I provide honest ratings and reviews on tech, toys, and consumer home goods that I've purchased and used. Reviews are based on hands-on testing and personal observations. All opinions and comments are my own.
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Final UPDATE 6-month iRestore Laser Hair Growth System Review, Ep. 6 (Week 22/Day 165)
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Takeaway: 5th and Last Update: Dec 19, 2016. By the end of my 6 month trial with the iRestore Laser Hair Restoration Helmet, my hair has improved!
Takeaway: Beautiful workmanship and amazing sound from an intro level and affordably priced turntable. The turntable measures 16.5"W x 13.5"L x 5.5"H. It has a semi-transparent acrylic dust cover that sits atop a wooden plinth with a glossy walnut woodgrain finish. The platter is cast aluminum and belt-driven, and the unit comes with a thick rubber slip mat and AT95E phono cartridge. There is a little bit of setup like installing the platter, counterweight and balancing the tone arm, but the process is relatively straight forward if you follow the manual. The turntable can play both 33 1/3 records and 45s with the included adapter. The unit has a built-in pre-amp that can be by passed and Auto Stop setting that starts the spinning of the platter only when the tone arm is positioned over the record and stops it after the last track ends. You'll get everything you need to get started except for an amp, speakers, and records. I use the unit with Fluance's Signature Series HiFi bookshelf speakers and love the sound that it puts out. The audio has excellent clarity across genres and little distortion with bright trebles and a full sounding bass. Results may vary depending on your pre-amp, amp, and speaker configuration, but overall the fidelity of sound was very respectable. This is my first turntable, and I think this is a great starter unit that will allow you to really appreciate vinyl as a medium worth having around.
Buy it on iRestore:iRestore Laser Hair Growth System [Affiliate Link] Buy directly from iRestore and receive exclusive discounts when you sign up for their mailing list. Save up to $200 on your order!
Takeaway: 4th Update: Oct 13, 2016. Follow me on my 6 month journey to see if I can get my hair to grow in fuller, thicker, and stronger.
Looking to add a headboard? Give this universal headboard bracket adapter a try: https://geni.us/rjR3Rp [Amazon Affiliate Product Link] *Note: I have not personally tried installing a universal headboard adapter and cannot guarantee compatibility with this frame.
Takeaway: Straight forward setup, instructions poor/contain mistake, sturdy/stable for lightweight mattress and occupants.
Buy it on iRestore:iRestore Laser Hair Growth System [Affiliate Link] Buy directly from iRestore and receive exclusive discounts when you sign up for their mailing list. Save up to $200 on your order!
Takeaway: 3rd Update: Sept 2, 2016. Follow me on my 6 month journey to see if I can get my hair to grow back in thicker and stronger.
Buy it on iRestore:iRestore Laser Hair Growth System [Affiliate Link] Buy directly from iRestore and receive exclusive discounts when you sign up for their mailing list. Save up to $200 on your order!
Takeaway: 2nd Update: Aug 2, 2016. Follow me on my 6 month journey to see if I can get my hair to grow back in thicker and stronger.
Buy it on iRestore:iRestore Laser Hair Growth System [Affiliate Link] Buy directly from iRestore and receive exclusive discounts when you sign up for their mailing list. Save up to $200 on your order!
Takeaway: 1st Update: July 14, 2016. Follow me on my 6 month journey to see if I can get my hair to grow back in thicker and stronger.
Buy it on iRestore:iRestore Laser Hair Growth System [Affiliate Link] Buy directly from iRestore and receive exclusive discounts when you sign up for their mailing list. Save up to $200 on your order!
Takeaway: My first laser session: June 30th, 2016. Follow me on my 6 month journey to see if I can get my hair to grow back in thicker and stronger.
Takeaway: Not bad as an MP3 player/FM radio, but poor screen resolution for videos/photos. The MP4 player includes a micro USB cable and a set of headphones. The player is made of a brushed aluminum shell and has a 1.75" diagonal LCD, but note that the screen is not a touch screen. On the right hand side of the player, there is a slot for loading a microSD card, but the unit also has 16 gb of built-in storage and a card is not required. Along the bottom is a microUSB charging port, the microphone, and the headphone port.
