Product review: LYDF Rechargeable Tactical Flashlights / 5 Modes Zoomable

Don't let the title which includes the words "for kids" scare you, this flashlight is not a toy.  This compact flashlight (5" when retracted) is very bright and feels very solid.

The spotlight the flashlight produces can be zoomed.  What I like is that when the spotlight is at its largest setting it process even amount of light through out the spot lights.  No rings of light and dark light I have seen in some of old flashlights.

When I press the button on the end firmly the light turns off and turns on, when I press it lightly (i.e. not all the way down) I can switch modes (bright, medium, dim, and two flashing modes).  On the brightest setting I can get about an hour of bright light.

I like that the flashlight can run on either 18650 battery (included) or three AAA batteries (AAA holder is included).

The flashlight is splash resistant (i.e. okay in the rain but cannot be submerged into water).

The package includes in addition to the flashlight: a plastic case, a charger, one 18650 battery, AAA batteries holder, a plastic case for 18650 battery.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Lemome A5 Wide Ruled Hardcover Writing Notebook

This is a high quality notebook. It has high quality thick pages and it takes a pen well. Its hardcover has a nice lightly textured finish.  It has a bookmark as well as an elastic holder. It also has a pen holder on the spine.  The pages are lined.

When I open the journal it lays flat and the pages stay open.  The inside back cover has a pocket where I can keep labels or business cards.

The size of the notebook is 8.4" by 5.7". It has 180 pages.

It comes in a nice box, the packaging looked good enough to be used as a present.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Viewm Cloth Gaffers Tape Heavy Duty Adhesive Tape 2" X 30 Yards

Gaffer tape is a fabric tape with a strong adhesive.  It is similar to duct tape, but a major difference is that it can be removed cleanly because it uses a petroleum-based adhesive rather than rubber adhesive used in duck tape.  The duck tape is easier to produce so it is cheaper.  However, if you need to remove the tape without leaving gunk behind gaffer type is what you need. This is why it has been traditionally used during theater and stage work as they need to tape and remove tape on regular basis.

Gaffer tape comes in many colors, I use a black  tape and a white tape to make the tape blend in for various home projects. I mend tears in plastic or keep things taped in place. It even used it for an emergency water hose repair when it bust. 

The white tape is also handy when you need to write on it.  For example, when I need to label cables I write what the cable is going to on my gaffer tape and then tape it to the cable. When I need to remove it is easy and it leave no sticky residue behind.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: USB Desktop Charger, GMYLE High Speed 40W 8A 5 Ports Power USB Adapter with Smart Charging Technology

I really like this charger. It is quite compact for being able to charge 5 things at the same time. We own a number of mobile devices from different manufactures, we have Android devices, Apple devices, Samsung devices. Google (starting with Jelly Bean 4.21) figured out the Apple protocol and starting with that release is able to draw the optimal charge on ports designed for Apple. My Nexus devices work well on different ports for most chargers, but the same is not true for my Apple devices and my older Samsung Tablet.

And now we see that some of the better chargers are beginning to add intelligent technology to the chargers so can figure out the optimal protocol to use for each device on any port. This GMYLE wall charger is one of this new breed.

I tested this wall charger using a current monitor with my Android phone and iPad Mini. I ran my tests with each devices on every port while it was the only one charging, as well while the charger was charging three tablets and two phones. The charger provided optimal charging on every port on every test. Impressive! I am including details below for those who like to see the technical details.

➨ Test results
======================
--------------------------
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (the only device charging)
--------------------------
Port 1: 1.04A/5.15V
Port 2: 1.03A/5.14V
Port 3: 1.03A/5.14V
Port 4: 1.04A/5.14V
Port 5: 1.04A/5.14V

--------------------------
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (with 6 other devices charging)
--------------------------
1.02A/5.15V
--------------------------
✔ iPad Mini (the only device charging)
--------------------------
Port 1: 1.64A/5.05V
Port 2: 1.61A/5.05V
Port 3: 1.51A/5.05V
Port 4: 1.59A/5.05V
Port 5: 1.56A/5.05V

--------------------------
✔ iPad Mini (with 6 other devices charging)
--------------------------
1.55A/5.15V
--------------------------

To summarize this charger did well charging my 5 devices at the same time as well as one at a time. The charger is compact in size and takes up only one spot on the power strip.
size: 3.5" x 2.25" x 1"
weight: 5.70 oz
AC cord length: 59"


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: NaturalAreaRugs Natural Fiber Amsterdam Jute Rug, 8-Feet by 10-Feet

This is an updated review after using the rug for over a year.  I originally ranked it as a 5 star product  because of how nice it looked.  However after a year of use in a fairly heavy traffic area it began to fall apart.  I am reducing the rating to 3 star "okay".  If you use it a heavy traffic area expect to replace it in a year.

