Lex Strickland

As a child I usually disassembled Christmas toys by lunchtime. I'm fascinated by cellphones, fountain pens, knives, flashlights, Chromebooks, and Chromeboxes. I play drums, workout, throw boomerangs, shoot paper targets and bike. I try to fit in my retirement when I have time.

HiFuture FutureFit Ultra2 smartwatch review – How futuristic is it?

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REVIEW – HiFuture FutureFit Ultra2 smartwatch does Bluetooth calling really well. But HiFuture needs to put some work into several other functions of the watch to bring it into the present. Take a look to see if the Ultra2 does enough for you to justify its relatively low price. It’s well built overall, has a […]

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Midland WR400 weather alert radio review – Looks good in any room in the house

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REVIEW – The Midland WR400 Weather Alert Radio is a desktop weather alerting radio that also plays AM/FM radio and can serve as a wake-up alarm. The size and design of the WR400 are perfect for bedside or any indoor use, but choose your alert type carefully if you live with others. The 85 dB

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Velotric Nomad 1 e-Bike review – ‘Kid in a candy store’ adult bike fun

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REVIEW – The Velotric Nomad 1 e-bike is a new model from Velotric Bikes. Its fat tires are matched by a well-built, substantial frame. Plain road bikers with their synthetic bike shorts and featherweight bikes they can lift with two fingers may scoff as I pass, as I sit comfortably upright, not sweating, not pedaling

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Tourniquets are gadgets too! Learn how to use them with the free Stop The Bleed Course

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NEWS – Stop The Bleed is a FREE course developed by the American College of Surgeons and is available to the public as a means of providing lifesaving bleeding control skills to more people in more places in our country. Where might you encounter a severe bleeding emergency? Can you name a place where it

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Skilhunt EC300 multicolor LED flashlight review – 15 lighting modes from mini to mighty

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REVIEW – The Skilhunt EC300 Multicolor LED Flashlight has 15 light modes. It took lots of practice to figure out the modes but I got ‘em now, and this flashlight became one of my favorites thanks to all it can do. It has a 0.5 lumen light that is great if you need a tiny

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Decked X Pathfinder Survival Kit review – Have it, before you need it

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REVIEW – The Decked X Pathfinder Survival Kit is thoughtfully packed with quality gear that can help someone off the grid to survive in an unexpected emergency. I counted 22 items in the kit. I didn’t cheat! There are 10 alcohol swabs that I counted as one item. This kit is very well supplied. What

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Axwell wallet review – A card organizer and tiny body armor? All for a great cause.

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REVIEW – The Axwell Wallet company makes uniquely designed, card-holder style wallets, and supports military veterans in need. Axwell donates a portion of the proceeds from every sale to the Veterans Community Project in the USA and Homes For Heroes in Canada, to help build tiny homes for homeless veterans. I’m reviewing their Copper and

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Olight Javelot flashlight review – A mini long range flashlight for your EDC

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REVIEW – The Olight Javelot flashlight is a new model from Olight. It’s a specialist. It does bright, in spotlight fashion. If you need medium to long range bright illumination from a relatively small, easy to carry light, this may be the one (or another one) for you. Olight includes a durable plastic holster for

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FERLORD Non-stick Frying Pan review – It sticks to its purpose but nothing sticks to it

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REVIEW – The FERLORD Non-stick Frying Pan is a medium-weight, well-made skillet that has a modern, no-stick coating made by a name-brand company. The silicone-coated handle is secure in the hand and can’t burn you or slip out of your grip. With nothing to charge on this device and having no moving parts, I had

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Olight iMorse keychain flashlight review – A little lumen launcher

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REVIEW –  The Olight iMorse Keychain Flashlight is small, simple, rechargeable, and reliable. The maximum brightness really surprised me. And its minimum brightness is quite useful. Since it is rechargeable I don’t feel hesitant to use the iMorse. When I’ve had keychain lights powered by harder-to-find or expensive batteries I usually tried not to use

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Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds review – Grip a set if you can

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REVIEW – The Gravastar Sirius Pro Earbuds have excellent sound. They come with a very creative earbud box and a heavy, durable charging carry case. They only forgot one tiny major detail. Don’t be in a hurry to put these earbuds in your ears. They are ungrippably slick and sit tightly in their case. Read

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Olight Baton 3 Pro flashlight review – Deeply groovy EDC flashlight

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REVIEW – The Olight Baton 3 Pro flashlight could be called ‘deeply groovy’. It has a grip surface that is much better than traditional cross-hatch knurling. Its overall form factor fits my hand very well. And it is lightweight and has 5 brightness levels. Is there anything to not like about the Olight Baton 3

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Atomic Bear Tactical Belt review – Keeps pants at altitude and holds stuff securely

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REVIEW –  The Atomic Bear Tactical Belt has only a few moving parts and none require recharging! The Atomic Bear Company sells survival gear, tactical pens, a knife, fire starters, and cool accessories. But they make a heavy-duty tactical belt that addresses an important aspect of any survival situation. Keeping one’s pants secure of course,

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Hikers Brew coffee review – A buzz that’s no bother to bees or bears

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REVIEW – Some people don’t like flavored coffees. Hikers Brew makes flavored and unflavored coffees. I don’t like flavored coffee. But – Hikers Brew flavors are good. I surprised myself that I would revisit the Hikers Brew flavors. After one cup for science, I could have stopped, but I had seconds and thirds of most

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Midland ER310 emergency crank weather radio review – 4 ways to power it up

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REVIEW – I don’t have white tape on my glasses but I’m a bit of a weather nerd. I’ve taken the NOAA/NWS Advanced Skywarn Weather Spotter training, have 5 weather apps on my phone, and I use Twitter to follow my NOAA office for alerts. I have a weather radio at my bedside and one

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Miracase Phone Holder review – Give your phone a hug with this holder

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REVIEW – When the Miracase Phone Holder is open it sort of looks like it’s ready to give your phone a hug. In my reviews I sometimes state the item to which I’m comparing, and whether I’ll replace the old thing with the new thing. My DIY dashboard magnet mount has worked well for me

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MONOCARBON Carbon Fiber Wallet review – The thinnest, or thickest wallet you’ve ever used

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REVIEW – One of my daughters gave me a ‘big name’ wallet of a design similar to the MONOCARBON wallet for Dad’s Day, and she spent way too much money on me. Is the MONOCARBON Carbon Fiber Wallet $20 less good than my big name wallet? Or will my daughter wish she had known about

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