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The 24/7 Sling Bag from Adorama (Review)

January 19, 2016 Comments off

24/7 Sling Bag24/7 Sling Bag
Adorama
$99.95

Joseph (thevideoguyjoe) Butler and I created a video review of this bag on our My Technical Romance YouTube show. In the video, you’ll see our complete take on the 24/7 Sling Bag (Sling) from Adorama.com. The Sling is the perfect street photographer accessory. Not only is it comfortable for carrying while you walk, but you can also ride your bike with it on, which Joseph describes in the video. He’s the avid bike rider and he thoroughly tests items that are touted to be “bike friendly.” He also doesn’t mind telling you what’s wrong with an item. I’m also known for that too. We try to tell it like it is so that if you purchase an item from one of our reviews, you aren’t surprised or disappointed by what we think are negative aspects of it.

The focus of this review is really from Joseph’s perspective because he tested it himself. I only saw the bag for a very short five minutes before he grabbed it, read about it, put it on, and then disappeared on his bike with it strapped on him like it was his first-born child.

A few days later, we caught up with each other for the review video (below).

In this 12 minute video, Joseph tells you everything you need to know about the Sling and how he used it. In fact, he has to unpack all of his stuff from it during the video. Among the items he packed into it are his Canon 70D with the 18-135mm lens, bike tools, camera battery charger, and a few other items. After all that, I’m not sure he had room for a sandwich or even a candy…I mean energy bar in it.

The many faces of the 24/7 SlingHe’s the kind of guy who packs everything he needs, and then some, for his bike-powered photographic excursions. So, if you can believe anyone on how well this bag is made, how much stuff you can pack into it, and how it works on a bike, it’s him.

Joseph also demonstrates the adjustable strap and how to maneuver the bag once you have it placed comfortably on your body.

During the video, we discuss the workmanship, the design, the materials, and we demonstrate all aspects and features of the bag including its built-in raincoat that doubles as a reflective visual notification to drivers that you exist.

If you’re not a person who likes to watch videos or video reviews, let me spoil the surprise for you. He really likes the Sling. I really liked it too after seeing it in action. As I wrote, I didn’t see it or touch it very much when it first arrived, so I was as excited as everyone else to see it reviewed. If I were a bicycle rider, someone who walked to work, rode a bus or subway, this is the bag that I’d have. It has room for a tablet or laptop, plus a camera, lens, and accessories.

I actually wish I’d had such a bag when I was trapped in a thunderstorm a couple of years ago in Vedauwoo (Wyoming). My Canon DSLR got very wet even though I ran bent over for about two miles with it under my shirt. The outcome of that was that now my onboard flash doesn’t pop up when I need for it to. It just clicks and then gives me an error. Sometimes I can pull it up manually, but it’s a problem that I can’t solve. The Sling would have prevented that, plus I could have held the bag over my head during the downpour for a bit of protection. Unfortunately, I didn’t have such a bag because they didn’t exist yet. My normal camera bag, had I had it with me, would have been drenched too because it has no waterproofing.

The Sling also has plenty of interior padding to prevent breakage from accidental drops, plus the stitching and materials are really tough. Trust me on this point, because if they weren’t up to a very high standard, Joseph would have mentioned it. He puts items through their paces for these reviews in order to give you an honest, non-marketing, real world view of the product.

Joseph’s rating: 7.5/10

Recommendation: Strong buy. You’ll love the Sling for its compact size and big capacity.

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Acer Chromebook 15 C910 (Review)

November 20, 2015 Comments off

Acer Chromebook C910-54M1Acer Chromebook 15 C910-54M1
Acer
$499.99 Retail

Being a Chromebook owner and dedicated convert doesn’t hurt when reviewing a beautiful piece of hardware like the Acer Chromebook 15 C910. In fact, it helps. It also makes me a little jealous of those who have the $500 to buy one. The Acer Chromebook 15 C910 (C910) is a large format, very fast, delicious version of a Chromebook. It also doesn’t hurt that I love Acer products. I own several–all of various ages and platforms, but all still run and are used on an almost daily basis. While I don’t own the C910, I’m only reviewing it, it is certainly another worthy hunk of awesome from a superb personal computer company.

The C910 is a large laptop computer that sports a 15.6″ full HD screen, although as I stated in the review video, “It reads more like a 17”. What I mean is that it is a laptop with a wall-to-wall video screen. It has less of a frame around it than my iPad 4 does, which makes its screen feel like something much larger than a 15-inch by comparison.

Acer Chromebook 15 Review Video

Acer Chromebook 15 Extra Video created with the Chromebook 15

Acer Chromebook 15 Extra Video 2 created with the Chromebook C720.

The C910 is a business grade laptop computer that’s suitable for any application or situation. You can connect an external monitor–not that you’d need to. You can connect an external mouse and keyboard and any other peripheral that you might have or want. It has a built-in webcam and microphone. It also has two huge speakers in the unit’s base. It is a multi-media aficionado’s dream machine.

