Category Archives: Blog

Blog

Don’t Use The Shop App

Don’t Use The Shop App

Shop App

Ever seen this logo before?

This is going to be a super short, and straight to the point blog entry.

If you are doing some online purchasing and you see the seller encourages you to use the Shop App, run do not walk to another web site. Sadly websites such as Leatherman have started using this. And that is only one example.

I’m not saying “Don’t buy a Leatherman”, because they are awesome. I’m saying “Don’t buy one from their online store which uses the Shop app”. Go to the store and buy one.

I recently bought a couple items online and received subsequent emails telling me that in order to track my shipment I needed the Shop app. I receive lots of equipment to review and I buy some gizmos myself quite frequently.

Continue reading

Vlogging Camera Light Comparison

Vlogging Camera Light Comparison

Vlogging Camera Light

I’ve been really trying hard to up my photography and video game here on the blog. Lighting of course is one aspect of that journey. I have recently purchased a couple different brands of Vlogging Camera Lights, and I’ll shake them down here.

The fun part about this is that I spent my own money so I can call it like I see it. It’s not that I don’t do that already, but when someone sends me an item to review I try hard to WORK WITH THEM. If I find something wrong I contact them and most places are happy to hear the feedback and WORK WITH ME. But when I spend my own cash there isn’t any pre-established back and forth.

And I review so much gear provided by others I seldom get to write about the things that I spend my own money on.

So, I’ll use these lights and then I’ll tell you what I think about them. Let’s get started.

Continue reading

Smartwings Motorized Blinds Black Friday Sale

Smartwings Motorized Blinds Black Friday Sale

SmartWings

About a year ago on my blog I reviewed Smartwings Blinds. They have been working flawlessly for the entire year and I have written automations for them in my home automation console (Home Assistant). They raise at sunrise, and lower at sunset. PERFECT!

The blinds can be controlled via remote, or through Amazon Alexa, and through my Home Assistant instance.

They are attractive, quiet, and smooth as silk.

BLACK FRIDAY

You can pick these up at a substantial discount on Black Friday. Here are the terms:

Smartwings Motorized Shades Black Friday Offers:

Time: 15th,Nov–2th,Dec

Offer:10% sitewide or 15% over $1,500

Smartwings Website: https://www.smartwingshome.com/

If you have ever wanted smart motorized blinds that have a variety of control methods, now is the time!

Sainlogic Hydroponic Kit Review

Sainlogic Hydroponic Kit Review

Sainlogic Hydroponic

This is going to be one of my favorite blogs ever. Sainlogic reached out to me and asked me to review their Sainlogic Hydroponic Kit. ($54.99 currently).

Let me provide a little background here before I take on the kit review. Growing up in Indiana my mother could grow anything. Green thumb.

That gene skipped a generation though.

I semi pleaded with Sainlogic NOT TO SEND ME the kit and told them that anything I try to grow dies. They assured me that I would be okay. Actually, I did fail with my very first attempt. I bought some bargain seeds at a local store and they were way old and super cheap. After planting them it was sort of apparent that my seeds were old and moldy.

I’ll just say this now. Your success relies on the quality of the seeds you use. Go to a decent lawn center and buy some good quality seed.

Continue reading

XMCOSY+ Smart Solar Lights

XMCOSY+ Smart Solar Lights

XMCOSY Solar Lights

I was provided the opportunity to test the 6 pack of XMCOSY Smart Solar Lights which are currently on sale for $151.99 which is 24% off the regular price during Amazon Prime Day. The time to buy is NOW!

Included are 6 lights, poles, and stake fittings. Additionally a Wi-Fi Bridge is included to control the lights via an application. Also, paper manuals and a USB cable are included.

The lights are solar powered and have motion detectors in which the sensitivity is adjustable to account for pets and small animals. Or you can control the lights manually. Additionally, the lights can be removed from their bases and charged via the provided USB Cable in no light, or low light situations.

Continue reading

Maglula UpLULA Magazine Loader

Maglula UpLULA Magazine Loader

Magula UpLULA

Magula UpLULA Magazine Loader

Anyone that has ever loaded a magazine will tell you that the last few rounds are almost impossible to push in due to spring tension.   I have cut enough fingers and gotten enough bruises that I finally broke down and bought a Maglula UpLULA.  The cost was approximately $28 or so.

What an amazing tool that I should have gotten ages ago.  My 9mm magazine was darn near impossible to push the last couple of rounds in.

So much so that I generally didn’t fully load the mag.

This will be an amazingly short blog as the device is just plain simple.

 

Loading

I took a quick but not entirely inclusive video showing how the loader works.  There are much better videos out there but this does show the ease of loading.

[kad_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/F3q8yZek59I?si=hbw2JGMr69JYvLlQ” ]

It would appear that I will never wreck my fingers again loading rounds again.

