Tag Archives: 2024

Insta360 Ace Pro 2: Unrivaled 8K Image Quality & AI

Insta360 outdid themselves with their latest action camera – Insta360 Ace Pro 2. This groundbreaking wide-angle action camera delivers unparalleled image quality, smarter, easier capture powered by AI, upgraded audio, and an improved rugged design made for action at its most extreme. It gets better when you learn it has a Leica SUMMARIT lens with a 157º field of view.

Insta360 Ace Pro 2

Creators will enjoy smoother videos with higher frame rates at 8K30fps and 4K60fps Active HDR, PureVideo for excellent low light performance, a bigger 2.5″ flip touchscreen and more.

The action camera utilizes Insta360’s advanced AI technology to offer a smarter experience from shooting to sharing. Innovative functions like the option to pause or cancel a recording, gesture and voice control, Auto Edit, and AI Highlights Assistant completely transform the experience for creators. This makes editing a video so much easier, when deadlines loom.

The waterproofing has increased to 39ft (12m), and it offers crystal-clear audio with an integrated Wind Guard and a removable Lens Guard to handle whatever you throw at it. This provides full flexibility for action and sports enthusiasts.Insta360

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Leica Lens

The Leica SUMMARIT lens offers state-of-the-art image quality with an upgraded 1/1.3″ 8K sensor offering an amazing 13.5 stops of dynamic range. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 delivers simply breathtaking visuals in situations other action cameras simply can’t handle. Exclusive Leica color profiles infuse footage with their signature aesthetic, adding a touch of elegance to every shot.

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Dual Chips

Further contributing to its image quality and performance is the industry-leading dual-chip design. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is the first action camera with a dedicated Pro Imaging Chip that handles image processing and noise reduction, while a separate 5nm AI Chip handles further image processing and overall camera performance, providing a smooth, seamless user experience. The dual chip also enables more shooting modes and higher specifications, such as 8K30fps video, 4K60fps Active HDR (High Dynamic Range), and upgraded PureVideo.

In daytime, upgraded 4K60fps Active HDR brings out all the details in intense highlights and shadows for more vibrant footage. Meanwhile, a wider 157° lens FOV captures more of the surroundings.Insta360-Ace-Pro-2-Motorcycle

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Accessories

The new, removable Lens Guard provides greater all-around protection, meaning creators can feel confident to push the limits further and capture the impossible, knowing their action cam is up to the challenge.

An all-new Wind Guard keeps wind and noise at a minimum during those peak moments, ready to snap on and off as you need. With refreshed audio algorithms bringing professional-grade clarity to your content, you can immerse your viewers like never before. What’s more, the magnetic mounting system lets you seamlessly switch between accessories. Less time spent unscrewing and screwing your camera and mounts, more time in the moment.

Made for those who demand the highest standard of action capture, Insta360 Ace Pro 2 offers the perfect combination of durability and high-quality performance to capture life’s thrills with confidence.

AI Allows for Easier Capture & Editing

Insta360’s revolutionary AI features demonstrate a commitment to making shooting and editing as accessible as possible. Anyone, regardless of their skill level, will be amazed at what they can create. Creators can merge every thrilling moment into one incredible recap or choose the ones their favorites and delete any unwanted clips to save storage.

Acting as a full editing suite in your pocket, the Insta360 mobile app fully embraces the game-changing possibilities of AI with advanced Auto Editing, one-tap templates and creative Shot Lab effects. Instead of spending hours learning complex tools and editing workflows, AI does it all for you, bringing your clips to life with dynamic cuts and transitions. Creators can even achieve the infamous Invisible Selfie Stick effect with the AI Selfie Stick Eraser in the app for third-person views. Looking for a real twist? AI Warp uses preset or custom keywords to bring your wildest ideas to life.Insta360-Ace-Pro-2-Close-up-1

Available Now

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is available to purchase today worldwide via Insta360.com and your favorite retailer. The list price is $399.99 and includes a Wind Guard, Battery, Standard Mount, Mic Cap, and USB-C Cable. The dual battery bundle includes the same accessories and two batteries for $419.99.

Check it out now.

CoverSeal Car Covers Stop Rodent Damage

Rats, Rodents, Squirrels, and Vermin—no matter what you call them—can quickly wreak havoc on any car. Store a classic car for any length of time, and these critters might feast on the car’s wiring, upholstery, and other car parts. Fortunately, one car cover, CoverSeal, has a long-lasting, permanent solution.

Mother Nature’s little four-footed creatures love cars. Whether they wish to gnaw on the electrical insulation found on wiring harnesses, use empty crevices to store nuts for a rainy day, or just need a place to shelter, cars are a natural fit. These cars do not need to be in long-term storage. Cars parked overnight can also be subjected to gifts from the creatures of the night.

All sorts of “urban legends” are alleged to ward off the creatures. Leaving the hood up might work. Placing a bar of soap could be a clean option. Leaving some mothballs is a possible deterrent as well. You might still find creatures using your car regardless of your chosen option. But wait, it gets worse.CoverSeal-Package

Car Covers and Rodents

Many conscientious owners will put a car cover over their precious classic car. A quality car cover can ward away sun and weather damage. But alas, it is also unseen when a car is under cover. So when the car cover is removed, you might discover too late that the creatures had a feast under wraps.

