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About Me

 

Known as MAD's Maddest Writer, co-host of The Giz Wiz with OMGchad at www.GizWiz.TV, The Giz Wiz on ABC's World News Now, and on Tech Guy Labs with Leo Laporte on www.TWiT.TV

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Entries from January 1, 2020 - January 31, 2020

Friday
Jan102020

A great 12 Outlet Surge Protected Power Strip & Chad's Find A Great Mini-Mic.

I really like the AmazonBasics 12-Outlet Surge Protector. Chad too likes them and wished he could have them all through his house. This heavy-duty power strip allows for up to 12 plug-ins, 4 of them widely spaced for those large transformer plugs. You can attach this to a wall with the handy keyhole mount on the back, or place in a convenient location for quick and easy access to your plugs and cords. The power strip includes built-in nice bright green LED lights that indicate when your devices are protected and your wiring is properly grounded. It also features a power on/off switch that integrates with a 15Amp overload resettable circuit breaker. The surge protector has a 4320 Joule Energy Rating. Finally there are sliding outlet covers to deflect dust, and a durable, heavy-duty 14 AWG 8' power cord. Best news, it's under $20, $19.99. For a two bucks more you can get the device with a 10' cord. There's also a smaller version Amazon Basic Power Strip for $14.99.

 

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

 

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2ZG2Ku6 - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

 

This is not the Kikkerland one, but an almost identical one. I picked this picture because it shows the scale of the mic to a hand.Chad's November theme, as picked by our loyal Patreons, is “tiny cheap gadgets”. This week Chad a really cute little microphone. The one he bought is branded as a Kikkerland Mini Karaoke Microphone. Chad got his a Kohls where it was listed as $19.99. Luckily it was on sale for $11.99. You have to see this week's show to see what we mean by mini. This microphone can easily be hidden in a closed fist! Listen to Chat's audio test too. The chatroom thought it sounded really good, especially for the price. And it seems Chad might have overpaid since similar mics are all over the web for $4 to $8. And just a buck or two over at AliExpress. But wait, there's more! Not only does this mic easily plug into a smarphone headphone jack, it has a headphone port on the cable so you can listen to playback without removing the mic from your phone.

And Chad's take: Chad was amazed at how good the sound was, especially for the price. But if you have an iPhone like Chad, you'll need to buy a Lightening to 3.5mm dongle in order to use it. It comes in many colors and it's so tiny it's sure to attract attention anywhere you use it. (Not that Chad & I ever try to attract attention.)

Here's the exact one Chad bought: https://kikkerland.com/products/mini-karaoke-microphone?_pos=1&_sid=48c8c07d0&_ss=r   

But you'll find similar ones way cheaper if you just search for mini 3.5mm microphone on Amazon!

See or hear this show with the mini-mic:  www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1753

See or here this entire 'Best Of' Showwww.gizwiz.tv/episode/1761

Friday
Jan102020

An amazing mobile scooter that is airline friendly & Chad gets his garage organized. 

The company says you can travel in style and enhance day-to-day life with the ATTO, the most advanced foldable mobility scooter in the world! Founder of Moving Life, Nino Ransenberg, who was diagnosed with polio, has been using mobility scooters all his life, but never felt they really met his needs. As an entrepreneur he wanted to have something that would serve him in his busy business schedule as well as his travels with his family. Introducing ATTO - Moving Life's foldable mobility scooter. When folded, ATTO easily fits in the trunk of any vehicle, including mini cars and taxis. ATTO can also split into two parts that fit in the overhead compartments of most commercial airplanes. When opened, ATTO is a full-size scooter with an attractive and eye-catching design. Top Speed 4 mph. A 4- to 5-hour charge delivers up to 10 miles of continuous driving on average. Maximum incline: 6 degrees. Can be used to get out of the rain, but not for use IN the rain. Maximum weight allowance 220 pounds. ATTO’s weight, not including the battery, is – Front half: 26.4 lb (12 Kg) Rear half: 35.7 lb (16.2 Kg) Assembled: 62.2 lb (28.2 Kg) The battery weighs 4.1 lb (1.85 Kg). Price online seems to be $2799.00 at most places when I did a web search.

 

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/V03ZVoJrino  

 

Company website: https://movinglife.com/ 

 

See or here this entire 'Best Of' Show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1761

From Chad's “Cheap Garage Gadgets” a clever reusable cable management tool. Chad liked cable management tools from two different companies, both of which, he found at Home Depot. This is a great and inexpensive way to organize almost any sort of cable, wire, hose, etc. Chad bought the MegaCuff for larger items like hoses, ropes, cables, even sports and boating equipment, etc. Then he bought some smaller cable management devices from a different company, Cable Cuff PRO. They all seem to be constructed with Polycarbonate polymers and with a bit of Stainless Steel. None were higher in price than $3.98 on Home Depot. Chad like the Cable Cuff Pro line better because they incorporate a hanging clip/carabineer. They also feature a Push Button and hinge. The company says their clip has self-aligning teethed jaws that automatically hold multiple open positions. And Chad found the Cable Cuff Pros were easier to use. Be sure to watch his video on this show to watch Chad demonstrate how they work and why he prefers one brand over the other.

