Monthly Subscription Box Review: Gadget Discovery Club

This week we will be reviewing the Monthly Subscription Box by the Gadget Discovery Club. (Thanks to the guys at the Gadget Discovery Club for sending us this box to review!)

Monthly subscription boxes are certainly fun but there are so many out there it becomes hard to choose just one. (I will be reviewing more Subscription boxes in the future so be sure to comment with your suggestions!). 

One of the Subscription services that caught my eye was the Gadget Discovery Club. 

A Monthly subscription to the Gadget Discovery Club will cost £24.99/Month (including shipping). You can pick up your first box now for 50% off!. 

Six business days later you will receive your new Gadget. 

You will receive a new Gadget each Month worth between £35 - £50. You can see some of the examples of previous Months Boxes (pictured above). 

Don't like your Gadget? or Already have one?. 

If you send the Gadget back, they will give you a full refund. You can also cancel your subscription at anytime.

With over, 93,000 Members and lot's of positive reviews I was excited to give it a try!. 

You can watch the Video here. 

In the Box I received was the "MiniBoom" Wireless Speaker by RISE, which is valued at £44.99. You can check out the Product here. 

Simply connect the device to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth, then you are good to go. 

The speaker is really small and also really loud! (should you need it). 




It's well built and has a decent weight to it. It can be used as a Camera Button to help with taking Snapshots or be used to answer your calls as a Loudspeaker. 

I was pleasantly surprised with this little gadget and I might have never bought one before. 




I am glad I got to try a new gadget and I find myself using it more than I thought I would. I like the mystery of having a new gadget arrive every month, that won't break the bank. Also the fact that should you not like the gadget you can always send it back!. 

There was only one thing I think is missing from the Gadget Discovery Club, and that's ability to send a Box as a Gift, though they are working on it (maybe something to look forward to). 

If you want to try the Gadget Discovery Club, check out their website and try your first box for Half Price!.

You can also visit their Facebook Page and ask any questions you might have. 

If you try the Gadget Discovery Club, be sure to let us know what you thought in the comments below. Also let us know what your favorite Subscription boxes are!. 

I hope you found this review helpful, and as always thanks for reading!.


(Note, I am not being paid for this review, nor is this an affiliate link. These are just my thoughts and opinions). 

Robot Eyes in Blender 2.8

(Robot Eyes Result)

In this Video, we will be recreating a familiar VFX Tutorial, Robot Eyes. 

Watch the preview here.

Keen viewers of my channel will already be aware of the "Robot Eyes" Tutorial we have done previously. Since there are many changes from 2.79 to 2.8, I thought it would be interesting to recreate this VFX shot within Blender 2.8. 

We will utilize the new VFX workspace (which helps optimize our workflow), though you can always create your own Workspace. 

First we will track our footage and though some things have changed, it feels very similar to 2.79. I did have some trouble though, I couldn't find the option to "Show Search Size". We can see (and change) the search size as a Value but there was no representation on screen. 

Now maybe I am missing something (If I am please be sure to let me know in the comments) or this could be a bug but many of you know, I like to use that option a lot. 

We then use the "Masking" section and then rotoscope the eye (and more importantly the blink). We did a tutorial on Masking. If you are having trouble with masking, you can check out there Tutorial here. 

Now we are ready to add our tracking information to the 3D Scene. This can be done with the click of a single button. Though when I tried this the first time, I encountered a bug. (When you add the tracks to the 3D scene. If your Markers do not move when you play through the timeline, simply move to a random point on the timeline then press Ctrl + Z. Your Markers should now move).

Remember, 2.8 is in Beta and some bugs will occur. So if you encounter this bug or another, be sure to report it. 

Then in the 3D scene, we can add an "Image as Plain" and add the Robot Eye Texture. If you want to use the same image, you can download it here (CC-0). 

Then we need to change a couple of settings to make the Alpha Transparency work (it would be nice to make these changes as we import the image but it take only a couple of seconds to make the changes). 

Duplicate your plain and Parent each of them to the Trackers and now we can move on to the "Compositing" section. 

For the compositing, we look at adding the Robot Eyes to the Live Action Footage we have been working with. I decided to brighten the "Whites" of the eyes to add some more "Surrealism" to the shot (Though having robot eyes may be surreal enough?). As we do this we create some pretty useful custom Masks. 

