Product review: HyLoft 00625 45-Inch by 45-Inch Overhead Storage System

I installed 45" x 45" HyLoft storage system in the unfinished basement. Hyloft consists of 4 steel poles attached to the rafters, 2 poles that connect them to form a support to 3 gridded shelves.

Since I have exposed beams I slightly modified how I attached the 4 steel poles to the rafters instead of bolting the to the bottom per instructions that worked with finished ceilings, I attached them to side of the rafters with a set of bolts I purchased separately. You can see my method in attached video.

What is nice about the system is that it gives you a bit of freedom of how to position the poles, as you can see in the video they do not have to be precisely in the corners of the shelves. I have some over hang as it allowed me to position the shelves in a way that will be easy to access them from all directions for loading and unloading. It also gives you a lot of control of how high from the floor you want to hang the shelves.

The system feels very secure although it flexes as you put things on and off. It is very roomy and allowed me to use previously dead space very effectively. I liked it so much that I also purchased a second smaller unit (27" x 36") to make use of the area above washer and dryer.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★

Product review: HeadRig 1 - Universal smartphone head mount for Hands Free Video Capturing byMoble L.L.C.

I do a lot of "how to" and review videos and recently someone asked my opinion on head rigs. I do NOT like them!  I am reposting a review I did in 2015 to show why I rated the head rig as 2 stars product even though it was well made and held the phone securily.

My initial excitement at the idea of hands free set-up dissipated after I saw the resulting video. It worked but not as well as I hoped. Here are my observations.

1. The best videos are steady without any shake. To keep the video totally steady in a head harness is very difficult.

2. For a good video the subject should be centered in the frame or at least not cut off. The issue with the harness is that it is hard to see the screen even though I positioned it as low as possible so I can peek at the screen of the smart phone which is facing me.

3. Operating the camera video app is difficult as the rig itself covers up important parts of the screen.

On the positive side, the rig held the phone very security. I was able to accommodate my phone which is 5 7/8" long. The size of my phone is about the maximum size the harness could fit. I had to remove one of the balls on the ends otherwise it did not open enough. The HeadRig can accommodate a phone 1/4" larger (with both balls removed) more but not any larger.

Because I extended the phone as far as possible and as low as possible from my head (so I can see as much of the screen as possible for better framing) the harness felt rather top heavy and I had to tighten the harness on my head very tightly otherwise it slid forward.

So what was the bottom line? It certainly was easier to do the demos when I did not have a tripod in front of me, but the final video with the tripod was better because it had zero shake and I could frame the shot better. In addition to the shake and framing the quality of the videos taken by the phone is not as good as one taken with a camera. In my videos taken with the harness I could see the focus go in and out and I did not find the resulting video acceptable.

At the end of my video review you can see a video I shot with the harness for another one of my reviews, I decided not to use that video because of the shake and the focus going in and out as my head moved slightly.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Bausch & Lomb Advanced Relief Eye Wash - 4 oz.

I have ordered Bausch and Lomb Advanced Eye Wash in the past.  Since I last ordered the changed the design of the cap and I like it less. The cap is now attached to the bottle and the dropper is to the side rather than in the middle of the bottle. I find it harder to control the flow to put it in my eye as the cover and off center position make it more difficult.  However the solution is as good as before.

This Amazon order was purchased in June 2017, the bottle I received expired in 2019. Pretty good!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Ree&Bee Magnetic Edges Windshield Snow Cover

The windshield shade is made out of light weight nylon - one side is black to help melt snow in the winter, the other silver to reflect sun in the summer. Its size is 80" x 48" and it has strong six magents sewn into the edges. In attached video you can see it on my Honda CRV SUV. The windshield is covered fully side to side and top to bottom with enough material to have overlap dangle down so the doors can hold down the sides. The troublesome area for CRV is how snow packs under the windshield wipers (between the hood and the windshield), so even though the wipers could be used to hold the cover down, I like putting the cover on top so I can keep the snow away from that area between the hood and the window.

I like the magnet design to keep the windshield on top of the car. The magnets insure that the edges of the cover are not lifted by the wind, while the flaps tucked into the doors make sure that the entire cover does not fly away.

