Product review: AIBI Waterproof Solid Stainless Case Gold-tone Pearl Dial Quartz Wrist Watch for Women

This is a very nice looking watch. The watch is decorated with crystals (around the dial as well the numbers). I was a little worried that it might look too gaudy in person, but it is not. It looks elegant. It has a stainless steel body. The band's maximum width 9". This is too large for me and I was able to take out a few links with a link removal tool (not included). The face is white with slight pearlescent coating.

The face of the watch is 1.245" wide and the watch is 0.277" thick. The back of the watch states it has Japanese quartz movement. The watch is water resistant to rain and splashing but cannot be submerged into water.

The package include an English manual. The manual covers many watches and none of the faces match this one. But the watch only shows time (no day of the week or any other info) so it is very simple to set. In addition to a normal position the crown can be pulled and in that position it can be used to move the arms to adjust the time.

Overall, this is a very attractive classy looking watch. It comes in nice package, the box has a display pillow so the package would work well as a gift.

This watch is provided by ABBI for review. Getting a review product does not influence what I say, I leave critical reviews as well as positive reviews like this one. I have been wearing this watch for several weeks and it shows accurate time and I like how it looks.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: aLLreLi USB 3.1 Type C Charging Cable for Nexus 5X / 6P

This listing combines several products, my review is for aLLreLi Type C to USB charging cable. I am using this cable with Nexus 6p.

I have been following Benson Leung reviews of Type C cables for a number of weeks prior to buying Nexus 6p. Benson has pointed out that many cables, including this one, violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current, the correct value should be 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. However many Type A USB chargers are rated at 2.5A and some as high as 3A which are safe to use with this cable. I tried using this cable with a number of different chargers and the Nexus 6p phone. All of the chargers were self limiting to their specified capabilities, i.e. if the charger port is labeled as 1.5A that's what it approximately delivered, and charger ports that were labeled as 2.4A delivered approximately 2.4A.

To identify the maximum draw of the phone, I charged it with depleted battery using Type-C to Type-C cable and a Type-C charger provided by Google. My Nexus 6P has never drawn more that 2.5A when charging from the Type-C Google provided charger. Charging with aLLerLi cable and my various chargers stayed under this number as well. So I feel that the aLLeLi cable is safe for use with the Nexus 6p and a QUALITY charger. I don't want to say that it's safe for all combinations of devices, laptops like the Chromebook Pixel and the Apple Macbook draw more current than a phone, and there may be badly made chargers that lack current limiting and might burn themselves out. However with a quality charger that's rated for higher currents this cable will charge faster than a USB 3.1 compliant cable.

Below are the details of my tests. All test were done keeping all conditions the same: same level of charge for the phone, same apps running, keeping the screen on so I can see the results.

1) Type C to Type C cable that came from Google in Nexus 6p package with the phone discharged to the level at which is does rapid charging to see maximum draw
The phone draws 2300 mAh, the status indicates that it is charging rapidly. The phone battery level is at 61% to 62%.

2) aLLreLi Type C to Type A cable with several wall charger. I am using a current monitor to see how much it draws and compare the results with the cable received from Google in Nexus 6p package
With the battery level at 76% to 78% the phone does not use rapid charging. With non-rapid charging both cables behave the same
- aLLreLi cable 1.32A, Google cable is 1.31A

3) aLLreLi and Google cable with several different car chargers. The phone battery is at 58%, at this level it uses rapid charging if possible.
- aLLreLi cable using Bolse 3 port charger, 2.4A port: 2.31A (charging rapidly), Google cable on the same port 1.73A (charging)
- aLLreLi cable using Bolse 3 port charger, 1.5A port: 1.76A (charging rapidly), Google calbe on the same port 1.52A (charging)
- aLLreLi cable using Bolse 2 port charger, 2.1A port: 2.13A (charging rapidly), Google cable on the same port 1.51A (charging)

Attached are images from my tests that show the results with both cables.

The aLLreLi cable is 40 inches long. The cable inserted without a problem on the phone with a silicone skin on.

I received this cable from aLLreLi for testing and review. Bottom line: aLLeLi cable is not USB 3.1 compliant and does behave differently from a USB 3.1 compliant cable provided by Google in "rapid charging" mode however I see no harmful effect on the phone with good quality self-limiting chargers and I am using this cable on regular basis.

YOu can find "aLLreLi USB 3.1 Type C Charging Cable" on Amazon by following this link



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: H&R Block 2015 Deluxe + State Tax Software

I just finished my preliminary tax return and happy to report that I have not encountered any problems. Overall, the interface looks very similar to last year.

