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RainyDayMagazine's content can now be licensed for your print magazine or web site. Please contact us directly here. If you want to see something reviewed, then drop us a note with a link and we'll be happy to take a look.
NOTE: Click here to read more about our approach to product reviews.
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February 27,2014- Sport SC500 CloserLook... |
Last week we took a FirstLook at the BlackVue's Sport SC500 action-cam. Today, because of requests from some very eager readers, we are going to take a CloserLook rundown of the the various mode and features of this little device.
BlackVue Sport SC500 is small and lightweight, clocking in at 55 x 44.2 x 37 mm and 73 g. Its functions are managed by three control buttons: shutter (top), WiFi (left upper), Power/Mode (left lower). The speaker is next to the shutter on the top and the microphone is under the Power button on the left. The two ports (USB, HDMI) and the microSD slot are on the right, covered by a lid (not connected and we expect, easily lost). The mode indicators are in the... [more]- Blackvue Sport SC500 CloserLook
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February 21,2014- BlackVue Sport SC500... |
Head-mounted camcorders let us experience stunts from the lunatic's daredevil's point of view. Footage captured by these cameras have put us in the middle of some of the most amazing actions imaginable. However, there was a time (2004) when we had to cobble together our own kit out of pieces from a lot of different sources (StickyPod, AdventureCam). A decade later, companies such as GoPro, with their tiny, waterproof, and ruggedized digital video cameras, have made it easy for anyone to capture live action when risking life and limb(s). Other video camera companies have taken notice of this exploding niche market and have started to introduce their own version of the "action cam."
Blackvue, the same company which produce the awesome line of vehicle recorders, has introduced the BlackVue Sport SC500 action camcorder. Blackvue recognizes that while these cameras have traditionally been the staples of action-junkies, there are many other less "limb-risking" situations where it would be great to... [more]- Blackvue Sport SC500 FirstLook
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February 12,2014- Eagle Festival... |
A Bald Eagle in Boston. Snowy owls on Plum Island. While it is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese calendar it has been the Year of the Birds for us. Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to attend the Merrimack River Eagle Festival in Newburyport. The annual event celebrates the seasonal return of bald eagles to the Merrimack River area. It was an opportunity to observe bald eagles in their habitat and learn more about these majestic creatures.
The organizers for the Eagle Festival had marked out viewing spots along the river. Folks may go to the sites at their own pace, but the way to go is to sign up for the "eagle tour." The tour was free and lasted an hour and a half. The two naturalists on the bus (Candace and Jim in our case) helped spot the... [more]- Merrimack River Eagle Festival
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February 7,2014- EXO Labs Custom Case... |
As most readers know, we love to take our gear out into the wild. When we first saw the Exo Labs' Focus camera kit, we recognized that it was a very cool piece of tech. We also realized that the Focus was primarily designed for indoor/lab use. Of course, that is not how we roll. We started looking at options on how to take the "show on the road." Today, we want to show how we configured an S3 watertight case to protect the Exo Labs Focus camera and its various accessories for when we do take it out and about.
S3 is a maker of rugged, watertight cases for a variety of applications. We took a FirstLook of their cases last Spring as part of the write-up on X100S accessories. For this project, we needed a case large enough to house the following:
- Focus camera module w/cable
- Three lenses (microscope, telescope, variable-focus)
- Two adapter rings
- AC power adapter
- Calibration card
- GorillaPod
- Camera mount
The size which appears to fit our needs best is their T6500 model. The case is about 12"x9"x6", weighs a little less than 5lbs, and is made from high-impact ABS. It should have enough room for... [more]- EXO Labs: Focus Custom Case
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February 5,2014- EXO Labs FirstUse... |
We posted a FirstLook of the Exo Labs' Focus camera kit for the iPad last November. Exo Labs conceived the camera to "... engage students and inspire the next generation of scientists... (by connecting to) iPads and microscopes." Judging by the success stories in the education space, they are certainly making great headway. However, we think they may have tapped into something more.
