Polaroid Z2300B Instant Digital Camera

Get one for yourself on Amazon


The Polaroid Instant Digital Camera is very plain design-wise and the prints aren't anything to write home about. I tried this and the mobile printer and while this had the added feature of a built in camera I just can't see myself carrying it around. On one hand it't somewhat unique and very handy at times. Don't forget the Fun Factor either. On the other hand someone like me prefers high quality prints if I'm going to go through the trouble to get them. You'd probably get this for the printer and the camera just means you don't have to carry two things around. Read on to decide for yourself.

Build- For a camera these days, this thing is enormous. True, you are fitting both a camera and a printer in your pocket but it's still too big for me to quite call revolutionary yet. A Mini Cooper is all the car you need in a small form but no one calls them portable. You get a beast of a box that isn't the most wonderful to look at. It's a camera so you of course need to be careful around the lens and screen but the body is pretty sturdy. The power and shutter release are on top with the other menu buttons on the back. Don't forget the landscape/macro switch on the left side. The paper is inserted by moving a switch on the screen which then opens up.

Function- The camera you get here is a little basic. Fine manual control is extremely limited. You don't even have press-to-focus. The best there is is a switch to indicate if you're taking a picture of something up close or far away. If the image looks blurry, flip the switch. You do have an nice feature tacked on in that you can also take videos here. Keep them short unless you have a separate memory card, the internal memory only holds 15 pictures so that's a few seconds of video. Once you have an image you like just flip the selector slider to the image viewer and go to the image you want. Printing is simple from here as you only need to press the big green button int eh bottom left and ok after selecting the number of copies you want. Here's where you're needs will really come into play. Every time I printed a picture I was a little disappointed. I like high quality pictures and you just don't get that here. Everything's a little grainy and you are only getting a 2x3 picture. A larger view of the RC battery I took a picture f will show some vertical lines in the image. If you change your expectations though you'll end up with a fun way to share pictures with anyone around you. I found that for best results you want to brighten your pictures a little as they tend to print a little darker than you expect. The 30 second time-to-print seems like forever until you realize you're getting instant hard copies of what you just captured. 


This camera shouldn't be a replacement for your point and shoot, it should be a supplement to have when just going out with friends or family. Kids will love being able to get a picture immediately and be able to stick it anywhere. This means it's great for scrap-booking or even name tags at an event. I realize the original polaroid instant cameras weren't meant to be the most feature filled and this is just a modern interpretation of that convenience. If you just want the Fun-Factor, this camera would work for you. If you're going to have your smartphone with you, get the standalone polaroid printer instead. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Polaroid Zip Instant Mobile Printer

Get one on Amazon

The Polaroid Zip instant printer is a mixed bag. On one hand it't somewhat unique and very handy at times. Don't forget the Fun Factor either. On the other hand someone like me prefers high quality prints if I going to go through the trouble to get them. Read on to decide for yourself.

Build- The printer is has an external glossy plastic that should hold up to the occasional bump. Don't get too crazy though because there is some give to the cover and if you sit on it a few time it will probably crack. One end has the slot for pictures to come out and the other has the USB port to charge as well as some indicator lights and a recessed reset button. Otherwise the outside it pretty nondescript. The top of the case near the photo slot has an arrow that shows where to slide it back to remove the cover and place the paper. Overall it's just small enough that you can fit it in most pockets so it does have portability going for it.

Function- Here's where you're needs will really come into play. Every time I printed a picture I was a little disappointed. I like high quality pictures and you just don't get that here. Everything's a little grainy and you are only getting a 2x3 picture. If you change your expectations though you'll end up with a fun way to share pictures with anyone around you. You'll first need to get the companion app which allows you to edit the photos a little before sending. After you've paired it through bluetooth you can even tap a NFC enabled phone on the printer to automatically launch the app. This means you can just snap and tap(thought that up all by myself); no fumbling through your apps to find the right one. Once your satisfied hit the print button and about 30 seconds later you have your picture. I found that for best results you want to brighten your pictures a little as they tend to print a little darker than you expect. The 30 second time period seems like forever until you realize you're out in the middle of nowhere and you just printed a physical picture.

The ability to carry a wireless printer anywhere really is a wonderful idea. Kids will love being able to get a picture immediately and be able to stick it anywhere. This means it's great for scrap-booking or even name tags at an event. Even though the print quality doesn't meet my expectations I'm going to keep this around for family events because there really is nothing else so convenient. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Adfilic Collapsible Garden Hose

Get one on Amazon

I've always thought these hoses were a little gimmicky. I mean, a hose gets water from one place to another, does that really need to be improved? It turns out these little things can be pretty useful. The problem with old hoses is that they take up so much space. You either need a large thing to hang them on or a big reel box to hide them. If you want a cleaner look this is a better option.

Build- This hose is a very simple construction. The inside is essentially surgical tubing and the outside a strong but light fabric to both add protection and provide the structure. If the fabric weren't there it would continue expanding until it exploded.

