Handy Gadgets

The "Do-It-Yourself Custom LED Strip Lighting" which retails for $59.95 from C.Crane.com provides you with the flexibility to install led lighting anywhere you desire. 'This easy-to-install strip lighting kit has five light clusters each with four low voltage LED bulbs allowing you to safely run or extend the wires anywhere. The self-adhesive pad on the back adds to the ease in which you can install it. You can also use your screws for even more secure placement. The included AC power supply provides enough juice for a total of 25 modules (or 100 bulbs). The LED Light Strips will also run great on a 12-Volt system. Install a strip of lights inside a cavernous cabinet, on your headboard as a personalized reading light, or use them as galley lighting on your boat. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.'

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Nathaniel Wilkins reviews the affordable Philips HTS6500 home entertaiment system on CNET. 'By combining a DVD player, a receiver, and speakers into a single product, home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs) simplify the process of purchasing and installing a home theater. Although a full-blown home-theater system is often the best solution for optimal sound quality, setting up five speakers and a subwoofer--let alone a full-scale A/V receiver and DVD player--may be out of the question if your space is small. On the other hand, even those with plenty of space often prefer their electronics to blend into the environment of the room instead of being its centerpiece.

Continue reading "Philips HTS6500 Surround Home-Theater System Review" »

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Katherine writing on Pop Gadget highlights the Eupa Mini Grill which weighs less than 2 lbs but should be just the size to prepare the correct calory proportions to satisfy the needs of an individual. 'Promoted as just a little larger than a standard piece of paper (exact measurements: 11.7”x8.3”x3.1”) the Mini Grill seems like a great way to get things cooking when you're either too tired or too unfamiliar with food prep to make a bigger production for yourself.' The Eupa Mini Grill has a a power cord that wraps underneath the unit.

Continue reading "Eupa Mini Grill Personal Cooker" »

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The Freeplay Lifeline Radio "is designed to withstand harsh conditions, be easy to use, and work without batteries or AC power. It receives AM, FM, and Shortwave, and it feels like the toughest radio ever made. The radio itself is powered by winding it up or by solar power and offers many hours of listening enjoyment when fully charged. It has precise tone and is made of extra thick, translucent blue plastic.

Continue reading "C.Crane.com: Freeplay Lifeline Radio Sales Assist Humanitarian Efforts" »

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No need to be responsible for, or be accused of, precipitating a conflagration this summer as a result of camping pyrotechnics gone awry , when you can substitute the wax candles for the "Aurelle LED Candle flickers" from C. Crane.com. 'Enjoy the soothing atmosphere of real candles without any smoke, waxy mess, or fire danger. Our Aurelle LED Candle flickers like a real candle and sits in a heavy, frosted glass cover with a unique contemporary shape. Set a few Aurelle candles around your patio or deck for a windproof candlelight effect, or decorate a dining table with candles that are even safe to use around kids. Our Aurelle LED Candles never get hot, they’re rechargeable, and “burn” for up to 10 hours when fully charged.'

Continue reading "Play It Safe With The Aurelle Led Candles!" »

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The new PFT (Plug-in Compact Fluorescent Tube) lamps from the lighting products manufacturer, Litetronics, which are available in 2- and 4-pin starter models, provides a welcomed choice in portable light products. Even though there are other fluorescent lamps which basically satisfy the same need for portable lighting, the blinding glow from the incandescent bulb attached to the end of an extension cord may eventually become a thing of the past, with the marketing of affordable PFT lamps. 'When compared to incandescent bulbs, PFT lamps can use 80% less energy and last 13 times as long. Compared to other compacts, the 4-pin PFT lamps offer a 33% longer life. All PFT lamps offer a 2700K correlated color temperature and a high CRI of 85. Lumens range from 230-3,200. Two-pin PFT lamps are available in 5, 7, 9, 13, 18 and 26 watts, and the four-pin lamps are available in 13, 18, 26, 32 and 42 watts.'

