only.

Testing Method

I tested the SatSleeve Hotspot while exploring northern Japan in the winter. This included testing from the roof of my homestay in Shizuoka, testing from a bullet train moving very quickly, and testing from the very very snowy mountains of Hokkaido. I used the SatSleeve Hotspot, charged with Micro-USB only (I did not use the included charger), and connected it to my Unlocked iPhone 6S with a DoCoMo SIM (and usually used in the states on AT&T).

First Impressions

It’s a solid unit. The SatSleeve electronics unit comes in a sturdy box. On opening, the actual electronics package is connected to a foldable plastic stand, which lets the antenna be directed toward the sky. The design is such that the stand clicks into the back of the SatSleeve, and is easily removable. This lets you replace it with a phone holder, or probably a bunch of other accessories. Removing the stand also reveals the SOS button and emergency speaker/microphone. The Satsleeve also comes bundled with a charger and some international plug tips. I was a bit confused by the inclusion of a traditional wall wart charger – the SatSleeve can charge with this via its “ring type” charging input port. but the SatSleeve also has a Micro-USB port, which it can charge from as well. If this is meant as a piece of field gear, it’s my opinion that simplifying the design to use only the standardized Micro-USB charger would be the thing to do – everybody has a usb charger, the cables are everywhere and universal, and the design of the unit could be simplified. Simple is good for field gear. I realize there could be a time savings by charging with the bundled charger – but why not just bundle a high-power 2.4 amp usb charger? Better yet, make the SatSleeve Hotspot with a USB-C port, and then charge however fast you want – and be updated with the latest and greatest connectivity standard.

Setup of the app was a breeze, and in no time I had my iPhone connected via Wifi to the SatSleeve.

Like
- The SatSleeve is easy to get connected to the smartphone, and it acquired the signal from the satellite relatively well. Once I figured out where in the sky to point it, it made the connection and I was online.
- Data was slow, but it did work. I was able to send text messages, and made a couple of calls. Of course, the call quality sounds like a satellite call – compressed and with a bit of delay – but that’s to be expected.
- The unit is solidly built, and the rubber mat on the stand gives the satsleeve a solid grip on the roof or whatever I propped it up on. The extendable antenna is a good design touch, allowing the SatSleeve to be stowed without risking breaking the antenna.
- I certainly appreciate that the SatSleeve can be charged with Micro-USB. This lets me carry one fewer charger while I travel.
- The SOS Button. YES. This is an absolutely essential feature of a satellite communicator, and I’m very glad they included it. Once you’ve programmed your emergency number in with the app, just hit the SOS button and the unit calls that number. It’s great that they included a speaker/microphone for the call, so you don’t even need to tether a smartphone.
- The app works well, and I love the calling and sms features – including the ability to restrict numbers, check account balances, modify ring tones, etc etc. It really feels like a normal cell phone when you’re using the app. There’s also a lot of advanced config options in the app, which luckily I didn’t have to fiddle with.
- The battery life on this thing is great. I left it setup for a solid afternoon, and the battery lasted, providing a wifi hotspot the whole time. Additionally, when it’s setup and connected, I can select within the app to turn the satellite data on or off. So I can stay connected, but not burn data while I’m composing and email – only turning on data when I need to actually send that email.
- Although I didn’t thoroughly test it, I like that there’s some SIM card/provider flexibility here, and the SatSleeve can be configured for a variety of providers and access profiles.
Don’t Like
- Pointing the SatSleeve was difficult. Thuraya includes no way of figuring out where in the sky the satellites are. I know they’re geosynchronous so they’re in the southern sky (when you’re in the northern hemisphere like I was). However, if I didnt know this myself, there’d be no way of knowing where to point it aside from trial and error. The signal meter in the smartphone app doesn’t provide quick enough signal data to make it useful for actually pointing the SatSleeve antenna – there’s not enough info, and no feedback on refresh rate of the meter. Additionally, the app doesn’t seem to include any kind of guide for pointing. It would be great if the app could look at the smartphone’s gps location and then give a simple arrow to the user (based on compass bearing of the smartphone) of which way to point it. Just that one screen would make it so much easier. Also, since the SatSleeve has a speaker built in, how about an audio cue for when the antenna is optimally pointed? This was a huge missed opportunity.
- It’s great that I’m able to use my SatSleeve Thuraya SIM card directly in my mobile phone to get on GSM networks with my Thuraya account. However, even after reading the liteature on their website explaining the feature, I was still thorougly confused. Could I put my AT&T SIM in the SatSleeve? Did the SatSleeve have a GSM radio in it too and could get itself on GSM? So many different ways it could work, and there wasn’t any one clear and simplified explanation. I did eventually reach out to Thuraya, and their awesome product expert got back to me with this explanation: ‘
  - There are 4 elements in the matrix:
    
    SatSleeve Hotspot
    
    iPhone 6s
    
    Thuraya SIM card can be used in both:
    
    SatSleeve Hotspot – to make a satellite call and billed on the Thuraya account
    
    iPhone 6s – to make a normal GSM call and billed on the Thuraya account
    
    AT&T SIM card
    
    SatSleeve Hotspot – to make a satellite call and billed on the AT&T account
    
    iPhone 6s – to make a normal GSM call and billed on the AT&T account
    
    Therefore in summary, either SIM can be used in the SatSleeve Hotspot to make satellite calls, and either SIM can be used in the iPhone to make GSM calls.
    
    To answer the specific question; does that mean I can put my AT&T Sim card in the satsleeve hotspot and use it in japan, on my AT&T account?
    
    Yes, you can put the AT&T SIM card in the SatSleeve Hotspot and use it for satellite calls in Japan, and will be billed on the AT&T account.
    
    So, I’m still not totally clear on how that would work with my AT&T account billing, or how it would work with the Thuraya account billing – but it’s good to hear that they do seem to have a system in place here .
  - Still on the SIM swapping feature – the SatSleeve uses a full sized SIM card. My iPhone 6s uses a super tiny Nano-SIM. So, I really can’t put the Thuraya SIM in my iPhone without first trimming it down – and then to put it back in the SatSleeve, I’d have to use a size adapter. I guess it’s most flexible to do this and outfit the SatSleeve with a full size SIM port that can accept all sizes of SIMs with adapters.. but I’d love it if the Thuraya SIM I was sent was a Nano-SIM, with an adapter – then I could adapt it to fit full or micro sim, or go naked with my iPhone 6s and the Nano-SIM size.
  - The Thuraya Satellite Network – it works, but I gotta say it’s not the best. Coverage is not global, and is concentrated over Europe and Asia. Since the satellites are in Geosynchronous orbit, they’re at a fairly high altitude, making the round trip time of the signals long. This makes for a noticeable lag on voice calls, and a delay on data. Compared to my years of experience making Iridium calls both on the high seas as well as in Antarctica, the Thuraya calls are considerably more laggy, and sound a bit worse. Sure Iridium isn’t perfect, but the calls are more consistently clearer, with much less lag or delay. Additionally, with Iridium, there’s no pointing of the antenna, since the satellites are orbiting overhead – Stand in one spot and one will probably pass over you in time. With Thuraya, you must point the antenna in the general direction of the satellite. That’s good for static connections, and is fairly solid once you have the connection – but not the best for randomly pulling out the phone and connecting. Especially in Antarctica, I loved that I could just turn on my Iridium phone and there would almost instantly be a satellite overhead. (Admittedly, Antarctica is a special use case for Iridium – since Iridium satellites are polar orbiting, their coverage gets awesomely concentrated around the poles. At the equator, coverage is much more spread out – although still good.)
  - That SOS button – it calls one number, yet there’s a whole speaker/microphone dedicated for it. What’s to stop Thuraya from adding a few more buttons, or at least a simple one or two button interface to select from a speed dial menu? Even with that one button, I’d love to be able to long-press the button to get the emergency number, but click the button to scroll through a speed dial list, read out-loud through the speaker. I understand adding this feature potentially dilutes the product line targeting – but it would be cool. Heck, why not just roll the hotspot feature into a more full featured XT-PRO”v2″?
  - The usermanual on this thing is not great. Even after looking through the website a few times, and browsing the manual, I wasn’t aware of the multiple APN’s and compression settings, or how the SIM swapping worked. Much much much more clear startup and messaging could really increase the utility of this product.
  Should you buy it?
  
