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Monday, February 29, 2016

Travel Pillow with sleep mask and carrying case


Grab one for your next trip

I have an incredibly hard time sleeping as a passenger on long drives so a small pillow that happened to be memory foam was just the ticket. I don't think there's a lot to set travel pillows apart but this one seems to do everything I'd want just fine.

The case of the pillow is made of a short fleece type material that couldn't get much softer. Note that I say "case" which means you can un-zip it and remove the memory foam for washing. I've seen some that are a single piece and after washing the foam i imagine it loses it's form. Size wise I think this one hit's a sweet spot. There is enough heft to give you the support you need but it's still as small as possible so you're not carrying something huge around; a big plus if you use it while flying. When my head goes to the side a little it five for cushion and support but because it's memory foam it doesn't fully compress. The carrying case is nothing particularly special and I think could stand to be a little smaller but it does it's job as well. I'm not one for sleep masks so mine doesn't get much use. That said, it seems pretty comfortable without too much tension.

It's a simple product that makes the simple but correct choices. You can only put so much thought into a travel pillow but if someone asks for a recommendation I'd be fine recommending this one. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Monday, February 22, 2016

RhinoShield CrashGuard Bumper by Evolution Labs

Grab one on Amazon

Phone cases are a dime-a-dozen. Most of the time you're shooting in the dark when you get one that will probably work but can be made of shoddy materials or just be a generic fit for your phone. That's not the case(pun possibly intended) here. Evolution labs has put design and thought into this and it shows as a great product.

The problem with the usual cases is that they are bulky and make your new thin phone turn into a big blob. By only covering the edges this bumper style provides just the right amount of protection and does so while still allowing the phone to retain a thinner feel. My wife has been using it on her 5X for a few weeks now and while she was hesitant before due to the unprotected back, the continued survival with our one year old has made her a believer.

I like the feel in the hand as it's a soft rubber but not so soft that is falls off the phone or make the buttons difficult to use. My favorite part though is the subtle shape at the top and bottom on the back side. The 5X has that raised camera lens and here is where you see the well thought out design. You get a slight raised part in the bumper to bring it to the lens height so it doesn't stick out and get scratched on everything.

We used to think you had to have a bully enclosed case to keep a phone intact but it turns out this minimalism does the trick. Nothing is going to happen to the back and you should already have a screen protector on the screen. The CrashGuard lets your phone survive your everyday drops unscathed and we've very impressed with it. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.



Thursday, February 18, 2016

Glytterati mens titanium wedding band

I'm not the sort of person who wants to change out wedding bands. I have mine and there's no need to change it at these prices though I was interested. Titanium is known for being very light and somewhat expensive so if this one could deliver a good product for not too much dough it would be nice.

Good news: it did deliver. I couldn't believe how light it was. My first thought was that it was plastic but it really is metal. I'm coming from a tungsten carbide ring so I'm used to something heavier. The gold plating is a nice change to break up the single color of the titanium but you may need to buff it. Mine arrived a little smudged but that's maybe just a leftover from manufacturing.

I have to say this surprised me. Its made well, incredibly light, and doesn't break the bank. If you're looking at a wedding soon or are just someone who doesn't mind switching out wedding bands I'd say give this one a try.I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Ceramic Magnets by X-bet

Grab a set on Amazon

Lets be honest; there's nothing horribly exciting about 100 disc magnets. That being said there are an infinite number of uses from crafts to actual useful things so it's nice to know what a quality set is. They arrived with none broken and no chips which speaks to either their durability or good packaging. As they came in a basic small cardboard box I have to conclude they're just made well.

Each is a little smaller than a nickel and around the thickness of a standard USB plug. I wasn't blown away by the strength but I didn't feel they were weak either. Sometimes they they're too strong you'll have issues getting them apart or pinch fingers. You'll find that they are just strong enough that you almost think you can't get them apart by pulling directly apart but then they do.

