As the tech world descended upon Las Vegas for CES 2024, BLUETTI, a name synonymous with portable power solutions, has once again set the gold standard with its latest offerings designed for recreation, emergencies, work, and overall energy independence. From the versatile SwapSolar system to the rugged AC240 power station, BLUETTI’s lineup this year is nothing short of a power-packed promise for both adventurers and home users. We visited the BLUETTI booth to speak to their Director of Portable Power Systems, Phillip Fischer. Phillip explained to us what BLUETTI’s been achieving in the past year, what are the new exciting products they’re debuting at CES, and why portable power stations should be on everyone’s wishlist for 2024.
Designer: BLUETTI
If you’re still one of those power-station skeptics in the year 2024, Phillip has some rather sage advice to give you. Sure, the average power station user is the outdoorsy type, using it to provide energy to camping sites, RVs, and other outdoor excursions/activities… but what BLUETTI’s power stations also do is provide aid and assistance during emergency power cuts. Whether it’s one of their larger devices, or even the small portable ones, BLUETTI’s power stations can be potential life-savers when the power runs out. The same power station can play multiple roles, whether it’s necessity or leisure… with the added benefit of helping you do things like shift to a solar grid too to help reduce power bills.
Leading the power-station charge at CES this year is the BLUETTI SwapSolar, a dynamic duo comprising the AC180T portable generator and the MultiCooler portable fridge. The AC180T can easily be confused for its sibling, the AC180 – but what really sets it apart is its game-changing hot-swappable battery system. With 1,433Wh capacity, 1,800W output, and 2,700W lifting power, the AC180T features two detachable batteries that can either be used simultaneously, or in a scenario where one battery is removed from the AC180T and placed in the MultiCooler portable fridge. Imagine never running out of power because you can instantly replace depleted batteries with charged ones.
But that’s not all. The MultiCooler is the Swiss Army knife of portable fridges. Acting as a fridge, freezer, and, believe it or not, an ice maker, it redefines the concept of portable cooling. Featuring a 40-liter compartment with temperature control from -20°C to 20°C (-4°F to 68°F), the MultiCooler can chill a staggering 65 cans of soda (or any beverage of your choosing) or keep the sausages frozen for a picnic. It also boasts the ability to make ice from moving water, a feature that Phillip mentioned was “really cool” (pun intended!)
Next up, meet the AC240, BLUETTI’s rugged outdoor companion following the legacy of the AC60. Tailor-made for the wild, this power station is both water-resistant and dust-proof, boasting an impressive IP65 rating. Whether you’re facing a dust storm in the desert or a downpour in the mountains, the AC240 won’t let you down. With a robust 2400W of power output and a 1536Wh LFP battery, it’s built to last. And if you thought that was impressive, the AC240 can expand its capacity to a whopping 10kWh with four B210 expansion batteries. BLUETTI didn’t stop there. They also showcased their revamped portable generators and home storage products, including the AC60P, AC2P, and the modular AC500 and AC300 series.
In the midst of unveiling these technological marvels, BLUETTI also took a moment to highlight its Lighting an African Family (LAAF) program. This initiative underscores BLUETTI’s commitment to social responsibility, bringing sustainable solar energy to African families. With over 100,000 families already impacted, BLUETTI is powering more than devices; it’s powering dreams.
If you’ve been dipping your toes into the culinary world, and are on a mission to become an accomplished chef who can whip up delicious meals, then you’ve reached the right place. The key to preparing amazing dishes is having a streamlined and efficient cooking process, which can be achieved with the help of the right kitchen appliances and tools. With the perfect kitchen accessories, you can create fantastic meals within no time, and with minimum hassles. And, we’ve curated a collection of unique, innovative, and functional kitchen tools for you. From sheet pan that helps you prepare culinary masterpieces, to a pair of sleek kitchen shears – these are the useful tools you need in your kitchen with you!
