The Giz Wiz, Week of June 11, 2013. Netcast 1420

I pay a lot of attention to Amazon reviews. You get a good cross section of users who put the gadgets they purchased into everyday situations. That's why I was impressed when I saw the reviews for the Jackery Bar 5600mAH External Battery Pack. As I'm writing this on June 10th, 2013, there are 74 customer reviews. None of them are less than 4 stars. The breakdown is 65 five star reviews and 4 four-star reviews. That's outstanding. And so it seems is the Jackery Bar 5600mAH External Battery Pack. I have to take the manufacturer's word that this is the world's smallest power bank with 2.1A output. But I can see for myself that it's good looking, appears to be well built, features an aluminum case, and has a nifty 2-led flashlight in addition to its charging capability. This should easily fit into your bag or jacket to provide instant power for long plane flights, road trips, or any place you need to charge your mobile devices. Here are more specs from the company, and then some excellent news on price. Compact Size: 3.8 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches; Weight: 5.4 ounces; Output: USB DC 5V 2.1A. High Capacity, 5600mAh rechargeable power capacity add 22 hours of talk time or 2-3 full charges to your iPhone 5 / 4 / 4S / 3G / 3GS; 1-2 charges for Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, 200+ hours audio playback, or 200% - 300% to the battery life of most mobile phones. Samsung Grade A cell and premium microchips ensure high quality. 500+ recharge cycles over the life of the battery. Convenient flashlight updated to prevent accidental activation: lights only after pressing the power button twice; 3 LED status of charge indicators to indicate the charging and discharging process. And now back to me. The price right now on Amazon is just $39.95. For $10 more you can get the Jackery Giant 10400mAh High Capacity Dual USB Ports External Battery Pack Portable Power Bank Charger. 

Company website: www.jackeryusa.com

Amazon Link Jackery Bar: http://amazon.com/dp/B00AAP2U4Y/?tag=twnene-20  

Amzon Jackery Giant Link:  ($49.95 10400 mAH Unit)

http://amazon.com/dp/B00AANQLRI/?tag=twnene-20   (These are TWiT links. If you decide to buy, your price is the same, but TWiT receives a pittance.)

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1420

Giz Wiz Video Of The Week: There's water in my speakers!

These fun Dancing Water Speakers dance to the beat of whatever music you play. There come with two cables. The USB cable supplies the power to the speakers from your computer or your own AC to USB adapter plug. The supplied audio cable plugs into one of the speakers and into the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad, iPod, MP3 MP4 player, home computer, etc. Play any of your favorite tunes and let the party begin. Or just sit there and enjoy the fun yourself. The Dancing Water Speakers shoot water into the enclosed clear plastic mini-tower while dancing to the rhythm of your music. Multi-colored LED lights, reflect off the water as it pulsates creating many great visual effects. If you darken the room you’ll get neat reflections off a white or light colored ceiling. The Dancing Water Speakers are lightweight and portable. They were an instant hit to everyone I showed them too. In the Giz Wiz video I said they were about $40, but I just checked my receipt and they were under $36 at the Amazon link below. You get the two speakers, a USB cable for powering them, and an audio cable to hook them to your music source. For their size and price the sound is very decent, but I doubt if you would want them to be your everyday hardcore listening speakers.

Giz Wiz Video: http://youtu.be/jlwOZ6B1rk4

This is the link to the speakers I bought on Amazon and they were only $36 with free shipping for Amazon Prime Members:  http://amazon.com/dp/B00BUIVVH2/?tag=twnene-20  

(This is a TWiT link. If you decide to buy one, you pay the normal price and TWiT gets a pittance.)

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1420

Carry a spare battery, or two for your smart phone.

