Product review: Eparé USB Mug Warmer

I thought this mug warmer would be really handy. However, turns out it does not provide enough heat to make a difference.

I conducted four experiments. I measured the tea temperature in several different cups after 30 minutes and after 60 minutes. I the "control" test I did not use the warmer, just let the tea cool naturally. In the first test, I used my favorite mug (this mug does not have a flat bottom). In the second test I was using a narrow cup that makes full contact with the heated surface. The third test was the using the same narrow cup without the heater. Finally, in the forth test I used a paper cup.

The most conclusive experiment was using the same narrow cup with and without the warmer. The heater made no difference, the tea cooled by approximately the same percentage. The cooled cooled off 41% while on the warming plate, and 40% without a warming plate. What made a bigger difference was the type of cup I used. The mug cooled off slower than a glass cup or paper cup.

~ At start of the first experiment the tea temperature is 136 degrees (mug)
~ 30 minutes later the tea temperature is 113 degrees
~ 60 minutes later the tea temperature is 104 degrees
~ In 60 mins temperature went down by 23.5%

~ At start of the second experiment the tea temperature is 179 degrees (narrow cup with heater)
~ 30 minutes later the tea temperature is 123 degrees
~ 60 minutes later the tea temperature is 105 degrees
~ In 60 mins temperature went down by 41%

~ At start of the third experiment the tea temperature is 163 degrees (narrow cup no heater)
~ 30 minutes later the tea temperature is 118 degrees
~ 60 minutes later the tea temperature is 98 degrees
~ In 60 mins temperature went down by 40%

~ At start of the forth experiment the tea temperature is 185 degrees (paper cup)
~ 30 minutes later the tea temperature is 129 degrees
~ 60 minutes later the tea temperature is 109 degrees
~ In 60 mins temperature went down by 41%

This mug warmer is slightly under 3" wide. It does not fit most of my mugs. It fits my favorite mug because the mug does not have a flat bottom but rahter a raised ring which is narrow enough to fit the warmer. Despite making limited contact with the mug warmer this mug did best in my tests just because its material held the heat better. The mug warmer does fit tea cups. The documentation indicates that it fits most cup and mugs under 12 oz, all the mugs I tried are under 12 oz. So measure the base to determine the if this warmer fits your favorite mug, not the capacity.

I took 1 minute and 40 seconds for the warmer to become hot (the switch is on the back next to the cord). The warmer has a green power indicator and a red heat indicator. The green power light turns on as soon as USB is plugged in, red indicator turns on when you press the switch on the back to turn on the heat. Note that documentation has the position of the two indcators reversed.

I my experiments using the warmer with different cups and mugs it did not keep the tea any warmer than not using it. I received this warmer for evaluation and review as part of the new product introduction. Getting a free review product does not effect what I say. I leave critical reviews when the product deserves it and unfortunately this is the case this time.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: TOGUARD Dash Cam

Through the years we owned a few dash cams which gives me a chance to compare TOGUARD with other car dash cams. TOGUARD video quality is excellent.  It does well under various lightening conditions and the color is true to life. Night time video is very good as well. The camera is small in side, the user interface is menu driven and intuitive.  The buttons are well marked and not overloaded for multiple functions, so I could use it even without reading the manual.

On the negative side it is designed to be attached to the window with a sticky tape. This does not fit in how I use the dash cams. I want to be able to take off my dash when I park in the city, I want to be able to move it from car to car.  However, I was able to come up with a way to use my own suction cup mount.  To attach the camera to the suction mount I use a phone holder.  Because the camera is small and light it holds securely.

♦ I had no technical issues of any kind. All files were readable. The camera writes out video frequently.  You can change how often under settings. I have it set to 5 minutes.  Some dash cams write one large file, this is much better as it improves reliability.

♦ The dash cam uses stands mini USB cables, the package includes a chargine cable and a cable with car port charger.

♦ Audio is recorded clearly, the default setting is to record with the microphone turned on.  It can be turned off.

♦  You need to supply your own micro card.  The package does not exclude one.

Overall, I this an excellent dash cam with only one negative for how I use the dash cam - the sticky tape mount.  I found a "fix" for the problem which is a bit of kludge but it works.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: ELUNLANY Beach Slippers Sandal Flipflops

These flip flops are very comfortable. They are made from synthetic rubber.  The sole material has some give so it feel very comfortable.

These flip flops are unisex, I ordered the small size and they are a pretty good fit for a woman's foot.  In attached photos you see how it fits my foot which is normally is 7.5 shoe size.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: SEREE S2 Ultra HD 4K 360 Degree Action Waterproof Panoramic Sport Camera

The unique feature of the camera is has a fisheye lens which produces 360 degree video. Overall, the video quality is pretty good under many conditions but not all. It overexposes video when the camera is shooting in very sunny conditions and it does not compensate well when you move from shadow to the sun (like when you come out from under the bridge into the full sun). I show small clips which show the camera at its worst and at its best in attached video. Under good lighting the color rendition is good and true to life. It also takes pretty decent night time video. The camera microphone is worse than other sports cameras I have used. You will hear sound distortions in my video. Keep in mind that Amazon compresses video, so it is best to watch it as postage format so the compression effects are not visible.

The camera user interface is menu driven, but you can only see two lines. The documentation is not detailed and not good, so I am finding myself fumbling with the keys a bit as I navigate through menus even after several weeks of using the camera. The navigation and keys are not obvious in many cases. All buttons are overloaded with several functions depending on what mode the camera is in.

This camera support WIFI mode where live video can be see on the smart phone. The app for live product is called "XDV360°" (by Shenzhen Pisoftware Technology). The app is not great, but at least it is available from Googplay and the manufacturer did not ask me to load the app from an untrusted site. Downloading software from untrusted site is not safe and I never down load apps from manufacturer web site unless it is a well known trusted company.

The camera supports micro SD cards up to 32GB (the micro SD card is NOT included). To recharge the camera takes about 2 hours from empty, I am getting about 2 hours of video on one charge.

The package includes a large number of clamps and holders as well as a waterproof case. Windshield suction cup mount is not included, and because of the shape of the camera none of my old window suction cup mounts fit the camera facing forward.

The manual is very sparse. The manual is very small and only has a few basic operations. It does not have instructions for every button. Plan on doing some experimentation to figure out controls.

I received this camera for testing and review at a special discount as part of the new product introduction. If reviews for discounted items make you skeptical, examine reviewer record. I have a long history of leaving critical reviews when products deserve it. I covered pluses and minuses of my experience. I really like the fisheye lens. The video quality is very good under many conditions, but not all. The sound recording is not good. The user interface is not as user friendly as some other sports cameras. Overall rating OK.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Delida B-32C portable 5 Section Carbon Fiber Monopod for Cameras

I like this telescoping monopod because it is light. It weight under 1 pound (15.4 oz to be precise).  In its most  compact configuration it is 18.5" and when it is fully extended 67".

It has a regular camera mount to which you can attach either a regular small camera or a phone holder attachment.  It comes with two different feet (a spike and a rubber foot).

The package include a carrying case.  It fits well.  The only thing I wish was different is the length of the strap.  It is 27" long, long enough to carry over my shoulder, but not long enough if I want to carry it as a sling to have it totally out of the way when I don't need it.  However, it is an easy fix - I extended it with a piece of strapping material, it took only a few minutes.

This monopod is provided by DELIDA at a special discount for evaluation. Overall,  very nice monopod that can be used as a walking stick and used to stabilize a camera.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: VANSILK 100% Mulberry Silk Floral Pattern Pillowcase 2Pcs

I own several silk pillow cases, I like how cool they feel on my face during the summer and comfortable they are year round.  Until this pillow case all my pillow cases were solid color.  This pillow case has a beautiful flower design and is the most beautiful pillow case I own. One side has a floral design (predominately blue, with some yellow, white and green) and the other side a solid light blue. My sheet sets are either blue or yellow and the colors of this pillow goes well with both.

The quality of the silk of these pillow cases are top notch. They feels very smooth and very silky.

The pillow case a envelope closure.  The envelope is 6" deep, which is pretty deep and keeps the pillow inside of it very well. The pillow cases fits a standard size pillow well.  After washing the pillow case the size of the area that holds the pillow is 29.5" and 19.5". In addition it has a 2" sham that goes around all four sides, making the total length 29.5"+4" and 19.6"+4" when I lay it flat on the table.

I hand washed the pillow cases to see if they are color fast, and they are. After washing it has some wrinkles. The pillow case can be ironed, but I typically don't iron my silk pillow cases the slight wrikles relax on the pillow and I don't find ironing necessary and it saves me time. However if you prefer the ironed looked it is best to turn the pillow inside out and iron from reverse side on the silk setting of the iron.  It can be machined washed in cold water on gentle cycle.  For extra protection I put silk pillow cases into wash bags to prevent other things snagging on them.  I wash my pillow cases in the washing machine. My oldest silk pillow case is several years old and still looks fine.

This pillow case feels very nice and it looks very pretty.  I really like it.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Shinngo 6700mAh Ultra Compact Power Bank

♦ size: 3 3/4" x 1 3/4" x 7/8"
♦ weight: 4.4 oz
♦ number of ports: 1
♦ flashlight: no
♦ pass through charging: no (i.e. the battery can charge while being charged itself)
♦ cables: 1 micro USB cable

The external battery performed well using Nexus 5 and iPad Mini.  Both charged at their optimal rate using the same single port. Pretty good! 

iPadMini 4.65 / 1.53A
Nexus 5 Android phone: 5.00V / 1.10A

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.

The battery is pretty compact for its capacity 3.75" x 1.75" x 7/8".  The capacity allows me to charge my phone twice from almost empty to full.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★