1. Cheat Sheets
The Cheat Sheets are ingeniously designed to revolutionize oven cooking. These silicone dividers transform a single baking tray into a versatile multi-compartment cooking surface, enabling the preparation of various dishes simultaneously while maintaining their distinct flavors and cooking requirements.
Click Here to Buy Now: $31
Why is it noteworthy?
These oven-safe, non-stick silicone dividers transform a single sheet pan into a multi-portion culinary canvas, accommodating up to six small or three large portions. Ideal for family meals or weekly meal planning, multiple sets of these dividers offer unparalleled control and efficiency in the kitchen.
What we like
Allows cooking multiple dishes simultaneously on one tray
Accommodates various portion sizes, suitable for individual or family meals
High-quality, food-safe silicone material ensures safety and durability
What we dislike
Silicone material tends to attract dust and grease, leading to a sticky surface if not used frequently
2. Precision Chef Kitchen Scissors
The Precision Chef Kitchen Scissors are sleek and innovative kitchen shears that let you cut through food in an easy and efficient manner. These scissors make cutting meat and different kinds of food extremely effortless and smooth.
Click Here to Buy Now: $84$99 (15% off at checkout).
Why is it noteworthy?
The stunning scissors are black in color, and hold an image of power and style, allowing them to occupy an intimidating and impressive position in your kitchen or dining table. You can cut through your steak, veggies, pizza, and more with finesse and functionality.
What we like
Equipped with a specially designed curved serrated blade that ensures cutting meat is effortless and safe
A multifunctional tool that ensures precise cutting, which is essential for intricate food prep
What we dislike
There are no different color options, it is only available in black, which could be boring for some users
3. Iron Frying Plate
Called the Iron Frying Plate, this innovative kitchen design can be used to serve your food or a frying pan with a removable handle. It is a refreshing new way to combine cooking and eating!
Click Here to Buy Now: $62$69 (10% off at checkout).
Why is it noteworthy?
What makes the Iron Frying Plate super cool is that it combines both a frying pan and a serving plate. It is built using durable materials and offers a functional and sophisticated solution to cooking and serving. It introduces a novel and ingenious cooking method, that supports direct-from-the-pan serving, which could allow aspiring chefs to experiment with different cooking techniques and presentation styles.
What we like
The wooden handle can be attached and detached as and when needed
What we dislike
The frying plate is made from iron, which makes it heavier than traditional frying pans, which can be tough to handle and store in small kitchens
4. Playful Palm Grater
Dubbed the Playful Palm Grater, this whimsical and playful product is created to add some fun and functionality to your kitchen and dining life. It is designed to fit perfectly into the palm of your hand.
Click Here to Buy Now: $22.50$25 (10% off at checkout).
Why is it noteworthy?
The Playful Palm Grater is a charming and functional product that resembles a curled piece of paper. It is made from a single aluminum alloy plate and is available in different color options.
What we like
Features a unique and minimal form that provides a strong and firm grip
Makes a simple act like grating fun and playful, as well as convenient and efficient
What we dislike
Since it is quite small in size, it isn’t the best option to grate large amounts of food
5. Kurenai
The stunning Kurenai kitchen knife is the result of storied tradition, craftsmanship, and sleek modern aesthetics. It is a class apart from the typical kitchen knives we find, which can be attributed to the captivating flame pattern along its sharpened edge.
Why is it noteworthy?
The unique flame pattern is a tribute to the knife’s flame-forged origin, as well as the fiery passion and precision that was channeled to create it. The Kurenai features a distinctive octagonal-shaped wooden handle that fits perfectly in the user’s hand, regardless of the size.
What we like
Perfectly merges aesthetics, functionality, and craftsmanship
What we dislike
It doesn’t have a ribbed knife option to support multiple cutting styles
6. The Russell Hobs Satisfry Air & Grill Multi-Cooker
Dubbed the Russell Hobs Satisfry Air & Grill Multi-Cooker, this innovative kitchen appliance provides seven cooking settings and is a must-have for aspiring chefs. It helps them create delicious and healthy food quickly and efficiently!
