Here's an easy way to install & maintain smoke alarms!

It’s called Alarm Arm. The folks at Alarm Arm have some interesting information. They say that research shows 94% of homes in the U.S. have at least one smoke alarm, but more than eighty million smoke alarms in the U.S. are more than 10 years old. Smoke alarm manufacturers state that smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, therefore most smoke alarms in use are considered "non-functional". This problem is due to the fact that smoke alarms are often hard to reach. Smoke alarms fail most often due to simple reasons such as missing, dead or disconnected batteries, thus the Alarm Arm makes the process of removing/replacing an existing alarm to check the batteries, or installing a new smoke alarm, an easy and quick process without a ladder or other tools. You start by installing a magnetic plate in the ceiling by using the Alarm Arm attached to a handle you provide. They’re the kind sold in paint stores to attached rollers to paint the ceiling. Then you attach your smoke alarm to another magnetic plate you just clips on to the installed plate. It’s real easy to do. There a video on the company’s website that shows how to install a smoke detector in under two minutes, and how to change a battery in under one minute! The Alarm Arm kit costs $19.95. You provide the handle and the smoke detector. In a demonstration with this product, even a four year old was able to install and remove a smoke alarm from a ten-foot ceiling – completely unassisted The video, product brochure, and much more information is available at their website:

www.alarmarm.com

Hear the Netcast on this gizmo: www.twit.tv/dgw991 

Creative Labs intros their 3rd Generation Vado HD camcorder.

I haven’t done a Creative Labs gadget since we talked about their great little travel dock speakers. So when they called me to ask if I’d like to try their third generation Vado HD camcorder, I was very interested. It has some neat features carried over from earlier models in the Vado HD line such as HDMI out and a wide-angle lens, great for shooting indoors. The new model adds improved quality of video in low light or brightly lit conditions with manual exposure adjustments. Another welcome addition is an external stereo microphone support (Leo liked this a lot because the built-in mics on most mini-camcorders are just so-so) and there’s a headphone jack for private listening. Another interesting feature is the Motion Detection Mode that enables you to program the camera so it begins recording as soon as motion is detected. (Hmmm, security camera, maybe?) It’s Mac and PC compatible. With the new Vado Central 3.0 software users can upload their videos to a number of popular social media sites, including Facebook and YouTube with just one click. (Most mini camcorders can do that too.) You can also do some simple video editing directly in Vado Central 3.0. The third generation Vado HD has better compression but can still hold more than 90 minutes of HD quality video or up to 7,000 still photos. It has 4GB of onboard storage. There’s no SD card slot, but there is a removable, rechargeable battery. Creative Labs says it provides more than two hours of recording or viewing. You recharge the battery and upload videos via the flexible, pull-out USB cable. The flexible cable is easier to match up with USB ports on laptops. (Extra batteries and an AC wall plug-in battery charger are also available.) The camera is about the size of deck of cards, but a bit thinner. Available in black or white for $179.99.

For more information about the complete line of Creative Vado Pocket Video Cams visit www.myvado.com.

Here’s 6 minute tour of the Gizneyland Studio I shot with the Vado right out the box. http://tinyurl.com/yzoz3se

And other folks Vado videos: http://myvado.com/videos/video.aspx?vd=124

Hear the Netcast I did on this gizmo: www.twit.tv/dgw994

This is a neat, useful gizmo for under $3.00!

This tiny LED light is called the NanoLite. It’s so small you actually stick it on the side of a key, any key that fits into a lock shrouded in darkness. It’s a one handed operation – you just squeeze your thumb against the NanoLite button as you put the key into the lock. It provides plenty of extra light when opening car and home door locks Actually it good to open any lock that could use a bit of light shined on it. It uses a bright red LED to avoid night blindness that is often associated with a bright white light. Yes, there are other see-in-the-dark mini flashlights and key chain lights but you have to remember to carry them with you. (Of course if you have your Giz Wiz LED baseball cap, you can use that too!) NanoLite is smaller than a penny and a bit thicker. It easily attaches to a key with high-bond 3M adhesive. I’ve been using my NanoLite for about a month now and even though it hits up against other keys on the ring, it’s stayed perfectly in place. The Lithium battery is not replaceable, but a spokesperson at the company said it should last for about 3 years. I found this interesting: NanoLite was created by Madeline Canfield who sought a simple solution to an everyday problem – fumbling with her keys in dark or dimly light places. Canfield, a former teacher, discovered family members and friends also struggled with the same hassle and decided to patent her idea. I'm glad she did! Cost is $3.99, but a much better deal is to buy 4 NanoLites for $9.99.  That knocks the cost down to $2.50.

