Review – Sabrent USB 8-Port Hub

Posted on by
Reply

I use a lot of different pieces of technical gear in my day-to-day life. The main computer I personally use is a Mac, but I own and use several PCs, and my family and work computers are also of the Windows variety. I work with video and need lots of hard drive space, and for my art I have a USB lightbox and a Wacom tablet. All of this different interfacing requires a lot of USB ports to keep up with all the various flash drives, accessories, and power sources. Having a good USB hub is almost essential, and the Sabrent 8-Port Aluminum USB hub is designed specifically to match the aesthetics of Macs.

810rnIU0JRL._SX425_

The hub itself is a slopped, elongated piece of aluminum. On the bottom it’s got a bit of a rubbery material to prevent it from sliding. On the right side, there is a wire to conntect to one’s computer and on the face there are 8 USB ports that are lined with a white, Apple-esque plastic. No other details on the device are functional, but the shiny circle on either side looks fine, if unnecessary, and the white plastic goes well with the aluminum.

photo-126

The device does need to be plugged into 2 ports to be operational, meaning it doesn’t raise the number of devices that can be plugged in by quite as much. The cable that is hard-wired into the device splits at a slightly intrusive, but not as bad as it could be box, and ends in two standard USB plugs. The ports on the device work quite well, and the response speed of devices plugged into it does not seem to be slowed on the user’s end. It is incapable of charging larger devices (which I don’t have, but something like an iPad won’t work). With the ports being on the front facing upward, anything that has a built-in USB plug will need to be plugged into an extension cable. Everything that does plug in will also take up a bit more vertical space than one might be used to, so it’s not really welcome on small desks.

The spacing between the ports is superb, and it will fit most common devices and flash drives comfortably next to each other. The fact that they are pointing more into the air and less parallel to the desk surface also makes them easier to identify and grab ahold of to be removed. There are no indicator lights on the entire thing, so it doesn’t become and eyesore, but the only way to see if it’s getting power is to use it. Some of the design aspects make the overall device a bit large and more cumbersome than other hubs, but it fits in well with most Apple products, and requires less fiddling.

It handles multiple inputs well; using a peripheral and several storage devices simultaneously is not a problem. I’ve not had it heat up or have any signal issues. Granted I haven’t used it for years on end or hit it with a hammer to see if it keeps going, but I have used it for long enough to say it works.

In the end it’s almost perfect for me. I don’t mind it being a bit larger since I need the extra space to plug in and remove flash drives, and being able to run more than two peripherals at a time without having to swap ports is amazing. My previous hubs either had the most annoying lights in the world, or were the portable kind where they never liked to say in place. The rubber on the bottom really helps in keeping this where I put it when adding or removing devices. I’m okay with the looks even though I’m not crazy about them. And having the space for several drives to be right next to each other without bending each other in different directions is quite the concept. The only problem I have with it is the fact that it takes up both of the ports on the Macbook. Not that I really use the extra port, but I get the feeling someday in the future that will bite me. But until then I will happily be using this hub.

Business Cards

Posted on by
Reply

Every time I walk into an establishment I grab a business card. I almost never use this card to contact said establishment later, I just keep it with all of the other cards I have. There is absolutely no reason for me to be doing this, aside from the odd joke about me having a card for “My Shaman” etc.

So why in the world do I do this? Well, I just like to, and business cards can be useful. I know several (okay more than that) businessmen (people) who would get sick to their stomach at the idea of taking in more business cards than they already do. I’m sure many people routinely purge their business cards either from their systems entirely or import them into something digital and forget them. I don’t have enough business interactions nor do I walk into enough establishments that have prominently displayed cards for that to be necessary.

I (as with many things I acquire) like having them. But in this case I “can” (should I want to) use them later as well. When indexed properly I can easily find businesses or people in whatever area I’m in that I frequently go to and find contact info or even business hours (and since I’m in the middle of nowhere and many places have no web presence it’s sometimes the only way to find out information like that). And sometimes they are wacky and unique (see “Shaman” above), or pieces of art. But many times they are good examples of what not to do on a card, and upon occasion something you can point to as the best way to make a card ever (that would be my business card, I’m sure of it).

As far as collections go, this one is nice because it doesn’t take up much space and some people can understand why you would want to keep information easily available. And sometimes I realize I’m just a graphic design junkie and I like having all of the styles, sizes, and materials available for reference or brain training or something similar. The cards just look pretty sometimes, which just cements their place in my collections.

Review – Tach-It Metal Tap Knife (Carton Cutter)

Posted on by
Reply

Depending on the size or type of art (or craft) works one is doing, carton or box cutters may or many not be on one’s radar or considered a useful tool. But even if one isn’t using them for opening supplies or actually during the art-making process, it still isn’t a bad idea to have one around since they’re cheap and easy to use. The dozen-for-five-dollars that these are priced at might be a bit larger set than most people would need, but it’s still inexpensive enough that it wouldn’t be hard to pick up.

photo-124

Tap knives are one of the simplest types of box cutter. On this model, the outside sleeve is a single aluminum piece that has been bent around on itself. Inside is another piece of aluminum that has been folded with a cutout at one end and a flare at the other. A standard single-edge razor blade fits in the cutout end (and can be replace by sliding the insert out of the housing) while the flare prevents the knife from protruding too far forward.

photo-125

Use is simple. Tapping the back of the knife against a hard surface will extend the blade until it is stopped by the protrusion on the back. And when the cutting is done, the front of the knife can be tapped on a hard surface to retract the blade. Very little of the blade is exposed making it fairly safe to cut with, and it’s held in securely enough that I wouldn’t worry too much about accidental deployment of the blade. How well it cuts and how long it lasts depends on the razor blade used. And the ones that come in the package are not the greatest. The points are especially brittle, and while they can keep an edge for a decent amount of time, they will crack and split with too much stress.