Why is it noteworthy?
This multifunctional appliance offers a myriad range of cooking options – ranging from air frying to roasting, and even slow cooking to searing. It can crisp, brown, and bake with the use of little or even no oil.
What we like
It works 76% faster as compared to a conventional oven
Supports more uniform cooking, so no part of your food is undercooked or overcooked
What we dislike
A bulky appliance that will occupy substantial real estate in your kitchen
7. Elizabat
Named the Elizabat, this adorable little bat scissor by OTOTO is designed to add some fun and flavor to your kitchen. The scissor is quite easy to grip on the inside, as well as the outside.
Why is it noteworthy?
This pair of culinary scissors helps you cut, chop, and slice away at veggies and herbs in the kitchen. It features a clever blade design which also serves as a bottle opener, while the gap between the handles serves as a nut-cracker.
What we like
Features an ergonomic profile that is quite comfortable to use
What we dislike
The scissor looks quite adorable and can be mistaken for a toy, so it needs to be kept away from children
8. The Fellow Tally Pro Studio Edition Coffee Scale
The Fellow Tally Pro Studio Edition coffee scale is an accurate scale to help you prepare the perfect cup of coffee every morning. It simplifies your morning coffee rep routine and transforms it into a seamless process.
Click Here to Buy Now: $148
Why is it noteworthy?
It is equipped with a brew assist mode wherein you just need to select your coffee-to-water ratio, and it guides you until you hit your goal. It is built from premium Studio Edition materials and features a glass-based, metal touchpoints, and an OLED screen.
What we like
Offers a weight mode that measures in grams, ounces, pounds, and milliliters of water, as well as a timer mode that shows timer and weight in grams
What we dislike
Only available in black color, there aren’t multiple color options
9. Jamonero
A Barcelona-based designer created a solution to accommodate ham stands in your kitchen. Dubbed Jamonero, the folding ham stand is designed to hold your ham while you slice it.
Why is it noteworthy?
When you don’t need Jamonero, you can fold and tuck it away into a drawer to make space for other kitchen accessories. It is an extremely useful kitchen product for when your dining table or kitchen isn’t large enough.
What we like
Has an anti-slip feature that keeps the holder and ham in place
Easy to clean and maintain
What we dislike
Some users may not be comfortable using wood to hold their meat, and there is no alternative material option for them
10. Reencle
This compact, odor-free, and quiet kitchen appliance is called the Reencle and it utilizes your food waste and puts it to good use. It effectively composts and breaks down food waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Click Here to Buy Now: $449
Why is it noteworthy?
Reencle is an at-home solution that effectively and efficiently breaks down food, and transforms it into a rich compost that benefits the planet instead of harming it. The compost can be utilized in gardens, indoor planters, and backyards, or can be disposed of as well.
What we like
Doesn’t require any setting up or plumbing
Features an odor-proof design that ensures bad aromas never enter your home
Highlighting the best parts of unique product designs requires exceptional product photography prowess, and that’s difficult to achieve if you don’t have the right equipment and the right environment to snap photos in. Most living environments aren’t exactly as clean as they appear in picture-perfect lifestyle photos, and in order to capture detailed product shots, you’re going to want a pristine and brightly-lit background — showing off every detail, right down to the pixel. If you’re interested in learning product photography for yourself, you’ll want to make sure you have a nice DSLR camera with a wide aperture, which can capture photos in RAW (this allows dynamic range for color correction and other tweaks in post-production).
That said, it’s one thing to vaguely send you off looking for a DSLR camera with no further advice, and it’s another to tell you exactly what you’ll need — right down to the lighting. That’s the purpose of this list, which should point you in the right direction as you shop for your in-home product photography setup. By the way, the best “DSLR camera” you can buy and begin snapping product shots today (if you aren’t already a skilled photographer with an investment in a proper $2,000 DSLR, lenses, and other fancy camera accessories) isn’t actually a DSLR at all; it’s a brand new smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 recommendations for the best tools and accessories you can buy for any home product photography area in 2023.