I've used H&R Block's tax software (formerly called TaxCut) every year since 1995. Several times when I saw a promotional deal I purchased both H&R Block and TurboTax to compare. I found that both programs satisfied my needs but H&R Block costs consistently less. I have been buying the Deluxe version of H&R Block because it covers it the mutual funds sales and cost basis calculations are included (Schedule D) and the form for Foreign Tax Credit from mutual funds is present (Form 1116). To get this functionality in TurboTax you need to buy the Premium version of the software.

The price on this package changes often and you can catch some great discounts. I use a nice tool that shows history of Amazon prices. If you enter "Amazon price history alert" in Google it will come up at the top, my favorite has the word "camel" (repeated 3 times) in the name. You can set up the tool to send you an alert when you desired price drop is reached. During the last tax year season the price fluctuated between $20 and the list price of $44.99, and was on the gold deal special a couple of times.

' INSTALLATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
' I had no problems with my install. However in 2013 I helped a friend resolve an install problem on a Windows 8 PC us installing from a CD. I am including what we did again as I know a few people told me in helped with 2014 install. Normally the automatic install runs a file called "tcauto.exe". This file in turn calls another program located under "installers" directory which actually does the work. We were able to by-pass the error by executing the exe program in the installers directory directly, this year it should be called "HR_Block_Tax_Software_2015_Deluxe__State_-_Windows_CD.exe" (it is the only file in that directory).

' If you encounter issues with display, such as not seeing selection boxes, check your screen resolution. Both Windows and Mac minimum requirement for the screen resolution is 1024 x 768 pixels or higher. At a lower resolution H&R Block software will have problem with display such as not properly displaying selection boxes. Screen resolution can be changed on your control panel by change PC's display settings.

' If you are using a digital download you will need a key-code to install the software after you dowload it. The key-code can be located several ways.
Option 1: In the past when my download finished the install started automatically and offered me a choice of two links "View Keys" and "Install".
Option 2: This year the install did not start automatically so I clicked on the install program myself, and on the first screen it asked for "Activation code". When I purchased the software Amazon sent me a message which included a Product Code (note that they did not call it Activation code) which is the number I needed.
Option 3: You can locate it in your Amazon account:
1) Log into Amazon
2) Select Your Account at the top right of the page
3) Select Games and Software downloads which is towards the bottom of the long page you see when you log in
4) Then under H&R software entry you will see the key-code that you need to enter to unlock the software

' If you have a virus scanner it will generate an alert the first time you run the program, change the permission to "Permin Always" otherwise the program will be blocked.

' Does H&R allow to install the software on two PCs?
I found the answer on H&R Block web site FAQ under the topic "Installing Software on Another Computer"
I quote the FAQ answer below:
"There are just a few steps necessary to re-install the H&R Block At Home program from the CD you received in the mail. Follow the steps below to re-install the program or install it on a second computer.
Insert the H&R Block At Home CD into your computer.
Click the Need to Re-install? link on the menu bar at the bottom of the screen.
The Frequently Asked Questions page will open to the first FAQ titled, "Can I install the software on a second computer?"
Enter your activation code and last 4 digits of the credit card you used to purchase the program initially and click Activate.
You can find your activation code in your purchase confirmation e-mail.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation."

' WHAT IS INCLUDED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I purchased H&R Block Deluxe plus State. This version entitles me to 5 free federal e-files. It allows me to print and mail as many returns as I want, there is no limit on printed returns.

One state software is included in the package but the package does NOT include free e-file for the state return (see one exception below). If you want to e-file your state return you will need to pay a fee of $19.95 to e-file each state return. Alternatively, you can print all the forms and mail them using US post office without any additional fees. If you need to file taxes for an additional state, each additional state is $39.95 plus $19.95 e-file fee.

Note 1: NY state residents can e-file state returns for free if their income is $60,000 or less.
Note 2: It is not possible to e-file a state return for New Hampshire, it has to be mailed in.

' GENERAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just finished my preliminary tax return and below are my observations. Note: the forms are not final until mid January of 2016.

' Pet Peeve: H&R Block starts the interview process with an annoying up-sell pitch, recommending an upgrade from Deluxe to Premium even when it is not necessary. In my opinion, they should wait until the person enters this year's data and suggest the upgrade only if there is something about the return that can benefit from the Premium version. That would have been useful.

What is the difference between Premium and Deluxe? The Premium version offers advanced tools for self-employed and rental property owners: cost basis of home sales, dividends, gifts, and inheritance assets. It has advanced schedule C guidance to maximize deductions for self-employment income. And finally it has guidance for rental property income and expenses. The rest of the Premium package is the same as Deluxe.

