Technology Archives * Page 4 of 6 * Style Chicks

Starting Your Own Beauty Blog: Pixly Cell Phone Camera Accessory Bundle

September 1, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Let’s make one thing clear about starting a beauty blog: good photos will make or break your blog.

Pixly Cell Phone Camera Accessory Bundle

iPhone Photography is fantastic. Lyn and I try to hone our iPhonography skills through Youtube tutorials and good old fashioned practice as often as we can. Frequently we take time after lunch and after work to take a stroll with the purpose of getting better at iPhonography. When you start your beauty blog, you will likely be using your cell phone to photograph swatches and looks of the day. Eventually, if your blog does well, you will invest in a DSLR camera, but until then, it is a good idea to hone your skills on taking sharp, quality iPhone shots.

Since I don’t always have my DSLR with me, I was very happy to try out the Pixly Cell Phone Camera Accessory Bundle. This highly affordable bundle will exponentially increase the quality of your pictures. Just think of how well your blog will start doing if the quality of your pictures increases – overnight!

My biggest problem with taking pictures with my iPhone is that I accidentally move the camera as I take the picture. As light a touch as I exert, somehow I frequently end up jarring the phone just enough to make the picture blurry. This kit comes with a truly fantastic tripod to stabilize the picture It has telescopic legs so that you can adjust it to the correct height. It is easy to slide your phone in securely, and it won’t scratch your phone, as some other tripods I have tried have done. If you are taking a picture of a product, this tripod works great, as you can zoom, focus, or change the filter, so the shot is exactly the way you want it. The feet are sturdy and won’t slide around, so you don’t have to worry about the whole thing moving. There is a swivel mount on the camera, so you can tilt and angle the phone to get the perfect shot.

My second favorite part is the Bluetooth Camera Remote Shutter. If you REALLY want to make sure that you won’t get a blurry shot, this is perfect. It pairs with your phone easily and allows you to take a step back to make sure the shot is just right. It’s also great for makeup selfies or Outfit of the Day shots!

It also comes with three lenses: Macro, Fisheye, and Wide Angle. We’ve come to be reliant on apps to create these angles, but it is best to create them in the original shot. You can tweak from there, but start with the raw shot and add if needed via app. These connect easily with the universal lens clip, which fits over the camera but doesn’t occlude or lay shadows on the shot. It is also nicely padded so it doesn’t scratch your phone. And since it is universal, it fits on any phone. The lenses and the clip come in a nice fabric case that easily fits in your purse, so you can always be ready!

As much as I rely on my DSLR, I am really happy to have this kit. If you are just starting out with your blog, it is a very worthwhile small investment into getting the excellent pictures you need for your blog!

Find it at Amazon.

Pixly Cell Phone Camera Accessory Bundle

I received this item for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Vanity Table: Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb

August 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Ever thought your makeup was perfectly natural looking at home, only to be shocked at how garish it looks in the bathroom mirror at the office?

Me too.

To prevent such shocks and actually know how you will look during the day, it is good to check your makeup in different kinds of lighting. Hopefully, you will be in more flattering lighting, you will likely be in worse lighting sometime during the day, but your vanity lighting is likely a more flattering light than you will encounter during the day. So an adjustable light is a great thing to have on a makeup table.

I like Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb for this purpose. As the name would indicate, it is a LED Light Bulb with Bluetooth connectivity. Better yet, it can be used in any standard socket – I’m able to use it in my great-grandmother’s table lamp that is already on my vanity table.

Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb

The features of the bulb are controlled by the Smarson App, which is available for both iOS and Android. It is a free download, and it is both easy to set up and highly intuitive.

I have the Phillips Hue system, but there is so much more flexibility with the Smarson Light Bulb system. Additionally, the quality of the light is much better: with the Smarson system, the colors are deep and rich, and can be subtly tweaked to whatever lighting scheme you are seeking.

First, you can pick the color from a color wheel of 16 million colors, and then change the brightness of the colors. There are pre-programmed functions like cross-fade for dynamic color shows.

Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb

Second, there is a programmable timer feature. Want to fall asleep to a certain soothing color? Want to have a bright light in the house when you get home from work? You can program all of that quickly right from the app.

Third, this is an energy saving bulb. I am amazed that so many features and such powerful lighting are built into an energy efficient device!

I adore the camera feature, which allows you to take a picture of an object, and the light will match it. It is great if you are looking to coordinate your outfit, or you want to check how you will look in a particular light.

I am impressed by the amount of deeply saturated light that the one bulb produced. For events such as a wedding, consider purchasing enough of these bulbs to illuminate your venue if you can decorate the space yourself. Find a friend with a good eye to control the lights throughout the event. Since each light can be controlled individually from the app, you can create different lighting schemes for different areas, or change them all at once (the app can control five lights at a time.) You can change the lights through the night, with various colors for the meal, dancing, cake, etc. A professional lighting team would cost thousands, and you can use these bulbs yourself after the event. You can even sync the lighting to your music, which is a great feature.

Find this handy lightbulb at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

At Home Spa: ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker

August 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker

My masseuse has this incredible sound system in the treatment rooms. I am no stranger to epic sound systems for my equally epic digital music collection, but the ones I have tried in my at-home spa are always a little tinny. So I am thrilled to find the ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker.

I have a dedicated (and always evolving) playlist for when I’m relaxing during an at-home spa treatment. So finding a speaker that has great sound and works with my iPhone, which is where I keep my playlist, has been my aim.

When I first took the ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker out of the box and saw the size of the unit, I didn’t have high expectations of a deep, robust sound, or a soothing light. But this small Nightlight and Speaker packs a lot of power into a small unit. The light is deep and saturated, and the sound is absolutely amazing.

ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker

When I think of a nightlight, I tend to think of a light that is just bright enough to orient yourself when you see it in the corner. The ZHOPPY Night Light produces just enough light to be able to very gently illuminate the room, but not as much as a bedside lamp. It isn’t enough to read by, but it is bright enough to provide a soothing glow. The color of the light is easy to change: simply tap on the top and side on the device at the same time. The color will change immediately to another soothing shade. Keep repeating the “double tap” motion to find the hue that suits you. To increase or decrease the brightness, tap the speaker grid on top. One of the options is to turn the light off completely. This is convenient if you like complete darkness during the night (as it does aid sleep), but would still like to have a nightstand option for light if needed, or a lower level of light closer to bed.

Changing the color of the ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker

The sound is incredible. The first time I tested it out was late at night when everyone else was asleep. I pressed play, and the loud, crisp, deep bass rang through the house as I quickly scrambled to turn it down. I did not expect such amazing audio from a small device! It is comparable to a speaker system I have with a pretty decent subwoofer.

The device is powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts impressively long between charges (I have only had to recharge it once in about two weeks) and it is easily charged via USB, which is convenient. I have mainly been using the Auxillary mode for audio, however, so the battery life might be shorter if used in Bluetooth mode, which I only used for a few hours.

I’m quite happy with this small but powerful device for its soothing light and its powerful speaker for my beauty treatment relaxation time!

ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker

Find the ZHOPPY 2-in-1 Night Light and Bluetooth Speaker at Amazon.com.

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Travel in Style: GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack

August 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I was pleased to have the opportunity to use the “GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack”. The ten piece pack consists of an aluminum card wallet that measures approximately 4 3/8″ by 3″ by 7/8″, and comes with six top-loading card sleeves, two side-loading card sleeves, and one Passport sleeve. The top-loading card sleeves include five extra slim design for regular wallets, and the side loading cards include one extra slim design. Amongst these cards, are RFID sleeves, which provide additional protection for your card in and out of the GECKO wallet. The top loading cards and the Passport sleeve are imprinted with useful information to have on hand while outside the home or to travel, such as a tipping guide, a medical information card that can be personalized, a map with time zones, along with other helpful information. The wallet is a sleek, attractive chrome, it easy to carry, fits into a schoolbag, backpack, purse, pocket or briefcase. Suitable for men, women’s, teens and kids.

GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack

The technology is that the aluminum coating creates a “Faraday Cage”. This is named after a British scientist who discovered a way to create a grounded metal screen surrounding a piece of equipment (in this case the RFID information on your credit cards) to exclude electrostatic and electromagnetic influences (such as unauthorized scanning devices used to swipe credit card info). In layperson terms, it is a way to block nefarious thieves from using scanners to get to the RFID on your cards to get your identity, credit, and debit card information without you even being aware of it. Not just any metal box creates a Faraday Cage, so storing your credit cards in an Altoids Tin, for example, cannot prevent digital theft of RFID information via an unauthorized scanner.

I will have a use for all pieces of the pack and have already utilized everything but the passport sleeve.

COMPETITOR RFID PROTECTION WALLETS
Previously, I had purchased an aluminum wallet that looked very similar to the one in this set but this Gecko wallet is heavier, sturdier, and much better constructed, inside and out. The other one I bought quickly broke. I’d thought perhaps it was defective and returned it for a replacement, but that soon broke as well. A broken case can be held together, but won’t offer any protection.

THE GECKO WALLET
With eight credit sized card sleeves and the aluminum wallet, at least fourteen cards can be protected. To use both the sleeves and the wallet together for extra protection, I place the sleeved card in the middle of the wallet pockets. Then any non-magnetic strip cards, such as my ULTA and Sephora Insider Rewards Cards and hotel and restaurant and museum loyalty program cards, I put those in the outer pockets of the wallet. This gives the most protection and space for sleeve protected cards in the center. If you have a wallet you already prefer to use, such as a checkbook wallet or french wallet, the sleeves can offer some protection to your individual credit cards in your existing wallet.

GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack

The GECKO kit also comes with a Passport Protector. Newer passport books have RFID chips in them like a credit card does. Which unfortunately means that all the information on your passport is insecure. For those who travel, this Gecko passport protector is an excellent security measure. It is durable and easy to use. There is so much to worry about when traveling; a secure passport takes one thing off your mind.

GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack

CONCLUSION: Higher quality durability and ease of use than competitor’s RFID wallets, the GECKO wallet, and passport holder are both useful and effective. Though it is unfortunate we need to protect our cards; I feel much more comfortable having a high-quality product like the Total RFID Theft Protection Pack to address the problem.

GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack

Find the GECKO Travel Tech Total RFID Theft Protection Pack at Amazon.

Squinting isn’t Pretty: BenQ E-Reading Lamp

August 6, 2016 · Leave a Comment

BenQ E-Reading Lamp

Thanks to my Amazon Kindle, I’m an avid reader of ebooks. My e-reading falls into two categories: books or PDFs I read for work and pleasure reading. Either way, I want my reading to be a pleasant experience that doesn’t strain my eyes. Think of all the other ways that screens have permeated our lives: watching a Netflix movie on a tablet, late night browsing, or the infamous middle of the night Instagram check.

That is why I am thrilled with the BenQ E-Reading Lamp. This lamp is sizable enough to cover a large area with light but has a slim line to it. The sleek design is adjustable, so if you are doing intricate work (like beading or digital editing), you can focus the light on your work.

With just a tap on the ring, the lamp switches between warm white light and cool white light. Much like the Night Setting on tablets, this adjusts the light for the time of day and the activity in which you are engaging. This is a really nice feature, as most lamps just have one setting, but this lamp takes in the “human factor”. It also responds to the ambient light and adjusts accordingly.

Some might question the price of this lamp. Considering how much computing affects vision, I think the price is quite reasonable compared to worsening vision and the associated risks of long hours at the computer, including headaches due to flicker or glare. Additionally, lack of proper lighting when using computers or tablets can lead to bad posture, which can cause a whole slew of health issues. So this lamp is priced quite reasonably when you consider the cost to health. Additionally, the price is competitive with other lamps with such a sleek design.

I plan on buying another one to put in my office on my desk. I really am thrilled to have discovered this lamp.

Find it at Amazon.com.

I received this product in exchange for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!