The Giz Wiz, Week of August 28st 2014, Show # 1483

 Should you BuyBuy The GoGo Pillow?

Here’s what Amazon says about the GoGo Pillow: As Seen on TV Go Go Pillows! Take it everyone, works with any tablet and works as a pillow, too! The GoGo Pillow works on any surface and works as a backpack so you can take your tablet with you, enabling you to use your tablet comfortably wherever you are. The patented multi-slot design means your tablet is locked and securely in place wherever you're using it and it works with every size tablet, too! The plush, luxurious GoGo Pillow folds up into a travel pillow that provides support and comfort so you can catch up on your sleep when you're not using your table. Allows easy access to power cord and earbud pockets.

And The Giz Wiz’s take? It actually is better than I expected. It did hold my 10.1 Galaxy Note Tablet securely, although it blocks the buttons on the edges. It did not however, block the sound. You have to becareful not to let your device overheat while in the GoGo Pillow since it mostly block any ventilation. Watch the video to see The Giz Wiz try all 3 uses of the GoGo Pillow.   

https://www.gogopillow.com

Giz Wiz GoGo Pillow video:   http://youtu.be/0WdcMlAVgZU

Amazon link: GOGO Pillow As seen on TV (Grey) As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1483  

Keep your lunch bag cold without ice or added gel packs.

PackIt is the first freezable personal cooler that keeps anything you pack colder, longer- up to 10 hours. I left 2 cans of soda and a sandwich in for six hours and they were still very cold when I took them out. PackIt has a patented eco-gel built permanently into the liner, eliminating the need for ice or bulky gel packs.  PackIt lunch coolers let you to pack healthy foods you couldn’t before. The company says that yogurt, milk, cheese, even leftovers from the night before stay fresh. The cold eco-gel completely surrounds the bag so food stays colder five times longer than regular lunch bags, even ones that use a separate gel pack. PackIt was started by two single mothers concerned with being able to pack healthy lunches for their own children. PackIt coolers are PVC/lead free, non-toxic, lead-tested, earth safe and reusable. Store your folded PackIt in your freezer until you're ready to use. Many colorful patterns, and even solid black if you prefer. Dimensions: 8” x 10” x 5” (8” x 5” x 2” folded). Under $20 and free shipping for Amazon Prime Members. 

Company website: www.packit.com 

Amazon link: PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag with Zip Closure, Black As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1483  

Two new versions of products I talked about on past shows.

We talked about he Keurig E45 Elite Coffee Maker already on the Giz Wiz, now I'll talk about the smallest K-cup machine available, the Keurig MiniPlus. First just to remind a bit about the first K-cup machine I reviewed, here's a recap. The Keurig Elite K45 Single Cup Coffee Maker sells just under $100 (MSRP $120) so it’s probably the most affordably priced large-size Keurig kitchen brewing system. You can use K-Cups to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. The Keurig Elite K45 offers three-cup sizes and a programmable Auto On/Off switch. The 48 oz. removable water reservoir holds up to 8 cups before refilling. So it has a lot of features for the money, but is much larger than the next K-cup machine I'm going to talk about, the

Keurig Mini Plus,

ideal for back-to-school.

When you have to stay awake because you have a ton of homework to do! Or must wake up, because you have to be alert in class! For both situations and more, you can enjoy a perfect cup of gourmet coffee with theKeurig K10 Mini Plus single cup brewer. Constructed with a durable plastic housing offered in more than a dozen color choices, this compact little brewer is a neat, convenient way to make a fresh cup of coffee in your dorm room anytime. The Mini Plus allows you to brew six, eight, or 10 ounces to get the strength you desire in under two minutes with no water left in the reservoir. Small but powerful, this machine runs on 1425 watts of power. Sealed K-Cups ensure a great cup of coffee without the mess. And this brewer includes a six K-Cup variety pack to get you started. Keurig says it complies with dorm requirements for safety. It shuts off completely 90 seconds after it brews your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. 10-4/5" L x 6-9/10" W x 10-7/10" H. Under $100. Shop around as discounts are available.   

www.keurig.com/brewers/mini-plus-personal-brewing-system

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1483 (Goes live late 8/28/14)

And we talked about the 3,000 mAh UNU Ultrapack Go, now I'll show the UNU Ultrapak Tour, the 10,000 mAh travel unit.

Giz Wiz Video link: http://youtu.be/s728Sdlm-Eo

When we're multi-tasking, every minute counts.