Note that the Deluxe package has support for self-employed income as well as stock sale cost basis calculations.

' Pet Peeve: Help is not context sensitive. For example, when you click on "learn more" about a particular topic the general help window opens but it does not show help topics for the specific topic that you were working on. Instead you need to search and know which key words to use locate the relevant topics.

' H&R Block provides you some guidance for completing Form 1116 (foreign tax credit, for example foreign tax paid by mutual funds). However, you need to keep switching between whole-form view to enter data and then back to interview to read the instructions. Even though the form where you can enter data is visible at the same time as instructions you cannot enter data into it until you switch into whole-form view. This is cumbersome, but at least there is some guidance for this form.

' DeductionPro (which helps you put value on your charitable donations) is integrated into H&R Block software running on your local PC. It suggests reasonable prices based on condition of the donated item and it is nice not to have to come up with what is reasonable on my own.

' Pet Peeve: I don't use the default location for the tax returns due to how I set up my backup software. The H&R Block software does not initially remember this new location on the second start of the application, it told me I have no returns. I needed to pick the return manually from the File menu, as it did remember recently used files. The third time I started the software, it finally knew the location of the tax return file.

' For folks trying to download State Forms. The state forms are not available as of 11/20/2015. H&R web site says they will become available in January. To see the latest status you can go to H&R website, click on Dowload software, then hover over "Download Software" on the top banner and select "State Editions". Currently it says "Coming soon in January 2016".

When the state forms became available and teh state software can be downloaded directly from the program.

' At the end of the interview process there is a check step (which you can run at any time, but the interview ends with this check). This step flags problems (e.g. missing information) and potential audit alerts (e.g. unusual deductions) with red flags, and reminders (e.g. things you marked tentative) with yellow flags.

' Sometimes I want to return to some section of my return. The best way to jump to any section directly without navigating through other pages is to use "take me to" button which is displayed at the top of every page, on the same line as H&R Block banner.

' Does H&R has the ability to import TurboTax data from previous years?
Yes. TurboTax files have a .tax extension. Use the Browse button within H&R Block application to navigate to the folder you need and it will import the data from TT return.

' The final tax return can be saved in a .PDF format for future reference.

' IDENTIFY THEFT AND TAX RETURNS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
' Last year there were many reports of thieves filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen social security numbers
If this happens the person who tries to file their own tax return gets the following error:

IRS records show the spouse's Social Security number (SSN) on this return is the same as the primary taxpayer's SSN on another return already filed this year. Double-check your spouse's SSN. Fix any issues and e-file again. Otherwise, you'll have to file a paper return.

What to do if this happens?
1. Call HRB told them of the issue (1-800-472-5625)
2. Call IRS (1-800-829-1040) had them flag the SS#
IRS states that people need to mail completed return, a copy of police report or Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f14039.pdf, copy of Drivers License or passport or SS card.
3. Call Equifax and have them put an alert on the SS# (They notify Experian and TransUnion as well)
4. Call Social Security Administration and notify them (1-800-772-1213)
5. File with FTC https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Information#crnt&panel1-1
6. File a police report of a possible identity theft

I have been a H&R Block/TaxCut user for many years. I keep coming back because it works well for the tax forms I need to do and it is less expensive than TurboTax. If you have a question I have not covered leave a comment and I will do my best to answer it.


You can find H&R Block 2015 Deluxe + State Tax Software on Amazon by following this link


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Cat Window Seat SmartSpeed with Suction Cup

I want to start with a few words about the construction of the seat. The suction cups are LARGE (3.25"), so they provide a secure hold. The string that holds the seat is made out of twisted metal wires, like a heavy duty picture frame hanging wire, so that is also very secure even if the kitty runs its claws over it. The seat is made out of canvas bag with a waterproof lining inside the bag. The top material has a feel of canvas (it is not plush). The plastic tubes are hollow this provides structural strength. So I believe it can hold a couple of heavy cats. Our kitty cats are pretty small (7 and 8 pounds) so it sure holds them well. In attached video you see them rubbing against the wires supports and pulling on them with their paws, we held our breath watching them but the shelf held without a problem. The shelve has been up for more than 2 weeks with the cats going up and down and we did not need to readjust or reattach it.

Assembly was easy. The plastic parts push together to form a frame. The canvas bag is pulled over the frame. The canvas seat has two small holes through which you need to feed the wires that to to the top suction cups. As the cats sit on the shelve it does not remain taught, it kind of sags in the middle forming a nest.