Continue reading "News Litetronics PFT Lamps Offer Flexible Lighting Solutions" »

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Thomas Net.com highlights the introduction of flint Square Jars with twist-off lug caps from the O.BERK Company. O.BERK Company is a major full-service supplier of glass, plastic, and metal containers; metal and plastic closures; and a total packaging resource for the cosmetic, food, healthcare, chemical, industrial, and specialty markets.with twist-off lug caps. Available in 12.5 oz size with 63/2030 finish and 18 oz size with 70-2030 finish, Square Jars are suited for filling hot food product including sauces, marinades, preserves, and coffee crystals. Users can choose from variety of closures, frosting, and labeling, as well as other decorating options. The Square Jars offer the freedom to select numerous closures, frosting, labeling, as well as other decorating options.

Continue reading "New Flint Square Jars With Twist-Off lug Caps" »

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How many times have you had to query the increasing charges for your usage of electric power? With the price of crude oil today the increase of your home energy bill may be a natural consequence of the increasing cost of delivering energy to your home. There is however the remote possibility that some malfunctioning device on your home network may be precipitating the increase energy consumption. The Kill A Watt meter available for $29.95 from C. Crane is a neat, handy little gadget which seeks to assist you in deciphering just where your energy leaks may be occurring. 'The Kill A Watt Meter can help you reduce your power bill. It will help find power-wasting appliances then you decide whether it is worth keeping them plugged in. Great for keeping track of voltage sensitive instruments too. The Kill A Watt Meter displays Volts, Amps, Watts and frequency and it will also keep track of the total kilowatt hours used. Measures VA and PF for the electrical theorists. Works for devices that use up to 125 volts and draw a maximum of 1875 watts. Six-month warranty. Weight: 2.2 ozs. Size: 2.25" W x 5" H x 1.5" D'.

Continue reading "Monitor Your Mains-Power With The Help Of A "Kill A Watt" Meter" »

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For all those gadget loving folks who wouldn't mind a mini vacuum working its way around your furniture legs (and yours) as it cleans and stores the dust from off the floor, the Kärcher RC3000 Robotic Cleaner seems just the tool to relieve you of one more humdrum home task. I would however suspect there may be some concern allowing this machine to roam freely in an environment where your pets would have been accustomed to the absence of competition for their space.

Continue reading "Programmable Floor Cleaning With The Kärcher RC3000 Robotic Cleaner" »

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If you are contemplating upgrading your home entertainment you now have the option of installing a BeoLink Wireless 1 system from Bang & Olufsen which functions as both a transmitter and receiver and provides wireless transmission of quality audio between rooms. 'Bang & Olufsen, the worldwide provider of exclusive, high quality audio and video products, introduces its first multi-room wireless solution, BeoLink Wireless 1, which will be available in all North American stores this May 2006. With BeoLink Wireless 1, Bang & Olufsen sets a new standard for wireless audio solutions with its unrivalled performance and superior sound quality that can be seamlessly dispersed room to room, without any delay in sound distribution throughout an entire household, office building, and/or multi-unit development of choice.'

Continue reading "Thomas Net.com: Bang & Olufsen's Wireless Multi-Room Audio Solution" »

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Even though the JVC EX-A10 may be considered a little pricey, the portable music gizmos on the market do not come cheap and can in no form or fashion equal the experience stimulated from listening to a quality home stereo system. 'In a market crowded with look-alike, silver plastic home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs), the sheer elegance of JVC's EX-A10 desktop stereo system will be an attractive option for some buyers' bedrooms, dens, or offices. The EX-A10 comprises two minicomponents--the matching 9.5-inch-wide A/V receiver and DVD player come decked out in real satin aluminum--and the speakers' beautifully finished solid cherry cabinets exude class. Pop off their black grilles and you'll see what makes the EX-A10 truly unique: instead of the usual plastic or metal drivers, the JVC's woofers and tweeters are crafted from birch wood that's been treated with sake, the Japanese rice wine. At 10.1 inches tall, the speakers are a tad larger than the average HTIB models, but the entire system could easily fit on a bookshelf or a desktop. The JVC EX-A10 sells for $1,000.'

