REVIEW – JMBricklayer has released several sets in their Fantastic Idea line, like the chameleon and the panda, often with creatures that are part animal and part machine. Their latest addition is a mechanical parrot. Though the manual for this one doesn’t provide any backstory, I bet his robotic half is a smart device capable […]
JMBricklayer Mechanical Parrot Building Block Set review Read More
CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Last year I reviewed Bag End, a building block set from Webrick. While I liked the set, it didn’t come with any mini figures. I already had a few from some LEGO sets, but not enough to fill out this hobbit home. I went to AliExpress to buy a few more, and
Play Easily Now (PEN) Wargame – lots of fun with your (mini) figures Read More
REVIEW – Pocket knives are versatile tools, useful for many tasks around the house and yard, whether staying in or heading out and about. There are many shapes and sizes and styles of knives, which allows everyone to find a knife or three that’s right for them. In this review, I’m looking at a new
Vosteed Ankylo Pocket Knife review Read More
REVIEW – Any tea aficionado knows that there’s more to brewing tea than boiling water and pouring it over a tea bag. One, temperature matters. If the water is too hot or too cool, it can cause over or under extraction and alter the flavor of the tea. Two, depending upon location, a filter may
Aqua Optima Electric Kettle review Read More
REVIEW – Mankind has explored most of our planet, but there are still vast regions of space that we have never been to. What better way could there be to explore space than to mechanize pandas, provide them with armored space suits, and send them out! This is a review of Space Astronaut Panda, a
JMBricklayer Space Astronaut Panda Building Block Set review – Pandas in space! Read More
NEWS – Apple recently released their Vision Pro, a fancy headset computer. One of the biggest concerns that I have about this device is that it will tend to further isolate people from each other. I put the headset on, work for a few hours, and completely ignore everyone around me. In a recent tech
Lenovo demos laptop with transparent display Read More
REVIEW – In a perfect world, all of the powered gadgets that I own (fans, humidifiers, heaters, etc.) would be smart gadgets, capable of being controlled with nothing more than a voice command to Siri or a preset automation via the Home app. I don’t live in that world just yet, so one way to
Eve Energy Outlet review – the perfect smart outlet Read More
REVIEW – Gaming chairs are their own class of gadget, but in these post-COVID days many people work from home and use the same chair for gaming as they do for work. I am one of these, and so I need a chair that is comfortable, encourages an ergonomic posture, and provides a full-suite of
Mavix M9 gaming chair review – configurable for all-day use Read More
REVIEW – My wife and I love to go trail hiking, especially up in the Appalachian Mountains. Some of the places we go are popular, and there are lots of other hikers; other trails, however, are remote, and we may not see anyone else for a couple of hours. Whenever we go hiking, I like
Tekto F3 Charlie Knife review – a trusty companion when hiking Read More
REVIEW – We all have data that we need to protect, data like passwords, tax information, financial investments, social security and passport numbers, security clearance information, medical and dental records, and so on. It’s data that we don’t want anyone else to see, and we really don’t want it stolen and used for identity theft.
iStorage Datashur PRO+C Encrypted Flash Drive review – protecting your personal data Read More
REVIEW – Last year I reviewed Funwhole’s Lakeside Lodge, and it is probably my favorite building block set. It’s amazing how a good set of lights can really enhance the quality of a set, and no one knows how to light a set like Funwhole. I decided to review another set in this same genre
Funwhole A-Frame Cabin Building Block Set review – an old-fashioned house with lights Read More
REVIEW – Many web sites consider poodles to be the second-smartest dog breed (after the border collie), and we have two them! Elijah and Maggie are toy poodles, and they definitely love a good challenge. Poodles are known for the problem-solving skills and for being quick learners. If you have a smart breed, it’s important
Loobani Dog Puzzles review – fun for the thinking dog Read More
REVIEW – I already have a leaf blower. It’s a 700 CFM blower from Kobalt, and I like it. It does, however, have a fatal flaw: It requires an extension cord for power. It’s forever getting caught on things in my garage or stuck under one of the tires on my car. It’s not even
AiDot Enhulk 930 Leaf Blower review – all that power! Read More
REVIEW – My wife and I often have an hour together in the evenings to hang out, and at the end of the day we are often a bit tired. These are the times when we enjoy playing lighter games that allow us to have fun and yet still talk. District Noir is a perfect
District Noir card game review – a light yet fun game for two players Read More
REVIEW – On the main desk in my home office, I have two computers. One is a Mac mini, my personal computer, and the other is a MacBook Pro, my work computer. Since I have limited space on my desk, I would like for these computers to share a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. This is
AV Access iDock C10 KVM switch review – the power of one button Read More
NEWS – Matter is a connectivity standard. The idea is that I should be able to buy any IoT device and instantly use it, regardless of the smart home platform that I use (e.g., Apple’s HomeKit, Google’s Nest). It’s a common language that is supported by over 200 companies. It’s been just over a year
Matter upgraded to version 1.2 Read More
REVIEW – We don’t get too many natural disasters where I live, but occasionally we do get a small tornado or the remnants of a hurricane. The extra wind and rain has been known to knock out the power for a couple days, which could ruin the meat stored in our freezer and maybe leave
Bridna PPS2000-3 Portable Power Station review – help after the storm Read More
REVIEW – My wife has a MacBook Pro (MBP) that only has two USB-C ports, so she needs a hub that can provide a few more. To solve this problem, we are testing the 10-in-1 8k hub from CableTime. What is it? The CableTime 10-in-1 8k Hub is a hub (model CB80G) that plugs into
CableTime 10-in-1 8k Hub review – extra ports for your laptop Read More
REVIEW – Aliens have arrived, and their UFOs are the gravest threat that our planet has ever seen! Mankind’s answer? Convert the giant octopi of our oceans into half mollusk, half machine monstrosities and turn them loose against the flying saucers! The crazy thing is that it seems to be working. Join me for this
REVIEW – “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” Thus
Webrick Bag End Building Block Set review – the hobbit-hole comes to life Read More