Giz Wiz Show #1587 for September 9th 2016 - Our 71st 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.  

And now onto the show! Meet LampChamp - the easy to install charging station. 

LampChamp is an easy way to find a place to plug in your USB charging cable right next to where you're sitting. It turns any lamp into a USB charging station so you've always got power at your fingertips. (You'll see exactly how it works in the video.) The 2 AMP USB Charger stays on all the time and a convenient On/Off Switch controls the light bulb. You can install it in seconds, simply remove your existing light bulb, screw in LampChamp, and then replace the bulb. LampChamp recommends an LED light which are economical and don't produce much heat. MSRP is $29.99. But I've seen it on sale for as low as $14.99. 

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

Company website: http://www.olenstechnology.com/

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1587

Another option for your 'dumb home'.

QVS Power Control Switch can add an "on" - "off" switch to 2-prong AC devices that don't have them. Lots of electronic devices these days do not have an on/off switch. That means they use 'vampire' or standby power even when they are not being used. The QVS Power Switch, a non-grounded 2-prong power adapter, makes it easy to add an on/off power switch to cut the power to a device when not in use. And it acts like like any other power switch, so you don't have to unplug a device to cut wasted energy. It should fit any standard power outlet or power strip. A red LED light lets you know if the switch is “on” or “off”. It's for dry, indoor locations, and both the plug and the plug receptacle are polarized. The package says UL listed, designed for AC, 125 Volt 15 Amp 60Hz,1875 Watt max. As you'll see in the video, the pricing on Amazon is nuts. One unit was $2.99, which two units were $32.50. If you want to buy more than one, click the $2.99 price, and then change the quantity to what you want. 

GizWiz Video: https://youtu.be/1kjBQLJAEPc

Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2csgwWl  

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/1587

A viewer video product review of a new gadget.

Since this product has a new version and I doubt it's about to reach 'gadget warehouse' status, I'm putting in the place of a regular gadget I would normally do. So this week, I'll do a Dick's Gadget Warehouse Gadget from the warehouse! Here's the email we received:

Hi; Dick & Chad

Love the show, keep up the great work.

This is a video of a gadget I got. It’s the Microsoft wireless HDMI video & audio adapter. This adapter allows you to send video & audio wirelessly from any windows cpu running windows 8.1 or windows 10. The video will go into more detail.

Moses & Son JacoB

Their YouTube Video; https://youtu.be/KTwJHsH42ng

BestBuy; http://www.bestbuy.com/site/microsoft-wireless-display-adapter-v2-receiver-dark-titanium/4974200.p?id=bb4974200&skuId=4974200

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1587

Chad's Crappy Corner and a new theme for September.

Chad polled our devoted Patreon members and for his September theme they picked “Cheap Hobby Gadgets”. Chad's gadget this week is the Franklin-Collins Crossword Solver. 

Here's the list from Amazon of what this device can do:

Word Builder Builds A Ranked Word List From Some Or All Of The Letters Provided

Anagram Solver Turns A Series Of Letters Into A Word

Collins Compact Thesaurus With 280,000 Synonyms And Antonyms

User Word List / Phonetic Spell Corrector In Uk English

7 Challenging Word Games With Scoring Help Build Vocabulary

Calculator With Metric And Currency Converters

It was $29.48 as of 9/8/16

And Chad's take:

As you'll see in the video, the Franklin-Collins device could have provide the missing letter to the answers of the easier words in crossword puzzles. As the chatroom pointed out though, this is one heck of a cheat! Chad demonstrated a few of the other things it could do, but also pointed out that buyers on Amazon weren't thrilled with the device. It got only 3.2 out of 5 stars. And at almost $30 it's expensive for what it does. As he ended his review Chad said: “It's just occurring to me now. I bet if I did an app search there's probably something a heck of lot better than this for about $5." So that sounds like a big 'don't buy'. You could see the reviews and more info here: 

http://amzn.to/2c2kuFv 

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/1587

Back To Dick's Gadget Warehouse & How To Submit Your Video.

This week we do things a little bit out of order. Before we go to Dick's Gadget Warehouse, we will read "the letter of the week".....    

Hey Dick, I am a video editor and saw that you don't have a video intro for dick's gadget warehouse!!! So I made you guys one 

Love the show!! Let me know if you want more videos

.

https://youtu.be/B9rIVEspZHc 

Ivan R. Hahn  /   www.IvanHahn.com

And now, Dick's Gadget Warehouse with our new video intro! 

At Dick's Gadget Warehouse I found an old, weird gadget called CubiCaller.

It's from 2007 and it one of those 'great gag gift' office gadgets. Actually, the Cubicaller, a.k.a. the cubicle doorbell, serves a real purpose. No longer will your co-workers have to bang their feet, or fake a cough, or knock on your cubicle wall to let you know they're there. They can alert you with a doorbell! Well, not an ordinary doorbell, but the CubiCaller, the doorbell designed for your cubicle. It's attached with Velcro so you can take it off when you leave the office and lock it in your desk, a sure sign you're not in. (And a good theft deterrent too.) In the video I said I thought there were 8 sounds, but it turns out there's an even dozen. They are: Chirping birds / Old car horn / “Ding-Dong” doorbell / Sprong Sound /Fading laser / Knocking on door /Fog horn /Big band Blast /“Quack-Quack” /Ring tone /Cat meowing /Chimes. The CubiCaller sold for $11.99 back when it was available. Strangely, I couldn't even find a used one on eBay. (As of 9/6/16)

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/eLhoM6UPf1Q 

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1587  

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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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