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Showing posts with label Electronics Reviews. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2016

Sony SRSX11 Speaker Review

I procrastinated. I complained constantly about the lousy audio on my inexpensive laptop for a long period of time. But I continued to put off purchasing a small, portable speaker for as long as possible. Recently, with a purchase of a speaker-less portable media player and continued frustration at having a hard time hearing audio on my little laptop, I gave in and purchased a small speaker. I chose the Sony SRSX11 Ultra-Portable Bluetooth Speaker and I'm so glad I did. I love this little cube of sound.

The Sony SRSX11 Ultra-Portable Bluetooth Speaker

This little speaker is advertised by Sony as the "compact cube with serious sound". In my opinion, they aren't over-stating. I love the sound that comes from this tiny speaker. Sony provides the following information:

2.4" x 2.4" x 2.4" small
Bluetooth connectivity - NFC One Touch
micro USB terminal; stereo mini jack input
12 hours playtime on the rechargeable battery
10 watts
Variety of colors: black, white, red, pink, or blue

What Others Have to Say About the Sony Speaker

Because I am the most technologically challenged person you may ever meet, I am happy to point you in the direction of reading what others have to say about this little gadget. At the time of this writing, the Sony SRSX11 Ultra-Portable Bluetooth Speaker has a 4.5 out of 5 star review on Amazon. Of those reviews, 70% are 5 star reviews.

There is a brief review of the Sony SRSX11 speaker on C/NET. In the past, I've valued the reviews on C/NET due to their focus on the latest technological news and reportedly unbiased reviews of the latest tech gadgets.

Why I love my Sony SRSX11 Speaker

The helpful young man at the store tried to talk me into "better" speakers. I wanted cheap, small, and easy - I insisted. He demonstrated a cheap speaker - definitely in my price range - but when he turned on the demo speaker even I could tell it sounded like .... well, it sounded bad. Okay, I relented, let's move up into the next price category.

I liked the look of this little speaker "cube". I liked the weight of it. It felt well made. I liked the sound. The nice young man tried to tell me about the bluetooth features and his voice turned into the teacher's voice in Charlie Brown's classroom, "wah, wah, wah, wah, wah."

I asked if I can connect it to my laptop with a cord. And can you help to make sure I purchased the correct cord. He seemed puzzled but he answered both of my questions with a "yes". He tried to explain again how this speaker can be portable.

While I don't mind being tethered to the laptop or my Ipod with a cord in my teeny apartment, you can easily use this speaker in a more portable way with the NFC & Bluetooth connectivity.

The only downside of this little speaker is that it seems it could be offered at an even lower price. Of course, I believe that about all electronics. But if you are looking for a small speaker that delivers good sound and easy portability, check out the Sony SRSX11 Ultra-Portable Speaker. I think you will be pleased.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Monday, April 18, 2016

Trackimo - An Excellent Personal GPS Tracker

Do you have problems finding lost belongings? Are you anxious about pets or family members who may wander? The Trackimo may be the perfect solution to end your worries. The Trackimo is an international GPS tracking gadget that is affordable, very easy to use, and works great. If you need to find something or someone, need someone to be able to alert you if they are in trouble, or have a potentially problem driver driving your car, this may be the answer.

I have thought about purchasing a GPS tracker for a few years. I've wanted one for my dogs, when we are in the woods. But reliable tracking dog collars have been expensive - and can only be used on your dog. I've also wanted one for the vehicle I own but don't drive. But most of those GPS trackers somehow need to be installed in the fuse panel, or need to be wired into the system. And also have monthly subscription fees.

Then I learned about the Trackimo by watching a video of a gentleman who finds his drones when they go down. He gave such a thorough and excellent review that I had to get one for myself.

Trackimo

My Truck

I own and am financially responsible for truck that I don't drive. At times, it received tickets for speeding or parking in questionable areas. I ended up paying for the tickets. After time, I realized that I need to know the location of the truck until which time I'm not longer financially responsible for it.

I was so impressed by this gadget. The Trackimo is not weather-proof. However, it does come with a rubberized skin to help protect it. When I had ordered the Trackimo, I had also ordered a really big, magnetized key holder - the type placed under cars for the spare key - because I did not expect the Trackimo to have a strong enough magnet for my purposes. But I was wrong. The Trackimo is plenty strong!

I followed the charging and setup directions. I also started my account on the Trackimo website. And found the site really easy to use. I drove around for days, with it attached to the painted metal inside my Jeep. Yes, it does send an alert when speeding. I tested that out almost immediately by accident. I intentionally placed it on my door (on the inside) and slammed the door shut when exiting. I expected it to pop off. But it remained where I had placed it.