Assembly- My specific item arrived with the nozzle(really the valve, as the nozzle is just on top of it) not attached to the hose. I immediately thought my item was broken but it looks like someone at the factory may just be in a hurry and not assembling them completely. This means that some people receive one that's partially intact but the water pressure makes the tubing slide out. To fix this you just need to unscrew the fitting and reassemble it.
1. Unscrew the fitting below the valve.
2. Inch the inner tube through the fabric. This may take a little work.
3. Put the tube through the brass fitting you unscrewed, then through the plastic insert.
4. Press the tube fully over the metal nipple of the valve.
5. Push the plastic insert over the nipple and tube.
6. Pull the fabric through the brass fitting and over the nipple/tube/plastic
7. Screw the brass fitting on tight

Function- When deflated you can hold the entire setup in two hands but if you turn the water all the way on you'll have a fully ready to use hose in seconds. At this point it's just like any other hose Go about watering things. When you're ready however; just turn the water off and either unscrew the hose or turn the nozzle to a high setting and squeeze the handle. I prefer to go with the latter to avoid getting the water everywhere. Because the inside of the hose is expanded, giving the water a way out allows it to contract and push the remaining water out. I found that lifting the entire thing hand over hand afterwards was sufficient for emptying it the rest of the way. Your end size is small enough to fit in less than a gallon sized flowerpot so it's out of the way  and hidden until you need it.

This hose comes with a nozzle attached but it's pretty much the same as any other. It works fine and the different setting are useful so it's a nice addition. You can untwist it and be left with just the valve to use as you wish. When it comes down to it this hose is a neat idea that allows you to be a little more tidy. Give this one a try. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Whiskey Stones by Zcutt

Find some for yourself on Amazon

 I've always been a bit skeptical of things like these but I'm glad to have tried them now. With all things you have to have the right expectations. Without getting too science-y ice works by absorbing the energy(heat) of your drink and changing state. State changing takes a lot of energy and that's why ice can cool a big drink. These soapstone clearly aren't going to melt so they can only cool so much. The benefit though is that you don't get anything added to the liquid. The real use is in cooling small things and keeping them at a set temperature until you're finished.

Build- It's soapstone. It's a cube. ...Not really much else to say. The bad that comes with the cubes I've found to be really handy. With all the little cubes it's easy to have them get lost in the freezer or get knocked around. Once you realize you can juts store them in the bag right in the freezer it's much better and they're always there ready to go.

Function- As I said above these are for small drinks. I found that 2-3 cubes were able to keep things cooler for much longer than usual. You know how when you have just a little bit of something left and go to drink it later it's warm? Yeah, yuck. These prevent that. This package comes with enough that you can share them with a few people at a time.

Something to note is that because these are a soft stone they shouldn't be used in and carbonated drinks as they will break down. As long as you are only looking to maintain a temperature or cool something small I think you should try these out. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Leather Watch Box by Ohuhu

Get one for yourself on Amazon

This watch box by Ohuhu looks great on a desk. A combination of solid construction and nice materials means this is something you won't mind sitting out in view to display your watches.

Build- Lets get this out of the way first: it's not natural leather. Does it matter? Not the least bit. The PU leather that covers the box adds just teh right amount of sophistication while not driving up the cost of something that really just sits there it's whole life. The viewing windows in a quality polycarbonate. I'm able to bend it a little so it's not glass but again; I have no problem with it because you'd really never notice as it's very clear sturdy. The material that covers al the internals is a thin felt type that lets a little fluff out in transit so you'll need to clean the inside of the cover with a quick wipe. Pillows are a soft foam type material with hard sides to help keep their form. My only complaint about this box is the the ribbon that is used to stop the lid from bending all the way backwards naturally falls inside when you close it and could cover a watch or two from being displayed clearly.

Function- I have to admit I still haven't figured out how the watches stand up like they do in the picture. When I close the clasps around the pillows they sit flat against the bottom. It probably wouldn't hurt to include some wedges to lift the top end. Because the pillows are soft it allows you to latch your watches around back but if you wrists are very small of very large you may not be able to due to the fixed size. Everything about the box feels solid so everything they used works together well to make you feel like your watches are protected. The latches closes cleanly and snaps in too.

If you're looking for a moderately priced case to keep your watches, this is one I'd personally recommend. Mine look great so now the only thing I have to do is decide where I want to put it. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Bluetooth headphones by Eineo

Get them on Amazon

No one likes having a cord hanging around when you're trying to get things done while listing to a bit a music. These bluetooth headphones by Eineo help eliminate that problem but they aren't without their shortfalls.

Build- Construction is your usual glossy plastic. Not the strongest but they're pretty light. This set includes multiple ear pieces in black and translucent white as well as the vertical rubber extensions. The latter are pretty handy because they're no overly obtrusive in your ear but they're able to keep things from falling out when you're moving around a lot. The biggest problem I have with these is that they stick out so far. From the edge of the ear cushion to the outside is a whole inch. This takes away from the overall aesthetic and when I try to wear them in earmuff style hearing protection they get jammed into my ears. The small cord connecting each side is perfect length wise and the flat design prevents tangles from developing during storage.

Function- Out of the box the best way I can describe the sound quality is muffled. It turns out that they're not incapable of producing high frequencies but the default setting has them a little low. I have an Android device so I just grabbed an equalizer app and turned up the higher frequencies and now everything sounds great. Lows are good for such a small speaker as well. I was able to call my wife and even though the mic is at your ear she said she was able to hear me fine. Buttons are simple with one on/off/take call/hangup button and direction buttons for selection songs and volume. They work fine but the on/off one is somewhat flush with the case and hard to find sometimes.

If you're looking for a basic set of headphones to work or work out in, these can work. I only found them to get a little uncomfortable after a 2-3 hours due to plastic resting on my ears. Buy them with the right expectations and you'll be fine. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.