The Giz Wiz, Week of June 11th, 2014, Show # 1472

The great improv group I talked about at the start of this week's show is Broadway's Next Hit Musical. You can see videos of their zaniness here, along with more info. They travel around the country, so look of them.

www.broadwaysnexthitmusical.com

Phone Soap Charger, no water needed to clean and sanitize your phone. 

Phone Soap Charger, it needs no water, or soap! Just regular 110 AC power. In the past we have talked about a UV phone sanitizer, but Phone Soap Charger adds another convenient feature, charging. Instead of the just cleaning the phone, and then charging it via a separate device, Phone Soap Charger lets you put almost any phone inside where you connect your phone’s charging cable using the 5V USB port also inside the unit. A micro USB cable is included but you can use your own cable, as I did in the video. (Info on where I got that is below)  When you close the Phone Soap Charger cover, the UV rays will sanitize the phone while the USB charges it. The sanitizing part takes under 5 minutes and will then shut off. The phone will continue to charge until it reaches 100%. There are two LED indicators on the Phone Soap Charger case. Blue indicates that the UV-C rays are sanitizing your phone and green indicates your phone is charging. Available in black or white for $59.95. BUT – if you’re reading this prior to midnight on Father’s Day, June 15^th, 2014, -- there’s a 20% discount with the code: “dadsday”. That would bring the price down to about $48. You can also do a web search to check if there’s a lower price. 

www.phonesoap.com 

Giz Wiz Phone Soap Video: http://youtu.be/XON4oCZejPc     

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1472 

A 3-way USB Charging Cable.

Here’s the cable I bought on Amazon and showed in the Phone Soap Charger Video Above.

These cables are really, really cheap, and come with no packaging and no instructions. When I was examining my 3 way cable, I noticed that the 30-pin connector had two different indicators. One side was Marked "SAM" and the flipside had the 30-pin symbol on it. I wondered if  the SAM side would charge my 30-pin Samsung tablet. I hooked the cable to an AC adaptor, plugged it in and yes, the charger light on the Samsung tablet came on. The flipside of the 30-pin adaptor worked fine to charge my only iOS device, a Gen4 iPod Touch. I don’t know if one of the other connectors will charge the iPhone 5. If you check the reviews many say “yes”, some say “no”. At one reviewer said they cable he received wasn't the one in the photo. So in keeping with the under $5 price, it can be a bit of a crap shoot. I used the micro-mini connector on my cable to charge my Samsung Galaxy S5. Remember though, at these prices these are not certified cables, so there's no warantee or guarantee if they harm any of your devices. So far my 3-way cable has behaved itself well while charging. No Longer Available.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1472 

Wow! The 20X Magnifying Glasses.

While looking around Amazon for fun gadgets to show on The Giz Wiz, I found the 20x Magnification Power Glasses. Here’s what Amazon says about them:

“Loupe location is adjustable on the frame for your comfort. Mounted on a black eyeglass frame for hands free use. Bright LED bulb is adjustable to illuminate viewing field. Perfect for installing & repairing camera, watch, and other electronics. 20x magnification power. Please note: The product need to simply assemble by users. Please close to the object when you use, and it is not stereoscopic, the two sides cannot focus on the same thing meanwhile.” 

And after I got them in the mail, here’s what I found. There is no diopter adjustment, so I couldn’t use these over my glasses. Actually, there are no adjustments at all for the lenses on the 20X Magnification Power Glasses. And you have to be really, really, close to the subject you wish to magnify before it comes into focus. Since you will probably be less than an inch from what you are viewing, they’ll be nothing much you can do to what you’re looking at, except view it. This will make trying to work on a project close-up rather difficult. Contrary to what it says on Amazon, there is no assembly required. You just may have to bend the frames back in shape because it’s not carefully packaged and it comes from overseas, so delivery will take a while. But they’re under $5, with free shipping! (Not Amazon Prime.)  

Watch Repair Magnifier Loupe 20X Glasses With LED Light - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

Giz Wiz Magnifier Glasses Video: http://youtu.be/_b-DVFxnmhE  

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1472 

Chad's Crappy Corner! This is the 2nd gadget in Chad’s theme for June: Things that are inflatable.

And Chad’s Pick? The LuminAID Light. Here’s what Amazon says about it: The LuminAID light is a solar-powered, inflatable lamp that packs flat and inflates to create a lightweight, waterproof lantern. The LuminAID light provides up to 16 hours of LED light and recharges in approximately 7 hours of direct sunlight. The LuminAID light is ideal for emergency use, camping, or in the home as an extra light source. Tuck it away in a first-aid kit or hook it on your backpack to take with you on your next adventure. The product is completely PVC-free and made out of a lightweight, semi-transparent material to diffuse the LED light and create a lantern effect. Under $19.00. And free shipping if you’re an Amazon Prime Member. 

And Chad’s take? This device is smaller in person than it appears in the Amazon photo, but Chad likes it. He likes the idea that the solar panel can keep the LuminAID charged without ever needing batteries. Chad also showed us that when not inflated, it can be still be used as a mini, though not very powerful flashlight. Inflating the LuminAID really increases the amount of the area that can be illuminated. Chad said it's ideal for camping too where it can be hung in a tent. All-in-all, it's Thumbs Up from Chad. 

LuminAID Solar Inflatable Light, Semi-Transparent As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1472 

Dick's Gadget Warehouse. And how to submit your video to the show.

This week's Viewer Warehouse Video came from David Phillips with this email:

This is my gadget, the Tekna Micro Knife. I've had it for a very long time. It's an OK knife, a little bit different than most pocket knives.

http://youtu.be/THpdl1HZGjs

David Phillips

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1472 

                                 _++++++++++

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

Here’s what we’re looking: Your home shoot 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. 

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.

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, 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 will now be awarded with some sort of prize. Like an autographed MAD magazine and some piece of crap. So that's one more (so-so) reason to send in your video! 

All show submissions go to gizwiz@twit.tv

Letter of the week: 

A couple of months ago on the Giz Wiz we talked about the 360cam. At the time the company, Giroptics, didn’t have a website up and running and they were waiting to launch their Kickstarter campaign. I actually wondered if I would ever hear from them again. Well, I did:

Hi Dick:

Just a quick follow up note to let you know that the 360cam from Giroptics that we displayed first at Digital Focus in New York launched earlier today on Kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/giroptic/the-worlds-first-full-hd-360-camera

Derek Perez. 

And now back to the Giz Wiz: Check out that link. They were looking for $150,000. See for yourself where they are already! Looks like there’s huge interest in the 360cam. I should be getting a review unit as soon as their available.