Overall, it does makes snow removal easier after a snow fall, and especially useful for the icy mix - no scraping is required!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: B BRIGHT Zoomable USB Rechargeable IPX4 Waterproof Headlamp

This headlamp is very bright. It has three lamps and can operate in four modes: two small lamps, one powerful central lamp, or three lamps together, and finally it can be put in the strobe mode. In addition to the front light, it has a red light on the battery compartment which is useful for any nighttime outdoor activity as it makes the person visible from the back.  When the headlamp is in strobe mode both the front and the back lights flash.

The central lamp has a zoom. The ring on the central light can be rotated to change the size of the beam from small to large as I show in the video.

The straps on the headlamp are highly adjustable and fits both my relative small head and my husband's head.

The light is mounted on a bracket which can be racheted to angle down so it is can be aimed to point to the ground in front of the person.  The racheting mechanism is a little stiff but hopefully it will become smoother with more use.

The  headlamp runs on either one or two 18650 batteries. It has a built-in battery charger and a micro USB cord is included in the package. Also included is a AAA battery holder. Instead of using 18650 batteries, one could use the more common AAA batteries.

The  package also includes a bicycle bracket, so the headlamp can be used as a bike headlamp as well.


Overall, pretty good headlamp: the brightness of the light and light on the back are two things that made it my favote headlamp.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Side by side comparison of batteries for Arlo video camera / Energizer Photo Battery, Cell Size, 123

I am using four CR123A Lithium 3V batteries in Arlo wireless video camera.  I owned Arlo camera for a few years so I had a chance to compare longevity of several different batteries (Panasonic, Duracell, Energizer as well as off-brand rechargeable batteries).  Every time I change the battery I write down the date so I can compare the longevity from each set of batteries.  Arlo takes 4 batteries at a time.

Energizer batteries have performed the worst in my experience, on par with rechargeable batteries.

* Cold weather (i.e. spans winter): Panasonic 4 months, Duracell 2 months, Energizer 2 weeks.
* Warm weather: Panasonic 6 months,  Duracell 4 months

Another data point I have is comparison with rechargeable CR123A Lithium batteries.

* Cold weather: Panasonic  4 months, rechargeable 123A  2 weeks
* Warm weather: Panasonic 6 months, rechargeable 123A 1 month

A note on Panasonic batteries.  I have been burned when I bought Panasonic batteries from vendors other than Amazon, they appear to last significantly less (this happened twice).  It is possible that other vendors are selling older batteries.  So I always check the vendor and pay a buck or two more if necessary to get it directly from Amazon as it gets me several extra month of battery life.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: CETIM Emergency Personal Alarm Keychain

This personal alarm is quite loud, my ears were not too happy while I tried it out indoors.  The documentation states that the loudness of the alarm is 130dB.

The alarm is fairly small in size about 2.75" long x 1.6" wide and 0.75" thick. It runs on three L4RR batteries.

The sound is initiated by pulling out a pin attached to the lanyard  from the side of the gadget.  The lanyard makes it easy to pull out.   To stop the sound you need to re-insert the pin back into the device.  Since the pin is totally separated from the alarm it might be possible to misplace it during emergency.  In that case it would be impossible to stop the sound until the battery runs out. 

The personal alarm also has a button in the center which turns on a small flashlight.  This small flashlight is not the strong point of the device, it is an extra feature to the main functionality of making a loud noise.  The light is not very bright but good enough in a emergency.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: LeadsaiL Cordless Mouse, Wireless Mouse for Laptop

I spend almost the entire day with a mouse in my hand, so I am very sensitive to the mouse shape. I have a preference for mice without a large round hump, I prefer more flat mice.  My old mouse is an old Logitech mouse. This mouse very similar in size to the old Lotitech and it has a flat profile, in fact it is even flatter than my Logitech mouse. It might be too flat for someone with large hands, but in my small hand it feels pretty comfortable.


I am using this mouse both on Windows and Linux machines.  It works well under both operating system, both operating systems immediately recognized it and required no special drivers.