One of great advantages of a smart phone with a removable battery, is can swap them out quickly. You don’t have to wait for a charger to bring a built-in battery back to life. The new Samsung Galaxy 4, like the 3, has a removable battery, so I wanted to get a couple of spares. On a previous Giz Wiz show, I remember Chad saying he had good luck with a charging device from Anker. It turns out Anker makes a nice Galaxy 4 Charger Combo. You get two Li-ion 3.8V 2600mAh batteries and an AC charger. You can use the Anker Battery Charger Combo for home or travel. The charger plugs directly into an AC outlet or you can use it via your computer’s USB port. If the Anker Battery Charger Combo is plugged into AC power, you can also charge your phone at the same time you’re charging a battery. Just use the USB port on the side of the charger to charge your phone. This double charging ability only works if you’re using AC power, not via USB. When you put your depleted battery in the charger, you get a purple light. When your battery is charged, the LED changes to blue. I don’t have a lot of in-use experience yet, but according to reviews, the batteries will also hold a charge a long time. This is a good value for for about $29. (As of June 10, 2013).  For about $3 more, you can get a Anker combo kit that adds a case and screen protector. 

http://amazon.com/dp/B00CBTZ2AG/?tag=twnene-20   

With a case and a screen protector this kit is just $3 more:

http://amazon.com/dp/B00CC38CNA/?tag=twnene-20  

These are TWiT links. You pay the same price, but if you purchase one, TWiT gets a pittance.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1420

Leo finds a must-have (or a must-avoid) piece of crap somewhere!

Well, if this is crap, it’s got to be right up there with the world’s most expensive crap! 

This week’s Leo gadget is the DJI Phantom Aerial UAV Drone Quadcopter for GoPro

First, here’s the description from Amazon: Attractive and highly integrated design. Stable, yet agile performance, easy to fly. The Phantom is DJI's first small size Ready-to-Fly VTOL. It not only has an attractive appearance, but also has a built-in Naza-M + GPS multi-rotor autopilot system giving a stable and reliable flight characteristic. It also comes with its own dedicated R/C controller. Flight parameters and functions have been setup and tuned by DJI engineers before delivery, so you can fly your Phantom the moment you receive it. It is so easy to operate and stable, this makes aerial filming a breeze. DOES NOT COME WITH GOPRO CAMERA, MUST BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY. $679.00.

http://amazon.com/dp/B00AGOSQI8/?tag=twnene-20    

(That’s a TWiT Link. You pay the Amazon price, but TWiT gets a pittance if you decide to actually buy one.)

And Leo’s take? He loved it! And so did we. The Drone Quadcopter goes really high, up to 200’, and the video from the TWiT GoPro camera was amazing. It turned out that flying it indoors wasn’t a good idea. There were too many things in the TWiT Brick House for it to have a clear flight path. But outdoors it was great. Leo said he didn’t regret spending $679 for it and that he was sure TWiT would find a great use for it! It does come with it's own RC console. Be sure to watch the Quadcopter video in this show!

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1420

Viewer's Gadget Warehouse & How You Can Submit Your Own Video!

Submitting your video starts with an email, like this one:

Dick/Leo,

Thank you for reading my letter, I hope someone reviews the 3D printer soon. I am sending something that I consider one of the gadgets I used the most in the past and it was the predecessor of my smart phones. It is just fun to see how much crap I had to carry to have some features we have so easy today. Sorry for my accent, but my wife liked that when I met her when I was leaving abroad 10 years ago, and if mama like it I am not changing it.

I hope it is usable, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SrQ7Z3pfwA&sns=em

Louis

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1420

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We'd love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show. Here's what we're looking for:

Your home made Videos -- two to three minutes long - (four maximum) in the 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.

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 something you just bought too.

Post them on YouTube and send our producer, Jason Howell, the link! We'll do the rest. (Or possibly nothing, but that's unlikely.) Remember, videos should be just 2 to 3 minutes long, 4 MAX! Low production value is fine. Even welcomed! That way our stuff doesn't look bad by comparison. We've set the bar low. Don't trip over it.

NEW! NEW! NEW! If we select and show your video on The Giz Wiz you will now be awarded with some sort of prize. It's Leo's way to get rid of all the "crap from Sky Mall" he's collected. So there's one more (so-so) reason to send in your video!

All show submissions go to gizwiz@twit.tv

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Video Letter of the week!

Hi Dick,

A few weeks ago you showed my viewer video of "my favorite gadget". It was the paper combiner. Recently I got a box with some crap that TWiT sent me as a prize. Here is the video of the "GizWiz / TWiT crap unboxing."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emnv_d5lz5E

Thanks to Dick, Jason, Leo and Mr. Needles.

Larry Steiner