Epson LabelWorks LW-600 review

Epson LabelWorks™ LW-600

It does what?  You talk to it and it prints? You take a picture of what's in a box and it shows you a picture of what's in that box a year later? No way!

WHAT IS IT:

There are label printers, and then there are label printers. This one stands above, and at a price that's very reasonable ... in some cases a fraction of the price of others. How does Epson do it? A good part of the cost savings is that Epson chose not to put a lot of buttons, color screens and fancy features inside the printer. They did what they do best, build printers, and left the fancy features to software using the power of your smartphone or tablet.

Brilliant!


HOW GOOD IS IT:

The printer itself is built much better than one would expect for the price, almost professional feeling. Through the availability of a wealth of tape cartridges, it can do much more than most label printers, like making ribbons, iron-on labels, and much more. It can even work with third-party apps for specialized applications and industries. And yes, it is well suited for business applications.

It is designed to be equally comfortable connected to a power source as well as with batteries. Oh and how about this for being "cool" ... you can talk to it and it will print a label of what you say!


HOW WELL DOES IT WORK:

My favorite feature is one that solves a major frustration around the house. How many times have you put something in a box and put the box on the top shelf of a closet or hidden away in a corner of the garage? I have and it's a pain to have to pull everything out when you forget what's in the box, even if the box has a label on it like "toys". Get this, you can take a picture of the box's contents with your cell phone, print out a QR code label and stick that to the box or even an easily accessible nearby shelf or wall. Then when you point your phone at the QR code it shows you a picture of what's actually in the box. Did I say brilliant?

Epson has solved one of the other frustrations of label printers as well by making the amount of wasted space on each label a fraction of what the other companies have. They must know how much it drives people crazy to have an inch of blank label come out of the printer before the printed part starts.

The downloadable software is exceptional in terms a versatility and ease of use. Task selection is intuitive and everything you need to know and do to produce just the label you want is right there on your smartphone's or tablet's screen (or of course your desktop computer).

Be sure to pull the tape through the slot
before you close the door. I didn't.

The only issue I ran in to, and it was user error, was when I inserted my first tape cartridge. The leader end of the tape was pressed up next to the cartridge and I didn't think otherwise than to just drop it in. My first label became a scrunched up wad of ribbon that I had to carefully extract. And it's not like I didn't read the instructions first, they do mention to slide the end of the tape into the slot but I suggest that they change the illustration to a pair of fingers actually PULLING the tape through the slot.


COMMENTS:

This is one of the better new products that's come out lately and absolutely worth the price. And it's not from some no-name company. It easily earns 5-stars.


TECH TOY WIZARD RATING: 5/5

WEBSITE: Epson website

BUYING OPTIONS: Amazon

SEE IT IN MOTION:

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Watch for our upcoming Dash Cam review

You've seen the viral videos of Russian dash cams - from plane crashes, meteor strikes to amazing car crashes. It seems everyone in Russia has a dash cam.

They're not as popular in the United States ... yet, but Tech Toy Wizard predicts this to be the next hot holiday product for 2014 - 2015.

Dash cams, sometimes known as automobile black boxes, are starting to catch on and costs are coming down. No longer just a digital video camera, the latest versions feature GPS (so you can know your exact coordinates at the time of an incident), G-Sensors, front and rear facing cameras (for proof you were wearing a seat belt, for example), even motion sensors while your car is parked so you can record the perp in action.

There are dozens of cheap models being sold but as always you get what you pay for. The Tech Toy Playground will look at a handful of premium cams with all the bells and whistles and help you find the one that's just right for you.

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Anker MP141 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

WHAT IS IT:  Tiny Cube Speaker with Awesome Sound

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  New

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  Review

HOW GOOD IT IS:  It was a hard sell for me to evaluate yet another portable speaker. First off, there are a whole lot of new Bluetooth portable speakers competing against each other. Some are ultra-tiny, some are way too large to be considered portable. The darling of the market right now seems to be the Bose Mini and well it should deserve recognition. It is flat out beautiful, encased in what seems to be a solid block of aluminum (it's not) and a sound quality that simply knocks you off your butt when you hear what comes out of such a tiny box. Yes, I have heard some better, fuller sound, and some speakers more devoid of that famous Bose over-processed sound, but until now none for less money than the $200 selling point that Bose seems to own.

So how would this humble under $40 Anker speaker sound compared to the big name? This review will

Analog to Digital Audio Converter Adapter

WHAT IS IT: Converts an analog stereo audio signal to an optical signal

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO: Current

PREVIEW or REVIEW: Review

HOW GOOD IT IS: When I did a Google search looking for a way to convert the analog output to an optical signal that I could send 100' to another room in my house I came up with only a few options, none less than $50 with prices ranging up to $3000. I was highly skeptical that something that I found on Amazon for $15 could possibly work. In fact some of the reviews said it doesn't. Here's what I needed ...

iPad Accessory Roundup

The Tech Toy Wizard has been working overtime to test and review add-ons and accessories of every kind for the new iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina.  Cases, keyboards, mounting devices and many more. Watch for our comprehensive review of the latest, greatest and most wanted.

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Tactical Laser-Guided Pizza Cutter

Photo Source: ThinkGeek

WHAT IS IT:  A precision pizza cutter

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  New

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  Preview

HOW GOOD IT IS:  I didn't test one of these yet, I'm still waiting for someone to give me one as a gift. I was a little disappointed that it didn't actually cut your pizza with a laser beam, simultaneously sealing the edge of each slice to keep the cheese from oozing off.  No, it's really just a standard pizza cutter with a cool laser light mounted on top to assure accurate cuts. But that shouldn't stand in the way of seeing your friends' jaws drop next time you have a pizza party.