Features at a Glance:

  • Chrome OS™
  • Intel Core i5-5200U Dual-core 2.20 GHz
  • 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9
  • Intel HD 5500 with Shared Memory
  • 4 GB, DDR3L SDRAM
  • 32 GB SSD

A few Words about Chrome OS

For those of you who believe that you need a Windows system to run “standard” applications, you don’t. The Sixth Flag is a great solution for that complaint, but that’s another story. There are web-based applications for just about everything you use. Even Microsoft has created Office365 to promote the use of web-based applications for any platform or device.
The only Chromebook shortcoming that I’ve found so far is Skype, which doesn’t work on Chrome OS. Supposedly there’s a workaround so that you can use Skype, and perhaps The Sixth Flag web-based Windows desktop is also the answer to that problem, but I haven’t tried it. It is unfortunate that Skype doesn’t/won’t work because I use it so much. It is the one shortfall that prevents me from using a Chromebook 24x7x365. Solve that one issue and it’s a done deal.

Chrome OS is the most secure operating system that a computer can run. As I explain in the video, there’s just nothing for a hacker to latch onto over the network. And even if someone were to steal your Chromebook, your data isn’t saved on it, so there’s nothing to steal except the hardware. The only way your data is vulnerable on a Chromebook is for you to be logged on and either someone looks over your shoulder while you’re working or if they steal it while you’re actually using the device.

More features of the Chromebook 15 C910:

  • 1 HDMI port
  • Non-skid, non-slip coating
  • 2 USB ports (1 USB 2.0 & 1 USB 3.0)
  • Audio out port (3.5mm jack)
  • Built-in webcam (720p)
  • Built-in microphone
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Wi-Fi networking (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac)
  • 4-cell, Li-ion battery that lasts 8 hours or more
  • 4.8 lbs.

 

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Flashpoint 300 LED on Camera Light (Review)

October 1, 2015 Comments off

Flashpoint 300 LEDFlashpoint 300 LED
 Adorama
$79.95

The Flashpoint 300 (300) LED is the first on-camera LED light that I’ve tried and I have to say up front that I love it. The 300 is a lightweight, versatile, fully adjustable light source that delivers as much or as little light as you want for a very good price. 300 individual LEDs provide you with strong, even light that you can’t reproduce with a standard flash unit.

Flashpoint 300 LED: On-Camera Light with Audio

The large 300 diode LED gives action videographers and still photographers super bright, high-quality output. With auto light levels, stereo microphones and a signal flash mode, the 300 LED can sense lighting requirements and delivers automatic balance exposure as it passes from one environment to another, making it ideal for run-and-gun shooters looking for the most light on demand. The on-board stereo electret condenser microphones are also invaluable for traveling shooters, minimizing the need to cage-rig a camera for attaching an external microphone. The sensitive mics are distanced from camera sounds on either top corner of the light, delivering clean audio directly to the camera. All fitting comfortably atop a camera’s hot shoe or off-camera via the convenient stand thread, the 300 LED is a comprehensive package in a superior, sleek design.

I like that the unit delivers consistent light at all levels. There’s no flicker or any odd color shifting at full power or at any power setting.

  • Advanced 300 LED lamp count in a sleek but strong unit.
  • Delivers amazing flicker free Daylight 7140 lux at 50cm.
  • Generous beautiful wrap around 80 degree angle emission.
  • Automatic light level mode responds to conditions automatically or total manual control with fine settings.
  • Dimmer dial from 0-100% with shift free color.
  • Renders at least 85% of total spectral value.
  • Digital display for battery level and light output .
  • Uses standard Sony NP 7.4v Lithium battery plus DC power adapters.
  • Built-in Stereo Microphones delivers clean audio to camera.
  • Constructed of super tough black ABS.
  • Keeps subjects and gear cool and comfortable when used close up.
  • Special emergency signal capabilities.

FP 300 LED BackWhy it’s Frugal: The Flashpoint 300 LED is frugal because it’s the only light you need for a variety of situations including run-n-gun, still photography, video, and fill lighting. When you only need one light that can fill almost every need, then it’s frugal.

I took the 300 with me to SpiceWorld 2015 in Austin last week and I had a professional photographer ask me all about it. I showed him all the same features that I explained in the video. I’ll bet that he’s already placed an order for one.

If you can only carry one light with you, this should be the one. In its bag, with two extra batteries (sold separately), that I highly recommend that you purchase, the space cost is approximately 9″x7″x1.5″. That small space contains the 300 LED, the audio cable, two batteries, and your filters.

NP-F550 BatteryThe only reason that the 300 didn’t get the coveted 10/10 is that it drains batteries (sold separately for $22.70) pretty fast. And it drains them even when the unit is off, but the the batteries are connected. So, remove your battery from the unit if it’s going to be off for more than 30 minutes. Buy more than one battery. You get two plus a charger from the link above at Amazon.

