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Review: iZON Remote Room Monitor
I’ve been waiting for this gadget forever, though unfortunately now about six years to late to use it to monitor my son’s crib. The
iZON is one of many new monitors finally making the scene that use WIFI and the internet to bring images back to you rather than short distance broadcasts. Devices like this have existed for at least three or four years, but were all built on preposterous business models involving a big upfront cost followed by a long term monthly hosting charge.
iZON and some others are finally using the magic of open connections on Skype or WIFI networks to do the same thing. While the $129 MSRP for the iZON is not small, it’s a one time cost (apparently a more feature-packed subscription plan was dropped). And, in this case, the iZON uses the magic of the iPhone and iPad iOS to bring the video to you wherever you are in the world.
But there are quite a few other reasons this is a magical little toy. From the moment you start opening the box, you know that people who love design are involved. The packaging, which secures the mini-camera, is actually fun to open with sliding doors and intelligently designed stabilizer holders. The camera itself is also pretty to look at. It’s a simple and small white tower only about four inches high. It’s base is magnetic, so you can position the camera at an angle if you wish, making the iZON look like a mini Tower of Pisa.
The instructions though were my favorite part. They are about four steps long and dead simple to follow if you are at all familiar with hooking your phone up to your home WIFI network. All you do is plug in the iZON, connect your phone or iPad to it’s WIFI signal, sign in to the iZON system, and then log back into your own home WIFI again. That’s it. No hiccups. In literally 60 seconds, I was watching myself on video on my iPhone (I have read other mixed comments in Amazon reviews however, so your home network may not be as easy).
The video is crisp, but with VGA and 1.5 Mbps, don’t expect High-Def cinema quality. Additionally, video quality degrades with lower light, though the camera is meant to take pictures in rooms lit as dimly as with a common 7.5 watt nightlight.
The iPhone interface is easy to use and allows you to set up the camera to start up with sound or light triggers. You can also record up to 30 second movies onto your phone or on to a private YouTube account.
Video delay can be up 20 seconds which might be frustrating if you’re witnessing a crime that has already happened, or worse, a baby who is in distress. A faster near real-time update to the software is expected in Spring 2012.
MSRP: $129.95
Tech Specs
Video:
Stem:Connect v2.0 for iZON supports 300 kbps (kilobits per second) bitstream, QVGA video at 10 frames per second for video playback*. iZON supports up to 1.5 Mbps, VGA video at 30 fps — an app update is in development to unleash the full playback capabilities of iZON. The viewing angle for iZON is 60 degrees.
Video playback when on the same local wireless network as iZON currently has a 20 second delay. Remote video playback may be impacted by your network strength and data download capabilities. An app update in development for early Spring 2012 release will provide near real-time video playback for viewing over local networks.
In order to provide optimal quality for video at all levels of illumination, iZON does not have IR (infrared) capability for full-dark environments. Unfortunately, IR capability not only improves night-time viewing but also tends to wash out the video under normal lighting conditions. iZON has enhanced low-light capabilities and is able to automatically adjust to a broad spectrum of lighting conditions while preserving image quality under normal illumination. iZON is sensitive to light levels as those found in a room lit by as little as a 7.5-watt bulb (an average night-light).
Audio:
Mono, 40 Hz – 8 kHz, sample rate 16 kHz. iZON responds to sounds at levels from 35 dB to 95 dB.
Power:
iZON connects to a standard power outlet (100/240v) using the included USB power supply and the 9′ USB-to-USB-mini cable with optional safety/breakaway adapter.
Recording:
Stem:Connect v2.0 for iZON supports QVGA recording with upload to your free, private YouTube account. Motion or noise detection alerts can record clips that begin 5 seconds prior to the triggering event and end at least 5 seconds following the event, up to maximum of 30 seconds. Manual recordings are initiated from the “Record” button in the Live Camera View and automatically record 30 second clips to your YouTube account. Specifications:
Dimensions:
80mm x 194mm x 55mm
Weight: .74 oz. (334g)
Power: 100/240v
GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Popularity: 1%
Headphones for the entire family this season
Here are four distinctly different headphones, as opposed to ear plugs or buds, for holiday gifts. They come in a variety of price levels and serve different functions.
1. For little kids, consider the Griffin GB10027 MyPhones Headphones ($39.99 list). They are perfect for kids and unaware teens because the volume can’t exceed 85 decibels—the highest level recommended by many auditory health organizations.
2. For more fashion-conscious teens, the Wicked Reverb headphones look hot, and deliver good sound. And, at $20 (Amazon) they are imminently affordable. These headphones have enhanced bass, and include a 3.5mm and 6.5mm jack for use with iPod or phone (no mic though) and better stereo equipment.