To turn the player on, press and hold the center play/pause button. The menu displays a list of options that you scroll left and right through. Note that the controls are a click wheel and not a touch sensitive scroll wheel. To select an option click the menu key in the top left corner of the control wheel. In Music mode press the up and down keys to adjust the volume and then the Menu key to accept the setting. The included headphones are not that great, so I recommend using your own set. Once you use a decent set of headphones the music quality is pretty good. Loading music to the player is easy using the included cable and you simply drop all the files into the root folder.
To exit out of a mode press and hold the menu key or use the back key in the top right corner of the controls. In video mode this player only supports AMV files, so you'll likely have to convert any files to get them to player on this player. The screen is awfully tiny, and the colors are somewhat washed out with fairly low resolution. There is a voice recorder on this unit and I recommend that if you do use it, to set the recording type to 256 kbps for better sounding quality. You'll have to go to a separate menu option to listen to the recordings. The radio mode functions and picks up a lot of stations in my area. The photo mode is as expected for such a tiny screen and the contrast will change depending on your viewing angle. In e-book mode you can read text files but not word documents, pdfs, or ebook formats. LAstly, there is a game mode with 1 game "Boxman."
Overall, for an inexpensive unit, it works as an MP3 player and portable radio. I wouldn't recommend it if you primarily want to view photos, videos and e-books. With 8 GB of storage and also the option to add an SD card up to 32 gb, you can also use it as a portable drive and card reader.
Takeaway: Fits 16" or 24" studs, sturdy bar, multiple pull up grips, install can be done by one person. This set includes a paper mounting template, installation instructions, 2 support brackets, the pull up bar, and a bag of hardware that contains: 6 lag bolts, 6 flat washers, an Allen wrench, 2 Allen bolts and 2 curved washers. The bar measures 41.5" from end to end with a curved section in the middle and downward sloping ends. The bar is wrapped in a firm neoprene foam that feels dense and has a soft non-slip texture. The support brackets also have two parallel bars for neutral grip pull ups.
For installation, you'll also need a pencil, a level, a tape measure, power drill, 5/16" drill bit, 17mm socket wrench, tape, and stud finder which are not included. First, you'll need to determine whether your studs are spaced every 16" or every 24". If your studs are spaced 16" apart, the brackets will curve inward towards each other, if they are 24" the brackets will curve outwards away from each other. Mark the center of each stud at the height you want to install the bar. Loosely attach the pull up bar to the two support brackets using the Allen wrench and curved washers. For this assembly, you want the curved side of the washers to face the brackets, away from the screw head. If you installed the bars in the wrong orientation (e.g. 16" vs 24"), rotate them both 180 degrees and they will be in the correct width. When assembled the parallel grip spacing should be 20" allowing you to targets lats, rhomboids, and traps.
The template lets you easily mark where to drill the holes for the lag bolts. I recommend pushing a sharp bit through the paper to mark the holes rather than drilling through the template itself, that way you can use the template again if you move the bar. Make sure to set the bar indicator line on the template to your desired height; the bar should be about 7' from the floor, more or less depending on what's comfortable for you and your ceiling height. You'll want 14-18" of clearance to the ceiling. Pre-drill the 6 holes to a depth of 3" using a 5/16" bit. Attach the support bars to the wall using the 6 lag bolts and washers. This was a bit tricky because it was awkward to hold the whole assembly up with one hand while trying to fit the bolt in the hole with the other. Having a second person hold the bar for you would be helpful here. Finally, tighten the Allen bolts on the pull up bar and check your level. Make sure the bar is secure before you attempt to use it.
The pull up bar was pretty easy to install (about 30 minutes) and comfortable to use. It feels strong and sturdy. The black paint will help the metal resist rust and corrosion, however, I don't recommend installing this bar for outdoor use. I think the grips would get moldy and if the paint chips the unit will likely rust. Overall, the construction is solid and the setup straightforward with well-written, easy to follow instructions. This bar is a great addition to my home gym and provides me with a variety of options for upper body strength training (standard grip, wide grip, neutral grip, chin ups).