1. iPhone 15 Pro Max – best smartphone camera for color accuracy
As I mentioned earlier, the best DSLR camera alternative you can buy for product photography is a beefy new smartphone. If it’s time to upgrade anyway, you can’t beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s robust integrated software and swanky new camera features — like its 5x telephoto camera. Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max grapple for the title of “best smartphone camera of 2023”. The former has a 200 megapixel sensor with 10x optical zoom, which is phenomenal for capturing wide-angle photos and taking shots of faraway points of interest thanks to its vibrant color tone.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, on the other hand, lacks the same raw horsepower — and for what it’s worth, a few users also had some issues with overheating, which was meant to be resolved in iOS 17.1 — but it takes the cake for capturing the most visually crisp close-up shots that simultaneously deliver the most true-to-life color accuracy. In product photography, you want to be able to reproduce the most realistic color tone, and that’s where the iPhone 15 Pro Max succeeds; meaning it’s the one I personally recommend over the two.
Buy it now from Apple
2. Foldio360 Smart Dome – best product turntable
The Foldio360 Smart Dome (which Yanko Design covered while it was still in Kickstarter!) is a compact, dome-shaped structure, filled to the brim with LEDs that fill its non-reflective all-white interior with light — completely obliterating soft shadows. Its killer feature is the built-in turntable that uses light to indicate where your product is supposed to sit on top of the turntable surface, and once it’s all set up, it continuously rotates in a 360-degree radius. You can mount your phone onto the front opening with the included mounting kit for stable shooting, and then you can use the foldio360 app to remotely adjust color temperature and turntable speed as needed. This is a really convenient way to get your shots done in a snap, especially when you’re low on time and don’t have a ton of shooting space.
The Smart Dome can hold up to 6 lbs of weight, but if that’s not enough leeway, you can instead buy the sturdier Foldio360 Smart Turntable, which is optimal if the product you’d like to rotate weighs between 6 and 11 lbs. Just make sure you have other light sources and a white or green backdrop on hand.
Buy it now on Amazon
3. eucos 62″ Phone Tripod – best smartphone tripod
There are many smartphone-compatible tripods on the web, but the eucos 62-inch phone tripod has a nice balance of form and function that make it an easy buy at its listing price of $29.99. First of all, its body (which is made of durable nylon) comes in two distinct color schemes that both look stylish: Inferno Mix Carbon Black, and Mineral White.
You can adjust the tripod’s height up to 62 inches, as the name suggests, but reviewers generally report the eucos 62-inch phone tripod remains stable even at such heights thanks to its aluminum locking mechanisms and grippy rubberized feet. It’s compatible with smartphones between 2 and 3.6 inches in width, which means you can use it with basically any modern smartphone. There’s also a cold-shoe expansion port to equip additional fill lighting, and you can use the nifty included Bluetooth remote trigger to capture photos while keeping your phone camera stable.
Solid-color acrylic display boards can sit on any surface, immediately turning your desk into an optimal product photography surface without needing to go out and set up an all-white table or all-white desk specifically for shooting product photos with. These 12 x 12 and 24 x 24 acrylic boards come in packs of two — one white board, and one black board. You can switch between the matte or glossy side based on your needs, and reviewers seem to agree that it’s a sturdy and well-designed product overall, albeit with some issues related to scratching on the surface. That seems to be a common problem with acrylic boards in general, so it’s best to take extra care when handling these.
Buy it now on Amazon
5. Glendan Portable Photo Studio Light Box – best photo tent
This Glendan portable light box is a less expensive alternative to the Foldio360 I mentioned earlier. It surrounds the product with dimmable light from 112 LED light beads and provides an all-white background that’s perfect for taking product photos. It also does away with the strobe other light boxes use, and combined with its built-in light diffuser and internal light reflector, it highlights plenty of detail in soft light. Its portability and ease of setup make it a convenient way to show off a product without investing a ton into a clean or immaculately-designed shooting environment, and can be especially useful if your shooting space is on the smaller side.