Original review: This rug is made out of Jute (90% Jute and 10% Cotton). I love natural colors and I think this rug has beautiful colors: beige, rust, brown. It is hand made by a good artisan - the edges of the rug are straight, it lays flat, the weave looks very even. I own a couple of smaller rugs in the similar style as door mats and such and some of them have wavy edges, but this one looks expertly made and looks good in the center of the room.

If you are not familiar with Jute it is made out of the bark of a Jute plant that is spun into coarse strong threads. It is more coarse and rough compared to cotton. If you step on it with your bare feet you can feel the difference, it feels rougher than cotton.

Even though I like the looks and workmanship of the rug, I have to include one negative. When the rug first arrived it had a scent - it is not a moldy scent, and does not smell chemical either, but mild scent not I am not able to identify. Initially as I spread it out on the floor the room had a scent, however now 2 weeks later the scent is no longer there.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Satechi Audio Move SD Portable MP3 Player Stereo Speaker

Satechi speaker is a small wired speaker and MP3 player (from micro SD media source). It has a crisp and pleasant sound at most ranges but at the very deep bass it does not deliver the full sound. The volume of music cannot be made super loud, but it is sufficient if you are near by or if you want to have quiet background music in a larger room. The speaker is 5.35" long, 2.5" wide, and 1" tall. It has rounded sides so it cannot be balanced on its sides, only on the back panel with the speaker facing up.

The speaker runs on a lithium battery. It is charged by a standard USB cable.

In the attached video I show MP3 operation from a micro SD memory card as well as using the speaker as a wired external speaker for my tablet (this speaker is not a bluetooth speaker).

To help me evaluate and compare different speakers I always use the same pieces of music to test the speakers. This way I can compare the speakers using this "apples-to-apples" comparison. As a stress test for the bass I use Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Satechi speaker handled the most of Bach Fugue well, with the exception of the section with the deepest bass where it sounded a bit muddy. However it did not crackle and handle that section better than many small speakers.

This speaker is not going to satisfy an audiophile but given the price this is a nice little speaker.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Fresh Brand Men's Cotton Sweater and Cardigan

This is a nice quality sweater with a big BUT.  The size is totally off.  I originally got it for my husband and he wanted a loose comfy sweater so I ordered one size up.  When it arrived it was so tight that he rejected it.  It does fit me (I wear medium size) but I need to roll up the sleeves or they are too long for me.

The sweater is a very dark navy color (almost black) with black synthetic leather elbow patches. It is made from 80% Cotton and 20 % polyamide.

The workmanship on the cardigan is nice - neatly finished seams, no hanging threads. It comes with a spare button.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Key Finder Phone Finder Anything finder by YOUDUO

I got this key finder for my mother who is getting forgetful.  She often loses her keys and spends a lot of timing searching for them.  The key finder allows an app running on her phone to activate a ringer attached to key chain.

The connection between the phone and the ringer is made via Bluetooth so the distance is limited.  However, it does work between two floors of the house. The ringer comes from a small speaker in the receiver, so it is not very loud. My hearing is very good and I can hear it when the ringer is on another floor, but my mother's hearing is as good as mine and she can only hear the ringer when the ringer is on the same floor.

The package comes with a spare CR2032 battery as a key that opens the receiver.  The unit comes with the battery installed so I did not need to install the spare right away.

What could be better? I would nice of the receiver was even smaller. I show it on 1/2" grid and on key ring for size reference. It also would be nice if the ringer was louder.

Tips on connecting:
1. Do not use the phone's bluetooth settings.  Connect the app and the ringer using the app.
2. How to use the app to connect the phone to the device.  After you install the app (app name is Rtrivr2) click on the bluetooth icon on the screen.  This will start the wizard that will guide you through establishing the connection.

Keys seem to be the most natural thing for the key finder, but you can attach it to other things you might want to track. I like the idea of attaching it to my suitcase when I travel so I can easily tell it apart from other suitcases on the carousel.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: GranVela Trail Camera Night Vision, 12MP 1080P HD Hunting Camera

We are big animals lovers and own several wild cams so we can observe the wildlife visitors we are lucky to get every day. Having several cameras gives me a base for comparison.  I rank this camera high among the ones I have tried:
(1) Video quality is good during the day and during the night.  The camera does best in indirect light (i.e. when the sun is NOT directly into the lens). When the light is directly into the camera the contrast in the shadows is not as good. I am including example of different light conditions, including a short night time clip.
(2) The camera has an easy to use menu-based interface.
(3) The sensativity of the motion detector is pretty. In the night time video you see a little bird triggering the camera at a good distance.