Takeaway: Simple setup, low resolution/brightness, short cord, WiFi works ok, no tripod mounting. The projector comes with a 5 ft power cable, RCA input cable, a remote control, and an instruction sheet. The projector is fairly compact measuring 8"W x 6"L x 3"H. It weighs just over 2 lbs. On the front of the projector is the 2.5" lens which comes with a rubber lens cap. There are two dials behind the lens, the large one controls the size/focus of the image and the smaller ring controls the pitch of the image; if the projector is on tilt it can correct for that. The remote requires 2 AAA batteries which are not included.
The lens cap for the projector is pretty flimsy and tends to fall out a lot on its own, so it's easy to lose. The cap can only be "attached" with the lens retracted all the way and there are no snaps which is why it always falls out. The power cable on this unit is a bit short and the projector doesn't have a thread mounting hole on the bottom for attaching to a tripod.
At 1200 lumens, the image isn't super bright, so you'll need pretty dark conditions to see the screen. During the day it is faded, so this unit won't be able to replace your big screen television. Also the resolution is only 800 x 480 px like a VGA computer monitor. It is not HD (Hi-Def). The WiFi connection is a bit tricky at first but once explained is straightforward. Once connected, any device on the network with DLNA can stream content tot he projector like music, video, and photos; the projector cannot browse those network locations.
The internal speaker on the unit is pretty weak so a separate external speaker hooked up to the headphone jack is recommended. The color depth produced by the projector is not deep and the color balance was way off (very orangey).
In general, the projector works alright with a bit of effort. There are a few design improvement that would make the unit more usable, like a tripod mounting option, longer power cord, a better lens cap, and more powerful internal speaker. The resolution isn't very high at 800x480 so expect pixelated picture quality similar to VHS on a tube television (low color depth and contrast). It could be okay for movie night with the kids or a slideshow at a party. Just make sure it's pretty dark wherever you use it.
Takeaway: Plush, dense, good support and heat retention/dissipation.. The Ba Li Chun pillow comes in a non-woven fabric carrying bag that zippers along the bottom. I ordered the queen sized pillow that is slightly larger than a standard pillow. It measures 30"W x 20"L and is approximately 10" thick. The pillow is very fluffy and densely packed with loose polyester fiber. The stuffing is smooth, silky, and soft. It compresses a lot while still being able to puff up again quickly. The filling does a nice job with warmth retention while still allowing plenty of air flow. Since it's polyester it's suitable for use by folks with allergies to duck/goose down. The outer case material is 100% cotton. The queen sized pillow should be used with a queen sized pillow case. The Ba Li Chun pillow is fuller and more uniform, even after a month of nightly use than my budget standard pillows which have collapsed pretty badly. This pillow is soft and comfortable, providing plenty of support for your head and neck. You'll sink into it pretty easily, and it conforms somewhat to your head for a comfortable and restful sleep. It also makes for a nice sized body pillow.
Takeaway: Modern and fashionable, slim fit, comfortable. I got the shirt in US size small, which is my usual size, though for some brands I choose XS. This shirt comes in a few color options but basically all of them look like there are two contrasting colored shirts sewn together. The material feels like a cotton/poly blend with a medium stiffness. Across the chest is a triangular crosshatch section. The shirt fits me really well and the overall cut is form fitting. For reference I am 5'4" and weigh 120 lbs. While there are seams on the patchwork pattern where the alternating fabric comes together, for the most part you can't really feel the stitches. The length is of the shirt is short so you can wear the shirt untucked, and if you do choose to tuck it in, keep in mind the shirt could become untucked if you raise your arms above your head. Overall the shirt is stylish and comfortable to wear with decent stitching.
