The Giz Wiz Show 1655, December 29th 2017 Independent Show #138

NOTICE: Patreon has changed all the changes back to the way it was before all the changes!! Thank you for your all your emails and concerns. Patreon realized it wasn't popular with anyone.

Soon, in February 2018, we'll be entering our fourth year of Independent Production! And that all thanks to our wonderful Patreon supporters! If you'd like to support OMGchad & DickDe in our independent venture (we pay for everything ourselves, including travel) just click the Patreon link at the top of our show web page: http://www.gizwiz.tv/. You can also contribute just once via the PayPal link that's there too. And thank you for doing that! Our show wouldn't exist without our viewer's support, but quite frankly, a bit more support would be a big help. (As we can say honestly, asking for more Patreon supporters is not to make more money, it's to help us lose less money doing The Giz Wiz. Thanks.)

A Gadget That Looked Too Good To Be True ---

I was searching for a combo smoke/CO 2 detector when I came across what I thought was “a real winner!” I mean look at those reviews for the badly named Labvon Smoke Detector, Smoke Alarm Clock Carbon Monoxide Detector with Voice and Flash Light Warning. Five stars! It was only 5 stars from 77 people when I first looked, but as of noon 12/28/17 it's 108 reviews - still all 5 stars. How can that be. I thought something might be wrong, so I figured, let's see over how long a period of months the reviews were written. Hmmm...they all seem to be written December 2017. Then I started to read of the reviews and they weren't even about the Labvon Smoke Detector. Many of them refer to it as the NEST! Many says they love how it connects to their smart phone. But the Labvon description says nothing about that. Also the Nest is like $100+ and the Labvon is about $23.00. Then the ultimate WHAT??... On Amazon you can filter reviews by different categories. I picked “reviews from verified people” or something like that. It means reviews from people who bought the item on Amazon. Surprise! “No results”. So out of those 108 reviews, not one of them purchased the unit on Amazon. Needless to say, I didn't buy the Labvon device. Something very strange is going on there, so how can I be sure the rest of the info about the smoke/CO detector are correct.

UPDATE:  Listing is gone.

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1655

Mirror, Mirror On The Boat -- Helps The Giz Wiz Make Sure His Boat Stays Afloat!

I have two Dropcams on my boat so I can monitor it year round. It's especially important in the winter so I can see if snow is building up on the deck. (Snow weighs a lot and too much snow isn't good.) Since my two cameras are inside the boat I can't see everything that's happening on the deck. That's when I decided to buy the Wide Angle Security Curved Convex Road Safety Traffic Mirror. If figured if I mounted it near the transom of the boat I could see the reflection of the back deck through my Dropcam. On Amazon the mirror was more than $50, but I found what looks like the exact same mirror on ebay for $24.00. Here some info from the description on ebay: Brand new and high quality. Use to eliminate blind spots and improve security around or in buildings. (And boats too, I might add.) Made of lightweight, shatterproof PC plastic. The back of the mirror with ABS material. The built-in shade on its top will help resist the sun and rain. (The “shade” isn't very deep, so I don't know how much protection it will give.) Diameter: 45cm 60cm or 18” or 24”. Includes a mounting bracket for easy installation, allowing mirror to be adjusted in all directions. --- I think this convex mirror works well for what I need. You can see it all, including the results after installing it in my video. Reading the reviews I see people use these mirrors to see what's happening around their house, in the driveways, etc. On ebay just search for 18" 24" Wide Angle Security Curved Convex Road Safety Traffic Mirror Driveway. A huge selection will come up.  

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/eUPaud4NTog

ebay link: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=18%22+24%22+Wide+Angle+Security+Curved+Convex+Road+Safety+Traffic+Mirror+Driveway&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1655

Chad does two extra gadgets this week - his favorite gifts he received this holiday season.

They're both a little strange, one more than the other! His family picked them for Chad because they thought they were “Giz Wiz Show” worthy and I think they were right. The first gift Chad showed is his new Garden Genie Gloves. They're Fully Waterproof and Flexible! The Genie Gloves contain natural rubber latex. T

hey're Puncture Resistant To Protect your hands! And bet you've never seen this in gloves before: They have Built in Claws to make gardening fun & easy. Chad thought these were fun and even showed us a bit of the “As Seen On TV” commercial for them. Will he use them? He might. He does have a lot of property and he has a garden. We'll see. The price for these glove on Amazon are all over the place, so check around if you go to Amazon or other websites. 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2CjEQFK - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

This never affects how we rate Amazon gadgets since we mostly buy everything we review.

