Weekly Daily Giz Wiz – Week of July 9th, 2012, Netcast 1372

Swab that deck, sailor!

At the National Hardware Show I got an introduction to the Deck Washer Flow-Through Brush. The two-in-one Deck Washer from HomeRight is a 13 inch wide scrubbing broom with 14 built-in water jet nozzles. It attaches easily to your garden hose. There were photos of people using it on wooden decks, driveways, garage floors, pools, etc., but no pictures of anyone using it on a boat. So I asked about using it on boat decks, and the folks there said it was perfect for that. They asked if I had a boat, and offered to send me one so I could try it for myself. Heck, why not. (I spend over a $1,000 each year to go to that show.) The Deck Washer arrived in a compact box. First you assemble the three-piece aluminum extension handle with nice foam grips, and attach the brush. That takes about a minute or two. Attach an ordinary garden hose and you’re ready to power sweep, or power brush. You use the Deck Washer semi-stiff bristles to loosen and dirt and debris. Then turn on the high-pressure water jets to blast area clean. There’s an on/off value included that attaches between your hose and the HomeRight Deck Washer. It lets you turn the water on and off, and control the flow to water jet nozzles. It worked great on the decks. I needed to use a soap pad though for the non-skid areas. That was no surprise, because non-skid areas on boats are notorious for holding on to dirt. All it all, it speeds up cleaning, because you do it all with one device. No need to put down the brush and pick up the hose –it’s all in one. MSRP: $29.99

http://www.homeright.com/products/deck-washer-flow-through-brush 

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1372  

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show, 7/7/12.

Video of the week --- Getting down & funky, you Party Animals!

This guy is my favorite of the four Party Animals!In June and July there are many “Holiday Gift” shows. Why? Because the slick mass market magazines have to start getting their gift guides together for Nov/Dec publication. So manufacturers roll out products they expect to be big (hopefully) for the holidays in mid-summer. One gadget that I think will be a big hit with kids is Party Animals. Get out the mirrored ball (if you're older), crank up your favorite tunes and join the fun with these soft plush material "Party Animals". Each Party Animal has a built-in speaker and will swivel, twist, and gyrate to the beat of your favorite music. Just plug them into the headphone jack of your MP3, smart phone, radio, etc. You can even pose their arms so they do different dance gestures. Here’s a bit more info from the manufacturer: “These adorable plush animal speakers dance slow to slow music, fast to fast music, and stop when your music stops. All you need is a laptop, MP3 player, or other music device with an audio output to make them play your music and dance to the beat! Don’t take our word for it...see their stage performance at http://youtu.be/7noT-WXdnpc. There's a Dance ON/OFF button if you just want to listen to the music. An audio cord included, but the 3 AA batteries are not. There are four Party Animals, two dogs and two cats. BUT YOU CAN'T BUY THEM RIGHT NOW! Even though they were at the holiday preview, they won’t be available till fall, in the Sept/Oct time frame. They'll sell for about $25 at many major mass market outlets, including drug stores.

Giz Wiz YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/aN6TiXK2QyI

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1372  

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show, 7/7/12.

Let there be light! An LED designed for kids. (But adults will like it too!)

The Nokero Ed is an all-in-one solar LED book light that provides over 15 hours of continuous light when fully charged, allowing kids to read, study, and learn by night. It’s powered by the sun (artificial light too) and a rechargeable AAA battery, Ed clips easily onto books or homework folders, or it can sit on a flat surface to light a child's workspace. Ed is made from durable, child-friendly materials and has a flexible gooseneck with a powerful, bright LED light attached to the end. An “on/off” switch conserves energy when Ed is not in use. Also Ed is smart enough not to go on if it senses light. That saves energy too. To recharge, simply angle the solar panel toward the sun. For every hour of strong sun charging, Ed will run for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Spreading the Light: Through partnerships and collaboration with organizations focused on children and education, Nokero is bringing sustainable and nontoxic solar light to the millions of children around the world living without electricity. Ed is not only an everyday difference-maker for kids, but a means of teaching sustainability around the globe. And the price is right too! Right now it’s available on the company website for $6! Although Nokero loves the average consumer, the bigger plan is to sell these in large quanities to companies. The profts will enable them to offer free units to kids in third word countries who have no electricity. 

www.nokero.com

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1372  

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show, 7/7/12.