I have to say that our kitties did not take to the shelf right away. They did not like the texture of the canvas. We fixed that by putting a towel over it as we know our cats love any towel. With the towel in place they had an initial fear of the seat, but we enticed them to try it out by placing a couple of Greenies in the middle of the shelf. Our kitties love Greenies so they went for it. Once they were on the shelf they realized it was a pretty good place to be. By the next day they did not need any enticement, and we see our cats taking turns sleeping there as well as looking out of the window. We put the window seat on the windows across from our bird feeders as our indoor cats often look at the birds through the windows.

The seat comes without assembly instructions. My video include the major steps
1) putting together the frame of the seat
2) threading the wires through the seat
3) inserting anchors into the suction cups
4) attaching the seat to the window

This shelf was provided to our feline testers for review. Once they got over their initial fear they like it and told me to give it a 5 star rating. We see them on the shelf quite often, mostly sleeping rather than gazing out of the window, but they like it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Rosewill 750W ATX12V EPS12V Power Supply Capstone G750

This is a nice power supply with enough for any personal computer. Its capacity of 750w and a large number of connectors (total of 8 connectors and 10+4 Main plug that is hard-wired). This power supplies provides a lot of room for growth.

Capstone 750 is 6 3/8" x 3.5" x 6". It uses ribbon cables, which are more flexible than round cables.
Connectors:

--> One 20 +4 Main plug, it is hard-wired
It can handle motherboards with both 20 pin or 24 pin connectors.
--> Two EPS12V CPU plug (modular)
The power supply supports two CPUs. It maybe be used for servers that use two CPUs, most desktops use one CPU.
--> Two PCIe (modular)
Supports two SLI graphics cards
--> Four SATA or Molex plugs
2 SATA cables, each with 4 plugs, total of 8 SATA devices
1 Molex cable, four Molex plugs and one floppy plug

I measured the power supply with a power supply tester and all votages are within tolerance. The attached video includes several screen shots that show the power supply tester output. The top number for each rail shows the expected results, the number below (in a slightly larger font) shows the actual reading. 0.5V is the acceptable tolerance. All readings are well within the tolerence. Its a good one!

This power supply is provided by Rosewill.

You can find it by following this link

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Balichun White Goose Down and Goose Feather Pillow

I have been sleeping on 100% down/goose pillows all my life, so I know exactly how they feel. This pillow is a bit different. It has a spongy center that I can feel. It has a core that feels like foam and goose/down envelope on the outside of the core. What I like about down pillows is that they are not spongy, this pillow has a lot of resilience while a 100% goose/down pillows do not. This is a high loft pillow.

This is not a bad pillow, I like it more than a pure polyester foam pillow, but if are looking for a down pillow that is made totally of goose feathers and down (like The Company Store pillows, for example) this is not it.

I ordered a standard size and the size was spot on - all my standard pillow cases fit perfectly.
Cleaning instructions from the label: do not wash in water, do not dry clean, tumble dry

I received this pillow for testing and review, as part of a new product introduction.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: NewNow 20000mAh Power Bank Portable

This external packs turned out to be larger than I imagined from the stock photos. Its size is 5.75" x 1.75" x 0.75" and it weighs slightly over a pound. The power pack has two ports, both of them are 1A. The external pack as a small built-in flashlight. It generates a very small beam of light and is not very bright.

The external battery performed very well charging with my Android phone. It did not perform at am optimal range for IPad Mini. My current monitor showed that neither of the ports delivers over 1A, which is required for an optimal charge for Apple devices.

To see how well different chargers and external batteries charge my mobile devices I use a Nexus phone and an iPadMini to test each of them. The current drawn from the battery depends on each device using the battery. I always use the same two devices and I do my tests with the devices charged to the same level, running the same applications and using the same cables to keep everything the same. This allows me to do a relative comparison of each battery and identify the ones that do not perform well. Note that these tests are not testing for the maximum current each device can draw on each port as neither of my devices can max out the port.

I also tested to see if the battery supports pass-through charging (i.e. whether the battery can charge mobile devices while it is being charged). This battery does NOT supports charge through charging. It can not charge while being charged.

Samsung Nexus phone:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
port 1: 1.02A/5.05V (excellent comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)
port 2: 1.00A/5.04V (excellent comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this phone is 1.00A/5V)

iPad Mini tablet:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neither of the ports delivers over 1A, which is required for optimal charge for Apple devices.
port 1: 0.93A / 5.08V (average for 1A port for the same device with other chargers)
port 2: 0.93A / 5.10V (average fpr 1A port for the same device with other chargers)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this tablet is 1.70A/5V)

Summary:
' size: 5.75" x 1.75" x 0.75"
' weight: 1 lb 7 oz
' number of ports: 2 - both ports are 1 Amp
' flashlight: yes
' pass through charging: NO (i.e. the battery CANNOT charge while being charged itself)
' cables: 1 charging cable

Since neither of the ports produced more than 1A this battery is best suited for Android devices, MP3 players, portable speakers etc. Just not devices that work best with 2A ports such as Apple devices.

