Product review: AVANTEK 15"-17" Ultra Slim Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad

I really like this cooling pad. I have a lot of experience with cooling pads and in this review I will highlight the features that I like.



I use a lot of cooling pads because I have a lot of computers with difference operating system so I can test the software I write on different machines. Having that many computers creates a real space problem, so I have various laptops, netbooks, and network computers tucked away in small places. All of them are on cooling pads to overcome the lack of natural circulation and to prevent overheating.



This cooling pad has two fans and a large mesh which allows a nice flow of air. The pad has two controls. On/off buttons controls of the LED lights are on or off (great! because I do not like when everyting electronic in my room insists on having a bright LED light). The second controls is wheel which allows me to select the speed of the fans or turn them off.



A cooling fan does not have to blow hard to do its job, it just needs to create circulation. A cooling pad should be blowing towards the device you are trying to cool. I select the lowest fan speed that makes a difference to cut down on noise. What is the best temperature? It is best when computer CPU core temperature is under 50°C, if it is in the range of 50°C it is a sign of not sufficient cooling, if it is the in 60°C or higher it shortens the life expectancy of the computer components.



This fan is practically silent at the lowest speed and produces a slight whirl on the highest speed. My video includes the sound it makes on various speeds.



How well it cools depends not only on the cooling pad but on how many ventilation holes the device itself has on the bottom. In addition ventilation holes on the computer tend to fill up with dust. If you are not getting good results with a cooling pad try vacuuming the ventilation holes.



I have a little netbook that tends to run too hot with core temperature of 65°C when it run unventilated. I was able to get it down to 61°C with this cooling pad. This is still a bit hot, I am probably pushing the little netbook beyond its design by doing a lot write disk operations.



Number of fans:_______________ 2

Air flow:_____________________ dial allows variable speed control

Cord:_______________________ detachable USB cord (25" long)

On/Off switch:________________ yes

LED lights On/Off switch:_______ yes

Size:________________________ 14.75"W x 10.875"L x 1"H (height with feet retracted)

Noise:_______________________ low almost none, high very slight whirl

Color:________________________ black case, blue LEDs (which can be turned off)

Feet:________________________ Has rubber pads

Stand:_______________________ 2 feet on the back that can be raised

Flaws observed:_______________ None so far

USB ports:___________________ Has two USB ports, one used to power it another is free for other use

Packaging:___________________ No manual, specs are on the box (in English)



So far (continuous use of several weeks) I had no issues, the fans are operating quietly. I hope the video helps to illustrate my review.



This cooling pad is provided by AVANTEK for testing and review.



I really like this cooling pad. I have a lot of experience with cooling pads and in this review I will highlight the features that I like.



I use a lot of cooling pads because I have a lot of computers with difference operating system so I can test the software I write on different machines. Having that many computers creates a real space problem, so I have various laptops, netbooks, and network computers tucked away in small places. All of them are on cooling pads to overcome the lack of natural circulation and to prevent overheating.



This cooling pad has two fans and a large mesh which allows a nice flow of air. The pad has two controls. On/off buttons controls of the LED lights are on or off (great! because I do not like when everyting electronic in my room insists on having a bright LED light). The second controls is wheel which allows me to select the speed of the fans or turn them off.



A cooling fan does not have to blow hard to do its job, it just needs to create circulation. A cooling pad should be blowing towards the device you are trying to cool. I select the lowest fan speed that makes a difference to cut down on noise. What is the best temperature? It is best when computer CPU core temperature is under 50°C, if it is in the range of 50°C it is a sign of not sufficient cooling, if it is the in 60°C or higher it shortens the life expectancy of the computer components.



This fan is practically silent at the lowest speed and produces a slight whirl on the highest speed. My video includes the sound it makes on various speeds.



How well it cools depends not only on the cooling pad but on how many ventilation holes the device itself has on the bottom. In addition ventilation holes on the computer tend to fill up with dust. If you are not getting good results with a cooling pad try vacuuming the ventilation holes.



I have a little netbook that tends to run too hot with core temperature of 65°C when it run unventilated. I was able to get it down to 61°C with this cooling pad. This is still a bit hot, I am probably pushing the little netbook beyond its design by doing a lot write disk operations.