I was ready for the real test. I placed it under the bumper of the truck. The Trackimo tracked it very well. Day after day I got reliable information about the location of my truck. I only have a few cautions - depending on how you need to use it - and am listing those thoughts below. Concerned about it during all of our rainy weather, I then began to place it under the bed rail. It worked just as well there.

My Trackimo in the rubberized cover

My Dog

As soon as I decide how I want to attach it to my dog, he will be wearing it when he's in the woods. My only hesitance comes from not wanting him to get snagged on trees. I currently take off his collar or harness completely when he's in the woods. However, if he were wearing the Trackimo, and was snagged, I could find him to release him.

I am considering making an elasticized collar for him, with a Trackimo pocket.

Other Uses for Trackimo

Tracking

I mentioned the gentelman who uses the Trackimo to locate and retrieve his downed drones. I think this would be a perfect way to track your teenager who is borrowing your car. Because the Trackimo is not permanately attached, you can move it easily to whichever car the teen is driving that day. I also think it's a great tracker for your elderly family members who may become lost or your younger children who are walking down to the local playground - and you want to know where they are.

I think this would be a great item to place in checked baggage. If a bag is ever again "lost" for a long period of time, I could tell Amtrak (insert: airlines) where to begin their search!

Signaling for Help

This device comes with a SOS signal. If the button is pressed for four seconds, you receive a signal. And can see the location of the device. If your child pushes the button for help, you will receive that call for help. If your teenager has had an accident, and they want your help but can't describe their location, you will know where they are. If your elderly family member can remember things except their location, they can feel more confident knowing you are a button-push away.

The Drawbacks

It is not water-proof. While mine weathered the rain nicely, I'm not sure how it would have done on the dog in a rainstorm.

Depending on how often you set the tracking (as often as every minute), the device will need to be charged up to every day or two. Not practical for your business vehicle that an employee may have for a few days at a time. (I charged my Trackimo every evening and placed it again every morning).

In some areas, the "triangulation" problems may present a brief problem with accuracy. I live near Chesapeake Bay. When the truck was closest to the water, the map would sometimes have a warning that the device was traingulating for a more accurate location. During these moments, the "you are here" icon would blink up to about a mile from where the truck was located. However, these moments were brief and only showed on the map during real-time tracking. This inaccurate moments did not show up on the tracking history map.

Even though my Trackimo stuck to the painted surface of my Jeep without problems, I would always look for a more "bare" metal surface area - to ensure a strong bond.

Reasons to use the Trackimo

Find belongings
Find your vehicle
Know where your elderly, young, and teen family members are
Track your dog
Know how responsibly your teen driver is driving
Cheap and Easy (I paid $139 for mine, with no subscription or hidden costs for a year)
Free Android (and iphone) apps

I am not technologically savvy. I usually can't get those "plug and play" computer things to work without help. But this thing was ridiculously easy. Because I'm not very good at gadgets, I'm including the following videos that are very helpful.

** Warning -- Stalking and similar things are against the law. I would not advise using this to track you neighbor, boyfriend, girlfriend, enemy, frenemy, or secret crush. Just don't do it. **

Related Videos:

Trackimo Advertising

How to setup Trackimo

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Let's Review the Best Travel Accessory for Foreign Travel

An Essential Travel Accessory

Why I chose to review this handy little travel accessory/gadget: There are many little travel gifts and travel accessories for the serious traveler, so it's hard to choose just one as the best, but if I had to choose the best gift for a traveler, it would be a travel adapter/surge protector.

The reason I say this is that even though you might think otherwise, every country has their own electricity configurations, and what works in one country will not work in other countries. I wonder who thought up this idea? My guess would be electricians, but I digress.

The USA uses 110 volts, and along with Panama, they are the only countries who do. All the other countries use 220 volts. And as if that weren't enough to fry your electronic devices, they all have different plug configurations! So if you are traveling in Europe, your plug for your computer, phone charger, camera, etc are not going to fit in every country. You really don't want to get in late and try to plug in your computer or phone and find out you can't. Travelling can be stressful enough without that aggravation!

Now many hotels do provide them, but not all do. And even if they do, they almost never have surge protectors and you don't want to fry your laptop now, do you? So it's best to bring your own adapter/surge protector.

Before I left the United States for my around the world tour, I looked into this because I had just purchased a new laptop, and a new camera, and I have an iPhone, so I wanted to be sure I had surge protection in addition to adapters. What I settled on was this handy gadget:

Yubi Power 10 in 1 Universal Travel Power Strip with 2 Universal Sockets and 8 USB Ports with Built in Surge Protector and Light Indicators for Type B, C, G, and I Outlets - 150+ Countries

I have been completely happy with it, as there have been times when my hotel did not have the correct plug for my devices, and there have been other times when the wifi was very "iffy" and sporadic, so I would have been worried but I wasn't, because I had this wonderful gadget with me! It takes up very little room for the piece of mind you get from it, so I think it's my favorite travel accessory of all. I am sure my computer was saved more than once from power surges on our trip.

