Product review: Dante RFID Blocking Slim Wallet for Women with many Slotsoduct review:

I have been using this wallet for almost two weeks and I like having so many compartments: 10 credit card slots, one ID Window, two currency pockets, one zippered pouch. I got the red color as my main purse is red and is a pretty good match in color. Initially the credit card slots were very tight and it took some effort to pull out each credit cards but after about of week of daily use it got better as the leather stretched out.



Its size is 3.75" x 7.25" (a little smaller than Amazon description).

The id compartment is 3 5/8" long and 2 5/8" wide. It fits both the drivers license and the passport card (which is tiny bit large than the driver's license).



Drivers license is 3 3/8" X 2 1/8"

Passport card is 3 1/2" x 2 1/4"



There are two aspects to consider about this wallet. First, how does it fit all items one wants to carry in the wallet. Second, is RFID protection worth paying extra for.



RFID

~~~~

When is RFID useful? There are three types of credit cards:

1) Cards that have only magnetic strip do not emit any kind of data for the thieves to steal. RFID protection is not needed.



2) RFID cards which are are identified by wavy lines on the card (see attached photo). These cards came into being a few years ago and has not became widely used. RFID chip cards produce radio waves which can be picked by thieves that are are a few feet away from the card and can be targets for electronic pick pockets. RFID protection is needed.



3) The new EMV chipped cards they are now a requirement and are common. EMV cards work either by being inserted into a check out terminal or by Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC radio signals degrade very quickly, they can only be transmitted within a very short distance measured in centimeters. This need for proximity makes the risk of electronic pick pockets extremely low. In addition, the data transmitted by the card is encrypted which further minimizing the risk. Whether RFID protection is needed is more of a personal preference rather than yes or no purely based on the technology.



So what is the bottom line? For the old fashioned magnetic strip cards RFID protection is not needed at all. If you have the old RFID type credit card, the RFID wallets are useful. For the EMV credit cards they are not really needed but could provide peace of mind for those who worry.



This wallet is provided by Dante for evaluation and review. I hope my review was helpful to figure it if the wallet is match for your needs. RFID protection is not a key feature for me, but I like the way it looks and the number of compartments it has.



YOu can find "Dante Wallet" on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: FLEXIMOUNTS 4'x4' or2'x8' Ceiling Storage Rack

This mount is meant for plywood or concrete ceilings. It is not designed for a joist ceiling which is common in a typical American house. The Fleximount storage can be mounted two ways as a 4" x 4" square, or as 2" x 8" long storage. The problem with the Fleximount is that it does not offer any flexibility on how far apart the supports can be mounted on the ceiling, they have to located exactly at ends of the metal shelf - either 2" or 4" apart. Neither matches the geometry of the joists. For comparison, in a system like HyLoft ceiling storage the ceiling supports do not attach directly to the metal grid shelve, instead they attach to the support cross bars which hold the shelf. This means the ceiling supports can be positioned as needed to match the joist, and the grid shelve rests on the cross bars.



I could not mount Fleximount storage system as it was designed. I was able to mount Fleximout storage after purchasing additional bars and hardware at HomeDepot at an additional cost of $40 dollars. In attached photos you can see what the final results look like. I was able to reuse the Fleximount's vertical support bars by mounting them on the joists and then attached them to the cross bars I purchased. Once the supports were installed I put the shelving on top of the support bars and secured the shelves to the support bars with a large number of cable ties.



The shelves and the brackets are well built, but to make it work in a typical American house construction took some thinking to figure out how to make it work and extra purchases.



I was provided Fleximount storage for testing and review. This is well made system but aimed at plywood or concrete ceilings. If you are looking to a system to attach to joist I recommend Hyloft storage instead.



YOu can locate FLEXIMOUNTS ceiling storage on Amazon by following 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: VonHaus Vacuum Bags (12 pack) - 12 x Space Saver Bags

Let me start by correcting the description. This bag does not contain 12 vacuum bags of the same kind. 3 smaller bags are compression style bags (which you roll to push out air), and 8 bags are the kind you use with a vacuum cleaner (which sucks out air from a special valve). In my experience compression style bags do not work as well, although they could be useful when traveling and one does not have access to a vaccum clearner. However, the Amazon description should have clearly spelled out that the package contains different type of vacuum bags.