This battery pack is provided by NewNew for testing and review. Getting a review product does not influence what I say, I run tests and report what I see purely based on a performance of the product.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Nitecore HC30 1000Lumens CREE XM-L2 U2 LED Headlamp Handheld Flashlight

This is a unique headlamp. It is a band that accepts a small flashlight, which can be used by itself or as part of the headlamp. I really like the flashlight, but using it in the headband was not ideal. First, I am not able to shine the flashlight down because the light gets into my eyes if the flashlight is pointed down. This does not happen in a typical headlamps which have a light that can be ratcheted down because the casing shields the light from the eyes. The ratchinging mechanism gives me a better control over where the light is aiming. The flashlight is larger than a typical headlamp light and it makes the headlight more top heavy than my other headlights.

The flashlight itself is very nice. It is relatively small - 4 inches long and it weighs 4.5 oz (with battery installed). The flashlight has 5 brightness levels: Turbo, High, Mid, Low, Ultra-low.

Lux meter readings:
At 12 inches the lux meter showed
' 13840 lux on turbo high setting
' 7210 lux on high setting
' 2050 lux on medium setting
' 45 lux on low setting
' 4 lux on ultra low setting
' For comparison, a 60 watt fluorescent bulb at the same distance produces 1119 lux.

It runs on one 18650 battery which is included. The battery was totally discharged when I received and required a full recharge before it would work in the flashlight. The elastic band is adjustable.

Overall, I like the standalone flashlight more than when it was in the headband.

This headlamp is provided by Nitecore for testing and review. Getting a review product does not influence what I say. The review is based purely on my experience which had both positives and negatives.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Prime Pro Spy camera hidden in Glasses

I have tried a couple of "spy" cameras before this one: a pen which has a camera built into the cap and a clip with a built in camera. The main issues with those cameras is aim. You don't know what the camera is aimed at exactly and if you are trying to take video in covert manner you can't be constantly checking it and aiming it. Putting the camera in the frame of the eyeglasses totally solves the problem! All you have to do is look in the right direction. The biggest problem is solved.

Now, how is the video quality? The clarify and color is excellent in good light, the sound is captured well, however the video is not smooth, it is rather jerky. Seems like it falls behind and then skips a few frames to catch up. It is fine for a convert video to document something but not something that would look good in an artistic documentary project. The camera did rather poorly in the dim light and the dark. I am including several video clips (good and bad) to give you a better idea of what this camera is capable of.

The glasses are designed well, it is impossible to tell they have a camera - there are no give away lights, noises, the frame does not get warm. The interface is pretty easy and the feedback via blinks is simple enough that you don't need to carry a manual with you to know what is happening. One long hold puts the glasses into stand-by mode, a second long hold starts the video. The confirmation that video has began is three blinks with a red LED after which the LED is turned off so there are no give away lights. To stop the video you need to press the button again, the confirmation is the blue light blink.

As the camera records the video is saved every 10 minutes. After I fully charged the camera, I was able to record four 10 minute segments (each one was 1.5G). The camera still had a little more power left and I was able to record another shorter segment, about 4-5 minutes.

The camera has no controls. The only thing you can control is setting the date to the current date, and this is done by creating a text file which contains the current date. A sample copy of this text file is present on the micro SD card. Just edit it with any text editor and modify sample time to current time. Save the file. The name of the file us Time.txt.

To charge the glasses from empty to full takes about 2 hours. The charging cable is unique - I don't have anything like it in vast collection of cords. It is smaller than mini USB, I believe it is USB-MINI4P. Bottom line - DO NOT LOSE THIS CABLE!!!!

Micro SD is slot is revealed when you bend the arm of the glasses, it took me a few minutes to find it (I show where it is in my video). When I plug in the USB cord into my computer the 8G drive is mounted and I can copy all files from it to my computer. 8G SD card is included in the package. The glasses can take a card up to 32G. The camera produces either jpg photos (1280x1024) or AVI videos (1280x720).

Finally, if something goes wrong it is nice to have an escape hatch. There is a reset to manufacturer's setting pin hole on the camera.

Overall, a very good combination of stealth and video.