3. When I tried the Frends Alli headphones while listening to music, I could hear a baby crying. I found this really annoying but these headphones don’t completely cover your ears. Turns out, it was a baby crying that I had never heard on a favorite piece of music. While these headphones don’t cover the ear completely and can let in outside noise, don’t be surprised if the train you hear bearing down on you is actually on the musical track rather than a neighboring train track. These headphones also have two great additional features. They have a mic so you can use them with your phone or other inputdevice. And, they have a fabric cord, which miraculously does not tangle and stick like most headphone cords. For $35, you can not go wrong with these.
4. Finally, we love our Crossfade LP headphones. They also have a fabric cord and an second cord that includes microphone/call/music button if you want to use them with your iPhone (3GS and newer) or Blackberry. As the more sophisticated phones that they are, they also have a 6.3mm and 3.5mm adapters for different size headphone jacks. These are more expensive at $199, but are high quality headphones with superior sound driven by HD drivers and gold-plated jacks. For this price too, you get a very cool, black “exoskeleton” back case with a red lining. These make a fine gift, but I’m happy to say mine are already in service and I don’t have to to wait until Christmas to disappear into their sweet sound.
It’s amazing how prices have fallen and the quality that is available even at lower spending levels for decent headphones for everyone this holiday season.
GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured products for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Popularity: 1%
Review: Verbatim Bluetooth Keyboard
If you have an iPad, you’ve probably considered giving your laptop the boot, at least when traveling. The iPad is so easy and light, but the keyboard is so clunky and unusable for real typing, blogging, or any meaningful data entry over a sentence or two. I’ve been looking around for a Bluetooth keypad for a while so I was excited to give one a try.
The Verbatim Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard is a nicely designed device. It folds shut in a fairly size and fits into a stylish black leatherette case. Setup for us was easy. Just hold down a recessed Bluetooth key and wait for the iPad to issue a four number series to enter on the keyboard and done!
The keyboard itself is almost as wide as laptop keyboard, which is odd since the main letters from QWERT on one side, and YUIOP on the other are actually wider on the Verbatim keyboard than on my Mac laptop of desktop keyboards. At the same time, number keys across the top are more compressed, as are the multitude of side keys, including arrows, shift and parentheses. There is no vertical number pad, to the dismay of number crunchers.
When you type, you have to get used to the fact that there is no empty space between the keys, as there is on a regular keyboard. The keys are wider, but closer together. At first, this means your fingers might hit a few odd keys, especially missing the very small space bars. Luckily, while also tiny, I was able to hit the backspace delete button almost without fail. The more you type, the more you feel other trouble spots, perhaps because some keys, like the B, are irregularly sized. My fingers also tended to type the upward arrow with my pinkie since it is located where you expect the right sided shift key to be. There is a right side shift key, but it is way to the right and and an awkward reach. Since there is no trackpad, this means you have to leave the keyboard to find your spot with your finger.
Luckily, auto-correct is your friend and will fix many errors as they are committed. However, I would not recommend this keyboard to anyone needing to type while copying from another document since it will slow you down considerably if you can’t look at the text as you type.
Another thing users should note is that there is no wrist rest like you’d find on all Mac laptops. This may or may not bother you, but I found the keyboard a lot easier to use with a small notebook placed in front of the keyboard to raise my hands a half inch.
Size is 9.2 x 6.4 x 2 inches which makes this just a bit too big for a jacket pocket, but he weight is only 15.7 ounces. The keyboard is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iPad2, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom,
Blackberry Playbook, Android Tablets and any Tablet with HID Keyboard support and Bluetooth connectivity, though I only tried it with iPad and as an external keyboard to my Macbook Pro.
What I loved:
1. Form factor is about perfect and little case is a nice add-on though I think most people could live without it since the keyboard folds up into a clean rectangle with no exposed parts.
2. Easy pairing and works out of box since it’s specially made for iOS 4 and above. Side keys make it easy to operate iTunes volume and skip commands.
3. Included easel for iPhone is a nice touch. It folds inside keyboard so it’s not an extra item to lose. However, it would not hold my iPhone vertically when in its case.
What I had trouble with:
1. Odd size keys take a bit of getting used to and right side shift is an unfortunately difficult one for practical use. Don’t expect to feel totally satisfied without some experience.
2. Springs on keys are a bit tight versus a Mac keyboard. On the other hand, they make a nice clicking sound.
3. The instructions are written in multiple languages and should have been printed on a color coded sheet to make reading easier. Additionally, the keyboard itself uses engraved black on black for the on/off button and bluetooth pairing, which is difficult to see in a dark room.
4. The on/off switch “enables you to turn off the keyboard when not in use,” but would have been better as a on/off button with an auto off when not in use for extended time. Since there is no “ON” light, it is very easy to forget to turn the keyboard off when not in use.
GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Popularity: 1%
Review: iGrill for iPhone
You’ve got to love the iGrill for iPhone. It has such a silly name, you’d expect it to be sold on Saturday Night Live. However, the jokes about i- things are passé. We are now into an era where stuff can be made that adds value simply by harnessing the power of the iPhone as computer in your pocket. The iGrill is one of those products that would have been a joke a few years ago, but is now a very powerful device for the serious griller.