Rating: 9.5/10

Recommendation: If you are a photographer or videographer, this light must be in your bag. And the batteries too.

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Pet Pods Solve Lost or Damaged Earbuds Problem (Review)

August 10, 2015 Comments off

Pet Pods
Education OutdoorsPetPods
$15.99 – Amazon $5.98

So everyone loses earbuds, right? I’ve lost them. You’ve lost them. Your kids probably have lost more than one pair. It’s frustrating and it gets expensive too. Most often, my earbuds get misplaced to replace ones that have been lost. That’s even more frustrating. Well, Education Outdoors has a pretty good solution for your earbud problem that it calls Pet Pods. They’re cute little animal plush toys with earbuds inside.

The Pet Pods come in six different animal styles: Beaver, Buck, Bear, Fawn, Eagle, and Moose. Your child will love the stuffed animal and you’ll love that he or she will have a place to stash those earbuds. My daughter never knew where her earbuds were from one hour to the next, but now, she stores hers in the animal when they’re not in use.

BeaverEarplugsSmall children (not recommended for children under three years of age due to choking hazard) will love the plush animal as an extra “friend” to play with. Teenagers can carry the plush animal ironically to show how cool they are by carrying a stuffed animal with earbuds inside.

“My wife and I have teenage daughters and between the four of us on any given day, we always used to be at least one pair of earbuds short,” said Education Outdoors CEO Tim Paczesny. “Tired of constantly searching for earbuds, I decided to create a solution and came up with the Pet Pod. America already loves stuffed animals so I figured why not make a mini version that serves dual purposes by storing a pair of headphones inside.”

You can scan the QR code to learn more about your animal.

My daughter, who actually uses the Pet Pod and earbuds told me that the Amazon price is a real value at $5.98, “Because you’ll pay that much or more just for the earbuds alone. Plus, you get the animal that you can put your earbuds into.”

She told me that her earbuds had a “bend” in them that doesn’t affect their sound or functionality now, but might in the future. She also wishes that there was something to wind up the earbuds on instead of just having them loose.

Why it’s Frugal: Earbuds generally cost from $3.00 to $50.00 or more and even at $3.00 per pair, lost ones add up over time. The Pet Pod is a cute storage compartment for your earbuds and anything that prevents lost money is frugal.

The earbuds are quality made. The plush toy is a nice little toy with the added bonus of being storage for the earbuds. In all, Pet Pods make a great gift for birthdays, stocking stuffers, or just because you don’t want to keep replacing earbuds once a month.

About Education Outdoors

EagleEarplugAn avid outdoorsman, Tim Paczesny grew up at his family’s log cabin resort in Northern Michigan. As an adult with children of his own, Tim wanted to create a way to share his knowledge of the outdoors with his children and his “city” friends. He came up with the idea of creating games that would be able to teach families about the outdoors through trivia questions and fun facts. For more information, please visit www.educationoutdoors.net.

Rating: 8/10

Recommendation: Buy it, but not for children under three.

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TomTom Bandit Action Camera (Review)

July 23, 2015 Comments off

TomTom Bandit Action CameraTom Tom Bandit Action Camera
TomTom
$ 399.00 Amazon (Prime)

The TomTom Bandit (Bandit) is an action camera that is for those who are into sports and other high energy activities. It captures moments in time in several formats, from HD to 4k, single to burst photos, slow motion, time-lapse to Cinematic video,  and viewable in normal or wide angle. The options are many. Photo size is from 8 to 16 megapixels. The suggested storage media to use is a Class 10 microSD card on which to store your video and pictures. The Bandit allows you to quickly capture, share, and continue your activities with few interruptions to the action. The TomTom Bandit Action Camera is the ultimate selfie machine. Film yourself in the action and post it. Done.

Bandit Highlight Video

While reviewing this camera, I received many comments and questions from passersby. Because of its unusual appearance, people would approach me for a closer look. Some thought it was a robot at first. Once I told them it was an action camera, they related it to a GoPro, but commented that it looks much nicer. They liked the shape and the overall design, instead of looking like a box.

Bandit connected to iPhone appNavigating the menus is easy to do by toggling through each section to select your options. There two buttons and one directional pad, which helps you flip though the choices. The main button, with the “star” on it, is your action button, both for capturing events and powering on the unit. While moving through the menus, all you need to do is use the directional pad to traverse the choices. Once you decide in which format you want to capture, you can select the “star” button and begin filming or taking photos. Using a 32 GB Class 10 microSD you can capture several hours of continuous footage.

Item Weight 6.6 ounces
Product Dimensions 3.7 x 1.5 x 2.1 inches
Item model number 1LB0.001.00
Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
Warranty 1 year limited

Sharing the video can be done in three basic ways. First, you can connect to your cell phone via the wireless network that the Bandit broadcasts. Second, you can connect through the USB. And third, you can remove the microSD card and use a memory reader. If you use the first method you can use the app, Bandit, which is downloadable from play Store for the Android or AppStore for apple phone. At that point you can let the app create a highlight video. There are several ways that can be done as well. First, and the most fun and simple, is to shake the phone. After the quick shake you have 60 to 90 seconds of video ready to play and share on your social media accounts. Second, you can select the high points yourself and lay out the time line. You can add the overlay options with either choice. The first option is your music and the other two options are speed and g-force. See the video above for a demonstration of speed.

