Supfire D15 Magnetic Led Flashlight

This new torch from Supfire is the first twin light flashlight I have tried and the first also to feature the latest COB LED technology. COB, by the way, is the latest LED technology and stands for ‘Chip On Board’. COB LEDs are basically multiple LED chips (typically nine or more) bonded to form a single module. This means a small, brighter and more robust LED with a wider field of view whilst using less power.

In the box was the aluminium alloy flashlight itself, a 22650 rechargeable battery, a very short USB to micro-USB charging cable, a plastic tube, and a Chinese language User Guide. What does the plastic tube do? I have seen similar tubes used to allow small diameter batteries to be used with torches and this may well be outlined in the User Guide. So far as my use goes, I do not need it. Build quality of everything included seems first-rate, robust and clearly built to last. As regards build quality the torch is rated as being IP44 water-resistant, which means it should be fine in normal rain but don’t drop it in any puddles.

The torch is fairly small at 15.6 x 4.8 x 3.4 cm and a comfortable weight for the pocket at in at 191gms. On the front, of course, is the main 700 lumens lamp with the 200 lumens COB strip light on the side. There are two buttons on opposite sides, each backlit and marked for their function, one for the front lamp, the other for the COB light. The front lamp has 5 modes for power with a strobe effect mode. The Cob light has three modes, again including a strobe and red strobe effect. Along one edge is a detachable pocket clip and built into the base which gives access to the battery compartment, is a powerful magnet. This is more useful than you might suppose and is easily powerful enough to support the full weight of the flashlight and allows it to be used as an inspection lamp when the COB light is employed.

The front light at 700 lumens is not the brightest I have seen but it is easily enough for most purposes. The 200 lumens side lamp looks like a white strip on the side of the flashlight but when lit produces an extra-wide field of view making it suitable as n inspection or even a room light. Both lamps can be used together or separately. The flashlight uses a 22650 Lithium-ion 3700mAh Battery which is replaceable and is charged through the grommet protected micro-USB port on the side. Opposite on the other side is a USB 2 port which allows the device to serve as an emergency Powerbank. is there nothing this little torch cannot do?

Currently priced on Amazon at just £20.99 this torch is a real bargain for anyone looking for an all-purpose pocket-sized flashlight.

The Good
Great price
Great Build Quality
5 Front Modes
3 Side Modes
COB Sidelight
Rechargeable battery
No External Charger Needed
Powerbank Function
Standard USB Cable
Magnetic Base

The Bad
No Carry Case
Medium Power Output
No English User Guide
Not Fully Waterproof
Unusual Battery Type

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AmazonBasics LED E14 Edison Screw Bulb – 2 Pack

I had been searching for a while for a small-sized LED replacement bulb for my salt lamp which was struggling along with an old-style 15w bulb. I had tried a couple of other LED’s for it but none of them proved to be reliable. I was pleased to then find that AmazonBasics had a set of two available for £5.49. I have bought AmazonBasics products many times in the past and always found them to be low in price and high in quality and this little bulb set was the same.

The bulbs use just 1.8w each and are just as bright as the old incandescent one, indeed, if anything perhaps rather too bright. The bulbs are described as ‘warm white’ and certainly they lack the cold light that too many cheap LED bulbs give off I would still have rather had the light with a lower colour temperature. But that is just me, probably most users will be happy with them as they are. Although I nuse it for a salt lamp the same fitting is widely used in fridges and other small appliances. Take note that these bulbs are not suitable for use in an oven.

Fitting the E14 screw bulb was as easy as you would expect and unlike with the last LED bulb I tried in the salt lamp the connection was solid with no need to keep adjusting the bulb to make a contact.

So far after several months of use, I have had no problems. The bulb works every time with no contact issues with the other bulb in the set stored away for when the current one fails (if ever)

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MONOJOY Car Key Signal Blocker Box

Owners of high and middle range cars are increasingly being targeted by thieves using sophisticated electronic devices to clone the radio key code of a parked vehicle by sending a radio signal to the car keys inside the building which response with the unique code for the car. This can quickly be loaded onto a blank remote key then be used to start the vehicle. Storing the keys inside this clever little box can prevent that happening.

The 4.57 x 2.28 x 3.54 in. 280 g box can hold up to 4 normal sized radio keys and is actually rather attractive and will not look out of place on your bedside or hall table. The case is quite weighty and robustly made and has a padded interior lined with special Occlusion Cloth to stop any radio signal entering or leaving the box. The upmarket looking box has a tan coloured PU leather finish with a padded top, a non-slip base and a non-lockable metal clasp.

