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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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POTENCO Mini Chainsaw review – handy for trimming small branches

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REVIEW – My father has a house on Lake Hartwell, and much of the lot between his house and the lake is trees.  One tree or another is always falling down, whether to storms or old age or whatever.  While a chainsaw is great for breaking down the trunk and the large branches, it’s less

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Corsori air fryers recalled, free replacement offered

cosori air fryer recall

RECALL NEWS – Back in July 2019, I reviewed Corsori’s air fryer model number CP158-AF.  My wife and I like the appliance, but I recently found out that it and several other models have been recalled because a wire can overheat and thus cause a fire and burn hazard.  The impacted models are CP158-AF, CS158-AF, CAF-P581-AUSR

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Nanoleaf Lines Squared review – smart lighting at right angles (but with problems)

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REVIEW – In our house, we’re all in on HomeKit, Apple’s smart home system, and we have four HomePod minis scattered around the house to control our IoT devices.  Nanoleaf is our favorite source of smart lighting:  We have seven of their smart bulbs and one light strip.  We’ve found them to be reliable and

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VANPOWERS Manidae Fat Tire eBike review – loads of fun on the trails

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REVIEW – One way to stay healthy and enjoy the great outdoors is to go trail biking.  Sometimes, however, we need a little help, whether it’s climbing a steep hill or finishing that last extra mile.  The perfect bike for trips like this is a fat tire eBike, and I’m hoping that the VANPOWERS Manidae

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