Bandit Exploded ViewThere are a few things that this product does lack and documentation is certainly one of them.  What I mean by that is there is limited information about how to use the product and how to get your fun video to the people in your social circles. The menu it is intuitive and easy to use, so a lot of documentation might not be necessary for those who like to dive right in. One of the things that I learned rather quickly by experimentation is that I had to first enable the Wi-Fi broadcast from the Bandit.  You are then able to connect your phone to the Bandit network. Once you establish connectivity between your phone and the Bandit, you have the ability to edit, preview, control, and create videos from previously recorded activities.

“The TomTom Bandit Action Camera is the ultimate selfie machine.”

Bandit Wi-Fi ReadyEven though the documentation on how to use the Bandit is poor as I wrote earlier, the menu is much like a Timex watch from the old school days. You are able to quickly determine what to do and how to get there. We are now in a society of instant gratification in that we all love the quick and easy how to. It’s like your old Timex watch and like the apple IPhone–really did you ever read the instructions on how to use your watch or your iPhone?  No, probably not. Using the Bandit is as simple as the IPhone and the Timex watch are.  The ease of use and built-in instant gratification functionality allows you to share your videos “in the moment” and not hours  or days later, but actually while the action is still fresh.

Why it’s Frugal: The Bandit is frugal because you spend no time creating a highlights video. Just film, shake, and repeat. Time is money and that’s a frugal use of your time. At $399, it’s roughly the same price as the GoPro Hero 4, but does so much more and seems more rugged for your investment. Plus it is water resistant out of the box. 

I have more than 15 years of video editing and production experience and within in a few minutes I produced and posted video of my events to social media. Combining my passion of video/photography and bicycle riding has been a great combination for the TomTom Bandit Action Camera. In the past bringing a bike riding video from filming to editing, to producing, to viewing was a really big deal. Whereas this product allows me to film in the moment and to pass that glimpse of passion to those in my social network, even before my heart stops pounding and the before the sweat has a chance to dry on my face. Before the Bandit, I would have to ingest the video, preview the video, find the high points, edit the video manually, produce the video, and then manually upload the video.

Bandit ProfileThe TomTom Bandit Action Camera is for who want to do something and share it right away. It’s fun and easy to use. What more could you want from the ultimate selfie machine?

Rating: 8/10

Recommendation: Buy it and get ready to have fun.

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BoinxTV: Broadcast Quality Video Made Easy (Review)

July 16, 2015 Comments off

BoinxTVBoinxTV
Boinx Software, Ltd.
$499.99 for the Professional version*
$49.99 for the Home version

BoinxTV is broadcast quality video casting software that turns your Mac into a TV studio. With BoinxTV, you can create your very own high quality TV show that includes, split screens, picture-in-picture, transitions, crawls, bugs, multiple cameras, automatic upload to YouTube and much more.

BoinxTV on Location

If you want to see me and my videographer, Joseph Butler, creating videos at the Social Media Tulsa event this year with various guests, check out our work. Using BoinxTV on location was easy. Once you make a few basic decisions (video capture resolution, on-screen effects, and lower thirds), you can capture video over and over like we did over a stretch of a few hours.

For our videos, we used the same backdrop, the same lighting, and format throughout the process to keep a consistent look and feel. We also used a directional microphone, but used a second microphone that allowed some ambient sound to leak in because we liked the “busy background” it imparted to the videos.

At the SMTulsa Conference, we created 12 videos. Some of them were done back to back and only required about two minutes of file saving of the previous video and queueing of the new one in between. Joseph created the opening transition that you see just prior to each interview.

BoinxTV is your best friend on location. Seriously. It’s easy to use, easy to queue one recording right after the other, easy to use with multiple sources (cameras), and easy to create great looking, professional video (as demonstrated by our interview dozen). We never had to restart a recording because of a BoinxTV fault nor did we experience any technical issues during its use.

Video Input:

Video Cameras

  • SDI cameras supported via SDI input devices such as the Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini Recorder.
  • HDMI cameras supported via HDMI input devices such as the Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini Recorder.
  • HDV/Firewire cameras supported on Macs with Firewire connectors or via Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adaptor.
  • USB Webcams
  • Select AXIS network cameras supported via AXIS camera layer
  • The number of video inputs is only limited by the number of interfaces and the bandwidth of the internal bus of your Mac
  • See example configurations for guidance on multi-camera setups

Video and Graphics Files

  • Playback video files of almost any format
  • Use PDF, PNG, JPEG and many more formats for graphics
Presentation Recording

  • Capture PowerPoint or other presentations from a presentation computer via VGA, DVI or HDMI via a capture device like the Epiphan DVI2USB3

Skype and Hangout

  • Skype calls or Hangouts can be recorded using the screen capture source

Screensource

  • Capture output from any application on your Mac via screen recording

See all technical specifications for video, audio, output, and effects.

