Satechi Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Trigger

The Satechi Smart Trigger is a type of a remote control. Remote controls have many benefits from artistic to practical - from taking long exposure photos without a shake to including the photographer in the photo. So what is different about this remote control from a standard infra-red remote control? It provides you a bit more control over the timing, gives you a timer on the screen of your mobile device, and you don't need to remember to bring another gadget along on your trip. In addition it has a mode that allows you to take photos with an interval giving you an ability to take time lapse photos.



So overall this is a useful device. However the current version of the mobile app has many problems, it often gets into an invalid state which requires several corrective steps and the user interface of the device is not intuitive. I made a video where I demonstrate the corrective steps, I hope it will save people time of figuring it out on their own.



COMPATIBILITY

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To be happy with this gadget you need to own the supported camera and the supported mobile device. My Canon camera was one of the supported models, my Galaxy 7.7 Tablet was not compatible, but my iPad Mini did work. Note that I included a photo showing a screen shot of the Google Play with incompatible message in case you want to check if your device is compatible prior to purchase. The photo collage can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



The Satechi Smart Trigger is not compatible with all devices because it uses Bluetooth 4.0, requiring your smart phone or tablet to also use Bluetooth 4.0. The compatible devices using Bluetooth 4.0 are: iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Mini, iPad 3, Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4, and Samsung Galaxy Note 2.



The Android store would not let me install the app as it flagged my device incompatible. iTunes App store did not find the application under iPad apps, but the app I found under iPhone apps worked on my iPad Mini.



PAIRING TROUBLESHOOTING

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The difficulty comes with pairing the device to the tablet. It is possible to get the app into a wedged state in a number of way with several different errors. I show several of the error conditions I encountered in the video. The solution to all problems is the following three step process, which I also include in my video.



✔ 1. You need to make your mobile device forget the bluetooth profile associated with Smart Trigger (under settings)

✔ 2. You need to delete the Bluetooth profile tag from within the app itself

✔ 3. You need to stop the app from running. This is accomplished by touching the home button twice, selecting Smart Trigger from the list of running apps and holding down the icon for a few seconds until the red minus sign appears, then selecting the red minus to stop the app.



These three steps clean up whatever went wrong in the previous attempt, and you can start again



✔ 4. Open the Smart Trigger App with the Smart Trigger receiver turned off.

✔ 5. Click on the scan menu of the Smart Trigger App, press the button on the receiver once. Sometimes scan starts automatically.

✔ 6. When the prompt to pair come up, select 'pair'

✔ 7. Now the *key* and yet not obvious step is that you are not done pairing when you select 'pair' button, you need to touch 'Smart Trigger' label that is displayed on the screen. Note that this text does not look like a button, it just text. On the left you will see 'Smart Trigger' text, on the right you will see a trash can. Do NOT touch the trash can, touch the 'Smart Trigger' text.

The 'Smart Trigger' label does not always appear on the screen, sometimes you just see a pictogram of the camera. If you don't see 'Smart trigger' label and you cannot touch it, the pairing will fail and you will need to start again with step 1.

✔ 8. When you touch the label the grey Connection Status icon turns red confirming that you have paired the device

✔ 9. Once you see the red indicator you can attach the cable that goes from the Satechi unit to your camera's remote control port.

Satechi recommends that the camera be set to Bulb mode and Manual Exposure. You can use Start Trigger when the camera is set 'P' mode and 'Timed shot mode' but the camera does not allow the use of Bulb Mode while in 'P', so you will not be able to use all of the features of Smart Trigger. You can only set BULB in the Smart Trigger App to the maximum exposure length allowed by your camera in 'P'. The same limitation applies to 'AV' mode. 'TV' mode is not compatible with the Smart Trigger.



Once the pairing occurs the app works fairly well until the next time you need to do the bluetooth pairing.



I should note that Satechi has some nice troubleshooting videos on YouTube, however each of the corrective steps is in several separate videos so it takes quite a bit of research to find all the relevant steps. I hope my video which has all the steps together will save you some research time.



FUTURE APPP UPDATES:

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I have reported the issues I encountered to the manufacture. They told me that there is work in progress on the next version of the app (as of May 23 2013):

Upcoming app updates will include fixing the issue with Bluetooth connectivity (the pairing process) and allowing users to select shutter speeds of less than 1 second.



Note that the Smart Trigger device mounts in the camera's shot shoe, so with the smart trigger mounted you will not be able to use the hot shoe for your on camera flash. Smart Trigger does not communicate with the camera, it uses the hot shoe for convenience, so in a pinch you can let Smart Trigger tangle and use the hot shoe for your flash.



