Usually Amazon Echo products are a smash hit. So when the company’s newest device is earning only three star reviews… What’s going on? If you ask me, people don’t know what to make of the new Echo Hub, and may not understand its place in the larger Alexa ecosystem. This is not simply a new smart home speaker, it’s something else. In this review I’ll dig in on what makes Echo Hub different from my hands-on personal experience, who it’s actually geared for, what it’s best for and not as good at. I’ll wrap things up by going over the pros and the cons and letting you know if I think I can recommend this home hub to you.

What is Echo Hub?

As Amazon tells it, the Echo Hub is an “easy-to-use Alexa-enabled control panel for your smart home devices”, but that doesn’t help us very much since it sounds a lot like every other Alexa speaker device with screen.

You could say that while many Echo devices are speaker-first, the 8-inch Echo Hub is smart home-first. It integrates with all of Amazon and Ring’s smart home devices like alarm systems, cameras, thermostats, smart locks, and lighting, and gives you a central place to manage control of all of them a little easier than on a typical Echo screen device.

Some of the key innovations here are that it’s flat, and designed to be wall mounted (though a $30 stand is available) and you can more easily customize the controls and widgets displayed on the screen, and adjust which devices you see, or which cameras you can pull up quickly.

This small flat panel also uses presence sensing, which Amazon calls ‘adaptive content’ to detect when someone is nearby so the screen will switch automatically from a clock or photo display to the customizable smart home control screen.

In my opinion, I would say this device is designed to be your smart home at a glance. Whereas other Alexa devices like the Echo Show 15 or Echo Show 10 are designed to be more information focused and will display things like news, weather, interesting stories, jokes, or other Alexa how to information, the default viewing on Echo Hub’s screen is your smart home and its gadgets.

Power options (& battery life)

If you choose to wall mount this device you will still need to manage the cable. Amazon recommends mounting it near a plug, but right out of the gate I think I would find that a little messy. You can get a wall rated conduit to hide the power cable inside your wall, but this is a little more trouble than I think it’s worth.

Another option is to use the Power over Ethernet option with a compatible USB-C converter. I opted to use the counter stand and simply have it plugged into the wall.

What can Echo Hub do?

After spending several weeks with this device in my home, I’d say Amazon Echo Hub has four key features.

1. Smart Home security hub

Anyone who had a home alarm system more than 10 years ago likely remembers you needed a hard-wired central panel to arm and disarm the alarm. It looks like we’re back to the future with this concept meant to be placed in a central location in your home.

Echo Hub is an ideal alarm system control panel. I have had a Ring Alarm system for many years, and one of the things I was looking forward to doing with this, is setting up my Ring Alarm 2 system.

I connected my Echo Hub with the Ring Alarm 2 (and you can see the full review of that here). When I call up the alarm system I can see at a glance if my home is disarmed or armed.

Initially, while I was able to arm the system with a tap, when I tried to disarm it from the hub, I got an error message saying “access code required to disarm. Go to security system device settings in the Alexa app to set up an access code”.

I wasn’t able to find the settings anywhere so I reached out to a contact at Amazon for a little assistance…

I was able to get better instructions for how to set a pin code for Echo Hub with Ring Alarm 2. Full details are here but the steps are:

To set Echo Hub to manage your Ring Alarm, load and activate the Ring skill in the Alexa app.

1. Open the Alexa app .
2. Open More , then select Skills & Games.
3. Use Search Alexa Skills to find the Ring skill. Select it and then select Enable.
4. In setting up the skill, sign in to your Ring account, to link it to your Alexa account.
5. After you sign in, Alexa looks for Ring devices and connects with them automatically. If you don’t want a particular device to connect, select Forget. Your alarm system appears in your Devices list in the Alexa app.

Next, set an access code for your system, to use with Alexa and the Echo Hub.

1. Open the Alexa app .
2. Select your Ring Alarm system, then select Settings .
3. Under Disarm by Voice and Echo Hub, turn on Enable/disarm.
4. Enter and confirm a 4-digit access code.
5. To disarm your Ring Alarm when you return home, enter the access code on your Echo Hub, by voice or by touch.

Following the instructions worked for me and I was able to use the Hub to arm and disarm easily.

2. Security camera feed

One of the other interesting things I found the Echo Hub can do is show a longer-term feed of any of your cameras. Just choose which camera you want to keep an eye on, and open it up on the screen of the Echo Hub and you can see and hear everything that’s going on for up to about 7 minutes. This seems to be a bit of a newer feature as some other Echo Show devices I’ve tried let you drop in on a camera for a short time but then always return to the Alexa main screen after a few seconds.

This is something many Ring customers have been asking for since it lets you use one of your cameras like a de facto baby or pet monitor. Even so, 7 minutes isn’t a very long time, and it’s annoying to have to re-load the camera constantly. I’d love it if I could simply choose a camera to keep up on the screen for an hour or more.

3. Smart home control

You can also use this device to manage all of the lights in your home; turning each one on or off with a virtual tap. While I generally find it far more convenient just to use voice control for this, it’s good to know this home hub can become a de facto remote control also. It also works to control thermostats and door locks, so it can be a good way to put your home to bed all from one location.

I also found the echo hub makes an ideal secondary control panel to keep in the primary bedroom. This lets you see your home at a glance and secure everything if you’ve already gotten into bed.

4. Plays Music

This Hub wouldn’t be an Echo device without some audio capabilities. You can absolutely use it to play music, news, and podcasts, though with that said the audio quality is not as good as some other more music-focussed Echo devices.

The only speakers for this one live in the top of the device and they are quite small. Amazon doesn’t give any information about their wattage or power; so I can best describe them as adequate. While they’re not high fidelity and they’re not going to fill a room, they’re more than fine for issuing and confirming smart home demands and listening to audio if you’re nearby.

Set up

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the set up because pretty much every Echo device I’ve configured in the last five years has been a breeze, and the Hub was the same. Plug it in and it will automatically put itself in set up mode. You just need to follow a few prompts either on the Hub or in the Alexa app depending on your device. I had it online and connected to my smart home in just a few minutes.

Amazon might be one of the few smart home corporations that get this better than right. In my opinion, every one of its gadgets is super easy whether you’re a novice or an experienced smart home guru.

Managing your Hub dashboard

On the hub screen you’ll have a series of boxes or “widgets” you can adjust the order in which these display and choose to show or hide any of them. Along the left-hand side is a list that shows a shortcut for Home and your Routines, then a list of your rooms.

Taking up the most real estate on the screen are the larger widgets; things like your cameras, weather, an area for your favourites and more. Along the bottom there’s a list of buttons which you can tap on to open up more options for each.

While Amazon describes the screen as “customizable” there’s not a whole lot more you can do, other than change the order in which they display. For example I had been hoping to get the security widget to display in a large box on the screen so I could see it and all my devices at all times, but if it is possible it was not intuitive how to do it.

And even once I have tapped the Alarm widget to open it up, the only thing I can do is view the arming status; I can’t see which sensors may be open or closed or which cameras may be online or not. The limited viewing options here are actually quite disappointing.

The toughest part about managing your home screen is ensuring your smart home is up-to-date.

A difficulty I have that is unlikely to affect most of the rest of you is that I have a ton of smart home devices across various brands. Many of them are compatible with Alexa and many of them still show up in my Alexa app even if I only use them for a short time to review them. So a piece of advice; if you have a good amount of smart home gadgets he will want to manage from the hub, spend a little time in the Alexa app deleting unused devices and organizing your devices into their correct rooms so that everything will be much easier to manage on this screen.

Accessing Content & Controlling Devices by Voice

This being an Alexa speaker you can of course ask Alexa to control devices with your voice or access music or other content.

Using commands like:

• “Alexa, show me my cameras”
• “Alexa, dim the lights”
• “Alexa, turn off [living room] lights at [5pm]”
• “Alexa, enable the start my day routine”
• “Alexa, what’s on the calendar today?”
• “Alexa, show me the weather”

I found the voice control works well whether I was asking for light adjustments or for the Alarm system to be set..

Who is Echo Hub for?

I think there are some very specific use cases where this device will be helpful, and others where it will simply be frustrating. Let’s go over the best and worst use cases.

In my opinion, the new Echo Hub is a device for people looking for a slimmed down Alexa experience that can mainly be used to control smart home devices.

In my opinion this device is best for someone who wants to wire it in and wall mount it. Any other Alexa or Echo Show device with the exception of the Echo Show 15 is not really meant to be wall mounted. Yet conversely if you don’t have a need for a wall-mounted option, pretty much any other Echo Show device still works to control your smart home, albeit with additional taps on screen, and it likely gives you better audio to boot.

I would also say this device is not for people that already use their voice for most of their smart home control. Any other Alexa speaker or screen device will give you that same control. This device is more for someone that wants that tangible touchscreen option… Yet at the same time it’s not really a good remote control because it has to be plugged in and is designed to be mounted to a wall.

At its best it should work as a central alarm management hub for Ring Alarm 2, except at the moment the only thing it is able to do is arm and disarm the system. There’s no viewing of your alarm components.

Speed concerns

One of the things I did become a bit concerned about after using the Hub for a couple of weeks is its speed. Navigating with the touchscreen can be quite sluggish taking anywhere from a couple of seconds to up to 8 seconds in rarer occasions to accomplish some tasks. Also, I found frequently it required several taps on some apps before anything would happen.

Overall review: Amazon Echo Hub

Overall I have to say I’m incredibly conflicted about this device. It seems to be bobbing aimlessly on a sea of Amazon gadgets looking for just the right port to dock in. I think for the right user with the right use case this will be a very handy device. However if you are simply evaluating this alongside more traditional Amazon speaker gadget and you don’t already have a specific reason for choosing the Echo Hub, you can opt out.

