Product review: CrazyOnDigital Dual Car Charger DC Adapter with dual USB Cable

We travel with a lot gadgets so having a car charger that comes with 4 connections seemed like a useful thing to replace a set of extensions we currently use. However this plug is a good idea with a bad implementation. The plug had trouble staying plugged in while we were driving, and then after several weeks of use it just died.

I am attaching a photo of the plug in use. You can see two USB plugs on the top of the connector (labeled 1A and 2A), and a cord which has the two additional connectors: micro and mini USB. The blue light from 2A/1A labels became a useful feature as it told us when the plug became unplugged.

I LIKED:
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1. When it would stay plugged in it worked with Nexus 7 Tab and Galaxy Nexus Phone.
2. It can charge multiple devices without needing separate extensions (up to four devices if you have the right set of plugs)

I DID NOT LIKE
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1. The plug fit loosely into cigarette lighter connection: it always was a little wobbly, and would totally disengage over the course of driving due to bumps in the road. On our weekend long drives the person who was not driving had to keep an eye on the light of the plug to make sure it was still connected.
2. It died after 3 weeks - when you plug it in the light does not go on and nothing is charging.
3. It could not charge Galaxy 7.7 Tab while it was working (battery app showed discharging)

This was not a good car charger even when it worked for the first 3 weeks. I cannot recommend it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones

We purchased Bose® QuietComfort Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones in Bose store in (no-sales-tax) New Hampshire so we can try them out. The prices for Bose headphones we looked at are exactly the same in the store as they are on Amazon. For the bargain hunters the store also sells returned models at a $40 discount. The sales clerk told us that they are inspected and tested to perform as new.

We compared two models Bose QuietComfort 15 and Bose QuietComfort 3. The two models were displayed together (Bose QuietComfort 3 is $50 more expensive). The displayed made us think that they might be similar. Bose QuietComfort 3 are lighter and do not cup the ears as well. As the result they did not perform as well.

The headphones felt very comfortable to both of us, both of us got a nice fit without any adjustments. I did not feel my head was squeezed like with some other headphones. Headset cord is detachable if you want just noise cancellation you can remove the cord. The headphones come with a case to protect headphones while you travel.

WHITE NOISE
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The store has a set up that allows you to test the headphone in a noise that simulates the airplane noise as well as when it plays music or human voice.

Bose QuietComfort 15 - fantastic, totally blocks the sound
Bose QuietComfort 3 - could still hear it somewhat

VOICE
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I have tried Bose QuietComfort five-six years ago to see if I can cut out human voices for a noisy cube farm environment at work. But back then the I could hear the voices better with the headphones on then with the headphone off as the white noise cancelation made them more clear. This time when I put them on and asked my husband to speak to me I heard nothing just saw his lips moving. I actually thought he was playing a practical joke on me, and quickly lifted the headphone to catch him in his prank. But no, he was actually speaking. I ask the sales clerk about this dramatic improvement, and she said that human voices are much harder to block as their range is less predictable but they have made some improvements in the technology. But they still don't advertise the headphones as voice canceling headphones as some voices may not be canceled as well.

Bose QuietComfort 15 - excellent, some voices cannot hear at all, others are very muffled
Bose QuietComfort 3 - could still hear voice

MUSIC
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Bose QuietComfort 15 - phenomenal at all ranges, best sound I ever heard in headphones
Bose QuietComfort 3 - ok, the sound not as rich

BATTERY:
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Bose QuietComfort 15 - standard AAA battery, 35 hours on play on one charge
Bose QuietComfort 3 - rechargeable Li-ion battery, 25 hours of play on one charge

Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones were a clear winner in each category. When I recently asked my husband if he has been using his new headphones a lot, he said he loves them but does not use them while he works as he cannot hear the phone. Funny, the phenomenal sound isolation at work!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Book review: Lifting the Wheel of Karma by Paul H. Magid

I felt a special connection with this book. About a dozen years ago a close friend of mine fell off the roof while doing some repairs and spent several months in a coma. When my friend woke up from his coma he had brain and muscle damage, which left him confined to a wheelchair.  Similar to my friend Joseph, the main character of Lifting the Wheel of Karma Joseph, was young and athletic when an accident left him in a coma and and upon waking in a wheelchair.  Paul Magid describes the despair and helplessness of Joseph so vividly that I was in tears from the his words and my own memories. 