I use vacuum bags to store seasonal clothing. I have used a number of vacuum bags in the past and some of them have stayed compressed for years. The most critical part of the process is to seal the big opening really well. Some vacuum bags come with a clip which you can move back and forth to make sure the bags is closed well quickly. My package was missing these clips. It is possible to seal the bags without the clips by using your fingers and listening for the clicks. When you hear no clicks it means the grooves fit perfectly together. It works, but it takes more time than a sealing clip.



The second step is evacuate air with the hose and then seal the opening. The tricky part comes when you remove the hose and close the clip. Some vacuum bags have a seal which does not let the air escape, this bag does not have such a seal and I heard a hiss of escaping air until I closed the opening and pressed it a few times.



I used several of the bags so far and I would say that I get about 50% compression. How much compression you get depends on how fluffy the things you are compressing are.



I received these bags for testing and review. Getting a free product does not prevent me from speaking honestly about pluses and minuses of the product. These bags work but the product and description of the product have several short comings that I described.



YOu can find "VonHaus Vacuum Bags" on Amazon by following this link





AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

Gurin Renewable Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

This dehumidifier is 6" by 4.5" by 1.5". Crystallized silica gel inside of the case absorbs moisture in the air (documentation says it can absorb 8-10 ounces of moisture). The window on the front of the unit show moisture indicator crystals that change color from dark blue (when dry) to pink (when wet). When the crystals indicate that the content is wet the unit needs to be plugged in for 12-14 hours to dry out the gel.



The unit is designed to work in small enclosed areas. I keep some paperwork in the basement and want to prevent it from smelling musty. I put the Gurin dehumidifier into the enclosed box with my paperwork and left it there for 1 month. I took pictures of the indicator after this 1 month test and after I dried them out again.



The first photo shows the unit from the side. It comes with a hanger which is handy to finding a good way to place the unit. I used it to hang the unit inside of the box from one of the sides.



The second photo shows the power outlet which is used when you need to dry out the silica gel. After 1 month test I kept the unit plugged in for close to 20 hours as crystals continued to get darker after 14 hours recommended in the manual.



Photo #3 shows the "dry" crystals after they were dried out. Photo #4 shows the "wet" crystals after 1 month in the basement. Under the bright lights I was able to tell a subtle difference between purple and dark blue. The top of the unit contains a color chart that shows blue for dry, purple for medium, and pink for wet. After one month the color was somewhere between the blue shade and the purple shade shown on the chart.



Having a small unit preserving valuable papers is very useful. I believe the unit did absorb the moisture in the box. The indicator is a bit hard to read, but at least this test told me that I don't need to recharge (i.e. dry out) the silica every month.



I received this dehumidifier from the manufacture for an honest and unbiased review. Note that the manufacture provides a 5 year limited warranty for this product.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

i-Ecko High-Tech Laptop Sleeve. 15.6"

This is a neoprene sleeve for laptops with size up to 15.6 inches.

Photo #1 shows the laptop sleeve on the gridded mat and ruler for size reference. It is 15.5" wide, 11.5" high (from the bottom to the zipper), the bottom is 1" but the sides expand to accommodate somewhat thicker laptops. The front has a pocket which sized 8" by 10", the side to the right of the zipper is 9". It comes with a detachable shoulder strap.



The sleeve is made out of one layer of thick neoprene. The zippers are heavy duty and operate smoothly. The handles have an extra layer of neoprene and Velcro on the inside so they form a comfortable thick handle.



The sleeve fit my laptop as a glove. Photo #2 show the laptop in the open sleeve, and Photo #3 shows the sleeve half zipped. The sleeve had enough room for me to put in all the cords.



The sleeve formed a very neat snug package, giving protection without taking up any extra room. Because of it size it nicely fits into my backpack. When I travel with a laptop during business trips I can keep it in the backpack and then easily pull out at the airport for the security check. This saves me from carrying a laptop case as an extra piece of luggage.



I received a sample laptop case for evaluation and review.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

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AshopZones review ★★★★★

Rick Steves Clothesline (braided rubber clothline rope)

This clothline is made out of three braids of rubber, which can be pulled apart to poke through a small piece of the garment you want to dry. This means you don't need to worry about cloth pins when you travel. This clothline works very well indoors, however the rubber braids are not strong enough to hold clothing outside in the wind or near an open window with strong gusts.