Let’s go over the pros and cons.

On the pro side the Hub is easy to set up, it’s got a nice streamlined design, and is perfect for wall mounting. It’s geared primarily at controlling smart home devices and uses presence sensing to decide whether to show a clock and photo screensaver or your smart home devices, and accomplishing this with no camera built into the hub, you don’t have to worry about privacy. The on screen interface is simple and uncluttered and makes it easy to find what you need.

On the downside, the audio quality is not going to be top of the line, but you can find plenty of Echo speakers that are, such as the Amazon Echo Studio, or even Echo Show 10. I also found the screen can sometimes be slow to react, and with some products the settings and options presented on screen are extremely limited.

Like I said if you know exactly what you want this for it will probably do what you need, if you’re hoping for a whole new Echo experience this might not be enough for you. But that’s why I like to share all the info and let you make your own decision.

They all new Amazon Echo Hub sells for about $179USD with the additional countertop stand costing $30. You can get it of course from Amazon.

While Amazon did provide me with an Echo Hub at no cost the company did not request or receive any input or approvals over the content so you can consider these thoughts mine.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post New Amazon Echo Hub hands-on review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Ring cameras are definitely top of market when it comes to options, ease of set up and user-friendliness. And it seems like each year Ring brings out new cameras and accessories that are genuinely useful. Case in point the Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In with Pan-Tilt mount. In this review I’ll take a look at what you’re getting with this kit, what this specific camera is designed to do, and how well the Pan-Tilt mount works to help it see into more places. I’ll wrap things up by going over the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this set up for you.

Trying to find the right home security camera these days can be overwhelming. It’s no longer just about 1080p vs. 720p, wide vs. narrow field of view; it’s now also about wired or wireless, app compatibility, remote operation, how it integrates into your existing smart home, and a ton of other features. Then, there’s the installation. Some setups are so simple that they’re genuinely a breeze – a “plug-and-play” dream come true. Others, however, seem to require an entire afternoon to figure out.

What you get

3rd Gen Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In

Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In is one of Ring’s most popular cameras and it’s been around for several years. While Ring’s battery powered cameras tend to be the most popular, there’s often still a case for wanting a camera that has power 24/7. This version is the third generation model which uses a cord that connects to a standard wall plug and can be used both inside or out. It can also sit on a table or piece of furniture or be mounted to a wall, and a separate ceiling mountain kit is also available.

Ring does not appear to declare an IP rating for this camera, saying only it is “Weather Resistant”, and noting the maximum operating temperature are -5°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C). I’ve reviewed probably over a dozen ring devices over the years, and I can say that they’re outdoor cameras are extremely durable. My previous Ring outdoor cameras are still going strong out in my yard after many years of harsh climate.

Pan Tilt Mount

The indoor-outdoor Pan Tilt Mount is a separate device that will connect with your ring stick up cam. The mount consists of an electronic base with a swivelling L-shaped bracket that the slides onto. Once it’s connected to the camera it offers full 360° motion as well as 117° tilt. (*For video do this part on camera and control it).

I will add that the camera won’t spin in a complete circle; it will only go to the edge of its field of view before you will have to pan it back all the way around to get to the other side.

You can create your own default position to easily reorient your device.

It might be important to point out that this camera camera does not track motion automatically as some other similar devices, such as the Echo Show 10 can do. Instead you need to manually adjust your camera’s field of view by panning and tilting your camera using the Ring App.

I will say I am a bit surprised by that. Ring, through its partnership with Amazon is clearly using this technology in other places, so I’m a bit surprised to find Ring still has no dedicated motion tracking home security camera… That I’m aware of.

Ring Protect Plan

I don’t want us to get too much further into this review without touching on an important point. To get the most out of this camera and really the entire ring system expect to pay a monthly fee. Ring has monthly cloud recording and storage plans known as Ring protect plans. If you don’t opt for one of these plans you really only get the ability to take a live look at your cameras.

While the basic protect plan costs just about $5USD per month, it only allows you to operate one camera or doorbell. Any more than that and you will need to upgrade to a more robust plan (Plus gives you unlimited cameras for $10USD/month). I have had a Plus plan for years and I think it’s been worth it. Before you hit add to cart, I do recommend going to Ring’s website and checking out the options before you commit.

Set up & Installation

Setting up any Ring device is super easy whether it’s a first for you or you’ve got plenty of other devices across the ecosystem. In this case just plug in the camera and open up the ring app. The app will search for your camera and add it to your lineup. A few more steps will take you through a few configuration options where you can make adjustments but then that’s it and you’re ready to go. I opted to place my camera indoors in my house so I could keep an eye on my dogs when we are not home.

Video

1080 HD resolution cameras are table stakes when it comes to video quality, and that’s what you’re getting with this camera. It’s an excellent balance of clear image quality and efficient bandwidth usage, but identifying faces outdoors beyond about 5 feet away might be a little difficult because of the limited resolution.

Stick Up Cam (when used without the pan tilt mount) has a wide field of view for maximum coverage, with a 130°diagonal, 110° horizontal, 57° vertical field of view. Adding the mount you can reach to full 360° motion as well as 117° tilt, but of course that’s only if you’re operating the camera; when it’s locked into its home position you only get that base reach.

Ring cameras use Advanced Motion Detection with Customizable Motion Zones to alert you to any motion within range of the camera. You can set your camera to alert you to any motion or just at certain times of day or certain types of motion. Plus, the camera has Color Night Vision to help you see better in all types of spaces.

Like I said my primary use was indoors for watching the dogs, and it was more than enough for me to keep an eye on them. I also found it useful to do things like check if the front door was locked, or if I left the stove on. It’s quite handy having a moveable camera in the house since it can be the eyes you might not be able to have.

Control with joystick

I can definitely say the camera is easy to maneuver using the 4-way virtual joystick inside the Ring app. The movement actually responds quite quickly so it should be easy to catch anything that’s happening.

The motion of the camera is virtually silent too; it makes a very subtle humming sound as it is changing position, but it’s barely perceptible.

Outdoor use

I did also move the camera outdoors and place it in the yard for a while to test its weather worthiness and ability to give me a more all encompassing view.

Two-way talk

For an entry-level security camera, the two-way audio of the Stick Up Camera is a welcome feature. You can turn on the microphone or speaker and talk or listen.

The audio that beams out of the camera is surprisingly crisp. It’s not going to replace your phone anytime soon, but it’s entirely capable of handling quick exchanges with your delivery guy.

Adjustable motion zones

A cool feature of many of these ring cameras are the adjustable motion zones. With these let you do is essentially tell the camera that certain parts that are visible in the frame don’t need to trigger alerts. This is most handy if you live on a street with a busy sidewalk, and only want to get alerts if someone walks up to your door. Similarly inside a house, you could set your camera so that it doesn’t alert you if your pets are in the living room, but if they get up on the sofa you’ll get tagged.

You can even combine Ring Stick Up Cam with Alexa so that when anyone triggers Ring’s built-in motion zones, your Echo device will jingle and make an announcement, of your Echo Show will let you see, hear and speak to anyone captured on camera.

View camera for longer with Echo Hub

If you add in something like the new Amazon Echo Hub, you can keep the Stick Up Cam’s feed up on the device for longer stretches, meaning you can use it as a pet or baby monitor, for up to about 8-10 minutes.

Can I use Ring Pan-Tilt Mount with Stick Up Cam Battery?

Ring Pan-Tilt Mount can only be powered with the Indoor/Outdoor or Indoor Power Adapter Barrel Plug and cannot be powered with the Quick Release Battery Pack or Solar Panel.

Real time alerts

I will say the alerts from Ring cameras come to my phone fairly quickly. Well there are sometimes they are delayed a couple of seconds, it’s not usually a problem. And of course if you’re subscribed to one of the ring protect plans you’re going to get recorded video footage of that stuff anyway so you’ll have a chance to review it after the fact. Yet another good reason to subscribe to the plan.

Overall review

Overall this is a great camera package for those who don’t need something wireless. Like all the Ring devices I have reviewed this one is easy to set up and integrates perfectly into my ring and Alexa enabled home. The resolution is standard for home security cameras of this type and includes night vision. The addition of the pan tilt mount goes along way to increasing the available view. Using the joystick in the Ring app it’s easy to move the camera around, and even with all that motion, you’ve got a couple of options for mounting it. I also appreciate that the electronic motor that moves the camera operates silently. When it comes to the downsides, on its own merits I can’t really think of anything that’s problematic with this camera. Well I would love to see Ring introduce some motion tracking that could actually follow a person around a room with the camera, that might be me nitpicking and wishing for features that don’t exist yet within the Ring ecosystem. Even if they do exist with other devices. So for that reason if you’re looking for a consistently powered smart home security camera that doesn’t take up a lot of space I can recommend the ring stick up cam plug-in with pan tilt mount for you. It sells for about $145USD when packaged with the mount. The camera on its own can be had for about $99 and you can add the mount on later for about $45.

If you do want to check out what a motion tracking 360° moving camera is like, I reviewed one from Wyze and you can check that out right now.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post 3rd Gen Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In with Pan-Tilt Mount: hands on review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Bluetti Power Station Lineup

Not all camping trips (or campers) are the same. Some of us are looking to simply charge a phone and a lantern for a quick overnight in a tent, while others are bringing along the whole tech setup — think drones, laptops, and even a portable fridge for longer-term off-grid camping.