Buy it now on Amazon
6. Elgato Collapsible Green Screen – best backdrop
If you want to design a shooting environment with a specific style, it can be easier to set up your space with a green screen. This lets you digitally inject an environment into the background, making for a simple and easy approach to composing your shots. Elgato’s collapsible green screen backdrop is widely rated as the best-designed compact photography green screen thanks to its durable green fabric and its ability to deploy anywhere via a unique pneumatic collapsing mechanism. It only weighs 20.5 lbs when concealed, which makes it a low-profile item to carry around with you, despite its rather large impact on your shooting environment once fully deployed.
Getting your environmental light perfect can be challenging, which is why light reflector diffuser discs are an important tool — both for blocking certain light wavelengths, and enhancing others. Neewer’s 43-inch light reflector and diffuser discs are widely rated as the best you can buy for the price, and they come in white, black, gold, silver, and translucent coloring. They’re collapsible as well, making them easy to carry around.
Buy it now on Amazon
8. Fovitec 3-Light Fluorescent Studio Lighting Kit – best fluorescent studio lighting kit
Fluorescent spot lighting is the quickest way to pour light into an underlit scene, and when capturing product photos in larger environments, these are extremely important to have around. Fovitec’s 3-light fluorescent studio lighting kit takes care of a lot of shopping — adjustable stands, boom arms, and a carrying case come included —and the lightboxes themselves, which can push up to 5500K color temps, are rated as some of the best you can buy for the price.
Buy it now on Amazon
9. Neewer Heavy Duty Light Stand with Casters – best all-purpose light stand
If you need to expand your lighting with additional stands, the Neewer heavy duty light stand has a wide range of potential uses. It’s an adjustable stainless steel tripod which can rise up to 10 ft in height. But you can throw pretty much any lighting equipment you want on top; whether you need to add extra lightboxes, ring lights, or even want to hang your light reflectors or diffusers up high. Reviewers love the build quality, calling it the “best industrial heavy duty tripod C stand” and saying they “should have bought this along (sic) time ago”.
Buy it now on Amazon
10. Lume Cube Video Conference Lighting Kit LITE Edition – best budget surface lighting
If you’re shooting product photos on a desk surface and you want an extra light source in a pinch, the $49.99 Lume Cube LITE Edition laptop-friendly ring light is a quick and easy way to add such light to your shooting environment. It plugs into a power source via USB, and can be fully powered through any regular laptop, meaning you can also use it for other purposes — like conference calls. Reviewers love the amount of extra brightness it can add to any space, and it sounds like the build quality make it a winner. It’s dimmable as well, if you only need a certain amount of light in your environment.
Highlighting the best parts of unique product designs requires exceptional product photography prowess, and that’s difficult to achieve if you don’t have the right equipment and the right environment to snap photos in. Most living environments aren’t exactly as clean as they appear in picture-perfect lifestyle photos, and in order to capture detailed product shots, you’re going to want a pristine and brightly-lit background — showing off every detail, right down to the pixel. If you’re interested in learning product photography for yourself, you’ll want to make sure you have a nice DSLR camera with a wide aperture, which can capture photos in RAW (this allows dynamic range for color correction and other tweaks in post-production).
That said, it’s one thing to vaguely send you off looking for a DSLR camera with no further advice, and it’s another to tell you exactly what you’ll need — right down to the lighting. That’s the purpose of this list, which should point you in the right direction as you shop for your in-home product photography setup. By the way, the best “DSLR camera” you can buy and begin snapping product shots today (if you aren’t already a skilled photographer with an investment in a proper $2,000 DSLR, lenses, and other fancy camera accessories) isn’t actually a DSLR at all; it’s a brand new smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 recommendations for the best tools and accessories you can buy for any home product photography area in 2023.