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When you need to cool off you can open a window, turn on a fan (which I detest), or, you can operate your own personal Desktop Air Conditioner which is available from Overstock for twenty bucks. To be honest I don't think you should expect very much from an air-conditioning device this size and price but you have got to praise the innovation at least and hope you get a reasonable "cooling period" from this gadget. 'Staying cool and comfortable has never been easier, thanks to this desktop air conditioner!Designed for ease of use, this little air conditioner utilizes frozen water to create a personal climate-control system anyone can use. Fill the supplied bottle with water, freeze it, place it back inside the chamber and turn the power switch on and enjoy. '

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I am not too familiar with the competition (if any) to the Bathroom Medicine Cabinet/Refrigerator from Biszet but I have to admit this cooler has been long overdue. I have long thought the medications which required cool storage spaces were not meant to be in the same place as the milk, poultry and salami. The Medicine Cabinet Refrigerator is just the appliance I could envisage storing those ice packs meant to be applied to bruised joints and other medical prescriptions and cosmetics. 'The three compartments of the Biszet Cabinet Refrigerator are actually three different climatic zones where the temperature settings can be adjusted individually: the bottom compartment maintains around 5-8 °C (41-46 °F) and is ideal for vitamins, the middle one is around 8-10 °C (46-50 °F) and is "perfect for cosmetics with precious, natural nutrients", and the top one is around 12 °C (54 °F) and is "ideal for products containing collagen".

Continue reading "Trendir.com: Medicine Cabinet Refrigerator" »

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Not exactly a high tech solution to an age old problem of how not to walk over cleaned floors without taking off your shoes. but the Shoe/Boot Cleaner Brush looks as though it would remove a significant percentage of shoe/boot dust after a few vigorous to and fro thrusts of your foot between the brushes. This handy (or should that be, useful) gadget if used on a regular basis should contribute greatly to harmony in situations where careful attention is expended on floor spaces.

Continue reading "Leave The Dirt At The Door On A Shoe/Boot Cleaner Brush" »

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The most recent coffeemakers from Mr Coffee are a technophile's dream but should prove extremely handy to most coffee lovers. In addition to being capable of performing the job which it has been manufactured, the brew machine comes with a range of options which can only lead to the integration of the device in your scheme of things. We are already familiar with the age-old practice of leaving the machine plugged in while attending to other matters but there is now an alarm which alerts you when the coffee is warmed and automatically shuts off after a two hour period thereby precluding any undesirable experience.

Continue reading "Have Mr Coffee Program A Cup (Or Maybe 12) For You" »

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With the lovely scent of nature in full bloom the cloistered indoors is no place to be at this time. Whether you are the adventurous type who ventures out on one of those back-packing trips or simply one who prefer to spend your off time closer to home around whatever degree of foliage there is on the outside, you will require a cooker or grill to augment the outdoor experience. Since I am not a fan of grills my attention has been drawn to the Gaz Turbo 270 Stove which promises a "No priming or fussing! Just turn the knob, light a match, and you'll instantly have full heat output" mode of operation. Since the stove is fueled by butane/propane Gaz® cartridges which are sold separately I just have to remember to stock a few spares.

Continue reading "Camping Gaz Turbo 270/470 HP Stove" »

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Do you you wish to listen to you music files on your PC via your stereo equipment? One of the devices which can assist you in this task is the Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge which does the job without running cables through the house. Using a wireless connection, the Music Bridge frees your digital music collection from your computer speakers to play in full glory through your stereo or surround sound system. The Wireless-G Music Bridge sits by your home stereo and connects to it using standard consumer electronics cables. It then connects to your home network by Wireless-G wireless networking, or, via standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling.

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No longer is "steaming" to be associated only with pressing as far the laundry is concerned but now with the use of a LG Tromm Steam Washer, you can now remove the dirt and grime from those clothes with the application of steam. This device uses a water heater to project the generated steam into a huge 4 cubic foot wash tub. Combination cycles provide both steam and water during the laundry process. The advantages of steam include a better cleaning method as steam is able to get deeper into cloth than water. This LG washer comes with a matching dryer and a wireless remote-laundering device. Of course this washer is not cheap and you will most likely have to pay around $1,500 for one.

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Tired of being taunted about your lack of culinary skills? No need to worry, Samsung has produced the technological tool to assist with the preparation of meals which should be of particular interest to persons not versed in the finer details of the "kitchen duty". 'The Samsung Smart Oven is the revolutionary smarter way to cook. The Samsung BCE1197 Smart Oven is essentially a combination microwave oven with one big difference - Smart Oven. This innovation developed by Samsung has ability to cook your food without having program your microwave oven.'

