NEWS – 880,000 e-bikes were imported into the U.S. in 2021 according to the Light Electric Vehicle Association. Consumer Reports, Fox, and several other media sources are reporting a high incidence of lithium-ion battery fires from e-bike and electric scooter batteries. Most large battery packs contain smaller cells connected together. Consumer Reports points out if […]
You don’t want your e-bike to go boom! Read More
NEWS – My Zero-G garden hose from 2018 is still performing perfectly. I bought it myself, leave it outdoors, and it works like a champ. If this sounds like a commercial, sorry, but this mundane, ‘everybody needs one’ product has been a good one for me, so this is an uncompensated endorsement. This hose has
Don’t get hosed by low quality hose Read More
NEWS – Hearing loss is no joke. I play drums. Remove the ‘r’ from drum and that’s what I’d be if I hadn’t used hearing protection the whole time I’ve played. But I also use hearing protection when I mow the yard, blow leaves, use power tools louder than a drill, and when I vacuum the
Anyone out there need hearing protection? I SAID, ANYONE OUT THERE… Read More
ARTICLE – In 2022 I changed away from years of using a paper journal/planner book. My word processor was fountain pens. I switched to plain text journaling and scheduling. All along I used the ‘aCalendar’ app on my phone, which automatically syncs to Google Calendar. But my paper journal/planner was my complete backup to aCalendar,
Plain text journaling – Trading in old tech for new? Read More
NEWS – The Tumbler Knife Sharpener is a can-shaped sharpener with a diamond disc surface on one end, and a stainless steel surface on the other end. The unit includes a 15° and 20° magnetic blade guide that holds the knife as you roll the ‘can’ along the knife edge. Only serrated-edge knives and scissors
The Tumbler Knife Sharpener is a new take on blade maintenance Read More
NEWS – Make a free PocketMod so you’ll know if you need ‘em! PocketMod is a free, foldable, small notebook made from a single sheet of printer paper. Sometimes paper is just faster if you need to glance at your week, make notes during a phone call, or check a date later in the year.
Does anyone remember the humble PocketMod? Read More
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
HiFuture FutureFit Ultra2 smartwatch review – How futuristic is it? Read More
NEWS – Work Sharp has more than one trick up its sleeve! I reviewed the Work Sharp Mk 2 tool and knife sharpener back in the spring of 2021. The Mk 2 is still the fastest, most effective sharpener I can imagine using. It produces super sharp edges on any knives with non-serrated blades and takes
Work Sharp now has a bunch of sharpener styles Read More
REVIEW – The HOKOLITE Runner Bright Light is really bright for night running or riding. The main COB (chip on board) LED light modes are built into the yellow LED set which is on the larger, flat side of the light. There is a hat light built into a thin side of the light and
HOKOLITE Runner Bright Light review – Bright and light Read More
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
Midland WR400 weather alert radio review – Looks good in any room in the house Read More
NEWS – Grill mats give you a griddle-like surface for your gas, charcoal, or electric grill. I was given a set of 6 grill mats two years ago for Christmas by a son-in-law who loves to cook. I shared a couple with friends and the ones I kept are still in service. These mats make it
Stop sacrificing food to the grill fire gods! Read More
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
Velotric Nomad 1 e-Bike review – ‘Kid in a candy store’ adult bike fun Read More
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
Tourniquets are gadgets too! Learn how to use them with the free Stop The Bleed Course Read More
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
Skilhunt EC300 multicolor LED flashlight review – 15 lighting modes from mini to mighty Read More
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
Decked X Pathfinder Survival Kit review – Have it, before you need it Read More
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
Axwell wallet review – A card organizer and tiny body armor? All for a great cause. Read More
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
Olight Javelot flashlight review – A mini long range flashlight for your EDC Read More
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
FERLORD Non-stick Frying Pan review – It sticks to its purpose but nothing sticks to it Read More
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
Olight iMorse keychain flashlight review – A little lumen launcher Read More
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
Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds review – Grip a set if you can Read More