As far as a cheap, effective, and simple box cutter goes, they work well enough. The fit and finish leave something to be desired: the edges are rough, the tolerances vary quite a bit, and no surface is smoothed and finished, but they are so inexpensive they are practically disposable. They cut, they’re reasonably safe, and they could last quite a long time since there’s not much too them. One could get better quality, but I’m not convinced you’d really need to.

Review – Huion 17.7” Light Pad (L4S)

Posted on by
Reply

There have been some huge leaps in lightbox technology in recent years. I’ve owned 3 lightboxes in my time, one being a repurposed dental x-ray box, the second being a traditional style box and the third being this which I bought as a possibly temporary replacement for my more traditional-style box. But I might not be swapping back so soon.

Their photos look a lot better than mine

Their photos look a lot better than mine

The Light Pad itself is a rectangular prism that measures 17 7/8” diagonal and 14 1/8” x 10 5/8” x 3/16”, meaning it covers quite a large area, but is very slim. The workable white/translucent area has markings on the side indicated in centimeters 12 ¼” (31cm) x 8 ¼” (21cm) with a ½cm margin. The non-workable black margin is about ¾“ all the way around the pad and it’s only features are the power button and a logo. On the side of the device next to the power button is a micro USB port that is only used for power (this version has no internal batteries), and a red LED will come on when the device is correctly connected. On the back of the device there is some modest information and nicely padded feet that prevent the pad from sliding around when being used.

photo-123

Using the Light Pad is a breeze. Simply touching the power “button” lights up the entire workable area to the highest brightness setting (which isn’t very bright, and being shone through a white plastic makes it much less glaring on the eyes). Touching and holding the button will start the pad lighting up, and releasing the button during this will keep the pad at the current brightness setting. This setting is remembered and the next time one starts the device it will light up at the chosen setting unless you hold the button down again. The working area accommodates A4 and Letter sizes well, and the light on the brightest setting easily works with 2 sheets of 110lb cardstock. The plastic the surface is made from is very smooth, but resists sliding and scratches. The feet are also very nice and the device is stiff enough that it doesn’t bend around them under normal use (I still wouldn’t go stacking things on it).

photo-122

I don’t think I’m going to be going back to the more traditional lightboxes anytime soon. In my opinion the only advantage they offer is an angled working surface, which is a feature I never really used. The Huion Light Pad is a great lightbox; it’s sufficiently lighted and durable enough to be easy to work with, thin enough that is stores easily, and draws very little power. Its overall workspace footprint is very small, and its job is done almost flawlessly. I do find the red LED indicator light to be annoying but I can’t think of a better way to do things and it is much less troublesome than other indicator lights I’ve had to deal with. I also have no use for the multiple brightness settings but I suppose it’s better to have it than not. Still, the device has become a permanent feature of my workplace and I would recommend anyone looking for a lightbox to look at these cheaper and thinner LED alternatives to the traditional boxes.

photo-134

Review – Field Notes Bic Pen

Posted on by
Reply

Field Notes is a company that makes great notebooks, and they’ve always added a bit of a more personal touch to things. One of the ways they did that was by having branded pens and rubber bands readily available (I believe at some point in their orders, single pens and rubber bands were thrown in for free, but they can be purchased in larger packs easily.) The pens aren’t very expensive and fit very well with the brand’s style just on looks, but do they perform as well as the paper?

photo-120

The pen is actually just a branded Bic Clic pen, which isn’t a bad thing really. The entire design is a pleasant taper from the middle, where a ring separates the two halves of the pen. On the top there is a chrome-ish simple clip with Bic’s information on it, and a similarly-colored thin clicking mechanism (which give a very satisfying “click” when used). On the front of the pen, the ballpoint protrudes when the mechanism is depressed and the Field Notes information is printed on the barrel. The only colors of the pen are black, silver, and white, making the whole thing quite understated but also very nice.

photo-121

The writing is standard Bic writing. It is smooth enough, black enough, and steady enough to be serviceable in the vast majority of scenarios. It is a medium point, which is usually too broad for me, but definitely is unspectacular and fits with what most people are comfortable with. The ink is, of course, essentially waterproof once dry, with minimal skipping or blotting. I’m not particularly impressed by the writing, but I’m certainly not disappointed.

I’m sure the Field Notes Company did a bunch of research to find both a good enough and inexpensive enough pen for their brand that they wouldn’t have to try to make in-house. And I think they succeeded. The pens are dependable enough, sturdy enough, and simple enough to be almost entirely unremarkable (in both a good and a bad way). They fit the utilitarian image of the company, and are worth having at least as a backup pen.