Ever since my granddaughter visited Disney World, she’s been asking when I was going to put “Fairy Lights” in the trees around the house. I’ve been able to deflect, usually with the promise of ice cream, but now I can answer her request using the Night Stars light. Although my initial thoughts were “who needs […]
Viatek Night Stars Landscape Lighting review Read More
We are fortunate to have access to a summer cabin on a lake and near the woods. Every summer family members descend upon the “camp” and enjoy swimming, sailing, fishing and most importantly for the kids, roasting marshmallows over an open fire. Because of this, the adults have become somewhat proficient in starting a campfire,
FIREase IncinerGrate review Read More
Despite knowing better, I rarely check the tire pressure in my vehicles. I rely on the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) in my newer car to let me know when I’m below a certain level, but in the case of my 2005 vehicle and motorcycles, I don’t worry about it until they go flat. Probably
Papago GoSafe TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System review Read More
I’ve been playing around with home automation products for awhile, but so far I haven’t found anything that is easy to use or conforms to a well established standard. I have some Insteon devices, X-10 devices, and there are also Zigby and Z-wave protocol devices available. All of these require some sort of hub
D-Link mydlink WiFi Smart Plug review Read More
I like wrist watches. OK, I said it and that probably makes me a dinosaur. Although I have a cell phone which I can reference for the time, to me there’s nothing like the convenience of having a timepiece on my wrist, and I don’t have to fish it out of my pocket to check
Citizen Eco-Drive Military Chronograph review Read More
I’ve been looking into a security system for my home, but I keep running into the cost issue of a monthly service charge. So, I took a different tack and decided to cobble together my own using off the shelf network cameras. I had several cameras arrayed around the house, but I was missing a
D-Link Outdoor HD Wireless Network Camera DCS-2330L review Read More
When asked to participate in this series I was reluctant, actually I am reluctant, mainly because my writing area has been declared a mess by certain individuals in my household. But then again, I subscribe to the old saying that “if a cluttered desk is evidence of a cluttered mind, what does an empty desk
Gadgeteer: Show us your desktop series – Bill K. Read More
It won’t be long before the wire-line telephone system finally gets turned off. Now would be a good time to make the move to either using your cell as your primary phone or, as in my case, move over to VOIP ( voice over INTERNET protocol ). If you are a regular reader of The Gadgeteer,
Ooma Telo and Home Phone Service review Read More
There are plenty of iPad cases on the market. The trick is to select the best one or at least one that meets your needs. The Snugg has been supplying cases for various devices and I received one for the iPad mini. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now, and have formed
Snugg iPad mini Case Cover and Flip Stand review Read More
For more than a thousand years, humans have been securing their front door with key-based locks. Until recently, there hasn’t been much innovation in the technology, but thankfully, several companies have tried to bring the door lock into the 21st century. One of them, Yale, has provided us with their key-free Touchscreen Deadbolt. I expected installation
Yale Touchscreen Deadbolt review Read More
Sometime around 1975, it was suggested that because of computers, paper would become obsolete. It hasn’t happened yet and I find myself buying a new printer every now and again. I’ve never been completely satisfied by the output quality or performance of my purchases, but maybe things will change now that I have the XP-950
Epson Expression Photo XP-950 Small-in-One review Read More
If you’re going to market another Bluetooth receiver in an already overcrowded market, it would make sense to differentiate yourself with a unique feature. At Coolstream they have made their Duo receiver different in the way it connects to the playback device by plugging in directly to the 30 pin connector on an iPhone docking station.
Coolstream Duo Bluetooth Receiver review Read More
Do you need to know where someone or something is or was? Need to know that the grandparents are OK? Then perhaps the eTrak GPS Tracking Device by eTrak can be of help. It claims it can tell you where it is, using GPS, WiFi, and cellular triangulation, and then display the position on a map using
eTrak GPS Tracking Device review Read More
If you’ve ever been in a situation where one of your mobile devices has run out of power and there is no outlet around, you’d probably appreciate having a battery backup. Bracketron’s solution is their Smart Lantern, which not only supplies the power, but also lights your way in the dark. Here’s something you may
Bracketron Smart Lantern review Read More
I’m not very big on playing with toys, but when Brando offered the Nano Falcon R/C helicopter by Silverlit, it piqued my curiosity. It’s billed as the World’s smallest, according to the Guiness Book of World Records. Having never attempted to fly a remote-controlled helicopter, I went for the new experience. What could go wrong?
Nano Falcon RC Helicopter review Read More
One thing that’s almost certain is that the quality of the sound from flat screen TV speakers rarely equals the quality of the picture. It’s understandable, considering the size and location of the speakers. You can of course invest in a surround-sound system and wire up your TV viewing room, or there is the option
Boston Acoustics TVee One Speaker Base review Read More
Got your Bluetooth speaker yet? Here’s another entry in the field, and it’s from Sherwood. The EXM-50 does everything you’d expect from a Bluetooth speaker, plus it has apps for iOS and Android to control the device and is claimed to be resistant to spraying water. Being new to the US market, we get to play
Sherwood EXM-50 In & Outdoor Wireless Streaming Audio Bluetooth speaker review Read More
For those of us that are dependent upon the Internet for all the information that streams into our homes, battery back-up of the hardware that makes it possible is important. The BG500 by APC not only keeps the power on, but it also has features to monitor energy use, a watchdog function that can reboot
APC BG500 Battery Backup review Read More
I purchased an iPad mini. That was the easy part. What I needed next was a case that is both rugged and reliable, because I plan on carrying the mini with me while hiking in the woods near our house. I stumbled across the iPad mini Mobility Pack sold by Modulr and thought it might be
Modulr iPad mini Mobility Pack review Read More
I have a confession to make. I’m obsessed with iPad bags. Since I purchased my iPad 2, I’ve been looking for the perfect bag or bags to carry it. Strotter is feeding my obsession with their Platforma bag for the iPad and other tablets. You know what they say: “you can never be too rich
Strotter Platforma iPad Case review Read More