The camera has a good motion sensor and is activated only when something interesting is happening, so every video it captures has something good on it. The camera can be mounted in a number different (strap to attach to a tree or a tripod mount).  I am using a tripod.

The camera runs on eight AA batteries (not included). The battery life is pretty good.  After running for a week taking hundreds of videos every day the camera's battery indicator shows that it is half full. SD card is not included. The camera produces AVI and JPG output.

This camera case is robust.  The tripod with the camera has been knocked down by animals several times, and the camera still running, no problems. The case is waterproof and has been out in several rain storms and snow storms without any problems.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Book review : Fluid Art Mastery: 8 Steps To Being A Paint Pouring Artist byRick Cheadle

This book is written by a self-taught mixed-media artist.  The book includes examples of his artworks which I liked and found them very useful in the context of the technique explanation. 

The book starts with a brief history of fluid art. The history starts with Savid Siqueiros, but  unfortunately does not show any of his artwork. I was able to locate his work on internet as I wanted to see what his art looked like to  influence so many other artists.  

Then the book describes how to set up your own studio, including the safety equipment such as fire extinguisher. I liked that the author included photos of his own studio as well as the price of the equipment. 

Finally, the author moves to explaining the technique he uses.  The explanations  were clear and useful, and the artwork itself is beautiful.

One thing I found a little distracting is that the text of every line in this book is centered, rather than using the traditional type setting technique of filling each line start to end. However,  I was enjoying the content and the formatting annoyance was minor.

You can find this book on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Food review: Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Plan, Low Carb Diet Ready To Drink Shake, Vanilla Cream

The good news is that I thought the taste of the shakes was not bad (I have tried both chocolate and vanilla).

The bad news is that Slim-Fast gives me the runs. I have tried it a few times hoping it was a fluke, but no... I get uncontrollable diarrhea after the second shake.

My suggestion, when if you are trying this product for the first time do not leave home for a few hours after the first few times you try the shake in case it gives you the same side-effect as it gave me. I was not able to complete either the chocolate or the vanilla containers, as the side effect was too severe to deal with.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: BUREI Men's Automatic (mechanical) Watch with Black Calfskin Band, Silver Bezel White Dial

This is a review for Burei  mechanical watch. At the time when I am writing this review the watch is just under $66. Despite the price is looks very elegant and works well. This watch works either by winding or from auto winding just from the movement of the person's hand. Turning the crown about 40 times will fully wind the mainspring. One full winding keeps the mainspring wound for about 34 hours. The manual says that if the watch is worn for 8 hours a day it typically does not need winding. However, this depends on how active the person's hands are during the day. My husband has a desk job and most of the days his hands are busy using a computer, which does not involve a lot of movement. He wound the watch on Saturday and without any additional winding it stopped at 5 am on Thursday morning. He loves mechanical watches and has a couple of others, so we have some basis for comparison and this Burei watch ran longer at his level of activity than the other watches.

The watch looks great, it is accurate (after two weeks of use still matches the computer time which was used to set it). There is however a strange restrictions on setting date and time. Since the date has to be adjusted once a month like on any mechanical watch this information is important. The documentation warns not to set the date when the watch's time is between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Quick-setting of the date during this period is prohibited, because this can break the operating movements and damage the watch. The manual says that when making day and date adjustments one should bring the hour hand out of the "danger zone" prior to setting the day and date. Sounds like a design flaw which the maker decided to document rather than fix.

The watch has a stainless steel body and genuine leather band. The band's maximum width 8.25" (last hole), if needed additional holes could be made to make it as wide as 8.5". My husband has slim wrists and the band fits him, but if you have big hands this might be an issue. The band's minimum length is 6.5". The watch weighs 2.4 oz. The watch's face is 1.6" wide and the watch is 0.4" thick. The silver face is not only attractive, but easy to read. It is water resistant to rain and splashing, but cannot be submerged under water.

Overall, this is a very attractive classy looking watch. Given the price of many mechanical watches this watch is a good deal. My husband has been wearing it for 2 weeks checking its accuracy against his smart phone - it keeps accurate time.

The watch comes in attractive box with a pillow and the package also included a gift bag, so this watch works well for gift giving.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Trackimo TRK-100 Universal Personal GPS Tracker

This GPS tracker is 2"L x 1.75"W and 7.8" thick )including the magnet plate or clip). It weighs 1 oz. The size might work for a large dog when using a clip, but mostly it is meant for sticking to a metal surface like a car or having it in backpack/pocket.