WISH LIST:

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There is a future enhancement that I would love to see in the Smart Trigger (after the connectivity issues are addressed). I would like to have an ability to see through the app on the phone what the camera sees. This way I can adjust the composition when the camera is mounted in a way that does not allow me to see the viewfinder or LCD screen of the camera itself. With the availability of SD cards with WI FI capability this sounds like a real possibility.



I received Satechi Smart Trigger for testing, evaluation and review. I noted the positives and negatives of my experience, and I hope you will find the video and troubleshooting tips useful. I gave Smart Trigger 3 stars - I thought the mobile app rated 2 stars at this time and the device itself 4 stars. I will monitor the updates to this mobile app and once the pairing issues are fixed will re-evaluate.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

Hipe 6 LED Automatic Motion-sensing Night Light

Hipe Motion Activated Light is 3.5" in diameter. It can be activated by motion or by turned on manually. In the motion detection mode it is also light sensitive. Manual on/off works both when it is light and dark. The light runs on three AA batteries which are NOT included.



I am attaching a collage of two photos which show the light turned on. These photos can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



The first photo shows a close-up of the light. You can see that only a crescent shape portion lights up. The LED lights are covered by a milky lens which defuses the light and is a good feature for a night light when your eyes are not used to the bright light.



The second photo shows the light in a small dark room so you can see how much light it produces. The stock photo that shows the light in a stairway makes it look like this light lights up more area than it does in reality. The amount of light is reasonable for a night light, enough not to be in a total darkness.



The light can operate in two modes: motion activated night light and flashlight mode when you can manually turn it on and carry with you. The shape of the light is a bit awkward to carry and the light not very bright for a flashlight. I am unlikely to use it this mode much. However in a power outage it is nice that I can detach it and place the light somewhere else.



To operate the light in flashlight mode you need to press switch "on" or "off" manually.



To operate the light in night light mode, you need to leave the switch in "off" position and set the slider to 30 seconds or 60 seconds. The light will come on automatically when motion is detected and stay on for 30 seconds or 60 seconds as selected. The motion is detected within 16 feet from the light.



The light can be mounted in several ways. It comes with a sticky tape Velcro. One side of the sticky tape can be attached to the cover, and another one attached to the wall. This allows you to remove the light when you want to use it in "flashlight" mode. The second option is to mount the light using two screws included in the package.



The light is not very bright, so I find it best fits the role of the night light than the flashlight.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

QQ-Tech® Newest Mini Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard

QQ-tech keyboard is 6 3/8" wide and 2 3/4" wide. It weighs 2.8 oz on my digital postal scale. Each key is 1/4" wide and 1/4" tall. This keyboard has individual keys made out of hard plastic. Despite the small size I found that my typing accuracy is pretty good, I have yet to hit a key I did not mean to strike. The keyboard has a very nice feedback: the click feels good and you hear it. I am using this keyboard with my Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet. I found that I type much faster using it than on screen keyboard, especially when I have to mix letters and numbers in the text. Pairing is remembered from previous sessions even when I turn off the keyboard and the device.



The touchpad is sensitive and responds well, however with the tablet's touch screen I find that it is easier to touch the screen rather than to use the touchpad on the keyboard. However for the use with non-touch screen devices I would use it with no issues.



I am attaching a video which shows pairing with my Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Android tablet and then typing some text. What is particularly nice is that some application do not display on screen keyboard, so you get the benefit of the entire screen containing the information without being covered by on screen keyboard. Some applications still display on screen keyboard even when the QQ-tech keyboard paired with the device, so it depends if the application developer anticipated bluetooth keyboard use or not.



I end the video showing the backlight function of the keyboard. It is turned on by hitting a key that looks like a yellow sun on the top row. As you see in the video this works really well.



I am also attaching a collage of two photos, which show the keyboard next to a ruler as well next to my finger for a size reference. The photos can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



I received a QQ-tech keyboard for testing and review (be it positive or negative) from the manufacture. I hope the video will help you set your expectations.



Overall, I am quite pleased with this keyboard. The only thing the I wish that came with it is a little carrying pouch as this little keyboard will be doing a lot of travelling with me.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

35 Neodymium Magnets inch by NeoMag

These tiny magnets really work! I have a bunch of pretty bear magnets collected all over the world covering my refrigerator holding up notes, appointments, coupons... Quite often when I try to jam one more thing under them they just fall off (and sadly sometimes break). I just replaced all of them with these tiny neodymium magnets and lined up the pretty magnets at the top just for decoration.