This camera is provided by Prime Pro.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Flower Delivery - 25 PREMIUM FRESH ROSES by Spring in the Air

These are absolutely beautiful roses. Very long thick stems, big and full flowers. They are on par with best roses I got from a nice florist shop. They are better than other flowers I received when they were ordered through internet. The roses do not have a scent (the packaging was perfumed but the roses themselves do not have a scent). They looked good for 10 days. In attached video you see a "rose diary" where I took a photo of the roses every day for 11 days so you can see for yourself how they held up. The color of my roses is "Super Hot Pink".

The packaging of the roses was excellent, it kept the roses fresh and undamaged.

The package included two packs of cut flower food, enough to change water in 3 days. I changed the water 3 times.

The flowers came with a list of recommendations
1. Use a vase that is at least 12 inches tall and 7-8 inch wide. I did not have a vase that is that large
so I split them between two vases.
2. Remove the Guard Petal from the blooms. The Guard petals are the outer petals on each bloom. As I examined hte flower only 4 or 5 blooms had guard petals that required removal (i.e. they did not look as good as the rest of the flower).
3. Dissolve flower food in a vase with 1 quart of water. Change water in about 3 days.
4. Remove foliage below the water line.
5. Cut the stem diagonally.
6. Place the vase away from direct sunlight.
7. Change water every 2-3 days and recut diagonally to ensure the longest vase life.

These flowers are provided by Spring in the Air for review.

You can find these roses on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JENNIE LIU Men's 100% Cashmere Long Sleeve Pullover V Neck Sweater

This is a very nice v-neck sweater - soft and warm. But no matter how nice the garment is the most important thing when buying on line is the fit. I got two Jenny Lui sweaters for my husband crew neck in Xlarge and v-neck in Large as I was not sure how they will fit. Below are various measurements for reference, but the bottom line is that Jenny Lui sweaters are true to American sizes and Large was a good "athletic" fit, and XLarge was a looser casual fit.

Here are the measurements, in attached photos you can see where the measuring tape is:
Chest measurement 46" (L), 48" (XL)
Sleeve measurement 26" (L), 25.25 (XL)
Neck opening 6" (v-neck), 2.75" (crew neck)

Now the quality of the sweater. The quality is top notch. It is a light cashmere knit, not a thick sweater. The sweater feels soft (although it is not supremely soft as some thick cashmere sweaters), warm, looks nearly made inside and out. I show pictures of the garment inside out, which is the best way to see the quality of the workmanship and it is very well made.

Cleaning instructions: dry clean.

This sweater is provided by Jennie Liu as part of a new product introduction to evaluate the fit and quality. Overall, excellent sweater. Good fit, looks very nice. This is a high end product.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JENNIE LIU Men's 100% Cashmere Long Sleeve Pullover Crewneck Sweater

This is a very nice crew-neck sweater - soft and warm. But no matter how nice the garment is the most important thing when buying on line is the fit. I got two Jenny Liu sweaters for my husband crew neck in Xlarge and v-neck in Large as I was not sure how they will fit. Below are various measurements for reference, but the bottom line is that Jenny Liu sweaters are true to American sizes and Large was a good "athletic" fit, and XLarge was a looser casual fit.

Here are the measurements, in attached photos you can see where the measuring tape is:
Chest measurement 46" (L), 48" (XL)
Sleeve measurement 26" (L), 25.25 (XL)
Neck opening 6" (v-neck), 2.75" (crew neck)

Now the quality of the sweater. The quality is top notch. It is a light cashmere knit, not a thick sweater. The sweater feels soft (although it is not supremely soft as some thick cashmere sweaters), warm, looks nearly made inside and out. I show pictures of the garment inside out, which is the best way to see the quality of the workmanship and it is very well made.

Cleaning instructions: dry clean.

This sweater is provided by Jennie Liu as part of a new product introduction to evaluate the fit and quality. Overall, excellent sweater. Good fit, looks very nice. This is a high end product.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Eye-Fi Mobi Pro 16GB WiFi SDHC CARD

I am using this card in SONY-NEX5 phone and Android phone. The set up was incredibly smooth. All I had to do was install the the EyeFi app, it came up and told me "insert the SD card and take a picture". That's it! No hotspot to connect to, no need configuration of any kind. I took a picture a 1 minute and 5 seconds later it appeared on my phone. After the initial upload the images were uploaded a little fast, videos took a little longer.

EyeFi app also allows some basic operations such as deleting files, sharing, and a few other basic operations. It is easy to use.

Is it perfect? No. After using the card for a couple of weeks I ran into several practical issues. They are not deal breakers for me but prevent it from being a perfect experience:

1) It uploads ALL photos, so if you shoot a lot of photos in raw format this can fill up the phone memory.

