LootWear August 2016

 I'm always happy to receive new packages in the mail when I get back home from work, especially when I don't expect them (is it me or has this month gone by way too fast?).  I realize it is the end of the month and LootWear is actually on time.  I knew what I was getting from early on this month... I guess to make up for the lack of spoilers last month? I appreciate the quote on the envelope from Harley Quinn; it's a nice added touch. 

LootWear is a subscription that sends you some geeky apparel to you on a monthly basis.  I'll cover the different options for this subscription:

First, there's Loot Socks at 9.99$ (shipping included) where you get two pairs of geeky, comfy stylish socks every month.
Then, there's Loot Tees at 8.99$ (shipping included) which earns you a geeky t-shirt every month.

There's Loot for Her at 14.99 (shipping included) where you can get anything like scarves, jewelry, tote bags, leggins, etc.

And last but not least, there's Loot Wearables at 14.99$ (shipping included) which can include anything from hoodies, lounge pants, polos and long sleeve shirts.

You can also decide to bundle up some of these options for a better price : Loot Wearables + Loot Socks (20.99$),  or Loot for Her+ Loot Tees (19.99$).

I am subscribed to the Loot Wearables + Loot Socks Bundle.  This month's theme was Anti-Hero.  Loot Tee guaranteed a World of Warcraft t-shirt and Loot for Her, in its turn guaranteed Harley Quinn merchandise.  Now onto what I received.

 Suicide Squad socks were promised and here we have an awesome pair of Harley Quinn socks.  In case you missed it, the edges and tips of one sock are red and while they are blue on the other sock.

We were also promised a pair of Punisher socks, and this definitely meets my expectation.  I'm a big Marvel fan and Punisher is no exception.  I'll be wearing these tomorrow!

And last item is my LootWearables Archer baseball tee.  I've already mentioned in a previous LootWear review that I'm not a huge fan of baseball tees.  I'll wear this but it's not really my style.  Also, not a big fan of Archer.  I really tried but I just simply could not get into it.  That said, I'll still keep this shirt since I do like the colors on this...

Here's a sneak peak at what we can expect next month:

HackerBox 0009: Virtual Worlds

Hackerbox Unboxing

Box 0009: Virtual Worlds 

Part 1: The materials 

 

Hello, my name is Alex, and this is my first subscription box review. I chose Hackerbox because I love to work with all kinds of electronics. I have been playing with computers, electronics, and wires and stuff for as long as I can remember. I loved the movie Hackers (1995), but I like to call this having fun with electronics and getting things to work. The theme of this box is Virtual Worlds, and we will be building a VR headset and motion tracking system that makes use of a smartphone. I have started some of my own DIY VR projects already, but have had trouble getting the controls right so far. This is still very new (again) technology, but now with smartphones and Google building much of the software, it looks like VR is here to stay this time. I have not built this project yet, but will base this review mainly on the quality of the materials. The rest of the information is available on Instructables, here. To get started with your own subscription, check this link. Lets open it up.

Printed material 

Reference card


I love these reference cards. When you are troubleshooting an issue, its easy to see the critical data about a device, and work trough a problem quickly when things get tricky.


On the back we have the ref data for the motion tracker module. 


Its glossy and thick, good quality ref card.

Stickers


A bumper sticker like sticker. Not completely vinyl, it has a paper core, so I would not put this outside. I would put this on my computer case though.


I didn't know the darknet had a logo, but this sticker looks cool.

Consumer hardware

VR Case


This is a big step-up from my cardboard. I found a very similar one on banggood.com for $26.13 cad.


Large, good quality optics, and a comfortable padding around the inside. It is very easy to wear for long periods of time.


There are focus adjustment knobs on each side, and a main focus adjustment on top. It is a bit hard to open but will hold your phone securely. The foam in the middle of the holder plate helps to keep that device secure. The front plate with the graphics is removable, and on some phones, this may allow the phone camera to see while wearing the headset. On my Nexus 6p, the camera was too close to the edge and would require some modification to the plastic to get a good view of the real world while in VR.

Wireless game pad


Here is the Bluetooth controller. I found it on BG for $10.


QR code direct download for drivers printed on the back. Reset pinhole on back as well.


USB micro B charge port, most things today use this connector.


A slide switch on the side, marked Game and Key.


I have pretty big hands, and I find this quite comfortable to hold between my index finger and thumb. The textured finish helps, there is some weight there for such a small device. Attaching a strap might be a good idea if you have one, or tie a piece of thin rope to the bar above the direction hat. The hat moves around smoothly, and the buttons don't have much play or side-wobble.


Here is a copy of the instructions.

BT Dongle


Generic BT 4 dongle. This will be useful for this project but is not that special. There are newer protocols, but 4 is the latest major revision. more info here


On the side of the metal is printed BLUETOOTH 4

Gloves


Brightly colored safety gloves. I am not sure what these are for yet, but I think the bright color might work like a kind of "green-screen", or it could be a way to keep the controllers secure to the hands.


That zipper is metal, the teeth are plastic but big and sturdy. They look well made for this kind of project, but not at all water proof. I don't think I would use these for any sort of construction project.