The only downside of BoinxTV is that it doesn’t work with a lot of DSLR cameras which is bad for YouTubers. It doesn’t work with my Canon T3 nor Joseph’s Canon 60D. It does work with every web camera, my Panasonic HM-TA1, and an older Canon XL1S professional camera, but DSLRs are kind of hit and miss.

Why it’s Frugal: BoinxTV Professional is frugal because it is an all-inclusive TV production studio. You can create anything with it from technical videocasts all the way up to professional TV programs. Frugal.

If you ask me what I think of BoinxTV, I’d have to say I love it. It is a professional studio that is easy to use. So easy that I can do it and before I used it I had no experience with this type of software. At all. The software is easy to use, but extremely powerful. You can do anything with it that you see on Headline News or CNN. I don’t know if they use BoinxTV for their programming, but they probably could.

Joseph has a little different take on BoinxTV. His is from a professional videographer viewpoint. “The application is fairly easy to use, but the interface is a little clunky and pre-recorded video could be easier to use.” Joseph also told me that the video sources would drop when you add a new one to BoinxTV. I noticed the same behavior but had forgotten about it.

BoinxTV is the ultimate production package for YouTube shows. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who wants to create professional, high-quality video programs. In fact, as I discovered, you can do so much on-the-fly with BoinxTV that you might not need to do any “post” work at all. It can all be done in BoinxTV as you’re working.

One of the things I really like about it is that you can create a template for your show so that it looks the same every time–even on location. BoinxTV is everything I could ask for out of a professional studio production program.

Rating: 9/10

Recommendation: Buy it. Use it. Become a YouTube millionaire.

*This review is for BoinxTV Professional

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Singtrix: Karaoke for Dads, Grads, and Music Enthusiasts (Review)

June 19, 2015 Comments off

Singtrix Party BundleSingtrix
Singtrix.com
$349.00 Amazon, Sams, Target

The Singtrix karaoke machine is a microphone, a microphone stand, a “studio”, cables, and a 40-Watt speaker that uses your mobile phone or tablet’s music playlist for background music and helping vocals. It’s billed as “the next-generation karaoke machine that makes bad singers sound good and good singers sound amazing!”

It takes a few minutes to setup the Singtrix unit, because you have to assemble the microphone stand, plug in the cables, connect your phone or tablet, and tune the device. Tuning the device can take a while, as in perhaps an hour to tweak it so that it’s just right for the room you’re in. Tuning involves adjusting your phone or tablet’s volume control, the effects, and the volume, bass, and treble on the speaker. It’s not a trivial task to get it just right, but once you do, the fun begins.

You can adjust the singing voice in your song to very low so that it’s just barely audible as a helping voice. It’s fun to use one of the more than 300 voice effects that are interestingly named for songs that you’ll recognize, but careful not to infringe on copyrights.

The components are well made, clearly marked, and are of decent quality for creating some cool sounds. It’s easy enough to use for just about anyone. The controls are very intuitive and you can choose from no voice enhancement to extreme voice modulation, so there’s almost no limits to the range of possibilities.

The video below is on the Singtrix website, although I wouldn’t have included it there, it does show how versatile the Singtrix is and how impressively you can sound on it. The video shows the Singtrix inventors being a bit stubborn about getting an investment for the product launch, although I’m not completely convinced that the appearance on Shark Tank was for an investment. I think it was probably more along the lines of free advertisement for the product. I would have done the same thing.

https://youtu.be/0unrtD22w38?list=PL_3dlGnPgUZgNu91b519o6FvHzVb_EkpL

This demo video shown in the link below is very good. And it’s 100 percent realistic. You really can get all of these sounds and effects out of the Singtrix.

https://youtu.be/0unrtD22w38

For myself, I think the Singtrix is a cool, portable PA system. I’m not a singer and not even the Singtrix can make me sound good, but I do like it for its PA capabilities. I think it’s interesting in that respect and would use it for that extensively. My primary problem with the unit, besides how long it takes to get the sound right, is that it doesn’t provide the words to songs. Using an external device for lyrics is difficult because you can’t easily synchronize the song on your Singtrix-connected device to the lyrics.

The StudioMy daughter and her friends who came over and played with it for an entire weekend, much to the chagrin of my wife and myself, loved it for how it made them sound when singing. My daughter explained to me that not having the words display for you is a sacrifice to be able to choose your own songs instead of ones that the company chooses for you.
She went on to say that you can look up karaoke version of your songs on your iPad, while your phone plays the song. She didn’t think there was a problem getting the two synchronized, so she loved it.

