Giz Wiz Show #1591 for October 7th 2016 - Our 75th Independent Production!

Thanks to our wonderful Patreon supporters The Giz Wiz Show not only continues, but is well into its 2nd year of independent production. 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. And thank you! Our show wouldn't exist without our viewer's support. 

Now onto this fun show. It features the final two videos we recorded at the huge “Holiday Spectacular!” the largest NYC Pepcom Event of the year. Then I'll show the 1st new gadget I found at Interbike, Las Vegas where every kind of bike and bike gadget was on display. They'll be more new and useful bike gadgets next week.
 
Since this was the first time I learned about the original concept website: Touch of Modern, I asked the company to provide info about themselves:
 
Touch of Modern is the leading online shopping destination for men to discover unexpected lifestyle products, fashion and accessories to elevate their lifestyle. Every year, the much anticipated holiday store features one‐of-a-kind, in‐season products from well‐known brands and up-and-coming designers not easily found in mainstream retailers – from filet mignon beef jerky to watch movement cuff-links and all‐terrain electric skateboards. “Touch of Modern’s Holiday Store is a shopper's connection to hundreds of unique gifts for men. Jerry Hum, CEO and Founder, Touch of Modern says: “We know what men want, and we curate an array of products every holiday season that will appeal to every type of guy ranging from the busy business executive to the outdoorsy adventurer.”
 
And now back to me. In the video, you saw UBTECH's Alpha 1S, a humanoid robot that can be controlled through Bluetooth. Touch of Modern says he can replicate stunningly accurate and effective movements, as customized by you. Using a smartphone app, Alpha can be programmed to achieve a perfect display of action and sound, wirelessly. When I checked on 10/4/16 he was no longer available on their website, but you can find him on Amazon and eBay for about $400 to $450. 

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/MuGowlkaJP4

You need to give Touch of Modern an email address to access their website. When I did that I got a discount offer back. (See below.)

http://www.touchofmodern.com/

I gave them my email and and got this offer sent back: "Every friend you invite gets $10 credit and you get $20 credit when their first order ships. Copy and paste this URL in Twitter, Facebook, or in an Email to invite friends." (I don't know if you'll get this same offer, or if clicking on mine will get a $10 credit, but you can give it a try. Maybe I'll get money off offer too.)

https://www.touchofmodern.com/i/ZCSV7UVG 

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1591 Link goes live late Friday 10/7/16)

A much better way to get a strong Wi-Fi signal.

At press events gadgets that use WiFi often don't work well because so many people there are all using WiFi. That's why I was attracted to the new Portal device. As you'll see in the video we shot there that they were using their Portal WiFi device to stream four 4k videos and they all looked great - no buffering at all. The company says Portal is built for crowded and demanding urban environments. The said the primary cause of WiFi being slow and unreliable is overcrowding of the shared public radio airwaves that all WiFi devices compete to use. Portal is designed to be a WiFi system unlike any other. Their “Fast Lanes Technology” lets it use exclusive protected radio channels to eliminate the crowding and congestion that is increasingly common with WiFi. (They hard to work a long time with the FCC to achieve this.) Then the device also uses nine innovative and powerful internal antennas arranged in arrays support the latest radio techniques like MU-MIMO and beamforming for even longer distance. Portal combines the security and privacy capabilities of iOS or Android devices with those of WiFi. This results in your network being much more robust against anyone trying to hack it. Portal also protects your family’s privacy with things like continual intrusion detection, geo-fencing and ID obfuscation. The video on their Amazon page (link below) helps make it clear how they can offer a much better WiFi signal that other routers. And it's priced like many other high-end routers at $199.99. It starts ships November, 2016, but can be preordered. 

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/QtT0JvVdOxU

Company website: https://portalwifi.com/ 

Video here has a good explanation of how they achieve faster WiFi:

https://www.amazon.com/PORTAL-Turbocharged-Self-Optimizing-Gigabit-Router/dp/B01JQROZZS

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1591 Link goes live late Friday 10/7/16)

Like Bikes & Bike Gadgets. Here's A Lot Of Them From The Interbike Show in Vegas!

