Koalasafe: Keep an eye on your kids habits. (Review)

As parents, our number one concern is the safety of our children. That’s why we make them wear helmets against their will when riding a bike because we love them. What about the internet? There are lots of things we don’t want them to see yet just lurking around. Just one mistyped word and only God knows what will pop up.

Kids also run the risk of becoming addicted to the internet, which can be bad for social skills. Not knowing how to cope without it is a sign that they might be addicted. Parents can watch them as much as possible, but even we get busy and time could slip by us just like that. We need a bicycle helmet for the internet. That’s where Koalasafe’s $100 modem comes in.

In the box

• Koalasafe modem
• Network cable
• USB Power Adapter
• microUSB cable
• Quickstart guide

Setup/App Features

Getting your new Koalasafe modem connected is so easy they only needed a small card to print the instructions on. Simply attach the ethernet cord to Koalasafe’s WAN ports and the other end into one of your router’s LAN ports.

Once that is finished, download the app and create an account. From there, you will pair your phone with the device, and you’re set to adjust the profiles. There is already one default profile for everyone that has options already set up. You can choose to use that one and alter the settings as you wish, or you can create individual profiles.

If you wish to create individual profiles, click the add button and begin. You will choose the profile name, age, and assign an icon for this profile. First, you will want to set up the schedule for each day of the week, which can be applied in any combination to any day of the week. You can even have multiple schedules in one day.

App screens

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Next, you will go into App and Site Blocking to set your preferences. This includes categories ranging from file sharing, gaming, social media, video and more. They can be blocked, allowed or partially blocked. Partially blocked will automatically filter content based on age.

You then will want to set the devices that should be included in this profile. Koalasafe will pick up all the devices within its range, and you can choose which devices you wish to assign this profile. Once you select them, do a pull down on the device screen for a refresh to make sure they got assigned.

Click the Advanced tab to select your filtering security mode preference. You have the options of high, medium and low with medium being the default. After doing some research, you should know that if you wish for Netflix to run on this modem, low must be checked.

Size in hand

Design and Build

Koalasafe is one tiny little modem for your tiny or big kid. Modem and router devices can take up a lot of valuable real estate. Depending on your setup, you may not have room for another device. Koalasafe measures in at just over two inches by two inches and a thickness of almost one inch. That means space is one less thing to worry about.

Usage Monitoring

This feature is one that could be used as an educational tool for your child. Instead of just snapping at them and telling them they spend too much time on the internet, (because they always think you’re exaggerating) you can show them how much time they are online and what sites they are visiting most.

Ports

What it’s missing

While you can control Netflix and Youtube, it doesn’t seem to have the option for other services such as Hulu and Amazon Video. It even describes the video section in the App and Website blocking section as follows:

Sites and Apps that allow the uploading and sharing of video content such as Vimeo.com or Tv watching sites like Netflix.

Despite Vimeo being listed it in the description, it doesn’t allow you to block it or alter it in any way. I have searched the Koalasafe forums, and I don’t believe I’m missing anything. It should pick up on all apps the device has and allow you to block it.

Another side view

What we love

We love the fact that the things Koalasafe does allow you to do are done well. After making sure Adult content was blocked, I searched the word porn and no bad results popped up. Along with adult content, it blocks VPN’s and proxies, violence, and more.

One nice feature is the big red button. Just click the status tab, click the red button, and the internet is instantly turned off. Also in that same tab, you can see the status of the internet.

The absolute best feature is the internet schedule. Coming home at midnight with my child still streaming while she is fast asleep gets annoying. Now, there is a set schedule, and she know what time it goes off. Of course, there are times when there should be a little give in what time it shuts off. To that end, Koalasafe allows you to extend time by however long you wish, and it will delay the cut off time.

Summary

Koalasafe is an effective tool to help in keeping your child safe on the web. While it is missing somethings that should be there, there is no reason to not buy this product. It will make your life a little bit easier…after everyone gets use to the new normal.