This is very simple button, other than left and right click it has a scroll wheel and DPI adjustment. That's it. All four controls work with out any issues.

This mouse is rechargeable.  This has pluses and minuses. On the positive side I don't need to feed it batteries, on the negative side I need to remember to recharge it every night so I don't get caught with a dead battery and no mousing device. 
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Breo Scalp Massager Portable Waterproof Electric Head Massager

When I have a migraine pressing on various points on my head really helps to reduce the pain.  This massager works well for me to reduce pain, it takes less effort than pressing with my fingers and it applies pressure in four separate spots.  The massager has two modes: fast and slow. The handle is convinient to hold.  When I press it hard it slows down the rotation somewhat but it keeps going.

The massager comes with a base for recharging. While charging it blinks with a pale green light (I had to turn down the lights in the room to see the light, it is fairly light in color).  When the massager is fully charged the light stops blinking and remain steady green.  To change the modes I need to press the button on top of the massager. To turn the massager off I just hold it down for longer.

The package also include 4 soft brushes.  The documentation leaflet does not mention the brushes, or explain how to replace the heads on the massager. My video shows how to do it.  You need to pull the heads straight out with a little force, the brushes fit in to the same ports.  These brushes can be used for a more gentle massage or to clean your face (dry or with a cleanser).

Overall, I find it very helpful for my head aches and in general the massage feels good. The massager can be used for neck and shoulders, but its shape best fits the curves of the head.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: MOYANG Digital Talking Alarm Clock

This clock is particularly good for someone who does not see well.  Not only does this clock has large 1.25" numbers, but it will speak the time and temperature when you touch the top of the clock.  You can also set it up for announce time every hour.

I like this LED clock because the numbers are large and easy to see. Each number is 1 5/8" high. The clock itself is 3.75"" tall, 4.75" wide, and 1 3/5" thick. In the dark room this clock automatically turns on back-lighting. The back-light also turns on when you press the top of the clock.  We are using this clock in the bathroom, it is especially handy when someone has to visit the bathroom at night in the dark.

This clock is easy to set. It is controlled by the well-labeled buttons on the back. There is a slide that allows you to select what you want to set (time, alarm, date), then the three buttons on the set the values. The alarm is not super loud, but enough to wake me up. The button on top turns on the back light and voice also serves as a snooze button for the alarm.

The clock also shows the date and temperature, which are displayed in smaller font so I have to be close to see them and I don't rely on them much.

The clock runs on three AAA batteries. The batteries are NOT included.

I am finding the clock very useful.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Uni Home WiFi Smart Power Strip

This smart power strip has a potential of being a 5 star product if not for the unfriendly user face on the registration portion of the app that controls it. Setting up the strip was painful but once the set up is done the power strip works well.

The smart power strip requires no hub, it has a built-in hot spot that can be paired with a phone or devices like Alexa and Google Home.  Once the power strip is paired one can turn the power strip on and off using the phone, as well as set up a schedule and count down timer for when the outlets or power strip will turn on  and turn off.

This power strip has four AC outlets and four USB ports.  The app allows one to control either all outlets on the power strip or each outlet/port individually.

Limitations:
1. The power strip only works with 2.4 GHz WI FI networks
2. The app does not show power consumption
3. Devices that consume more than 1250W cannot be plugged into the strip

The name of the app is "Ama home" by Binglei Ye and it is available from Google Playstore. There is also an app for an iPhone.

Issues with the app:
 (1) The keyboard covers the 'register' button, it was difficult to hide the keyboard and complete registration without entering extra characters. The app inserted extra characters into the re-entered password requiring me to start over many times
(2) The app requires one to register an email address and during my multiple attempts the app would inexplicably insert spaces into the email address which cases the email I entered to become an invalid email addresses and I had to start over
(3) Only letters and numbers are valid in the password, no special characters are allowed

My video shows how I connected the WI FI and added the power strip to the known devices. You can also see scheduled operation and manual turning on and off of the device plugged into the table.  The power strip works well, so don't give up if your registration is painful.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: iProducts Universal Laptop Charger with USB Charging Station

iProducts charger  is a universal charger with one laptop port, two smart ports (blue), and four regular ports (white).  The charger is compact (3.5" x 2.75" X 7/8")  and light (4.75 oz).  Its size and weight is excellent for traveling. On the negative side the port markings are written in very small font in the back and are hard to read. However, once you know what they are the color coding really helps.

