Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

This is soft and cuddly.  The weighted feet are kind of strange but they do able it to stand up right easily.  I am somewhat concerned about the eyes though.  I removed that type of eye from the last plush toy I got for a grandkids due to my concern about them biting off the eyes and swallowing them.  I embroidered eyes on the other dinosaur.  I will have to check with the parents before I give this as a gift as the eyes are, in my eyes, a possible safety issue. $22 at Amazon also seems a bit pricy for the size of the toy.  From the vendor: ·          Stuffed animal dinosaur features ultra-soft fabric that begs to be held and is impossible to put down ·      Weighted feet for plush toy to stand comfortably in place while not being toted around the Jurassic jungle ·     Durably constructed stuffed animal to withstand years of love ·     For all ages, surface washable only ·...

This is an attractive suitcase in a color that should stand out if on a luggage carousel.   The handle pops up easily and seems very sturdy.  The four caster wheels swivel smoothly and the suitcase pulls with ease.  It has an expandable feature utilizing a separate zipper that increases the size by about 3" in depth so roughly 800 cubic inches more.   Considering it is roughly 2520 cubic inches without the extra 3 you get roughly a third more storage.  I did the math in my head so if you use a calculator and I am wrong, such is life.  The suitcase has a nice feature that one half is separated by a zippered compartment so when opening, everything doesn't just fall out of the up side.   Overall this is a very nice carryon.  If after I actually carry it on to an airplane and have any negative issues, I will report back here. From the Vendor: Extremely durable and lightweight and is made of 100 percent ABS with a protective...

This watch will have high appeal to the traditionalist and the technophobic.  It is a watch.  That's it, it doesn't interface with your computer or count your steps.  It doesn't have multiple time zones or a plethora of hands.  Three hands, clear face and easy to set are what you get.  It is good looking and functional without the wealth of gimcrack and gewgaws found on so many watches today.  What a concept, simplicity and style.  ·                         Movement- three hand ·                         Features a durable mineral crystal ·                         Analog-quartz Movement ·  ...

Uniify Verge Lite VR Headset UV005: 3D Virtual Reality Headset Glasses for iPhone 6/Plus, Galaxy S7, Note 6 Compatible with Google Cardboard and Daydream, Blue If this is representative of VR I am disappointed.  However I do recognize that this was $14.88 when I purchased it compared to $70ish for a Samsung Gear VR rig so there is a pretty big price spread.   Now that it is $10.88 it is really cheap but... you do get what you pay for.  When I opened it's box one of the lens was rolling around inside.  I put it in the headset but that may be why things don't focus very well.  I downloaded lots of VR aps from the Google playstore and some of them were ok.  Most were like looking through an old ViewMaster if you are old enough to remember what that is.  Kind of 3D ish but no real great.   The still photos of places where you can look up at say the Eiffel Tower and then look around you in a 360 degree manner were the coolest thin...

Sadly I'm seldom grinning when I review a tech product.  Mostly because of the frequency with which they are difficult to set up and have abysmal instructions.  Wow, was I surprised with this product.  I have that giddy smile that accompanies a successful product test.  This works GREAT!  It configured easily and worked as advertised.   It is annoying that I can seldom report that but in this case I am happy to inform the world and TP-Link, JOB WELL DONE.   I scanned the QRC code on the quick start guide, downloaded the software into my phone, set the plug up and tested it in less time that it will take you to read this review.  What is even better is that the configuration holds even if you unplug the smart plug and plug it in elsewhere in range of your network.  Frankly that flexibility makes the product far more valuable as there isn't a need for constant re-setting the software. Even better is that this product inter...

I put ice and water in this and 4.5 hours later even after leaving it in a hot car for over an hour, I still had ice and water.   That is pretty impressive.   This fits into a car cup holder even though it looks like it won't.   This is ONLY for cold liquids not hot.   I like the auto close feature too, it saves a lot of fumbling around. Later: I decided to see how long this would keep ice in water without the ice melting completely.  Over 24 hours after I filled the bottle with ice and water, there was at least 50% of the ice left.  That is pretty darn amazing. From the vendor: Our Lids Are Sealed - AUTOSEAL technology is leak and spill proof (Yes, there is a difference!) For the Long Haul - Drinks stay cold up to 28 hours with Thermalock Vacuum Insulation Carry On - Carry handle for easy transport Cleaner Drinking - Spout cover to help keep out gross dirt and germs Lend a Hand - Easy one-handed drinking with the push of a button; Clea...

This seemed like a really good idea.  A kid friendly microscope type tool that incorporates their phone or tablet for display purposes.   I got it this afternoon and couldn't wait to put it together to see which one of my grandchildren  would find it the most enjoyable.  I now know none of them would.   You need to hunt through the instructions to find the english language version.  Then there is a separate sheet that should say read me first and might in one of the other languages that accompany it.  The separate sheet tells you how to install the magnifying lens into the holder, kind of tells you.  They tell you to install the two lens in the holes but then they tell you to use the hole on the right and then the diagram seems to show putting two lens into the hole on the right.   I'll never know as the lens are significantly smaller than contact lens and when trying to insert both of them in one hole, o...

It is nice to see a product that was well thought out.  This isn't only a fun car building kit, it is a teaching tool.   The excellent manual, yes you are no doubt as shocked as I,  I repeat manual is excellent.  Not only are the instructions good, there are teaching moments between each set of model instructions.  I like the fact that things are explained and done so in easily understandable terminology. This could be just handed to a child but it really provides the opening for all sorts of bonding and teaching between parent and child.  Note, engineers you may want to keep this for yourself but it is better if you share it with your kid.  You may think this is pricey but the teaching aspect alone is worth the price while the fun aspect of building different vehicles is a bonus. ·                         Construct te...

This is kind of cool.  I like the idea of it being science focused.  It is more of a model building experience than science project though.  The directions are a bit obscure but not hard to follow.  I do think it is a project for an adult and a kid unless the kid is pretty sharp.   It does go off the edge of my desk occasionally so it isn't perfect but when it works it is fun to see.     ·                         Part of the Eco-Engineering/Green Science Series ·                         Fun science project creates a edge detecting robot ·                         All you need is a small crossh...

This is a pretty slick phone system.  It is useable right out of the box without touching the manual.  However if you open the manual you will find a world of complexity.  The symbols in the manual could be a bit clearer.  For example one symbol is a wrench and that was difficult to tell in the printed manual.  The wrench takes you to where you can make many changes.  In fact there are pages and pages of things you can program the phone to do.  You can set it for Voicemail through your service provider rather than the answering machine.  Specific features I liked are: ►Large clear screen that backlights when the phone is answered or any key is touched. ►It has a shoulder grip which is a knobby projection on the back for ease on holding next to your shoulder.  However the speaker phone works very well and I have not had anyone ask if I was standing in a barrel when using it. ►Night setting allows you to disable the ringer for spec...