2) It would be nice if there was an option to delete images from SD after a successful transfer. Such options does not exist and SD card needs to manually cleaned up - either periodically or when one runs out of space.

3) I wish it had is a switch that allows me to turn off WIFI on the card (at a hardware level). I have this feature on my old WIFI SD card and do use it when I do not want uploads to occur.

I received Eyefi sdcard for testing and review. It exceed my expectations for ease of use and set up. I have no problem using, although after several weeks of use some functionality that I would have found useful is not available.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: CHUWI HI8 8" inch Windows 10 + Android 4.4 Dual Boot

This is a good budget tablet. I rank my overall experience as good (i.e. pleased overall, but it does have some weak points). The strongest point points of this table is the high resolution screen (1920 x 1200 resolution). I can fit a lot on the screen while maintaining clarity. I set the font to large to make it easier to see the text. The weakest points are battery life, WI FI performance and the speaker.

In some low cost tablets the total memory is divided into two partitions restricting the amount of memory available for installing apps. I was happy to see that it is not the case with this tablet. I show the storage layout in my video, where this restriction appears if it exists. I show th storage after I installed about a dozen of the applications that I use all the time.

WI FI performance is not stellar. To test its wireless capabilities I run OOKLA speed test app. I ran the test 5 times and then repeated the test on my Samsung tablet. The old Samsung tablet performed significantly better. Chuwi tablet results ranged from 14 Mbps to 27 Mbps for download, and 10 Mbps to 19 Mbps for upload speed. By comparison, my Samsung tablet did 37.88 Mbps download and 33.67 Mbps upload.

Some budget tablets do not support bluetooth functionality. Chuwi tablet does support bluetooth. I am using a bluetooth speaker and a bluetooth keyboard with it, both work smoothly. In attached video I show pairing and using the bluetooth speaker.

The tablet is running Android 4.4.4 (Kit kat) operating system. I tested many of my favorte apps and so far have not found any that did not work. Here are example of the apps I am using on on Chuwi tablet: Battery widget, OOKLA speedtest, Tune-in Radio, iHeart radio, Nexflix, Firefox, YouTube, OI notepad, OI file manager, iPerf, OTG disk Explorer, Dropbox, Kindle, camera. I also tried a few of my favorite games and they all work.

This tablet also supports Windows 10. By default is starts as an Android tablet and under settings there is an options to "Switch OS". Windows comes up in a minute or two. To return back to Android OS there is an Android icon on the tool bar.

I found the touch screen to be very responsive. Using on-screen keyboard generates good feedback.

The built-in speaker is not great and cannot be made very loud. However, because the tablet has bluebooth capabilities when I want to make it loud I use a bluetooth speaker.

The battery life on the tablet is less than the other tablets I own. I can run my iPad Mini or Samsung tablets for more than I day without recharging. This tablet needs to be recharged every day even when it is not used constantly.

The tablet has an uncommon size (8 2/8" long and 4 7/8" wide). I am yet to find a case that fits it well.

Bottom line? A pretty a decent tablet. In attached video I included a variety of short snippets of running various apps such as Netflix, Tune in radio, Pandora and others.

This tablet is provided by Chuwi for testing and review as part of the new product introduction. Getting a free product does not influence what I say. I always cover pluses and minuses as I did in this review.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: BSTPOWER Infrared Touchless Stainless Steel Trash Can

This is a medium size trashcan that runs on four AA batteries (not included). I really like the battery choice for this trash can because I have a lot of AA rechargeable batteries and I am running this trashcan on rechargeable batteries. The trashcan has been in use for 2 weeks and I will post an update when the batteries will die.

The outside dimensions of the trash can (with the cover on) are:
12" tall, the base is 8.5" wide
The opening of the lid is 6.5" side to side and 5" front to back.
The finish is stainless silver. It a reflective (i.e. not brushed) finish.

I am using a 6 gallon trash bag.

The cover operates smoothly and closes well preventing odors from escaping. The Trash Can automatic opening mechanism is not too sensitive so it does not open when I just walk by, I need to hold my hand about 3 inches away from the sensor for it to react. If I am 5 inches away it does not move. This is a good thing especially if the trash can is located in a relatively small area.

The Trash Can comes with a handy ring, which allows me to neatly tuck in the trash bag inside the can. It is not totally invisible, but it holds the bag in place without overhang.

The only negative is that the lid, the ring, and trash can do not lock into each other. If the trash can is knocked down the lid and and the ring come off.

Overall I am pleased with this trash can. I am enjoying the convenience of touch-less trash can! It is like having a helpful hand whenever I need it.

