Product review: Asus Google Nexus 7 ASUS-1B32 32GB Tablet - Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor, Android 4.1

We owned Nexus 7 since July 2012 (6 months as of writing this review). We can't be more pleased with it. We had no technical issues of any sort. Google maps awareness feature is so good sometimes it is a bit spooky, it know where we are and what we want to do. Jelly Bean improved voice recognition to a level where we now always talk to the tablet. Auto updates are terrific, it it nice not to be dependant on the cell phone carrier.

This is our second Android tablet. We also bought a Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet a few months before Nexus 7 became available. In this review I will compare the features of these two tablets.

The big difference between the two tablets is that Nexus 7 always runs the latest version of the operating system. This is because Google is pushing out regular updates. My Galaxy is still on HoneyComb 3.4. I purchased it through Verizon and they are notorious for being slow with the updates.  Why does it matter? (1) Some new features available in Jelly Bean OS are really nice (such as improved voice recognition and Google maps awareness features) (2) Eventually more and more applications will not be compatible with the old OS.

Nexus 7 does not have a cellular capability. Galaxy 7.7 has this capability, but we did not purchase a data plan. Instead we use the cell phone as a hot spot if there is no WI FI available. The only time this was an issue when we travelled internationally without having an International plan. Outside US we managed by hovering near venues that had free WI FI.

The size of the device was one of the major considerations when we were shopping for both tablets. I wanted to have a tablet that would fit into my purse, so I can have it with me anywhere without carrying another item. My husband wanted a tablet he can stick into his pockets (pants or jacket). 7.7 inches works well in my purse, but does not fit his pants pockets. 7 inch Nexus, however, in its neoprene sleeve is a perfect fit for the pockets. I am attaching a collage of 3. Photo #3 shows Nexus 7 going into a pocket.

7 inches is also just the right size to use in the car as GPS. It has a bigger screen that our Garmin so it is easier to see the map. My 7.7" tablet is a bit too big to use as GPS as it covers a more of the windshield and creates a bit of visibility issue. To navigate we use either Google Maps or Sygic. The reason we use both is that Google Maps requires a WI FI connection and in some rural areas of Vermont and Maine there are areas with bad cell coverage. Sygic, however, works from its own maps and does not require a WI FI connection. See photo #1 shows Nexus 7 running Sygic navigation as we drive.

The speaker on Nexus 7 is not very good. We notice this particularly when we began using it as GPS as we could barely hear it. However purchasing a blue tooth speaker solved this problem beautifully. The sounds now is loud and clear.

Nexus 7 has no Micro-SD slot (by comparison Galaxy 7.7 Tab does have a Micro-SD slot). However, we resolved this issue by attaching a USB flash drive to Nexus by purchasing Nexus Media Importer app (which currently costs $2.99).

I like that I am able to purchase apps from different sources such as Google Market place as well as Amazon. If I want to dable in writing my own mobile apps, I can do so using my own PC and free Eclipse platform with free Android development plug-ins (either under Windows or Linux) without any extra investment. If I wanted to develop apps for iPad I would need to buy a Mac.

Google's Jelly Bean really improved voice recognition for searches. Under Honey Comb and ICS the search results sometimes were hilarious, especially if tried searching on foreign names, but update to Jelly Bean made a significant difference and now my husband only talk to his tablet. It gets it right 99% of the time.

Nexus 7 has a front facing camera, Samsung Galaxy has two cameras (front and rear facing). None of the cameras are as good as our other cameras, so we don't use them much.

Galaxy's AMOLED display is brighter and more brilliant than Nexus. Neither one of us sees any difference in sharpness of text. The higher contrast does make Galaxy screen easier to read in the sun. However, Galaxy 7.7 cost was almost three times as much Nexus 7. Is the screen three times better? No.

We use both tablets on daily basis. I listed pluses and minuses for both. For me the most significant difference comes down to the lack of timely OS updates for Galaxy 7.7. So if I had a do-over I would go with two Nexus 7 devices. Nexus 7 has been reliable, helpful, and fun to have.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Fulcrum 20019-301 Battery-Operated LED Clip-On Task Light

I bought this clip light to replace an CFL clip light which fell and shuttered in a million small pieces (plus Mercury). I decided that an LED light will be safer to have in this tight busy area  and the description made me think it should be bright enough.  However the light it generates is not very bright if compare it with CFL lights, and the beam is very narrow with a very sharp edge. 

I am attaching a collage of 6 photos numbered 1 through 6 that I will be referencing in this review.

Photo #1 shows the lamp on gridded mat for size reference.  The lamp is fairly large. When I was buying the lamp, it was difficult to tell the relative size of lamp from the stock photo. I thought it would be slightly larger than my Mighty Bright Black Xtraflex clip light, so I am showing them together in Photo #5.  This lamp is much larger!