  If you’re looking for a dedicated Satellite Wifi hotspot and need basic data, and live in the Thuraya coverage zone, this could work. For example, at a distant mountain cabin where you just need to get a few emails and checkin on things, but aren’t moving much. But for other more mobile users, and users who need a ruggedized there-when-you-need it expedition phone, I’d say don’t go for this. Additionally, unless you know you’re ONLY going to be in the somewhat limited coverage area, there are other satellite networks that offer better global coverage that could make your investment in pricy hardware go farther – such as Iridium. However, the SatSleeve Hotspot is a well executed Satellite Hotspot, which is easy to get setup and online in a basic sense. If you do grab this, I’d suggest going through a 3rd party seller such at Outfitter Satellite (whom I’ve used before, and like), who can provide you with setup help and support perhaps a bit more efficiently than Thuraya can directly.
  
  Find It Here
  
  Direct from Thuraya
  
  Final thoughts
  
  Satellite comms in this day and age is such a cool thing – the ability to be on any spot on the globe and make a call, send a message. It’s super cool that companies like Thuraya are welcoming in the age of smartphones, and building a product specifically to get these mini-computers online. I’m excited to track the future of these development, as radios and comms hardware continue to be miniaturized, until someday hopefully soon, our now-terrestrial-based cell phone towers can somehow move to the sky, and there’s no such thing as “coverage area”. Beyond that, with future advances of quantum computing and entangled bits, we could someday rid ourselves of radio-based communications altogether. Thuraya, thanks for helping pave the way.
2016-03-31
VR In Your Pocket with the Homido Mini

This year while attending CES 2016, Homido hooked me up with their super tiny Google Cardboard VR viewer, the Homido Mini. After a bunch of testing, my verdict is: this is the cardboard viewer to get.

The Homido Mini is small – it’s a foldable plastic contraption, with two lenses on one side, and a spring-plastic clip for your smartphone on the other side. The frame folds in half for easy carrying, and that’s about it. To use the Homido Mini, simple unfold it, fire up whatever Google-Cardboard compliant or similar app on your smartphone, slip your smartphone into the cip, and then hold look through the lenses. Boom, VR.

There are LOTS of VR viewers out there – all the way from fully integrated ones like the Oculus Rift, to simple ones that just work with Google Cardboard and similar. For the Google Cardboard crowd, which the Homido Mini is part of, the viewers range in complexity. The NY Times cardboard viewer, for example, consists of an origami-like cardboard box, with velcro closures holding your phone, a foldable light guard, a spring loaded cantilevered button for interacton, etc. Those work great, but I think that the quality of VR on your smartphone is somewhat limited, and is not the best. A simle viewer like the Homido Mini is all you need to get a great experience with VR on your smartphone, and there’s no need to go any more complicated with larger viewers. If you want higher quality, upgrade to an overall higher end, dedicated system, like the Oculus.

It’s for these reasons that I’d say, if you want to experience the fun and simple thrills of VR on your smartphone, look no further than the Homido Mini. It’s small, cheap, and folds up to fit in your desk drawer. When you get tired of the mini and yearn for more quality.. take a big step up to dedicated hardware.

Buy it direct from Homido.

2016-03-22
Remocam Smart Home Security Camera Review
The Remocam Smart Home Security Camera bills itself as a super versatile, next generation home security camera. I tested it out at my home, in my office, and while on the go over the last few weeks. Here’s how the Remocam performed, and how it stacks up to the competition.

What It Is

The Remocam is a home security camera, with integrated pan/tilt motion, IR illumination, wireless connectivity, audio, and local storage. It pairs with its own mobile app.

“Remocam is a Smart Home security camera that can monitor your home, business, or vacation home. It sends live video feed and motion detection alerts to the Remocam app on your smartphone. It’s also equipped with a Smart Home capability that lets you control your electronic devices.”

Find Remocam on Amazon

Who It’s For

The Remocam claims to have lots and lots of functions, from home video monitoring all the way to controlling your tv from afar. It’s marketing to and situated for the home use, who wants to be able to keep casual tabs on what’s going on in their house while they’re away. It would be great for a family with young kids and hectic schedules. It’s not ideally tasked for corporate users, 24/7 security monitoring, or multi-camera integrated systems.

Testing Method

I tested the Remocam in my home. I first had it setup on my fireplace mantle, where it had a view of the entire living room and kitchen. From there, it was setup with a view to my outside porch, and then setup in my office with a view over my entire office area. I had it running on my own home WiFi, and tested the mobile app with my Apple iPhone6 on AT&T.

First Impressions

On unboxing the Remocam, I was actually surprised by its size. It’s a little larger than I had expected, but given its large range of functions, that’s understandable. The camera is solidly built and reasonably heavy. Setting it up above my fireplace, it sits solidly, and the small tug from the power cord isn’t enough to move it at all. The box also contained the power cable, and a weird piece of lens protection film, which was never fully explained.

Setup was easy, and in a few minutes I had it connected to my home wifi. It didn’t come with its own SD card, so I used one I already had. It also did not come with any cables for connecting the audio input or outputs – which are not essential for operation.

Once I got it setup, I had a bunch of questions about its operations – so I fired off a few queries to their support email. These questions were asked on 2016-02-08, so features may have been changed/updated since then.

Here’s what I asked:
- Q: Howdy guys, I’m loving my Remocam so far. and love checking in on the camera with the iPhone app. However, there are cases when I’d like to be able to check in on the camera on my macbook, using a normal web browser. How do I do this? I can’t seem to find any sort of functionality on the website – and of course, this is a super important feature.A: I’m happy to hear you are enjoying your camera!! We currently do not have Remocam accessible from a web browser. You can only view the camera’s feed from our app on Android or iOS phones or tablets. However, we are working on making it accessible via website browser and hope to offer this in the near future!
- Q: Hey guys, I just installed my Remocam to test it, and it’s working great. For permanent installation, I’m thinking about putting it somewhere where I have some other gear installed. Unfortunately there’s no proper electrical outlet nearby, but there is an avaiable high-power USB port I could use. Is it possible to power Remocam via USB, like most other electronics? I see that the power adapter is 5volts, 2 amps – so that seems like it’s low enough power to be supported by USB. Is there a Micro-USB or USB-C version?A: If you would like to power Remocam via USB, you will need a 5V/2amps USB charger. We only provide the power cord that comes with Remocam, we do not supply the USB chargers. Does this answer your question? [ed: No, this didn’t answer the question – since the Remocam has no Micro-USB or USB-C input port, it’s not possible to power it via USB. Even with the existing power input port, they didn’t supply any sort of USB adapter cable – so no, it cannot be plugged into a usb charger, even if the power rating is correct.]
- Q: Hey guys, I noticed on the back of the remocam that there’s a line in and line out ports – but there doesn’t seem to be any documentation on these ports anywhere – how exactly do they work?A: Thanks for emailing in about this. The in and out ports are for external speakers/microphone that you can use. If you have an external speaker or microphone, you can plug it into Remocam so that the noise is louder when someone speaks through the camera and when noise is picked up from the room Remocam is in.
- Q: Hi guys, how do I get the remocam to loop or cycle record on the SD card? I’d like it to be recording video locally, and overwriting the old video when the card fills up, so I can always see the most recent stream of video, in case something happens, or if the network goes down, etc. How do i get the remocam to do this?
  A: Remocam is not able to loop or cycle recordings on the SD card. Whenever the SD card fills up, you will need to manually delete the videos you would like to delete.If you would like to always see the latest videos and have old videos automatically recorded, I would suggest using the Cloud recordings. Then, you will see the videos from the app, and the oldest videos will automatically be deleted.Update 2016-03-29 – After sending this post over to Remocam, I received this update regarding cycle recording: When the microSD card is almost full (with 500MB of storage left) the oldest videos will be automatically deleted and replaced with the newest motion videos. You will receive motion push detection at all times as long as the push notifications and motion sensor are turned on. You will receive the push notifications even if your microSD card is full.
- Q: Hey guys, I love the remocam, but I currently use a self-managed cloud server to record security camera footage. How do i configure the remocam to stream its video to a different server, other than to Remocam?A: Remocam can only include to our Cloud serve that we provide. It is unable to be configured to stream to a different server. Sorry about this! Hope it is not too inconvenient for you!
- Q: Hey guys, the place where I’m going to install remocam has one very bright lightsource, but the rest of the scene is darker. I need to adjust the exposure on remocam to be correct – its automatic exposure is making everything too dark, because the 1 light source is so bright. How do I do this?A: Currently, you can not adjust the exposure of Remocam’s video feed. This is something we are working on offering in the future, however it is not currently available. Sorry if this is an inconvenience. Is the video feed view-able near that light source?
- Q: Hey guys, I noticed in my Remocam box there’s a yellow piece of paper with a circular clear sticker attached – what is this for? There’s no mention of it in the documentation.A: This sticker is just to protect the lens. We just include it for customers who would like to protect the lens, however we do not recommend using the sticker while using the camera as it can make the feed blurry.
- Q: Hey guys, I noticed that there’s no documentation of the format of the MicroSD card. Can the remocam support Exfat? HFS+? FAT32? Where is the info on this?A: Remocam is compatible with micro and ultra micoSD cards that are 32GB or less. This information can be found here on our shop page for Remocam. We only support fat32, not HFS+ or exfat.
Like
- I love the pan/tilt features. The camera has a great range of motion, which makes it easy to monitor an entire room, and makes it very easy to setup.
- The ability to record to an SD card directly on the camera is a cool way to backup the cloud recordings.
- The ring of infrared LEDs really help illuminate the room during the night.
- Pairing the camera with my TV remote was cool – I love being able to control gadgets from afar. I’m not sure these things need to be paired, but it’s still cool.
- I love that the audio listen/speak features are complimented with proper line in/out ports – makes for very flexible installations.
Don’t Like
- The only way to monitor the video feed is through the mobile app. There’s no online browser-based access. So if I’m without my phone, I can’t get to the feed.
- No way to cycle record on the SD Card. That means the SD card is really only good for actively storing moments I trigger myself, or via motion, but can’t be used as an always-on recording so I can go back and see the last however many hours of footage. This forces me to rely on Remocam’s (paid) cloud recording service. This also makes my home monitoring entirely dependent on the wifi. If wifi goes out and something happens, there’s no way to see what happened – the camera has to be connected to the internet to record (save for spot-recordings on the sd card)
- No USB power. I know this is a small one, but in the age of higher and higher power usb, I hate getting yet another wall-wart that’s good for only one gadget. I know it would be expensive, but Remocam should power this via USB-C, and really future-proof that section of the product.
- Another small thing, but that polished surface on the top of the base is going to show dust really quickly.
Should you buy it?

