Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

This was purchased as a direct replacement of the same model fan installed at least 10 years ago.   The previous model gave very good service and as mentioned did so for at least 10 years.    The Broan tech I spoke to suggested buying the entire fan assembly as opposed to just buying the replacement fan as the entire assembly would be cheaper than just the replacement part.    I did so.   I removed the motor, thermostat switch and fan from the assembly.   I then installed it in the old ventilator.   It fit perfectly and works well.   My only complaint was the ground screw in the thermostat switch was not sized correctly or the hole wasn’t punched large enough.    Using a socket wrench I was actually deforming the metal encasement of the thermostat switch trying to drive the grounding screw.   I drilled out the hole a bit to try and it still did not want to drive and I was unwilling to drill the hole any larger. ...

Déjà Vu, This is the type of razor I started shaving with 50 years ago.   The razor’s literature cautions you on the blades, how sharp they are and how important it is to safely dispose of the blades.   In fact at that time it was common to have a slot in the wall mounted medicine cabinet that opened on the dead space between walls.   When your blade became dull, you slipped the blade into the slot and it dropped between the walls.   Considering 18” centers on the studs and back then 2”x4” studs actually measured 2”x4”, you had a space 18” wide by 4”deep and approximately 60” high.    Think about how many razor blades would fit in that space.   If I still lived there, I could easily keep adding razor blades into the wall.    Enough history. Day 1 It took a few minutes to get back into the short stroke type of shaving.   With the multi-bladed razor you slowly pull down in long even strokes with the thought tha...

Light at top, motion sensor at bottom. This is actually cleverer than I expected.   It does detect motion and it does turn off in 20 seconds if the motion stops.   I can see it would be ideal for travel and strange rooms.   Set it on the night stand pointing away from the bed and if you needed to get it up you would have light.    It also would be good for the elderly or others who might need to take a pill at night, you would have no need to fumble to turn on a light, a simple motion would provide enough light to see what you are doing.   It comes with multiple methods of mounting provide you want to do a semi-permanent mount.    This is an excellent travel accessory.   My only complaint is the ridiculously difficult to open packaging.   The plastic, sealed, clamshell packaging cries out for replacement with a consumer friendly package.   · Includes both motion activated auto on/off or manual operation for...

This is a nice little telescope.   The price at Amazon is $46.00.   The quality of the piece is a bit iffy.   It does everything it claims to do but if you have rambunctious kids, I suspect it will not last very long.   The instructions for assembly were adequate.    The need for two AAA batteries could be larger on the outside packaging.   However since the batteries are not necessary for use of the telescope but just to operate the red LED light, that is not a critical oversight.   The LED is for use in keeping your Sky Gazer’s journal.   The activity journal is quite good.   It gives decent instructions and provides activities to be used with the MoonScope.   It will provide a positive learning experience.   The two eyepieces provide a surprising amount of magnification.   This feels like an inexpensive toy but provides a more sophisticated magnification than you would expect.   If i...

Once again, I am impressed with technology.   I am not impressed with the price, $219.00 but I am impressed with how well it works.   This little setup allows excellent baby monitoring.   You can set it for sound activation.   So if the little one starts to cry, the camera will turn on and you can see his brother poking him with a stick. (I know demented humor has no place in professional reviews, however I’m writing the review and I can use humor where I please.)   The sound activation aspect turns on the camera and you can see into the area where the monitor is pointed, even in the dark.   If there is no more sound the parent screen will darken in 20 seconds when using the sound activation feature. The screen is very small on the parent unit.   The unit itself is roughly the size of a 10 year old cell phone and so is the screen.   It is very clear though.   There is a lullaby feature which can play three different...

              This actually worked right out the gate.   I first charged it as recommended.   Once it was charged I downloaded the AP to my tablet.   I turned on the drive and my tablet found it.   I was able to move files back and forth wirelessly.   It does automatically disconnect you from the Internet when it connects to the wireless flash drive.   The documentation states there is a work around on that.    I plugged it into my USB port on my non-wireless desktop and could easily move the files.     It was simple to set up, works fine.   A good product I received for free to review.   From the vendor: The SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive provides you with an easy and convenient way to wirelessly store, share and stream your content across your smartphones, tablets and computers. SanDisk Wireless Flash Drive is the next-generation wir...

Please read the entire review, my opinion changed based on superb customer service.   This looked like a good product.   My first dismay was the astounding difficulty to get into the product.   The plastic clam shell was nearly impervious to my special packaging cutting tool.   Then the liberal application of tape on the pieces that were already carefully sealed in their molded plastic pockets compounded my frustration.   Once I got it open, I read the brief overview and took it to the garage to test.    I attached the leads with the power port (formerly known as a cigarette lighter receptacle)   adapter and then plugged it into the power port in my SUV.   BTW I am a bit concerned about the exposed connections on the back.   I’m not an electrician but they look like it would be entirely too easy to cross those with something conductive and poof! (The vendor assured me that there is no danger in this type of connection.)...