Takeaway: Decent chair for smaller folks, poor assembly instructions, weak casters, noisy fabric. The chair comes partially disassembled and it weighs a lot, almost 50 lbs. These are the parts you'll get: the chair back and seat (one piece), two arm rests, steel wheel spoke, 5 plastic wheel casters, the height adjustment assembly, piston cover, and hydraulic piston. You'll also get a set of instructions and two Allen wrenches. The chair is wrapped in a faux composite leather that has a very strong tar smell from the dyes and inks out of the box, but the smell dissipates after a few days. At the base of the seat back is a lumbar support pillow attached via clip on elastic straps (completely removable if you don't like it) and at the neck there is a smaller pillow also attached via clip on elastic (and removable as well). The seams on the chair are finely stitched, neat and straight. The seat is a racecar style bucket seat and looks pretty cool.
The instructions actually include some steps that are already completed, so they're a little bit misleading. To assemble the chair, first remove the four screws on the bottom of the seat for the height adjustment assembly, the part with the height lever. Then, attach the assembly using the screws you just removed making sure that the arrow with the word "front" points towards the front of the seat. If you install this piece backwards the chair will feel like it's tilting forward at an awkward angle when you sit in it; I found this out the hard way!
If you're installing the arms, remove the four outer screws on the sides. Then attach the arms making sure the longer section of the arm faces the front of the seat, the arms are specifically left and right but unmarked which is why this is important. The caster wheels are plastic and lightweight, but they're hard and feel pretty durable with metal stems. I was rolling these around on tile (without a person in it) and they seemed fine on their own, but they don't work as well when you're actually seated in the chair. The chair arms can be adjusted independently up and down, forward and back and angled inward a couple degrees. This is for supporting your arms and elbows when using the keyboard and mouse to prevent "mouse elbow." The seat back can be reclined to a fully horizontal position which is pretty neat. The chair itself is decently comfortable for someone my size (5'4", 120 lbs) and the lumbar support and neck pillow provide additional support, but can start to feel lumpy after a while, but at least you can remove them if you need to. The only difficulty I had was that I wasn't quite heavy enough to lower the seat with my body weight and had to bounce it down to get the seat lower. The seat also doesn't raise very high in general if you have a tall desk. Overall, the seat is pretty comfortable, but because the fabric doesn't breathe, you tend to get a little sweaty sitting in it a long time and the material squeaks a bit.
Takeaway: Strong, durable, easy to use, nice sized scoops for cones and bowls. The individually purchased medium ice cream scoop measures 8" long, has a 4.5" long handle with 2.5" spread, and 2" diameter scoop. It is made entirely of a durable 18/8 stainless steel and weighs 4.25 oz. The scoop ejector is a simple ratcheting squeeze mechanism and can be operated easily by either hand. The neck of the ice cream scoop is hollow, but firm and does not bend under pressure. I used these on our homemade ice cream which tends to be a bit harder than store bought ones because we only used 5 ingredients and no emulsifiers (sugar, milk, cream, salt, purple sweet potatoes). I usually soak the scoop in some warm water to help make scooping easier. Though hard, the ice cream scooper rolled nice round balls.
The other way you can use the scoop is like a melon baller by pressing the scoop straight down into the ice cream and twisting to make a ball; you'll typically have to let the ice cream sit 5-10 minutes out of the freezer to soften enough for the second method. The ejection mechanism works fairly well and gets most of the ice cream out of the scoop, though a thin layer is left behind (scrape it out with your eating spoon!). The scooper benefits from periodic soaking in warm water during use and works well overall.
Takeaway: Soft, comfortable, and revealing; needs more room in the front pouch. You'll receive 9 pairs of underwear in different colors: navy, white, grey, red, black, blue, yellow, purple, and maroon. The underwear is a bikini thong brief style and made of 100% cotton. The front pouch is pleated to allow for some stretch and expansion in the front, but there's barely enough fabric to keep you covered if you get excited; as with most Asian styled underwear, it could use more room in the pouch area. The waistband is 1.25" wide and pretty stretchy. I have a 28" waist and the medium size fit alright, though I probably could have even ordered the large. On the back, these briefs will leave your behind mostly exposed, with just a narrow thong for separation that's basically hidden when wearing it, so in the back you'll just have a tiny triangle of fabric showing above your rear. If you like the exposed look and free feeling of bikinis and thongs, these underwear are a comfy fit and have nice bold colors. They're super low profile and have decent quality.