Number of fans:_______________ 2

Air flow:_____________________ dial allows variable speed control

Cord:_______________________ detachable USB cord (25" long)

On/Off switch:________________ yes

LED lights On/Off switch:_______ yes

Size:________________________ 14.75"W x 10.875"L x 1"H (height with feet retracted)

Noise:_______________________ low almost none, high very slight whirl

Color:________________________ black case, blue LEDs (which can be turned off)

Feet:________________________ Has rubber pads

Stand:_______________________ 2 feet on the back that can be raised

Flaws observed:_______________ None so far

USB ports:___________________ Has two USB ports, one used to power it another is free for other use

Packaging:___________________ No manual, specs are on the box (in English)



So far (continuous use of several weeks) I had no issues, the fans are operating quietly. I hope the video helps to illustrate my review.



This cooling pad is provided by AVANTEK for testing and review.



You can find 'AVANTEK 15"-17" Cooler Cooling Pad'





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Smelser Fabric Shaver

This fabric shaver works better than my old one. It takes less strokes to remove the pills in one area. It can be used with and without the pink cover. The pink cover keeps the fabric about 1/8" further away from the blades and I use it on very fuzzy sweaters (like the gray one in the video). I remove the cover when shaving sweaters with out much fuzz (like the purple one in the video).



The shaver runs on two rechargeable AA batteries. I fully charged the batteries overnight and had enough power to shave two sweaters. Towards the end of the second sweater I felt that power of the batteries was diminished and I switched to using the shaver plugged in. Cordless mode is more convenient but it was nice that I did not have to wait for the batteries to recharge and finish the job.



The removed fuzz is stored in a clear acrylic compartment so you can see when it is time to empty it. This compartments pulls out to empty.

The package also includes a small brush to clean to help with emptying it out.



I received this shaver for testing and review as part of the new product introduction. This shaver made a significant difference in making the garments looking better. The video includes before and after shots.



You can find "Smelser Fabric Shaver" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Gt-coupe USB Type C Cable to Type A braided cable

Gt-coupe is a thick braided cable - it feels and looks well made. It is 40 inches long and easily plugged into a phone with a silicone skin on. My tests show that it a USB 3.1 compliant cable. As a fully complaint cable Gt-coupe cable delivers a maximum 1.5A. This also means that it is not capable of supporting rapid charging for Nexus 6p.



What is 3.1 compliant cable? USB 3.1 spec specifies that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current should be set at 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. Benson Leung has a series of excellent reviews of Type C cables. Benson works for Google's Pixel group and has pointed out that many type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current rather than the correct value of 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. This cable follows the spec.



Can this cable charge up Nexus 6p while the phone is being used for navigation? Yes! At the start of the trip using Google maps to navigate the battery was at 39%, after one hour of navigation the phone was at 66%. Not only did it keep up with Google maps but it upcharged the phone at a very decent rate.



Below are the details of the tests with Gt-coupe cable. For comparison I also did the tests with a non-compliant cable. A non-compliant cables may not safe to use with all devices (such as the Chromebook Pixel and the Apple Macbook that draw more current than a phone). However with a QUALITY self-limiting charger that is rated for higher current Nexus 6p will safely charge faster with a non-USB 3.1 compliant cable.



All test were done keeping all conditions the same: same level of charge for the phone, same apps running, keeping the screen on so I can see the results.



Using a car charger on a port rated 2.5A

Nexus 6p battery is at 27%-28%, at this level it will use rapid charging if possible (i.e. up to 2.5A)

** Gt-coupe Type C to Type A cable (3.1 compliant) ------- 1410 mA (not rapid charging)

** Another Type C to Type A cable (non 3.1 compliant) -- 2570 mA (rapid charging)



Attached are images from my tests that show the results with both cables.



I received this cable from Gt-coupe for testing and review. Bottom line: Gt-coupe cable is USB 3.1 compliant and behaves the same as a USB 3.1 compliant cable provided by Google in Nexus 6p package.



You can find "Gt-coupe USB Type C Cable" on Amazon via this link





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Vinsic 20000mAh Smart Dual USB Port Slim Power Bank, External Battery Charger

When I shop for external batteries I always seek out those that have smart charging chip. This means it can charger any device at its optimal charge - Apple devices require 2A, most Android devices require 1A (note that the new Nexus phones do rapid charging at 2.4A when the phone battery is low).