I like that the set comes with so many which lets you always have enough for whatever you're doing. My wife has made some fridge magnets by forming some thermoplastic (also found on Amazon) around them into shapes like stars and trees. We have a front load washer as well where you don't want to keep the door shut but then it  swings all the way open. We hot glued two of these to a thick ribbon and now we can hold the door mostly shut with no issues. What else do you want out of a magnet; it holds up and it sticks to things. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Poly Plastics Moldable Plastic


Get some for yourself

These are very similar to another moldable plastic I've tried(Thermomorph) and I found them to be basically the same though the pellets are a little smaller. I was looking for something to replace a failed plastic piece on my Ninja Blender but I've since been able to make a replacement oil catcher cap, aided in a custom headphone adapter, and created a quick easy connection between a small electric motor and a shaft. While you'll see most reviews focusing on the craft uses, there is so much more to help with repairs of household items along with creating impromptu solutions to occasional problems.

The five stars are easy for this one. These pellets are so easy to work with but are still pretty strong when cooled. They become soft and clear in very short time once placed in hot water. I'd recommend pulling the resulting glob out with a spoon and giving it a few seconds to cool before touching. The plastic stays pliable for a surprising amount of time while cooling down and if you don't have enough time you can just throw it back in the same water which is usually still warm enough and things will quickly soften up again. Try to form your rough shapes first so when re-melting you only need to wait for the outer layer to get squishy. 

If you have any art projects or home fixes to do I'd recommend these. My wife even made a couple cookie cutter shapes and our daughter loves chewing on them. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.

The colors work pretty good though in a very unscientific opinion I think they don't quite color as solidly as the Instamorph ones. You just need to add a few more to get them nice and dark.


Monday, February 1, 2016

Ausdom M05 Bluetooth headphones by Mixcder


Grab a pair for yourself here on Amazon

As I've said with other headphones I've tried quality is very hit-or-miss. A picture can make it look great and you have no reason to expect the sound to be bad. I'm glad to report that these are a great pair and I enjoy using them. Casual listener is how I'd classify myself and I can appreciate sound quality which leads me to say these are a good buy. There is a little room for improvement but I'd still recommend them to friends.

Build- I don't know if I'd call the materials used "Premium" but I have nothing I'd necessarily change. The ear cups are a nice pseudo-leather with plenty of foam behind to provide adequate comfort. I've worn them for several hours at work with no issues. Hard surfaces are a nice soft-touch plastic and the outside panel is covered by a tasteful textured vinyl that says classy without being gaudy. You have a real metal strip in the band which is always good to see and while there aren't mountains of foam on the top I didn't feel any unwanted pressure while using. Input wise you'll find the aux-in on the left along with volume and power. For the right side you get play/pause, seek, and the charge port. There's only so much innovation to be done about a dust cover on the charge port but it's current design almost protects too well. It took a little work to pop out so I'd like to see a little change by the manufacturer there if possible. Finally, the cups turn all the way perpendicular to the band allowing them to lay flat which is great for travel; even if you have to buy a case separately.

Function- Compared to some recent wired headphones I tried I put these on with some hesitation but I have to say I love the sound. Highs are crisp and lows come through smooth and full. My only real complaint is that I don't think there is any insulation around the backs of the speakers. While these don't have an active-noise cancelling feature even the Quiet Comfort line from Bose only relies on that for the lows. Getting rid of those outside highs requires good insulation and I can hear everything right through them. If the maker here wants to have a solid 5-star product they need to work on this. I'd imagine it could be done with some fairly cheap foam so it wouldn't drive the price up at all if any.

I'm not one for earbuds or the ones that hang off the ear so over the ear(not on-ear) Bluetooth is exactly what I've been looking for. If you want to feel in the middle of your music without wires these are great. If you want to put them around your neck and blast them to make everyone else listen you should probably go over-pay for something flashy with a "b" on it. They should certainly be contenders for your dollar if they can be had for a good price. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.