Note: This is not a voltage converter. Most computers and electronic devices these days will work on either 110 volts or 220 volts but be sure you check before you try to use them in a different country! My phone, camera and computer all worked fine and had no problems. If you aren't sure, check your manufacturer specifications. (And if you threw them away, just "google" them.)

On Amazon this accessory has lots of positive reviews and I noticed one that said they don't travel outside the country but their family hangs out in the living room together with all of them using their own electronic devices and they all need to charge their devices at once so it works for them as it has 6 USB ports. That made me laugh. Family time now means everyone using their devices in one room. Well I guess that's better than no family time at all. I'm still laughing.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Review of Cyber Acoustics USB Mono Headset (AC-840)

I decided to review the Cyber Acoustics USB Mono Headset (AC-840) because I thought there may be others trying to solve the problem I had. I've always loved making videos to which I add voice-overs. I used to have no problems making them on my iMac computer with built-in microphone and speakers. But that computer is out of commission right now and I wanted to make a video for one of my blogs.

I had the free Movie Maker software already installed on my HP Pavillion Windows 7 PC. I had been happily using a Cyber Acoustics CA2016 2-Piece USB Powered Computer Speaker System for over a year now, so I had no problem listening to videos and podcasts. All I lacked was a way to do the voice-overs I always add to my videos or to try making podcasts.

I was desperate, since I wanted to post my blog in a couple of days, and I wanted the video as part of it. I went to my local Staples around the corner to look around. The clerk sold me a headset with a microphone, a Plantronics model, he said would work, but when I got it home I couldn't make it work with my computer by plugging it into the proper slots in either the front or back of the tower. I decided I'd better get a model that connected with USB. So I exchanged it for the Cyber Acoustics USB Mono Headset, although it would have been cheaper at Amazon. Since I needed it immediately, I bought it while I was in the store.

I had it properly connected and recognized by my computer within minutes after I got home. I still had a learning curve with the Movie Maker software, since it was much different than using iMovie had been. I finally got it figured out and got my blog published. You can see the video results for Loading a Lumber Truck here. I suggest watching it in fullscreen mode.

Keep in mind I was learning to use both the software and the headsets. I'm not used to headsets. I discovered that I needed to turn off my speakers while using the headsets, but that was easy to do. The headpiece is comfortable enough for the amount of time I want to use the microphone, which swivels so you can adjust it for optimal use. I appreciate the handy volume control and mute/on switch on the cord within easy reach.

You can see it below and click the photo for more details on Amazon, to read other reviews, or purchase.

Will this microphone headset meet your needs? If you want a cheap, easy solution for making YouTube videos with voice-overs or podcasts on your PC this should do the trick. You can hear the sound quality in the video I posted. Only my voice was recorded with the microphone. Unfortunately, I don't have a great recording voice, and that is not the fault of the microphone. The background noises were in the video itself. I turned them down when I was recording, but it would have seemed unrealistic not to hear any engine noises while watching the forklift.

I recommend this headset with noise cancelling microphone to any user of a PC that does not have a built-in microphone who wants to record his or her voice onto a video or podcast or wants to use Skype. The sound quality is fine for those uses. I find it adjusts well to my head size, but it might not be comfortable for those with much larger than average head sizes.

If you've been frustrated because you can't make a podcast or video voice-over for lack of a microphone, get your Cyber Acoustics USB headset with noise cancelling microphone now.

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Sunday, August 30, 2015

USB Jewelry for Personal, Business or Medical Use

16GB to 32GB of Storage Available

USB Jewelry - Necklaces & Bracelets

USB Jewelry can be used to store personal items such as photos, business documents, or medical information.

They come in multiple designs and styles including necklaces and bracelets.

Go a Little 'James Bond'

Wear incognito Jewelry just for the fun of it, or because you have a need.

These days we tend to share photos via our cell phones, but that doesn't mean we can't have a necklace conveniently stored with a ton of photos either.

They're useful when heading to a friend or family's house where you want to share pictures without the hassle of dealing with your cell phones to do it.

Just pull your necklace apart and load the photos onto their computer. That's it. You're done; no muss no fuss.

How About an Hello Kitty USB Necklace for the Young

8GB to 64GB of Storage

One?

An original gift idea for little girls or even woman who happen to be a fan of Hello Kitty.

She's heading to grandma's for the weekend and you want to send photos that can easily be transferred to Grandma's computer, well isn't this a creative way to do it. Of course you could just store them on a plain rectangular boring USB too, but this way your little one gets to feel involved, and best of all, like a Spy as she pulls apart her necklace.

