2 Easy Ways To Show & Protect Your CDC Record Card.

Hopefully you have been vaccinated. It does make me feel safer and more secure when outside with people you don't know. Once you are, you'll need a way to protect your CDC Record Card.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/ht4UsM2SIDU 

Here are two options from Amazon:

This 4" x 3" Inch Record Cards Protector comes with a clip that can be used without any additional accessories. Simple to use and small, it allows you to easily show your CDC records Card at airlines and travel ports for quick entry. In the futurei t's also possible other venues might require seeing your card. The company says this protector is accessible for barcodes and QC codes to be swiped or scanned with any scanner reader through the crystal-clear display PVC polyvinyl chloride material. Outer Dimensions (4.52 x 3.97 inch) Inner Dimensions (4.2x 3 inch). The flexible and resealable zipper ensures high water-resistance. This badge holder is 0.8mm thick, thicker that others I've seen. 5/$9.00 approx $1.80. This price can change at any time! Actually, on 5/1/21 it's dropped $2.00 to $6.99.

https://amzn.to/3e8XtAZ   -   

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

Not Waterproof, But Magnetic!

This is a pack of 20 magnetic badge holders to keep badges secure, clean, and prominently displayed. Durable design made of PVC-free polypropylene with curved corners; sealed on 3 sides; top loading. 1 magnet pre-attached to badge holder; 2nd magnet removable (to be placed behind clothing); magnets won't damage clothing when attached/removed. Compatible with any 3x4-inch badge (like the CDC Vaccine Record). Displayed horizontally; pre-punched holes for optional lanyard attachment (not included). Measures 3 by 4 inches. 20 for $20.20, so $1.01 each as of 5/1/21. Prices on Amazon can change at any time.

https://amzn.to/3gQ5exr   -  As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

Unbranded Vaccinated Silicone Wristbands

There's no official CDC wristband that I know of, but there are many options to buy an unofficial ones. This one is printed with a 'check mark' followed by “VACCINATED Covid-19” These vaccine wristbands allow others recognize that you have been vaccinated walking alone, or in a crowd. (That assumes that YOU actually have been vaccined and your wrist is showing!) But remember, this is not any official confirmation because anyone can buy these wristbands. They're not individually wrapped – 6 of each color come in a single plastic bag. You get 24 for about $10.00 – under 50 cents each. That price can change at any time!

https://amzn.to/3nAWU66   

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

The VacSeen Wristbands.

These are more expensive $2.50 each, plus $4.99 shipping, unless you buy 10. Then it's a flat $25 and you get one extra band and free shipping. I also bought these because the vendor says half of the money goes to the World Health Organization.

www.vacseen.org

I Can Hear The Dialogue In Old Movies Again!

I love old movies, and by old movies I'm talking about black & white murder mysteries from the 40's & 50's. There are a ton of them on YouTube and although I can put up with some of the faded images, it's the horrible sound on many that makes them almost impossible to understand. Then, at a virtual press event, I found ZVOX. The CEO of ZVOX, Tom Hannaher, told me their system called AccuVoice makes dialogue in old movie understandable again. It's different from other voice boosting systems which focus on equalization. AccuVoice combines compression, consonant-range boost, formant enhancement, minimization of bass output -- plus other proprietary techniques they prefer not to divulge. The AV157 which I have, uses 12 levels of dialogue boost – 6 stages of AccuVoice boost plus 6 stages of their new SuperVoice technology. SuperVoice takes dialogue clarity to a new level by dramatically reducing non-vocal background sounds. Also helpful is a bright, easy to read alphanumeric display that shines through the speaker grill for a few seconds as you make adjustments. Inside the unit are three 2"x3” high-output full-range speakers powered by a 24 watt Class D digital amplifier with Dolby™ Digital decoding. The unit is small, just 17"w x 3 3/8"d x 2 7/8"h. There are three connection options: a minijack for analog hookups to older TVs (cable included), an optical digital port (cable included), and a minijack output for use with your headphones or subwoofer. MSRP is $299.99, but Tom said it's always available at some retailer for $199.99. As of 4/24/21 it was $199.99 on Amazon. The ZVOX Mini is under $100. (6 levels of adjustment vs. 12 levels for the AV157.)