To be specific, power stations may differ in power input capacities, charging options and rates, types of outlets and rates, and other features. Fortunately, Bluetti recognizes that its consumers have varied power needs based on their activities, whether it’s for outdoor camping or long-term off-grid living. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Bluetti for sponsoring this article. The company has been a longtime supporter of our work and their content helps us keep the blog and the YouTube channel running so for that we are truly grateful.

And now is the best time to look closer since the company’s “Spring into Solar” program is running from March 7th to 24^th, 2024, designed to elevate your outdoor activities in a budget-friendly and eco-friendly way.  With some incredible savings of up to 31% off  on portable power solutions, now is the time to stock up.

The Lite Pack: For the Minimalist Adventurer

Starting with the smaller, lighter units, the Bluetti AC2A and the AC70. These are your go-to for the ultimate weekend warrior status. They can handle phone charging, keep your cameras ready for that next shot, and even power up a portable fan if you’re going out during extra hot summer months.

The capacity 300W capacity for the AC2A might not be able to to run a portable fridge, but it’ll make sure your essential gadgets stay alive. On the other hand, the AC70, rated at 1000W might be able to operate more power-hungry appliances like a toaster or an induction cooker especially if you use Power Lifting mode.

While the AC70 is a bit larger, they’re both still super portable, which means less time spent playing Tetris with your tent’s precious real estate.

You can also bundle it with a solar kit with efficient charging so you can extend your camping outdoor time while keeping your gadget essentials juiced up.

AC2A features and benefits:

• Solar charging support
• 8Wh battery capacity
• 2X 150W AC outlets, 1X USB-C (100W max) and 2X USB-A (12W) outlets, 1X 12V/10A (Car Outlet)
• 300W rated power + 600W Power Lifting Mode
• 8inｘ6.1inｘ6.8in

AC70 features and benefits:

• Solar charging support with 500W Fast Solar Intake (Fully charge in 2hrs)
• 768Wh battery capacity
• 950W Turbo Charging (With AC power)
• 1,000W Rated Power + 2,000W Power Lifting
• 2X AC outlets rated at 1000W max shared capacity, 2X USB-C (100W each), 2X USB-A (12W), 1X 12V/10A (Car Outlet)
• 4in × 8.2in × 10.1in

The Mid-Range Marvel: For the Comfort Seekers

For those who like a bit of glamping with their camping or just have more demanding power needs, mid-range power stations are where it’s at. These units, which typically hover between 1000W to 2000W, can handle charging multiple devices at once, keep a portable fridge running, and even power a small TV or a laptop for a cozy movie night under the stars. They strike a neat balance between portability and power – a real Jack-of-all-trades.

If this is what off-grid camping means to you, then the Bluetti AC180 falls exactly in line with what you need. It’s a 1,800W power station with a Power Lifting mode capacity of 2700W, coupled with an expandable battery capacity. With this combo, you can even use induction stoves to safely whip up some quick campsite grub.

Plus, there’s a wealth of output selections including 4AC outlets that can run multiple small appliances simultaneously. As long, of course, they have a combined pull of less than 1800W.

AC180 features and benefits:

• Solar charging support with 500W Fast Solar Intake
• 1,152Wh battery capacity (Expandable up to 4,224Wh)
• 1440W Turbo Charging (With AC power)
• 1,800W Rated Power + 2,700W Power Lifting
• 4X AC outlets rated at 1800W max shared capacity, 1X USB-C (100W), 5X USB-A (15W), 1X 12V/10A (Car Outlet)

The Powerhouse: For the Basecamp Bosses

And then, for the truly luxe campers or those who just refuse to leave any tech toy behind, we have the powerhouse units. With rated capacities over 2000W, these behemoths can pretty much handle anything you throw at them – from powering an electric grill to keeping a large 8000 Btu air conditioner running for 7 straight hours, to multiple charges for all your devices.

For these purposes, the AC200L and AC200MAX are all great choices. Of course, with great power comes great…weight. These units are not exactly what you’d call ‘portable’, but if you’re setting up a substantial camp or have a vehicle with you, they’re unbeatable.

These are also typically equipped with a 48VDC / 8A that can deliver power to an entire RV.

AC200L features and benefits:

• Solar charging support with 1200W Fast Solar Intake
• 2048Wh battery capacity (Expandable up to 8,192Wh with 2X B300)
• 1440W Turbo Charging (With AC power)
• 2400W Rated Power + 3600W Power Lifting
• 4X AC outlets and 1X NEMA TT-30 rated at 2400W max shared capacity, 2X USB-C (100W), 2X USB-A (18W), 1X 48VDC / 8A (RV Outlet), 1X 12V/10A (Car Outlet)

AC200MAX features and benefits:

• Solar charging support with 900W Fast Solar Intake
• 2048Wh battery capacity (Expandable up to 8,192Wh with 2X B300)
• 1400W Max. Fast Dual Charging (Solar + AC Adapter)
• 2200W Rated Power + 4800W Power Lifting
• 4X AC outlets and 1X NEMA TT-30 rated at 2400W max shared capacity, 2X USB-C (100W), 2X USB-A (18W), 1X 48VDC / 8A (RV Outlet), 1X 12V/10A (Car Outlet)

Real Talk: Is a Portable Power Station Worth It?

If you’re the type who truly goes off the grid and embraces the wilderness in all its disconnected glory, maybe portable power stations might not make much sense to you. But for the rest of us who like a little modern convenience with our outdoor adventures, a portable power station can be a game-changer.

Choosing the right one comes down to understanding your needs. Think about what gadgets you can’t live without, how long you’ll be out, and how much you’re willing to carry. And remember, just because you bring along a bit of power doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the great disconnect. It just means you’ll have enough battery to Instagram your escapades (or, you know, call for help if things get too “Into the Wild”).

So, if you’re looking for a power station this coming camping season, then don’t forget to check out the Bluetti Spring Sale where all of these are up for grabs at discounted prices!

The post Top gadget picks for being comfortable off-grid appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

NextBase iQ dash cam review: What’s in the Box?

NextBase iQ 4K Dash Camera is compact and solid-feeling; the camera is anchored to a bulky articulating mount that has reversible antennas. The mount is big because it houses some more advanced tech… which we’ll get to.
The only option for install here is with a sticker, so this won’t be a camera you swap in and out of multiple vehicles unless you want to hack your own set up.

I chose the highest resolution 4K model, but lower resolutions are available for lower prices.

The kit comes with several cables and accessories. In addition to the unit itself, you get a special OBD2 power cable that connects to your car’s On Board Diagnostics port under the dash. There’s also hardwire power cables with fuse taps if you prefer, plus a fitting tool for peeling back mouldings and rubber seals.

Inside the NextBase iQ unit is a 64 GB U3 microSD card.

Watch my hands-on review and see the footage here

Nextbase app and (kinda mandatory) subscription

You’ll also need the Nextbase app to connect the camera to service and to use several of the features, but you will also absolutely need a paid subscription to one of Nextbase’s plans. No plan and your camera will only offer limited use, like recording to the Micro SD card – no live viewing, no notifications, no cloud storage and no emergency calling.

Before I could even start testing the camera, I discovered that it was seemingly impossible to do anything with the camera or app without actually signing up for a Nextbase subscription plan, whether I wanted or or not, even if I planned to simply use the SD card instead of the full feature set.

While there *appears* to be an option to bypass the sign up, as of press time it didn’t work for me, and all I was able to view was a blurry screen on the app like I was blocked from accessing it. Grudgingly, I gave in and handed over my credit card and agreed to sign up for the Cadillac-level Pro Plan on a trial basis.

The plans range from $14-$26 CAD ($9-19USD) per month and offer slightly different options, but the core of what you’re paying for is live streaming from the camera via cellular networks, notifications to your phone if there are any concerns like accidents or break-ins, and a remote alarm. There’s other features including several which are still marked as ‘coming soon’ months after I first looked at the site.

Don’t skip enabling the extra features

The next thing I realized is that most of these Pro level features do require you to activate them; they’re not on by default. For example if you want your camera to contact emergency services in the event of a crash, You need to enable a host of settings and permissions inside the app. Similarly if you want to enable Witness Mode, which will send a live stream to up to two contact you designate if you are ever pulled over or in a situation you are concerned about, you need to make sure you have this set up, your contacts have been designated, and going one step further, those contacts have agreed to receive your live streams. No point deduction for this, just something to be aware of.

My early advice: if you are opting to pay the big bucks for this camera and a monthly plan, make darn sure you can take advantage of it by going through each of the settings in the camera and making sure all of the required permissions and options are activated. It would be nice if the app prompted you for this, but it does not.

Set up: I got a lemon

When I went to set up the camera I encountered a world of pain. One warning: Don’t stick the camera to your window until you have it set up in the app. The plug that connects into the back of the camera will become inaccessible as soon as you stick it to the window so keep it handy within reach until the set up is complete, then stick it to the windshield.

Installation of the cables went pretty easily and all the necessary tools are included. I opted for the OBD connection and if I could make one suggestion to the Nextbase engineers it would be not to have the cable come out the side of the OBD2 connector but out the back instead; It barely fit in the small opening where my port is located.

It might be important to mention this camera has no option to pull power off a cigarette lighter adapter; it’s OBD or the fuse panel only for power. While the OBD connection was easy, these options may intimidate users who are less familiar with their cars, but from my experience, they’re easy enough to do.

You can Google where to find your specific car’s OBD port.

When I went ahead with the set up, the camera attempted to download an update. But after the first attempt it seem to get stuck and was hung up for about 20 minutes. I disconnected the power and started it over again and the process seemed to advance further along but always stalled out. After starting over and running the update sequence about 9 times, I gave up and called NextBase support for help.

We went back-and-forth over several days and I will say I got great help but it took a lot of my time. Nextbase software engineers supplied me with several sets of fixes and new firmware downloads via email in order to try to jog the camera into behaving. After the fourth or fifth special software download when things were still not working, the company offered to replace my camera.

Replacement cam worked perfectly

When I went to connect the new camera to the Nextbase app happy to say it connected on the first try and I was set up and ready to go in probably about five minutes. My advice here; if you are experiencing trouble with your camera, and it takes longer than about 5-10 minutes to get it set up, reach out to Nextbase for help and request a new unit.

Premium Features

The NextBase iQ is rich in features and the list includes some premium ones that drive up the cost of this dash cam. Treat this as a checklist of sorts because if most of the features here don’t cater to your needs, you lose out on the overall value of the product, and you’d do well to shop for a less complex and thus cheaper option.

4K Camera Array

The dash cam features a 4K dual front camera with 2K cabin-facing camera. You can also get an optional rear-facing camera too.
The 4K resolution is a huge bonus. It adds crispness to the detail and color accuracy is spot on. What you get here is premium footage that makes it easy to pick out even finer details. Night recordings look good as well and you can toggle the infrared mode to record darker environments.

Video quality: Amazing

Since we’re on the topic, let’s dig deeper into the video quality. I took the iQ camera on a road trip to Las Vegas, plugging it easily into my rental car’s OBD2 port. It was my silent second set of eyes on the four hour drive, capturing desert landscapes as well as the glitz of the Las Vegas strip and interesting sights around town. The footage is indeed crisp, clear and sharp and it makes it a lot easier to identify landmarks, read signs and license plates and capture fine details. 4K footage is easy to zoom into on your computer too, so what you can’t see on your phone, you can easily blow up on a laptop.

The nighttime footage is also pretty good, but as you will see if you check out the video review, the camera can sometimes be blinded by bright light.

Cellular 4G connection

How does the camera take advantage of features like sending you notifications and live streams? It’s got cellular connectivity built in.
NextBase iQ will connect with 4G cellular service, and in case you’re wondering this is in large part what you’re paying for each month. (Even if you don’t plan on using it, the extra antennas and chip within dash cam contribute to the bulkier size and higher cost of this product). The dash cam lacks a SIM card slot making it impossible to bypass the monthly fee.

GPS & location

Thanks to the cellular triangulation, your dash camera knows exactly where it is at all times. You can open the app and see where your kid has the car, for example, or use it to locate a stolen vehicle (as long as the thief hasn’t yanked the power).

Voice Control

Configuring your dash cam is often a “set it and forget it” affair but with the NextBase iQ, you might see the need to disable the cabin camera or microphone during certain situations or start the “Witness Mode” when you are having a roadside conversation with someone. The voice control feature makes it easier to toggle those features.

Just start the command with “Hey Dash Cam” and specify an action such as “Start Recording” or “Turn Microphone Off”.

Witness Mode & Emergency SOS

There are two features that come with either of the paid plans that actually seem very helpful.

Witness Mode

If you’re ever in a situation alone and wished you could have some backup, Nextbase iQ’s witness mode gives you that option. This is one of the features you do need to set up and get permission from friends to share to. You can say ‘Hey Dashcam, Start Witness Mode’ to the camera and it will both record and share a live stream with up to two emergency contacts.
Emergency SOS

If you — or whoever is driving — are unresponsive during an accident, the iQ will share location and any medical details you’ve provided with emergency personnel so you can quickly get the help you need. Luckily I had no need to test this out during my review period.

Parking Lot eyes

The Nextbase iQ will also alert you to events that happen while your vehicle is parked, like if someone backed into you or tried to break in. You get a push notification to your phone and the camera will record both through the windshield and in the cabin so you’ve got a set of eyes all around. More than once I got a parking alert, but it was either just my husband getting something from the console or a neighbour brushing past.

No display screen

A major downside for some might be the lack of a display screen, which is something reasonable to expect from a dash cam costing over $500. You can access a live view of the camera from the app any time of course, but you also need the paid subscription to do it. I personally find a dashcam screen in the car distracting, so I don’t mind going without.

You’ll want a bigger SD card

The included 64 GB Micro SD card might sound generous considering the fact that it is rated for endurance, but 64 GB in my opinion is kind of insufficient for recording 4K video. Even so, I think it’s nice Nextbase includes one for the price.

On 4K settings, three straight hours of recording will immediately fill up the SD card, which is what happened with my four hour drives to Vegas and back. With both cameras enabled, that time gets cut to just two hours.
What you really should get is a 256 GB card which unfortunately adds to the already high investment cost. NextBase sells their own SD cards on their website, but if you plan on buying elsewhere, check our SD card guide to ensure you buy the correct SD card for your dash cam.

Overall Review: NextBase iQ 4K Dash Camera

Cynics are going to find this camera little but a lure to lock customers into a perpetual subscription just to maximize the base potential of this already pricey dash cam, since many of the best features are locked behind a paywall. But with that said, if you have need for some higher quality video and better and more reliable security and safety features, those may be worth the price.

On the pro side the great resolution is undeniable and makes a massive difference to footage quality whether you opt into the cloud or record right to micro SD. Having both a front and cabin cam in one is helpful too.
The camera was easy to install and while my first unit was a lemon that refused to function, I did get great help from the Nextbase team and the replacement was flawless.
I like the addition of voice control, since anything we can do to be hands-free in the car is safer overall.

The security features like witness mode and emergency SOS are helpful and valuable and would be a boon to homes with new or teen drivers in the family. Of course the fact mom or dad could also peer into the car for a live feed while a child is driving and see what they’re up to is either a godsend or evil, depending on your parenting styles.

On the con side, I can’t overstate the fact that pretty much everything you’ll do with this camera is behind a paywall. As I’m putting this together my trial subscription is expired and I can’t view the camera, see its location or do anything whatsoever within the app. So I think it’s really important to understand that if you’re not going to plan to pay from about $120-240 US each year for your camera and the cellular connection, you can and should shop for something else.
Other potential downsides for a buyer? The permanent installation might limit its use unless you want to hack some kind of a velcro option together. A lack of in-car display might also be a con. I’m also a bit concerned the unit I got was a dud, so I’d love to hear from others out there if you’ve had a similar issue and what happened. Since Nextbase replaced it, it may be less of a downside.

Overall I think the camera is great, and the footage is unbeatable. If you think about it, paying the monthly fee for 24-7 cellular access that lets you see its location, live views and that gives you emergency backup to boot is actually quite valuable.

Get one from Amazon for about $699US/$999CAD. It’s also available from NextBase’s website.

Also Read:

1. Nextbase 622GW 4K dash camera review
2. Ring Car Cam: when it’s REALLY coming
3. Papago GoSafe 760 dash camera review

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post NextBase iQ 4K Dash Camera review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

How much attention do you pay to what’s happening in your yard? There’s a whole world happening out there, and you probably don’t see most of it. But you could… that’s where something like a camera-enabled, app-connected bird feeder comes in. If this sounds like expensive overkill, well, yeah, it is. But it also has the potential to be really fun. I recently got the Bird Buddy feeder from husband Roger as a gift, so in this review, I’ll put it to the test; we’ll look at what it’s like to set up and install, how well the camera works, and how long the battery lasts. Maybe most importantly, I’ll show you what kind of wildlife I saw during my 4 weeks with it and if the supposed AI bird identification works or not. A bit of a heads-up; while this feeder seems fun and educational, it is very expensive for what you get, and I found it has a lot of shortcomings… but are they enough to make it feel cheep… I’ll peck away at the pros and cons to get you a final decision.

The Internet of Things has its digital claws on virtually everything these days! On one corner you have all the big and small electronics you use in your household ranging from smart speakers to smart faucets. Then you also have various Internet-connected gadgets for outside your home like smart sprinklers and even bird feeders. Yup, folks thought it was a good idea to add some smarts to a bird feeder! In fact, searching for one on Amazon yields tons of results from all sorts of brands you have probably never heard of. The problem? Smart bird feeders cost at least $100 or roughly six times the price of an ordinary bird feeder so you really need to make sure you invest on a trustworthy product. The Bird Buddy Smart Feeder + Camera looks to play that part earning awards from CES, SXSW, and Kickstarter. Let’s see how it performs and if it is worth shelling out at least $239 USD over.

What is a “Smart” Bird Feeder?

What are you getting with a ‘smart’ bird feeder?

In essence the Bird Buddy is a device to spot and identify birds that come to the feeder, using everyone’s favourite buzzwords; Artificial Intelligence or AI.

Watch my full review & see the video

Smart bird feeders are basically bird feeders equipped with a camera module and a wireless connection chip allowing you to get an intimate look at birds chowing down on your birdseed buffet. Bird Buddy, like some other more expensive bird feeders also have companion apps which use AI to try to identify the bird for you. These feeders are battery-powered and have some type of motion detection too, which will activate the camera whenever it detects a bird. Finally, smart bird feeders must be weather-resistant to protect the electronics from rain and other conditions.

When you factor in the camera, battery, sensors, plus app development and do a bit of math, you can realize there’s a lot that goes into a smart feeder, but it also gives you a lot more too.

Bird Buddy: Unboxing and Setup

The Bird Buddy comes in a nice package, but there’s not much inside; you get the removable camera unit on top which is actually quite large and fat. Underneath there is the feeder unit itself and a small cup to fill it with.

The construction is all plastic but the design is nice and modern with a narrow feed container behind clear plastic. There’s a divot in there to slip in the camera which stays in place thanks to the housing’s built-in magnet.