Maybe Grandma can store some photos back on her necklace to take home to you.

Medical USB

Medical USB Bracelets - A Necessity for Some

This is a terrific way for anyone with serious health issues to store their emergency medical information.

If a loved one is required to take a lot of medication, the Medical USB Bracelet is a useful data storage device to have in emergencies.

It's especially valuable for seniors who take a lot of medication and aren't able to provide a list of their meds, or just don't have the memory to recall it.

It's also helpful for family members who often get asked what medications their loved ones are on and don't know.

Choose One for a Child

It's hard enough being a parent, but to have to worry about your child's medical condition each time they leave the house is something no parent should have to face.

Although it's just a bracelet, knowing that their USB has the critical medical info is a practical solution to reduce the worry.

Put your child's medications, allergies, contact info and other data that you feel is pertinent for their safety.

Note: Always be sure to check that the USB piece you select is compatible with your computer device - Windows 8, Windows 7 and so on.

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Friday, August 7, 2015

Tomtom VIA1515M Portable GPS Navigator Review

We recently traveled from Tennessee to Toronto, Canada, which is almost 1000 miles, much of which was unknown territory for us. The rental vehicle did not have a built-in GPS, so we purchased a Tomtom VIA1515M Portable GPS Navigator. That was, by far, the best purchase we have ever made for a road trip! After discovering the benefits of the Tomtom GPS, I can assure you, I will never leave home on a road trip without it again. I couldn't even begin to count how many hours or how much stress this one little unit saved us. Not only did she map out the trip for us, she give essential warnings and directions that kept us from taking wrong turns or getting caught in the wrong lanes and unable to move over when needed.

As the passenger/navigator on the trip, I was still able to look at the printed road map and compare routes, but each time I found the Tomtom recommendation to be the best. More importantly, she could plan a new route around construction faster than I could physically do it, which saved us having to pull over to study the map at length. Several times I simply told my husband, "just do what she says". That was so much easier than trying to read tiny street names on the map in time to give my husband fast and accurate directions.

One of my personal favorite extra features is the ETA function. I loved seeing the estimated length of time for our trip constantly displayed in the lower right corner. Since we actually divided the trip over 3 days, we were able to plan each leg with an ETA for each day.

Also, we did not make hotel reservations in advance since we were not sure how far we would actually be able to drive each day. With the nifty Tomtom "point of interest" feature, I was able to look up near-by hotels, choose one and call them to see if they had a room available all before we even reached the exit. What a huge time saver! No more physically hunting for a hotel, stopping and asking about room availability only to discover they didn't have any rooms for the night and having to move on.

She also told us, in advance, the location of gas stations and restaurants.

Pros of the Tomtom VIA1515M GPS

Tomtom VIA 1515M Automobile Portable GPS NavigatorFree Lifetime Maps - Update Online

Includes USA, Canada & Mexico Maps

Displays the Speed Limit plus Your Current Speed (Speeding Alert)

5" Touch Screen

Turn by Turn Guidance

Lane Guidance

Colorful Display that Make Reading at a Glance Easy

Spoken Street Names, Warnings & Directions

Advance Warnings, Lane Recommendations & Instant Re-Routing after Wrong Turns or Detours

Mileage Display with ETA (estimated time of arrival)

Separate Display for Points of Interest such as Gas Stations, Restaurants, & Hotels/Motels

Included Phone Numbers for Points of Interest (so we could call ahead if needed)

Can Set to Metric or Imperial Units Depending on Where You are Driving (Converts the Local Units to Your Selected Units)
Satellite Powered - Still Works When Cell Phones Don't!
Battery Life - 3 hrs. for Out of Vehicle Use

Cons of the Tomtom VIA1515M GPS

Haven't found any yet and we used it on a 1000 mile trip!

Recommended Accessories for Your Tomtom VIA1515M GPS

Be sure to buy a pillow for your Tomtom! Since we didn't own the vehicle we were driving, we purchased a weighted pillow for our Tomtom. It worked perfectly. It kept the Tomtom from moving around or falling.

Also, a carry case will allow you to take your Tomtom inside with you so it will not get stolen from your car. Plus, you can easily switch it between vehicles this way. The case simply protects it and makes it easier to carry.

Navitech Black Eva Hard Carry Case for the TomTom VIA 1535 Series, TomTom VIA 1505 Series, TomTomStart 55 TM, TomTom Start 55 M, TomTom Start 55 5Check Price Bracketron Nav-Mat Portable GPS Dash Mount, NewCheck Price

One Final Note

In case you are wondering, we loved Canada!!!