 www.nanolite.net   store: www.nanolitestore.com

Hear the Netcast I found this gadget: www.twit.tv/dgw996  

Stick this in your ear! Really, you can - it's the world's smallest MP3 Player.

We've seen some very mini MP3 players in our time. Take a look at the iPod Shuffle and the tiny MobyBlu. (I think MobyBlu has given up the MP3 market.) But so far I’ve seen nothing is as small as the Micro Sport MP3 Player. It’s imported from Japan by the folks at Think Geek. Somehow the folks overseas have crammed 4GB of memory, a rechargeable battery and a couple of tiny buttons into an MP3 player about the size of two sugar cubes. Amazingly this tiny player features full stereo sound. One ear bud is attached directly to the main unit along with the controls. You can wear that unit by itself if you want just mono music. For full stereo sound there’s another ear bud with a cord that plugs into the main unit and drapes around the back of your head. Viola! You have full stereo in a tiny package. Loading music is easy. Plug the Micro Sport into a USB port on your computer and it shows up as a USB thumb drive. Simply drag any MP3 files you want to take on the road into the Micro Sport. Now not only is this MP3 tiny, so are the controls. It takes some getting used to – to find the buttons while you’re wearing it. And since the Micro Sport Japanese MP3 Player is imported from Japan it means that the directions are all in Japanese. But unlike my Japanese Traffic Light Alarm Clock website which offered no help for me, ThinkGeek does help folks who buy this device. There’s a mini-English use manual on their website. The Micro Sport’s built in rechargeable Li battery charges via USB. No drivers are required and it works with any OS. Sound is really decent although you’ll need the foam pads for the earbuds. But they’re included. $79.99

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/japanfan/c76a/

Hear the Netcast I did on this gizmo: www.twit.tv/dgw999

Perhaps the weirdest gadget at CES!

This photo is from our friends over at Gizmodo. We'll can't see who's wearing the cap - which is a good thing, right?I expect to find unusual things at CES and boy did I find one. On a Daily Giz Wiz episode about a month ago I told Leo I had read about this device and Leo thought it was a joke. But it wasn’t! I’m talking about the TV hat: a baseball cap with a brim that's about a foot long!!  There’s a clear plastic VideoMP3/iPhone/iPod holder at the tip of the cap that drops down. You put your player in there. In between your eyes and the screen is a drop-down rectangular magnifying glass that makes your video source appear much bigger. It’s on a track so you can slide it forward or back for focus. The company says it’s: “A movie theater experience absolutely anywhere!” I’m not sure about that, but I must say it does work pretty well. (But DO NOT THINK High Def, or even medium def.) Even Leo had to admit, “this thing works”. One thing is for certain. You will look truly weird wearing this device. Black flaps drop down around the cap to block out the light. The kit even include a black flap to hang from the cap behind your neck. If you don’t mind looking like the “Elephant Man”, you could use this on the plane, train, bus or even on a camping trip. A camping trip is good because less people will see you! Also the price isn’t bad. Here are the official details: Receive the As Seen On TV Hat in your choice of Cap or Visor for $19.95 plus $7.95 S&H and a FREE neck protector. You can also choose your color; choose from blue, white, red, khaki or camouflage. When you purchase 2 or more As Seen On TV Hats we will pay the additional shipping!

https://www.asseenontvhat.com/flare/next

Hear the Netcast I did on this gizmo: www.twit.tv/dgw1001