Buy from Koalasafe Website

Buy from Amazon

Download the app from the Play Store

Inateck 4 Port Car Charger: Style and functionality (Review)

I’ve had a long run of car chargers that barely do the one thing they are designed to do, charge my battery. It has become this big ordeal where I have to get the cable just right and pray I don’t bump it. Since all my family has an assortment of devices to charge while on long trips, we all need a slot, but half the time they all don’t work. Inateck has a solution for this, it’s the 4-Port Car Charger that sells for $13.99 on Amazon.

In the box

• 4 port car charger
• 2 microUSB cables

Review

This sleek four port charger is made up of white plastic with an aluminium bottom that gives it a real high-end look. When plugged into your car, the charger will emit a blue light from the USB ports to let you know there is power. I know it’s not a big deal to have a nice looking charger, but given the option wouldn’t you rather it look nice as well?

Inateck’s charger has built in smart chip technology that knows your devices charging capabilities and adjust to that. This ensures the correct current that will not overheat and will deliver the quickest charge possible. It has been certified by RoHS, FCC and CE for the highest safety standards.

Aside from the charger itself, Inateck also provides you with two four foot long microUSB charging cables. Each cable comes with a customized Inateck cable ties made with velcro to help keep your cables neat and tidy when not in use.

Summary

Choosing a car charger can be a frustrating experience. You never know what you are gonna get. It works perfectly today and tomorrow it’s in and out. Inateck is a company that provides products that last and its 4-port car charger is well worth the bargain price.

Buy Inateck’s 4-Port Car Charger

[Review] ZeroLemon SolarJuice 20,000mAh power bank + Giveaway

I guess I’ve become somewhat of a power bank connoisseur lately. The Blitzwolf 10,000mAh power bank has remained my favorite thus far, but can ZeroLemon’s rugged offering topple the Blitzwolf from its pedestal? Let’s find out.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed about this beast is the weight. Although the website notes that it’s only 483g (1.06 lbs), it feels more like two pounds. Keep this in mind on your next backpacking trip. While it packs a lot of power into a portable unit, and is able to charge with solar power, it is heavy and you might have to literally weigh the options if you have a weight limit.

The power bank features a USB 1.0 port, one USB 2.0 port and one microUSB input port. Kind of disappointing to have a USB 1.0 port on a device, but hopefully this battery will get upgraded over time.

Features

• Capacity: 20000mAh /74Wh Grade A Lithium Polymer battery
• Input: Micro USB 5V 2A
• Solar Charger: 5V 200mA(max)
• Output1: 5V/1A (Max)
• Output2: 5V/2.1A (Max)
• Battery Indicator: 4 Led indicators for power level (0–25%–50%–75%–100%)
• Dimensions: 160 x 85 x 25.8mm (L x W x T)
• Weight: 483±10g (1.06 lbs)

The battery is rated as anti-explosion with over a thousand recharge cycles over its lifetime. The solar panel features monocrystalline silicon cells, which have the highest efficiency rates due to being made with the highest-grade silicon.  These solar panels are also space efficient and have the longest life of other solar panels, with most manufacturers putting a 25-year warranty on monocrystalline solar panels.

Usage

The power bank is also rain resistant, dirtproof and shockproof, so it can handle camping trips and hiking with ease. Speaking of camping, this battery also has an LED light in the front, so you can use it as a flashlight. Just long press the button for a second, and the LED will light up.

Charging the battery with the solar panel takes about eight hours, so remember to leave it out in the early morning to catch those rays all day. Charging from a standard power outlet takes roughly half that time at four hours. Nevertheless, the solar panel definitely gives it an advantage over other power banks.

Like other power banks, it automatically turns itself off when you unplug your phone or tablet, so you don’t have to worry, wondering if you remembered to turn it off. The power bank also has a carabiner, to hang it from a tree or the outside of your backpack.

Conclusion

If you’re an outdoorsy person and constantly going on camping trips and hiking excursions, I highly recommend this battery. It will serve you well. For the non-outdoors among us, I still recommend it for the whopping 20,000mAh capacity.

You can buy the power bank on Amazon for $39.99. (Affiliate Link).