And yes, the GPS worked perfect in Canada too and saved a world of misery for us since we were completely unfamiliar with cities, streets, street signs and using Canadian kilometers. That little Tomtom was well worth the cost for that one trip alone, but I have no doubt we will be using it frequently now that we have one.

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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Sling TV Review (Alternative to Cable TV)

Cable TV bills getting you down? Need a cheaper alternative but don't want to give up your favorite stations and shows? Then do what I did. Try Sling TV and stream top-rated cable channels directly to your TV, computer, phone, or tablet for just $20 a month!

My TV, my hand, my Fire TV Stick screen, my Sling TV. Love it!

Excuse me if I sound like a commercial, but I'm excited about this. We've never had cable TV at our house (we use an antenna), but we do have a Fire TV Stick which we use to stream movies, listen to music, and more. A couple of months ago I became aware of a service, an app really, called Sling Television that we could download to our Fire TV Stick to watch the cable TV channel that I was craving. Yes, I got the app primarily for one channel (TNT), to watch one show (Major Crimes), but the standard $20 monthly cost actually includes more than 20 stations including ESPN and ESPN2, the History channel and H2, A&E, the Food Network, HGTV, the Travel Channel, CNN, and more. What a deal!

We're talking 23 (at last count) LIVE cable television stations that you can watch for just $20 (plus tax) a month. You can also get HBO for $15 more a month, the Sports Extra, Deportes Extra, Kids Extra, Hollywood Extra, plus several other add-on packages for $5 each, but only if you want those channels. See the full list at the website.

Don't have a Fire TV stick or Fire TV? No problem! Play Sling through your Roku, Xbox One, Android or iOS device, your PC or Mac, or your Kindle Fire.

Since I use the app with my Fire Stick, I actually signed up via the app on Amazon and got a 14-day free trial (that offer is still in effect as I type this) and I pay, conveniently, a month at a time through my Amazon account. Oh, did I mention that there are no contracts? All I have to do is cancel if I change my mind.

So, how well does Sling TV work? For me, quite well. Navigation is easy. While the screen has frozen perhaps a couple of times, it's been rare. I remember once when the audio and video were horribly out of sync, but I just exited the app then went right back in and everything was fine. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on the device you're using and the reliability of your wi-fi connection.

Speaking as a non-techy person, I set this up myself and I'm the one who usually controls the remote, so that proves that it's easy to use. Is SlingTV a good choice for you? I don't know your needs, but for me, I can watch Major Crimes on Monday nights, plus a lot of other great shows, and I don't have a cable bill or a contract, so I'm happy. With the 14-day trial, you really have nothing to lose.

Where do I sign up for Sling TV?
Download the app on Amazon and you'll be eligible for the 14-day trial. Learn more about the service and see the current line-up of shows on the Sling Television website, but you'll only get a 7-day trial if you sign up there. (Prices and terms subject to change.)

So tell me, do you have cable TV or do you use an alternative service such as Sling?

P.S. Update: It's been almost three months since I wrote this review and I'm enjoying Sling more and more. Between baseball playoffs and college football, I'm using it more and more, too.

-- Susan Deppner

About the Author

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Saturday, July 25, 2015

Hewlett-Packard Printer Review

HP Envy 5530 e-All-in-One Series Computer Printer

Available on Amazon

I recently upgraded the operating system on my home desktop computer. As a result, my old printer could no longer 'talk' to my computer, so I needed to purchase a new printer. I wasn't surprised, as my old printer was 8 years old and was made for operating systems 4 upgrades ago!

After getting my newly revised computer back, I went shopping for a compatible printer, first doing some research online. I knew I wanted a printer that would do more than print, as I often need to make copies of documents and I do a lot of scanning. The computer tech who upgraded my computer advised me to first look at the prices of ink cartridges and find a model that was inexpensive, since the ink is the biggest ongoing expense you will have with a printer.

HP Ink Cartridges

Easy Order on Amazon

The printer I purchased not only had reasonably priced ink cartridges, but also happened to be made by a company I've been pleased with in the past ~ Hewlett-Packard. My very first computer printer back in the early 1990s was an HP and I liked it very much. And, come to find out, not only are the ink cartridges for my new printer less expensive than the model I was using previously, but they print more than TWICE as many pages per cartridge (up to 190 pages) than the others did and the print is very crisp and sharp on the page.

HP Envy Printer Model 5530

Needless to say, I am VERY pleased with my new HP Envy 5530 e-All-in-One (print-copy-scan) computer printer! It has a color control panel on the front you can activate with the touch of a finger (or use the printer controls from the computer). The ink cartridges and paper are both easy to load. You can print from your smartphone or your tablet, and from an Internet-connected PC. And it has wireless capabilities so it can be located anywhere you need it to be.