To test if in fact this claim is supported I used a current meter and a resistor with 2A and 1A settings. As advertised both ports were able to deliver the rate advertised by the resister. 0.96A/5.13V delivered with 1A resistor, and 1.85A/5.06V delivered on 2A resistor (it is normal to see some loss due to inefficiencies such as heat loss). Attached are images showing the tests.



The battery has a large capacity (20,000mAh) and is fairly large: 6 3/8" x 3 1/4" x 1". It weighs 1 pound and 0.3 oz. It has two ports. Another feature I like is the digital display showing how much capacity the battery has remaining. The display comes on automatically when I charge, or I can see it at any time by pressing an icon next the display. This is external battery does not allow charge through (i.e. it cannot charge while being charged). I have been using this battery for just over 2 weeks as I write this review. It holds the charge quite well (very little loss when disconnected) and the rating to appears to be accurate.



I received this power bank for evaluation and review. It is a good one!



YOu can find "Vinsic 20000mAh Power Bank" on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Ambient Weather WS-8600 Weather Station

We have been using weather stations for many years, for the last year we have been using Oregon Scientific weather station. Oregon Scientific is a pretty well known brand, so I thought it would be useful to compare Ambient and Oregon Scientific.



The most noticeable difference is the display. Oregon scientific has a black and white LED display, it runs on batteries and the display gets dimmer as the batteries get weak. Ambient weather station home base unit runs plugged into AC. It has a bright digital display with a large choice of colors: red, green, blue, yellow and each color has different shades (for example, blue is dark blue or cyan). The visibility of the display is terrific, however if you are keeping the weather station in the bedroom it does generate quite a bit of light in the room. I came up with a solution for this by making it a "night hood" (you can see in my video) it is a square piece of felt which with glued edges that I put on it during the night. I remove it every morning and keept it under the weather station as a dolly.



The display has a lot of information, the display is easy to see, and most significantly the temperature is accurate as I used several different thermometers and the old weather station to cross-check the results.



The weather station is 4 1/8" tall, 5.5" wide, 2.25" front to back. The base is heavy, so the weather station is well balanced.



The setting of all functions was very easy. Each function has a dedicated button on the back. I thought the set up was easier than Oregon Scientific.



The outdoor unit runs on two AA batteries (which are not included). The location of the outdoor unit is critical to the accuracy.



FINDING A GOOD LOCATION:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(1) The outdoor unit should be in the shade

(2) The outdoor unit should be somewhat protected from the rain

(3) Should be placed on the surface that does not get warm (for example glass or metal are bad choices, wood is a good choice)



I have been placing my weather station sensors under the deck. This is close enough to the main unit to provide strong signal and meets all of the recommendations listed above. I would estimate the distance between the two units to be 20 feet. The signal has to go through one wall.



I received Ambient weather station with the request for testing and review, as well as the request to provide feedback on the manual. I thought the manual was very good overall, very detailed. I provided some minor feedback on clarifying some diagrams and the seller makes the latest version of the manual available on line.



You can find "Ambient Weather Station" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: 5ive® Dual Quick Charge 2.0 USB 36W 2 Ports Car Charger Adapter - in use with Nexus 6p

My review is for 5ive car charger in use with Type C to USB charging cable and Nexus 6p smartphone. 5ive charger forms a nice tight fit with car charger, it does not gets dislodged on bumpy roads.



Nexus 6p uses rapid charging when the battery is low. I used Nexus 6p with the battery level of 18% to do the tests of both ports. The phone showed that it was using rapid charging and drawing 2620 mA on one port and 2630 mA on another port. In the span of 5 minutes the phone got charged from 18% to 26%.



During a 30 minutes drive while Nexus 6p was used for navigation the battery level went up by 23% percent (from 28% to 51%). A dash cam was plugged into the second port of the charger. Excellent results!



I received this charger from 5ive for testing and review. Bottom line: excellent performance on both ports.