This trash can is provided by BSTPOWER for testing and review as part of the new product introduction.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: ZHPUAT Portable Bluetooth Alarm Clock Radio with FM Radio

This is an okay clock. It works but how it works has some issues in my experience.

First, the clock has a lot of long voice prompts. The voice has a heavy accent and some words are hard to understand. I prefer short beeps to long voice phrases as they interrupt the music for a long time and when I hear it over and over it gets repetitive and annoying. I wish there was an option for beeps or voice.

Its speaker is fairly weak. The sound cannot be made very loud. It sounds best when I stream music from SD card and bluetooth. FM radio is okay for voice but some music stations are distorted.

The clock numbers are made out of small dots, and I thought they were harder to see when a solid lines on my oher clocks. People with a perfect vision probably will not mind, but if you are nearsighted this might be a problem.

In my video I show how the clock operates in its various functions, I hope this will give you a better idea of what to expect.

Overall, the alarm clock works but I can't say I love it. It is just okay.

I received this clock for testing and review as part of the new product introduction and sharing my honest experience with it.


ZHPUAT Portable Bluetooth Alarm Clock Radio with FM Radio, Wireless Speaker, Aux-In and TF Card Music, USB Charging, Phone Call, Easy Setting, Convenience for Travel, Fashion Home, Idea Gift (White)


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product Review: Crenova HD 12MP Infrared Trail Hunting Camera Wildlife Camera

I am really enjoying this camera. We see a lot of wild life in our area and we have many bird feeders that are fun to watch. The camera is activated only when something interesting is happening, so every video it captures has something good on it. The battery use is quite good it runs several weeks on one set of batteries while capturing hundreds of short videos every day. I checked that after 1 week the battery level indicator showed remaining battery capacity of 2/3. In attached video you have a sampling of videos with the camera mounted in four different locations. The large birds you see in the first segments are the wild turkeys which come to visit us almost every day.

The camera runs on eight AA batteries (not included) and you need to provide your own SD card (up to 32G in size).

The video quality is highly dependent on lighting. In the day light it is very good, however at dusk or right into the sun the video is okay but not as good as say my SONY NEX5 camera. The wild life camera also takes infrared pictures in total darkness (black and white). I have included a couple of video clips taken at dusk when the camera switched to infrared.

This camera is large, robust, has a great camouflaged case. It is waterproof and has been out in several rain storms without any problems. The camouflaged case is 5.5" tall x 4" wide x 2.5" thick.

The camera can run in "test" mode or real mode. Test mode allows you to see what the camera is recording using the LCD screen. In the test mode you can also change settings via menus displayed on the LCD screen. The interface is intuitive and controls are easy to use.

The camera produces AVI and JPG output. The files appear under the standard DCIM directory on the memory card.

The camera records 1080P video and images up to 12MP.

* Image Sensor: 12.0 Mega Pixels
* Picture Size: 12MP=4000x3000 / 8MP=3840x2160 / 5MP = 2944x1656 ,2MP=1920x1080 (JPEG)
* Video Size: 1920x1080 (15fps), 1280 x 720 (30fps), 848x480 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30fps)
* Memory: SD-card up to 32GB
* IR flash effective to 20 meters (65 feet)
* Motion detection: center 30-40°, side 30°, all three sensors 120°
* Lens: F=7.45; FOV=55°
* Trigger distance: up to 20 meters (65 feet)

In addition to the camera in the case, the package include USB cable for TV hookup, a mounting bracket, and a user manual. The user manual is pretty good: 25 pages with diagrams.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: BUREI Women's BL-3029LA-01E Swarovski Crystal-Accented Black Ceramic Bracelet Watch

I never had an all black watch before and I really like how it looks. Both the black band and the crystals make the watch look very dressy. Yet the crystals are not overdone, the watch looks elegant. It has a stainless steel body. The band's maximum width 8.75". The package includes a tool to take out links out of the bracelet for a custom fit but I would not recommend doing so. I have a lot of experience taking out links but on this watch it was very difficult because each spring is made out of two parts (a pin and a head), and required more effort than bands without a head.

The face of the watch is 1.346" wide and the watch is 0.332" thick. The back of the watch states it has Japanese quartz movement. The watch is water resistant to rain and splashing but cannot be submerged into water.

This watch is made in China but includes an English manual. I found the controls to be simple, everything is controlled by the position of the crown. It can be pulled out into two position, the first position allows change the day of the month, the second position moves the arms to adjust the time.

Overall, this is a very attractive classy looking watch. It comes in attractive package, the box has a pillow and include a gift bag.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★