This HP Envy printer has so many more features than my old printer did. For instance, it is able to do two-sided printing, and you can view and print photos from the color touchscreen and produce borderless, lab-quality photos. And the best part, when I was ready to buy, I found that this HP printer was on Sale!

So now my home office is all set for awhile – a completely revamped desktop computer with a new OS and additional RAM…. And, a brand new spiffy-looking printer.

Article by Wednesday Elf

*Written on 7/25/15. Updated 7/27/2018

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Thursday, June 4, 2015

Playing Games with the Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo looks like a black
Pringles can and fits in with any decor.

Have you heard of the new electronic gadget called the Amazon Echo? I wrote a review about it that you can read here, but let me quickly tell you a little bit about the device, then I'll let you know how you can have fun playing games with your Amazon Echo.

This awesome gadget looks a lot like a Pringles can, but it's actually a speaker that responds to its name, plays music, wakes you up in the morning, tells you the weather forecast and sports scores, reads the news to you, turns your lights on and off, and even orders stuff for you from Amazon.com, all with just a voice command from you.

You can have fun with the Echo (most people call her "Alexa;" her alternate wake name is "Amazon"), too. She has quite a sense of humor (well, as much as an electronic assistant can have) and is very cooperative if you just want to have some fun with her. Here are a few games you can play with your Echo.

"Alexa, who is singing that song?"

Play a game of "name that artist" or "name that tune" whenever you listen to music on your Echo. If you're not sure who's singing the song, just ask Alexa! Not sure of the song title? She'll answer that question, too.

"Alexa, how far is it from here to the North Pole?"

How about a game of trivia. Gather your friends and try to stump each other on facts, with your Echo as the final authority. Have your friends guess the answer to questions such as "How tall is Mount Everest?" or even "How many tablespoons in a cup?" Closest to the correct answer wins!

"Alexa, Simon Says..."

Use the Echo's remote control from another room to play a game of Simon Says. Put Alexa in a room with your friends then, from another room where they can't hear you, speak into the remote control's microphone. Say, "Alexa, Simon says..." followed by whatever message you would like Alexa to repeat.

For instance, if your Echo is in a room with the kids, have Alexa say, "Kids, dinner's ready. Report to the kitchen!" They'll come running to find out how you did that!

"Alexa, I love you!"

Okay, we know she's not human, but everyone likes to feel appreciated. Let Alexa know that you love her. She'll let you know that she thinks you're pretty special, too.

"Alexa, tell me a joke."

In the mood to laugh? Seriously, Alexa has quite the joke repertoire and most of them are pretty funny. If you need cheering up, just say, "Alexa, tell me a joke," and she will. Here's an actual joke that Alexa just now told me:

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Kanye.
Kanye who?
Kanye believe it? I tell jokes, too!

These are just a few ideas for games to play and fun things to do with your Amazon Echo. Get creative and come up with your own ideas, or use the "Things to Try" section of the Echo app to find more ideas. Don't have an Echo yet? Here's that Amazon Echo review link again where you can learn more about this fascinating and useful gadget and find out how to order one for yourself.

-- Susan Deppner
Read more of my reviews.

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

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Monday, February 23, 2015

A Wonderful Way to Grandparent Across the Miles

Developing a relationship with a toddler across the miles can be a tricky thing. As my son's child is approaching his second year of life, I realize that I am arriving late to the grandparenting-via-the-internet scene. Suddenly, here we are. Reading to my grandbaby online has been a wonderful experience. But it requires the right book. I have found that Dr. Seuss' Hop On Pop is the perfect book right now.

Video Calling versus Telephone Calls

My son and I talk on the phone. I treasure those phone calls. But when we try putting the baby on the phone it's no good. At least, not with my grandbaby. He got to the stage that he would listen for a second, but wouldn't respond. I think he only wanted to push the pretty buttons. So we have begun using video calling.

I consider myself technologically challenged. I can move around the internet adequately but I have to use fairly simple programs. As I realized that my grandbaby was getting to the age that he could begin to understand that "Gramma" is a real person, I began to want more time with him. Of all the video calling programs, I chose Skype to help create some time to visit. I just muddled through on my own but if you would like more help, there are articles such as Using Skype to Connect with Grandchildren of All Ages to provide both instruction and ideas.

Choosing the Video Calling Program

My son reading to my grandbaby and I

Skype is easy to use, even for me. There are many video calling programs out there and you can choose the one that works for you. But I've chosen Skype. On Skype, I like the ease of use. I like the feeling of privacy, I have to answer the call and I don't have random video screens popping up of things I don't want to see (and that some people should have the sense not to show). The split view shows the small view of me as well as the large window that shows my son and grandbaby. This split window screen helps me see what I am showing to my grandbaby - especially while i'm reading a book.

