The Giz Wiz Show 1656, January 5th 2018 Independent Show #139

The Worst & Weirdest Gadgets of 2017

We'll start with one of the strangest gadgets ever called Tapdo!

Tapdo is a way to turn your hand in to sort-of remote control. Here's how the company describes it: Tapdo is a smart button that lets you control technology with single-touch, personalized biometric interactions. Using a fingerprint sensor, Tapdo allows you to assign specific functions to different parts of your fingers, to control your music, dim your smart lights, and more. Powered by Bluetooth LE and equipped with vibration feedback for a seamless, intuitive user experience, And back to me. To my mind, you need one heck of a memory to use this fully. The company says you can control up to 23 functions on each hand by touching various part of the fingers and palms to the Tapdo. Seems like alot to remember to me although you can help by selecting a finger for a device. Like choosing one finger to be your "music finger". Parts of the same finger can select songs and adjusting volume up/down. It's on Kickstarter now (4/13/17) and should be shipping final units in Fall, 2017. I was told at the show that the battery is not rechargeable, but it is replaceable and should power the Tapdo for about six months . The spokesperson at Digital Focus also said it will sell for about $108.00, which includes a belt clip and a wrist strap.

Demo Kickstarter Video: http://kck.st/2mA9eWy

Company website: http://www.tapdo.io/

Giz Wiz w/ more info about TapDo: https://youtu.be/d37o-leDXww 

UPDATE: KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN CANCELED: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1550573257/tapdo-the-fingerprint-button-to-assign-over-20-fun/comments

And a crappy gadget from Chad!

Angry Mama Microwave Oven Cleaner

Here's what Amazon said about it: Use steam to clean the crud from your microwave! just add vinegar and water, then microwave for 7 minutes. The steam comes out of mama's head and softens microwave dirt and stains for easier cleaning! to use: first remove Angry mama's hair and head from body, then add vinegar and water to fill lines on the body. Add a squeeze of lemon Juice (or essence) to Liquid for a pleasant odor.

And Chad's take: Chad put water in Angry Mama and then add vinegar. Then microwaved it for 7 minutes. At the end of 7 minutes the kitchen had a strong smell of vinegar, as did the whole house. Even his cats kept putting their noses in the air trying to figure where the smell was coming from. As far as cleaning goes? Chad wasn't impressed. You can the same with buying an Angry Mama. And the price? Chad paid about $5. But if you following the Amazon link below you'll see it sells for dozens of prices from under a dollar to more than $20! It looks like many companies buy the same product and market for what they like. Still want to buy one?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2CIEag5 As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1656

3-Second Lazer Bond - Does it Work? Yes! For A Short While Is What We Found.

Have you seen the TV ads for Lazer Bond? It's said to fix glass, leaky pipes, shoes, drawer knobs and so much more. The company says Lazer Bond liquid plastic resin solidifies in just 3 seconds with UV Light! The ad also says you can use it to fix anything including broken eye glasses! Okay, so I did break the frame on a pair of eye glasses and as you'll see in the video, we did manage to fix them with Lazer Bond. But it's a bit messy, and the instructions recommend you wear gloves and eye protection. (And in two places to seek medical attention if you get it in your eyes or you get it on your skin and irritation persists.) They also tell you that 3 seconds of UV should be up to 8 seconds and that you should repeat the bonding and UV steps until the pieces are bonded together. The frame of my glasses is mended but I think we got a dab of Lazer Bond on the lens. We're not sure if we'll be able to get it off. Reviews on Amazon are pretty low. 2.6 stars out of 5 from 242 people. You should read the reviews, because many are scathing.  

Original Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/8EA4JIN7x5E

 Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/2Cqq2Vb As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

Update: Glasses broke again at the seam where we used the Lazer Bond to mend them. So it works great --- but not for long! We also found you can buy Lazer Bond online really, really cheap. Like as low as $3 a package if you do a web search on ebay. 