Chad's demo was on this episode of The Giz Wizhttp://gizwiz.tv/episode/1714

Here's a link to those from Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cable-Cuff-MEGA-Cuff-made-from-high-impact-ABS-and-Stainless-Steel-MX-0803/202364196 

 

Plenty of them on Amazon too: https://amzn.to/2FAay4h - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

 

See or here this entire 'Best Of' Showwww.gizwiz.tv/episode/1761 

Friday
Jan102020

More good stuff! The theft-proof backpack & disco lights for your phone or external battery charger!

Theft-Proof Backpack? I think this one is great start!

Every year for the "back-to-school" spot I try to find a unique backpack. This year I found one that not only unique, it's very inexpensive. It's the Poruary Anti-theft Backpack. That's what the hangtag on the bag says. When I first received it I thought, “This backpack has no pockets! How do you put stuff in it?” Turns out the main pocket zipper is hidden in the back of this bag, the part that is up against your back. That way there's no way a thief can get to it with you knowing about it. There's a USB Charging port and a headphone port on the outside so you can listen to music or charge a device from within the bag. Easy fits 15.6" laptop and probably some 17” laptops too. More than 10 compartments to keep all your things well organized. Made of durable waterproof and dust proof nylon and oxford fabric. I weighed the backpack empty and it was just about 2 pounds 2 ounces. Best of all, amazing low price. I paid under $20 on Amazon in August 2019. (No, it does not include the headphones & smartphones.)

Looks like Amazon sold out of these backpacks, but here is a very similiar one. https://amzn.to/2PUZTXO  - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

Most Discos May Be Gone, But Disco Lights --- they go on & on....!

These flashing lights are an update on something Chad found a few weeks earlier in the year - The Disco LED Phone Light. I was impressed with the mini-multicolor dancing lights and looked for one on Amazon. Surprise! I found one that is about the same price as Chad paid, but for that price I could get three of them. And while Chad's LED disco light was designed only for an iPhone, the one I found on Amazon comes with adapters for micro-USB, USB-C, iPhone, and USB-A. It's sound activated so the lights dance to your voice, music or even to your phone ringing. It plugs into the charging port of your smartphone, or you can power it from an external battery charger. You'll see it all in my Disco Dick's demo. Best news is that a 3 pack, each with 3 adapters, was under $13.00 as of 12/6/19

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/WEcZ0K-   

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2LvPRtI - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or here this entire 'Best Of' Showwww.gizwiz.tv/episode/1761

Friday
Jan102020

A possible life-saving gadget we both loved and hope will be available later this year.

The spokesperson for HeartHero said the device is very real, but it may take till fall 2020 (or longer) before it's available in the marketplace because of the all the approvals that have to take place. Since I'm not a doctor (and never even played one on television) here's information from Dr. Nathan Scherer, DO FAAEM and HeartHero Champion. (Edited a bit for space.)

Each year between 180,000-450,000 people in the United States die from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). HeartHero has developed a small, truly portable automated external defibrillator (AED). The survivability of public CPR is around 5%. Even though the AEDs you see inside a glass box on the wall at your school, work and in the airport, look intimidating they are easy to use. I get it that it can be scary because you are dealing with electricity, but an AED is a highly regulated device that won’t shock someone who doesn’t need it and the fact of the matter is you can’t make someone who is already dead-deader, you can only help. If you find yourself in a situation where you see someone who has collapsed in SCA, have someone call 911 while you grab the AED off the wall, take out the two large sticker pads which will show you where to place them on the person’s body and turn on the device. From there, the device will walk you through the steps. If the person would benefit from a shock, a shock will be given. If not, keep providing CPR until the paramedics arrive. Almost 70% of SCA events occur at home and 86 million Americans have risk factors for SCA. The next generation AED is coming. As a physician I think now is the time to start talking about sending these at-risk patients home with an AED. Then, just like that EpiPen you have in your purse, you also can have an AED that fits there as well- and with that, the power to help your loved one when they need it most.

 

(From the Giz Wiz) Even though availability is still up to a year away I asked Anthony Verdega, VP of Strategy and sales, if there was a price established yet. Anthony said the average AED in the marketplace now is $1600. They expect their HeartHero device (named Elliot) to be about half that, $800. UPDATE: I'm saw this again at CES2020 & they hope to get the price down to $700, but not hard date is yet available as to sales.

 

Company video: https://vimeo.com/288628082 

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

See or here this entire 'Best Of' Showwww.gizwiz.tv/episode/1761

Friday
Jan032020

Giz Wiz Show 1760 Show of January 2, 2019 Independent Show #242 

It's 2020, so Chad & I take a peek back at some of the gadgets we picked as losers of the past year.

Yes, gadget sucks, but not in the way that picks up dust. It's the Viatek Cordless Battery Powered Pocket Vacuum.

 I bought this device as "deal of the day" from the pulseTV website. The copy says "Dust and dirt doesn't stand a chance when you have the Viatek Cordless Battery Powered Pocket Vacuum Pro in hand!" I think a more realistic line (at least for me) would be: "Dust and dirt don't budge very much when you have the Viatek Cordless Battery Powered Pocket Vacuum in hand!" You'll see how effective it was in my video. (Link below.) It doesn't include 4 AA batteries which you need for power, but it come with a carry storage bag. Although mine was just about $5 as a 'deal', shipping & tax brought it about $11.00. It's still available for $9.99 --- but wait --- You can get four for $31.96!! Plus shipping. I personality didn't think it was worth even $5.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/DSCnD3e3MQY 

 

PulseTV link: https://www.pulsetv.com/Viatek-Cordless-Battery-Powered-Pocket-Vacuum-Pro/productinfo/8911/

 

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1760