The Bird Buddy’s recyclable plastic housing is supposed to be weatherproof and feels both light and pretty solid but how well the housing will hold up after a few years could depend on your environment.

Also included in the package is a universal mount with screws, and a metal hanger hook and rope. If you want to wall mount you must purchase a wall mount separately ($39 USD, unless you go for the Pro package which comes with other accessories like a solar roof for recharging, and suet ball holder.)
What you don’t get

I was surprised however at what you don’t get: birdseed is not included. While I wasn’t expecting a 5 pound bag of sunflower seeds, I was actually hoping for a small sample bag so that we could get started luring birds right away, but as it was, we had to wait until we could get to a store to buy some. For the price of Bird Buddy, I’d love to see a very small sample of birdseed included in the package so people can fill it right away while they source out more birdseed.

Speaking of value for price, I’m also quite surprised at how small the seed-holding capacity of this birdfeeder is. The bin can store around 3.8 cups or 0.9 liters worth of bird seed which should last several weeks depending on the season.

Which means you will want to place it somewhere where it is easily accessible to you, because you are going to be filling it up all the time. This was a small con for me right out of the gate.

To get started, you should fully charge the camera with the included USB-C cable which connects to the top of the camera module. For waterproofing it is covered with a small silicone stopper. The stopper does not have any type of anchor so don’t misplace it. I will say I think this is a cheap design choice: Most silicone stoppers when placed in the top of a unit that will be outdoors have a lanyard that permanently connect them so you can always ensure the cover will stay protected. Another small corner cut.

Next, download the Bird Buddy app from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store so you can immediately connect the module to your Wi-Fi. Connecting your Bird Buddy to your Wi-Fi early can help you figure out where to place your Bird Buddy as the feeder cannot function without an Internet connection. The app will help you stay within Wi-Fi range.

You also need to create a Bird Buddy account through the app as the photos and videos the camera takes go directly to the cloud, with an option to download too.

Once you have mounted the Bird Buddy within range of your router on the 2.4 GHz band, you can then add the bird seed by opening the latch on the back of the feeder.

Specs and Features Using Bird Buddy Feeder

With the feeder set up and connected I was ready to go. The first order of business is to fill the seed container, and again I was frustrated. There is a small door in the top of the back of the feeder which opens up. There is absolutely no way to get anything in there without making a mess. I suppose this is why there is a cup with a spout included, and in truth this did help the process, but there are still several problems. One is that the back plate of the feeder slides up and down, and if you’re not careful, you’ll spill seed out the back. The other way you’re going to spill this is that in order for you to use the cup to fill the feeder, you have to tilt it forward a bit, which then allows all the seed that’s fallen into the tray at the bottom of the feeder so spill over the front.

I am actually really frustrated with how poorly designed this is. This feeder has one job and that is to hold birdseed to feed the birds. But there’s no good efficient way to fill it and not waste a whole bunch of seed in the process. Major thumbs down.

Waiting period

With the feeder finally full and settled out in the yard I was hoping to be flooded with bird sightings. For me it took almost a full week before I got my first notification. I can’t blame this on Bird Buddy since there’s probably a waiting period before the birds figure out what’s on the menu in your yard. But you might want to scale back your expectations.

App is clunky, cluttered and confusing

The Bird Buddy app should begin sending you notifications. The app will record any sightings and store both video and photos buy you’ll get push notifications also.

Unfortunately the easy account setup is where the fun with the app ended. The app is extremely cluttered and busy, and it’s very hard to figure out how to access your feeder.

There are six tabs along the bottom of the app and the icons don’t make much sense. There’s a Mailbox or Inbox (also known as History) which allows you to connect to other feeders around the world until you start seeing birds of your own. Once you have some sightings, you will see your snapshots here, but be warned, you only get them for 7 days.

Next to that is two squares which stands for “Collection” which is actually where your own photos that you SAVE should show up. Then there is a TV icon which apparently allows you to also connect to other feeders around the world. Next stop is a person symbol which is supposed to represent “Community. The last tab on the bottom is the traditional Settings gear.

I will say there is a lot of overlap here among these tabs, and understanding the intricacies and subtle differences of what you get between each tab is not made clear.

How to view the stream from your Bird Buddy feeder

For the most part you’re going to want to access the Settings gear which is where you will find your own personal feeder.

Under the Settings tab you should see your own feeder at the top of the screen. It will display whether it is connected and ready for birds, as well as its existing battery life. You basically have one option; ‘Start Livestream’. It takes at least a minute in most cases to connect to the livestream, which is another frustration; if you spot a bird on the feeder and want a closer look, there’s a good chance it’s flown the coop by the time the connection is made.

When the Bird Buddy first released to Kickstarter backers and early customers, many complained about the buggy app experience. Fortunately, Bird Buddy continues to make rapid apps to their mobile apps resolving those issues. The app is pretty reliable in sending out push notifications whenever a bird is detected. AI recognition is hit or miss and it’s a cool thing to see when the app correctly identifies the bird species. But of course, even the most advanced AI is prone to errors so you can’t expect any smart bird feeder product to get the bird species right each and every time.

Camera & image quality

What separates the Bird Buddy from most of the other cheaper smart bird feeders is its 5-megapixel camera module with a 120-degree field of view. Even so, you’re only getting an HD camera here; nothing high-resolution.

Megapixels alone don’t measure camera quality but at first glance, the Bird Buddy camera takes clear and vivid photos. Videos record at 720p and unfortunately, you need to go for a Pro subscription which costs about $15 a year to unlock 1080p recording.

This is another example of Bird Buddy cutting a corner, hoping to get more money from you. Most video doorbells or wireless home security cameras are 1080p, so it feels like a bit of a gouge to pay more for better resolution.

But let’s get to the goods about overall photo and video quality: It’s actually really good. The photos are clear and sharp and while they do lack some finer definition, it’s quite easy to see and identify the birds.

You’ll get both still photos and videos of any interactions, which lets you get a bit more detail and see different angles.

Yet another corner cut: videos and photos ‘expire’

As I was going through some of my footage I was kind of surprised to see several had flags that they would be expiring in one day. Just 7 days after I had installed the feeder I was already losing access to what limited footage I had. It is possible to save these to your own personal collection, but even so I’m pretty annoyed that that’s all the runway I get.

AI identification: excellent accuracy

If you’re not ornithologist (a person who studies birds and I am definitely not) you never have to wonder what’s landing at your feeder. Bird Buddy uses artificial intelligence to identify the birds for you and it seems quite accurate, at least from my limited knowledge.

In my 4 weeks with Bird Buddy I am disappointed I didn’t see any exotic birds, but I did get a lot of sparrows and mourning doves, so beyond those I can’t speak to how well it identifies a bigger array of species.

Bird Buddy Community

The other thing you can do with your feeder is share your photos or videos with the wider Bird Buddy Community. Not only can you enable access to your snaps, but you can view other people’s captures or live feeds too. If you’re truly into birding, this is a great way to connect with your people.

Lots of Sharing options

With both the photos and videos you capture from your bird buddy you can save them to your phone, save them to your collection, as well as share them with a wider audience using text, email or more.

New species alerts on repeat and more features you can’t use

Many times in my inbox feed I would see that photos have been tagged with “new species” since more often than not the “new species” that showed up in my feed was either a sparrow or a dove, I was confused at why it was constantly being tagged as a new species. I think this “new species” designation actually means, “new bird-mail”, since it seemed to apply to photos and videos I hadn’t seen yet.

You can choose to ‘ignore’ certain common species if you want, so you only get alerts for something truly new or exotic. Of course, as is becoming common, this is a feature you can only use with the Pro plan.

Optional Features

Bird Buddy sells two other variants of its smart bird feeder for those willing to pay a bit more for convenience. The most popular variant is the one that comes with a solar roof which is a handy accessory to have if you don’t have a nearby power outlet and don’t want to recharge the camera module every 1 to 2 weeks. This bundle costs $299 USD so you save about $20 compared to buying the solar roof separately. But since the bird feeder relies on USB-C power, you could set up your own solar panel arrangement or use backup power to keep the feeder charged.

Finally, you can buy the Bird Buddy Pro Bundle up front, which also includes the solar roof along with a 3-in-1 nutrition set, suet ball holder, and perch extender.

Cloud recording only: no SD card option

Smart bird feeders are a fun but niche category to explore which makes Bird Buddy a potential risk for those who might be on the fence with its high asking price. My main concern with the product is its complete reliance on the cloud. The company behind the product isn’t a major brand and they had to rely on Kickstarter backers to get the product off the ground and it had a rocky launch. On top of that, Bird Buddy restricts several features to a Pro subscription including 1080p video and a high-performance mode that uses more battery to take more photos along with guest invites. This is understandable considering the high costs of maintaining servers, but it does open up the possibility of the Bird Buddy turning into an ordinary bird feeder if the company shuts down due to shifting sales or reduced paid subscriber count. Company shutdowns have happened before with smart home companies like Insteon and iHome.

Not all smart bird feeders have this issue because some have built-in storage or an SD card slot for local video storage. On the official Bird Buddy FAQ page, the company may explore local storage in the future so a lot of what you are paying for is on trust that the product and service will improve.

Poorly designed feeder

As someone who’s had a few bird feeders out in the yard, I’m no expert, but there are a few things in the design of this one that make me believe it’s poorly designed, just as a basic feeder.
For one, the hanging hook is awkward to place, and it moves around a lot, making the feeder quite unstable. On the flip side, the bottom isn’t flat, so you can’t really place it on a table or a pedestal and have it stay put. While you could use the included post adapter for a more stable placement, of course you would have to go and find the right size pole or an old broom handle.