Leo’s Turn The Table Turkey – or Turn The Table Treasure?

Leo came up with two gadgets for this TTTT this week.

First up, it may look like a mouse pad, but it's now. It’s the 3M Precise Battery-Saving Mousing Surface! (Yep, that belongs in our products with really, really, long names!) Leo likes the pad a lot, and bought 5 of them! (They’re about $7+ on Amazon.) Here’s some info on the device from 3M. Get the most from your wireless or optical mouse with the 3M Precise Battery-Saving Mousing Surface. This ultra-thin pad uses 3M repositionable adhesive to stay securely positioned on flat surfaces and can be conveniently stored on the back of your notebook computer between uses. Utilizing a battery-saving design, this mousing surface extends the battery life of wireless mice by up to 75 percent. This combination of effortless portability and exceptional functionality make this mousing surface an ideal solution for anyone computing on the go. Wireless and optical mice need a proper surface to work on to reduce loss-of-signal and skipping errors. The 3M Precise Battery-Saving Mousing Surface is remarkably thin, measuring 8.1 by 9.2 inches wide by only .2 inches thick, and is specifically designed for wireless and optical mice. And now, back to me! I’m not sure if this is where Leo bought his, but at this place on Amazon they are $7.38 each.

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Precise-Optical-Mousing-MP200PS/dp/B0017D5Z40

Leo gets even more connected!

Leo has a lot of phones and a lot of different phone numbers. One thing he doesn’t have at his new place is a landline. Not having a landline is fairly common these days because people use their cell phones for all their calls. But Leo said people often complained of the voice quality when he was using his cell phone. Then he found out about OBi 100. This small device is connected to your WiFi via a cable. There's no wireless version. On the OBi 100, in addition to the WiFi there’s a place to plug in an ordinary phone. Leo bought one for $20 or so. Leo uses Google Voice to channel his various phone numbers so they ring in one place. When people call any of Leo’s numbers, his new plugged in “landline” type phone rings and it’s like he’s talking on a regular phone. (Google Voice can be programmed to reactly differently to different phone numbers you've given people.) There are dozens of ways to use the OBi 100. And the company makes more advanced models, but Leo said for his needs, their basic model is fine. The list price is $60, but Leo bought his on Amazon for about $44. You can read about the many things the three different OBi devices do at the company website:

www.obihai.com  

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1372  

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show, 7/7/12.

Back to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse: Safety Socket --- Success or Failure!

I found Safety Socket at the National Hardware Show. Here’s how it works: Plug the three prong Safety Socket into an electricial outlet. Then plug the power cord from your electrical appliance into the Safety Socket. Say for example you’re working out in the yard and you plug a power saw or power trimmer into the Safety Socket. If someone walking or running by trips over the power cord a magentic coupling lets go disconnecting the cord instead of causing a fall! Once disconnected, snapping the magnetic socket back together turns the power back on. This patented breakaway outlet is designed to prevent tripping, and to minimize the risks of accidents, repairs, and broken appliances. It could be a great help in households with children and/or the elderly. I asked if there was a way to judge exactly how much pressure was needed to cause the Safety Socket to disconnect. A spokesman at the Hardware Show explained that if there were enough pressure to cause a fall, the Safety Socket would disconnect first and avoid the fall. My guess is that you can’t figure out exactly what will happen in every case, but it’s a great safety assist for less than $20. (Plus S&H.) I found Safety Socket in the warehouse and wondered, was it a success or a failure. I did a websearch and wow!!! Look what I found at Home Depot:

Stanley Safety Socket Adapter - With Break Away Feature - White Model # 155506 Internet # 203406421 $22.97 /EA-Each

 Glad to see the product made the big time. It now carries the Stanley Brand Name and is available at Home Depot.

Below is a demo from the company that originally came up with the concept. Maybe they still built it and market it under a license from Stanley, but no matter what it's great to see a good idea make into a mainstream chain store.

 http://shopthencc.com/index.php?main_page=index 

Home Depot Link: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/stanley-safety-socket-adapter-with-break-away-feature-white-418042.html 

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1372  

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show, 7/7/12.