1. iPhone 15 Pro Max – best smartphone camera for color accuracy
As I mentioned earlier, the best DSLR camera alternative you can buy for product photography is a beefy new smartphone. If it’s time to upgrade anyway, you can’t beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s robust integrated software and swanky new camera features — like its 5x telephoto camera. Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max grapple for the title of “best smartphone camera of 2023”. The former has a 200 megapixel sensor with 10x optical zoom, which is phenomenal for capturing wide-angle photos and taking shots of faraway points of interest thanks to its vibrant color tone.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, on the other hand, lacks the same raw horsepower — and for what it’s worth, a few users also had some issues with overheating, which was meant to be resolved in iOS 17.1 — but it takes the cake for capturing the most visually crisp close-up shots that simultaneously deliver the most true-to-life color accuracy. In product photography, you want to be able to reproduce the most realistic color tone, and that’s where the iPhone 15 Pro Max succeeds; meaning it’s the one I personally recommend over the two.
Buy it now from Apple
2. Foldio360 Smart Dome – best product turntable
The Foldio360 Smart Dome (which Yanko Design covered while it was still in Kickstarter!) is a compact, dome-shaped structure, filled to the brim with LEDs that fill its non-reflective all-white interior with light — completely obliterating soft shadows. Its killer feature is the built-in turntable that uses light to indicate where your product is supposed to sit on top of the turntable surface, and once it’s all set up, it continuously rotates in a 360-degree radius. You can mount your phone onto the front opening with the included mounting kit for stable shooting, and then you can use the foldio360 app to remotely adjust color temperature and turntable speed as needed. This is a really convenient way to get your shots done in a snap, especially when you’re low on time and don’t have a ton of shooting space.
The Smart Dome can hold up to 6 lbs of weight, but if that’s not enough leeway, you can instead buy the sturdier Foldio360 Smart Turntable, which is optimal if the product you’d like to rotate weighs between 6 and 11 lbs. Just make sure you have other light sources and a white or green backdrop on hand.
Buy it now on Amazon
3. eucos 62″ Phone Tripod – best smartphone tripod
There are many smartphone-compatible tripods on the web, but the eucos 62-inch phone tripod has a nice balance of form and function that make it an easy buy at its listing price of $29.99. First of all, its body (which is made of durable nylon) comes in two distinct color schemes that both look stylish: Inferno Mix Carbon Black, and Mineral White.
You can adjust the tripod’s height up to 62 inches, as the name suggests, but reviewers generally report the eucos 62-inch phone tripod remains stable even at such heights thanks to its aluminum locking mechanisms and grippy rubberized feet. It’s compatible with smartphones between 2 and 3.6 inches in width, which means you can use it with basically any modern smartphone. There’s also a cold-shoe expansion port to equip additional fill lighting, and you can use the nifty included Bluetooth remote trigger to capture photos while keeping your phone camera stable.
Solid-color acrylic display boards can sit on any surface, immediately turning your desk into an optimal product photography surface without needing to go out and set up an all-white table or all-white desk specifically for shooting product photos with. These 12 x 12 and 24 x 24 acrylic boards come in packs of two — one white board, and one black board. You can switch between the matte or glossy side based on your needs, and reviewers seem to agree that it’s a sturdy and well-designed product overall, albeit with some issues related to scratching on the surface. That seems to be a common problem with acrylic boards in general, so it’s best to take extra care when handling these.
Buy it now on Amazon
5. Glendan Portable Photo Studio Light Box – best photo tent
This Glendan portable light box is a less expensive alternative to the Foldio360 I mentioned earlier. It surrounds the product with dimmable light from 112 LED light beads and provides an all-white background that’s perfect for taking product photos. It also does away with the strobe other light boxes use, and combined with its built-in light diffuser and internal light reflector, it highlights plenty of detail in soft light. Its portability and ease of setup make it a convenient way to show off a product without investing a ton into a clean or immaculately-designed shooting environment, and can be especially useful if your shooting space is on the smaller side.