Other design flaws; the base tray is massive, allowing copious amounts of seed to fill it, so the greedier birds have a field day feasting on what is essentially an open buffet. In a future re-design, I’d like to see some kind of a grid over it that can limit access to the already small amount of seed here. The roof also appears in every shot in the top corners.

You could possibly say this is for branding so that it’s easy to know which feeder the videos are from, but it’s the kind of thing that takes the focus away from the birds.

Battery life

At this point it feels like I’m kicking the birds while they’re down, but the battery life on this feeder is also extremely lackluster. On a full charge I was only able to get about 10 days used before I needed to recharge it. Doing that is easy enough since you can pop the camera module out and take it indoors, but 10 days is a pretty paltry amount of battery and I can absolutely see folks growing weary of the constant recharging and just giving up. Naturally, Bird Buddy wants you to pay for its solar recharger of course but if you’re already frustrated about having spent so much on the feeder this is not an ideal solution.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Bird Buddy as a concept is a great idea. The execution is where it falls flat for me and there are enough downsides and cut corners that I can’t recommend it. Let’s go over the pros and cons, and when you see the list all lined up here, you’ll understand why I think you should probably wait for a Generation 2 version of Bird Buddy.

Let’s start with the pros… I absolutely love the design, and I think it’s truly beautiful. The modern look is definitely what drew me to this feeder. I was also rather surprised and impressed with the quality of the photos and videos. Birds can be notoriously hard to capture with their flirting and zooming in and out, but the camera module seems to do a really good job at only sending the best images to my phone.

On the downside, there’s so much to talk about; how small the seed container is, how open and accessible the base tray is and how poorly designed the feeder itself seems, how absolutely awkward it is to refill the seed container, the short battery life, or perhaps the lack of a 1080p high definition option you don’t have to pay extra for. The live connection takes a long time even when the feeder is closest to my router, and of course the entire system is reliant on Bird Buddy’s proprietary cloud system with no option for local recording with a memory card. The mounting options are very limited, again unless you want to pay more, and the feeder won’t sit on flat surfaces. Plus I’m not sure the all-plastic build could withstand falling from its swingy hook in a windstorm.

For the very high price tag a sample bag of seed should be part of the package to keep the excitement of unboxing going. Overall, I don’t think you’re getting your money’s worth, so if this is something you are eyeing, I would recommend you wait for a future generation and what I hope would be some significant improvements. I also saw some competition at CES 2024 and I’m looking forward to checking out the other options that are out there so be sure to watch for some of those reviews later this year.

Bird Buddy sells for about 4249 US and you can find it on Amazon.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Hands-on Review: Bird Buddy smart bird feeder with camera appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

New Roborock S8 Max Series robots

We’ll start with The S8 Max Series (S8 MaxV Ultra and S8 Max Ultra) is Roborock’s upcoming flagship series.

And some of the new technology here is so unique they turned it into an art installation…

The S8 Max robots use a swing out robotic arm cleaning system specifically for corners, called FlexiArm. The brush reaches deeper into corners to clean even better.

The S8 Max V Ultra also has cameras, not only to help navigation and obstacle avoidance, but you can also use it as a mobile pet cam, since it has animal recognition.

“The robot will then roam around your home, identify your pet and notify you on your app; that hey my cat is here,” explains Marcus Lai with Roborock. “Then you can enable your video calling feature and use it as a mobile pet camera.”

The upgraded 8 in 1 self cleaning and charging dock known as the Rockdock is more efficient. It automatically empties, refills, and uses detergent; washes the mop with 60C hot water and dries with 60°C heated air to prevent stinky mopping pads. New here —Dirt levels are detected when it docks to see if the mop needs re-washing or if you floor might need another cleaning pass.

The new bots use Roborock’s VibraRise 3.0 Mopping System which both lifts the mopping pads, but also cleans better.“The new VibraRise 3.0 mopping system, we’ve upgraded the vibration in the way that it now scrubs at 4,000 times per minute so it gets tough stains and even stronger scrubbing power.

When it comes to the vacuum suction power, Roborock has made some big improvements too. The S8 Max V Ultra has the most suction you can get in a robot vacuum— industry-leading 10,000Pa suction power even the S8 Max Ultra has a dazzling 8,000Pa.

New Roborock QRevo Series robots

The Q Revo Series (Q Revo MaxV and Q Revo Pro) brings advanced edge mopping capability with two major new features; there’s a an extendable spinning mini-mop  that cleans as close as 1.85mm along edges, and the large microfibre mopping pads can reach out to scrub edges a lot better too . That should mean a lot fewer missed areas and less re-cleaning from you.

“The Q Revo Max V is the slightly smarter model in the way that it has built in voice control we just launched at CES this year; it’s called Hello Rocky. You are able to control the entirety of the robot with this voice assistance.”

And there’s also a new option for both the S8 Max series and the Q Revo series; you can choose a version that lets you plumb in the water and drainage lines so you never have to refill or empty a thing—and it’s totally DIY..

 Roborock Flexi and Flexi Pro

Now to the uprights…The new Flexi Series (Flexi Pro and Flexi) are lightweight, flexible wet-dry vacuums.These are slimmer and lighter than other competing versions you’ll see, and these have the ability to lay flat and clean under furniture like under the sofa or the bed.You fill the clean water tank with clean water and detergent and then you can pick up both dry spills or scrub wet messes off the floors. The Flexi Pro also offers power-assisted cleaning for less effort, pulling itself along the floor, as well as the best edge cleaning; it’s able to get within 1 millimeter of walls on either side, while the regular Flexi offers that same edge clearance but only on one side.

Of course once you’re done cleaning it’s back on the dock; and the Flexi uprights use warm water and hot air to wash and dry the mop rollers in 30 minutes.Most of the The 6 new Roborock cleaners will be available in April 2024 and I’m hoping to get hands on with as many as possible, so check for full reviews later this year.

Also Read:

1. CES 2024 Pepcom Tech Preview
2. What’s cool at CES 2024

The post Roborock announces 6 new products at CES appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Meet RoboUP Rhino 1 smart lawn robot

Mr. Xu with RoboUP says, “Consumers say they want to have a robot lawn mower –  they don’t want to take time on the weekend to mow themselves.”

“We are a service robot company started in 2016 but our history goes all the way back to 1996 when we started to do intelligent control systems,” according to Nathan Lam, Brand Manager at RoboUP.

The RoboUP Rhino1 Is a really rugged bot. With chubby, grippy tires and front steering, it’s easily able to navigate tougher terrain…

8 blades, plenty of traction

“Our first-generation mower only had one cutting disk but now we have two,” says Lam. “With 8 blades in total now we have wider coverage of the lawn.”

But the Rhino1 offers more than just traction, it’s got a host of clever technology, summed up in the acronym CPASS, which Lam explains: “C means core tech, P is precise, A all around and S is superb adaptability and strong processing using. With this technology we are able to create robots that target all our users pain points. We listen to our customers’ feedback. A lot of users have complex gardens and have a lot of different types of slopes, so that’s why we made Rhino.’

Wire-free boundaries for easy installation

RoboUP Rhino1 will recharge itself automatically, and unlike some competitors, it doesn’t need a long, complication installation.

“Uusually for traditional mowers you have to set up wire and set the border; our products don’t need that; we are boundary wire free… click a button and the mower will map itself.

Silent operation

The mower can cut the grass all night for you since it runs silently and it’s got lights, meaning you never need to lose time in your yard. But if it is out at the same time, it has built in cameras that can see and avoid objects that may be in its path. Built in rain sensors and anti-theft features will also help keep the bot and your lawn safe.

What else sets RoboUP apart? “I think the design and the fact we have a strong environmental impact makes us different that our competitors,” adds Lam.

Watch my video about the RoboUP robot lawn mower

Learn more about RoboUP’s robotic lawn mowers on the company’s website

Also Read:

1. Husqvarna Automower Fence Door: Review & Considerations
2. Husqvarna Automower 415X at-home review

The post RoboUP Rhino 1 is a rugged robot lawn mowing machine appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

The world’s largest consumer technology show is on now in Las Vegas! CES 2024 features thousands of brands spread across multiple locations including the Las Vegas Convention Centre, and multiple hotels. Running January 8-12 it’s an opportunity for brands to show off their newest products to both journalists and buyers. Many brands choose CES as the moment to unveil their latest developments, or to wow the world’s press with stunning innovations.

CES Day 2 Highlights

You’ve heard of the Las Vegas Sphere—this is it—on a smaller scale and inside CES 2024 .

More of a showpiece than a screen with practical applications, its just one of the new technologies on display here today. That’s the thing about CES… you’ll see plenty of concept ideas and some that seem like more trouble than they’re worth.

Like this cocktail making machine called Barsys. You funnel your booze or mixers into a glowing loop and wait…

The machine comes with a special ‘electromagnetic mixing glass’ which will stir the cocktail as it adds the different ingredients. Then you serve it up.

While the lightshow and the shape is cool, I’m not sure this– plus fiddling with an app to make a cocktail is faster, or easier enough to justify the $475US price. Let me know what you think…

Speaking of skeptical… there was a crowd gathered around this device. It’s not what you’re thinking, you perverts… It’s a hair dryer, of course! Interesting design though.

Pool cleaning robots are a thing!

Speaking of interesting… what’s bubbling up from the depths here? It’s not jaws… it’s an autonomous pool cleaning robot.

I saw so many pool cleaning robots. I didn’t realize this was a thing. They crawl around your pool, and even up the sides to suction dirt, sand and debris into an internal filter basket. These might be less popular in Canada, but I bet here in the southern USA they’re all the rage, so I might have to review one while I’m visiting.