Giveaway

ZeroLemon is partnering with AndroidGuys to offer a giveaway! Here are the rules:

Go to Facebook and “like” ZeroLemon’s page

Come back to this article and post a screenshot in the comments to prove that you “liked” it.

That’s it! The contest will run for a week, and end on June 21, 2016, so enter now! The winner will be picked randomly.

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AppLock: A solid choice for security (Review)

Overview

App locks are the easiest way for people to have access to your phone without allowing them to dive into areas that you don’t wish them to see. There are quite a few app locks out there and choosing one can be a task. Hopefully, this will help you decide if AppLock is the best protection for you.

Developer: DoMobile Lab

Cost: Free (In-app upgrades)

Setup

Setup Pattern

When you open the app for the first time, it prompts you to make a pattern and set up your email. Once you have configured your unlock pattern, you are then carried to the main screen, which lists all the apps you can lock out. Simply click which app you want locked out and it’s secured.

Highlights:

• Lock apps individually
• Lock photos and videos
• Different lock profiles
• Time lock
• Location lock

Review

AppLock is one of the best security tools you can get from the Play Store. It’s a free app that is rich in features. Like all app locks, it allows you to lock apps individually, but there are couple things I really like about this one.

Randomized Keyoard

To start off, it does have the pattern lock that I mentioned, however, you can change it to a numeric lock. What’s so special about that? Well, nothing really, except that you have the option to use a randomized numeric keyboard so, even if someone sees a pattern, the numbers will be in a different place the next time. The downside is it makes you really have to pay attention to what numbers you are punching in as you can be easily confused.

Another great feature is setting profiles for different scenarios. You could have profiles for your home, guests, kids, and more. You can customize the profile to only allow people access to certain apps. The best part is you can create home shortcuts that allow you to activate them by clicking and inserting your passcode.

Some other awesome features include the ability to activate those profiles at certain times and locations. So, if you have a work profile, you could set it for clock-in time. Be aware that there is no deactivation time, so it will stay on that profile until your next time lock occurs.

The location lock works off WiFi. When your phone hooks up to certain networks, it locks to the appropriate profile.

Let’s not forget that you can lock your videos and pictures one at a time as well. I don’t use this feature, but it’s always good to have more security at your fingertips.

Other Features:

• Security questions
• Power-saving mode
• Quick lock switch
• Themes

While this isn’t all that this app can do, it’s enough to give you a good read into how well this app has you covered.

In-app Purchases

Menu

This is the part that I found confusing. In the description of the app, it mentions that there are three different types of accounts and where to find them. Most people do not fully read the descriptions and may find it difficult to find where to upgrade.

To make it more confusing, the screen where you can manage your subscription is not apparent at all. You have to click your email in the Account Center that is located in the menu when you click the top-left hamburger menu.

Once you get into the Account Center, you’ll find the different accounts you can purchase. In order to get the premium features, you can either subscribe to a premium account or keep the app free but ad-supported. There’s also a basic account option that doesn’t show you ads, but doesn’t provide premium features.

Premium Features: ($.99/month, $5.99/year, or ad-supported)

• Photo vault
• Video vault
• Themes
• Fake covers
• Customize background
• Profiles, easy to change locks
• Auto time lock
• Auto location lock
• Hide applock icon
• Random keyboard
• Lock switch

Conclusion

AppLock has tons of features, which is nice, but I have rated it lower in value. The reason I did that is because I think it’s a bit pricey to pay for an app like this by the month or year. I think you’re better off using the ad-supported version of this app as the ads aren’t bad. The developer should consider simply charging a higher price to outright buy the app.

I also believe that it would be less confusing for the users if the developer changed the Account Center and just add a pretty “Premium Features” button, so the average customer knows that this is where he or she should go to support the developer. However, they are nice enough to auto-enroll you in the ad version instead of basic, no-extra-features version.

Download and install AppLock from the Google Play Store.

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BuddyPhones: Keeping kids hearing first (Review)

Everywhere you look around the internet there is no shortage of headphone reviews. All types from over-the-ear to in-ear, you can find both Bluetooth and traditional styles. One category that seems to get lost in the shuffle is kids headphones. They listen to music, play games and watch videos just like grown ups and we know that adult ears and the ears of a child are vastly different.