CoverSeal to the Rescue

CoverSeal offers a better car cover. The silver material reflects 90% of sunlight and is made with 300D Polyester. This helps ward off rain, too. The beauty of this cover is that the bottom is a continuous seal of weighted material. That creates a tight seal against the ground that rodents can’t get under.CoverSeal-Cover

CoverSeal comes in various sizes to fit most cars. It also features a premium offering with a higher 420D ripstop weave fabric. The weighted seal at the bottom also means that the car cover stays in place in windy conditions without additional straps or bungee cords.CoverSeal-Fabric

The makers also design covers for trucks and tractors. They offer affordable options for barbecue covers and patio furniture for homeowners.CoverSeal-BBQ

Real World Testing of CoverSeal

We like testing new products. Now, we tested the CoverSeal barbecue cover, and we were impressed. Our test site was 100 feet from coastal water, so rats and other creatures are quite common on the patio. The barbecue cover was the perfect fit, and the bottom-weighted seal kept rodents from burrowing under. If it works for a tempting BBQ, we figure a classic car will also benefit from a CoverSeal. They are so confident in their product that they offer a 12-month money-back guarantee.

Check out all the options on their website.

WOLFBOX Portable Air Compressor MegaFlow 24 – REVIEW

Wolfbox Portable Air Compressor MegaFlow 24

Having a portable, battery-powered air compressor in your car might not seem like a necessity—until your tire starts to go flat. Then, a quick-charging battery-powered air compressor like the WOLFBOX Mega Flow 24 Pro seems like a great idea. But this portable compressor has more uses than airing up a flat tire.Wolfbox-Air-Compressor

Uses for WOLFBOX Air Compressor

The air compressor has four pre-set pressure settings for cars, motorcycles, bikes, and sports gear. So, if you aren’t sure what the air pressure should be, the pre-sets are a great start. Of course, they can be changed to any setting you want. Once the compressor cranks out the PSI to the setting, it shuts off, so you won’t worry about overpressuring it. Plus, the big and bright digital display makes it easy to see. The display also indicates the tire’s current pressure reading and the default setting for airing it up.

The 1200 mAh battery is charged with a USB-C cord, which can also be used to charge or power other devices, like your phone. The display shows the battery level in four bars, so you know how much juice is left in the compressor. Plan on charging the battery to full strength quarterly.

The compressor also has a light that can help when using it at night. You can have the light switch to a flashing pattern, so it can serve as a beacon or warning device, too. The light isn’t the brightest we have seen, but it does the trick and won’t drain the battery too fast.Wolfbox-Display

While the air compressor doesn’t include a nozzle for airing up pool toys and other giant inflatables, we could quickly use a nozzle to pump up a pool lounger without issues.Wolfbox-Accessories

The compressor is also surprisingly quiet, rated at just 80 decibels, and stays relatively cool. Some competitors are known for overheating and might even shut down due to excessive heat. This unit showed no such tendency, although it does offer overheating protection as a precaution. The compressor uses a two-cylinder design, so it can deliver more power and air than some others.

It is available through the manufacturer, at stores, and online, including Amazon and eBay.

What’s included

The air compressor comes in a nice compact EVA case that holds all the accessories

  • Eleven-foot DC cord – in case you need to use your car’s power plug to supplement that battery

  • Twenty-inch air hose with a Schrader valve

  • Presto (french) adapter for some bicycle valves – thoughtful addition

  • Sports ball needle valve

  • Fuse – Just in case of emergencies

Specs of the WOLFBOX MegaFlow 24

The compressor is rated at 150 PSI to inflate any tire of any size.

The 12,000 mAh battery charges in an hour with the included AC adapter

The compressor is rated at 58 liters per minute, so filling up the car tire won’t take long. The company claims a passenger car tire can be inflated in 35 seconds.

The display indicates pressure in PSI, BAR, KPA, or Kg/cm², but we generally leave it on the American PSI.

The compact device weighs less than five pounds.

Two-year warranty

Overall

Even if you didn’t want to store this air compressor in your car, it would make a great tool in the garage. It is easy to use, and the battery power means not having to drag out an electric cord to air up a tire. Keeping your tire air pressure to the correct setting will increase both gas mileage and tire wear. This WOLFBOX compressor will easily pay for itself and avoid calling a tow truck when a tire runs flat.

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2024 La Jolla Concours d’Elegance

In April, the 8th Annual La Jolla Concours d’Elegance was held high above the Pacific coastline. Beautiful weather, beautiful cars, and great camaraderie. How can you go wrong?

113 automobiles competed in thirteen classes, including sixteen specialty awards.20240420_LJC-Tour-HL_73

La Jolla Concoursd’Elegance  Showcase 1920-30s

Instead of featuring a single Marque, the 2024 La Jolla Concours featured cars from the 1920s and 1930s, including Duesenbergs, Packards, Bentleys, and others. Seeing these cars in person and up close showed what style and craftsmanship were like nearly 100 years ago. The ‘Best in Show’ was awarded to the William Lyon family’s pristine 1934 Packard Twelve.20240421_LJC-BestinShow_04

The three-day event kicked off with a welcoming party on Friday night. On Saturday, the cars could go on a cruise through San Diego, including a swing into a local Cars and Coffee event, and enjoy “Porsches on Prospect,” a display along La Jolla’s street life. Of course, Sunday was reserved for the actual show, with plenty of food, live music, and libations to enjoy, along with the expanse of sheet metal.20240421_LJC-Sunday-HL_41

Show Charities

The 18th Annual La Jolla Concours proceeds will go towards the La Jolla Historical Society, which preserves the rich history of the village of La Jolla. In addition to the La Jolla Historical Society, the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance benefits several additional local community non-profit partners each year.20240421_LJC-Sunday-HL_31

Enjoy checking out some of our favorite entries to this year’s showcase.

Photos courtesy of La Jolla Concours d’Elegance

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