Category Archives: Gadgets

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Wincent Biometric Gun Safe

Wincent sent me their π1 Biometric Portable Gun Safe Lock Box to test and evaluate. I was hesitant after reading some negative Amazon reviews. Some early models of this safe had issues with the biometrics lock, which would unlock using any body part.

But this new lockbox worked correctly. I set the biometric reader to my right thumb and was unable to open it with any other finger (or palm). It opened every time with my right thumb. As with any gun accessory, two is one and one is none. Biometric reader may fail at the most inopportune time. That’s why it come with a key to open the box manually. So keep the key hidden but accessible.

The box had enough internal space to fit my Glock 17 with an attached Streamlight TRL-1. It would not accomodate my O-Light Valkyrie or Surefire X300. But there was ample enough room for 2-3 spare magazines and a backup EDC light, in addition to my pistol.

This safe is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3HHujV2

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Liberfeel Wireless Powerbank

The Liberfeel is a 10,000mAh wireless powerbank sent to me by Peakode to test and review. It has a decidedly feminine aesthetic with rounded edges somewhat reminiscent of a bar of Dove soap. It comes in a choice of 4 pastel colors: pink, blue, purple, and beige.

It features a wireless fast-charging plate (it will only fast-charge if wireless charging only 1 device) with a built in magnetic to help keep your phone in place while charging, though not strong enough to keep a phone attached to the charger if held up sideways. In addition it has a built-in Apple Lightning, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-A output port, and a USB-C in/out port, allowing it to charge up to 5 devices simultaneously. It can also recharge itself via it’s USB-C port, while charging 4 other devices at the same time. This makes the Liberfeel a useful travel charger.

Gadgets, Product Reviews, Shooting Sports

Add Bluetooth to your old Earpro


Comsoon J25 Bluetooth Receiver allows you to add Bluetooth audio to your old wired headphones or earbuds or your car through its AUX audio port, for less than $20. Far less than the cost of a new pair of Bluetooth headsets or even the cost of a J25 and a new pair of non-Bluetooth earpro.  

It’s small enough to mount directly onto your earpro and with the right connector cable, you can get the firing tucked away and even make it look like original equipment.

PRODUCT LINK
J25 https://amzn.to/3k6wWWJ
Right-angle cable https://amzn.to/3nZr04N
Velcro dots https://amzn.to/3CVEl2s

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

SANAG A11S Pro Headsets

A marketing Rep with SANAG contacted me and offered a pair of sports headphones for me to test out. They appeared to be bone-conductive headsets but the Rep said they were not. Oddly the box says they are but my tests seem to indicate that the Rep was correct.

My first impression was positive. The box made it look like a piece of electronics that you would spend +$50 on (MSRP $80).

My initial impression upon taking it out was also positive. The headset appeared well made and completely covered in a rubber-like coating which would be expected from a “sweat-proof” headset.

Bluetooth pairing was easy. It also comes with 32GB of onboard memory so you can play music directly from the headset by loading up songs from your PC or phone via the included USB-C cable. It came with about 40 pre-loaded Mandarin songs (ummm ok).

Its audio quality was disappointing. The sound was thin and distant, like when you pull your earbuds out of your ear and hang them. The sole positive feature is that as over-the-ear headsets, these allow you to hear your real-world environment while listening to tunes. But for the price, I’d want better audio fedelity. 

SPECS

• 8hr battery life

• 10hr standby time

• Bluetooth connectivity

• IP67 Waterproof

• Sweatproof

• Noise Reduction microphone

• 32GB internal memory

• Weight 26g

Amazon https://amzn.to/3yytIC7

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Wybenz Solar Christmas Lights

WYBENZ sent me a set of Solar Christmas String Lights to test and review. I own a similar set solar-powered lights but these have much heavier duty wiring. These look quite nice and beautify our exteriors without having to be plugged. This makes them much more versatile in where you place them around your house.