 

Chad's second crappy gadget: Toydriver. Here's what Amazon says about it:

Toydriver is a small, battery operated screwdriver specifically for the tiny screws on all toy battery covers. Toydriver works on tiny to medium-sized screws so kids can get back to having fun faster! Toydriver's long and narrow bit reaches recessed screws perfectly. Right amount of power (low torque) won't strip small screws. Toydriver is specifically for changing toy batteries and is not guaranteed to work on heavier jobs like toy assembly. If a toy battery cover has been previously overtightend, use Toydriver to manually unscrew until power kicks in. Batteries included are demo batteries - if unit is sluggish, replace with a fresh pair. Bits are not universal and are made specifically for use with Toydriver only. WARNING: NOT A TOY - FOR ADULT USE ONLY. $9.99.

http://amzn.to/2jC9aRA -As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

And Chad's Take: This was pretty much a disaster. First of all, there was only one driver in the package, a slot driver and Chad needed the one shown in the picture, the Phillips driver. Then it seemed like the batteries were dead, so Chad put in a new pair. Still the Toydriver didn't drive or even turn on. While playing around with it, Chad discovered the battery door didn't close enough to make contact with the batteries. He tried holding the battery door closed with one hand while using the other on the Toydriver, but it was so much trouble he gave up. So Chad christened it the new 'most crappy gadget' on The Giz Wiz Show. (Up to January 2017, that is.)

 

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1656 

Fidget-Spinners - Are they gone already?

You thought perhaps fidget spinners were on their way out? Well, according to DE World, the parent company of Spin-Tech, we haven't seen the end of 'fidget spinners' yet. At CE Week they were showing a hand spinner that works in conjunction with a double sided suction suction tube to transform a spinner into a phone stand and a phone grip. So when you're done spinning, you have another use for the device. And the company says their Fidget Tech spinner features a concave center cap that sits perfectly on any finger allowing for perfect balance. And that their long lasting ball bearings keeps you spinning far longer - effortlessly spins for at least 2 minutes. But wait, there's more. On the way from Fidget-Tech, as you'll see in the video, are spinners that can also be audio sharing devices, USB sharing devices, and even one that is a flash drive device! The simple versions with be $10 to $20 or so, and the real trick ones haven't been officially priced yet.

Giz Wiz Video:  https://youtu.be/YufUv-e6XBg

Company Website: http://www.fidget-tech.com/.

UPDATE 2018: When I started putting together info for this 2017 year-end Giz Wiz Wrap-Up Show, the Fidget Spinner page was still live. They were selling one version of the Fidget-Spinner that had an additional suction cup so you can use it as a phone stand. I could never get mine to work. Well it's now 2018 and it seems the Fidget-Spinner web page has vanished. The company is still mentioned on the DE World website, but there is no more info or buying details on Fidget-Spinner Products. Actually, there is a mention there, but it refers to Fidget-Spinners being at an event mid-year 2017.

And now another stinker from Chad! 

Chad bought the Vivitar ViviCam 54 - a 5.1MP Digital Camera at his local CVS store. Turns out that that was a big mistake! First of all, there is no way to add memory to this camera, and the onboard memory can only save 120 images at dismal VGA quality. Although it's supplied with a USB cable, the end that plugs into the camera is not standard, so you must use that cable! The manual and software come on a CD. Chad, like others, doesn't have a CD player on his computer and he could not find the software online. So Chad had pictures and a couple of short videos on his camera with no way to download them. Then, he opened the battery compartment to show us the camera uses 3 AA's. Guess what? Opening the camera erased ALL his photos and videos! This really is a giant piece of crap! On Amazon it got 1.5 Stars out of 5 from 11 reviewers -- 84% of them gave it 1 star! It was $19.99 at CVS and about $20 on Amazon, but I can't imagine why anyone would want one, except for aggregation or to give to someone you loathe as a gift.

Original listing on Amazon is gone.

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1656

How Hard Is It To Shell A Hard-Boiled Egg?

