Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

This is a very cool toy.   The ability of Elmo to talk to the child by name is going to be a huge hit.  There are games and chores that can be referred to by Elmo.  Out of the box, Elmo is cute and does things by clapping his hands, putting his hands on his belly or squeezing his nose.   My suggestion would be to free Elmo from his box prior to giving it to a child.  It took brute strength, scissors  and wire cutters to get Elmo out.   Plus you have to get him out to get batteries in him.   That is not obvious and the instructions don't say insert batteries in his derriere but that is where you put them.  Once Elmo is powered up you can then download the application from Google Playstore.  The app is Love2learn Elmo.  Again the instructions tell you to go to Hasbro's website but even there you have to do some searching to get to the point where you are told to go to the playstore to download the app....

This is too darn cute.  The singing voice is clear and the tunes are catchy.   The sounds and lights are going to be captivating for the little ones.  The slightly older kids are going to love the remote control.   This will be a great gift for any little Thomas fan and a great introduction for any child that is not already a Thomas fan.  Includes battery-powered motorized Thomas toy train and remote control Guitar-shaped remote control features 4 buttons: activate music, activate sound effects, move forward, reverse & spin Includes 6 original upbeat songs inspired by different musical genres Thomas delivers cool sounds and unique phrases related to a musical performance Steam clouds on the side of Thomas light up brightly in a rainbow of colors that flash in time to the music If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommenda...

3Doodler Start Super Mega Pen Set   by   3Doodler Great Gift Idea!                                                                                           Ok, I admit I am a sucker for tech gadgets.  This is a take off of the 3D printer which I have raved about in past reviews.  This allows you to draw, mold and experiment in a non-toxic plastic.  It certainly doesn't have the precision of a 3D printer but at $99.00 it doesn't have the price tag either.   This set comes with a full complement ...

·   This is a nice set. It doesn't say it is part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) series but it certainly could be.   Good concepts and very clear instructions.   Of course once it is built and played with the whole set will be folded in with the rest of the K'NEX for even more play.   This is a Pennsylvania company that is very innovative and produces a quality product.   Much like the ubiquitous more well known brand of building toy, you can never have too many K'NEX.   As an aside, the set comes with three rubber bands that seem like they were an afterthought as they were just loose in the box and frankly they look like they were used.   Kind of surprised to see that in this normally high quality set. From the vendor: Go back in time with the Infinite Journey Roller Coaster Building Set, from K'NEX. The slingshot launcher sends the coaster car up the hill and spiraling through the track! This set comes ...

Piracy isn't just grabbing hostages off the coast of Africa or the plot for a Disney movie.  Piracy is also literary theft. This morning I got another Google alert that informed me that once again another site is ripping off my books.   They are offering free downloads of  my books and many, many others without getting author permission.   Several of my books are on the site and I have not given them permission to give them away.   Somehow related is Melekpdf . online which is also coming up as giving away my books.   It is one thing for me to offer my books to my readers for free and it is an entirely different thing to find some website charging a fee for unlimited book, game and movie downloads and "giving" away my books.  This is theft, plain and simple.   Every dime I earn goes into producing more books.   My hope is my books help someone in some way.   These thieves are depriving me ...

This is pretty nifty.  It is a simplistic globe that turns and shows the continents.  Each continent has an interactive button.   Pushing the buttons elicits different responses dependent on which of the three learning stages you have selected.  This toy should keep a toddler entertained for hours.  It is sturdy and should provide both fun and learning.   The cheery little voice may drive Mom and Dad crazy with it's engaging upbeat manner which makes it an  ideal gift from grandparents.  From the vendor: Interactive globe helps teach global greetings, animals, colors, modes of transportation, music and continents Includes Smart Stages technology-with 3 levels of play, learning content changes as toddlers grow "Ni-hao!" Press the 7 animal buttons to learn about animals, music and greetings from around the world Flip the book pages to learn how Pup & Sis get around when they travel the ...

  See a guest post by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. at Azure Dwarf today.

Once again proving "you get what you pay for", this product failed miserably in ease of use.  Logmeonce seemed like a good solution for the necessary password protection problem.  Seems and does are two different things.  The software initially seemed to provide the necessary protection and robust ability ratings of my passwords.  Then  about a week ago, I tried to log in and it said I had an incorrect login.   I had changed nothing but I shrugged and created a new password.   Problem solved!  WRONG!!  On the successive following days, each morning I was told the login password was incorrect and I had to create a new password.  Today was the last day I put up with their software malfunction.   I was going to go to support but there is none.  I was going to go to their community forum and it "is coming soon."   How this software ever became a tech magazine choice is beyond comprehension. ...

This is a cute scooter and the pink and purple will be a hit with the grand daughter.   I particularly like the adjustable handle bar.   You have three adjustments that allow you to start at a very low 20" and go up to a 26". The brake seems effective.   The wheels and body are soft enough that this could be used in the house by little ones.    Self righting seems a bit of a stretch but it does seem responsive.    This should make a very nice gift. ·                         Designed For Ages 3 to 5 Years Old ·                         Fun 3 Wheeled Scooter With Pivot Steering & Patented Self Righting Technology ·                 ...

I wasn't sure what non-woven meant and I still am not.  This feels durable and will certainly hold a lot of wrapping paper, see photo.   It seems like it should hold up and was reasonably priced at $13.99. ·                          Non woven ·                         Imported ·                         Non-Woven Storage Bin is 41 x 14 x 4.5" with zip lid, dividers for materials and clear pockets for supplies on the inside ·                         Gift wrap storage box holds up to 8 rolls of wrappin...

I don't hate the dark, I just hate stumbling around in it.  These are LED which means you can use them with out feeling guilty over power usage.   They also have a built in light sensor which turns them off when the sun rises or you turn on another light source.  They seem sturdy and the light is enough to illuminate for safety without blazing or glaring.  The price is certainly good too, under $10.00 at Amazon. I wrote this review in July when I got the lights.  Since then one died after 3 months of use. It was on a surge suppressor and nothing else is damaged on the same strip so I have to assume a defective light. One out of four is a 25% failure rate which seems rather high so I had to question the quality.  Built-in light sensor turns nightlight on and off automatically Built-in LED bulb Polarized 2-Blade Plug If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bea...