Takeaway: Looks good, nice material feel, easy to install, a few design flaws. UPDATE: 6/20/2017 After about a year of use, the elastic on the front seat portion of the covers doesn't hold them onto the seats anymore. They're all stretched out and always fall out. This is more apparent on the driver's side because it gets used more, but the seat cover slides around and has to be realigned each time you get in the car. The backseat ones are a bit better but they don't get moved around a lot because the kids' car seats are always strapped on top of them. The color hasn't faded much, but I wish there were a better way to get them to stay on the seats long-term. The other factor that someone pointed out is that the front seat covers impede the functioning of the side impact airbags which makes the vehicle a little less safe overall. There are side impact airbag compatible seat covers out there but you have to do your research.
I received a 13 piece seat cover set for the front and back seats. There are 2 sets of three piece covers for the front seats (including headrest covers) and a 7 pieces for the back seats. The covers are made of a faux leather with a soft neoprene foam-like fabric inside. The seat is mildly cushioning and the front seat back covers have metal grommets for the headrest bars. Inside each section are Velcro straps, elastic loops and/or snap clasps for anchoring depending on which piece you're working with. The stitching on the covers is decent and the lines are neat with few flaws. You'll also receive a pack of plastic rings and metal hooks for installation, however, a set of instructions for how exactly to do this is not included.
A few notes on my experience with this product. I did notice on one of my seat cushions a bit of sticky adhesive/glue on the inside. While this didn't affect the performance of the cover, I did have to cover it up with tape, so that it wouldn't get on my original upholstery. Installation was straightforward and the seller directed me to an installation video which was helpful, but it was very long and the camera work was nauseating.
In the back, the middle section that covers the fold-down arm rest is a separate piece that zippers to the rest of the cover. When you want to open the armrest, you'll have to unzip the section. What's odd about this piece is that the Velcro on the left hand side wraps around the armrest section, preventing it from opening, so it seems odd that there would be a zipper since you have to undo the Velcro anyway. The hooks on the Velcro also cross the original upholstery and I was concerned they would cause damage to them, so I simply left this side unattached. After a few tests opening and closing the zipper mechanism, the zipper broke (the metal piece fell off the anchor). A larger or higher quality zipper here would have been good. The other thing that the seat covers don't account for are the anchor points for baby car seats. Since we use these, we have to fold over the corners of the seat covers to access them.There should really be cutouts for them.
Overall, the set looks nice and wasn't too difficult to install. The covers are easier to wipe down than the fabric and will help use keep the vehicle clean. There are a few design flaws with the center section for the back and how it allows for the armrest to open, and the seat covers in the back need to be able to accommodate the child seat anchors for folks with kids.
Takeaway: Soft, stretchy, comfortable, breathable briefs. You'll receive 7 pairs of underwear in different colors: green, white, blue, red, gray, clay, and black. The material these are made of is a spandex nylon blend with a mesh weave that is slightly textured. It's slightly rough but soft feeling as well and has a little bit of transparency to them. The front pouch stretches to accommodate the well-endowed and the waistband is about 1" wide with a bit of stretch. The thinness of the mesh makes these underwear smooth and breathable; they are comfortable in warm weather and for active wear. The underwear will provide full coverage for your rear like any standard brief. The seams are nicely finished and non-abrasive. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the tag in the back which sometimes feels scratchy. Other than that, the medium size fit my 28" waist nicely, though I probably could have gone 1 size up.
Takeaway: Sheer, revealing, soft and comfortable, very low profile and lightweight with enhancement bands in front. You'll receive 8 pairs of underwear in different colors: blue, orange, yellow, red, hot pink, black, white and cyan. The underwear is made from a sheer nylon spandex blend with a mesh weave. The front pouch is framed by elastic bands and stretches to accommodate larger endowments, but does require some adjustments and manual finagling; it could use some more room in general. However, the bands lift and accentuate your package for a fuller look. While there's a seam down the middle of the pouch, it's smooth and you can barely feel it. The waist band is 1" wide and stretches quite a bit. Note that the more the material stretches, the more transparent it becomes. In back, you'll get full coverage for your backside, and it will stretch to accommodate your curves. For me, the medium size was a good fit for my 28" waist and quite smooth, soft, and comfortable to wear. The silky feeling of the material tends to run a bit cool making these great for warm weather and active wear. Overall, these are cute and low profile but show off your curves in all the right places.