The palm has a textured rubberized finish. There is a faux leather index finger and thumb tip. This makes that area flatten out some and makes it easier to feel through.


This will make for a nice DIY Power Glove!

Electronic components

Wires


A pre-made wire harness. I have seen these been called "dupont cable". The insulation is pretty thick on this one, and the wires are pretty rigid for stranded core, it tends to hold its shape.

HC-05


This is the BT module to interface with the Arduino. It has 2 PCBs in a shrink wrap. One of the pins were slightly bent when I opened the box, but I bent it back in shape easily. There is a push button under the shrink wrap, it pushes in with a finger nail but is very small. The blue PCB is 1.2mm. The green one is .7mm. Over the wrap, is 3.9mm. Do not try to remove this shrink wrap, it is part of the device and probably would fall apart without it.


Clear pin ids printed on the back, very helpful.

Arduino Pro Micro A


This is the core module of the project. This one comes in a nice static bag with pin headers. I like the Not to be handled by unauthorized personnel part. From a different manufacturer I found this part to cost $26.62


Very nice build quality, perfect soldering and nice thick 1.6mm PCB.


Not much on the back, all the printing is on the front.

MPU-9250


9-Axis motion tracker module has a silvery static bag commonly found in computer products. The top seal is not straight, and is not very photogenic, but oh well its a bag.


I like to see that included pin header and clearly marked pins for all of our modules.


Double printed labels on the back too, good job!

Project board and bits


The last bag has a blank project board, two momentary switches, 2 double sided velcro stick-ons.


This project board is 4cmx6cm and has 20x14 rows of holes, there are 12 external lead contacts on the sides. The rows are numbered, this is helpful when planning out the space and soldering in the components.


The back side also has printed contacts.

Conclusion

This box is well worth the money invested. I see no poor quality parts here, everything is very nice. If purchased separately, this project would cost more than double. Hackerbox subscription is $53 incl. ship. We will cover the completed project and the Inscrutable, in Part 2.

Well done Hackerbox! I am very impressed with this box and cant wait to put this together. I will pick up some previous boxes if available, and get some more in the future.

Thanks,
-Alex

MunchPak Mini August 2016 Unboxing

Back in Fall 2015, I tried out MunchPak and since I really liked the variety of snacks offered in the box, I vowed to try this box again in the future.  Fast-forward to today, after having been subscribed to other snack box subscriptions, I realized I really missed receiving novelty snacks and decided it was time to go back to what I know and love.

Before I proceed to this month's unboxing, let me tell you about MunchPak's options; there is

• MunchPak Mini, which offers 5-6 snacks at 9.95$
• Original MunchPak wich offers 10+ snacks at 19.95$
• MunchPak Family Pack which offers 20+ snacks at 39.95$

Shipping was 5.00$ for me (being in Canada) but I am uncertain if  the price changes based on the box size or option selected.  I am currently subscribed to MunchPak Mini.

 First item I pulled out of the box is Sabritas Quesabritas (RV 3.00$) which are cheesy corn puffs that come with a spicy salsa packet.  Sounds like my kind of snack.  The link on the website is broken where it indicates where this snack comes from but I'm going to take a guess that it's a Mexican snack.

I'm pleased with the snack scanner app from MunchPak as I had no idea what this was.  This Japanese snack ends up being Yaokin Nagain Sour Gummy in Cola (RV 2.00$).  Pretty self-explanatory: a cola flavored rope gummy covered in sour crystals.  Yummy!

Next is Bebeto Sour Neon Worms (RV 1.00$).  This is a delicious fruity sour gummy worm from Turkey.  I love gummy worms so I know these will be a hit.

I'm familiar with this Japanese cookie snack; these are Pejoy Cookies and Cream (RV 4.00$) which is pretty much an oreo cookie stick with cream filling inside.  These are quite lovely.

Last item is Paskesz Funtime Triple Dipper (RV 2.00$) which brings me back to the dip sticks I enjoyed in my childhood.  This version is from China and comes in three sour flavors: cherry, strawberry and raspberry (my favorites!).  And apparently the fruit powders are also fizzy.

This concludes this month's MunchPak Mini.  Retail value of the box is 12.00$ which is more than the cost of the subscription.  I'm always satisfied when companies ensure their box contents are of equal or greater values than their subscription cost; MunchPak is one of those companies.

August 2016 iPenbox unboxing

I've always been a fan of writing tools, be it pen, marker, pencil, and always enjoyed trying a variety of colors.  When iPenbox first started their subscription, I was very much interested in joining them but for some reason unknown to me, I waited...  I am very happy to say that today, the waiting is over; I got my very first box in the mail!

First off, how cute is this box?!  I love it and actually will re-use it for gifting!  Let me tell you what iPenbox is.  As described by iPenstore, it is a monthly subscription box for pen, paper and ink lovers.  The subscription costs 30$ for US subscribers and 40$ for Canadians and International; shipping is included.  They promise 5-10 items geared to spark your intrigue on new, unusual, creative, innovative writing tools.  Every box will include a fountain pen, some paper, 1-2 ink samples, and other tools like rollerball pens, pencils, gel pens, etc. all based on a chosen monthly theme.