While the Remocam is a good quality camera with a fairly wide range of features, I’d say wait on buying this. The hardware/software integration is not as tight as it could be, and a couple critical features to make it a truly great and reliable security camera are missing. The camera is certainly a fun gadget to play with, but unfortunately, the entire package is not at the level of design and engineering inspiration that makes me want to add it as part of my home.

Remocam is coming out with a doorbell soon, and based on the experience with the

Find It Here

Amazon

Final thoughts

I’m sad to not have the greatest review of Remocam, because this little camera is trying, very hard, to be great. However at this point I feel like there are too many half-baked features being packed in. All of the features basically work, but none really shine.

Remocam is coming out with the Remobell soon, and given the solid first try with Remocam, I’d reconsider the Bell. Don’t write off the whole company – they clearly have vision and drive, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with next in this highly competitive market.
2016-03-22
UE Megaboom Review – The Best Boom
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been listening to the current-generation of Ultimate Ears’ Bluetooth Speaker lineup; the UE Megaboom, UE Boom2, and UE Roll. This comes after owning the original UE Boom for about two years, and listening to is almost daily in my car, at home, in my office, and in parking lots while putting on ski gear. That’s to say, I have a lot of experience with the Boom, and know how it sounds. This review focuses on the big daddy of the lineup – the UE Megaboom.

What It Is

The UE Megaboom is the latest generation of Ultimate Ears’ popular portable, rugged bluetooth speakers. It’s the largest, beefiest, loudest, and most robust speaker in the lineup, and still sports the awesome ruggedness, waterproofness, and class-leading sound quality and features of the rest of the UE lineup.

“UE MEGABOOM is the 360-degree wireless Bluetooth speaker on steroids that blasts freakishly amazing sound to every corner of the party.”

Find official specs here: http://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/uemegaboom

Who It’s For

This is the largest UE speaker, but it’s still waterproof, rugged, and portable. This speaker is for the more discerning listener who wants the highest quality sound from a portable bluetooth speaker. It’s for the rich kid who wants to totally rock his medium-sized house party. It’s for the weekend warrior who is setting up at the campsite and making lots of noise. It’s for the home listener who has a hip and new kitchen or living room and wants simple, high quality sound throughout without fuss. The Megaboom is sleek and cylindrical, and comes in a variety of nice colors – so it’s easy to fit in with your decor, it sits flat on a surface, and it has no weird shapes that stick out, get in the way, or call too much attention. The one place it’s not best for is for the permanent, integrated home or office audio solution. Sure, it can be mounted on a tripod or similar, and can be charged and powered at the same time, and connected to aux-input. However, the general design makes it not the best. If you’re looking to wire your house for permanent sound, go with something else. But if you’re looking for rockingly loud, high quality, portable, rugged speaker that can rock your kitchen as well as it can rock your picnic, and you have the cash and discerning ear to want the best you can get, this is the one.

If you’re looking for something smaller and less pricey, and want more casual listening or background music, get the Boom2. If you’re on a budget, want to listen to mainly podcasts, want to give it to your kids, or want to backpack it out to the campsite, get the UE Roll.

Testing Method

I tested the UE Megaboom in my home, in my office, and while traveling up and down to the Colorado ski mountains over the course of about a month. I listened to music on Spotify from my iPhone AND an android phone, locally stored FLAC tracks from my computer, podcasts from the iOS podcast app, audio cast from the Chromecast Audio and connected to the aux port, and took a bunch of conference calls on it.

First Impressions

I owned the OG UE Boom for two years and loved it. I tested the UE Boom2 and UE Roll, and they were both great. But after 2 minutes of turning on the Megaboom, I’m blown away – this thing is awesome. For the modest increase in size and weight, this speaker rocks so much harder than any of the others, and is still easy to pick up and drag around. The battery came 30% charged, and it didn’t quit throughout my entire hours-long first listening session. Awesome.

Like
- The Megaboom has mega sound quality. It’s definitely a step up from Boom2 in both loudness, clarity, and range. The bass of the Megaboom is deep and present, and doesn’t sound overly processed. It’s obvious that the larger physical size of the Megaboom allows it to produce genuinely deeper, clearer, louder bass. The highs are still crisp and clear, like they’ve been on the other UE speakers. But the bass here really shines.
- The pairing process of the Megaboom is a breeze. Additionally, it pairs quickly with my iPhone when I turn it on, and confirms power, pairing, and power with nice sounds and voice feedback.
- The volume of the Megaboom is controlled directly from my iPhone. This is a small detail, but important. When I click the volume buttons on my phone, the actual volume of the Megaboom changes. This is in contrast with the other, less-good method of volume control, where I change the volume on my phone, giving the speaker a “hotter” output, but the actual volume setting of the device is independently controlled on the device. With the Megaboom, these two volumes are the same, which I like a lot.
- I love squeezing the Megaboom and hearing it tell me how much battery I have left.
- For its size, the Megaboom gets LOUD! Like, really loud! It can easily rock a good size room of people, and can fill a living room with loud, clear music for a whole party. The battery life is great – it plays all night.
Don’t Like
- I kinda hate that the power and audio ports are on the bottom, and the power on the top. I know it’s meant to be picked up and handled and dragged around – but it would be cool if it was a bit easier to keep plugged in while using etc. I know I can just turn it over, but I like having the bass drivers at the bottom of the speaker.
- The motion activated functions – tap tap for track skipping etc – I don’t care. I never used these except to test that they work. And even when I was using the speaker in a more “dynamic” environment.. with friends rocking out in a parking lot before skiing – my phone was never so far away that I felt I needed to pick up the speaker to change the track. It just seems like an unnecessary feature.
- That’s about it that I don’t like – everything about this speaker is pretty amazing.
Should you buy it?

If you’re looking for a great quality bluetooth speaker that can rock your house, house party, backyard etc, and you have the budget to buy the best, this is the one you should get. Of course it’s not as portable as the other smaller speakers. But it’s still small enough to throw into a picnic bag, or weekend bag. I really don’t think that a more portable speaker is necessary. Do you really really really need a speaker small and light enough to backpack with deep into the woods, or carry in your luggage as you travel the world? I dont think so – take a break, enjoy nature. Leave the rocking out for when you can rock out with the best bluetooth speaker – the UE Megaboom.