My friend, like Joseph, pushed himself to do thing which were sometimes beyond his physical abilities as in each of their minds they both thought they could still do it, only their bodies were not always cooperating.  Joseph makes a journey to India to find a miracle cure, and he finds it although probably not a way he imagined it. My friend did not make a trip to India, but to me the story was an allegory for the things one can do when they have a strong mind that can overcome physical shortcoming.

I was also touched by Billy, Joseph's brother, who in my mind represented all family members who also suffer when a loved one becomes handicapped. And how the hero, while going through his suffering, perhaps does not fully realize how people around him suffer as well.  The loved ones encounter conflicts in the relationship, an like Billy, but they don't give up in the long run.

The book leaves you uplifted because the hero was able to find the energy within him to overcome physical difficulties and find a way to be happy despite them. Karma is the final output of all our decisions and choices and each of us can influence the final result.

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



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Luna Premium Hypoallergenic 100% Waterproof Mattress Protector

I always read reviews before my purchases and was a little concerned that a waterproof cover will make me hot when I sleep by reflecting the heat of the bodies back up rather than absorbing them into the mattress itself like the old cover. I am happy to report, however, that I don't feel any warmer using this mattress cover than when I used the old cover.

I am attaching a collage of five photos number 1 through 5 that I will be referencing in this review.

Photo #1 is a picture of the mattress off the mattress (loose on my table for the photo session) to shows the texture of the top side of the mattress cover. The top side of the mattress cover is made out of terry-cloth material.

Photo #2 is a picture of the mattress off the mattress to show the texture of the bottom side of the mattress cover. It has a shiny vinyl membrane. I tested it by pouring some water on it before putting on my bed and it held the water for several hours without leaking. The recommendation on cleaning is to use low or medium heat in the dryer to protect this membrane. After the initial washing and drying on medium heat I tested for leaks again and it remained waterproof. The mattress cover comes with a 10 year warranty for being leak proof.

Photo #3 is a picture of the mattress off the mattress to show the sheer sides of the mattress cover. You can see my hand through the sheer portion of the mattress cover, this part goes over the sides and under the mattress.

Photo #4 shows the cover on my 10" thick Queen size mattress a corner of the mattress lifted, so you can see how it fits. The cover is designed to fit mattresses from 7 inches to 18 inches high, the downside for a 10" Queen mattress that there is a lot of that gets fold under the mattress. The problem with this fit is that the cover does not fit on my mattress as tightly as I like.

Photo #5 this is how the mattress with the cover looks after I worked on tightening it as much as I can. The terry cloth cover is aligned with the sides of my mattress, the sheer sides of the cover go over the sides of the mattress (you can see the seam of the mattress through the sheer cover). You see that the sides of the mattress cover pucker due to lack of tightness.

The loose fit is the only thing I don't like about this mattress cover. With a tight sheet over it the puckers are minimized and I can live with it.

Update: I normally don't comment on the seller, but in this case I think it relevant to point out an outstanding attention to possible manufacturing defects shown by the seller. The manufacture of the Luna mattress pads contacted me about the loose fit and we spent about 40 minutes on the phone to make sure there was no manufacturing defect in the cover. We determined that the size of the mattress and the cover are within spec, and that the looseness is caused by the elastic band not contracting enough on my mattress to create a tighter fit. The representative suggested a possible solution: lifting one entire side of the mattress rather than each corner one at a time. The mattress is too heavy for me to lift the entire side, but perhaps this suggestion will help someone else.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Midwest-CBK cast Iron Turtle Stepping Stone - comparison of three different stepping stones

This year I decided to decorate my garden with turtle stepping stones. So far my collection consists of three different turtles. I am posting a review of each of them, along with comparison between the three.

I am including a collage of 5 photos number 1 through 5 that I will be referencing in this review.

Midwest-CBK Turtle stepping stone consists of 11 small turtles connected together to form one stepping stone. Photo #1 shows the stepping stone top, photo #2 shows the underbelly of the stepping stone. The turtles looks authentic looking, and the stepping stone solidly made out of cast iron. It is 12 inches long and 12 inches wide. It weights 4.5 pounds and due to its weight a nice construction it does not warble when you put it down.

Photo #3 shows a close of a small imperfection on the stepping stone I received. It some sort of stain that did not come off when I rubbed it. When it is on the ground it is not noticeable all that much.

Photo #4 shows the stepping stone in my garden. As it is made out of multiple smaller turtles with open spaces between them so soil and water come through the open spaces and the stepping gets a bit dirty and slippery. I rank it second in my favorite list.

Photo #5 show all three stepping stones. My favorite turtle stepping stone is Sunset Vista Designs Cast Iron Turtle Garden stepping stone. I think it is the prettiest of them all. In addition it is a very substantial stepping stone weighting in over 5 pounds. Due it its weight and a nice construction it does not warble on the ground no matter where you put it.

The third turtle in my collection is Iron Verdigris Garden Turtle stepping stone. It is lighter and not as solidly built. It tends to warble in the spot where Sunset Vista Designs turtle sits like a solid rock. So I have it placed on the flattest least challenging location on path. I also like its black color less than the other two stepping stones. This is my least favorite stepping stone (still ok, just third in the pecking order).

I love my turtle stepping stones path. It makes me smile when I putter in my garden.

10/20/2012 update: I am downgrading the rating from 5 stars to 4 stars. After the summer in the elements this turtle discovered and became sort of beige in color. The color of my other two turtle stepping stones were not effected by the weather.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review

Product review: Iron Verdigris Garden Turtle Stepping Stone - comparison of three stepping stones

This year I decided to decorate my garden with turtle stepping stones. So far my collection consists of three different turtles. I am posting a review of each of them, along with comparison between the three.

I am including a collage of 5 photos number 1 through 5 that I will be referencing in this review.

Iron Verdigris Garden Turtle stepping stones
is the third favorite in my collection. Photo #1 shows the underbelly of the stepping stone. Photo #2 shows the stepping stone top. The turtle shell has a stylized design and is black in color. It is 3.9 pounds and is the lightest of my stepping stones. It tends to warble due the shallow shape of the bottom and light weight. I also like its black color less than the other two turtle stepping stones. This is my least favorite stepping stone (still ok, just third in the pecking order).

Photo #3 shows the stepping stone in my garden. It tends to warble in the spot where Sunset Vista Designs turtle sits like a solid rock. So I have it placed on the flattest least challenging location on the path.

Photo #4 shows the stepping stone on the digital scale, coming in at 3.9 pounds ( a little heavier than the official description, but not as heavy as my other cast iron stepping stones).

Photo #5 show all three stepping stones. My favorite turtle stepping stone is Sunset Vista Designs Cast Iron Turtle Garden Stepping Stone. I think it is the prettiest of them all. In addition it is a very substantial stepping stone weighting in over 5 pounds. Due it its weight and a nice construction it does not warble on the ground no matter where you put it.

My third stepping stone is Midwest-CBK Turtle stepping stones
. Rather than being one solid piece of cast iron it is made out of multiple smaller turtles with open spaces between them. It is a pretty design and is solidly built but when soil and water come through the open spaces it gets a bit dirty and slippery. I rank it second in my favorite list.

I love my turtle stepping stones path. It makes me smile when I putter in my garden.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Zeta Disc - Hot / Cold Pack

In a typical day I spend more than 12 hours a day at the computer for work and play and often my right hand hurts at the end of the day from repetitive use of the mouse. I am always looking for things that can help my hand feel better. When I was offered a chance to evaluate Zeta disc I thought my wrist would make a good subject and I agreed to provide honest review of the product. You will find both pluses and minuses I encountered in my 3 week evaluation.

I am attaching a collage of two photos numbered 1 through 2:

Photo #1 shows Zeta disk next to a ruler for size reference
Photo #2 shows Zeta disk in the palm of my hand

The Zeta disc is 7/8 inches in diameter, 1/8 of inch in thickness, weights 0.02 oz, and is made of resin. The resin absorbs heat and cold well, so it can be used to transfer these temperatures to the skin. To keep it in place on a skin you can use tape or a bandage. If you have an area larger than 7/8 of an inch to treat, you can use multiple discs. For example, to treat a knee the manufacture suggests using 4 discs placed around the knee.

I tested Zeta disk on a sore area on wrist and taping it to the top of my hand while I continued to work. It felt good when the disk was cold! The disc absorbs temperature heat/cold very quickly. The plus of this that you can bring the disc to the desired temperature quickly. The down side of this is that it does not stay at the desired temperature for a long time.

After three weeks of use for several hours a day I cannot say that the condition of my wrist has improved permanently, but while the cool disk rests on my wrist it does feel better. I suppose any cold object might have done the same thing, but the it is much more convenient to have a small disk taped to my wrist that an ice cube or a cold bandage.

Overall, I am somewhat skeptical about some of the claimed effects of Zeta technology but I believe in the benefits of cold therapy. It works particularly well where a cold compress would get in the way, such as my wrist while continuing to work.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