The folks at UNU know that and created the Ultrapak to maximize the limited amount of time available to keep their electronic gear up and running. The conventional way of dealing with a low battery is to plug the phone into a wall. In 15 minutes an iPhone 5 will have 9% power, and a conventional AC charger will have 11% power. With the UNU Ultrapak, 15 minutes charges it up to 75% power, enough to power your phone for the day. Go about your business with your Ultrapak plugged into the phone and let the phone charge normally, away from AC power. UNU says their Ultra-X battery packs collect energy at record speeds –up to 8X faster than conventional recharging methods. To achieve such charging speeds, Ultra-X deploys a much stronger charging input, rated at 31.25W. This means that within approx 15 minutes the Ultrapak has stored the equivalent of a full iPhone 5 battery. I drained the battery on the Ultrapak Go to zero, then plugged it into AC power. Using a stopwatch, the Ultrapak Go was up to 76% power in 15 minutes. Pretty amazing. It takes less than another 15 minutes to fully charge it 100%. UNU says traditional charging methods serialize all battery cells and charge them one at a time. Their Ultra-X charges several battery cells in a parallel sequence, utilizing the highest power possible. An IC chip is deployed to monitor the charging process of multiple cells simultaneously to ensure safe heat levels. Be aware that the Ultrapak does not increase the charging rate of the device it's charging. The increased charging rates happen when charging the Ultrapak. Unu large unit is the Ultrapak Tour ($99.99) It's a 10,000mAh with two charging ports. (The smaller one is the Ultrapak Go ($59.99) 3,000mAh ultra-portable w/ one charging port. They’re available on the UNU site starting August 25, 2014 and on Amazon starting August 31, 2014.

Company Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHEo2RmYR3o&list=UUqyGHQOJXhi_AqfissH9S3A

Company website: http://www.myunu.com/ultrapak-go-battery-pack.html

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1483

Chad's Crappy Corner! The 4th gadget in Chad’s theme for August: Home Improvement Gadgets.

As picked by fans of the Giz Wiz in a strawpoll, here’s Chad 4th gadget in the winning category, Home Improvement. It's the Super Grip Lock. 

Here’s what Amazon says about it: The simple but ingenious Super Grip Lock keeps thieves from turning your deadbolt-even if they have the key or special tools. Just attach the hook-and-loop strap to the handle and deadbolt on the inside of every door for complete peace of mind. 19"L; fits most deadbolts and works on locks up to 6" apart. 

And Chad’s take? It took Chad about four tries to get this to work properly. As you’ll see in the video, it takes a bit of doing to attach the Super Grip Lock to the deadbolt and the door knob properly. It’s inexpensive and easy to carry, so maybe you might keep one in your luggage, or try one on your doors at home, but it only works on certain deadbolts and locks. Chad was less than impressed.  

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008YGQSOO/?tag=059-20  As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1483 

Back to Dick's Gadget Warehouse & how to submit your video to the show.

Here's the email, that contained the link for this week's Viewer Video:

Long time listener, first time submitter. 

I’m sending you a link to a “My Favorite Gadget” video on YouTube. My sunbeam T-20 toaster is over 50 years old so it might also be a “Gadget Warehouse” video but since I use it every day, let’s call it a favorite.

I know you are not a fan of scripted and edited videos but some of us don’t have the chops to ad-lib for three minutes. On the other hand this video would be the first ever toast montage on the “Weekly Giz Wiz.”

Here is additional information on the T-20 from toaster.org: 

http://www.toaster.org/t20.html  

And here is the YouTube link to my two minute gadget video:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skiEHzAfWfw   

I’m sorry the sound is not better but that’s what we get for using a phone camera. I hope you can use it. If not, maybe you can use my two and one half minute "Closet Door TV  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skiEHzAfWfw   

Yours Very Truly, Buddy Yates, Palm Springs, CA

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1483  (Goes live late 8/28/14)

                       +++++++++++  

We’re looking for more Viewer Videos! We’d love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show, so let’s go going! 

Here’s what we’re looking for: Your home shot video – 2 to 3 minutes long, in any of the following categories: 

I bought a piece of crap: Did you buy something you ended up hating? We won't get you a refund, but we might be able to give a platform to vent your disappointment. Remember, "family friendly" language applies. 

I invented this! Did you invent something? (Or did a friend or relative invent something.) We can't market it for you, but we can help get the word out. Show us what it is, and how it works. Even if it's a prototype, you can get our (and the audience) reactions. No professional ads please or videos made for other shows. 

My Gadget Warehouse: Okay, so you don't have a warehouse. It doesn't matter. Just tell us about your favorite old gadget(s). When and where you bought it, and why you're still hanging on to it. 

My Favorite Gadget of All Time: Show us what it is, tell us what it does and why you love, or loved it! It can be a new gadget you just bought too. 

Post them on YouTube and send our producer, Jeff Needles, the link! We'll do the rest. (Or possibly nothing, but that's unlikely.) Remember, videos should be just 2 to 3 minutes long! Low production value is fine, but we should be able to hear you and see you! If we select and show your video on The Giz Wiz you will now be awarded with some sort of prize. Like an autographed MAD magazine and some piece of crap. So that's one more (so-so) reason to send in your video! 

All show submissions go to gizwiz@twit.tv  

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Letter of the week:

From: Jarod 
Subject: New thing from some of the Woot.com founders
To: gizwiz@twit.tv

Hey Dick and Chad, I remember seeing Dick wearing a woot.com shirt on Twit in the past, and thought this might interest you. As you may know, woot.com was purchased by Amazon a while back. Since then, woot has gone from selling one thing a day to dozens of different things per day. 

Well, some of the original woot guys decided to leave Amazon and get back to their roots of offering only one thing for sale a day, and are now at http://www.meh.com

As I write this, meh.com's gadget of the day is the TOCCs Snap cable (https://toccs.com/snap) for only $1 each (plus $5 shipping, just like woot) 

Anyway, just wanted to say I love the show. Keep up the mediocre work!

Jarod Fenly