That is really all there is to it. No batteries or electronics are needed. This is an entirely inert little Faraday Cage that just sits there doing its job. For the £23.99 Amazon price (currently with additional discounts) if you own a vehicle that may be under threat, this would be a small price to pay for the peace of mind and security it can deliver.

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ALWUP i9 True Wireless Earbuds

At one time you had to pay out to get decent quality True Wireless Earbuds but the introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 seems to have changed all that. Before Bluetooth 5.0 all but the most expensive earbuds would continually drop out, crackle, pop and generally prove more trouble than they were worth. Of the many sets, I have tested so far the best for audio quality are the Zolo Liberty+ (£109), for exercise I use the Jabra Elite Active 65t (£165) and for general use and the ones I use as my go-to earbuds the Jabra Elite Sport (£218). This new set at £27.99 is much less than half the price of the cheapest of these but really do give the high-cost rivals a run for their money.
This new ALWUP i9 headset arrived in an attractive display box, a step up from what you would usually expect at this price point. Inside were the earbuds themselves, 5cm x 4cm charging case, a short USB to micro-USB charging cable, three sets of buds (one set prefitted), and a User Guide. The User Guide is well designed and easy to read, very nicely printed but rather small. I append a scan of it to my unboxing video.

The case has an internal 400mAh battery which is charged using the supplied USB cable and it is the internal case battery which charges the earbud batteries. The case will be able to fully charge the 50mAh earbud batteries two to three times with each charge taking about one hour. There are LED ’s on each bud to show charging status, red when charging, blue and the off when charged. The buds will charge automatically when placed into the case.

These earbuds use the latest Bluetooth 5 technology which is currently only supported by the latest high-end smartphones but of course, they will also work with older Bluetooth versions. Bluetooth 5 adds longer range and greatly improves both the stability of the wireless connection and battery life.

Pairing them I found to be far easier than often is the case. The buds turn on automatically when removed from the case and pair together. If there is no already paired device at hand then they enter pairing mode and the LED flashes red/blue. Pair your phone with nearby device i9 and there you are. When you return the buds to the box they will turn off automatically and begin charging. When taken out again they will automatically remember and pair to your phone. You can use the buds together or individually in mono mode and they should need no further configuration.

Audio quality was good and far better than I was expecting. There is a reasonable level of bass (although I would have rather had more) with mid and upper tones clear and well defined. The sound although lighter on bass than I would prefer is certainly neither thin nor tinny and I found it perfect for use when running. I would say that for me selecting the larger sized gel for the buds helped the sound greatly.

Each bud has a microphone and can be used to receive and make calls and when testing I found the conversation was clear and audible both ends perhaps due to the dual microphones (some headsets only have a mic in one bud). Calls can be rejected/ended by pressing the button on either bud. Unlike with many TW earbuds, the call audio comes over both buds together.

Full audio control can be made by pressing the on-ear button, which is of the proper clicky type, and you can Play/Pause, jump tracks forward or back and change the audio volume. You can also make and receive calls and even invoke Siri (seems not to work for Google Assistant, however).

Battery life is good and comparable all of my high-end sets and I have obtained over five hours of music playing time following a charge. The charging case is rather lightweight but is well made and magnetically holds the buds. The buds are described as sweatproof rather than waterproof, so keep them out of the rain.

For the price, this headset compares well with the high-end rivals I have tried as regards sound quality and features.

Even at this budget price, this is not the least expensive TW headset available but as the market cools down a new generation of less expensive but well-specified and good sounding TW headsets such as these is emerging.

The Good
Good audio quality
Auto On/Off
Good battery life
Single bud operation option
Bluetooth 5
Magnetic Bud Retention

The Bad
No Google Personal Assistant Integration
Lightweight
No USB-C
Fewer Case Charges than with some rivals

NB – 10% Discount at the Amazon Checkout with this code: :BCH4BMFF
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Drkao Hematite Magnetic Therapy Necklace

I recently reviewed a product from Drkao which came with a magnetic bracelet gift, which to our surprise my partner found seemed to help alleviate a long term problem she has had with a tendon in her foot. So I was interested to try this necklace which uses the same magnetic effect for health benefits. This new necklace set is better finished and rather more attractive than the freebie I received and is as much a fashion item as an aid to health.