The length of this rope without stretching is 40 inches. Each end of the rope ends in a Velcro loop which I did not include in the 40 inch measurement as it will be tied around something. The stretchy part is 32 inches, and can be relatively easily stretch to 42 inches giving you a total of 48 inches. However, I would not stretch it any more than that as I ran into issues: either the pull moves the objects it is tied to (when I use two chairs) or the Velcro undoes itself. I was also worried about pulling out the rope ends from the rubber part and ruining the rope. My solution to a relatively short length is to pack a short rope with a loop on one end. When I need extra reach to tie the clothline I attach the Velcro tie to the loop of the rope. This extension gives me the extra length to reach another stationary object when needed.

I am attaching a photo  which shows a close-up of the rope with a pen sticking through the braids to demonstrate how it stretches. You can also see how solidly the Velcro ties are constructed. They are quite thick.



When I travel I always wash my items in the sink. This allows me to bring fewer clothes as well as have a minimum amount of dirty underwear in the luggage. Most things I have dry over night. Typically hiking socks are the only things that remain damp. This becomes a problem if you are moving from place to place, so I carry a spare plastic bag where the items that are not totally dry travel if we are switching hotel rooms. To do the laundry I use the shampoo (either the hotel's or the travel bottle I bring myself if we travel in places which do not provide toiletries).



I found having this travel rope makes laundry on the go easier, and I don't need to worry about forgetting to bring cloth pins or using up all hangers for hanging laundry instead of cloth.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

SimplyShred PSC310D 10 Sheet Micro Cut Heavy Duty Paper Cd Credit card Shredder

I am very impressed with SimplyShred PSC310D shredder:

(1) The shredder easily handled 10 sheets of paper at once

(2) When I shredded a credit card and wanted to take a picture of the shreds to include in this review, I could not find them among the paper shreds. I had to empty the bin and do it again so I could be sure what they looked like. They were totally minced!

(3) The shredder did a nice job on CDs.

(4) This shredder can handled staples



I am attaching a video demonstrates this shredder working on 10 sheets of paper, a credit card, and a CD. I am also attaching a collage of 6 photos that I will be referencing in this review.

1. This shredder is a pretty substantial unit. Photo #1 shows it next to my Fellows DM-6C shredder and you can see that SimplyShred is significantly taller.

SimpleShred is 26" high x 10.25" front to back x 14.5 inches wide



The shredding mechanism of this shredder is built into the frame of the unit. The bucket can be removed like a draw, which makes disposal of the shreds much easier. The glass window in the front of the shredder has an opening which serves as a handle to move the bucket in and out. The shredder does not operate when the bucket is removed.

The removable bucket is 15.75" high x 9.5" front to back x 12.5" wide. It capacity is 7.4 Gallons.



2. Photo #2 shows shredder working on a single piece of paper. It does a fine job on one or multiple pieces, but it is fairly loud. The video will give you an idea of how quickly the shredder works as well as the level of the noise it generates. The speed of the shredder is 8.5 feet per minute. The blue light on the front panel is on when the shredder is operating.

3. Photo #4 shows the size of the paper shreds produces by this shredder. SimplyShred cuts them into tiny pieces. For size reference the line you see the photo is 1/4 inch grout line. Shreds size is 0.12in x 0.31in (3 mm x 8 mm)



4. CDs are shredded by inserting them into the second slot on the top of the machine. Photo #3 shows how the cd was broken up by the shredder.



5. Credit cards can be shredded either in the front slot or the back slot. Photo #6 is showing the credit card going into the front slot. Photo #5 shows shredded credit card. You can see why I had trouble finding those remnants, they are very small and have the same shape as shredded paper.



6. Shredding starts automatically when you insert paper/credit card/CD. If the shredder jams the front panel has forward and reverse buttons which can be used to backup the paper and unjam. Shredding of papers with labels is not recommended as it can gum up the blades.

The manual states that one should not shred continuously for more than 7 minutes. If the shredder overheats it shuts off and red LED light is displayed on the front panel. If the bucket becomes full another red LED light will be displayed on the front panel.



7. The manual has a nice tip on how to oil the shredder. It recommends applying oil to a sheet of paper in a zigzag pattern and feeding it through the machine, rather then applying the oil directly into the opening of the machine.



Comparing SimplyShred PSC310D to my Fellows DM-6C Shredder I like SimplyShred better:

1. The micro shreds generated by SimplyShred are smaller and thus more secure

2. SimplyShred can handle credit cards and CD where as Fellows does not

3. In order to empty my Fellows shredder I need to manually lift the shredding mechanism (which litters the floor with small pieces of paper). SimplyShred shredder has the shredding mechanism attached to the frame of the unit so I can just remove the bucket.

4. SimplyShred handles staples, where as Fellows required me to remove stables before shredding

5. Fellows Shredder has a lip around the top of the shredder so it is easier to move around by putting my fingers under the lip. SimplyShred has no handles and is difficult to get a hold of for moving or lifting.



There were a couple of small things about SimplyShred shredder that I did not like:

1. The unit does not have any handles. It has totally smooth sides. This makes it very cumbersome to carry. It would have been better if it had either indentation or bumps to form handles on the sides.

2. The shredder has wheels with locks. But even after I unlocked the locks the wheels did not roll well.



However, SimplyShred does the job of shredding so well that these minor points do not prevent me from enthusiastically recommending it.



I received this new shredder model for testing, evaluation and providing an honest review. I described both positives and negatives of my experience with this shredder. I hope you found my observations, measurements, video and photos helpful. If you have any questions I have not addressed I am always happy to answer comments.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

2013 Daily Planner / Organizer from Tools4Wisdom

I am a list person. Each day I keep a list of tasks I need to accomplish that day, crossing out the ones I have completed and adding new ones through out the day. When this planner arrived in the mail I had a list of 17 tasks on a sheet of paper. Even though I work with computers every day and love my tablet, I prefer paper-based lists. It seems that I remember things better when I write them down, and there is serious satisfaction in crossing things out from the list when the task is done!



When the Daily Planner arrived in the mail I transferred my 17 tasks to the daily planner and lived with it for several days before writing this review so I can fully evaluate how it is working for me.



The Daily Planner is 8.6" by 11" spiral bound notebook. It is made out of high quality matte paper that is easy to write on. Its weight is 1 pound 5.4 oz on my digital scale. I am attaching a collage of 2 photos. You can see the organizer on the postal scale in photo #2.

The minder has several sections:

(1) A monthly section shows one month at a glance. The days are labelled with a day of the week but no Month or Date labels, which allows you to use it for any year or month you want after you add labels yourself into the provided spaces.

Each month fits on one side of the organizer, so you can see two months if the organizer opened (i.e. not folded in half). There are 12 pages that show the monthly layout.

(2) Monthly goals and ideas section allows you to identify top goals for the month. It also has a section to write down steps to accomplish these goals. Each month goals/steps take 2 pages. This section follows the 12 month layout pages, and there are total of 24 pages for goals/steps.

(3) Daily planner section follows the monthly section. The daily planner pages take 3/4 of the book, as obviously you will be using them up faster than the other pages. This section allows you to break down your daily tasks in to three sections: top priority, important but not urgent, and not important and not urgent. It also helps you to determine the top goal for the day and specific steps to accomplish it. This section takes the top half of each page. The second half of the page contains continuous improvement questions, e.g. "what will I do to improve my mental focus?" At the bottom of the page there is an hourly chart, spanning from 9 am to 7 pm where you can mark things that have to happen at a certain time.



After living with the daily planner for a number of days here are my observations



I LIKED:



1. I loved how the daily planner forced me to sort my daily tasks into three priorities. This is my favorite feature of the book as it helps me organize thoughts and priorities about the tasks for the day.

2. I liked the time line at the bottom of the daily page, as I could see my entire day schedule quickly

3. I liked the spiral binding of the book, it stays open on the day you want and it is easy to flip back and look at the previous days. It is easy to lose loose paper pages, the daily minder keeps them all together.

4. I liked that I can tear out pages without damaging the construction of the minder.

5. I liked how the goals of the month lead you into dividing your project into smaller steps, making the task less daunting.



I DID NOT LIKE:



1. I wish my favorite section - the three columns of the daily tasks - was longer. When I transferred my 17 tasks to the daily planner I had hard time fitting them all in. The three columns currently have 8 lines each. Each column is 1/3 of the page, so some task descriptions I had took more than one line (sometimes I had a phone number associated with a task or some additional info that did not lend well to abbreviation). On the other hand the continuous improvement questions section was not that important to me, so I would have been okay giving it up to have a larger area for tasks.



MY ADDITION:



1. I tied a ribbon to the back of the spiral of the organizer. This gave me a bookmark that I keep on the current day so it is easy for me to open the minder to the right page. (See photo #2 which can be found by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo)



I received a copy of this minder from Tools4Wisdom for the purpose of evaluation and an honest review.

As a person who likes making (and completing!) lists I enjoy working with this minder. There are a few things that could have made it fit how I work better (e.g. allow for longer tasks lists) and I wrote my suggestions to the manufacture who was very receptive to new ideas, clearly they care about their products and customers. I recommend this organizer!



You can find 'Daily planner' on Amazon by following this link





AshopZones review ★★★★☆