The Giz Wiz, Week of April 2nd, 2014, Netcast 1462

Giz Wiz Video of the week #1 – The Hamilton Beach OpenEase Automatic Jar Opener

(We're talking about model 76800 here.) Ever had trouble opening a tight jar lid? You tap, pry, use rubber grips, but you can’t make it open. That’s where the OpenEase Automatic Jar Opener can help. It makes opening jars easy, and it can open a wide variety of jars from small to large (From a ketchup cap up to 4”) and every size in-between. Lay it on the jar and press the “open lid” button. That activates the tightening action around the lid and the screwing action to open it. Press again to release the lid. But you better not be in a hurry because all this can take about two minutes. (Be sure to watch the video I made so you an see for yourself how slow it moves.) You may not care, because in most cases it seems to work fine on glass jars with screw lids. Don’t try it on plastic, it can crush the jar as you’ll also see in the video. And the OpenEase Jar Opener is compact enough to fit in a drawer. Cost is under $14.00 on Amazon. Yes, I said under $12 in the video. In just one day it went up two dollars. That seems to happen a lot after I made a video about a product and we talk about on The Giz Wiz show. Still, if you have weak wrists, it's probably worth it. Also, often after a few days the price goes down again.

Hamilton Beach Open Ease Automatic Jar Opener - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

GizWiz YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/n8S-b9NQcNA 

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Sound Pockets - the pocket is to hold your earbuds inside the case.

iPhones and smartphones are easy to carry, earbuds are not. They always get tangled up. Sound Pockets makes the Freedom Case, a case with built in earbud storage. For iPhone 4, 5, and Gen5 Touch. Each Sound Pockets Freedom Case includes two earbud "caddies". (You supply your own earbuds.) One caddy is specially designed to fit your Apple earbuds, while the other is specially designed to fit Apple's In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic. Slide the caddy into place in the pocket of the case, snap the cover closed and you're all set to go. You won't have to bother with searching for lost earbuds or untangling cords again. The case is made of hard polycarbonate plastic, keeping the back and the sides of your iPod or iPhone protected against scratches and minor drops. The  pocket stops well before the camera hole, thus avoiding the dreaded flash-glare that could occur with some other iPod cases on the market today. It's the ideal case for travel or anytime you'll need your earbuds on-hand. As an added bonus, the Freedom Case's door also doubles as a stand  in landscape mode. Watch movies and videos comfortably hands-free. I have to add that the Sound Pockets add a fair amount of thickness to the phone. WIth the variety of bright colors available, I suspect these will appeal more to younger phone users. Under $35. 

www.soundpockets.com  

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Giz Wiz Video of the week #2. It's an external battery charger. It's a stand. It's both.

It's the FineLife Power Charger Stand & Portable Battery Backup. The product name is almost bigger than the product. We’ve seen lots of battery backup devices and we’ve seen lots of smart phone, tablet stands, but this is the 1^st time I’ve seen both of them together. Here’s what the company says: Throw one of these clever little devices in your bag and you'll have the power you need on the go PLUS a viewing stand that can accommodate everything from smart phones all the way up to full size tablets! The Charger Stand uses a powerful 5000mah built in battery to charge virtually any device that has a USB charging cord - so you can charge not only your phone or tablet but digital cameras, mp3 players, GPS devices, whatever! Unit folds down for easy packing - folded down dimensions: 2 7/8" wide x 4 5/8" long x 5/8" thick. And my take: Nowhere online can you find much about the company or the charging output of this device. It charged my Galaxy S4 fine, but I don’t have an iPad to charge; although the company says it will. And the price is right: 14.99, at the link below. Still available as of 4/2/14.) 

http://www.thatdailydeal.com/home.php?id=36974 

GizWiz YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/bMFSjNBEg9s 

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Chad's Crappy Corner! But it might be good. (Might be.)

Wow, Chad plays with Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty - Super Magnetic Strange Attractor! Here’s what the company says about their product: Deep black with subtle green sparkles, this newly updated Thinking Putty is softer and more fun than before and has a mind of its own. Near a powerful magnet it comes alive! Strong enough to defy gravity, it can even lift tacks and paperclips on its own after charging in a magnetic field. You'll be mesmerized by the invisible forces at play. $12.37 (price on 4/2/14) And Amazon Prime, so free shipping for Prime Members. 

And Chad’s take: Chad had a lot of fun with his Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty. First of all, the putty is magnetic. It comes with a magnet which you can place on the top of the putty and then leave. Come back a couple of hours later and you'll find the putty has devoured the magnet. Well, not exactly doured it, but it does pull it down in the putty and out of sight. Weird stuff! On his iPad, Chad showed us a time lapse look at the magnet disappearing. For the money Chad said Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty offers a lot of fun. 

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