The lamp's goose neck is 20 inches long.  The clip is 7" long and 2.5" wide. Photo #3 has a close up of the clip.  The slip can open as wide as 3.5".  The lamp shade is 4.5" long and 3.25" wide. It has one large button to turn it on and off, it has one light setting. Photo #2 shows a closeup of the lamp shade.  It has 6 bulbs.  Photo #4 shows the bulbs, you see that it has 2 larger bulbs, and 4 smaller bulbs.

Photo #6 shows the light the lamp is producing in a darkened room. For comparison I turned on the Mighty Bright Black Xtraflex light as well. The Fulcrum lamp generates is brighter than the Xtraflex booklight.  The photo shows the spot light with hard edges that this light generates.  Even in the spot light this lamp is much dimmer than what I used to get from 60 watt CFL light. The light is case next to the gridded mat and you can see that the spot light is about 10 inches wide.

To summarize:

I LIKE:

1. The clip works very well. It opens as wide as 3.5" inches so I was able to attach it a variety of surfaces. 
2. The goose neck is long  (20"), is flexible but rigid, so once you position it it stays in that position.
3. LED technology has no Mercury, if I knock it down and break, I will not be spending hours of cleaning up hazardous waste.

I DON'T LIKE:

1. Not as bright as I hoped
2. Has a very narrow beam
3. The beam has very defined edges

I was not able to use this light as I originally planned, but because the clip and neck are so versatile I found other uses for this lamp. "Ultra-bright" word used in the description of this light is relative, without providing lumens in the description it all depends what you compare it with.  I hope the pictures I posted of the light this lamp produces will help you determine if it is a good fit for your use or not.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Martha Stewart Crafts Edger Punch Scallop

I own punches by three different manufacturers: Martha Stewart, CK, and Fiskars. I thought they would be pretty much the same, I was picking based on the design or sale price. Well, turns out who makes the punch does make a difference.
Fiskars is a very heavy duty punch, it handles different thickness of paper flawlessly, I don't think I ever had it jam.
CK is a little lighter than Fiskars, it works on with no problems on light paper, but occasionally jams on heavier paper.

Martha Stewart punch is very light, feels very flimsy, and jams pretty often.

I think there are two flaws in the design of this punch: (1) It is very light, I found heavier punches work better especially on the heavy paper. (2) This punch has a handle on which you press in order to cut. The long handle might look attractive, but the punch works better if you press right on top of where the blade is located as in CK an Fiskars designs.

Martha Stewart punch like most punches has a guidelines which help you make continuous design cut. The cutting blade is 2 1/8 inches long. The guide is 5 2/8 inches long.

I am attaching a collage of two photos for reference. Photo #1 shows the well cut edge on top, and the one where the cutting guide is not used correctly. Photo #2 shows how the guide works.

In order to get a continuous cut you need to align the top of the paper with the top of the punch, and then align the edge of the cut with the drawing on the guide. It is also important to know where the blade ends within the punch itself. Notice that on my punch I marked the start and the end of the blade on the side of the punch by drawing two lines in pencil (best seen in photo #1) . This helps me to know how much to the left I need to move the paper if I want to avoid uncut areas in the middle of my design.

I bought several Martha Steward punches at a local Michael's craft store when they on sale under $10, but I will not be buying this brand again even if I see another sale. I can't recommend it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Are you worried about security of paying for items from your mobile device?

As more and more people use their phones and tablets to do shopping and paying for their purchases, are more and more people at risk for a cyber attack?  Yes.

 
If you are interested in this topic I recommend reading an article by Kenneth Corbin "Researches Warn of Security Threats to Mobile Payment Platforms".

 In this article Javelin Strategy and Research concludes that moving money through a mobile browser is inherently less secure than using apps. The firm counsels that merchants offer payments channels through secured apps, and that shoppers avoid transmitting money through an open mobile browser, where users can fall prey to spoofed websites and phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Product review: Gatco 1434C Contempo Paper Towel Holder, Chrome

This is a very well made solid brass with chrome finish paper towel holder.  I am very pleased with the way it looks, but after one week of using it I realized I made a slight mistake in installation.  I hope this review will help you to avoid my mistake.

I am attaching a collage of 7 photos under customers photos that I will be referencing in this review.

Photo #1 shows everything included in the package disassembled: a 4 piece towel holder and hardware. The hardware include dry wall anchors. In this photo you can see the construction of the holder, it is spring loaded, and the holder is held in on both ends, so the roll paper towel does not fall off when you use it.

Photo #2 shows the towel rack assembled on the table on a 1 inch grid mat for size reference

Photo #3 shows the towel rack on the digital scale, it comes in at 1 pound 08 oz and feels very sold.