Find It Here

Amazon

Final thoughts

Of all the bluetooth speakers I’ve reviewed, this is the one that sticks around as the offices daily listening speaker. Sure I’ve tested a bunch of others and listened to them for a while – but this the one I actually use on a daily basis when not evaluating for a review. Get it.
2016-03-22
UE Roll Bluetooth Speaker Review – Great Sounding, Wobbly, Fun
The UE Roll is Ultimate Ears smallest, and least expensive bluetooth wireless speaker. I had the opportunity to test it out for a few weeks around the house, in the office, and on the go. Here’s how it went, and what you should consider when buying it.

What It Is

The UE Roll is in the latest generation of Ultimate Ears’ popular portable, rugged bluetooth speakers. It’s a rounded disc, a little larger in diameter than a BluRay, fires sound out of one of the broad sides, and sits on its back resting on bungee cords. It’s bungee cord allows it to be attached to a variety of object, and it includes an audio-in port.

“UE ROLL is the 360-degree wireless Bluetooth speaker that brings unapologetically awesome sound to beaches, cliffs and mountains.”

Find official specs here: http://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/ueroll#ueroll

And be sure to check out this quick video from Digital Trends, which goes behind the scenes of the development of the UE Roll:

Who It’s For

The Roll is the smallest, lightest, and least expensive speaker in the UE wireless speaker lineup. It’s aimed at kids on a budget who want a fun, decent sounding speaker that won’t break the bank. It’s aimed at travelers looking for acceptable sound in a lightweight and rugged package. It’s aimed at beachgoers who want to turn on some podcasts or background music while hanging out. It’s certainly not for the audiophile, home high quality audio listener, or for rocking a good sized party alone.

The roll also has somewhat unconventional looks- its rounded shape make it awkward to sit on a shelf – but for getting out and about, it’s perfectly fine being placed randomly on a tree stump, poolside, or bungeed to a support beam or whatever. The volume buttons are huge and easily accessible on the front of the speaker, impossible to miss, and totally usable with gloves on.

Testing Method

I used the UE Roll around my home, sitting next to me in my office, bungeed to the showerhead in the shower, and even dragged it into the woods and hung it off twigs of a tree stump. I listened to lots of podcasts, and music with it, mostly on Spotify.

First Impressions

The Roll is a fun, bright color, and is kinda fun to hold and play with on the desk. I initially thought that the bungee cable enabled the Roll to stand up on edge with the bungee acting like a rigid kickstand – but no – the bungee is limp and rubbery, and is really just good for strapping it to bars, handing it from hooks, and attaching it to its floaty. I wasn’t super impressed with the aesthetics of it at first, but given its pretty good sound for the size, i’m convinced it’s pulling its weight.

Like
- For its size, the Roll sounds pretty good. Music at low volume is perfectly find for background, or passive listening. If you’re hanging out with friends and need some random music to fill the background, this is great. It’s also great for podcasts. It certainly gets loud enough with no distortion to listen to podcasts over the noise of the shower or cooking. And when paired with my Macbook via Bluetooth, it’s nice to bring a louder speaker closer to me while I’m watching Hulu and cooking at the same time.
- For a shower speaker, the bungee cable is pretty neat. It’s easy to slip over the showerhead, and the waterproof port covers keep everything dry.
- The volume of the Roll is controlled directly from my iPhone. This is a small detail, but important. When I click the volume buttons on my phone, the actual volume of the Roll changes. This is in contrast with the other, less-good method of volume control, where I change the volume on my phone, giving the speaker a “hotter” output, but the actual volume setting of the device is independently controlled on the device. With the Roll, these two volumes are one and the same, which I like a lot.
- Hit both volume buttons and it tells you the battery charge level. It’s a small feature, but for a speaker that’s a pain in the ass to keep plugged in all the time, this is a good stress-relief feature.
- For its size, it gets plenty loud, and doesn’t distort.
- It’s rubberized and rugged – I’m not going to try, but it seems fairly indestructible.
Don’t Like
- The Sriracha color I was sent is pretty damn ugly. It’s fun for beside a pool, I suppose, or if I was a bit younger. If I had kids, they’d love playing with this thing and listening to kids songs on it.
- No speakerphone feature. I guess I’m not super missing this feature, but it’s kinda nice for impromptu conference calls. I understand with the price point etc, though.
- It’s sound quality isn’t all that – it’s clear with good highs, but the bass lacks a bit. Given the size though, I’m ok with it.
- It rocks and rolls when sitting on a flat surface. Again, great for running around with, but not the best home speaker.
Should you buy it?

Sure! At this point, it’s inexpensive enough to almost impulse buy. And compared to all the other speakers in this price/size category, this is definitely the best one. If your’e looking forward to lots of hanging out at home listening to podcasts, want an occasional speaker to bring out for some background party music, or want some light tunes at the campground this summer, grab the Roll. Any more rocking out, go for the upgrade with the UE Boom or UE Megaboom (the Megaboom is my favourite..)

Find It Here

Groupon Coupons partner T-Mobile sells a few colors of the UE Roll here, and paired with one of the many coupons on Groupon Coupons, there could be some sweet discounts.
- UE Roll on T-Mobile
- T-Mobile Promo Codes from Groupon Coupons
Or, find it on Amazon

Final thoughts

For its price and size, the Roll is fun and sounds great. It’s indestructible, versatile, and interesting. Don’t look to it for party rocking volume or audiophile sound, but it gets the basic music job done well.
2016-03-21
Field Test Review: Squeeze Pod Toiletries Smell Amazing, Great For A Night Away From Home
Travel is getting hipper and hipper, and toiletry companies are getting in on developing new packaging and products for those of us on the move. Squeeze Pod makes convenient single-serving toiletry pods aimed at the lightweight traveler. They sent me a few packets to try out on trip or two – here’s how it went.

What is it:

Squeeze Pod Travel Size Toiletries are a series of super-small, single use toiletries packets, made for quick and easy traveling and usage when you only need a few night’s worth of bathroom supplies. Each pod has a rigid plastic shell and foil cover, which is snapped open for use. All products are natural and eco-friendly. Products in the line include: Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial cleanser, shave cream, hair gel, hand sanitizer, moisturizing lotion, toilet odor eliminator.

From Squeeze Pod:

Squeeze Pod is an innovative line of single-use natural toiletries. Made in the USA, these single-use pods are leak-proof, TSA-compliant, vegan and PETA-certified cruelty-free. Squeeze Pod natural toiletries are perfectly suited for those with on-the-go lifestyles; busy families, business travelers, adventure-seekers and more.

Who it’s for:

It’s for the on-the-go traveler who needs only a few nights worth of toiletries, and who is mainly staying at hotels or homestays, rather than camping or backpacking.

First impressions:

I received the box of toiletries on the mail, and was impressed that they included a plastic toiletry bag, which is actually pretty nice. The pods are bundled together in strips of three, and are relatively easy to separate. Once opening the package and dumping them all out, I was a little scared with all the little plastic pods scattered everywhere.. seemed like a lot of small items for just a few toiletries.

How I tested:

Squeeze Pod sent me a package including sample of all of their pods, as well as a clear toiletry bag, I do a bit of travel, and used the pods during a few recent trips, as well as at home. Notably, recently I took a weekend trip to NYC for a bit of business, and flew Spirit Airlines. Spirit has very strict baggage policies, so I packed only in my small briefcase shoulder bag. The small travel pods were perfect for this!

Design:

Each pod is a teardrop shaped plastic pod, with a semi-circular rounded back, and a foil piece covering the flat front. The pods are connected in groups of three, and they’re easy to snap apart. However, once separated, they leave jagged sharp bits of plastic on the edges. Kinda hazardous when fishing around in your toiletry bag for one after getting out of the shower with wet, soft skin.

In Use:

The actual products the pods contain is great. They smell great, and all work great. Some of the products, like the body wash are items I’d love to start using full-time, if there were large bottles available. I appreciate that they’re all-natural too, although to be honest, that wouldn’t be the biggest selling point for me. The pods are small, and opened by folding the plastic tip backwards, breaking the plastic and opening the packet. The foil and plastic are soft enough that the product can be squeezed out. However, because half of the pod is made of plastic, it’s difficult to squeeze every last drop out. Still an easy experience though – and totally possible with wet, soapy hands.

