The Weekly Daily Giz Wiz, Week of November 28th, 2011 – Netcast 1342

Last week’s Gadget Warehouse we saw the very first Itty-Bitty Booklight.

The iitty-bitty booklight from Zelco used 4 C batteries and had a flashlight-type bulb that could get pretty hot. But that was almost 30 years ago. Amazingly, the original itty-bitty light is still available, but here's what you want: the latest version from Zelco: the MAX .5. Compact and portable, this itty-bitty book light offers a maxi-bright, maxi-white 1/2-watt Nichia LED bulb. It stays cool to the touch, while the illumination is bright enough to cover two pages. A brighter light helps eliminate eyestrain and fatigue. It features something Zelco calls “switchable circuit technology”. That means the MAX .5  is designed to supply maximum luminous output throughout its battery life cycle -- it won’t start dimming as the batteries start to wear down. The unit provides 360-degree swiveling motion for focusing light where needed most. Its removable lamp stalk can be unplugged from its base and snapped to its side for simple storage. A convenient storage pouch comes included. The MAX .5 requires two AA batteries (not included), and it can also be used with an AC adapter (model #81024, sold separately). Weighing in at a mere 4-4/5 ounces, the book light measures approximately 1 inch long by 1-1/2 inches wide by 7-1/2 inches tall. MSRP Under $50, but you can find it for almost half that price by doing a web search. It’s about $28 here (I haven’t bought anything from this e-tailer) 

http://www.amazon.com/Zelco-Max-Energy-Efficient-Booklight/dp/B0010EG7BQ   

See or hear this Netcast: http://www.twit.tv/dgw1342

This link usually goes live on Sunday afternoon, the day after we record the Netcast.

Video of the week - A go aboard the SS Giz Wiz Workboat for this week's gadget.

I used an older version of the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy for years on my houseboat. This new version offers a fold-down handle for compact storage and a new swing out regulator for easy fuel connection. I use the 1-lb. propane tank, which screws into the unit itself. It provides about 3 to 6 hours of heat with depending on the high or low setting. The low heat setting produces 4000 BTU and the high heat setting, 9000 BTU. The company says this unit is fine for heating a 200 sq. ft. area. With an optional hose, you can also use a 20-lb. propane tank, which should be kept outdoors with the hose running inside to the unit. Portable Buddy an ideal way to have temporary heat for tents, campers, workshops, garages, etc. It should never be used in an airtight location even though there is an Oxygen Depletion Sensor designed to shut the unit if it senses low oxygen. Once you attach the propane tank, you turn the switch to “pilot” and push down to ignite it. You don’t need matches. Once the pilot lights, you select “high” or “low” heat and Portable Buddy heats quickly. There’s also an accidental tip-over safety shutoff. When it’s heating, it gives off a red glow and looks a bit like a tiny fireplace. It’s perfect for heating the cabin on my 23’ foot Farallon workboat. If you live in California, there is a very similar unit that meets some different California state rules. MSRP is about $100, but if you do a web search you can find it for about $75. If you need more heat, there’s a slightly bigger model that uses two 1-lb propane tanks at the same time. Here’s a listing on Amazon. I have not shopped at this e-tailer.

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Buddy-Portable-Propane/dp/B0030OHCJ0

The Giz Wiz Video of the week: http://youtu.be/HUTf-qmUFk4

The view from the Dropcam inside my boat facing the Hudson River:

https://www.dropcam.com/p/xsIXNn

See or hear this Netcast: http://www.twit.tv/dgw1342

Bathe & Brew --- Strangest Gadget of 2011?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      If you’re buying a gift for a gadget lover, it can be difficult because they probably have all the latest gadgets. But I bet they don’t have Bathe & Brew! What could be safer than brewing coffee using 120V AC while you shower? Of course, that’s ridiculous, which is why this product doesn’t exist. It would most likely kill you, if it did exist! This is a Prank Pack Gift Box. Here’s the idea behind them. When you present your gift, the person who gets it will pretend to like it, while being completely disappointed and confused. Then when they open the end of the box, they’ll the bright yellow sign with the Prank Pack Gag Fake Gift Box announcement! Now they’ll love it. because they’ll want to ‘stick’ someone else with it and watch them squirm when they see the box. There are about a dozen different Prank Pack Fake Gift Boxes that show fairly stupid, but almost believable products on the outside with photos, quotes, diagrams, and all sorts of other impressive things. There are no clues the product isn't real until the recipient opens the box. Besides the sign informing them of the gag will be the real present you bought them. That’s assuming you want to stick a real present in there. But whatever you put in there, they’ll be relieved it’s not what’s pictured on the box! Yes, you’re paying close to $8 for an empty box, but it does have a great ‘surprise’ factor. You can find them as low as $6.99 if you do a web search. Think Geek sells a 2-Pack that includes the Bathe & Brew - A coffee maker/shower/soap dispenser and ToeTunes Slipper Speakers - Take the tunes with you wherever you roam! The Prank Pack boxes are 12" x 9" x 4".

Company website: www.prankpacks.com

See or hear this Netcast: http://www.twit.tv/dgw1342 

This link usually goes live on Sunday afternoon, the day after we record the Netcast.

Leo's Turn The Table Turkey! Kindle Fire Vs. Nook Tablet.

Leo gives us a look at two hot gadgets in this week’s show. It’s the Kindle Fire Vs. The Nook. There are tons of reviews on-line, so Leo showed us the actual differences between the two e-book readers. Cheapest, at just $199.99 is the Kindle Fire. Leo showed the screen resolutions on both is very similar, but the Fire has very little memory and there’s no SD Card Slot to add more. He said this is not a problem, if you just want to use it to as an e-reader. It’s from Amazon, and Leo said they’ll be around for a long time.

The Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet is $50 more, at $249.99. For that money, you can get a built-in mic, about ten times the memory, and a mini SD card slot so you can add up to 32GB more. But, Leo said he was sort of concerned that Barnes & Noble may not be around forever. Leo did not declare a real winner. Which one you choose will depend on what you want to use it for. And do you have any concern about how long Barnes & Noble will be around, vs. how long Amazon will be around? Certainly Leo and I assume most every else agrees Amazon wins in that competition. Side by side, the two e-readers have almost the body same size, and feature the same size screen, 7 inches. Of course if money is not object, you can buy both and do your own side-by-side comparison. Me? I think I’d take the chance on the Nook Tablet. I like all that memory so I can also use it a video player.

Nook Tablet website:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-tablet-barnes-noble/1104687969

Kindle Fire Website:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051VVOB2/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=8302881397&ref=pd_sl_7gl7b2uwu2_e

The Kindle Fire Leather Cover by Marware that Leo recommends:

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Leather-Cover-Marware/dp/B005PB2S0E/ref=kin3w_ddp_pop3_popT

See or hear this Netcast: http://www.twit.tv/dgw1342

This link usually goes live on Sunday afternoon, the day after we record the Netcast.

Back to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse

It was about ten years ago when I found Sink-EEZ at a trade show, most likely the National Hardware Show. Peter Sedlak of Kitchenex Products explained what Sink-EEZ did. It’s a magnetic garbage disposal insert that’s used to inhibit the entry of ferrous items. Basically that means it should grab onto magnetic items dropped into the sink before they went down into the garbage disposal grinder. If that happened it could damage to you and to the grinder itself. I’ve never owned a garbage disposal unit, but it seemed like a good idea to me. And the fact that it would sell for under $8 seemed like a reasonable price to pay for something that could offer a degree of safety and save you having a lot bigger repair expense should something metal actually go into the garbage disposal device. Last week I found my Sink-EEZ still in the original package in Dick’s Gadget Warehouse. I did a little search and although Sink-EEZ shows up for sale on a couple of websites, it’s listed as “no longer in stock”, or just “not available”. There was one available on Ebay. I searched a little further and found that on Tuesday, October 17, 2000, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for SINK-EEZ by Sedlak, Peter P., Sonora , 95370. But reading on I find: The current federal status of this trademark filing is ABANDONED - NO STATEMENT OF USE FILED. The correspondent listed for SINK-EEZ is MARK C JACOBS of 3033 EL CAMINO AVE, SACRAMENTO CA 95821-6014  – I guess not enough units were sold, or not enough interest was generated to go forward with a larger rollout of the Sink-EEZ. The company website: www.kitchenexproducts.com also comes up unknown or “refunded”. But perhaps one day, when searching for info on his own product, Peter Sedlak might somehow read this post and then he could let us know the whole Sink-EEZ story. 

See or hear this Netcast: http://www.twit.tv/dgw1342 

This link usually goes live on Sunday afternoon, the day after we record the Netcast.