Product review: La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger

I purchased this La Cross battery charger in January 2014. It has been in daily use since the day I bought it. It is holding up well and continues to work well after this constant long term use. I like that it can charge an odd number of batteries, charging different types of batteries at the same time (e.g. AA and AAA).

The display for each battery shows the mAh of each battery so you can see when the battery is aging. It has a "refresh" feature that will bring dead rechargeable batteries back to life. Batteries without this feature just no longer charge them. This feature alone made the charger pay for itself as I was able to bring rejuvenate batteries back to life rather replace them. Refresh is a fairy long process (as needs to fully discharge the batteries and then re-charge them multiple times).

Summary: reliable over many years, clear display for each battery, very useful refresh function.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Pawtec Retractable Micro USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B Cable Extends to 3 Feet

This charging cable works well charging my Android phone at an optimal rate (based on current monitor measurements).  The retractable mechanism works well - I have been using the two cables I have since 2015 and both still retract and expand reliably.  Both cables are in daily use for this entire period.

The retractability of the cord is handy especially for my MP3 player with external speaker which I have permanently plugged into a power bank. This cord helped me got rid of the dangling wire. When the cord is extended to its back it is 36" long. To retract it from that position you need to yank on both end to trigger the retracting mechanism.

Current monitor results:
black cord: 1.02A / 5.05V (excellent)
white cord: 1.02A / 5.09V (excellent)
(for comparison this is on par with the best charging monitor result for this phone 1.00A/5V)


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Swiffer Sweeper Wet Mopping Pad Refills for Floor Mop

Wet Swiffer pads are a quick and easy way to clean.  I used it on my tile floors using the same mop as I use for the dry Swiffer pads.  I usually run the dry swiffer first to remove any particles and dust and then use the wet pads for to clean up any stains or sticky patches.

Some days when I am doing the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the front roomsand they are not dirty enough to change the pad I rewet the pad with a squirt of Murphy's oil soap.

They are  much easier to use than a wet mop  and there is no clean up when the floors are done. The pad gets tossed in the trash.  The pads have a light lemony smell that makes the rooms smell fresh and clean, and when I toss it in the trash then the trash smells pleasant too.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Etekcity 1x2 HDMI Splitter / 2 Port Audio Video Amplifier HDCP Ver 1.3 Support 3D 1080P PS3 Xbox DVD Blu-ray

This splitter works fine with one cable connected to the TV and another connected to a projector. My only concern is that the splitter does get very warm when in use which is a concern for its longevity.

Note that this is a splitter, i.e. it takes one input (say a cable broadcast) and displays the image on two displays. If your TV has one HDMI port (input) and you want the TV display to show either a cable broadcast or an output from another device such as ROKU you want a switch not a splitter.
This splitter works fine with one cable connected to the TV and another connected to a projector. My only concern is that the splitter does get very warm when in use which is a concern for its longevity.

Note that this is a splitter, i.e. it takes one input (say a cable broadcast) and displays the image on two displays. If your TV has one HDMI port (input) and you want the TV display to show either a cable broadcast or an output from another device such as ROKU you want a switch not a splitter.

Ali Julia review

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Bamos Water Hose splitter Full Metal Body

This 2 way hose splitter has all metal connections which give me a tight seal and no leaks. The outer shell of the hose splitter is made of rubber. Each shut off valve has a relatively long handle and because it is covered with rubber it feel softer. I like these handles better than the short metal handles on the brass hose splitters I have used in the past. I find these longer handles give me a better leverage and because they are softer I can put more pressure with my bare hands.

This hose splitter is excellent.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: NaturCute Luxury 9-Piece Cotton Bath Towels Set

I like the towels that are not super thick.  These towels exactly to my liking, not flimsy but not the super plush kind.  They are grey in color, the grey has hints of blue in it.  Grey is a very practical color, it does not change much even after a long time in use they continue to look the same.  The towels are color fast. I washed them with color catcher which remained white after the wash.
 
This set includes two bath towels, two hand towels,  2 washcloths (note a discrepancy with Amazon product description) and a bathroom mat.  The bathroom mat is not thick (it similar to the thickness of a towel), so I use it on top of my thick bathroom mat.  I like that I can try it faster by hanging on a rack.

The manufacturing process left quite a few loose threads. I had to wash the towels by themselves until the washing machine no longer had a residue of threads left on the sides of the tank.

The wash cloths: 12" x 12"
The hand towels:  16" x 29"
The bath towels:  26" x 56"
The bath mat: 19.5" x 31"






Update: downgrading!
My initial rating for this product was 3 stars, but after a small number of washes cycles they began to fall apart and I am down grading the rating to 2 stars.
The trim began coming apart both on the towels and the bath mat.  Below I added a few new photos after the latest wash cycle.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Memoscan U380 OBDII Car Diagnostic Scanner

   
This review for Memoscan U380 OBDII Car Diagnostic Scanner Trouble Code Reader



I tried two units of this scanner.  I received a replacement because the first one did not work, but the same scanner worked the same.


Memoscan scanner did not work with either of our cars even thought both were listed as compatible.

Both Honda CRV and Chrysler 300 work with another OBD II scanner but with Memoscan we get "Linking Error!" which indicates that Memoscan has trouble communicating with the vehicle.

All cars and light trucks built and sold in the United States after January 1, 1996 were required to be OBD II equipped. The connector is very distinctive looking, I am including a picture of it in my video for reference. In both of our cars this connector is located under the dash, under the steering wheel.

The scanner displays information on a small screen on the hand held unit. The scanner works as soon as car is turned on. There is no need to turn on the engine. The scanner goes through a series of messages (see video) but for both of our cars the sequence ends with "Linking error!"

Memoscan comes with an impressive manual. It is well written and easy to understand and includes 36 pages of trouble codes.

Unfortunately the replacement unit also generates "Linking Error!". It appears that the seller has a bad batch of these. I have reviewed another OBD II scanner (a bluetooth unit) and it worked it both cars, so I know the connectors are not faulty. This connector is always on according to documentation. Just in case I have tried running it with the engine off, with the engine on, and with the key on ACC setting.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link. Based on my experience I would stay away from it.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