You can find "5ive Dual Quick Charger" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★



About the cable I am using:



I am using one of those type-C cables that are not USB 3.1 compliant. What is non-compliant cable? Benson Leung has a series of excellent reviews of Type C cables. Benson works for Google's Pixel group and has pointed out that many type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current, the correct value should be 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. These cables may not safe to use with all devices (such as the Chromebook Pixel and the Apple Macbook that draw more current than a phone). However with a quality charger that is rated for higher current like 5ive car charger and Nexus 6p (which does not draw more than 3A of current) these non-compliant cables will charge faster than a USB 3.1 compliant cable. I don't want to say that it's safe for all combinations of devices, but I have been using them with quality chargers with Nexus 6p on regular basis because both the charger and the phone are self-limiting.

Product review: SENTRY Call Blocker Blocking, Black list and White list

I have been using CPR call blocker for almost exactly a year. Sentry call blocker is easier to use and has features that do not exist CPR. In this review I will compare the features of these two call blockers and explain why I like Sentry better.



MODES AND CALLER ID

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sentry blocker can operate in two modes. In in-line mode the blocker is connected to the line and the phone is plugged into the blocker. In parallel mode both the blocker and the phone plug into the wall with a splitter. I could not use in-line mode because my phone no longer displayed the caller id. In parallel mode my phone displays the caller id. In both modes the blocker itself only displays the numbers, it cannot display the caller id.



How does this compare with CPR? When I used in-line mode with CPR blocker I also lost the caller id info. I have been using CPR blocker in parallel mode. However, to block calls with CPR I also had to have a spare phone attached in line with the blocker. I needed to use the phone to enter commands on the key pad, for example to block the last number called I needed to enter #*2#. Sentry blocker makes blocking easier - all I have to do is locate the number in the call log and press "reject" button for 3 seconds.



WHITE LIST

~~~~~~~~~~~

The documentation suggests that before you start using the Sentry blocker you create a white list. This is a list of phone numbers for your friends and family that will never be blocked. This list can be created manually by entering each number in the blocker (this is a fairly tedious process as Sentry blocker does not have a keypad and you need to hit a sequence of up/down and reject buttons for each number in every phone number you want to enter). Alternatively you can have this person call your phone, and then find his/her number in the call log and press "accept" button for 3 seconds. There is a third way to add a person to the white list, this is done by the caller when they press '0' on their end (more about this feature under "CHALLENGING THE CALLER").



CPR does not have a concept of a white list.



BLACK LIST

~~~~~~~~~~~

There is no way to manually enter the numbers into the black list. Since I have been using CPR for a year I have list of particular annoying marketeers who has called my number many many many times. Since I know they will continue to call I would have taken the time to enter their numbers in the block list but this is not possible and I will have to block them again when they call.



CPR does allow me to manually populate the block list.

Sentry does have a way to show how many times a particular number called.



DELETING NUMBERS FROM BLACK AND WHITE LIST

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deleting numbers from the lists is easy. All you have to do is press either Black list or White list button, scroll to the number you want to delete, and press DELETE key twice quickly.



CPR works in a similar way.



CHALLENGING THE CALLER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my favorite feature of the blocker. In this mode the callers who not listed in either the white or the black list are challenged (see my video to hear what the challenge says). The caller has an option to press 0 which adds them to the white list and the phone rings. This feature totally takes care of robo calls, the phone does not ring. I would have preferred that the person could not add him or herself to the white list, I would have just liked the call to go through. I would have like to be the only one that can add names to the white list. The way it works now, I would need to scan the white list periodically and make sure some telemarketing caller did not add themselves to my white list.



Update: today a human telemarketer hit zero and added himself to my white list. To move him to the black list I found this new number in the white list and held "reject" button for three seconds. The number got removed from the white list and added to the black list.



People on the white list do not get a challenge. People on the black list do not get a challenge.



You can select if the voice that answers is male or female. The choice is shown in the top right corner as A (female voice) or B (male voice).



CPR does not have the challenge feature. CPR has only one list, the black list. Either the caller is cut off or the phone rings.