After the FirstLook posts, comments and questions from RainyDayScience readers were expected, but we were somewhat surprised by the number of inquiries from our general audience. The most-asked question regarding the Exo Labs Focus was about its stand-alone capabilities. Apparently, there is a sizable population interested in using the camera for... [more]- EXO Labs: Pad Microscope/Telescope camera FirstUse
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January 31,2014- iPin Laser Pointer... |
When we were told about the iPin laser accessory for the iPhone, we chuckled at first because we had already passed on a few other such implementations. The ones we had seen were awkward dongles hanging off the power connector or the headphone jack. We were planning on passing on the iPin as well, but decided to take a chance. Well, we are glad we did! The iPin is not your father's laser pointer.
The iPin is an accessory that Q would have designed for 007 (with steel-bar-cutting power output, of course). This laser pointer looks like the mini plug of the typical set of earbuds. Like earbuds, it will fit into the microphone jack and draw power directly from the... [more]- iPin Laser Pointer
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January 27,2014- Roolen Breath Humidifier... |
Humidifiers are great for adding moisture to dry Winter air. We run our humidifier from November until April. The added moisture makes the room feel warmer, breathing easier, and virtually eliminates the static shocks so common to this time of the year. Unfortunately, humidifiers are...not the most attractive of devices. We put up with them because we value the function over the form. However, we secretly wished for a unit which was attractive, quiet, and simple to operate. With the Roolen BREATH, it appears that our wish has been granted.
The Roolen BREATH is a "smart ultrasonic humidifier." It has the following specs:
- Humidifying Capacity 400sq.ft / 28m2
- Noise < 25db
- Available Colors Black, White
- Weight 1.1KG
- Dimensions 20x20x26 cm
- Rating Voltage 100-240v Frequency 50/60hz Power 20W
- Water Tank Capacity 3.15 L
- Low / High / Auto Mode
- Run Time 24 hrs / 12 hrs / 24+ hrs
The Roolen BREATH humidifier is about as simple to operate as a light switch. There is one button and... [more]- Roolen BREATH Humidifier FirstLook
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January 24,2014- Covercraft Boxster Cover... |
We live in the city. and like most city-dwellers, we do not have a garage. While we don't have to park it on the street, our car is exposed to the elements all year long. To keep weather damage to a minimum, we have always have it under an all-weather car cover when it's parked in the driveway. Having a cover for the car not only protects the exterior,, it also prevents UV-damage to the dash, seats, and the interior.
After thirteen years, we have gone through a total of three covers. The first one was an indoor cover. It did not fare well when asked to stand up the the ice and snow. We abandoned it after two seasons. The second and third covers were the all-weather silver covers from Porsche. The silvery material kept the car cool in the Summer and the snow off in the Winter. Also, we like them because... [more]- Covercraft Boxster Cover
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January 20,2014- Vanguard Digiscope Setup... |
A spotting scope is a great piece of equipment for birders. We had a taste of how well it works when we brought one with us on our Snowy Owl outing to Plum Island. The one lament we had with the scope was that we could not share what we saw when looking through it. Well, apparently that is not exactly true. There is a means by which we CAN share what we see through the spotting scope. The technique is called digiscoping.
The guy who is credited with coming up with the technique is Malaysian birdwatcher by the name of Lawrence Poh. He came upon the idea in 1999 and has been perfecting it ever since. The idea of digiscoping is pretty elegant: point a camera at the eyepiece of the telescope and take a photo of the image as seen by the eye. However, digiscoping only became practical with the advent of small digital cameras, which provide the ability to... [more]- Vanguard Digiscope Setup
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January 17,2014- Vanguard Spotting Scope... |
We got a bunch of emails asking about the spotting scope we used on our New Year's Day Snowy Owls outing on Plum Island. Readers searching for a write-up on the scope on RainyDayMagazine came up empty because we had NOT done a review of the unit prior to taking it out into the field. Today, we will remedy the situation by providing a FirstLook on Vanguard Endeavor HD65A Spotting Scope.