The challenge with Skyping with a toddler has less to do with the program and more to do with being interesting. Let's face it, looking at Gramma on a screen isn't as interesting as pounding on the keyboard or running around the house. So, trying to keep a toddler's attention isn't easy but it can be done.

Being the Attention-Grabbing Gramma

There are many ways to get and keep the attention of a toddler while online; albeit sometimes not for very long. I mimic my grandbaby. If he is showing me his Snoopy slippers, I show him my socks. If he shows me a toy, I try to show him something interesting. In those small ways, he keeps interested. I like to read to my grandbaby and have realized that some books just don't translate well across the miles. Too many words or too busy of artwork just doesn't keep his attention. Slick pages reflect the light and he can't see the pages as I read.

I have found that Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss is a very good attention-keeper. The few words on each page keeps the pages turning quickly. The pictures are very easy for my grandbaby to see when I hold the book up to the camera. He is intrigued by the pictures and he always points at the mouse and the bee.

I can keep his attention with Hop on Pop. After I read to him, he runs to get a book and has his dad read to him and Gramma. Right now, his favorite books to read back to Gramma have to do with Lighting McQueen. You may know Lightning McQueen from the Pixar Cars movies. That little boy loves the Cars characters and Lightning McQueen. I share a bit more about his treasured collection in a separate article.

Now that I know about Skype, I wish I would have started a bit earlier than at a year and a half with him. Yes, it is frustrating at times but keep at it and you'll find a way to interact and entertain that grandbaby - becoming closer even if you are too many physical miles apart.

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Friday, February 20, 2015

Get Rid of Cable TV and Still Have Live Major Network TV with Sling TV

Sling Television Brings Live Major Network TV Back to Cable Cutters!

Several months ago, I had finally had enough! Cable TV just kept getting more expensive while quality continued to decline and customer service was basically nonexistent, so we pulled the cable plug. However, we still have TV.

My husband reconnected an old fashioned antenna. Remember the rabbit ears? Yes, we have those again, but they are hidden behind a plant on top of our TV cabinet. This allows us to watch local TV stations, local news and local weather.

We also purchased a Roku from Amazon.com and hooked it up. Through the Roku, we are able to view hundreds of movies and TV programs that are streamed programming, but not live TV. It is good, but not exactly perfect.

However, just this week I received an email introducing Sling Television and our major network TV viewing is live again!

Sling.com

With Sling Television we can now have live major network TV again! The basic Sling service cost only $20/month and we could not be happier. I now have CNN, A&E, AMC, TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network on live TV. The basic service also includes ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, and more.

There are additional packages available as well for only $5/month. We won't need those, but it is definitely worth mentioning that Sling has upgrades to their basic service available.

Costs Cut by Cutting the Cable Cord

Roku 2 XS Streaming Player Bundle

Here is a line up of the services we now have on TV. You can see for yourself how we have substantially cut our monthly costs.

Sling.com ~ Live TV Basic Service includes ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, A&E, TNT, TBS, CNN, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, History Channel (Device Required: Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS, Android, Mac, or PC) ~ Cost: $20.00/month
Amazon Prime ~ Prime Instant Video (thousands of movies & TV shows), Prime Music, Prime Photos, Kindle Library, plus Free 2 day shipping on Amazon orders all included with Amazon Prime. ~ Cost: $99.00/year
Netflix ~ Movies & TV ~ Cost: $8.99/month

All Total: $37.24 / month

You, too, Can Cut Your Cable Cord and Save Money!

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Sunday, February 1, 2015

A Personal Double Oven Review - What's Good and Not So Good About It!

If You're Thinking About Getting a Double Oven Stove - Here's some Feedback

For years, I insisted that once we were in the market for a new stove, we would get a stove with a double oven. We have a large family, and a double oven is necessary to handle the large meals required when everyone gets together for a celebration - especially Christmas!

Double Oven on Amazon

Finally, a new stove was required; finally, we got that Double Oven Stove.

Since then, I have learned a few things about double ovens and decided to share them with those looking for the same type of stove.