MODES

~~~~~

The phone can operate in "BLOCK NO CID" mode. The block mode automatically blocks callers that do not have a caller id. To add this option press and hold "reject" button. To remove this option press and hold "reject" button until "BLCK NO CID" disappears.



BASIC mode will let though unlisted numbers, while still blocking black listed numbers. Unlisted numbers could be something like automated doctor appointment reminders.



SETTING TIME

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sentry automatically sets the current time when the blocker is connected to the phone line.



WHAT DOES THE CALLER HEAR

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a friend call me and we experimented with blocking numbers as well as numbers on the white list. Blocked callers hear nothing, they are just disconnected. The callers on the white list get connected normally. The callers who are not on either one of these lists get a challenged and are asked to press zero if they are not marketing solicitations.



HOW MANY NUMBERS CAN BE BLOCKED / WHITE LISTED

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The total number of the two lists is 1500 numbers. The system divides this capacity between two lists automatically as needed.



WHAT CAN CPR DO THAT SENTRY DOES NOT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I switched to Sentry after one year of using CPR. However it had a couple of features that I will miss. What can CPR do that Sentry does not?

- Using CPR I could pre-populate the black list

- CPR shows me the count of how many times a specific blocked number called. I get a satisfaction seeing a high count number of blocked calls and if Sentry's black list could be pre-populated I would have known which numbers to enter in the black list.



FINAL THOUGHTS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like many people I hate marketing calls. There is a great mental benefit to being able to do something about these annoying calls. Now when I get a marking call I am not annoyed, I think "Gotcha!" and block it.



This call blocking device is provided by Sentry for testing and review.



You can find "SENTRY call blocker" on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Aris A Velvet Burnout Waterfall Kimono

This is a very pretty jacket. The waterfall shape is flattering to any figure. It looks beautiful and very dressy. This jacket is a mostly sheer burnout velvet. The sheer part has white, pink, and blue colors, and the velvet is black.



The jacket is well made. You can see its construction in attached photos. The craftsmanship of the piece is very good - neat seams and no loose threads. The body of the jacket is cut generously, but the arms are a little snug. I can wear this jacket over a blouse, but not a sweater.



The actual material is 70% rayon and 30% silk. The jacket has no buttons, so it is quite forgiving in fitting a variety of sizes: it works well whether the fit is a little large or a little small, it still works fine because it drapes in folds in the front. It has a flowing look and it moves in the air as I walk.



You can find "Aris A Velvet Burnout Waterfall Kimono" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: ZOMEI Camera Tripod Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod with Ball Head

ZOMEI Q666C is a nice tripod and scores well on my list of requirement for a tripod. This tripod met four of my requirements for a tripod and fell short on one (but not badly).



My requirements:



* Quick release plate. This tripod include a quick release plate. The release plate is made out of metal and is sturdy with a heavy duty construction. Quick plate tightening mechanism can be tightened by a coin. It holds well.



* Lightweight. This tripod weighs 3 pounds 6.7 oz (this weight include the tripod and the ball head). This tripod is heavy enough to withstand a gust of wind yet light enough to carry around without much trouble.



* Quick release legs. This tripod does NOT have legs with quick release locks. Each collapsible leg is made out of 4 sections and is released by twist locking mechanism. Zomei twist locks do not take a lot of turns and they feels well made.



* Ability to support my Canon rebel digital SLR with 300 zoom lens. This tripod handles my Canon DSR camera with 300 zoom lens without a problem. It is rated to support 30 pounds, way more than I will ever need.



* Flexible ball head or ability to mount any ball head. This tripod comes with a nice ball head and can accept any other standard ball head. The panning and tilting is smooth. The ballhead has three adjustment knobs.



' Pan knob is a small knob at the bottom.

' Ball knob is the medium sized knob. Using it I can position to ball to align with a 90-degree slot for vertical orientation.

' Small knob at the top controls the quick release plate.



This tripod came with a couple of extras:

' The package includes a carrying case.

' Also included us a bag to store the ball head. Since I already have another ball head I find a storage bag useful to store the one I am not using.



Tripod's maximum height is 65", minimum height is 18.6".



This tripod can be converted into a monopod using a provided hex key. The conversion is not fast as it requires working with a number of screws and washers. It is not something I would do on the road as it is easy to loose a washer or a screw. Some of the screws pretty tight.



This is a nice sturdy tripod that is not too heavy!



