CUKTECH, pronounced [chooktek], manufactures chargers and power banks and is based in Nanjing, China. The name is in recognition of the Cuk circuit, a special type of DC-DC circuit topology proposed by Slobodan Cuk in 1976. CUKTECH’s power banks currently have capacities of 10,000 to 40,000mAh. In this review, we’ll look at the CUKTECH 20 Power Bank.
INNOCN was founded in 2014 in Shenzhen, China, and manufactures a wide range of monitor types, including curved, portable, desktop, 4k, OLED, gaming, and ultrawide monitors. In this review, we test the 27″ INNOCN 27M2V Mini LED 4K Monitor with Mini LED backlighting. The INNOCN 27M2V is an A+ IPS panel display that employs local dimming to improve picture quality with 1,152 local dimming zones.
3 Legged Thing of Stagsden, Bedfordshire, England, manufactures tripods and related gear. 3 Legged Thing’s product line is full of personality, colorful anodized components, and modular design. In this review, we look at an all-new product, the 3 Legged Thing Pivot 250 Magic Arm.
Xtool Co. Ltd., founded in 2010, manufactures a range of automotive diagnostic tools and accessories. This review looks at theXtool InPlus IP919, a wireless bidirectional diagnostic scan tool. Although intended for mechanics and repair shops, the device’s intuitive design and interface make it easy enough for most to use.
3 Legged Thing, based in Stagsden, Bedfordshire, England, manufactures tripods and related gear. Their product line is full of personality with colorful anodized components and modular design. In this review, we look at the all-new 3 Legged Thing CDMS Kit 2A Camera Desk Mount System.
Wisconsin-based Trek has been in business since 1975 and produces a wide range of bicycles, including road, mountain, gravel, and city bikes. They also sell electric bikes as well as a wide range of accessories and apparel. This review looks at the new Trek CarBack Radar Rear Bike Light. As the name suggests, the device combines a rear bike light with a rearward-facing radar that detects oncoming traffic and sends alerts to the rider via several popular GPS cycling computers and smartphones.
Hong Kong-based Govee is a well-established manufacturer of smart home lighting and appliances. Their smart lighting products include gaming lights, TV lights, and wall lights, many of which we have reviewed at Gear Diary. In this review, we look at the Outdoor Triad Floodlight. Although usable for indoor applications, the Govee Outdoor Triad Floodlight features an IP66-rated metal body and IP67-rated control box, making it rugged enough to be used in almost any outdoor environment. I can attest to its weather resistance. I shot sample footage (below) during a fairly strong rainstorm. The floodlight enclosure has a minimalistic look and…
Cobra is a more than 60-year-old American company that produces various vehicle electronics, including CB radios, radar detectors, two-way and marine radios, power inverters, and dashcams. I was sent the Cobra SC 250R Dash Cam to test; the 250R is a dual-view dash camera with true 4K, 360 alerts, and a rear camera.
Hong Kong-based Govee, a well-established manufacturer of smart home lighting, is partnering with the Japanese anime series Evangelion to release three new gaming lights: the Govee x Evangelion Glide Y Lights, Gaming Light Bars, and the product they sent me to test, the Govee x Evangelion Gaming Wall Light.
3 Legged Thing is a manufacturer of tripods and related gear. The company started in 2010 in a chicken shed in Stagsden, Bedfordshire, England. From the start, 3 Legged Thing went its own way, adding color, anodized components, and modular design to its products. For this review, I was sent the 3 Legged Thing Legends Jay Carbon Fiber Tripod with the optional AirHed Cine Fluid Head to test.
UGREEN’s product line includes various accessories for the wireless world, including chargers, hubs, docks, banks, cables, and power stations. In this review, we’ll look at two of their power banks, specifically, the 5,000mAh & 10,000mAh Magnetic Power Banks. These two models are identical except for their thickness and capacity. UGREEN Magnetic Power Banks are available in black (sometimes called space gray) and white (beige).
XMCOSY+ offers a range of indoor and outdoor lighting solutions, including string lights, solar pathway lights, landscaping lights, and wall lights. This review focuses on their Low-Voltage Landscape Lights, specifically the XMCOSY+ Double-Head Low-Voltage Landscape Light, which comes in a 4-pack and sells for $159.99. These LED lights are understated and modern, with a stark t-shaped design in black. They are also available in a brown finish.
