Product review: ToJane LED Long Swing Arm Desk Lamp

Many LED lamps come with a large number of options for the level of brightness. Frankly, I find that annoying. I just want on and off, I don't want to keep clicking, missing the brightest setting and doing it again.  If you feel the same way this lamp does just that. It has a rocker switch on and off.  It looks like an old fashioned engineering desk lamp with a metal round bulb shade.  It has a regular bulb base and comes with a LED bulb. My lux meter shows that the brightness of his bulb is about the same as 60W bulb.

I measured its brightness with a lux meter at 19" (532 lux) and compared it with a reading I got from a 60 watt CFL bulb at the same distance (527 lux). The spotlight it generates is somewhat smaller than a CFL bulb. It is sufficient to light the entire large format book, but not enough to light my entire desk surface with the same amount of light - the edges of the desk are darker.  In the video you can see it lighting a large book, the book is fully in the light, but you can see the edges of the desk that are not well lighted.  This is a nature of LED lights and to be expected.

The free bulb is 7W LED bulb, the maximum power that his lamp can handle is a 40W LED bulb (which in brightness is similar to 200W incandescent bulb).

This desk lamp comes with a base and a clamp.  It has two joints, nad has a lot of flexibility, but not as tall as my other engineering lamps.  The highest I could raise the shade is 17" from the table.  The third joint that controls the shade can pivot 360 degrees. 

I like the simplicity of this lamp - on/off and takes regular LED bulbs.  No bells and whistles, it just works!


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Bestoss 20000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank External Battery Pack Slim High Capactity

♦ size: 7 3/4" x 3 3/4" x 1/2"
♦ weight: 14.9 oz
♦ capacity 20000mah
♦ number of ports: 3 USB ports
♦ flashlight: no
♦ pass through charging: Yes (i.e. the battery can charge while being charged itself)
♦ cable included: Yes, 1 micro USB cable
♦ The battery can be charged using USB, micro USB, and C-type cables


This is a thin battery with a large capacity of 20000 mAh. It has three USB ports.  At first I thought it could only be charged with lightening or type-C cable, but then saw that on the side it also has a port for micro USB.  So this battery can be charged by three different cables depending on what cable you are carrying for you phone. Pretty nice!

I am using this battery with my Android phone as well as to charge stand alone speaker MP3 player placed away from the wall outlet.  I run the speaker off external battery and it gives me a good way to judge the capacity of the battery as I know exactly how many days I can get out of it before the speaker runs out of juice.  This battery compares well with my best battery giving three days of power. My phone is charged at the optimal rate (I am including screen shots of the power meter readings).  It chargers the phone slightly below optimum, but I like that is fairly small for its capacity. 

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 supports charge through charging. It can charge devices while it is being charged itself.

Overall, compact for its capacity. Its capacity and rate of charing compares well with  my best external batteries.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: HIEGOO Two Layer TPE Yoga Mat

I do stretching exercises every day and wanted to have a spare mat at work so I don't have to carry one back and forth.  This mat is 0.2" thick and is made out of two layers of foam. One side has texture and one is smooth.  The stock photos show the ribbed surface point down to the floor, but I found that using it in reverse also creates also makes the mat totally non-slip. I keep the ribbed side up because it  prevents the edges from rolling better when I use it that way.

The mat is a good size (68" long and 24" wide) and has no unpleasant scent. I did not have to air it out before using.  The mat provides good cushioning and give good protection to my knees for poses that require me to stand on my knees.

I use it on hardwood floor and it does not slide at all. In attached video you can see me trying to move it my moving my foot - I am not able to do it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: XINHOME Pill Organizer Box with Snap Lids - 7 Day Weekly Medicine Organizer

The trouble with purchasing pill boxes on line is that the size of each compartment is not clearly specified. 

The inside dimensions of each compartment are:
7/8" long x 15/16" wide x 3/4" depth

The outside dimensions of the entire pill box in its leatherette case (28 compartments):
7.5" long x 4.5" wide x 1" height

I take two 600 mg Calcium pills, two Omega 3 capsules and vitamin D on daily basis. I was able to fit these five pills into one compartment. It was very tight but I was able to close it.

The compartments close well and does not open I shake the box. Each box is well marked. Each day is a separate box, which works pretty well especially when I travel.

Bottom line:  Good construction, closes well, labeled well.  Leatherette case keeps the box from opening while traveling even if the luggage it treated roughly by the handlers.

The package also includes a pill cutter.  It works quite well, in attached video you can see me cutting Calcium pills. Even those large pills were easy to cut and the cut is very clean.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Food review: Turkish delights - figs and walnuts

If you  like dried figs you are guaranteed  to like these turkish candies.  They are made out of dried figs, pieces of walnuts and powdered sugar.  They spongy and chewy just like you would expect from a dried fruit desert.  I hope the video gives you a better idea of the texture.

The box has two layers of candies, 9 squares in each row.

They go well with tea or coffee instead of adding sugar into the cup.

You can locate Turkish Delights on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Sling Bag Backpack Freetoo Adjustable Single Shoulder Bag Strap

I use a large LowePro sling bag for my digital SLR camera and I like how I can keep it out of the way when I don't need and bring it to the front when I do.  I wanted to get a smaller sling back which I can use it with my phone and action camera.

I like wearing this sling bag best with strap let out all the way so it rests on my hip or on the small of my back if I swing it back. The stock photo on Amazon shows a guy wearing in the center of his chest.  That might work for a guy, but as a woman but I found the fit for me is at the hip level. It is comfortable, easy to reach and when I don't needed it I can swing out of the way to my back. It distributes the weight on my shoulder better than a purse.  Overall, it works quite well.

The bag is made from water resistance polyester fabric. It is 7.5" wide and 14" tall. It has two pen pockets on the front as well as an open pocket that is large enough to fit a phone.  It has two main compartments: one is 10" deep, the other one 14" deep.  The smaller compartment has one internal pocket and two places for a pen.  The larger compartment has one zipped pocket, and one open pocket.  I like having that many pockets to keep everything organized.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: BESTEK 30W 4-Port USB Charger Charging Station Wall Charger with USB C Port and 3 Type-A Ports

Side by side comparison with Google wall charger that came with Nexus 6p

This wall charger has 4 ports: one type-C port and three USB ports. I am using this wall charger with Nexus 6p (type-C USB connection) and Nexus 5 (type-A USB connection).

To judge how well this wall charger works I compared its performance with the type-C charger provided by Google that came in the package with Nexus 6p.  You see the results in attached photos, they show that Google charger charged the phone somewhat faster but Bestek is only slightly under performs.

For Nexus 5 both mini USB ports worked in line with other wall chargers.

This wall charger is shaped as a semicircle and comes with a breaded cord that has a regular size power plug. The regular size plug takes up only one slot on the power strip.

Even though it gives up some charging speed to Google charger it is convenient that it has both mini USB and Type-C ports especially when I travel.  For comparison Google charger is a dedicated one c-port charger.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