Takeaway: Nice material, soft and comfortable, classic look. The cap has a soft velvitine feel and is actually a finely napped, thinly ribbed, corduroy fabric. While this material is classic and feels nice, it does tend to pick up dust, lint, and pet hairs easily. Inside the hat, there is a soft cotton layer and around the perimeter there is a sweat band layer for absorbing excess sweat on a warm day. At the back on the inside, there is a drawstring for tightening the sweatband if you need it. The brim is 2" inches deep and attaches to the upper fabric of the hat; they cannot be separated. Overall, this hat has a nice fit and is comfortable to wear. I usually wear a size 8 baseball cap. I like the classic retro-style and look of the cap and it feels well-made.
Takeaway: Rugged, versatile, compact and lightweight with smooth 3-axis motion. The Z988 tripod comes in a heavy duty nylon canvas bag with Velcro strapped handles for easy carrying, removable and adjustable shoulder strap, and a chunky, durable double-zipper. You'll also receive a set of instructions and Allen wrenches. This tripod is constructed from a light yet very durable aluminum alloy, and it weighs in at a hefty 4.75 lbs. The tripod measures about 19.5" when retracted and has 4 separate telescoping sections on the legs with twist activated leg locks for adjusting the lengths. At the top of each leg is a 7" neoprene handle grip. The legs have convertible feet and the rubber caps can be pulled off to reveal stainless steel metal spikes that can grip into soil and softer terrains.
To open each leg, simple pull down until it locks into place. To change the angle of the legs, press on the switch at the top of the leg. Each leg can be adjusted independently from the others for uneven terrains. At its fully opened height without the center column extended, the tripod sits around 58" tall. If you extend the center column with the twist lock below the hand strap, you can increase the final height to about 70", or just under 6'. The bubble level for the tripod is hidden under the footplate of the mounting bracket.
The most impressive piece on the tripod is undeniably the ballhead. Its functionality is very similar and comparable to a Markins Q-ball. The camera attaches to the mount via a flat plate with a screw-style quick release versus a lever lock release. The foot plate is 2.75"L x 1.5"W with 1/4" mounting screw. The footplate is also adjustable on the plate deck and can shift offset from center by about an inch to each side; locking pins at the ends of the plate prevent you from sliding the camera off the mounting plate completely.
Oversized locking knobs on the ballhead ensure secure positioning and adjustable friction control for smooth and fluid cinematic motion. There's a coarse pan at the base of the ballhead and a fine pan at the mounting plate with marked degrees of rotation for 5 and 2 degrees respectively. Since there's no L-bracket on the footplate, the ballhead has a notch for vertical portrait-orientation photography. Inset in the ballhead lock is a smaller screw which is the torque limiting screw. This setting allows you to let go of the camera without the position changing, but when you apply a bit of force you can still move around and reset the shot. Once setup properly with your camera rig, you'll basically have two positions for the ballhead lock: fully tightened for no movement or "fully" loosened to move the camera around but still let go with no change in position.
What this ballhead lacks is a panhandle, which would be really useful for cinematic movie shots. As it is, the ballhead can be used for shooting video but because you don't get as even control working directly on the ballhead, it's better suited for still photography. Panning by hand often results in some jerkiness as your muscles twitch and cause unintentional speed ups and slow downs in the pan. If you don't need the ballhead or want to use it with a different tripod, it can be removed/unscrewed and the 3/8" mounting screw below can be flipped over to convert to a standard 1/4" threaded screw for mounting accessories like flashes, mic, and speakers
Lastly, there's a spring retractable counterweight hook in the center of the tripod to help keep your tripod stable while in use, so that is doesn't move around or worse, fall over with your camera on it. Always use a counterweight when using a camera even if your setup is light because you just never know. Overall, this tripod is a great value for everything that you get, and I found that it works great for stabilizing your shoots for photos or videos.