You can find "ZOMEI Camera Tripod" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Startreasureland 925 Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace 10mm White Freshwater Cultured Pearl (Jewelry)

This pendent has a very pretty design with a pearl surrounded by wavy halo crystals. The metal is sterling silver (has a stamp) and the the stone is a freshwater cultured white pearl. I measured the pear with my digital caliper and its size is 0.364 inches. The circle is 9/16" across. Both the pendant and the chain look delicate. The chain is 18" long, the chains look similar to liquid silver design.



I received a sample necklace for evaluation and review as part of new product introduction. Getting a free product does not effect what I say, I leave critical reviews when the product deserve it, but this is not one of them. I thought this pendant was even more attractive in person than in the photo.



You can find "Startreasureland Silver Pendant Necklace" on Amazon via this link





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Hamer Water Drop Necklace with Earrings Geometric Jewelry

I like this funky asymmetric necklace and matching earrings. It has a unique look and I like its shape and color. I wore it to a Christmas party and I thought it worked quite well. Several people commented that they liked the necklace. It is a little heavy (the necklace is 3.5 oz, and each earring is 0.4 oz), I can feel it when I wear it but it not unpleasant. The largest rhinestone is 2.75" long, the earrings are 1.25" long.



I always wear it with the full length of the chain extended which makes it 21", which fits around my neck like a neckline of a crew neck sweater.



This set was provided to me by Hamer Jewelry as part of a new product introduction with a request for evaluation and review. The necklace is well made and the stock photos match what I received well in all respects. I am adding a few extra photos of my own including the ones that I hope will be useful for size reference.



You can find "Hamer Necklace with Earrings" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: KARE AND KIND SUPER LARGE 3 LED Handheld Magnifier Reading Magnifying Glass Lens Kit

This is a pretty nice set of 3 magnifying glasses: the small one is the x20, the medium one is x10, and the large one is x5. Each of the loops fits into a the same handle. The magnifier loops are removed by squeezing two buttons on the sides at the same time.



The handle takes three AAA batteries (not included) which turns on two small but bright LED lights which shine exactly where the magnifier is pointing. Also included are cloth pouches for all three loops and a cleaning cloth.



All magnifiers have pretty good quality glass and make it easy to read tiny font or examine stamps on jewelry. I hope attached photos give you a better idea of what to expect.



You can find "KARE AND KIND Magnifiers" on Amazon via this link





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: GGMM M4 Leather Wireless Digital Wi-Fi

This is a hell of a speaker! GGMM can be made quite loud and the sound remains distortion free even at max volume. To test various speakers I use Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor. I like using because it has several passages in the beginning of the fugue which many speakers cannot handle - some speakers crackles others generate distortions, but this speaker handled it very well. In my video I included two small snippets of music so you can hear it for yourself.



The speaker connected to my phone's bluetooth smoothly. In the video you can see me turn off the speaker and then it back on again - it remembered the connection and automatically reconnected to the phone. However it did not remember my old settings neither the volume to the fact that I had the bass button pressed.



The speaker is 13.75"L x 4 3/8"W x 6"H. Its weight is 6 pounds 1.5 oz.



The speaker comes with an optional leather strap for carrying the speaker. And the sides had permanent metal posts for attaching the straps. I would have preferred that the permanent metal posts were not there, so I had an option to stand the speaker on its side. The speaker has no mounting holes.



I am very impressed with this speaker. I hope the video gives you a good idea of what to expect.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: btoto H9 2.0 Inch 170 Degree 6g Ultra-wide Angle Lens 4k Sports Action Camera

I received this camera for evaluation and review as part of a new product introduction. Getting a free product does not effect what I say, I always give a rating purely based on how the product performs. A few months ago I reviewed another camera from the same vendor and gave it a 2 stars rating. Despite knowing that I am reviewer who gives critical reviews when the product deserves it he sent me this camera for testing anyway. That's a sign of a good seller and a good product.



Btoto H9 is my first 4K camera and I can really tell the difference. The colors and clarity is excellent. The 170° lens provides a very wide view, but as any lens with such wide angle causes barrel distortion.



The camera produces very good video during the day and at dusk. The only time during the day when the video was not excellent was when the sun was directly into the camera, which is a challenge for any camera. The night time video is not as good. The camera has an intuitive interface, it also has WI FI that allows me to see what the camera sees on phone. The camera is exactly the same size as GoPro camera and accessories designed for GoPro fit it.