 Have to say, I am very impressed by the variety of items in this box and I am definitely happy I jumped on this subscription train.  This month's theme was Back to School.  This box also came with a 10% off coupon code on anything at iPenstore.

I'm following the order on the description card and first item is a Teacher's Stamp of Approval.  As you can see, I pressed a bit too hard on the first try and did a much better job on second try.  This is an extra item as it is not even described on the website's description of this month's box.  I, however, really like this item, because I can see the ink on this one is really good.  So, I intend on using this. I couldn't find this online either, so I can't really give you an idea on how much this item is worth, so, keep in mind that RV of the box at the end of this post does not include this item.

 We can see, here, two of the items included in the box.  First, there's Papermate Mirado Classic Writing Pencil (RV 4.43 for 12 and presently on sale for 2.79$, so one lone pencil is 0.37$ or 0.23$ on sale); .  Nothing particularly special about this pencil; this is the type of pencil I used in school and I still use them today.  I do, however, understand why this made an appearance in this box.  Since it is a Back to School box, this is one of the most favored school supply in the world.

Second item is the Pentel Eraser Cap (RV 1.99$ or 1.39$ on sale for 10 caps which brings my lone cap's value at 0.20$ or 0.14$ on sale).  These caps are life savers as the erasers on the tip of pencils generally dry out and stop fully doing their intended job on more occasions than can be counted.  These caps are known not to dry out and remain soft, use after use.  Another item that, although not impressive, has been picked for obvious reasons for this theme's box.  So far, so good.  I'll definitely use both of these items.

Next item included in the box is a Westcott Shatter-Resistant Plastic Ruler (RV 4.00$ presently on sale for 1.97$).  This is another obvious pick for a Back to School box but quite honestly, I really appreciate having this on hand.  I often need a ruler at work and find myself using the edge of my tissue box.  This will be a useful tool to add in my pencil holder.

The pièce de résistance is this Lamy ABC Fountain Pen in Blue (RV 26.00$ and presently on sale for 22.97$).  I am new to fountain pens so I am very happy to have joined this month so I can practice with this beginners' pen.  It has an ergonomic grip, made out of wood and plastic and has a medium sized nib.  (A display on how it writes is included in the last picture...spoiler - I'm in love!!!)  You can get various cartridges for this pen and I think I may use my 10% off coupon code on getting a few colored cartridges.

Now this item is hard to photograph and I'll apologize in advance, I cannot properly display it since I don't have an empty fountain pen to demonstrate how this ink sample looks like.  Please click on the link to see how beautiful this color is on paper.  This is a sample of J. Herbin Caroube de Shypre (RV 26.00$ fro 50ml and presently on sale for 23.97$).  I got a 2ml sample so that equals a RV of 1.04$ or 0.96$ on sale.  This gorgeous color is dark brown with light red reflections and golden sparkles.  I can hardly wait to take this ink sample for a test drive!  It is absolutely gorgeous!

This next item is a Schneider One Pocket Highlighter in Green (RV 2.49$).  This highlighter has a great flow.  This is a great inclusion in a Back to School box since I recall going through highlighters like candy when I was in school.  One highlighter had a lifespan of 1 month or less in my case as I highlighted every item of interest in my textbooks.  Great add and I will definitely be using this for reviews at work. A display on how this looks like on paper is included in the last picture.

Next item is  a Tops Second Nature Notebook (RV 5.00$ and presently on sale for 1.97$).  It is a 3"X5" double-sided lined notebook made out of recycled paper.  Can never go wrong with mini notebooks to scribble reminders.  This type of item is extremely useful to me as I find myself forgetting things easily; this is perfect for on the go note taking.  Win for me!

And this item is a Zebra F701 Stainless Steel Ballpoint Pen (RV 8.48$ on sale for 5.97$).  I am loving the weight and feel of this pen and how soft the clicking sound is.  Refills also available in iPenstore.  I may have a look at available colors and get a few.  A writing sample is included in my last picture.

It took me a few read-throughs to realize iPenstore did a joke here.  Their Back to School box included an item to represent the students - Nerds! Hahaha; I love their sense of humor!  This is a bonus item but how can you go wrong with this candy; it's sweet and tart all at once.  I had these while reviewing the box.

Here's a writing sample of my new items:
Lamy ABC Fountain Pen: wow!  I can't believe how smoothly this writes!  And seeing how much I love this pen, I can't believe it took me this long to try writing with a fountain pen.  Well, there's a first time for everything.
Zebra F701 Stainless Steel Ballpoint Pen: this pen is also a surprise for me; I wasn't expecting such an easy flow of ink on paper but it writes so well and the grip on it is very comfortable.
Schneider One Pocket Highlighter: this is a great highlighter and as mentioned previously, I will be using it for reviews at work.

This concludes this month's iPenbox.  RV of items at full price is 47.58$ (which comes out to more than the cost of the box).  I can honestly say I will be using all of the items included in the box and  am very pleased with my first month's new discoveries.  Looking forward to next month!  Here's a sneak peak at the theme: