Giz Wiz Show 1755 November 27, 2019 Independent Show #237

Wow! The Giz Wiz Show is in year 13 overall & our 5th year of Independent Production! (First Giz Wiz show was February 20th, 2006.) Thanks to our wonderful Patreon supporters we continue on! If it wasn't for them, the Giz Wiz Show would be gone. If you'd like to support OMGchad & DickDe in our independent venture (we pay for everything ourselves, including travel) just click the Patreon link at the top of our show web page: http://www.gizwiz.tv. You can also contribute just once via the PayPal link that's there too. Thank you for doing that! Our show wouldn't exist without our viewer's support, but a bit more support would be a big help. Thanks from OMGchad & DickDe!

Peakago is an amazing mini PC that's offered in a few different versions. It's best to check their website for the latest specs and prices because it seems they are upgrading some of the components. I got an early sample to try and it's impressive for the price, which is as low as $265 as of 11/27/19. You can use this computer as a mini-laptop, fold the keyboard back to 'tent' mode to watch movies, or fold the keyboard 180 degrees to use it as a tablet. My product sample is running Windows 10 Home. I believe the lowest price version comes with Windows 10S which limits you to apps from the Microsoft Store. (A fellow reporter says it's easy to change 10S to 10 on the Peakage. I didn't need to do that, so I don't know how that works.) Video quality for it's size is great! It's a 7” 1080P IPS touch screen. It charges via USB-C so you don't need to take a brick with you when you travel. It has an ok camera (I believe it's 480P) and there's a mic built-in too for Skype. There's also a 4G version, but mine is WiFi only. The keyboard keys are large for the size of the unit, but I couldn't touch-type on it. All-in-all, for the price, starting at $265.00 this is an amazing PC! It's was still on Indiegogo as of 11/27/19, so you can check out the latest details there. (Link below.)

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/RXV5K6JZu9E  

Indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/peakago-7-inch-laptop-work-fun-on-the-go#/  

Company website: www.peakago.com  

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1755

Chalk Of The Town Introduces Their New Draw-on, Write-on Badges.

We reviewed the t-shirts from this company about two years ago when I found them at Toy Fair. The idea is unique. A Chalk Of The Town t-shirt has an area on the front that looks a bit like a blackboard. You use the included markers to draw or write anything you like on that area. It dries quickly and won't smear. It stays on as long as you want, but it's easy to erase. Just wipe the area with a damp cloth and it's ready for a new message, drawing, etc. Now the company has introduced Chalk Of The Town Badges. The idea is the same, write or print your message, peel off the protective sheet on the back and stick it any hard surface. It's great for a locker or bedroom door, lunch box, etc. It can also be sew on a soft surface. They just became available in November 2019 and retail for $10.00 on the company website.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/CNTzyq9ZJ8s

Company website: http://www.chalk-of-the-town.com/

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1755

Now you can add 'sparkle' to any drink with the new Sparkel device.

You probably know about Soda Stream, the gadget that fizzes water right on your counter top. Well there's a new and different kind of carbonater that just came to town (November 2019.) Here's a bit of info about it from the company: Just in time to fizz up the holidays, Spärkel, an innovative sparkling beverage system that can infuse real ingredients and bubbles into any beverage of choice has officially launched for $100. What sets Spärkel apart from other sparkling devices is the amount of creativity users can enjoy when making custom drinks, ranging from healthier sparkling strawberry mint water to holiday sparkling punch infused with real cranberries. It can also carbonate any liquid – not just water – such as tea, juice and wine. Instead of using CO2 tanks Spärkel uses special Spärkel Carbonator sachets that use natural ingredients to generate the gas and are easy to dispose of and reorder. The black version of Sparkel is $99.99 and the color option units are $119.99. 90 Packs of Carbonators $49.99, roughly 55 cents a bottle to carbonite. Available on Amazon and at the company website. Watch this week's show to see Sparkel in action. (The company brought the product to Gizneyland for the demo and our video and took the unit with them.)

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/zRZtloCgr0g  

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L0N1we  Black: $99.99 Colors: $119.99. - 

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

Company website: www.sparkel.com  

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1755

Chad's Crappy Corner & his final November theme gadget.

Chad's November theme, as picked by our loyal Patreons, is “tiny cheap gadgets”. Chad's final tiny is The Mini Thumb Lighter and Knife Set, Field Emergency Survival Tool.

Here's the description: Small and sophisticated emergency survival gadget. Contains smaller knives and trench lighters than the thumb. Stainless steel copper-plated kerosene waterproof lighter with additional sealing ring and cotton core.(According to Amazon's logistics rules, this lighter product does not contain kerosene. The kerosene used in the lighter needs to be purchased locally by the customer). Pure copper sharp knife. The more used, the brighter of knife copper body. When you see them, you even think they are the smallest keychain lighters and knives in the world. You can use them as a decoration for the keychain. When you encounter an urgent need to cut something or need to ignite something, you will find this gadget so intimate and cute.

And Chad's take: When you see this week's show, you'll agree with Chad they are tiny!! And as you read above, the customer has to buy the kerosene since Amazon won't ship them with fuel. Chad found the knife hard to open and not very sharp. He said maybe the only use would be to open a letter. The lighter he thought was a good gadget for an emergency kit. It lit on the 1^st try almost every time he tried it, but he said it's so tiny, you must be careful it doesn't turn your hand if you leave it lit for too long!

Amazon link:https://amzn.to/2OvL658 - As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.

This never affects how we rate Amazon gadgets since we mostly buy everything we review.

See or hear this show:   www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1755  

Dick's Gadget Warehouse & How to Submit Your Viewer Video On Any Gadget!

This week's video video is another one with a favorite type gadget. An early Sony Mavica digital camera that uses the long-gone Sony Memory stick or - wait for it – a full sized 3.5 floppy disc that goes right into a loading dock at the side of the camera to record the photos. It's from J Fanta who writes:

Love the show -- sorry for the crappy video.

https://youtu.be/DC1VU_voJnk

From the Giz Wiz: No problem, J. You had to do the demo one-handed since you were shooting the video yourself, and seeing that ancient 1.2 megapixel camera was great!

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1755

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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 shot 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 hting? 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.
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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.
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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.
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My Favorite Gadget (favorite old, or favorite new): Show us what it is, tell us what it does and why you love, or loved it! It can be a new gadget you just bought too.
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Post them on YouTube and send us 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’ll earn a tiny amount of fame (hopefully). And if you live in the US, you'll also get an autographed 35-year-old Alfred E. Neuman picture and a MAD surprise (most likely the current issue of MAD.) But no matter where you live, I can email an autographed to you Alfred E. Neuman photo if we show your video. Just print it out, frame it, or just hang it up and no one will know it's a copy. We've tested it out and fans say they look terrific!

All show submissions go to mail@gizwiz.tv

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Letter of the week!

A very short email this week with a solution for a problem we talked about a few shows ago. The problem of always having to try twice to get the right side up when inserting a USB cable into a USB device.

Dennis Middleton give us his solution to USB orientation.

What I do is put nail polish on the same side of both plug and article so the colors always line up.

Giz Wiz: Thanks, Dennis for the tip!