I love this video starring Chris Allen, one of the inventors of iGrill. He’s so earnest and truly cares about making sure this product fits your needs. If you can’t get to the video, the principle of iGrill is easy. It’s basically a meat thermometer connected to a Bluetooth relay box that sends a signal to you anywhere in a 200 ft. radius. The app on the iPhone does the rest.
Let’s talk about the iGrill hardware first. The iGrill comes in a white or black box, a bit larger than a set of playing cards. There are headphone like jacks on two sides to accept thermometer probes. The front of the iGrill is very clean with an on/off button and a + and – button for setting the temperature alarm. The iGrill functions as a meat thermometer even if you don’t use the Bluetooth and iPhone app connectivity. The box takes four AA batteries (included).
The fun for techie grilling dads who like to show off their gadget prowess comes with the iGrill apps and Bluetooth connectivity. There are two iPhone apps. One has a black icon and is very basic, focusing on temperature alone. The other, shown as a white icon, has the temperature monitoring, but includes a lot more information, including tips, recipes and cooking guidelines. At some point, I would imagine the simpler app will go away, but it may be more straightforward for some users. Both make monitoring food temperature easy.
Here are some observations from our first cooking experience. Watching the temperature gauge while cooking a few steaks was a fascinating process. We watched the temp move slowly and then really jump in the last few seconds and had to react fast when the steaks were done. It seemed like the iGrill suggested leaving the steaks in about a minute longer than I would usually have done, but the steaks came out perfectly medium rare. I’m glad I didn’t have to sprint from 200 feet away to rescue them when they hit the magic point however.
Between our first and second attempt, I migrated to the new iPhone 4s and had to pair the new iGrill (migrating phones requires re-entering a ton of data I found, including car Bluetooth codes and many app passwords). This is where I ran into some problems. The iGrill is only meant to be paired with one device at a time, so the site covers that issue in many videos. The iGrill requires you to reset the device’s Bluetooth settings if you switch phones or want to use the iPad.
If you read my Griffin Beacon review, you’ll know that I’m no stranger to Bluetooth connectivity issues. They can be a challenge and the iGrill put me through my paces. However, iGrill customer service is the most responsive product service I’ve ever seen. They answer email questions literally within minutes and with a few ideas on their part –the trick finally was to take the batteries out for 15 seconds — I was able to re-sync the iGrill with the new iPhone. Customer service was equally responsive when I found I had gotten a bad thermometer probe. They sent one out immediately, without even knowing that I was writing a review.
The iGrill is a fun toy for grillers and I will be taking it out, especially for thicker pieces of meat with longer grilling times. The iGrill would also make a great thermometer for candy and chocolate makers, though tests have not yet been done to see if the probes could withstand that exposure.
Expect more from the maker, iDevices, a Hartford-based company. They invented this product themselves, but are in business to help other inventors bring iPhonef-friendly hardware devices successfully to market. This is a fun first entry for them and you have to cheer on inventor Chris Allen, featured in all the videos, for his homespun charm and interest in making every iGrill chef a happy iGrill user.
GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Popularity: 2%
Review: Griffin Beacon for iPhone
As a lazy dad who believes that the invention of the remote control is truly proof of God’s existence and New Testament beneficence, we had to try the Griffin Beacon. Griffin Beacon, using technology from Dijit, turns your iPhone or iPad into a universal remote control.
This is a trick that is harder than you might imagine. Griffin had to create a piece of hardware that sits in your living room and needs to pair with your phone over Bluetooth. The Beacon has all major hardware codes within it, allowing your phone to talk to the DVD player, PVR, TV, Cable box without an IR transmitter.
In practice, the Beacon works pretty well, though you might not want to throw out your main remote quite yet. In our experience, we found it a bit cumbersome on the small iPhone screen and while we liked having a universal remote, we gravitated back to our simple Comcast remote for ease of use.
Additionally, sexy features like a functionality to view our Netflix queue, still don’t yet integrate with actually viewing movies on the device or controlling the Netflix feature on our devices.
Still, Griffin is onto something here with their partner app developer, Dijit. Clearly, this app gives us all a taste of Dijit technology is in development and future updates will make the app far stronger, especially when it runs on iPad with more screen space.
The pros:
Set up after you get the Bluetooth pairing down is very intuitive, making adding components a snap
Online program guide is good and future iterations will allow complete integration with social media. This is just the beginning for Dijit and Griffin.
The cons:
You’ve got one more little device (the Beacon) on your coffee table, and while unobtrusive, it’s another piece of clutter
The Beacon uses batteries which will need to be replaced under heavy use
You have to click the Beacon if you change devices, say to your wife’s phone or to the iPad
Our recommendation: Postpone purchase until you download the app and see what you are actually getting since the sizzle may pull you in before you understand the current limits. Even so, we think this technology has legs for the near future.
Griffin Beacon Specs
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