HOW WELL DOES IT WORK: From the seller's description it looks like this is a well-made pizza cutter and the price is in line with a high-end pizza cutter at the cookware stores. It's made of Zinc-alloy body with 3 1/2" diameter stainless-steel blade so it should last quite a while.

SIMILAR TO:  As far as I know this is a total one-of-a-kind item. Get one before they're gone!

DO YOU NEED IT: Duh! You should be able to answer that question without any help from the Tech Toy Wizard. If you want it then you must need it and you'll never be able to eat pizza again until you own one.

Photo Source: ThinkGeek

HOW IT IMPACTS YOU:  There's a lot to be said about being the first in your circle of friends to own the last future-tech gizmo and it's probably a safe bet that show-off Charlie down the street doesn't have one of these in his kitchen ... yet.

COMMENTS:  The manufacturer notes that this is not dishwasher safe. They don't say but it can be assumed it is also a choking hazard so please cut your pizza BEFORE you stuff it in your mouth.

TECH TOY WIZARD RATING:   5/5 for fun and originality

WEBSITE:  ThinkGeek

BUYING OPTIONS:  Buy it ThinkGeek (where you can also get genuine Officially Licensed Star Trek™ boxer briefs)

SEE IT IN MOTION:  Haven't seen any videos yet

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Anker Ultra Slim case for iPad Mini

WHAT IS IT:  Ultra Slim case for iPad Mini

 

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  New

 

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  Review

 

HOW GOOD IT IS:  I have looked at and/or tested many cases for the iPad and iPad Mini (a comprehensive comparison is in the works) and regardless of brand, price or style this is my favorite.

 

It complements the engineering Apple put into making the iPad, particularly the Mini, ultra thin and ultra light but adding the absolute minimum to the iPad's thickness and weight. The hard, rigid construction adds protection for the iPad's screen and case and actually makes it easier to hold, especially when using the tablet as an e-reader. Despite costing a fraction of most similar cases I simply would not use my iPad Mini without it.

 

There are no complicated latches or folds, just open the case and set it at the angle that's convenient for you

 

HOW WELL DOES IT WORK:

 

• It is truly the thinnest case I have seen, even thinner than Apple’s own case.  But no protection is given up; the front and back covers are very hard and sturdy. I keep it on my iPad over 95% of the time, only removing it for those times I use my keyboard folio case for travel.
• The iPad snaps into a full-perimeter frame that holds it very tightly, yet the tablet may be removed with little effort.
• The front cover is lined with a soft felt material and is rigid enough to be able to hold the iPad like a paperback book.
• The iPad can be securely adjusted to a reasonable range of horizontal angles however there is no way to prop it up vertically.
• The PU leather (plastic) exterior is deeply textured for a definite non-slip grip.
• The case is no-nonsense and business-like.  There is a lot to be said for not attracting attention to the fact that you’re carrying an expensive tablet.
• The automatic sleep/wake function works flawlessly on a case like this. Need to take a break from reading an e-book?  Close the cover.  When you reopen the cover you can pick up just where you left off.

Hold just like a book when used as an e-reader

 

In addition to the above a plus for me is that the case only has two hinge points which is both stylish and practical. The front cover may be folded 180 degrees around the back, still not adding an objectionable amount of thickness.  I’ve developed a “trick” of inserting my forefinger between the two covers both in the horizontal and vertical positions which keeps helps me hold the case with more stability than any other case I’ve tried.

 

At the time I reviewed it the normal selling price on Amazon was under $10.  Of any of the cases I have seen under $40 this is the one I like the best and it would be the first I would recommend for the price.  It truly compliments I Pad’s extreme thinness and lightness while adding the least bulk and weight as possible but still managing to offer a high degree of basic protection to the tablet.

 

SIMILAR TO:  Too many to list, there are cases made of plastic, silicone, leather, fake leather, etc. Choosing the right case is a very personal decision, it has to "feel right" to you. This Anker case feels perfect to me.

 

DO YOU NEED IT: Cases of every variety for the iPad and other tablets are now everywhere you look, ranging from under $10 to as high as $150.  There are an endless number of styles and gimmicks to make practically everyone happy. 

 

HOW IT IMPACTS YOU:  You paid $400 or more for your new iPad Mini. You bought it because of how light and slim it is. But you want to protect it from scratches and other damage so you need a case. Most tablet cases add significant bulk and weight and have complicated latches and hinges and are more trouble to use than they should be. The Anker case may be everything you want and need and it won't cost you a ton of money to buy.

 

I hold it with my index finger between the front and back covers

 

COMMENTS:

 

1. You likely will be happier with two cases … one ultra-slim for basic protection against scratches at home and commuting and another more rugged case for travel, especially if you have to pack the device in a carry-on bag.
2. A good ultra-slim can be held like a paperback for reading and set at an angle on a desk for watching videos.  It should permit popping the tablet in and out easily but not too easily so it doesn’t fall out.
3. The more rugged case ideally would have a thin Bluetooth keyboard built in to add versatility to your tablet.  Those cases are often called “folios”.
4. The inside front cover should be free of any pockets, flaps, rivets or anything else that could press against the device’s screen. Ideally it would be a soft, non-scratching felt.
5. The outer case should have a non-slip surface to safeguard against it slipping out of your hand.

 

TECH TOY WIZARD RATING:   5/5

 

WEBSITE:  Anker

 

BUYING OPTIONS:  Buy it at Amazon

 

SEE IT IN MOTION:  Coming soon

 

 

 

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