From the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular we move on to another big, no make that huge show, Interbike in Las Vegas. This trade show features every kind of kids, adults, folding, electric, hybrid bike you'd can think of, along with hundreds of bike accessories. We'll cover about a half dozen of them starting here and continuing for the next two weeks. 

Be seen when you go biking!

Visijax goes above and beyond the bare essentials of road safety. They have developed the most visible cycling jacket I've ever seen. Not only are there flashing lights on the front and back so you will be seen at dusk, at night, pretty much any time, but the jacket also features motion activated turn indicators on the arms. Simply raise your arm to indicate as you would normally and the built in amber LED's light up on the front and back of the sleeve, displaying your intentions to the traffic around you. The indicators switch off automatically ten seconds after you lower your arm. The Commuter jacket has 23 high intensity, integrated LED's in both white and red to alert other road users to your presence. All of the electronics are powered by a provided rechargeable USB battery with up to 20 hours of continuous use. When we showed this as a prototype a couple of years ago, I recall the price was over $170.00.

It's now available in black or florescent yellow for a much lower price. As of 10/4/16, the jacket was on the company website for $82.99. And on Amazon too.

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

Company website:

https://www.visijax.com/product/commuter-jacket-with-turn-signals/

It's also on Amazon for $83.00 with free shipping, but not Amazon Prime

http://amzn.to/2dIp7rA (As of 10/4/16)

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1591 Link goes live late Friday 10/7/16)

Chad's Crappy Corner & His New Theme For October.

Chad polled our devoted Patreon members and for his October theme they picked “cheap car gadgets”.

Chad explained that in a 'change of pace' he didn't order anything online for this show, but instead went over to his local Dollar Store. If you have a Dollar Store near you, or a similar type store, Chad said these are 3 gadgets that don't work very well.

1. The LED light, which uses 3 AAA batteries, just about gives off a soft glow. As you'll see in the video of this week's show, it doesn't light much. Chad thought it might be good as quick replacement for the overhead light inside your car in event yours is broken, assuming you don't want much light.

2. And if your automobile music system is also broken (probably time to get a near car) you might try the mini speaker that looks like an old time tape cassette. As you'll hear in the video of this show, this was really a crappy gadget. It's the 1^st time I ever heard a speaker that made the audio from the cell phone speaker sound far superior.

3. Chad's 3^rd dollar gadget were sort see-thru decals for the car windows. They were okay for buck, provided you put them in out-of-the-way places not to obstruct the driver's view.

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1591 Link goes live late Friday 10/7/16)

Dick's Gadget Warehouse & How to Submit Your Viewer Video.

This week's video is short and contains one expletive to describe something we showed on The Giz Wiz and our viewer bought, so please be aware of that.

Hi Chad & Dick,

This is Kithron. I decided to make a review today about the bug bulb
that was shown on The GizWiz. "Above Edge Pestblast 2 In 1 Ultimate
Mosquito Killer & Pest Control Energy Efficient Led Bulb"

Since the company that makes them didn't even bother to respond to me I made a complaint to Amazon and got a refund in the works, so here is the review today.

It's on my YouTube page here | https://youtu.be/H7PKs7b7Hcg  

Kithron

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1591 Link goes live late Friday 10/7/16) 

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We’re looking for more Viewer Videos!

We’d love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show, so 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 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 a new gadget you just bought too.-

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 a tiny amount of fame (hopefully), an autographed MAD magazine and a 35-year-old Alfred E. Neuman picture. So that's one more (so-so) reason to send in your video! IMPORTANT: We'll just shower you with praise for your video if you live outside the US or Canada since we can't afford to send stuff outside of those two places. (Thanks for understanding.) 

All show submissions go to mail@gizwiz.tv 

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Letter of the week:

One of the shortest emails ever, but wait until you go the link and see how much this

tiny vinyl-hand-toy has taken in so far on kickstarter!!

David Eckard

This is right up your gadget alley.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2015098713/fidget-cube-a-vinyl-desk-toy