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.

JMBricklayer Chameleon Building Block Set review – a bionic reptile from the future

jmbricklayer chameleon 1

REVIEW – Although our kids are grown and gone, we often have families with kids over to our house.  I thought it would be cool to have a building brick set or two available for them play with while they are here.  In this review, I’m looking at the JMBricklayer Chameleon set to see if […]

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Should we think twice about buying app powered gadgets?

vanmoof bike

ARTICLE – Many gadgets are smart, meaning they automate something for us.  Oftentimes they provide features that could not be done manually.  Higher levels of functionality typically require an app to be installed on our phones, these apps in turn often communicate with external servers. But what happens when these servers are no longer available?

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Another company has been watching you in your bedroom

Google Ring Indoor Camera

SECURITY NEWS – Most gadgets that we have make some aspect of life easy or fun; they are harmless.  Other gadgets, however,  bring with them security implications; if abused, they can harm us.  Perhaps the most obvious example is an indoor camera, and once again we have learned that a well-known company has been abusing

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Oraimo USB Charger review – power for the whole family

oraimo charger 1

REVIEW – In our house, we have a central location where everyone, family and friends alike, can come to charge their iPhones and iPads.  In the past, I used an Anker USB charger with five USB-A ports for this purpose.  These days, most of our gadgets use USB-C, so it’s time to update the charger. 

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Casabrews 5700 Pro Espresso Machine review – a capable creator of cold coffee drinks

casabrews espresso 1

REVIEW – Summer is almost here, and that means it’s time for more cold coffee drinks.  I’m looking to perfect my skills by creating iced versions of drinks like lattes, mochas, and macchiatos.  I have a few recipes that I want to try, and they all require shots of espresso.  It’s time to find out

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OtO – An above-ground sprinkler for small lawns

oto sprinkler 2 1

NEWS – One of the keys to maintaining a healthy lawn this summer is to keep it watered.  An in-ground sprinkler system is great, but for smaller lawns, installation can be cost-prohibitive.  Enter the Oto!  Oto is a smart, above-ground sprinkler system that is perfect for small lawns. Water comes by connecting a standard water

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Gerefet Dog Grooming Kit review – very effective but somewhat cumbersome

gerefet grooming kit 1

REVIEW – For Christmas, we got a pair of toy poodles, a high-energy brother-sister pair.  Poodles don’t shed, which is great, but they do require regular grooming, usually every six weeks or so.  Groomers aren’t cheap, and I calculated that I could easily spend $1500 a year on grooming expenses alone.  I think I can

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Ganiza 5-in-1 Hand Blender review – one package, four appliances

ganiza blender 1

REVIEW – When it comes to serious blending of ingredients in our kitchen, there’s no doubt that our Blendtec blender is the tool of choice.  There’s no blending task that it can’t handle.  Some recipes, however, don’t really require that kind of power, and it would be handy to have a smaller, hand blender available. 

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Troubadour Embark Duffle Bag review – when ordinary is not good enough

troubadour embark 16

REVIEW – When I travel, I already have a couple good suitcases to carry what I need.  Sometimes, however, they are too much space—think overnight trip—and at other times they are not quite enough, like when I travel to a conference for the week.  For times like these, a good duffle bag is exactly what

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Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Bulb and Lightstrip review – they have what matters

nanoleaf essential lights 1

REVIEW – The gadget industry has talked for years about everyone having a smart home, but the way they’ve gone about hasn’t been very smart at all.  Every vendor has their own products, their own hubs, their own standards, and their own protocols.  This has made it difficult if not impossible for the various smart

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GoGonova Power Paint Sprayer review – a faster way to finish your fence

gogonova paint sprayer 1

REVIEW – We got a couple of new toy poodle puppies for Christmas, so that means it is finally time to fence in our backyard.  We hired a local company to put in a Kentucky fence, a rural look that combines wood and wire.  Even though the lumber is pressure-treated, it still needs to be

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VIOFO A139 Pro Dashcam review – clear video and lots of options

viofo a139 dashcam 1

REVIEW – If you’ve ever browsed through the “Idiots in Cars” subreddit or subscribed to the “Dashcam Nation” YouTube channel, then you’ll know that sometimes drivers can be really stupid.  Hey, you’ve probably seen some of that stupidity, and if you’re being really honest, you’ve been careless a time or two yourself.  Whether texting while

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Vosteed Grind Folding Knife review – a pocket knife for bushcraft

vosteed grind knife 1

REVIEW – Aren’t all pocket knives the same?  If the only reason you need a knife is to open that never-ending stream of boxes from Amazon, then sure, any everyday carry (EDC) pocket knife will do the trick.  It may, however, surprise you to know that pocket knives come in a wide variety of styles

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ILIFE T10s Robot Vacuum review – not ready for prime time

ilife t10s 1

REVIEW – Recently there have been some security issues with gadgets containing cameras, including Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners, where pictures taken in the privacy of the home wound up in public places.  In light of these issues, I’ve decided to replace the Yeedi vac 2 pro robot vacuum that we are currently using, as it

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Brigii H5 Handheld Vacuum review – plenty of power in a small package

brigii h5 vac 1

REVIEW – My wife and I recently bought a pair of toy poodle puppies.  If you’ve ever trained a puppy or two, you know that means frequent trips out into the yard.  They are forever tracking in small pieces of grass and bringing in bits of mulch that they want to chew on.  I need

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