As with all the items I have tried from DrKao, the bracelet arrived very attractively presented in a Chinese style silk effect pouch with an internal zipped pocket to hold the anklets. No box, instructions or paperwork was included other than a simple promotional card, a scan of which I append to my unboxing video.

The 19.75″ 150g necklace is made from Hematite magnetic stones but with an attractive Gun Metal Polished Black finish. The stones are of uniform size on an elasticated cord with an appearance that is both understated and attractive. The clasp is itself magnetic and one of the easiest to use I have ever tried, no more fiddling with minuscule hooks.

Hematic stones are claimed to help with a range of ailments and frankly, I would previously have thought this to be nonsense until my partner, formerly as sceptical as me, did seem to find an immediate benefit from wearing the hematite bracelet. I can’t judge it myself as I am not suffering from any health issues at present.

For the current price of less than £7 this necklace is certainly not expensive and if it really does improve your health then it is a bargain indeed.

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Gueray Portable DVD Disc Player

It has been years since I last played a DVD, but although most of my viewing comes from streaming, I do still have a large archive of DVDs which at present I can only watch on my computer or by playing them on my old X-Box. This little DVD player will come in handy if and when I need to play them, It can also be used to repurpose an old TV or monitor in the bedroom or spare room.

The DVD player arrived in an attractive mid-market box inside of which was the player itself, a full-sized infrared remote control, HDMI cable, a/v cable set, USB to micro-USB power cable and a large and well-printed User guide.

Build quality is rather lightweight but more than acceptable for the £27.99 Amazon price and I was pleased to see the remote is full-sized with proper clicky keys. The cables all seem good quality and the User Guide is very comprehensive although the English section lapses into german from time to time.

In use, the DVD player works well enough. It supports all the usual DVD and CD formats and upscales standard-sized videos to 1080p. A limited number of other video and audio file types can be played from any attached USB drive up to 32GB in size. A few newer video formats such as MKV are not supported and the User Interface is a bit clunky and dated but it gets the job done.

As a backup player, or a budget way to view your old DVD’s this player is fine. I would probably prefer to pay more for a better-specified machine with a more modern interface if I planned to use it for daily living room viewing but for the price, it would be churlish top criticise it too harshly. It is a multi-region DVD player and it plays DVD perfectly well. If you need more than that then expect to pay much more.

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Kohree Garden Lights – 4 Pack

This £39.99 4 piece lighting set from Kohree is designed for use in the garden but in fact, is neat and elegant for use inside the home or office. The clever design reduces to a minimum the number of trailing wires and the modular format means that there is no need to use all four lights if so desired.

The lighting kit arrived in a branded cardboard box with all the essential product information printed on it. Inside were the four lamps, 4 16xm ground spikes, Wiring loom connector, 4 Moisture seals (to protect unused power sockets), UK multi-voltage 3 pin Power Supply, and a well written and easy to read User Guide.

Build quality seems first-rate. The lamps themselves are made of aluminium alloy with glass lenses, the spikes and wiring loom from water-resistant plastic, the 4m cables are thicker than normal and clearly built to last. The User Guide is well printed and easy to read, although largely unnecessary as setting the lights up is pretty much self-evident.

Unlike many garden lights, this set is a true warm white and is rated at 3000k. Each lamp uses a 3W COB LED rated at 270 lumens with a 24-degree beam. COB, by the way, is the latest LED technology and stands for ‘Chip On Board’. COB LEDs are basically multiple LED chips (typically nine or more) bonded to form a single module. This means a small, brighter and more robust LED using less power.

Setting the set up is perfectly simple and intuitive. Take care to insert the two-pin plugs the right way into their sockets and ensure that all the protecting covers are screwed tightly in place. Four spare moisture seal covers are provided to keep unused sockets dry should not all be in use. There is a two-metre cable connecting the 12v power transformer to the wiring loom, and each light has a 3metre cable connecting it to the loom, The lights cannot be daisy-chained together but must be used in parallel connected to the loom. This means that the furthest distance apart the lights can be positioned is 4 metres.

I found the light from each lamp to be warm, pleasant and not harsh or too bright. The set will work perfectly to highlight a garden area or indoors to illuminate a large object or multiple smaller ones. Be aware that these are not tightly focused spotlights but designed to give wider and less intense coverage.

The design and build quality of this set should allow it to work throughout the year with no further setup needed and I do not expect them to fail after a while as too many of the cheaper sets I have tried seem to do.

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