  • From the same guys who created Guitar Hero.
  • Features the Singtrix “Studio” vocal effects unit with more than 300 unique, studio-quality vocal effects, including pitch correction and harmonies.
  • Plug in your phone, tablet, or mp3 player to play any song of your choosing while Singtrix lowers the vocals to create your own karaoke track from any song in your library.
  • Bad singers become good singers, good singers become great singers and great singers turn into rockstars!

It must be an age-related complex. I’m used to “old school” karaoke machines and she’s willing to make something work. Your mileage may vary.

40-Watt SpeakerMy best advice is that if you want to use the Singtrix as a karaoke machine, have some teenagers or preteens around to make that work for you, otherwise you’d better know all the lyrics to the songs.

Why it’s Frugal: The Singtrix isn’t frugal. It’s a luxury item that might not be for everyone at the $349 price. That’s not to say it isn’t worth the price; it is, but you should be someone who likes to sing to justify it or have a lot of parties.

I suggest that once you get the settings like you want them, leave them there. Tweaking even a little bit can cost you a lot of time and kids have short attention spans.

I don’t want you to think that this is a negative review because it isn’t. It’s a realistic one. I don’t want you to buy a Singtrix and not be satisfied because it’s a little less than falling-off-a-log simple to setup and use. I really like the Singtrix. It’s fun and you can have hours and hours of fun messing with the different voice effects, speaking like a robot, singing like a girl (if you’re a guy), singing or talking like Barry White, and more.

One final thing to note is that with the speaker pointed out toward your audience, you won’t be able to clearly hear the voice modulation. To you, you’ll sound pretty much the same as you always do, but to people in front of the speaker, your voice has changed. My daughter and friends had a lot of fun with the Singtrix. I had a lot more fun with it pretending that I was announcing plays at a baseball game or singing the National Anthem (poorly) with a lot of enhancement and Broadway stylings like many performers use. Why can’t they just sing it like Francis Scott Key wrote it? Some things shouldn’t be messed with and the National Anthem is one of them.

The Singtrix comes with everything that you need in the box to start singing and having fun. If you’re a good singer, you’ll sound like you’re in a studio. If you’re a bad singer, like me, you’ll need some help and the Singtrix has it with more than 300 voice modulations and controls. If you need to pump up the jam at your next family gathering, party, or kid sleepover; get a Singtrix and get ready to laugh and sing until you lose your voice.

Rating: 8/10

Recommendation: Try it, buy it, but be ready to tweak.

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ProGear™ Vault Case For the Apple iPad mini® 1/2/3 by Pelican (Review)

June 8, 2015 Comments off

VaultCaseiPadMini_closed_high VaultcaseiPadminihighProGear™ Vault Case For the Apple iPad mini® 1/2/3
Pelican
$79.99 MSRP. $75.00 Amazon (Prime)

When you first open the ProGear™ Vault Case (Vault) for the iPad mini, you notice that it’s made of very strong plastic. In fact, the company boasts that the construction passes military standards (MIL-STD 810G) for durability. And for all its toughness, it doesn’t add a lot of unnecessary bulk or weight to your iPad mini (8.72″ x 6.71″ x 0.71″ (22.1 x 17 x 1.8 cm).

When your iPad mini is in the Vault, with the lid closed (as shown in the first picture above), it’s fully protected, with the exception of your rear-facing camera. The rear-facing camera is protected by being inset into the product, but there’s no plastic shield between the outside world and your camera lens.

With the Vault lid open (as shown in the second picture above), your iPad mini screen is exposed and vulnerable to drops, spills, scratches, and other mishaps. If you drop it screen down, it will take damage.

The Vault’s construction is very solid and would be difficult to break under all but the harshest conditions. If conditions are harsh enough to break the Vault case, then perhaps you’re in an unhealthy and life-threatening situation yourself.

The hinge is a weak spot for most cases, but this one has two steel bars that run on each side of the hinge. It would take a tremendous amount of force to break that hinge. As I wrote earlier, with the lid closed and secured, your iPad mini is well protected from drops, from objects being dropped onto it, and from minor liquid spills or splashes.

Why it’s Frugal: The Pelican ProGear™ Vault Case is frugal because it protects your iPad mini in all but the harshest conditions and situations. For $75.00, protecting your $349+ investment is a good deal and is a frugal choice.

The Lightning charger port and the 3.5mm jack are both protected via attached rubber “plugs” that prevent damage to these two vulnerable areas when the plugs are in place.

  • Military Tough: Tested to Military Specifications (MIL-STD 810G) to survive multiple drops
  • Dust Protection: Ingress Protection (IP54) tested to achieve a full seal design against dust and dirt
  • Guaranteed For Life: You break it, we replace it…forever.™
  • Elastomeric Liner: Absorbs shock and protects electronics
  • Screen Protection: Hard cover protects against impact and abrasion
  • Dual Axis Hinge: Allows for unlimited viewing angles
  • Watertight Seal: Keeps out rain and dust
  • Easy, Tool Free Assembly

With the Vault, you could feel comfortable taking your iPad mini outside, to work, on biking trips, on campouts, in the garage, or in the kitchen without much fear of something terrible happening to your iPad. The lid opens all the way (near 360 degrees) to provide a stand for your iPad mini to hold it at a convenient viewing angle while you work with it in a hands free fashion.