In early 2023, the German company Cherry joined forces with Swedish brand Xtrfy to become Cherry Xtrfy and now offers a varied line of products, including gaming mice, keyboards, headsets, and, most recently, microphones. The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone ($189.00) represents the top of the line, which also includes the Ngale R Microphone ($119.00) as well as the UM series, which includes the UM 9.0 Pro RGB ($149.99), the UM 6.0 Advanced ($109.99) and the UM 3.0 ($79.99).
The Canon EOS R50 is a compact, lightweight, mirrorless camera aimed at content creators looking to improve their game. It has many advanced features and some very impressive specifications. It is the culmination of marrying an RF-S Mount version of the Canon M50 with the sensor and processor from the R10. The result is one of the lightest mirrorless cameras on the market, with a 24.2MP APS-C sensor and the ability to shoot full-width 4K. Combined with the social media-friendly shooting modes, the R50 is well-suited for content creators ready to challenge the limits of their smartphones.
A newcomer to the home security market, Singapore-based Safemo (a combination of the words Safe and Mode) offers a new home security system composed of two wireless cameras and a hub with two 5W solar panels. As with other systems on the market, this system can differentiate between people, vehicles, and packages, but unlike other systems, it does so locally using AI and data processing, all without a monthly subscription. Up to six months of data and video (32GB) can be stored on the device. An optional SSD hard drive can add up to 4TB of storage.
Per Leather Honey’s website, “Leather Honey was invented in the early 1960s when a retired chemist met with businessman Daniel McGowen, who had recently taken over his father-in-law’s Philadelphia-based manufacturing company.” The two created the original formula for the cleaner and the conditioner and found it very effective at preserving leather. An early test on the soles of postal carriers’ shoes showed that those treated with Leather lasted twice as long as those that were unprotected. Leather Honey makes cleaners and conditioners for leather products, including the Leather Honey Leather Cleaner we received for review.
Roku is best known for its TVs and streaming devices, but it also manufactures related audio devices and accessories and makes smart home products. The Roku Smart Home Starter Kit contains a Roku Indoor Camera, two Roku Smart Bulbs, and two Roku Indoor Smart Plugs; at $53.97, it is a very aggressively priced way of making your home a bit smarter.
GVM (Great Video Maker) offers a line of assorted products for videographers and photographers that are often aggressively priced compared to the competition while providing similar features and overall quality. These include monolights, tube, panel, flexible, and pocket lights. They also produce camera sliders, wireless microphones, teleprompters, and other accessories. In this review, we are testing the 24″ GVM-BD25R Bi-Color RGB LED Tube Light 2-Light Kit. As per its name, this kit includes two light wands as well as several accessories that are optional when buying the Single Kit. As per its name, the GVM-BD25R Bi-Color RGB LED Tube Light…
Pimax, a high-end VR gaming gear manufacturer, announced two new models of its Crystal line of VR headsets at its 2024 Frontier event on YouTube. The Pimax Crystal Super sets a new high bar for the industry with 29.5 million pixels and the world’s first swappable optical engine, allowing users to select between QLED and micro-OLED panels. The new Pimax Crystal Light offers the same 16.6 million pixels as the existing Pimax Crystal but at a much lower cost, starting at $699.
Insta360’s newest camera has some very impressive specifications and equally impressive features. The Insta360 X4 is the company’s latest flagship 360 camera; it offers 8K 360-degree video and 5.6K at 60 fps or 4K at 100 fps. The image quality represented in the company’s sample videos is a huge step forward. When combined with the ability to “shoot first, point later” and the invisible selfie stick, the creative possibilities have no limits. The X4 can also be used as a traditional action camera using a single lens, providing smooth, ultra-wide 4K at 60fps.
GVM (Great Video Maker) offers a line of assorted products for videographers and photographers, including monolights, tube lights, panel lights, flexible lights, and pocket lights. They also produce camera sliders, wireless microphones, teleprompters, and other accessories. GVM products are often aggressively priced compared to the competition while offering similar features and overall quality. GVM has certainly stepped it up with their new line of spotlights. This review examines the GVM PRO-SD300B, a 300-watt monolight specifically designed for today’s shooting environments.