Installation was pretty easy because the pieces are small and easy to hold. You need a drill, a Phillips screw driver, and a pencil to mark where to drill.  One thing instruction don't tell you is what size of drill bit you need: if you are installing into dry wall you will need the 3/16 drill bit.  If you are installing into wood without dry wall anchor you will need 1/8 drill bit.

Once you attach the first holder side you need to decide how far from it to install the second side.  Photo #4 shows what I did.  I am holding the bar next to the mounts so you can see how much compression I allowed.  This is where my mistake comes in.  I should have measured the width of the paper towel, and made the width of the bar just barely fit the roll so the balls on the side of the rack are positioned touching (or maybe even just inside) the paper towel roll.  I positioned them a little too wide (perhaps a quarter of an inch too wide). So the paper paper roll has a lot of play and easily unravels.  Photo #6 shows how my paper towel fits on the bar.  Unfortunately, instructions did not specify how best to determine the position of the screws. 

Finally, the last photo shows how far the the holder protrudes from the wall - about 2.5 inches.

Overall, this is a high quality very well made paper towel holder.  I hope my installation tip will help others to position it a little better than I did.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Davidsbeenhere: Portable Travel Digital Luggage Scale

To the chagrin of my husband I don't travel light.  This travel luggage scale will save me money by making sure I don't get hit by excessive baggage fees.

The scale is requires a 2032 Lithium Button Cell which is not included and needs to be purchased separately. You can find this battery on Amazon here.

I checked the accuracy of the scale by measuring my weight with and without a bag and then comparing it with the results of the luggage scale.  It was accurate within a pound. When packing I would stay a minimum of 1 pound under the limit.

The luggage scale battery compartment does not indicate how to insert the battery (no polarity shown).  I am attaching a collage of 4 photos under customers photos, photo #4 shows the battery being inserted into the slot of the scale in the proper orientation.
Photo #1 shows the scale with the battery compartment closed, and photo #2 shows the handle with the battery compartment opened.

The scale is shaped like a handle with a belt attached to it.  You loop the belt around the suitcase handle and back onto the scale so you can lift the suitcases using the digital scale as a handle. This handle is ergonomically shaped I was found it convenient to hold while lifting the suitcase. Photo #3 shows how it fits into my hand.  For size reference I have small size hands, glove size small.

The only negative I have to say that I wish the package came with the battery included.

I received a sample scale from Davidsbeenthere for evaluation and honest and fair review. I have described positives and negatives of my experience with this digital scale and if you have any questions on the features I covered I am always happy to respond to comments.

It works. It is fairly accurate. If you don't travel light this scale will help you stop worrying about excessive baggage fees.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Davidsbeenhere Inflatable Travel Pillow with Cloth Cover

I found this travel pillow very comfortable. The difference between this pillow and an old inflatable pillow I usually travel with is that the center part of this pillow is flat. This means the pillow does not push your head forward, it only allows you to rest your head to the side. This is a very good design!

This pillow's nozzle has a valve, so when you stop blowing into it it does not instantly deflate. However, this mechanism makes it a little tricker to let the air out. To inflate the pillow the instruction say to pinch the nozzle. The first few times I tried to inflate the pillow I had trouble doing so because I was pinching too low. I though the right place to pinch would be where the valve that holds the air is. Instead the right place to pinch is on the neck of the valve, at the very top. I found that the easiest way to squeeze was not with out hand, but with hands pushing the valve with my two thumbs. This way I could easily place my lips on the valve without my hand getting in the way.

And a final note on inflation, inflation gets easier every time you do it. Before I figured out the pinch method described above I used a foot pump to inflate it. If you have trouble inflating trying that one time, it separates the plastic sides from each other and inflating by mouth will be easier.

To deflate the pillow you also need to push on the valve right at the very top. To get all the air out I found that rolling the pillow while squeezing was the best way. When I wanted to make the pillow totally flat I used a small object to depress the valve directly while doing the final roll.

I am attaching a collage of two photos.

Photo #1 shows the pillow and the storage pouch it comes with. The pillow has a cloth case that can be washed.

 Note that Amazon sells two versions of Davidbeenthere travel pillow:  this one  and another one which is similar, more expensive, but without a case. I asked Davidbeenthere about the differences and he told me that the pillows are identical, but this newer model has a cloth case and a new pricing.

The second photo demonstrates the technique for quick deflating without pinching I described earlier.

The the pouch with the folded pillow is sized: 6 inches wide x 5 inches long x 2.5 inches thick (thickness depends on how well the pillow is deflated).

The pillow is 14.5 inches measuring the long end that goes behind the head, and 9.5 inches front to back.

I received a sample pillow from Davidsbeenthere for evaluation and honest and fair review. I have described positives and negatives of my experience with the pillow and if you have any questions on the features I covered I am always happy to respond to comments.

Overall, I find this that this pillow puts my head into a more comfortable position that the old pillow which inflates evenly without a flat part in the center. I recommend it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★