After the product is dispensed, the pod becomes trash – so for each use, you generate a piece of trash that’s a combination of plastic and foil. This was actually my only big complaint about the Squeeze Pods – they generate trash! I understand the use case for individual-serving packets,but really hated cleaning up little plastic pods all over the bathroom floor that I had chucked over the curtain as I used them in the shower. I feel for travelers, the utility of the small packets is great, but if you’re going to any more than a few nights, a small 3oz bottle (the 3oz bottles from Sea-to-Summit are what I swear by – they’re cheap, come with product in them, have a tried-and-tested no-leak cap, and are refillable) of product would much more convenient, generate less trash, and be refillable. The teardrop, half rigid pods are a cool way of packaging the product, and make it easy to snap open when your hands are slippery. However, I feel like the product could also have been packaged in ketchup packets to contain the same volume, pack down even smaller, and generate trash that may compact down more after use.
- Shampoo, conditioner – A great combo, works as well if not better than what I usually use in the shower, and smells great – like what I’d get at a salon.
- Body wash, facial cleanser – Both of these smell great and work just fine. The facial cleanser was good, but I’d still opt for my regular. The Body wash smelled so good I’d opt for that all the time, if they sold a big bottle of it.
- Shave cream – It spreads! Just the little pod of it is good for all but the heaviest beards.
- Hair gel – I actually didn’t use.
- Hand sanitizer – NOT alcohol based, but very creamy feeling and nice smelling. Takes a minute to rub in.
- Toilet odor eliminator – It works, but I’m not usually so finely concerned about this issue, so I think the utility may have been lost on me.
Good:
- The product in Squeeze Pods is top-notch. Works great, smells great, and is definitely on-par with any other premium toiletry I’ve used. Using Squeeze Pods is not a compromise on product quality.
- They’re small and convenient for a night or two, or for your “office overnight” kit.
- The plastic case they come with is nice for a basic dop kit.
Bad:
- The actual pods are one-time-use and generate trash on every use. You end up with lots of little plastic pieces in the trash. If you’re camping, lots of little plastic to pack out, or risk losing in the woods.
- The plastic pods have sharp edges once they’re separated from each other. Not the biggest issue, but could be pokey if you’re fishing in the bottom of your bag for moisturizer.
Specs:

Squeeze Pod’s current product line includes the following: Natural Shampoo (SulfateFree,) Natural Conditioner (Sulfate-Free,) Natural Body Wash, Natural Facial Cleanser, Natural Shave Cream, Natural Hair Gel, Natural Hand Purifier, Natural Moisturizing Lotion and Natural Toilet Odor Eliminator.

Should you buy it?

Buy it to keep in your desk at work just in case you need to stay overnight. Buy it to take with you on a single-night work trip where you’re packing in only one hand-carry bag. Buy it for your wife so she can keep a few small packets of moisturizer in her bag, instead of letting a pump-bottle spill everywhere. But if you’re traveling for more than a few nights, going to the outdoors, etc, I’d suggest looking to a refillable, reusable bottle.

More info…

Buy Squeeze Pods direct at Squeezepod.com or on Amazon with free shipping for Prime members. .
2015-10-15
Quick Actions on my Keychain with the Nonda iHere Bluetooth Fob
Bluetooth Low Energy, or Bluetooth Smart, has been popping up in all sorts of new, micro sized gadgets lately, continuing to build out the “Internet of Things”. Because the new wireless specification enables devices to use extremely low power, all sorts of buttons, trackers, and sensors are now possible. Gadget and accessories maker Nonda recently send me their new iHere 3.0 Rechargable Bluetooth Key Finder to try out. The device is a small plastic triangle about the width of my house key, and features a central button (which looks like a copy of the button on your iPhone), red/green led light, speaker for beeping, charing port, and keychain attachment hole.

Nonda makes a number of interesting gadgets, but by far the most noteworthy one is their upcoming USB-C Hub+ – I’ll post a review for that as soon as possible.

Pair the device with your smartphone, and enable all sorts of interesting applications. The app features a separation alarm, and a programmable button. When the separation alarm is activated, the iHere will start beeping whenever it’s out of range of your paired phone. The programmable button is just that – click the button on the iHere, and your phone executes one of a couple different actions – start recording audio, activate the phone’s ringer, record a gps location (for marking where you parked your car), or snap a picture – especially useful for selfie sticks.

After about two weeks of daily use on my keychain, here’s my review.

Pros

The iHere is a generally solid product, and gets the basic job done. The size is great, and shape fits well in my pocket. The color of the unit, and “iPhone” style of the button make it look good and blend in with the rest of the items I carry every day. After two weeks of occasional use, the battery is still at 98%.

Cons

The button on the unit is large, concave, and easy to press – I’m afraid that it will get accidentally pressed in my pocket, and inadvertently start recording audio, or making my phone ring – two of the actions assignable to the button. I’d prefer a slightly smaller button, or one that’s more difficult to press, like the remote key for my car. And/or, double/triple click shortcuts would be great, with the option to completely disable the single-click shortcut. Finally, the charging port is a small barrel-type connector, which a special charging cable. This needs to be Micro-USB or ideally, USB-C. I understand a USB charging connector is larger, but for somebody on the go constantly, I’d gladly have a larger, standards-based, ubiquitous charging connector rather than dragging yet another cable around with me, or fishing one out of my giant box of wires.

Separation Alarm

It’s not useful to me. I usually keep my keys by the door, but my phone goes all over the house, activating the alarm frequently and erroneously. I actually tried to turn the separation alarm off, but the unit keeps beeping even after I’ve turned the feature off. This is a pretty big issue.

Find Phone

Yes, I’d love a double click shortcut. Actually, in lieu of making the button smaller, I’d love to be able to disable the action on a single click, and make it only respond to a double click – that way it’s more difficult for the unit to be activated accidentally in my pocket.

To what else could I attach this?

Digital camera, briefcase, cat.

Should you buy it?

Currently I wouldn’t recommend it. I feel like the separation alarm is a bit buggy and not super useful. The button clicks too easily. Also, the look of the unit is nice, but when handling it, the plastic feels cheap and thin. Ideally, the case fit and finish will be improved to feel more like a high end key fob. Additionally, the Bluetooth pairing is a bit flaky – I understand it could be an iPhone related issue, but the unit doesn’t always stay paired with my iPhone 6, even when it’s sitting right next to it, with Bluetooth on. The iOS version of the mobile app is well-designed and works well, save for a few bugs. In the next version, I’d like to see more customizable shortcuts, as well as double and triple click shortcuts, and the option to turn the single click shortcut off.
- Other shortcut actions I’d like to see include:
- Check in to current location on Foursquare
- Activate IFTTT action
- Turn on flashlight
- Place a call to a pre-defined number
- Send a pre-defined text message
- Various HomeKit actions and scenes
The Android version of the app works just fine, and the same feature advice applies.

Final Thoughts

The iHere is a great concept, and a solid initial offering. Once details of the software and operation are worked out, case quality improved, and BT pairing integrity strengthened, this will be a great addition to the mobile multitaskers keychain.

Buy the iHere direct from Nonda
2015-09-26
The Best Gear from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015

Last week I attended the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show, a giant collection gear manufacturers showing off their wares for the upcoming years. Although I didn’t get to talk to everyone at the show, I did stop by a bunch of booths to check out what they have coming up.

Here are a few of my favorites, just based on my handling at the show – I haven’t field tested any of these, yet.

Don’t see your product in this roundup? Get in touch with me and let’s fix that.

Black Diamond Ultralight Camalot

What it is:

From BD press release: “For years Black Diamond Equipment has been working to improve its Camalot design, the standard for camming devices worldwide. Building on this time-tested foundation, Spring ’16’s new Camalot Ultralights are the next step in this evolution. Camalot Ultralights incorporate sculpted lobes and a patent-pending continuously looped Dyneema® core to replace the cable stem, which helps contribute to more than 25% weight savings, making them among the lightest camming units on the market.”

Impression:

They’re light, but seem well built. I’m wondering how they stand up to a couple seasons of abuse and falls.

Black Diamond’s Spring 2016 Collection Forged for Climbers From Gym to Crag

Power Traveler Wind Turbine

What it is:
A compact, rugged power generator that uses the power of the wind to turn blades connected to a turbine. The turbine assembly is connected to one of Power Traveler’s batteries, and is compatible with their range of gear.

Impression:
A compact wind turbine seems like an excellent compliment to a field power kit where constant power in any weather is required. I could have used this while shooting photos during my recent sailing expedition in Baja, when the ability to charge day and night would have been great, and my sailboat, when anchored at night, always faces into the wind. This would also be great while visiting tropical regions where nasty weather is a daily ordeal, and the wind from storms can help keep systems online.
Power Traveler

GSI does Coffee

What it is:
GSI this year had a huge range of coffee contraptions. Maybe they’re not all new, but I was impressed by the scope of their offerings. Java presses, grinders, indulated mugs and cups.

Impression:
I was particularly impressed by the pass-through Java Mill, which is great for coffee snobs like me who like their coffee ground precisely and evenly. The insulated pint glass was about on par with the offerings from Hydro Flask, and others, but we’ll have to see who actually performs better at keeping a frosty pint cold. Finally, their Commuter Java Press seemed like a perfect combo for coffee snobs on the go.

GSI Java Mill

Big Agnes mtnGLO

What it is:
From Big Agnes: “Introducing the Big Agnes mtnGLO™ Collection, a series of tents and accessories designed to light up your camp and backcountry experience. Illuminated with patent-pending mtnGLO™ Tent Light Technology featuring LED lights integrated into the tent body, this collection is a source of not only convenient ambient light at the click of a button, but all the comfort and security that comes along with it. The LEDs are bright enough for you to sort gear, play cards, change clothes, or simply get up in the middle of the night without blinding your tent mate with a bright beam of light.”

Impression:
mtnGLO is certainly novel, and makes for a cool demo of the fusion of new electronics with tents. However, I’m skeptical on how genuinely useful this will be in the field, and whether it’s worth the extra weight to have a bit of ambient light, which can be accomplished just as easily by pointing my headlamp at the ceiling. I’m also wondering how the electronics will handle years of packing and unpacking, being packed up on damp mornings, frozen in alpine night time conditions, etc. Seems like a great integration, but is it worth it?

Big Agnes mtnGLO

Sea to Summit X-Pot

What it is:
From Sea to Summit”Our X-Pot is a fully featured cooking pot that combines the heat-distribution of aluminum with the flexibility of silicone. The hard anodized aluminum base offers a fast boil time and the stainless steel ring embedded in the rim lends a rigidity to the silicone walls for easy lifting and stirring. ”

Impression:
Super cool idea – make the heating surface strong enough to be heated, but make the rest of the pot soft and compact. But will the fusion of the titanium flame surface and silicon collapsable wall surface really be able to stay bonded, and hold up to seasons of use? Will consumers be able to control the flame of their stoves enough to prevent the melting of the silicon by open flame? Will the interface of the silicon and titanium slowly wear out after repeated heating and cooling cycles? Is it worth it to have the weight of silicon for a collapsable pot, or would I rather go with an all-titanium pot, its volume stuffed with other gear I needed to pack anyway? These are what bother me.

Sea to Summit X-Pot

Voltaic Systems V72 Laptop Battery

What it is:
From Voltaic “This 20,000 mAh / 72 Watt Hour battery will power most laptops, tablets, smartphones and digital cameras. Features two output ports: a hi-Voltage port for laptops and a USB port for phones and iPads. The V72 charges from included AC charger or optional 18 Volt solar panel. ”

Impression:
Yep, it’s awesome to have a laptop battery with enough juice to recharge a laptop, and with power output ports that are adaptable to converters for actually charging laptops. But this is old tech. We’re now in the new era of USB-C, the 100watt universal charging/connecting/transferring/syncing connector and protocol standard that was recently rolled out by Apple in the new MacBook, and by Google in the new Chromebook Pixel. A USB-C port on this battery could allow for power input from solar panels, and power output to all usb devices, INCLUDING new USB-C laptops. Since the USB-C power spec can support up to 100W, it’s the only connector you need for the entire range of gadgets. Sure, you can still charge a USB-C macbook from the old-school USB-A connectors on this existing pack, but that’s slow. Let’s start seeing some USB-C power packs and solar panels.

On another note, I am thoroughly impressed with the Voltaic V15 power pack that was given to me at the show. It’s got enough power to keep me juiced all day, its battery life indicators are perfect, it supports pass-through charging, and you can even switch it from an auto-off mode to a constant-on mode. Great to have that flexibility for unmonitored solar charging installations, etc. Love it!

Voltaic Systems V72 Laptop Battery

Voltaic Systems V15 USB Battery

Hydroflask True Pint

What it is:
A vacuum-insulated pint glass. Simple, effective.

Impression:
Despite having a small-ish booth at OR, Hydroflash seemed to be all the rage this year. Their booth was constantly packed, their margarita happy hour sold out and had lines down the isle, and people were proud of their limited edition lime green true pint. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on one. But from the looks of it, a vacuum insulated pint glass seems like a great idea for both cold stuff, and hot stuff. I’m personally in love with my 4 year old 40oz hydroflask!

Hydroflash True Pint

Scrubba Wash Bag

What it is:
From Scrubba: “The Scrubba™ wash bag works on the same principle as an old-fashion washboard. Clothing is cleaned by rubbing them against the washboard. As opposed to an old-fashion washboard, the Scrubba™ wash bag is lightweight, compact and self-contained (you no longer need a bucket or basin). Furthermore, the Scrubba™ wash bag can mimimise exposure of the user to cleaning materials. ”

Impression:
It’s so simple, it’s brilliant. A drybag is something I’m usually going to travel with anyway, so add some washing texture to the inside, and a little window, and turn it into a portable washing machine. Love it! Washing clothes by hand in hostel sinks sucks – clothes are never really clean, water goes everywhere, people look at you funny. So this bag fixes all of those issues right there. How it holds up in the real world, I’m not sure yet..

Scubba Wash Bag

Yurbuds Leap Wireless Headphones

What it is:
From JBL “Enjoy the freedom to move on your terms. yurbuds® LEAP™ Wireless in-the-ear earphones have no wires to get in your way, offering the signature sweat-proof, comfortable fit of all yurbuds sport earphones. Featuring exceptional sound performance, a microphone with easy one-touch audio control and 6+ hours of music and call time with audible and visible low-battery alerts, these earphones will go with you everywhere. Bluetooth connectivity and a secure fit complete the package so you can challenge every limit.”

Impression:
Everyone makes bluetooth headphones nowadays. So what makes these special? JBL’s backing and engineering, I think. I usually regard JBL gear fairly highly in the accessibly-priced consumer audio segment, so I’ll be looking forward to solid build and sound from these bluetooth buds. I typically destroy headphones, so hopefully these will hang on.

Yurbuds Leap Wireless Headphones

Don’t see your product in this roundup? Get in touch with me and let’s fix that.

2015-08-12
Nitecore MH20 Flashlight Review: A versatile, compact powerhouse

The Nitecore MH20 Flashlight: An awesome little light.

Here’s the deal:
It’s a compact, bright rechargable flashlight designed to suit a variety of home and professional needs. From the manufacturer:

The smallest, lightest 1x 18650 USB rechargeable flashlight, Max output of up to 1000 lumens, Integrated “Precision Digital Optics Technology” provides extreme reflector performance, Boasts a peak beam intensity of 12,500 cd and a throw distance of up to 220 meters

What I love about this:
Extremely extremely bright, but very compact. I love the charging indicator, and immediate access to multiple brightnesses. With USB charging, I can keep it charged in my car, while camping from solar/battery, or at home. Additionally, with the standardized, replaceable, almost universally available 18650 battery, I can carry an extra one for quick swapping, and travel knowing that i can buy another in cases where I can’t or don’t have time to recharge.

What I hate about this:
There’s no lockout mode – so short of unscrewing the pices a little to disconnect the battery, I can;t prevent the light from being accidentally switched on while in my bag. This is an issue. I’d appreciate it if there was a lockout mode – for example on my Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp, holding the power button for 7 seconds locks the switch in the off position,and lets you know by flashing the power indicator a few quick times. Unlocking is as simple as another long press.

Should you get it?
It’s compact, rechargeable, and powerful. I ride with it clipped to my bike as a bike light, i carry it in my car as an emergency light, wear it on my belt on EMT duty as a general duty light, and camp with it as a safety light.

Nitecore MH20 Flashlight Product Page

Buy it now:

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2015-08-03
Cygolite Hotshot 2-Watt USB Rechargeable Taillight Review

The Cygolite Hotshot 2-Watt USB Rechargeable Taillight – Bright and visible, with a few basic design and usage issues.