I also wanted to add a nice shadow on the eye to add depth and to try and make the shot look more realistic (since in the real world, the top eyelid would naturally cast a shadow on to the eye). 

Then we can finish it off with some glare, glow and color grading. I took some screenshots of my node set-up. I tired to tidy things up and make it look cleaner (though it still looks a mess).

(Robot Eyes - Node Set-up)

(Section One)

(Section Two)

(Section Three)

Once you are happy with it, make sure you set the output, the correct video resolution (also make sure the % slider is at 100%). Also make sure you change your file type to FFMPEG video. 

For the encoding, you can select the preset tab and choose "H_264 in MP3". 

Then go ahead and hit Render (or you can use the shortcut, Ctrl + F12).

So, I hope you found this video helpful!. If you did be sure to give it a Like! and as always, 

Thanks for watching..   

Best 3D Printer for Beginners?

("Dora" by Easythreed)

3D Printers have always been an interesting piece of technology, though when they first hit the scene they were really expensive and difficult to use. 

In recent times they have become much more affordable and user friendly. 

Despite how readily available they are, some are still not sure if they should buy one or not. 

I think one of the main reasons (apart from justifying the cost to a Partner/Parent), is the lack of information. I have been asked many times; "How does it work?" and "I bet it's really complicated". 

When I show them the process, they can see it's rather quite easy. 

How does it work?

You need to either create or download a Model/Object that you wish to print. 

Then using the "Slicing" software (which is usually provided with your printer), we convert the file into a "GCode". 

The Slicing software will analyze your Object and then work out how the Printer will print it. 

Slicing software can differ but they have essentially the same options that we can change. Some Slicers come with a "One Key" or a "Print Wizard" where you can simply press one button and the software will do it for you. 

Now you have a sliced Object we can save it to our Memory card (Again, usually provided with your Printer). Then you can plug it in and print. 

Ready to Print?

Most printers need to be assembled when they arrive (much like an IKEA flat pack). 

Generally, they come with decent instructions and sometimes have videos on youtube showing you exactly how to set it up. This can take 30 mins up to an hour depending on your skill level and patience. 

Some printers come as All-in-one, and this I recommend for anyone who is just starting out. An All-in-one Printer arrives at your door "Ready to Print", you just feed your filament into the machine and print away. 

Each printer has it's own Pros/Cons. Some print faster than others, some have bigger build sizes and so on.

There are many aspects of 3D Printing to consider and I focused on buying a printer that was not only user friendly but also within my budget. 

("Nano" by Easythreed)

After searching around for a week or so I decided to pick up a nice little 3D Printer called the "Nano" by Easythreed. 

There were a couple of All-in-one Printers that I was interested in, but the Nano just beat the others. I did a review on the Nano. You can check it out here.

I was really excited to get started!. The Nano came with a number of things, like a Magnetic build plate (so you can remove the plate, then remove your Model - ensuring you don't break your part). You also get an SD Card (which has the slicing software on it), SD Card Adapter and some Filament. 

After reading the instructions, though there some instructional videos on the SD Card should you need further help. I "Fed" the Filament into the Printer, plugged in my card and hit the print button. 

A few hours later my Print was ready!. 

(Left: Suzanne Model - Right: Suzanne 3D Print)

As you can see, I printed Blender's "Suzanne" and it turned out great. I just removed the supports from the ears (the supports can be removed with a craft knife or even your hands).

(Suzanne 3D Printed and Painted)

I primed the model with a Filler/Primer and then sanded away. Then I painted it with acrylics (though the paint job sucks I think the model turned out great).

(Dora 3D Printer)

I also did a Review for the "Dora" by Easythreed (an upgraded version of the Nano). Which you can see here. 

The "Dora" Model is much Faster, has a slightly bigger Build Size, LCD screen and much more. I think both printers are great for beginners looking to buy their first machine. 

"Dora", is obviously much better and reflects that with a slightly bigger price tag, but both are reasonable options for everyone's budget. 

If you want to pick up one of these Printers you can visit the Easythreed store via Gearbest store or Facebook Shop. (note, neither links are Affiliate links. I am not being paid, nor do I receive referral fees).

Alternatively, you can search your preferred retailer and buy a completely different Machine, though I suggest searching for an "All-in-one 3D Printer" would be perfect for beginners. 

You can find out more about the Manufacturers in an article here. (credit: inov3d) 

I hope you enjoyed this post, be sure to post a comment or visit our Facebook group!