Giz Wiz w/ Tom Hannaher, CEO ZVOX: https://youtu.be/5S3881_GXw4  

Company video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8EV3dpahfQ  

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xoddHZ  

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

ZVOX Mini https://amzn.to/3xnqvUP  Under $100 

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

Free up valuable space on your desk with an adjustable Atumtek Riser.

With the Atumtek Monitor Riser you can keep a small size keyboard, mouse, and more under your computer, leaving your desk neater. It has three height adjustments: 3.9" -- 4.7" -and 5.5". You can use it for other gadgets too. I put my postage scale on my Atumtek stand, leaving room to store shipping supplies under it. On a desk you can raise your computer monitor to eye level for better posture. The ventilated design offers better cooling for a laptop, and the aluminium material is also excellent at heat dissipation. The company says it can hold up to 36 lbs. I'm not quite sure why they it "Fits laptops no more than 16".  If your laptop is a bit bigger I would think it would just over over the sides. The surface area is 14.6" X 9". There are non-slip pads underneath to help keep stand steady and to protect the surface it's sitting on. It does come in kit form and building it is easy and takes about 15 minutes. It's available in black and silver. It's priced around $21 to $22 for one and a bit cheaper in pairs. I bought the two pack, black.  

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/6_umEtWPg_s 

Amazon link - single black: https://amzn.to/3uZmwvK About $21 as of 4/17/21

single silver: https://amzn.to/2QyLtPE  About $22 as of 4/17/21

2 pack black: https://amzn.to/2Qa4GHL  - About $40 as of 4/17/21  As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

Water-powered Mini HydraLight! Does it really work?

A few years ago I both bought and reported on the HydraLight Flashlight, the water powered flashlight. Its operation was  not great. Now it's probably the same company that now offers the 3 Pack Mini Emergency LED Water Powered Flashlight. Here's what the company says about them: NO POWER NO PROBLEM: Activates in 15 seconds by wetting the base; no batteries, plug-in or power source required; Flashlights run for 72 hours total; Switch off to extend time with hand light. Perfect for power outages, blackouts, flashlight emergency preparedness. Compact size ideal for pocket, pack, first-aid kit; Take camping, hiking, in auto glovebox, travel flash light survival flashlight. 3 Pack, each one 2.75”H x 1.6”W x 0.5”D. 3/$12.95

Did they work? Sort of. The quality is very uneven & with 2 of the 3 samples, the LED light was not very bright. You can see just how bright in my video. But since the shelf life is said to be unlimited, I do have 3 unused ones standing, since they only about $4. Remember, these are all single use - once activated & the light dies, they're finished!

 Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/f7lR8135RRI

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3miaJFL As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

But wait, there's more!!! Does how much you pay make a difference?

What if you spent 3X the amount of money. Like $12.00 for one, instead of $12.56 for 3? I did that too, by buying the Eton Blackout Buddy American Red Cross version. Even though it had 3 LED’s vs 2 for the cheaper one, it was no better and it doesn't even have an on/off switch. Strangely, the cheaper ones with on/off switches lasted longer in my very unscientific tests. Remember, these are all single use - once activated & the light dies, they're finished! I don't think this is a worthwhile buy, but here's the link anyway. 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cRww4h As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

Getting New Techie Things At Gizneyland!

We start with Gizneyland's brand new LG 29WN600 Ultra Wide Screen Monitor. It's replacing my old HP 2408h monitor that gave up the ghost after 12 or 13 years of fine service. Back then it cost about $450.00 which in today's $ is roughly $1436.00! 

At first I was just going to buy a replacement monitor, then I thought I should get something bigger, better and more techie. After searching online and reading reviews, I decided on the LG 29WN600-W 29" 21:9 UltraWide WFHD IPS HDR10 Monitor with FreeSync. The resolution is Full HD (2560 x 1080) and it's an IPS display. In one of the Amazon reviews I read that the W series, which stands for white, also includes 2 7-watt stereo speakers with Audio Maxx technology. I'm not sure what that does or what the SRGB 99% Color Gamut is. I do know that HDR is good, thanks to Scott Wilkinson at TWiT and this display is HDR 10 Compatible. The software I downloaded from the LG website includes OnScreen Control that lets you devide the screen real estate 18 different ways with as many as 8 different images on the 29” display at some time. MSRP: $249.99. I paid $225.99 on Amazon on 3/21/21.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/u3bNSLy9cj0

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tU1L4i As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.