Takeaway: Fast, efficient, easy to use, though a bit noisy. Note: air-filled balloons do NOT float. The balloon pump comes with a set of instructions but it's pretty straight forward to use. The unit measures 7.5” L x 4.5” H x 5” W. It weighs 2.5 lbs and is made of a lightweight plastic. It has a handle on top and two storage slots for the filling tip extenders. The left fill nozzle is "manual" and the right fill nozzle is "automatic." The manual one is activated by pressing down on it while the automatic one runs continuously when the power is switched on. On the right hand side of the unit, there's a compartment for storing the 5’ power cord and nozzle extenders. The extenders screw onto either of the nozzles and are optional, but make it easier to fill balloons with smaller openings. The door of the cord bay has a notch for the cord, so you can close the door while the unit is plugged in.
Flipping the power switch turns on the automatic filler to continuously blow air. The unit is quite loud, and it sounds like running a vacuum cleaner. The filler inflates balloons quickly in about 3 seconds. With the unit switched to "off," you can still use the manual filler on the left by placing a balloon over it and pressing down. It also fills the balloon in just a few seconds. This makes it easy to fill a lot of balloons very quickly. With the unit switched on, you can have two people using both nozzles simultaneously for faster filling. Overall, the balloon filler saved us a lot of breath, was very fast, and easy to use. It’s compact size and weight makes it very portable to bring to outdoor parties and event halls. Just remember that when filling balloons with air, they will not float.
Takeaway: Fun and easy to fly, great balance, durable, RC car option. The drone comes with 4 replacement rotor blades, a remote control, 2 batteries, USB charing cable, a power adapter, mini screwdriver and instruction manual. The drone is made of a lightweight plastic and weighs only 4 oz with the battery installed. The rotors do not have blade guards on this unit. There are 4 foam wheels which makes the landings on this quadcopter pretty soft and it can also be driven like a car. There are two models of this drone: one with a 2.0 MP camera and one without. The camera is mounted in front and angled slightly downward and can take still photos and video. The version with a camera comes pre-installed with a 4GB microSD card. Be sure to charge the batteries before first use, which takes 20-30 minutes. Each battery will last 6-8 minutes of flight time. While the battery is charging, there will be no indicator light on the USB charger, but when the battery is full, a red LED light will illuminate.
The remote control requires 4 AA Batteries which are not included. Use the included screwdriver to access the battery bay on both the remote and the drone. When the drone is grounded, the left joystick (rudder) will act as the control for the car. The other buttons on the controller can adjust trim, take photo/video, change the acceleration speed (short press left-shoulder), turn on/off the LEDs (long press left-shoulder), and activate 3D flip mode (right shoulder button).
To bind the drone to the remote, turn the drone on and set it on a flat level surface. Make sure the throttle is all the way down, then switch on the remote. You'll here the remote beep and the light on the remote will be flashing. Calibrate the remote by pressing the throttle all the way forward and then bringing it all the way back. Then it's all ready to go. While on the ground, you can drive around using the rudder. I found that the foam wheels don't grip rough terrains well, and it seems kind of sluggish on asphalt and pavement. On smooth hardwood floors, however, it moved much faster.
Lift off and hovering with this drone is smooth and easy to control. I was actually impressed with how stable this drone is compared with others that I've used in its class. The drone's flight and balance were quite good and this drone would make for a great starter drone for folks new to drone flying. The camera quality is as expected for only being 2.0 MP. It's a bit grainy and at times choppy with the occasional refresh rate blur, but it's still fun to watch the videos after your flight. The only thing to note here is that the video can only be activated when the drone is in flight. You can't start a video when the drone is grounded. A 3 minute video takes up about 500 MB. The unit does record audio, but mostly you get the sound of the rotors. Keep in mind that you don't get a card reader with this unit, so you'll need to supply your own way of getting the images and video off the card. Overall, this drone is fun and easy to fly. It's well-balanced and it seems to take hard landings pretty well.