New robot vacuum technology

From a robot vacuum for your pool to new technology in robot vacuums, Narwal had a pretty impressive demo for its new anti tangle technology.

Any fellow long-hairs out there know longer hair can really get wrapped around your robot vac’s brush, but this version features a floating roller that also suctions hair off one end of the roller and into the dustbin. Cool.

Smart lighting & smart home: Govee

I’m a huge fan of smart lighting and the Govee booth didn’t disappoint.

With all their new lights on display, as well as a lot of new smart home appliances too it was great to see everything in action.

The Rope Lights have been improved, making them more flexible, so you can more easily draw with light if you’re artistic that way.

Or you can combine several Govee lights in your TV or media room for a whole-room glow that can match your TV.

There was also cool outdoor light options too. I’ll be hoping to do more Govee reviews later this year since it’s one of my favourite smart home lighting brands.

In-home composting

There’s a tonne of smart home stuff here things you wouldn’t necessarily think you need, like a composter that can take food scraps and turn it into compost.

That all happens in this closed bin, right inside your kitchen. Cool idea I’d love to try out.

CES Day 1 highlights

From transparent TVs, to space-age coffee machines, smart toilets… yup… and robot window cleaners, CES 2024 kicked off with plenty of excitement…

It’s the biggest opportunity in the world to show off the newest and coolest consumer technology and big brands spare no expense trying to dazzle media and product buyers. Plus there’s plenty of YouTube celebrities in the crowd, like iJustine – fangirl moment!

LG transparent TV

If you’ve always hated the way a TV looks in your space; kind of big dark scree, then LG has a new tv –a transparent TV that literally disappears..

LG showed off its transparent TVs on a massive scale, but these are now designed to be used in an average home. With a clear glass screen that can turn to a solid display panel in the blink of an eye, you can place them in front of a wall unit for example, and still see your stuff… until you switch on the TV.

Also at LG the company showed off a concept car, a smart trailer you could pull with the car and a really cool but kinda weird pod coffee maker called Duobo… while it looks like an alien robot spider, LG says this is designed to use multiple Nespresso pods to create custom coffee blends. This seems like it would use more pods than necessary, but if you guys out there are mixing your Nespresso pods wanted at a time and think this would be better, let me know in the comments.

New robots from Ecovacs at CES 2024

Ecovacs showed off its brand new DEEBOT X2 Combo; this unit combines my absolute favourite robot vacuum and mop system the X2, with a stick vacuum concept that’s built right in. Everything empties into the bin so you never have to touch anything. I’ll be hoping to get hands on with this one later this year so share any questions you have in the meantime.

Ecovacs is also about to enter some pretty cool new space with its robot lawnmower. Playfully called the GOAT, this fully automated lawn robot is a beautiful piece of machinery, and if it operates as easily as the company’s robot vacuums, this could be a massive game changer for yardwork.

And not to be outdone the company also shared its automated window cleaning robot—the Winbot W2. With a companion water tank and cleaning system, it sections to your windows to clean them autonomously and also appears to master fleet get into corners.

Ecovacs also announced a roving air purifier that will follow you around the house and keep your air clean.

Over at the Tineco booth, there were three new vacuums and a smart oven. Check out more details in my full article here on the blog.

Smart bird feeders from Birdfy

I was also charmed by these smart bird houses and bird feeders from Birdfy… with cameras to capture your feathered visitors it’s a great way to learn about your environment. The Hummingbird feeder is particularly neat with not one but two cameras at different angles. I’ll be getting hands-on to review this one later this season…

Another cool gadget that caught my eye is these earring headphones from Yvnens. Possibly one of the most beautiful sets of earbuds I’ve ever seen.

This is just the most impressive stuff I saw on day one…

New TVs from Samsung: transparent TV, New Frame TV

Before the show even officially got underway, Samsung already announced some updates to what it calls its lifestyle TV category, which includes a product we’ve written a lot about: The Frame TV. Sadly though, the news seems to be more about software updates, as opposed to hardware improvements.

• The Frame: Already the best-selling lifestyle screen product, The Frame comes with new enhancements to boost the art experience. Now with over 2,500 artworks from world-renowned museums and galleries in the Art Store, users can enjoy an Art Store experience that is even better than before. The Frame’s new art streaming feature gives users a taste of the Art Store’s diverse collection by providing them with free hand-selected artworks monthly. Moreover, the 2024 Frame helps reduce energy costs by up to 10% with the variable refresh rate adjustment available in Art Mode.⁸
• The Premiere 8K Projector: The Premiere 8K is the world’s first projector offering wireless connectivity. Removing the need for cables, this solution allows consumers to keep their living spaces neat and tidy. The ultra-short throw projector comes packed with smart features — such as picture-off premium home audio, cloud gaming, always-on voice with far-field mic and four multi-view screen splits — to extend usability and provide almost increased use cases. The projector incorporates Samsung’s patented “Sound-on-Screen” technology, integrating the top speaker module and software algorithms for an immersive sound experience.
• The Freestyle 2^nd Gen: The second iteration of the portable projector features Smart Edge Blending, which supports seamless merging of projections from two The Freestyle devices to create a large screen for pictures and videos. It allows two devices to project an image as big as 160-inches with a 21:9 screen ratio, with no manual adjustment needed.

Samsung has also announced the new Transparent MICRO LED TV, saying it offers “infinite possibilities with its modular design and…clear, unobstructed pictures for various applications”. The screen, which Samsung claims looks like a piece of transparent glass,  that eliminates seams and light reflection.  What does this magical TV look like, how close to consumer reality is it, and is it really cool as it seems? We will check it out in the coming days at the show.

Sennheiser announces new headphones

Sennheiser flung out multiple media releases this morning, announcing new headphones and earbuds.

MOMENTUM Sport integrates both a photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor and a body temperature sensor that can each output critical data to popular fitness apps and devices. It’s no secret that the right playlist can make or break a workout—a high-energy soundtrack can motivate when the finish line feels impossibly far. Now, the power of Sennheiser Sound is optimized for sports and supercharged with real-time biometric feedback for workouts that are far more efficient than a pure-adrenaline approach. As the inner ear is an optimal, dark location with a low degree of light pollution and is one of the most stable areas of the body during physical activity, MOMENTUM Sport can offer consistent biometrics, even at the peak of a workout.

There’s also now a MOMENTUM True Wireless 4. MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 features all-new internals and over a dozen improvements including Snapdragon Sound Technology with Qualcomm aptX Lossless Technology, Auracast, and ultra-low-latency mode, the portable powerhouse series brings uncompromised sound to the high-performance audio enthusiast.

“The Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform and Snapdragon Sound will deliver premium sound experiences for music, calls, and gaming with lossless music streaming, ultra-low latency and robust connectivity,” according to Mike Canevaro, Director of Marketing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We have a long history of collaboration with the Sennheiser brand, and we are excited to see them integrate our latest Snapdragon Sound technology to help deliver amazing wireless audio on their latest MOMENTUM True Wireless 4.

MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 also boasts up to 7.5 hours of battery—extendable to 30 hours with the charging case—and quick charging capability where you can get up to 1 hour of additional listening from just 8 minutes of charging, and it’s also Qi wireless charging compatible. Sennheiser has also upgraded the earbuds’ long-term battery performance with a battery protection mode that optimizes charging cycles.

​

Samsung’s Bot Chef kitchen robot; CES 2020.While the show is open to members of the media like us, it is actually closed to the general public, meaning you’ll have to follow news and announcements on your favourite tech websites. Of course we will have the latest updates right here and on video at YouTube.com/ErinLawrenceTV

Watch my video about CES Day 1 Highlights

For consumers and gadget lovers you can expect to hear about the coolest tech and gadgets that have just been released or will be coming later this year.

Without a doubt there’s going to be a lot of Artificial Intelligence at CES 2024. AI is already a buzzword, and brands have been slapping it on every gadget with a chip (in some cases disingenuously, in our opinion). The Consumer Technology Association, the entity that holds CES, expects over 130,000 attendees at the show with over 3,500 different brands or vendors — including companies like Sony, ECOVACS, Samsung, Canon, LG, Lenovo, etc…

You can expect without a doubt to see all manner of new and exciting developments on the Television front. From room-sized TVs to ones that can morph and change and even disappear, plenty of overseas Electronics brands are keen to show off what they can do to make a homes most important Central gadget more useful and more beautiful.

Vehicles tend to be another set of surprises at CES; a couple of years ago I saw a life-size prototype of a flying taxi. Sony also revealed it’s getting into the car business as well… That as far as I know we are yet to see any of their offerings hit the road. Hyundai also likes to share what it has going on in the innovation space plenty of interesting transportation options to come out of the show.

Whichever tech you’re most interested in, let us know and if we should be on the lookout for something for you, post your wish list in the comments.

The post What’s cool at CES 2024 appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

iRobot invented the Roomba, so is its newest floor bot, the iRobot Combo j9+ still a market leader? The company has made some possibly curious choices about how this bot works, so in this hands-on review I’ll try it out, show you what it’s good at and what it won’t do. And I’ll explain why this mopping miss isn’t actually anything to worry about.

iRobot Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop review

Plus I talked to iRobot about this bot and they gave me some interesting insight about why it does —and doesn’t—include some popular features.

What you get

iRobot has been taking its time advancing in the robot vacuum world. As the de-facto inventors of the robot vacuum, making Roomba as synonymous with floor cleaning as Asprin, Jello and Kleenex are with their own product categories.