The 10 laptop tips are marked to be compatible with major brands (I am including a photo with manufacturer's card that identifies the plugs).  However, even though Lenovo is listed it did not fit my laptop (Lenovo W530).

One of the connectors worked with a digital clock that I lost the connector for, so I was very happy with this unexpected bonus.

I tested two Nexus Android phones -  Nexus 6p takes type C connector and Nexus 5 takes a micro USB connector.  Both worked but not at optimal rate I have seen for each phone.

• Type-C connector on regular port, battery level 43% (at this level the phone does fast charging if charger allows it) 1050 mA max, 690 mA min.
• Type-C connector on smart port, battery level 39% (at this level the phone does fast charging if charger allows it) 880 mA max, 750 mA min.
• The best charging rate I got for this phone and this cable with another charger with battery level at 30-40% was around 2000 mA.

• Micro USB connector on smart plug, battery level 80% 500 mA max, 500 mA min.
• Micro USB connector on regular plug, battery level 80% 500 mA max, 500 mA min.
• The best charging rate I got for this phone and this cable with another charger with battery level at 80% was around 1000 mA.

Overall, I thought the charger was OK - very good size and weight for travel, but  for my phones the charging was not optimal.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

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

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 when I need to make the tape less visible and a white tape when I need to write on it. I mend tears in plastic or keep things taped in place. It even used it for an emergency water hose repair when it busts. 

The white tape is useful 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: ANCwear Smart Watch Phone

Visually this is not an attractive watch - it has a plastic band and plastic back, but it has a beautiful screen that is crisp and easy to read and that responds well to touch. It is fairly large: 1 1/2" x 1 7/8" and 1/4" thick.

The biggest problem with the watch is that its QR code takes you to Chinese web sight to download the app for connecting your phone to the watch. Don't do that. I am a software engineer with a lot of experience in web security - this is not safe. Only download apps from safe app stores such as GooglePlay, Amazon store, iTunes.

I found an app in GooglePlay "BT notifications" that makes some (but not all) functions work.

BT notifications app
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"BT notifications" allow you to forward calls from the phone to the watch as well place calls from the watch. It sounds pretty good - fairy loud and clear. There are three apps in GooglePlay with the same name all from Chinese companies, I picked the one with the highest rating. To start using the app locate the camera in the phone's Bluetooth connections. The watch appears as NX9. When you connect the watch prompts to confirm the connection. Then the watch prompts you if you want to sync time and when you say yes it does. This apps works well. It has access to your contact list via Bluetooth. It does not download it locally unless you use an option to save a contact to the watch's memory. If you don't save the contacts to the watch and uninstall "BT notifications" there is no personal information left on the watch (good security feature when it will come time to discard the watch).

I wanted an application that does more than notification and tried Fundo Wear app, that works with many smart watches as it uses a standard communication protocol.

Fundo Wear app
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fundo Wear is used to sync data between the phone and the watch. This app does not work fully with the watch. It can connect, I can control the phone's camera, set time, but the step information does not appear on the phone.

Operation with out the apps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Even without fully functional syning app the watch is usable. The watch shows time. Pedometer shows the step count, sedentary reminder alerts you if you sit for too long, calculator works well with a touch screen, you also have a calendar and a voice memo recorder.

The pedometer appears to be reasonably accurate. It has an issue that it uses metric units (it shows the distance in meters) and I have not found any way to change the units. However, I mostly care about the step count so this is not a huge problem for me. I am missing seeing the data on my smart phone, but not enough to sacrifice security of my entire network by downloading untrusted app that might work better.

There is one more feature that I really like. This watch can be recharged using a regular micro USB connector. This is much better than a propriety connector I have seen in other smart watches.

Overall, this is watch has a number of flaws and a couple of nice features.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