Takeaway: Nice gentle spray, good flow with light pressure, easy to install, no leaks. The 10" shower head actually measures out to 9.75" square. It is made entirely of metal and has a shiny chrome finish. There are 196 rubber nozzles spaced every 3/4" in a 14 x 14 grid. On the back, the rain head is flat and attached to a ball joint and there is a plastic cap protecting the connector when you first receive it. The cap is threaded, so simply unscrew it to open it up. Inside there is a rubber washer with a debris filter/screen already included.
Installation was quick and easy with a little bit of plumber's teflon tape (not included) and simple hand tightening. The water comes out of the jets with medium pressure and there were no leaks at the connection. For the most part, the jets are pointed straight down and not off to the sides at all, so the spray doesn't spread a whole lot. The 10" square area, however, is an adequate size for showering. The flow rate is somewhat faster than my previous shower head, so the water heats up faster which is nice. The water is also quite gentle, feeling like the water is being poured over you rather than stiff streams of water hitting you like pins and needles. Overall, this showerhead works well, was easy to install, and looks great in my bathroom.
Takeaway: Easy to use, fast straightening, safe and effective. The brush straightener has a 6 ft extension cord, and comes with a cleaning brush, a safety glove, and a nylon carrying case. The brush measures 11" long and the brush paddle is 6" long and 3" across with 1" high bristles. The brush uses a ceramic heating element set behind massaging nubs and guard spikes that prevent your head and hands from getting burned on the hot surfaces. The cord is on a 360 degree rotating cable so you can avoid it getting in the way while you use the brush.
The power button for the unit is on the bottom of the handle along with plus and minus buttons for adjusting the temperature. Press and hold the power button to turn the unit on. By default, the brush is set to warm up to 180 degrees Celsius and the target temperature blinks while the unit is heating up. It will reach 180C in about 90 seconds. The temperature can be increased by pressing the plus up to 230 degree Celsius (450F) and the lowest temperature is 120 (250F). Pressing the plus and minus keys together changes the temperature output on the LCD to Fahrenheit. If you wait more than 3 seconds without pressing any buttons, the temperature target will lock, and you won't be able to adjust it up or down to prevent accidentally changing the temperature while you're straightening. Double press the power button to unlock the buttons. Press and hold the power button while unlocked to shut the unit off.
Since I have thick, coarse, wavy hair I use the highest temperature at 450 degrees F. Use lower temperature for delicate and fine hair. For best results, your hair should be at least 2 inches long. Using the brush is very quick and easy. Brush your hair out first to remove any knots and tangles. Then run the brush through sections of your hair slowly a few times from root to tip. Don't go too slowly or you'll burn your hair. Use the included glove to further protect your hand from burns while you guide your hair through the brush. I try not to do a lot of hair at once. By working in sections, you'll avoid knotting in the brush and uneven heating of your hair which prevents effective straightening. This brush works really fast, safely and efficiently. The heat from the pad took all the waves out of my hair in just a few strokes. When using the brush, my head did feel warm, but I didn't feel like I was at risk of burning myself. My hair feels lighter and more manageable when it's straight and there wasn't any burning hair smell after using the brush. Overall, I'm happy with the performance and build quality of this brush straightener.
Takeaway: Works well, easy to read/write to it, needs a better recommendation for setup app. On the outside of this ring, it's a smooth onyx black with a cubic zirconia stud and the inside is a smooth stainless steel. The ring slides on easily and seems to be sized accurately. This ring has two NFC zones, one beneath the stone and another on the opposite side. On the four panels inside the box it comes in are QR codes for different things like the WeChat app, manual, and NFC app.
The app QR code takes you to iDarlin's website, but it's in Chinese, so instead I installed Samsung TecTiles from the Google Play store. With this app you can program a number of actions into the ring. First, make sure NFC is enabled on your phone. Then open the app and select an action to add to each NFC chip or create a new action. For example, I programmed the NFC chip under the stone to toggling the WiFi on my phone on/off. On the opposite side, I have the phone go to mute when I tap the bottom of the ring to it. There's a number of different things you can do like share contact info, send a text, or go to a webpage. It's handy for creating a shortcuts to things that you do often or use it a digital business card so folks can just tap their phone to your ring and get your contact info. Overall, a pretty nifty piece of jewelry.
