James Garriss

James is a systems engineer, has been married for 30 years, and has a pair of energetic toy poodles. His favorite gadgets are those that solve problems around the house and yard.

Mavix M9 gaming chair review – configurable for all-day use

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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 […]

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iStorage Datashur PRO+C Encrypted Flash Drive review – protecting your personal data

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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. 

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Funwhole A-Frame Cabin Building Block Set review – an old-fashioned house with lights

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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

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Loobani Dog Puzzles review – fun for the thinking dog

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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

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AV Access iDock C10 KVM switch review – the power of one button

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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

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Bridna PPS2000-3 Portable Power Station review – help after the storm

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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

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JMBricklayer Mechanical Octopus building block set review – destroy a UFO and save the planet

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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

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Webrick Bag End Building Block Set review – the hobbit-hole comes to life

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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

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Prime Day News – Big discounts on building block sets during Amazon Prime Days

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PRIME DAY DEAL NEWS – We’ve reviewed several building block sets here on The Gadgeteer, LEGO alternatives that have great builds at a great discount, usually 20 to 50% cheaper.  Many of these sets are on sale now, allowing you to slash another 20% or so!  Sets that we have reviewed include: The astronaut (from

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JMBricklayer Money Tree Building Block Set review – bring the legend home

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REVIEW – According to legend, the money tree signifies abundance, prosperity, and good luck.  If someone can grow and take care of such a tree, they will have good luck.  This is a new belief as far as legends go, having been started in the 1980’s after a truck driver first cultivated a money tree

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Canon PIXMA G620 Photo Printer review (Part 3) – We can make stickers!

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REVIEW – The Canon PIXMA G620 is an inkjet photo printer designed for consumer use.  In a previous article, I reviewed the G620’s ability to print from my personal computer, a Mac mini, where I found that it can print beautiful photos once I made a few configuration changes.  In another article, I reviewed its

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Canon PIXMA G620 Photo Printer review (Part 2) – Apple saves the day!

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REVIEW – The Canon PIXMA G620 is an inkjet photo printer designed for consumer use.  In a previous article, I reviewed the G620’s ability to print from my personal computer, a Mac mini, and I found that after learning how to configure a few settings, it printed beautiful photos, both on 4 x 6 glossy

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JMBricklayer Puppet Show Building Block Set review – I am a real boy!

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REVIEW – LEGOs and other building blocks have the amazing ability to bring things to life.  This new set from JMBricklayer highlights this as well as any out there.  You remember the story of Pinocchio, the enchanted marionette whose nose grew when he lied, right?  The Puppet Show creates a larger-than-life version of Geppetto’s finest

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INSE S9 Cordless Vacuum review – a lightweight vacuum that’s good for dog hair

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REVIEW – Our daughter and her husband recently moved into a new home.  They have a dog, and like many dogs, it’s highly skilled at shedding a lot.  The first story of their house has synthetic hardwoods, so my daughter needs a vacuum that can easily vacuum up dog hair.  Together we are testing the

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