Buy it now on Amazon
6. Elgato Collapsible Green Screen – best backdrop
If you want to design a shooting environment with a specific style, it can be easier to set up your space with a green screen. This lets you digitally inject an environment into the background, making for a simple and easy approach to composing your shots. Elgato’s collapsible green screen backdrop is widely rated as the best-designed compact photography green screen thanks to its durable green fabric and its ability to deploy anywhere via a unique pneumatic collapsing mechanism. It only weighs 20.5 lbs when concealed, which makes it a low-profile item to carry around with you, despite its rather large impact on your shooting environment once fully deployed.
Getting your environmental light perfect can be challenging, which is why light reflector diffuser discs are an important tool — both for blocking certain light wavelengths, and enhancing others. Neewer’s 43-inch light reflector and diffuser discs are widely rated as the best you can buy for the price, and they come in white, black, gold, silver, and translucent coloring. They’re collapsible as well, making them easy to carry around.
Buy it now on Amazon
8. Fovitec 3-Light Fluorescent Studio Lighting Kit – best fluorescent studio lighting kit
Fluorescent spot lighting is the quickest way to pour light into an underlit scene, and when capturing product photos in larger environments, these are extremely important to have around. Fovitec’s 3-light fluorescent studio lighting kit takes care of a lot of shopping — adjustable stands, boom arms, and a carrying case come included —and the lightboxes themselves, which can push up to 5500K color temps, are rated as some of the best you can buy for the price.
Buy it now on Amazon
9. Neewer Heavy Duty Light Stand with Casters – best all-purpose light stand
If you need to expand your lighting with additional stands, the Neewer heavy duty light stand has a wide range of potential uses. It’s an adjustable stainless steel tripod which can rise up to 10 ft in height. But you can throw pretty much any lighting equipment you want on top; whether you need to add extra lightboxes, ring lights, or even want to hang your light reflectors or diffusers up high. Reviewers love the build quality, calling it the “best industrial heavy duty tripod C stand” and saying they “should have bought this along (sic) time ago”.
Buy it now on Amazon
10. Lume Cube Video Conference Lighting Kit LITE Edition – best budget surface lighting
If you’re shooting product photos on a desk surface and you want an extra light source in a pinch, the $49.99 Lume Cube LITE Edition laptop-friendly ring light is a quick and easy way to add such light to your shooting environment. It plugs into a power source via USB, and can be fully powered through any regular laptop, meaning you can also use it for other purposes — like conference calls. Reviewers love the amount of extra brightness it can add to any space, and it sounds like the build quality make it a winner. It’s dimmable as well, if you only need a certain amount of light in your environment.
Before, mobile projectors were not of the highest quality so it’s not a device that you would want to use for home movie nights. They were good enough for some presentations if you need something that can be portable and easily accessible. But in terms of video and projection quality, it left a lot to be desired. But lately, LED projector makers have been upping the ante, courting the market that would rather use projectors to watch movies and TV shows rather than using a smart TV or laptop.
Designer: ASUS
ASUS in particular has come up with pretty decent portable projectors with its ZenBeam line. The latest one is the ZenBeam 1080p LED projector which you can use for your TV show marathon sessions or a drive-in movie festival in your background. It can even serve as your own gallery of sorts with a Light Wall feature that lets you project images onto your wall to fit the ambience of your home or of the moment and you can of course change the “painting” as often as you want.
The projector has 400 ANSI lumens which is perfect for night time viewing outdoors. It has a mercury-free RGBB LED light source with a Full HD resolution with a 1:2:1 ratio and can project visuals between 40 and 120 diagonal inches. It comes with Android TV so you can download any app or video streaming service that is compatible with the platform. Sound quality should also be pretty okay since it uses Harman Kardon sound.
The ZenBeam L2 projector looks like it can roam around the moon as the design seems to be that of a small robot or rover. It has a 3.5 hour battery life so it should be enough for a movie or a couple of episodes before you would need to plug it in. I wouldn’t mind having one that I can pull out if I need to project something on a surface. I mean I would still prefer my TV or my tablet but for group viewing somewhere that doesn’t have that, then this would be the next best thing.