SPECS

  • Length: 66ft
  • Control Wire: 6ft
  • Strand LED: 200
  • Setting Modes: 11
  • Battery Capacity: 1200mah
  • Waterproof: IP65
  • Solar Panel: 2V 400MA
  • Working Time:Up to 15hours

MODES

  1. Steady On White
  2. Steady On Warm White
  3. Steady On 50/50 Mix White and Warm White
  4. Slow Flash White
  5. Quick Flash White
  6. Slow Flash Warm White
  7. Quick Flash Warm White
  8. Slow Alternate White to Warm White
  9. Quick Alternate White to Warm White
  10. Slow Flash 50/50 Mix White
  11. Quick Flash 50/50 Mix White
Gadgets, Product Reviews

AEGIS 300 Body Cam

My Geko Gear sent me their new Aegis 300 Body Cam to test and review. This is a professional grade body camera with password and encrypted footage and a rugged splash-proof body. It is an upgrade from the Aegis 200 (which I reviewed a few months ago) featuring such improvements as 1552p resolution, a removable/swappable battery pack, GPS, wifi, and electronic image stabilization (EIS).

On the last feature, the results were somewhat disappointing. The footage I got out of the camera were still shaky. In fact, not really any better than without the EIS.

Is the Aegis 300 worth the $50-$80 premium in price from the Aegis 200? If the EIS had significantly improved the footage quality, that would be an unequivocal yes but lacking that, I’m somewhat on the fence. It’s external battery packs are an improvement but they are proprietary and replacement packs are not yet available through MyGekoGear website.

Despite that, with essentially all-day battery life and recording capability, this camera (which is about the size of an old-school Nokia flip-phone) makes for a rugged alternative to most action cams.

AMAZON https://amzn.to/3kMa008

MyGekoGear: https://shop.mygekogear.com/collections/body-cameras/products/aegis-300

Get 35% off using coupon code: BLACKFRIDAY35

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Fairy String Lights

A Marketing Rep at LERTDAI contacted me through Facebook about reviewing a set of their battery-powered LED string lights. They come in a box of 16 lights. All turned and worked though one was flakey at first. Pressing the battery box flat seemed to fix it and it didn’t cause any problems afterward. Some of the LED bulbs do flicker/twinkle adding to the “fairy” or “firefly” effect.

A product photo on their Amazon page shows the lights in a glass of water. Their product specs say they are IP44 rated, which doesn’t mean they are resistant to spray jets of water. The first number in 2 number IP rating is dust penetration, the second number is its waterproof rating. An item has to be IP7 or IP8 rated for it to be classed as immersive waterproof. While I believe the LEDs and wiring is coated to allow them to be waterproof, the battery compartment is not, so I wouldn’t expose that part of the device to water.

The lights can be put in a bottle, vase, or jar to make a decorative centerpiece. Or you can wear it as portable holiday lights. It’s perfect for the season. Currently the entire box set of 16 lights retails for less than $15 on Amazon which makes them a pretty good deal.

AMAZON Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3kCTAXW

AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK https://amzn.to/3kCTAXW

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Blavor Solar Power Bank after 30 days

In a previous episode, bought and reviewed a Blavor 10,000mAh Solar power bank. Like similar products, it has a built-in solar panel to allow the unit to charge using sunlight. But I wondered just how many days would it take to fully recharge a unit using sunlight alone? I sought to find out.

I fully discharged my unit and left it on my windowsill and checked it daily. I was shocked to discover that after 30 days the unit was still only half-charged. I ended my first video at this point and continued the experiment. After 30 more days, here is the result.

Blavor Solar Power Bank on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jyTSyI 

Gadgets, Product Reviews

iJoy LOGO Bluetooth Headphones

iJoy Logo Bluetooth Headphones sell for less than $20 on Amazon. I tested their quality and sound and was pleasantly surprised that they weren’t bad, once you change the default EQ setting to something less bass focused. It offers a range of features including a built-in FM radio receiver, a Micro-SD port for playing MP3s, and the option for wired operation with a supplied 3.5mm audio patch cable. It suffers from an opaque user interface that doesn’t provide sufficient cues to its status or settings and a poorly thought through user experience.

PRO
• Good sound quality (in the FLAT EQ setting)
• MP3 player
• FM Radio
• 3.5mm wired audio option
• Confortable padding
• Folding headband
• Inexpensive

CON
• Poor documentation
• Unclear which EQ setting is selected
• EQ reset to default when powered down
• Inserting 3.5mm audio cable turns off headphone

Purchase from Amazon
https://amzn.to/3EB1bP0