Overall, I like the Vault. I think it’s a well made product that’s durable, simple, effective, and priced well considering its materials and construction. It’s available in various colors and also for the iPad Air.

Rating: 8/10

Recommendation: Buy it, but be aware of its exposed camera port and vulnerabilities when open.

About Pelican

Pelican Products, Inc. is the global leader in the design and manufacture of both high-performance case solutions and advanced portable lighting systems. Their products are used by professionals in the most demanding markets including fire safety, law enforcement, defense / military, aerospace, entertainment, industrial and consumer. Pelican™ products are designed and built to last a lifetime. The company operates in 19 countries, with 28 offices and six manufacturing facilities across the globe. For more information, visit www.pelican.com or www.behrmancap.com.

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Domke Next Generation Metro Messenger Photographer’s Bag (Review)

May 26, 2015 Comments off

Domke Metro Messenger BagDomke Next Generation Metro Messenger Bag
Tiffen
$349.95

The bag I chose for review is the Domke Next Generation Metro Messenger Bag from Tiffen. This particular bag (pictured right) that I reviewed is a photographer “gig” bag for me. Sure you can haul just about anything in it, including a laptop and accessories. But I’m an avid photographer who carries a camera, multiple lenses, and multiple camera bodies, and sometimes multiple cameras with me. I also throw in my battery charger, a flash unit or two, small lights, various cables, and even film (Yes, film. Don’t judge me). This bag can hold more than you can carry–trust me on that point. I’ve filled it so full and with so many different things that I’m sure the people behind me at the airport were rolling their eyes and taking some heavy sighs at the spectacle. Watching me pull out so much stuff from that bag–I’m sure I looked like a guy pulling clowns out of a Volkswagen at a rodeo. But I don’t care. The bag is capable of holding my stuff, so I’m going to take advantage of its capacity.

The Metro Messenger bag is one tough cookie too. It’s made of Cordura, which is a military-grade nylon blend fabric that’s used to make backpacks, duffle bags, and other stuff for the military. It’s also the material that’s used to make a lot of the new lightweight, super durable luggage that you see in department stores.

I chose the Metro Messenger because not only does it not look like a standard issue photographer’s bag, it can double, as I wrote earlier, as a laptop or other type of tote. The Messenger style bag has a good look for me that’s somewhere between briefcase/satchel and small suitcase. I don’t want to feel like I’m carrying a purse/murse nor do I want to look like I’m toting a really fancy diaper bag. That’s why I chose the evergreen style of the Metro Messenger. It’s classic, smart, and professional without being stuffy or pretentious.

Metro Messenger - Inside LookYou can also tell that this is a substantial bag. In other words, it isn’t some cheap knockoff of a bag that you really want. It IS the bag that you really want without paying the big price for it.

Now you might say that $349.95 isn’t inexpensive, but I’d tell you that you’ll probably never have to buy another one unless it’s a gift for someone. In other words, you’ll likely never have to replace it, so $349.95 is a steal, even if you keep it for just ten years, but you’ll keep it longer because it won’t wear out.

Color – Black
Fabric – Cordura
Laptop Friendly – Yes
Carry Options – Shoulder
Exterior Size – 21 in Long
Weight – 4.50 lbs
Exterior Dimensions – 21″L x 5″W x12″H
Interior Main Dimensions – 16″L x 4.5″W x11.25″H
Internal Laptop Area – 14.25 x 9.5″
Dividers – (2) D6
Webbing Color – Black
Warranty – 2 Years

 

DOMKE NEXT GENERATION METRO MESSENGER – CORDURA BLACK
Satchels, Courier and Messenger Bags

NEXT GENERATION brings evolutionary and revolutionary features to the trusted name of Domke. The Metro Messenger (the grandchild of the F-832) is part of the Metro Series of Satchels, Courier and Messenger Bags. The Metro Messenger , with functionality as the core design inspiration, integrates our patent pending systems for personalizing, protecting and accessing your valuable gear. Also available in RuggedWear Black and RuggedWear Military.

Features:

  • Black color with Sand color webbing
  • Top access with double zipper
  • Rear slide pocket
  • Expandable zippered side pocket
  • Stacked front slide pockets
  • Key-ring strap
  • Secure luggage strap
  • Numbered identity plate
  • Side rain hoods
  • Padded zippered tablet sleeve fits up to 14.25 x 9.5
  • Foam-lined laptop cargo pocket with double zipper
  • “Quiet” system hook and loop silencer
  • Expandable front pockets
  • Custom antique steel hardware
  • Detachable Gripper shoulder and grab strap
  • Domke flap tucks in for anonymity
  • All zippers YKK®
  • Comes with 2 dividers – Additional divider inserts (D6) available in GearProtex Accessories

Accessories:

  • Domke GearProtex Insert System – a revolutionary, customizable insert system that allows you to compartmentalize and organize your contents to create any size or shape using bendable, self-adhering separators.
  • Domke PocketFlex Pocket and Pouch System – an ingenious system of movable, pockets, patches and pouches.  These innovative storage components adhere to all interior surfaces, personalizing your storage.