The pitch: If the task of peeling hard-boiled eggs is a tedious and frustrating chore for you, meet The Negg Maker. It's an ingenious, yet simple new kitchen tool makes the irksome task of peeling a boiled egg quick and easy. With just a little bit of water and a few shakes, the Negg Maker peels boiled eggs in seconds with no mess. Its design, which includes egg-shaped bumps on the inside to help facilitate the removal of the shell on the sides of the egg, it's possible to peel a dozen boiled eggs in under four minutes. Clean-up is easy, too. The 100 percent USA-made Negg™ Maker is dishwasher-safe and BPA free. As you'll see in the video, I tried it a couple of times. My first attempt was so-so, but my second attempt was a lot better, but as fast or smooth as the company video. If you just need to peel a hard-boiled egg once in a while, the $17.99, plus S&H may not be worth it. But if you have to peel a lot of hard-boiled egg, this could be a welcome gadget. 

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/IsY8WsQFFP4

Company website: http://www.neggmaker.com/

A week after we talked about this product, we received this email from Ron Dupre:

Regarding the Negg Boiled Egg Peeler on episode 1630. Your instincts were absolutely correct. The Negg is not the only design that peels eggs. If the promoters of the Negg think they can fool everyone with little egg-shaped protrusions on the plastic body, and it’s the “magic” that makes it work, they made an eggregious error! There is a YouTube video called "35 Unbelievable Cooking Hacks" that features a highly sophisticated version of the egg peeler. In fact it’s so sophisticated it processes 5 eggs at a time! And it’s much cheaper that the Negg.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbiXc5cUVusYou’ll find it 6 minutes 15 seconds into the video.

Cheers! Ron Dupre (Ronnie D : ) Connecticut

And now back to Chad!

The Rapid Brownie Baker is said to be the world's fastest and easiest way to bake brownies! Use the Easy Ingredient Box and fill to the lines to take measuring and guess work completely out of the equation. Chad did that and then baked the brownies in the provided baking dish in the microwave. And yes in 3:30 minutes he had baked brownies, although they didn't raise newly as high as shown in the box photo. Chad said they tasted pretty good right out of the oven, but after a while they became as hard as a brick! So hard he couldn't break them by smashing them on the table, so he just throw them out. So if you use this product be sure to eat the Brownies fast or build something strong with them after a short time when they've cooled and seem to be bricks.

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

This looks like the same product but it's branded Betty Crooker http://amzn.to/2CKhOeY As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this show:

www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1656

An Eye-Catching (and sometimes over-heating) 12 volt graphic equalizer!

Or as Amazon calls it: Signstek Sound Music Beat Activated Car Stickers Equalizer Glow Blue LED Light Audio Voice Rhythm Lamp. This (sort of) amazing sound activated graphic equalizer is made of a soft, thin sheet of what feels like a medium duty plastic. It's designed to put be placed inside the back windshield, side window, or wherever you feel appropriate. Is it legal? Who knows. That question was posed on Amazon and no one was able to answer it. The roughly 18” x 4.75” sheet is furnished with double faced adhesive tape. The sign comes with a little control box with a sensitivity switch, an on/off switch and built-in microphone. It plugs into a 12 volt lighter plug, assuming cars still have them. (I haven't driven in 20 years.) Now it's supposed to dance to your music, or your voice, but as you'll see in many of the ratings, the sensitivity control doesn't give you a lot of control. I found it either didn't respond at all, or responded by making almost all the bars peak at once. Still and all, it's eye-catching and only $10.99. Oh, one more thing; the quality is also iffy. I bought two of them. One died in about 5 minutes and the other one is still working fine. And who needs to know this? It only takes 1mW per spare centimeters, saving energy as much as possible for you.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/ujV6agpVRrM 

Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2rs0yBE As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1656

NEXT WEEK ALL THE 'BEST OF' GADGETS WE SHOWED IN 2017 & THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM!