Gadgets :: August 29, 2018
by Gregg Ellman
(@greggellman)
We finally had rain. I say this for two reasons; first and most importantly, I live in Texas and we need the rain. The second is I got a chance to try the UnbelievaBrella reverse umbrella.
For the most part it looks like an umbrella and works like an umbrella, but the fun in innovative starts when the rain stops. The UnbelievaBrella is built with reverse technology, allowing you to walk in the house right after the storm and not have the umbrella drip all over the house.
The technology reverses the umbrella when you close it. Instead of what happens when you close a standard umbrella – push the inside up and all the water drips down on you – with the UnbelieveaBrella you pull the inside down, causing the umbrella to act as a funnel holding all the water.
When it’s in a place you can dry it, flip it over to have the water drip out of the funnel side.
It;s well made with a easy to hold rubber coated C-shaped handle with steel and fiberglass construction.
When opened, you get 48-inches of coverage and when the sun is out, it folds into 36.5-inches for easy car or closet storage. The outer canopy is black when opened and the inner comes in choices of six colors: black, charcoal, lime green, ocean, pink and red.
The Soundcast VG1 Bluetooth speaker is ready to blast your sound pool side or in a dorm room of any size.
The portable has been out a little while, sorry, it got buried in my closet, but definitely worth the wait.
You’ll get really strong and clear sound from the speaker (6.8-by-2.3-by-2.9-inches, 1 pound), which is weather resistant (not water proof), dust, drop and shockproof. Inside is what the company calls a unique down-firing weighted bass radiator, along with premium 2-inch aluminum drivers with powerful neodymium magnets.
What it means to you is the speaker sounds great, is party ready and can withstand the elements of various degrees of the weather.
If you want to plug your music in, there’s a 3.5 mm aux port. A speakerphone will keep your call handsfree for everyone to hear and Siri is accessible.
A pair of VG1 is better than two, so if you want a great stereo sound, get a second and they sync with dedicated right and left playback with Bluetooth True Wireless Stereo.
Inside is a long lasting rechargeable battery for up to 15 hours of playback, the included lanyard attaches directly to the speaker and on-board controls are there for volume, play and pause.
www.gosoundcast.com $134.86
Aside from your powered portable gadgets, the most important gadget to get is portable power.
With the smaller-than-pocket sized (2.75-by-.75-by-1.37-inches) Ventev powercell 2600, the small price tag just north of $20.
You’ll get a full charge for most smartphones from the 2600mAh portable battery’s single USB port.
A microUSB cable is included for charging the battery and an LED indicator light shows the battery level.
https://mobileaccessories.ventev.com $23.92