Why it’s Frugal: The Domke Metro Messenger bag by Tiffen is frugal because it will quite possibly outlast you. I’m pretty sure that if you amortize the price over 20 years, you’ll see that for less than $1.50 per month is a great deal. The bag is tough, attractive, and functional. And it could become an heirloom. What else do you need?

The only negative about this bag is that it only has a shoulder strap and no handle on the top. I don’t always want to shoulder a bag, but it’s required with this one. Yes, it’s a messenger bag, but a top handle would be a very welcome design addition to this near perfect product.

The Metro Messenger is a fine bag and one that any photographer would be proud to carry and to use. Its attention to detail shows me that a professional photographer or two were consulted in the design process. The bag is functional, lightweight, customizable, user friendly, stylish, and can hold more gear than you can comfortably carry.
I highly recommend the Domke Metro Messenger bag to any multi-camera toting amateur, semi-professional, photographer’s assistant, and pro photographer. It’s a great all around bag and perfect for carrying equipment for street photography, short films, and outdoor portraiture (I’ve used it for all three, so I know).
Rating: 9/10
Recommendation: Buy this bag. It will outlast you.
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Staying powered with the CHOETECH Multi Port USB Car Charger (Review)

April 8, 2015 Comments off

CHOETECH 4-port Charger C0042Multi-port Car Charger C0042
Choe Technology (CHOETECH)
$21.99 Amazon (Prime)

The CHOETECH Multi-port Car Charger is a small, four-port car charger that is absolutely the smallest possible four-port USB charger. Its design keeps it out of your way in the car, but handy for quick charging without fumbling around looking for a charger that might be on the floorboard or under a seat. The charger fits into the power port in your car and can remain there without draining your battery and without having charger wires strung out all over the car like some base unit style chargers do.

Everyone in your vehicle can charge a device at the same time and they can be four different devices because of the charger’s auto detect technology.

CHOETECH Model C0042 Charger details:

  • Fast: Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 Technology reduces the charging time by up to 75%
  • Powerful:Total power 51W 4 port (Auto detected charging port 5V/2.4A*3+Adaptive fast charging port 15W) for this multi port USB car charger
  • Smart: With auto detect technology, which could automatically recognize your devices and is compatible with most of electronic devices
  • Adaptive Fast Charging: Especially match with Samsung Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge,HTC M9,Nexus 6,HTC Butterfly 2/HTC One M8,Moto X,Galaxy Note 4/Note Edge,Sharp Aquos Zeta/Aquos Tab, Sony Xperia Z2/Z3/Z3 Compact/Z2 Tablet/Z3 Tablet Compact, Xiaomi 3/4
  • Safe: Over-current, over-charging, short-circuit protection will make the charge safely, without any risk of overheating or damaging your devices

Charger2All four USB ports on the car charger have a unique auto-detection feature, which intelligently detects the type of product being charged, (iOS or Android). With auto-detect, each device is charged to its charging specifications. Although there is only one port with Quick Charge 2.0 technology on the charger, the other three ports will still charge your devices faster than ones with typical chargers. The CHOETECH 4 Port USB Car Charger has a total output of 51 watts and four ports, making this charger a lightweight and easy-to-use solution for anyone on the go.

Input : DC 12V-24V
Total Maximum Output : 3*(2.4A/5V) + 1.67A/9V(max)
Charging Port Output : 4*(2.4A/5V)
Quantities of the charging port : 4-ports
Dimension : 96mm*38mm*18mm
Weight : 85g

Why it’s Frugal: The CHOETECH Multi-port Car Charger is frugal not only because of its inexpensive price point ($21.99), but also because it serves more than a single device at once. It also auto detects your device’s power requirements and charges it quickly if it has Quick Charge 2.0 technology. A quicker charge means less time wasted waiting on a charge or time spent worrying that your device will fail during an important phone call. Frugal.

Charger1Only the top USB port is configured for Quick Charge 2.0 technology. If your device doesn’t have Quick Charge technology, then your device will simply charge at the normal rate, which Choe Technology claims is faster than normal charging. I have no reason to doubt the claim, but I also can’t verify it for myself because my average car trip in town is about five minutes each way. Hardly enough time to adequately test the assertion.

I will say that I really like the sleek, minimal design because I hate having what looks like a USB hub in my car down in the floorboard getting stepped on and dirty between charges. The CHOETECH charger is in the dash where it should be and conveniently located for everyone in the car.

Rating: 9/10

Recommendation: For four USB charging ports in a small device, you can’t go wrong. Buy it.

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