Some GPS devices only work when they are in the open and see the sky. This is not the case with Trakimo. I tested it indoors, hidden under the seat of the car, inside of my purse, under the car chassis. It was able to track in all those situations. It must be doing triangulation by determining its location from the position of the near by cell towers. When I initially turned on the unit for the first time I intentionally kept it inside the house for a couple of hours before taking it outside, at first it was about 7 miles off (the display noted it was an estimate) and in about 2 hour it got my location exactly right without even being outside.

You can track the device either from the website or from the phone. I am using an Android app, and I thought it was pretty nice. The app gives you an option to track every minute, every 5 minutes, and so forth up to every 2 hours. You can also see the history - last hour, last day, last week, or a range of dates. The tracking information is shown on Google maps so it is very clear, you can zoom in, see the satellite view and so forth.

The setup of the unit was pretty simple with one "gotcha" step. Once the device is charged all you need to do is turn it on and activate on the web site. As you register the device on the web site you need to enter the device id number. The image shown on the screen looked like the back of the unit, however my unit had no 7 digit id on the back. By the time I thought of looking at the box the device came in the box was already in the trash... but luckily the trash was not taken out. The id number was on the back of the box which was not mentioned anywhere in the documentation or the web site. I provided my feedback on this setup step to the manufacturer, hopefully it will be noted in the future. So don't through out the box until you register the device!

What can be better?
One of the likely uses for this device is "stealth" (for example, a cheating significant other). It would be better if the unit did not have a logo which says "Trackimo". If it was a plain black box without any markings it would reduce the likelihood that the cheating spouse would discover the box and know immediately what it does.

I did not find SOS function all that useful. When button is pressed it sends a message that the button was pressed. You know where the button was pressed but you don't know why.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Lightjust 9x11-Inch Village Hardcover Sketch book

This is my favorite design for sketchbooks books. I like spiral sketchbooks that lay flat when I fold them, and they have a perforated strip that makes it easy to tear out pages without making a mess with the pieces torn off by the spiral.

This spiral book has 100 pages. The paper is nice quality (80 pound), when I write the reverse side does not show the writing. I can erase without damaging the paper.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Xtech XHST-100 Oral Hygiene Rechargeable Electric Ultrasonic Toothbrush

My husband gets a lot of build-up in his teeth and sees his dental hygienist 4 times a year. She recommended that he use an electric toothbrush, specificity she thought a non-disposable electric toothbrush has a more powerful motor and gives a more thorough cleaning. Since then he has used a number of brands with the latest being this XTech one.

My husband agreed to be a test subject for this review. He has been using XTech toothbrush every day between two of his cleaning appointments.  They hygienist assessment was that it worked better than a manual toothbrush but not as good as the period when he used OralB.

XTech toothbrush rechargeable toothbrush comes with 3 brush heads. The full charge takes 24 hours, and allows enables two weeks of regular brushing by 1 person. Alternatively, the toothbrush handle can be left charging every day to stay at full charge.

The toothbrush comes with 60" cord. The toothbrush holder is 5", the base is 3.75" x 4.125". It has a built-in UV sanitizer, it sanitizers heads stored in the compartment (I was able to show the UV light when turned down the light while taking the video).

When you are ready to brush your teeth and put toothpaste on the brush, put the brush into our mouth before turning the brush on to avoid splashing toothpaste. To use the brush you don't need to scrub or push, just move it from tooth to tooth and the vibration of the brush will do all the work.

The brush has five modes: Clean, Sensitive, White, Gumcare, Massage. You can cycle through them by pushing the button on the handle. The toothbrush automatically turned off after two minutes.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: LIHAO 25 PCS 3/4" Black Plastic Side Release Buckle for Paracord

I purchased LIHAO buckles on Amazon. That listing offers a variety of buckles, I got the 7/8" and 3/4" buckles.

5/8" buckle is a fairly small buckle: when closed it is 1.5" side to side and 7/8" wide. It comes in a bag of 50 plastic side-release snap-fit buckles. Because of the small size I found some somewhat difficult to open.

3/4" buckle is a medium buckle: when closed it is 1.75" side to side and 1" wide. It comes in a bag of 25 plastic side-release snap-fit buckles. These buckles are easier to open than the 5/8" size.

The few buckles I tried so far worked smoothly. This is a cost effective way to get a large set of buckles for any crafter! What can be better? The buckles come in a non resealable bag, I would have found a zip lock bag more useful as it will take me a while to use all the buckles in various projects. This was my storage solution - I transferred the buckles into zip lock bag of my own.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★