A child’s ear is still in development, thus the need for a kid-friendly headphones. That’s why onanoff have created a fun and kid friendly headphone called BuddyPhones for a low price of $25.

Design and Build

BuddyPhones come in four bright colors that’s sure to please any child. The designers have recognized that each child has different personalities and different tastes in design. So instead of cornering a child into having to choose one design option, they’ve included five pre-designed and blank stickers that fit BuddyPhones perfectly.

It’s no secret that kids can be a tad on the rough side when it comes to handling their toys. Keeping that in mind BuddyPhones are built tough and durable. They can withstand twisting and bending liberally and they bounce back.

Included in the package is a separate four-foot long flat cable that includes an in-line microphone and flat design. The flat design is great for preventing tangling. Since the cable isn’t attached to the headphones there is less of a chance of getting choked by the cable. At one end it includes a built-in audio splitter so your child can share their listening experience with a friend.

Sound

The World Health Organization, as well as many government agencies, recommends 85 decibels as the maximum listening levels for children. Long-term exposure that exceeds these levels can be detrimental to their hearing. Onanoff has taken this to heart and complied with this recommendation.

While they have lowered the decimal levels, that doesn’t mean the lowered their quality. It has a very gentle sound. It makes the child’s listening experience pleasant. Even with another set of  headphones plugged in, it doesn’t take away from the sound.

Summary

BuddyPhones are a great product for any kid. The combination of bright colors, customization, sound and a low price, it’s hard not to purchase these for your kid, niece, nephew, or grandchild. Especially when you think about their long term hearing.

Buy BuddyPhones from their website

Buy from Amazon

iQunix Zand is a great tablet stand, but why does it exist?

If you’ve ever been the type of person to attempt to replace your laptop with a tablet, you’ve probably realized that trying to do that with an Android tablet was nearly a lost cause, at least until recently. After more than 5 years of Android tablets, productivity is finally becoming more viable with mature photo and video editing products and word processing software such as Microsoft Office.

You probably also realized that most stand cases are pretty mediocre, but you’re not sure what you’d replace it with. If you haven’t already given up and bought a Microsoft Surface, the iQunix Zand tablet stand might be exactly what you’ve been looking for…to some extent.

What I really like about it

The height of the stand is perfect for using your tablet as a laptop. Combine that with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and Remix OS 2.0, and you’re really cooking!

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It has an incredibly minimalist design and looks absolutely stellar with the tablet “attached.” I put attached into quotes because the stand just has a really tacky pad on the top and bottom that grip to your tablet and the table. At first I was worried about things falling off but I’ve had my Nexus 10 sitting on the stand for about a week and it hasn’t budged, even with regular use.

It seems like iQunix thought of everything, including having a nice opening on the back of the stand to thread a charging cable through so that you can have a sort of permanent set up. And I think that’s the problem, at least for me, because that seems to be what it’s for.

Where it falls short

It’s clearly designed to be for something that you never move. None of it is permanent, there’s nothing to worry about, there, but you aren’t going to be moving it about very often. It has a very tacky bottom – to the point that I have to hold down my side-table that I have it stuck to if I want to remove it, which means that this isn’t something that you can just take with you to your meetings like you would a laptop.

What’s more, the shape of it (albeit very aesthetically pleasing) is the furthest thing from portable. Once you take the wax paper off when you take it out of the box, it’s sticky forever (or at least as long as you don’t get it dirty) and it’s shaped like a giant metal “Z,” which doesn’t exactly fit into your backpack without complication.

It’s clearly not meant for a retail setting as a permanent mount because it is too easy to take the tablet off of the stand or just take the whole stand and go.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the iQunix Zand tablet stand is really fun to say, it’s really good at standing up a tablet, and it looks great doing it, but I can’t work out who is going to buy one. It’s not for the tablet junkie who wants to replace their laptop and it’s not for someone who wants to drill their tablet to the table and make it into a point of sale. It might be for someone who wants to have a permanent tablet stand with a keyboard and mouse instead of a desktop or proper laptop at home but I’m not really sure that that person exists.