This is iRobot’s first foray into a fully automated vacuum and mop combo unit. The company is several years behind competitors Roborock and Ecovacs, but in my opinion, if they’ve taken their time developing the product in hopes of making it the best it can be, this may have been worth the wait.

The Roomba Combo j9 robot itself has a very unique design where the mopping plate actually lives on top of the robot on a set of articulating arms. When the robot detects that it needs to begin mopping, it lifts the mop and plate off its own back and settles it under its backside.

Watch my hands-on, in-home full review of iRobot Combo j9+

The Roomba Combo j9+ comes with an automatic dustbin emptying and water-refilling station that can manage some of the maintenance for you (the Plus in the name denotes it has that auto-empty base). I will say the base station is both compact and extremely well-designed, using what appears to be a wood grain top to help it blend into your space a little better; you could even use this as a small side table, and that’s exactly what iRobot intends.

(By the way the iRobot j9+ is the vacuum-only version of this bot, in case you’re wondering. ‘Combo in the name indicates the Roomba can mop, while the ‘+’ denotes an autoemptying base station.)

What you won’t get

It is worth noting what you will not get with this unit, particularly because these features are extremely common on robot competitors. The base station is smaller because it has a more limited feature-set: The mopping plate is not going to be cleaned or dried by the dock. It’s up to you to keep the mopping pad tidy.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to iRobot team about this new floor robot. iRobot tells me this is for a few reasons; primarily that it feels self-cleaning base stations become nasty and dirty themselves after a few days or weeks of self-cleaning and the company is trying to figure out if it can do better.

iRobot says the company has been prioritizing dirt and dust pick-up and making their robots the absolute best at vacuuming. They developed some impressive vacuuming and dirt detection features, and even improved object recognition and hazard avoidance (Roombas can detect and avoid pet poop, by the way), something the company was already extraordinarily good at.

The question I have is does the hyper-focus on vacuuming mean the robot will not be as adept at mopping? We will find out in my cleaning tests.

Something you should know: no mopping-only option

There is something you should know before we get too much further. This robot has only two settings; it will vacuum, and it will vacuum and mop together. There is no mop-only setting. Within a few days I found this extremely disappointing… But we will get to more on this and why I think it’s a problem coming up.

Set up

Setting up your Roomba is going to be a really easy process. I’ve set up quite a few floor cleaners from iRobot and have always found the experience quick and easy.

You’ll power the robot on by plugging it in, and ensure that it’s got a little bit of charge. Then use the iRobot app to connect to your home Wi-Fi network. The app is easy to follow and takes you through the process step-by-step. I was online and ready to roll in about five minutes. The first thing your robot will need to do is create a virtual map of your home. It does this by going out on an initial vacuuming run, and using its array of cameras and sensors to map your space. I had a very accurate virtual map on the very first day.

With the virtual map you can schedule room-specific cleanings, find your robot at any time, or even create no-go zones and the app makes this easy even for newbies.

Cleaning tests

Mopping technology

Let’s get a closer look at the mop.

Some robot mops use a simple flat cloth dragged across your floor and call it mopping, or perhaps they may use a sonic vibration of the pad to help scrub, while other (more expensive) bots use spinning fluffy pads to scour.

The Roomba j9+ appears to have tried to find a middle ground, and opted for a narrow, crescent-shaped flat pad with a microfibre cloth on top for its mopping. There is obviously no spinning, and no vibration, but iRobot says the bot uses what’s called smart scrub which combines downward pressure on the mopping pad with a back-and-forth motion over stains that it detect with its cameras and sensors.

You can see this in action in my video; the bot runs back and forth over the floor, overlapping its motion to rub stains and spills away.

This combines with downward pressure from the bot is what should be able to scrub off even dried on spills and dribbles.

Cleaning – you can’t just mop

Now with that said, you don’t get to decide when and where your robot mops; the robot does it for you. This is because iRobot says the dirt detection features are so robust that you shouldn’t have to intervene.

But in truth there were many times when I had drips and dribbles on the kitchen floor that I just wanted taken care of, and had to wait for the robot to figure out when to mop on its own. This usually followed a lengthy bout of vacuuming, meaning it was more often than not just faster and easier for me to wipe up small spills with a cloth… which honestly is probably true of a lot of floor bots.

Every time I test out a robot vacuum they all go through the same cleaning test; for mopping, I will spill drips and dribbles on the floor of things like coffee, soy sauce or juice. I will let some of these dry to see how well the robot is able to scrub up dried-on messes. When it comes to vacuuming I will also sprinkle finer things like flour or sugar, rice or oatmeal and larger cracker pieces on both carpet and hard floors to test suction.

As you can see with the mopping…
The Combo j9+ was okay at wiping up small damp spills, but sometimes the mopping pad wasn’t saturated enough to completely clean a spot, and would smear things around. Id’d give it about an 8 or 9 out of 10 on wet spills.

With dried on spills I can say the Smart Scrub feature makes a huge difference. I let it tackle dried coffee on the floor just on a single-pass setting. As you can see in the video it did quite a poor job, and left most of the spill behind. When I sent it back to the same area with the smart scrub feature enabled, it was easily able to scour away the entire area, including a large dried spill I made accidentally and didn’t think it would get. By the time the Combo j9+ was completely finished, the floor was spotless.

One last little caveat I’ll add here is that for the most part the robot should be able to figure out how best to clean your home on its own; however if you create a special clean zone, you may not find the smart scrub feature enables by default and you’ll have to turn this on yourself.

Retractable mopping pad: better or worse?

iRobot has some thoughts on why a retractable mopping pad—the Auto-Retract Mopping System is better than simple mop lifting, saying that a few millimetres of lifting may not be enough to prevent rugs from being dampened, or germs from being spread onto carpets or rugs.

Vacuum tests

When it comes to vacuuming the Combo j9+ is quite good at getting dedicated spills off the floors. It does appear to have the ability to see when there’s more debris or dirt and it will make numerous passes over a very dirty area.

On carpet and rugs, the Combo j9+ was also good at the dedicated spills, picking up about 95-99% of those, but it was less adept at getting the stubborn pet hair that tends to congregate on rugs.

Prioritizes dirtiest rooms first

One of the features that’s interesting about the Combo j9+ is what’s called Dirt Detective.

Dirt Detective creates a cleaning plan based on how often each room is cleaned and how frequently dirt is detected in each room. You can see the current state of clean in the iRobot Home App. Selecting Dirt Detective to start cleaning will enable your robot to automatically prioritize the dirtiest rooms and use the most optimal cleaning settings for each.

I can confirm that when I sent the j9 out it would often start in my kitchen, which I’d say is the room that needs the most attention.

Last note on the vacuuming; iRobot refuses to play the pascals game. By that I mean the company does not disclose what the suction power of its robots is (usually shown in pascals, like many other manufacturers do). The company tells me this is because “suction does not always equate to better cleaning performance. Suction is only one factor in a complex cleaning equation that includes agitation, type of debris, air path, sealing, etc. Many robot vacuum makers list inflated suction power figures, which is more of a marketing tactic.

Fair enough.

Zone cleaning

If you want to have your robot clean higher traffic or frequently dirty areas more often, you will need to create what’s called a cleaning zone. Unlike some other robots, you cannot simply choose a zone on the spot and have your robot go out. You will need to create these zones in advance and store them in the app. (Great for regular cleanings but not as great for the, ‘oops I dropped some sugar over there’.)You can do this by going into your robot, and choosing your map. Once you have clicked into the map you will see the option for Zones and Clean Zones. Once you create that zone once, you can use it again and again.

Runtime/Battery

Didn’t see a runtime declared on the iRobot website, but surfing around and checking the Amazon listing, it appears we can expect about 140 minutes of runtime on a single charge.

Overall review: iRobot Combo j9+

Overall the new iRobot Combo j9+ won me over, because at its heart it cleans really well. Let’s go over the pros and cons.

On the pro side, the design of the base station is quite lovely, and the auto mop refilling is helpful, as is the auto emptying of the dustbin. Obstacle avoidance and hazard recognition is outstanding, and there was not one time where the bot got stuck and I had to rescue it. I think the cleaning power is excellent, and the dirt detective feature does truly seem to work; more often than not I definitely found it working harder on dirtier areas. And with the smart scrub feature enabled, the mopping plate is truly able to power away even set in and dried on stains. Plus the more it cleans and learns your house, the more it will learn where dirt tends to congregate and it can prioritize cleaning those areas first.

That’s not to say this robot doesn’t have its downsides; in the end, they may or may not be major dealbreakers for you but they are things you should be aware of. For starters, you cannot simply ask this robot to go out and mop. It decides where, and how it cleans. I did find that it struggled suctioning finer pet hair out of plusher rugs and left quite a bit behind.

There is no automatic cleaning of the mopping pad, and after a while, it did start to smell quite musty and mildew. My recommendation would be to wash the pad every few days if you see it picking up more spills. There is an extra step or two to create special cleaning zones and you can’t simply enact a spot cleaning. I did also find the dustbin didn’t quite empty fully every time; it was really just a few crumbs left behind that wouldn’t impede the next cleaning, but it’s something I’ll keep an eye on. The other downside for some folks is going to be the high price.

Recommended retail price is about $1799CAD/$1399USD (though I have seen them on sale for much less). if you spend just a smidge more you could upgrade to a floor-cleaning robot that does have more self-cleaning and mop-washing features. You can find it on Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.

Even so, taking a look at this bot on its own merits, it’s a mostly capable and thorough floor bot that does a great job. I can definitely recommend the iRobot Combo j9+ to you and it’s now my top pick for iRobot floor bot.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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