What I Like About the Double Oven Stove

It's convenient when you have to prepare a large meal. The second oven is handy, especially for warming up pre-made dishes.
It looks imposing and modern.
Love not having to clean stovetop inserts like we had to with the old stove.
We've had it for a few years, and so far, there's been no problem with it
We took the extra step of getting a double oven stove with a convection oven - that's handy once in a while
It's self-clean (which I really appreciate)
Cooks the food nicely
Easy to use

What I Don't Like About a Double Oven Stove

There are two types of Double Oven Stoves I could have selected - One with the smaller oven on top and the larger oven on the bottom and the other with two ovens the same size (The two different choices are featured on this page) - I went with the former: The smaller oven on the top, although very convenient, it has a few limitations: Because the heating elements are so close to the food, the food can burn, so you have to oversee it. In fact, I do not put cakes and pies in the top oven to bake anymore - The first time in my life that I ever burnt a homemade chocolate cake was by placing the cake in the smaller oven to bake! The element is too close to the cake, so I suspect that was the problem. The stoves with the two ovens the same size likely wouldn't produce this result!
I'm not a fan of flat-tops (so I discovered). Yes, they have advantages (they look good, and there are no grills to clean). However, it is too easy for my liking. We keep it clean, but it could be better than when we bought it.
Our old stove had an electrical outlet built into it, this newer model oven doesn't
Although the convection oven is handy occasionally, it's a waste of money for our family. So, if I had to choose another one, I would select one without a convection oven built-in. We just need to use it more to justify the added cost.

In Summary, would I invest in a Double Oven Range again?

The answer to that is yes. I say yes because it's in an affordable price range for us, and although point number 1 in the 'don't like' column above bothers me, the convenience of having two ovens without doing a significant renovation is worth it.

If I were doing a complete kitchen reno, then no, I wouldn't get this double oven stove; I would have two separate ovens installed, one above the other, and get a stand-alone stovetop installed on the counter.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Scanning Old Photos with the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II

Have a box of old photographs, negatives, or 35mm slides? Turn your old photos into digital files. Learn how in this review of the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II color image scanner.

Do you have an old box of photographs and negatives hiding in a dark corner of your closet? Do you find 35 mm slides during your wanderings through the flea market? Wondering what you can do with that old photographic film in this electronic age?

Turn photos, negatives, and slides into digital files

Photography has been a hobby for me since the mid-1970s. Over the decades, my hobby has filled a box with 35 mm slides, negatives, and photos. When I decided it was time to make some money from my photos, I needed a color image scanner to turn those photographs into digital files.

After doing some shopping, I narrowed my choices to the Canon CanoScan 9000F MKII and the Epson Perfection V600 based on these requirements:

Low price. I didn't have a lot of money to spend and couldn't afford a top-of-the-line professional scanner. Both of these scanners are priced below $200.
High resolution. Many of the products available through the print-on-demand services such as Zazzle or CafePress are large. The Canon scans film at a maximum resolution of 9600 x 9600 dpi and the Epson at a maximum resolution of 6400 x 9600 dpi.
Scan multiple formats. The Canon and the Epson digitize slides, negatives, photo prints, and printed documents. Files can be saved in JPG, TIFF, PNG, and PDF formats.

Digitize images with the Canon CanoScan 9000F MKII

The Canon CanoScan has more than met my expectations. The setup was simple and the software drivers installed without a problem. Here are some of the features that I really enjoy about this image scanner:

It is simple to scan multi-page documents and convert those pages into a single PDF file.
The film guides hold slides and negatives securely.
The protective cover is easy to remove for slide and negative scanning.
The included software reduces image editing with automatic image enhancement features.

Enhance photos with the My Image Garden software

The Canon CanoScan includes My Image Garden software for scanning, enhancing, and organizing photographs. I'm not usually a fan of the software that comes with many electronic devices, but the My Image Garden software has saved me a lot of time. I especially enjoy using the ScanGear utility to scan slides and to correct imperfections.

Here's an example showing the settings for a 35 mm slide and a preview of the image.

The ScanGear image scanning utility gives complete control over images. As different resolutions and different levels of image correction are selected, the utility shows the output file size. Here are other ways to use this scanning software:

Remove dust spots. Images files from slides and negatives that are old, have been handled over the years, and are dusty can be difficult to clean up. I estimate the ScanGear utility removes 95% of the dust spots from my scanned slides and negatives.
Fix over-exposed photos. It's heartbreaking when a well-framed shot is ruined from a bad exposure. Adjust the backlight and exposure options while watching the changes in the preview window.
Adjust the color. Sometimes the color in the photo isn't as vibrant as the memory because slides and negatives fade over time. Increase the color saturation, brightness, or contrast and see the adjustments in the preview window.

Preserve photos and documents with the Canon CanoScan

Scanning a variety of documents is made quick and simple with the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II color image scanner. The scanner comes with guides for 120 format film, 35 mm slides, and 35 mm negatives. It also operates as a flatbed scanner and turns pages as large as 8-1/2" x 11" into PDF files.

I give this scanner 4.5 of 5 stars for ease of use, high quality scans, and image editing abilities.

If you have a large number of photos, slides, negatives, and other documents that you want to turn into digital files, I highly recommend the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II color image scanner.

Posted by Coletta Teske

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.

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