Continue reading "Anyone Can Cook With A Samsung Smart Microwave Oven" »

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If you want to slice your vegetables any slicer would suffice. If however you can afford the "Rolls Royce" of slicers then you can consider the Henckels Professional S 10" Granton Slicer Round Nose which retails for over $100. Purchasing an implement of this quality has its advantages over the inexpensive models, the primary one being the lifetime feature which is associated with stainless steel. Of course the care you extend to your tools would play an important role in their usability.

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If you need to create your own cordless network to communicate with family and/or employees within a range of eight miles, this system maybe the one for you. 'EnGenius SN-920 Ultra cordless phones are designed to perform as the longest-range cordless phones and 2-way radio systems. Allowing you an incredible range for both telephone and 2-way radio communication, these phones combine Digital Spread Spectrum with Frequency Hopping technology and up to 4 times the power of typical 2.4 GHz phones. EnGenius out-distances all other cordless phones.

Continue reading "EnGenius SN920ULTRA 900 MHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone" »

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This is the time of year when a whole heap of bottled fruit, vegetables, condiments, juices and other treats are taken apart in the numerous kitchens around the nation. Some of the lids on these containers are removed with a minimum of ease, however, some seem to be manufactured for a heavy-weight-type power-lifter-remover in mind. For a relatively small sum you can purchase an electrical opener and save yourself the discomfort and embarrassment of a manual attempt at lid-removal gone wrong.

Continue reading "Avoid embarrassment and spillage by using the Black & Decker JW200 Jar Opener" »

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There is hardly an experience as uncomfortable as having really cold feet. If you cannot snuggle up to the fireplace, technology has provided a useful and reasonable alternative in the Electric Foot Warmer. I must confess I am a little hesitant about placing my feet on a mat with an electrical connection but I am far more perturbed by the chilled environment surrounding my toes.

Continue reading "Keep those toes comfortable with a Cozy Electric Foot Warmer Mat FW" »

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Upgrading the bathroom?

Have a few extra dollars to spare?

Why not splurge on this "elegant piece which includes a porcelain soap dish, tumbler, and toothbrush insert". This item is available from the luxury offerings on Blue Evolution. The set costs $175.00 and is certainly meant to compliment the other luxury items in your typical "dream house". However, I cant help thinking of the vast difference this gadget would do to enhance the decor of the bathroom.

Source: Blue Evolution

Continue reading "ST. James Soap Dish &Tumbler Combination [chrome]" »

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Want to try some new technology in your Christmas decorations this year?

If you have not heard of led lights before, now would be an opportune time to experience the new "digital bulbs". "LEDs consume far less energy than standard light bulbs, leading to greatly reduced energy costs. LEDs also require far less energy to manufacture than other light sources, reducing the environmental impact of artificial lighting still further." This is just one of the features on led lighting from an article on Wavicle.com

Continue reading "35 LED Multicolored Strawberry C6 Light Set" »

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Spare a thought for the cordless phone. They are still around. Though they have kind of taken a backseat to their more trumpeted rivals in the cellular arena, the home-based versions have come bundled with some nifty technological innovations as well.

Description

"The Panasonic KX-TGA650B handset is a supplemental accessory for Panasonic's KX-TG6500B-series phone systems (required, sold separately). Operating on the same 5.8 GHz frequency and with the same digital spread spectrum signal technology as the base system, this handset supplies the clear, consistent connection you rely on every day, with features to spare."

Source: Digital Photo

Continue reading "Panasonic KXTGA650b Handset for KXTG6500 KXTG6502" »

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I came across a very insightful article by Debra Gordon on Ebuild.com in which she outlined in some detail the several ways technology has changed the kitchen tap.

"Once considered a strictly utilitarian product with just a handful of mainstream models from which to choose, kitchen faucets have morphed into works of art and functionality at all price points. The kitchen has turned into the living room of the 21st century,” says John Schiegg, corporate purchasing director for national home builder Choice Homes. About half of new-home buyers upgrade their kitchen faucets, says Schiegg. “It's an easy, yet emotional purchase,” he notes. “They can move up to a higher product for about $100.”"

Read.

Continue reading "Kitchen Upgrade: Kitchen faucets take on a futuristic appearance" »

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Need an extra hand in the kitchen?

Who doesn't?

Just in case you dont have a mixer in your kitchen and are considering one of the several brands around, this beauty from KitchenAid's Artisan is hard to ignore once you set your eyes on it.

Continue reading "KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer" »

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