Live video via WI FI works very well: it was easy to connect the phone to the camera and the delay between action and live video is minimal (you can see it in my video). When you are using live mode the video is not recorded to the micro SD. The app for live product is called Ez iCam (I show the install and how the app works in the video). The name of a hot spot you need to connect to is ICAM-H9 (note that the name is slightly different from documentation - at least on Android phone).



Btoto H9 supports micro SD cards up to 32GB (the micro SD card is not included).



The camera produces video in the following resolutions (recorded in .mov format) using degree HD wide angle lens.

4K 10fps, 2.7K 15fps, 1080p 60/30fps, 720 120/60 fps. Amazon compresses video submitted in the reviews plus has a limit of videos size so I have to compress it before submitting as well, so what you see in the review video is much worse than what the camera produces.



To recharge the camera takes about 3 hours from empty, I am getting about 2 hours of video on one charge.



The package includes a large number of clamps and holders as well as a waterproof case. The manual is okay, it does not have instructions for every button but it was enough for me to find the right app and to figure out how to use the camera.



In attached video you can see video of the camera and video taken by the camera.



If you have questions on something I did not cover post a comment and I'll do my best to answer it.



You can find "btoto H9 2.0 Inch sports camear" via this link





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: reNeu Manuka Honey Cream Healing Moisturizer Skin Care with UMF 16+ and Aloe Vera

I really like this cream. It is really rich and smooth and it is an excellent moisturizer. I used it on a stubborn patch of dry skin on my face and it did a better job than other moisturizers I have used. I also used it on a minor burn and it felt better right away and healed overnight. I like how it feels - totally non greasy. It is almost unscented, I detect a light scent up close. To me it smells like a light vanilla scent.



It comes in a tub, so it will be easy to get every last bit of it. This has become my "go to" moisturizer for my face, dry heels, and anything else that gets dry in the winter.



I was received a tub of cream for testing a review. reNeu does not test their products on animals so I was recruited as one the human subjects. It is very effective and my skin reacted very well to it.



You can find "reNeu Manuka Honey Cream" via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Northfield Sportswear Men's Camouflage Hunting Camo Waterproof-insulated Jacket

This jacket is made in China but it is true to American sizes and is a good fit.



This jacket is well made, all zippers operate smoothly, it is quite warm, the lining is heavy, and the jacket feels heavy (2 pounds 15 oz). The jacket has 4 pockets. Two on the side, one on the chest, and one on the side. The jacket has a removable hood (attaches with a zipper). The hood can be tightened around the face. If you are a lefty you might like a quirk of this jacket that the chest pocket in on the right hand side, so it is a little more convenient to reach into it with a left hand.



To test how waterproof the jacket is I put it under a faucet. As you see in attached video I put it under a stream for more than a minute and the inside remained dry. Pretty good!



This jacket is provided by Northfield Sportswear.



You can find "Northfield Camouflage Jacket" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: 50 PCS Reusable Hook and Loop Fastening Velcro Cable Ties with Microfiber Cloth, 5 Color

I have been using ONE-WRAP Thin Self-Gripping Cable Ties by Velcro for
many years. I was quite pleased with them and thought they were very
good until I tried these cable ties. Turns out I like these cable ties
better. They are thicker they are easier to deal with - they keep their
shape. They are slightly (1/4") longer than ONE-WRAPS. I like that they
come in different colors, which helps me in color-coding the cables I
am organizing. I also like how I can tighten them like a belt. They are
long enough to wrap the cables and then ties them to something to keep
them in place.

These cables are 5.5" long and 1/2" wide.

I received these cables from H-Style for testing and review. These are my new favorite cable ties.





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AshopZones review ★★★★★



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Product review: Cavoli 8 Inch Two-Sided Swivel Wall Mounted Mirror Bathroom Mirror Wall Mount with 5x Magnification

This mirror is so convenient in a tight places! I can put it away when it is not inuse and pull it out when I need it. I am using it a garden shed where I put on sunblock, or need to clear something that got into my ears while working in the garden. The mirror is very clear. One side is a regular mirror the other is a 5X magnification mirror.



It comes with all mounting hardware including hollow wall anchors and metal covers for the nail heads.



I was provided this mirror for testing and review as part of a new product introduction. It is exactly what I expected.



You can find "Cavoli 8 Inch Two-Sided Swivel Wall mirror" on Amazon by following this link





AshopZones review ★★★★★