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. […]
Ganiza 5-in-1 Hand Blender review – one package, four appliances Read More
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
Troubadour Embark Duffle Bag review – when ordinary is not good enough Read More
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
Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Bulb and Lightstrip review – they have what matters Read More
NEWS – I learned something new this week for my favorite gadget, my iPad, so I thought I’d share it with you. I have a 12.9 inch iPad Pro, a gadget that is all about content consumption. I watch movies and TV shows with it, typically by using the Netflix app. I also enjoy playing
iPads, Netflix, and video games Read More
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
GoGonova Power Paint Sprayer review – a faster way to finish your fence Read More
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
VIOFO A139 Pro Dashcam review – clear video and lots of options Read More
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
Vosteed Grind Folding Knife review – a pocket knife for bushcraft Read More
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
ILIFE T10s Robot Vacuum review – not ready for prime time Read More
REVIEW – One of the most loved entertainment empires of the last fifty years is Star Wars. Ever since Ben first taught Luke the ways of the Force, we’ve been enthralled with this epic battle of good vs evil. The most iconic characters in Star Wars are the Jedis and the Sith, and the most
Damiensaber Luke Skywalker Lightsaber review Read More
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
Brigii H5 Handheld Vacuum review – plenty of power in a small package Read More
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
POTENCO Mini Chainsaw review – handy for trimming small branches Read More
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
Corsori air fryers recalled, free replacement offered Read More
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
Nanoleaf Lines Squared review – smart lighting at right angles (but with problems) Read More
REVIEW – Cooking for two is always a bit of a challenge because most recipes are designed for four or more people, leaving my wife and me with more food than necessary. One way to deal with the extras is to heat up the leftovers in the microwave for the next day or two. Souper
Souper Cubes review – A great way to do freezer meals Read More
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
VANPOWERS Manidae Fat Tire eBike review – loads of fun on the trails Read More
CROWDFUNDING NEWS – In high school and college I spent a lot of my free time playing Traveller, a science fiction role-playing game (RPG). As it turns out, Traveller is one of the inspirations for Starset, a new RPG written by Josiah Mork that is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The setting style is known
Starset: the Great Dimming – A Grimdark Tabletop RPG System Read More
REVIEW – After reviewing their 3-in-1 medieval weapon, JMBricklayer offered me a chance to review another building block set that they sell. I gladly accepted their gracious offer and decided to build their Medieval Lighthouse. This massive set arrived just before Christmas, which gave me the perfect opportunity to spend a couple days putting it
SECURITY NEWS – We bring gadgets into our homes because they help us, inform us, and entertain us. Sometimes, however, they do more than that: They watch us. Any gadget with a camera and a WiFi or Bluetooth connection has the potential to be sending pictures and videos out to the Internet. If gadget companies
Do you know who is watching you? Read More
REVIEW – One more game! That seems to be the cry of every video gamer, especially when we’re on a roll. Unfortunately, long bouts of gaming tend to go hand-in-hand with slouching, hunching, and other types of bad posture, and if we’re not careful, the end result can be a variety of health risks. Wouldn’t it
REVIEW – I played with LEGO as a kid, and when my wife and I had kids, I rediscovered the joy of creating with them. The kids are grown and gone now, but I still like building LEGO sets. When I was younger, there really weren’t many choices. Either we bought genuine LEGO bricks or