The second gift Chaded showed is the wackier of the two. And yes, it definitively belongs on The Giz Wiz Show! It's the iRainy Smart Music Flower Pot, Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, Finger Touch Plant Piano Music Playing & Rechargeable Led Colorful Night Light! Here are some of what Amazon says about it: Great Gift Idea. 4 IN 1 FUNCTIONS--This smart music flowerpot is not only a plant pot, but also a Magic Plant Piano. Imagine playing piano on a real plant? (You'll see Chad do exactly that in this week's show!) Grow your favorite plant, such as Succulent Plant, Pepper Grasses, Sansevieria or other small plants in this beautiful flowerpot and by touching the leaves, this smart music flowerpot will play a wonderful piano sound. But wait, there's more! A warm 7 LED changeable light ring will twinkle along with the rhythm. That's because this uniique flower pot features a WIRELESS BLUETOOTH SPEAKER! Contains a built in rechargeable lithium battery, but the plant is not included in this smart flowerpot. This is a hoot! You have to watch this week's show to see Chad play his plant!

http://amzn.to/2zIdt5A  - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

 See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1655 

This never affects how we rate Amazon gadgets since we mostly buy everything we review.

Chad's Crappy Corner & His Final Gadget For His December Theme!

Our loyal Patreons picked "cheap stocking stuffers" as Chad's theme for December. but since we're recording this episode after Christmas, Chad tells and shows us a stocking stuffer he got for Christmas. It's the hard-to-pronounce (for us anyway) SPIRALEN. It's has a pretty short description online. All it says is: "Make Spiral Rolls Of Your Delicious Fruits And Vegetables To Make Them More Enjoyable Using This Household Kitchen Gadget." You'll have to see Chad's Video in this show to see it was quite far from enjoyable and almost impossible to make spiral rolls of the carrots he bought. Since the SPIRALEN box has a picture of the device making a carrot spiral Chad figured that would be the ideal vegetable to demo it with. He was wrong. After some effort Chad was able to make a few carrot chips, but this seems like nothing you want to rush out and buy. After a few tries, Chad crowned this device “the crappiest of the crappy stocking stuffers.” But we had fun and I think you will too watching Chef Chad's demo.

It's here for $6.22, cheaper if you buy 10, but why would you?

https://www.dhgate.com/store/product/spiralen-rolls-of-fruits-and-vegetables-kitchen/390625001.html

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1655 

Giz Wiz Update. Last week Chad showed a lie detector kit he put together not realizing until he got half way through the instructions that it needed to be soldered. (Chad doesn't have a soldering gun, so he couldn't complete the kit.) Here's a lie detector kit that says “assembled” on Amazon for just a couple of bucks more - and it has 4 LEDS, not just two! Note is says: For Fun Only. $14.99. (Price as of 12/29/17) http://amzn.to/2BhTvA8  

Dick's Gadget Warehouse & How to Submit Your Viewer Video.

Our viewer video this week from Arlis Duncan is about a break-through technology of long-long ago. Here's his email:

Hi Dick and Chad,

I thought you might like to see a gadget that led to my career in video production. It was my first camera from 1979 and though it quit working many years ago, I still hang on to it.

Many a camera has come and gone since this one came into my life and technology has really changed- now we can take this video and edit it on our phones. It is good to look back at where it began not so long ago.

I enjoy your show, keep up the good?? work.

Arlis Duncan

PS I do make a short candid appearance in this video, but it's me in 1979.

Link- https://youtu.be/hH7taKRg8JU

(Dick- I did get my magazine and picture, thank you)

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1655

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We’d love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show, so 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.

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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.

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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.

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My Favorite Gadget (favorite old, or favorite new): 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.

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Post them on YouTube and send us 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’ll earn a tiny amount of fame (hopefully). And if you live in the US, you'll also get an autographed 35-year-old Alfred E. Neuman picture and a MAD surprise. But no matter where you live, I can email an autographed to you Alfred E. Neuman photo. Just print it out, frame it, or just hang it up and no one will know it's a copy. We've tested it out and fans say they look terrific!

All show submissions go to mail@gizwiz.tv   

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