Here’s the deal:

It’s a red blinky tail light for your bike. From the manufacturer:

Integrating Cygolite’s 20 years of tail light expertise, the HotShot 2W USB features a powerful 2 watt H.B. LED for max visibility, USB rechargeable Li-Ion battery, 5 flash modes, and adjustable flash speeds for additional safety. This Hotshot includes a USB cable and wall charger. (OSP Patent Pending)

What I love about this:

Super bright and easy to see from a distance. This light will surely get the attention of people behind you. It has a few flashing modes so you can choose one that’s the best for your situation. Its mounting bracket allows you to strap it to your bike, but also remove it easily to carry with you or clip to your bag/jacket.

What I hate about this:

The charging connector is Mini-USB. Nobody uses Mini-USB anymore – all the new phones, and everything else charges with Micro-USB. So it’s a pain in the ass to have to carry another cable, when there are already Micro-USB cables at home and office. This light should be updated with Micro-USB – or ideally, it should be updated with USB-C.

Should you get it?

I don’t use this – in fact, I returned it, and am waiting until something better crops up.
Cygolite Hotshot 2-Watt USB Rechargeable Taillight Product Page

Buy it now:

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2015-08-03
Coin, The Electronic Credit Card Will Be Great, V2 Even Better

Coin is going to be incredibly cool when it launches. An electronic credit card that stores all of your credit cards, and let’s you swipe any card just like normal. It’s not pushing the actual physics of credit transactions in a new direction, but rather giving consumers a tool to keep using existing card-swiping transaction behavior with a new piece of gear that stores all of their cards. Now, if only V2 of coin could include a mag swiper, NFC chip, chip&pin chip, and e-ink QR code/barcode display, it could be used as the end all, be all card in your wallet.

https://youtu.be/w9Sx34swEG0

Coin, The Electronic Credit Card, Reaches Its Pre-Order Goal In 40 Minutes | TechCrunch.

2013-11-24
My New Favorite Shopping Site: The Wirecutter

No researching, no clicking all over the web collecing opinions – just The Wirecutter. This is by far my favorite new tech review site, because it doesn’t give options. You want the best bluetooth speaker? Here you go. It’s this one, not any others. Job, done. The Wirecutter.

2012-10-18
Stay Versatile with Polychrome Lab’s Alpine Concept Jacket

Cool jacket today – white on one side, black on the other. Wear it black side out to absorb sunlight and stay warm, wear it white side out to reflect heat and stay cool. Perfect for travel!

alpine concept j | | polychromeLAB.

Creator’s blog post about testing the jacket: POLYCHROME JKT DAY ONE

From ISPO:

Polychrome Lab 3 layer hybrid jacket
Hybrid, light, alpine, reflecting heat (cooling), absorbing uv rays generatiing warmth (stabilizing temperature), adapting weather conditions (always an answer to different, weather conditions).

Innovation
The polychromelab. jacket is the first hybrid three layer jacket to deliver the possibility to regulate heat and chill in one jacket. The jacket is warmed through UV absorbtion and cooled through sun reflection.

Design
Clean, minimal, hybrid.

Performance
The fabric is warmed through sun absorption and body heat reflection. The fabric cools through sun reflection. Riversibility wipes away humidity – the side used next to the skin is the fabric that is always dry.

2012-07-20
Gear Review: AGloves Touchscreen Compatible Gloves Let Me iPhone while I Run
This past summer, friend Jean Spencer hooked me up with a pair of awesome AGloves Touchscreen Compatible Gloves. It’s been a while since she gave them to me, and now that the weather has turned cold, I’ve gotten a great amount of use out of them.

In short, my 1st generation AGloves are great. A few quick thoughts, in list format:
- Form factor and use case: The gloves I have are a basic pair of liner gloves. Black and stretch, one size fits all. They’re small, compact and lightweight. I use them by themselves when I go running in the morning, and they’re perfect. I also use them as liner gloves underneath my waterproof and insulated Burton AK series snowboard gloves. The gloves have a basic elastic cuff which keeps them on effectively. (more…)
2011-12-26
Review of the 2011 Apple Macbook Air i7 13″

This week I got the new Apple Macbook Air 13″ with the 1.8ghz Intel Core i7 ULV Processor, and 256gb SSD. Here are some of my initial thoughts.

Compared to my old Core i7 15″ Macbook pro, it rocks. The processor is still an i7, but the clock speed is slower, and it’s a new “ULV” model, so – the architecture is actually more advanced than the i7 in my MBP, however I believe it’s actually probably a bit slower, because of the slower clock speed and overal more toned down performance of the chip for power savings. However, the SSD is FAST! The main slowdown on my MBP was the slow hard drive – whenever I was waiting on stuff on my old computer, it was always waiting to load up raw files off the disk, etc. With lightroom (and aperture), as soon as you import photos, it renders previews in the background – so you’re actually not doing that much live processing when you’re sorting through photos and editing. Really, you’re just looking at native resolution rendered previews, and then applying adjustments as metadata, which is temporairly overlaid on the previews you’re looking at. It’s only when you export the images that the actual adjustments are computed onto the master file and rendered at full resolution. So the really processor intensive tasks are all ones that happen in the background. The loading of the preview images and adjustment parameters are the operations that take place “live” as I’m working, and those are the tasks where the drive speed, not the processor speed, really comes into play. So.. given all of that.. this thing rocks! I just edited this set on it, and it was great!
(more…)

2011-07-28
The New Daypack: Deuter Pace 30
It’s not often that I get a major new piece of outdoor gear. For the past 9 months, I’ve been on the hunt for a new day pack. Recently I have been using my Patagonia lightweight travel pack for daily “day pack” use, but for actual hiking, or carrying anything more than a single lightweight jacket, it sucks – the straps are thin, it has no support, etc. For bigger trips I have my grey Black Diamond Quantum 50L pack – which is lightweight and perfect for mountaineering/light backpacking, and travel touring. But for biking, day hiking, day climbing, and just kicking around town with laptop, camera, etc I need something more than the lightweight travel pack, but not a full on mountaineering pack. A lightweight, but supportive and well featured day pack.

During the research phase of this project, I bought a TON of packs online, including these:
But finally, I went into Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder the other day, and found the Deuter Pace 30 backpack. After checking out every other pack on the market that seemed to be a good candidate, I knew right away that the Pace 30 was the pack. It’s lightweight, strong, full featured, and sleek. Here are a few brief notes.

The Deuter Pace 30.
- It’s very lightweight, but has a padded back, and a very thin, bend plastic rod that goes around the back panel. It also has a real waist belt – but made of mesh, so it’s not bulky at all, and can be tied back. So, when you wear the pack with the waist strap, the Delrin rod supports the whole pack – like a proper backpacking pack. But when not in use, it’s very minimal.
- It’s a top loader with real top lid, so you can overstuff it like a real pack – no zippers or anything. It also has an outside stretchy pocket, so you can load up lots of stuff.
- It has compression straps on the sides – like a normal pack. But with these straps, they made the buckles on each side opposite, so you can actually extend the longer straps from each side across the back of the pack and click them together, enabling you to compress the pack way way down, and/or strap on a snowboard or whatever.
- It has real foam shoulder straps – but they are only thick foam at the point on your shoulders where it touches you. Otherwise, the straps are this rubberized mesh.
- The whole pack immediately struck me as the perfect blend of ultra light travel pack that takes up minimal room when empty, low key enough to hike it around the city, with enough style (yellow accents) to be cool looking and not just a drab black piece of luggage, large enough to accomodate extra layers, water, and a bit of climbing gear/rope, and supportive enough to allow you to actually hike with it fully loaded without it killing your shoulders – it actually “rides”.
- Attached are some pics of a few of the features I mentioned.
(more…)
2011-06-01
Using The FastMac U-Socket Wall Outlet with USB Power Ports
After months of waiting, I finally got my FastMac U-Socket – It’s an electrical outlet with an additional two USB power ports on it. Now, installed on my wall behind my night stand, I can both power up my iphone while I sleep, as well as keep my lamp and cable modem plugged in. Installation of the socket was fairly straightforward – although since it has additional electronics for the USB ports, it’s a bit bulkier than a standard outlet – thus, I had to move around some wires in the junction box in my wall to get it to fit. After a few months of usage, I’ve found the socket to perform well, and charge my devices quickly. It’s actually faster at charging them than when plugged into my USB hub at my desk.
- Engadget Review
- Product Page
Listening to: Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait
2011-04-22
Rechargable Batteries

At my office, the most common form of Mouse/Keyboard combination at any given desk is Apple’s wireless Magic Mouse and Wireless Keyboard. These use AA batteries, and there’s consistently a shortage of extras lying around. Recently I tried to take matters into my own hands and get people to use rechargeable batteries, but unfortunately the program failed miserably. Here’s a quick response I wrote addressing some of the issues.
(more…)

2011-03-29
Using the Canon SD780 IS Camera

Recently, I wrote about the decision making process for selecting a new pocket camera. I finally decided on the Canon SD780 IS digital camera, and after a couple months of average use of the camera, I’ve gotten to know a bit of its strengths and weaknesses.