Think of the BlueNexus as the Roomba of the water. Unlike human pool cleaners, the BlueNexus actually enters your pool, scrubbing, suctioning, and purifying every inch itself. It performs a 3D scan of your pool first, so it can plot the most effective cleaning path, and then it gets to work, cleaning the pool floor, walls, and even steps without scuffing or scratching your pool’s walls.
Designer: Sublue Design
Click Here to Buy Now: $649$1,199 ($550 off). Hurry, only 260/300 left. Raised over $230,000.
Designed by the folks at Sublue, the BlueNexus may be their first underwater robot vacuum, but it isn’t their first rodeo with submersible tech. The award-winning California-based startups has two other successful Kickstarter projects under their belt, namely the WhiteShark series of underwater sea-scooters. Designed less for entertainment and more for maintenance, the BlueNexus is Sublue’s third campaign, and perhaps its most advanced yet.
By comparison, designing an underwater sea-scooter is a lot easier than a submersible autonomous pool cleaner. The latter comes with a lot of bells and whistles, including 3D mapping technology, autonomous driving, vertical ascent, and just the ability to be an effective vacuum cleaner that doesn’t just remove debris, it scrubs algae off all surfaces an cleans the waterline too. The BlueNexus does all of that regardless of your pool’s shape, or the tiling material. It works on regular, curved, inclined, and even stepped pools, performing a comprehensive 3D scan using Sublue’s proprietary Geoguru navigation system to know what design it’s working with, before plotting the most effective cleaning path to get started.
Getting started is as easy as lowering the BlueNexus into the water and hitting a button on your smartphone app. The pool-cleaning robot features two units, the submersible vacuum bot itself, and a floating connectivity hub that allows it to communicate with your smartphone, tablet, etc. Once instructed, the BlueNexus gets to work, meticulously covering every inch of your pool. The 165W suction motor is enough to clean leaves, pebbles, and any other debris that may find its way into your pool, while a rotating scrubber also gently dislodges algae or anything else that’s stuck to your pool floor or walls. The folks at Sublue designed the BlueNexus to be compatible with a wide range of pool materials, going from the conventional concrete and mosaic tile to even vinyl lining, Pebble Tec, fiberglass, and PVC foil.
Geoguru – Equipped with 12+ sensors for flawless obstacle detection and pool wall protection.
The Geoguru mapping and navigation system is arguably the BlueNexus’ secret sauce. Relying on 12+ sensors (ultrasonic tech, infrared lasers, and advanced SLAM to name a few), the robot can map its way around the pool, detect obstacles, and even walls to make sure they don’t accidentally get scratched while cleaning. The Geoguru algorithm helps the BlueNexus be much more efficient too, making it clean 8x quicker than conventional pool cleaners. Couple that with the built-in 3.5-hour battery and the BlueNexus easily cruises through most pools without requiring a secondary charge.
Multiple Cleaning Mode – Adapts to any pool shape for a comprehensive clean, all controlled effortlessly with one touch.
The pool-cleaning robot comes with 5 different modes to choose from, including smart cleaning, floor cleaning, wall and waterline cleaning, all-round cleaning, and a remote control cleaning mode that allows you to control it through the app. Regardless of the mode you pick, when the BlueNexus is done cleaning, or when its battery runs low, it automatically ascends the pool wall, making it easy to fish out without needing to get into the pool. A large 4.5L inner chamber holds all the dirt that the BlueNexus cleaned out, and can easily be detached, emptied, and hosed down before being reinstalled.
The BlueNexus is compact, cordless, and is built like a rock. The lithium batteries encased within the pool cleaner are secured remarkably well, ensuring that water never seeps in. As far as software goes, Sublue guarantees improvements to the BlueNexus via OTA updates. Starting at $649 for early bird backers, the BlueNexus ships globally starting October 2023, and comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
Click Here to Buy Now: $649$1,199 ($550 off). Hurry, only 260/300 left. Raised over $230,000.