Ultimately, I really like it and wish that I had a purpose for it, but I don’t know what that purpose is. Admittedly, $40 is a lot – I would have probably guessed that it cost $25-30 and probably only half of that to manufacturer, but it really does have an Apple-like elegance to it that you don’t see every day. If you know what you’d use it for, please tell me about it in the comments because even at $40 I kind of want one, but I can’t possibly justify it without a real reason for it.

DoDo Wonderland: A solid, adorable endless runner (Review)

Overview:

DoDo Wonderland is a Jetpack-Joyride inspired endless runner, that has you in control of a cute dodo bird as you avoid obstacles and collect coins while getting as far as you can.

Developer: MYFREEAPPS.DE

Cost: Free (with ads)

Impressions:

DoDo Wonderland, or DoDo Superbird Endless Runner as it’s called in the Play store, is one of those addicting little runner games like Jetpack Joyride or Temple Run, with an infectious charm and simple mechanics that make it accessible to everyone. The art is cute, and appealing to the eye and the music is jaunty and uplifting, although I wish the song loop was a bit longer.

Gameplay is straightforward, tap the screen to make the bird rise, and release to let him fall. You can collect power ups like magnets to pull in coins, and a points multiplier, and you can kill the enemies on screen by landing on them to gain a bit of distance points as well. Simple, and accessible if not entirely original. The game doesn’t do enough to up the difficulty, however, and after a while it becomes very easy to get far without being hit once. I would have liked to see some more challenge thrown in once you pass a distance milestone, to add some gratification to beating high scores.

There are upgrades to acquire using the in-game coins, which boost your abilities and power up effectiveness, but they are rather pricey. Thankfully, there are no microtransactions to worry about, but the ads can be a bit intrusive at times, pulling you from the game to watch a video ad too often for my tastes.

Conclusion:

There isn’t too much to say about DoDo, it’s simple and innocent while still being fun and engaging. It’s certainly easier than similar games in it’s genre, and definitely appeals to kids more than anyone else. I’d certainly recommend this one for the kids’ tablets as a great alternative to Jetpack Joyride or Temple Run.

Download DoDo Wonderland from the Google Play Store.

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Beme: A Snapchat and Vine hybrid with big ambitions (Review)

Overview:

Beme is a video sharing social networking app that aims to be the most natural and true to life social video sharing app.

Developer: Beme Inc.

Cost: Free

Impressions:

Beme is a sort of hybridization of Snapchat and Vine. It’s a social network app about sharing short clips and videos, as well as reactions to other users content. The catch is, you can’t see what you’ve recorded until it’s published, and there is no editing. This makes every Beme video more natural and less gimmicky compared to some other social video apps. I will say that Beme clips have to try harder to be funny, and are generally less entertaining than Vines due to lack of editing abilities, but the more simple ‘slice of life’ feel to the clips is a welcome breath of fresh air.

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Beme as an app is fairly straightforward. You simply hold the button for the camera you want to record on, point at what you want to record, and hold the button till you’re satisfied. The video is automatically uploaded and shared, and that’s when you can see what you’ve captured. It certainly takes a bit of practice to get right, but once you do it’s as easy as Snapchat to quickly record and share some great moments.

Beme also has a pretty solid community, and it’s steadily growing. There are categories in the Discover section, where you can see clips based on trending topics, or locations both local and international. You can follow friends, and send direct clips between them, as well as discover new trending users to follow. Scrolling through the categories grants you neat snippets of everyday life in places all over the world. Sure, some are hits and most are misses, but sometimes Beme managed to surprise me with a neat clip or an interesting event captured by a user somewhere.

Conclusion:

I can see Beme as a popular app for celebrities to adopt over Snapchat for it’s more natural and organic feel as opposed to Snapchat, but it has a long way to go before it can reach that kind of mass appeal. It certainly has the potential to get there, as even in the early days it has some solid content and is so simple to use that I can see it catching on quickly. I’m rooting for Beme in this crowded social sharing app world we live in, and I hope to see it succeed.

Download Beme from the Google Play Store