Should You Buy a Maglula UpLULA

If you’ve hurt your hands loading then the answer is a simple, YES.  Get a Maglula UpLULA just as quick as you can.   Ttttthhhhhhhheeeeee that’s all folks!

Ergonomic Chair SIHOO Doro C300

Ergonomic Chair SIHOO Doro C300

SIHOO Doro C300

SIHOO Doro C300

I get to review a lot of cool things here at my Tech Blog.  I was ecstatic when the Marketing folks at SIHOO offered to provide me an Ergonomic Chair to review.  The model they provided is the SIHOO Doro C300 ($299).   To sweeten the pot SIHOO currently has a “Buy One, Get Two” hidden promotion.  That is an amazing deal!

Why was I so excited?  The timing of receiving this chair was exquisite.  After about 50 years of sitting on a wallet my back developed a visible knot in the lower area which sometimes HURTS.  For about 2 years now I have been getting deep tissue massages.  Lo and behold the knot has seemingly gone away just recently.  I have no desire for it to return.  An ergonomic chair is EXACTLY what I needed in my office.

I currently have a garden variety black leather office chair with wooden arms.  It is a nice chair, certainly attractive, however it kills that spot on my back.  So much so that I bought a standing desk.
Continue reading

Dyson V10 Trigger Replacement

Dyson V10 Trigger Replacement

Dyson V10 Trigger Replacement

Dyson V10 Trigger Replacement

This blog is going to be a little less on the technical side and a little more on the “Right To Repair” side.  I can’t find a receipt for when I bought this Dyson V10 vacuum.  But I did find an email stating my warranty was expiring in May 2023.  I bought it refurbished and I think I paid about $350 for it.  So my best guess is I got it in May or November of 2022.  Let’s call it just over 2 years old.

A couple of weeks ago my wife brought me the vacuum and told me it was broken.   A cursory inspection let me know right away that the trigger was not rebounding. Additionally, it remained in the fully depressed position.

As soon as I went to Google I learned a few things:

 

  1. The trigger on the Dyson V10, V11 and other models is a HIGH FAILURE RATE ITEM.
  2. Dyson won’t sell you a trigger.
  3. 3rd party vendors sell REINFORCED triggers.
  4. Replacing the trigger requires COMPLETELY disassembling the Dyson vacuum.
  5. A Torx #8 screwdriver is required for assembly / disassembly.

Continue reading

ARS Rescue Rooter HVAC Review POFS Award Winner

ARS Rescue Rooter HVAC Review POFS Award Winner

ARS Rescue Rooter

ARS RESCUE ROOTER EARNS TOP PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT AWARD.

I usually reserve my coveted “Piece Of Fucking Shit” Award for tech components.  Today however, we are breaking new ground and awarding it to an HVAC service.  ARS Rescue Rooter.

When your furnace or air conditioning goes out, the customer expectation is to show up within 5 minutes of calling and fix it within 10 minutes.  ARS response time is actually very good,  But let me spin my yarn.

It is 2 or 3 days before Christmas. I’m at the sink and the vent that usually blows hot air starts blowing ice cold air on my feet.  I go outside where the furnace is and it “STINKS”.  There is clearly something wrong with the combustion on the furnace.

I go flip the breaker and restart.  It blows hot air for about an hour and then turns cold again.  When I go outside again, it stinks even worse.

I call ARS and they actually show up in less than an hour.  The Tech was kind and went right to work.  When he opened the furnace panel it was obvious the burners were not blowing tight, blue jets of flame.  It was mostly orange and it wasn’t a compressed jet.  It was clearly dangerous.

Tech tells me I need new burners and it will cost $570 to install them.

While he is talking I notice a red light blinking on the Ignition Control Board.  I ask him about it. He has no manual, says that doesn’t know what the code means but says that we’ll change the burners and go from there.

The blink code 7 times was a Flame Rollout Switch trip.  That means the burner flames are rolling back inside.  The switch is a thermal switch that chops the flow of gas to prevent a build up of heat, flame, CO², and prevent a fire.

Hey, he’s the HVAC pro.
Continue reading

Ooni Pizza Oven Update

Ooni Pizza Oven Update

Just over a month ago I bought an Ooni Pizza Oven, the Karu 12 Multi-Fuel.  It was an impulse buy.  But suffice to say I’ve eaten more than a few pizzas and calzones in the last month or so.  I’ve been having so much fun with this thing but I want to share a few things I have learned along the way to any potential buyer of the Ooni.   If you are a fence sitter and thinking about buying one I’d absolutely encourage you to do that.  But there is a learning curve.

Buying an expensive stove, oven, stand mixer or any other kitchen porn won’t make you a good cook.  Using your equipment a lot with study and experimentation will.  There is so much to learn regarding a brick pizza oven like the Ooni.  There are hundreds of posts on the Facebook forum alone regarding dough hydration.
Continue reading