What I like about these magnets

✔ Each magnet is so powerful that it can hold many pieces of paper. In the attached photo collage I am showing a one magnet holding 7 layers of papers. It was still holding very strong at that point.

✔ The magnets are so small that they are not covering much of information. I can see all information on appointment cards and other small papers attached to the fridge. Photo #1 shows one magnet in my hand for size reference.

✔ The package contains 35 magnets, after I replaced all my existing magnets I had 20 magnets (in Photo #3) left for future use.



Some things to be aware of

✔ These magnets will not magnetize against the stainless steel refrigerators as they are magnetized themselves

✔ The magnets are very small and might be attractive to small kids, thus the magnets are a choking or swallowing hazard for them

✔ These magnets are made from neodymium which is the strongest magnet on the planet. This material is fairly fragile and is held together with nickel coating. This means you need to handle the magnets with care. I have not encountered any breakage even though I have dropped a couple on the floor: they jumped as I tried separating them from each other.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link





AshopZones review ★★★★★

40" Wide X 5 Yard Long Natural Burlap from A.K. Trading Company

I am using this burlap in the garden to protect bushes from harsh New England weather. I am very pleased with this order.



✔ The burlap is of good thickness. I am attaching a collage of three photos: Photo #1 shows my hand under the burlap in the sun, so you can really see the weave and the thickness of the material. Photo #2 shows one of the edges, Photo #3 shows the others edge as the finish is slightly different on two sides.



✔ The entire 5 yards I ordered are very even. There are no imperfections, knots, holes, thinning. The entire piece is good.



✔ I ordered 5 yards, which is 180 inches, I received 188 inches. Nice!



The material has a typical burlap smell which mostly aired out in a couple of weeks.



Good quality product and getting a little more than ordered go a long way to build repeat customers. I will be back!



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Bolse® Charging Dock Cradle with 2nd Battery Charger for Galaxy Note II

If you use your cell for phone for business or are in general a heavy cell phone user you know that one battery is not enough to take you through the day. This cradles allows you to charge the phone and a spare battery at the same time.



The cradle weighs in at 4.4oz on my digital scale, and 4" wide x 3" tall x 3 3/4" long. The bottom has non-skid feet. It comes with an USB cable which is 48" end to end. The phone can be charged with or without the skin. The status of charging will be displayed on the phone. Battery charging is indicated by a red LED. When the charging is completed the LED will turn green. If the LED does not light up when you insert the battery check if you inserted the battery correctly.



One nice thing about Samsung phones is that you can swap out the standard battery for extended battery. The extended battery more than doubles the capacity of the original battery, however it also significantly increases the phone thickness. Note II with standard battery is 6.4mm thick, the extended battery it is 8.4mm in the middle section. The phone thickness with extended battery is 18.4mm.



This cradle is designed to fit only the standard battery and the phone with the standard battery.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link



AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Mondial Slow Juicer

This juicer works very well. It quickly processed all the fruits and vegetables I have tried so far. I tried tasting the pulp produced by the juicer and it was pretty tasteless, no juice left in it at all. I had no problems with the juicer jamming or having any other issues.



The juicer is very simple to use. It has only three settings: off, forward (on), and reverse.



The manual has several the following recommendation for usage:

✔ Do not use longer than 10 minutes at a time

✔ Remove hard seeds before juicing

✔ Do not operate with wet hands

✔ Do not use anything as a pusher other than the provided pusher

Note that I never to needed to use the pusher as the juicer "sucked in" all the fruits and vegetables out of the spout without needing any help. I did pre-cut fruits and vegetables into 1 inch to 2 inch chunks.

✔ If the juicer gets stuck turn off the juicer, then put it in reverse for a few seconds, and then restart normally again.



The juicer is fairly heavy and substantial, it has suction cups on the bottom, so it attaches itself very well to the counter top and does not move during the juicing process. I found it to be quick to assemble and disassemble.



The manual recommends not using the dishwasher to clean. At the end of my video you will see me washing the juicer. There is one tricky part to washing - getting the pulp out of the spout where the pulp comes out as this spout is a narrow closed tube. The juicer comes with a nice cleaning brush, which I found quite helpful in cleaning the juicer.



I received the juicer from the manufacturer with a request for an honest review whether positive and negative. I was also asked to provide a video review to document my experience with the juicer, so that the potential buyers of this juicer could see it in action and have a good idea of what to expect. I hope you will find my video useful. Overall, I thought the juicer worked very well and I would recommend it.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★