I’ve owned Canon compact digital cameras ever since the Canon S100 came out. This is by far the smallest one I’ve owned, but maybe not the highest quality photos.

Size
For size, this is the one to get. It’s super small and slick, and all of the buttons are recessed and stripped down. When going out with it in my pocket, it takes up almost no space, and easily fits in my front pocket. This is the easiest camera to carry. Also, since the body is mostly metal and has an integrated lens cover, when it’s rustling around in your pocket with change or keys, it simply scratches, without denting or harming the camera. I’ve actually grown to love the various scratches and “character” my perfectly working camera has picked up. I also have a small neoprene Walk On Water case I use when tossing it in my bag.

Photos
The lens on this camera is very small, and so is the sensor – however, Canon managed to squeeze in 12.1 Megapixels. I think this is definitely overkill for this camera. The photos it makes are large, but there’s often a little more noise than I’d like. I think this camera could have been really great with the same sized sensor, but only 6 megapixels of resolution – but a much higher quality overall image. For pocket snaps, I really don’t feel the need for huge image sizes, and would much rather have really great looking pictures, and/or really high sensitivity potential. However, for casual snaps and playing around, the camera is good enough quality.

Videos
The 720P HD video mode is where this camera really shines. With a quick flick of the mode switch, the camera starts taking widescreen 16:9 HD video, complete with sound. Recording length is only limited by the size of the card, and since it takes removable SDHC cards, recording time is virtually unlimited. Since this camera goes for only $249 MSRP, it’s one of the better, more flexible pocket HD video cams. I’ve often seen friends using a Flip Mino HD video camera, which pales in comparison. The closest matching Flip camera is the Mino HD 120 minute, which seems to be about the size of the 780Is, and costs $229 MSRP. The Mino HD only shoots two hours of footage at a time, at which point you have to plug it in to your computer and offload the video before you can shoot again – it only has 8gb of memory. The 780IS, with its replaceable SDHC cards, can keep on shooting. I have a 32gb card in mine, which is more than enough. Also, with the 780IS, you also have an awesome still camera, with the full host of features. The Flip Mino HD is slightly easier to use than the Canon, but, I’d rather have the features and flexibility of the Canon over the stipped down simplicity of the Flip. The actual video that it shoots, at 720P/30fps, looks great. It’s nice and sharp in good light, and retains its brightness in low light, by way of higher iso. The higher iso does get a bit grainy, but the video in low light is still usable. Sound is decent, standard mono sound, and I’ve noticed that the sound recording on this camera doesn’t seem to clip as much as the sound on some previous cameras I’ve had.

Here’s a short Canon SD-780IS video, taken at The Putting Lot in Brooklyn.

2009-12-03
Optimus Maximus Lives!

Great new Engadget video of Art Lebedev’s Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard… It looks great, even though it’s still using beta software and firmware. I was going to say that I’d like to see this kind of keyboard on laptops (my Macbook Pro, for example).. but now I think that the self-lit OLED displays on each key would be a huge drain on the battery. However.. eInk displays, like what’s used on the Amazon Kindle would be great for a laptop keys… eInk only uses power to refresh, so it would have power requirements. Something to think about.. it would cool, if it were pulled off correctly – both the feel and aesthetic of my MBP’s aluminum, concave, backlit keys are pretty spot-on right now.

2008-02-23
Macbook Air – Why it rocks

Yes, I’ve heard all the nay-sayers out there, ripping on the new, glorious Macbook Air. You’re saying that it has no user replacable battery, no firewire, no optical drive, is too flimsy, yadda yadda.

Yeah well, that’s not the purpose of the Macbook Air. You want to do intense mobile HD video editing? Ok, that’s exactly what the Macbook Pro is great at! Do-everything-ok basic work computer? That’s the Macbook. The Macbook Air is sleek, thin, lightweight, and powerful. It cut’s out all unnecessary bulk, to offer a platform you can easily travel around with to perform basic work tasks. I ask myself, how often, when I travel, do I REALLY need a dvd burner, firewire 800 ports, etc? Not often. Yes, I understand some people work in industries where they need that – Go get a Pro. The bulk of my work is surfing the web, working with MS Office, chatting, video conferencing, and listening to music. The Air seems perfect for this.

Regarding the non user replacable battery. Meh… I only have one battery for my 15″ Macbook Pro, and I’ve rarely been in a situation where I’ve needed to go for more than 4.5 hours using my computer, away from a plug. Charge up in the airport, hack out some work on the flight, re-charge when you get to your hotel room that night. Perfect.

And what about movies/music etc? No optical drive? I haven’t watched a movie directly off a dvd in years! Pretty much all of my on-laptop computer watching comes in the form of watching mpeg movie file backups of the dvd’s I own. No messing with shuffling disks around, and when I want to watch a movie, I just load it up instantly from my external HDD. And if I’m going on a trip, I’ll just move a few movies over the the internal HDD before the trip. Also, with the iTunes store now offering both movie purchases and rentals, in HD nonetheless, who needs to lug around an optical media drive everywhere? (yes, I know optical media is not dead, and I’m a huge supporter of the Blu-ray camp, but that’s another discussion…)

For networking, the Air supports 802.11 A, B, G, and N. N wireless is fast. In fact, I believe its speed definitely faster than any internet connection I will ever be on, and most likely faster than most LAN’s i’ll be on. No, it’s not gigabit ethernet, but really, when am I using all that speed? Especially on a portable. For streaming video off of my wirelessly connected Time Capsule, it’s perfect.

Finally, no, it’s not going to be flimsy. Full disclosure, I haven’t handled one myself, yet. However knowing Apple’s historically excellent and solid build quality, I’m sure this thing will be solid. From the pictures, it looks like it has a solid edge bevel, akin to the iPod Touch’s edge… and a metal casing similar to the iPod classic. The hinge will be rock solid, and just like my apple keyboard, although it’s extremely thin, I don’t think you’ll be able to bend it easily.

So, there’s my take on it. It will be a great computer for road warriors, commuters, or trendsters who want a powerful, capable, but minimal computer for home/lifestyle.. perfect to sit on the couch with at night and check email and chat, perfect to catch up on the latest new music on Beatport, or tv shows on Hulu.Time will only tell how well it’s picked up, but I’ll surely be down at the apple store asap, to give it a quick handle.

2008-01-17
Protect your macbook from destruction? Sure!

A colleague of mine recently got a shiny new white Macbook, and came to me for advice on how to protect it.. here’s what I told her:

Ok, protecting your Macbook.. here are some cool products i know of to keep i

t nice and shiny…

First of all, if you want ultra minimal, but arty and cool scratch protection, Gelaskins makes some cool giant decals for your stuff.. pick out a cool design, and its just a big, removable decal to put on the case of your computer… will keep it from getting scratches, but thats about it.

Moving up, Speck makes these hard plastic snap on cases for the Macbook.. will offer you wrap around scratch protection for the Macbook, and minimal impact protection too.. and it stays on your computer. Doesn’t protect ports etc from dust, etc, though, so you will need another case if you want to throw it in your bag.

Now, onto what I personally use now…. for tossing my computer into my messenger bag for the day, I have this ultra minimal and suedey soft Tucano Second Skin.. its jus

t a sleeve, and is fairly thin, but def protects from bumps, scratches, and dust.

For when I want to just carry the laptop and not inside another bag, I use an Incase Nylon Sleeve.. its about as minimal as you can get for a full featured case with handles, shoulder strap, and accessory pockets.. it even has a little detachable key cord.

So, thats what i use.. I also have AppleCare, which is key….

-Jeffrey

2008-01-11