Compact and powerful, spotting scopes let users locate targets at extreme distances that may be difficult to see clearly with binoculars. The Vanguard Endeavor HD65A spotting scope is a compact telescope designed for situations where magnifications beyond those of... [more]- Vanguard Spotting Scope FirstLook
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January 13,2014- MOS: Our Global Kitchen |
Food is the one thing that everyone on this planet relates to. It cuts across time, culture, and geographic/social/political boundaries. "Food" means different things to different people, but where the food we eat comes from is often nowhere near where we eat it. The Museum of Science's latest exhibit, Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, explores how a complex and intricate food system brings what we eat from the fields to our dinner tables.
Developed by the American Museum of Natural History, Our Global Kitchen is all about food: how it evolved, how it is grown, how it is consumed, etc. It is a fascinating exhibit, very well put together, with lot of interactive stuff for everyone to, well, interact with. The exhibit has sections exploring our relationships with food: growing, transporting, cooking, eating, celebrating. Trends are illustrated, issues are raised, questions are... [more]- MOS: Our Global Kitchen
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January 10,2014- Snowy Owls on Plum Island... |
Now that a Bald Eagle in Boston is no longer news, how about seeing a Snowy Owls on Plum Island? A Snowy Owl sighting is somewhat more likely than glimpsing a Bald Eagle in the city, but it still requires some effort. Our friends Candy and Andy invited us to join them on a trek out to Plum Island to see the Snowy Owls, which have come south in search of some, uh, snacks.
The day was brisk, but we were well-layered and prepared for the cold/wind. Still, with the temperatures in the low teens, the hand-warmers that Candy passed out saved the day! We managed to spot three of the birds at different locations, but... [more]- Snowy Eagle on Plum Island
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January 6,2014- Bird Cottages Update... |
When we first hung the set of bird cottages out in the RainyDayGarden, a few readers had inquired whether we were concern regarding their ability to withstand the elements. The reason for the questions was because there were some comments posted on Gardener's Supply Company's site regarding the item's quality. We read them and had considered sealing the cottages with polyurethane before putting them outside. Instead, we left them as is and decided to see how they would fare. After having left them out in all kinds of weather, we thought it was time to share our observations (in reverse chronological order).
Winter: December 2013/ January 2014
We have had three snow storms in December and we just got another foot of the white stuff last week. The first one was a dusting, but the second and third storms dropped over 12" of the white stuff. They were good opportunities for some photos of snow covered... [more]- Bird Cottages Update
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January 3,2014- Bald Eagle sighting... |
A Bald Eagle in Boston? The prospect seemed rather unlikely. After all, this is not Idaho. So when our intrepid copyeditor came back to the office after her morning walk around Jamaica Pond claiming that she had seen a "Bald Eagle," we were like, "Riiiight." However, Carolyn does know her common finches from her yellow nuthatches, so we decided to pack up some equipment and head to the Pond the next morning to see whether she has been spiking her morning cup of joe again or what.
As it turns out, Carolyn was right! There IS a Bald Eagle hanging out at Jamaica Pond, and it is a beauty. We spotted it surveying the area from the upright tree on the Pond's teeny tiny island. It was quite an... [more]- Bald Eagle At Jamaica Pond
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January 1,2014- Happy New Year... |
The first day of the New Year is always a special day, symbolically anyway. We had a pretty awesome 2013 and are really looking forward to 2014. What made 2013 extremely enjoyable was that we spent less time in the office and more time out in the field. Our goal for this 2014 is to do even more of the same. What better way to both wrap up 2013 and to kick off 2014 than to stop by the MFA during the Holidays to have lunch and take in the John Singer Sargent watercolors?
We have dined at the MFA numerous times, but had not yet eaten in the New American Cafe located in the recently opened, glass-enclosed Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard. The high ceilings and airy space made the dining experience both comfortable and relaxing. We found both the food tasty and service efficient. The Cafe's menu includes hot and... [more]- Happy New Year!
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