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 ★★★★☆

SimplyShred FHC512D 12 Sheet Cross Cut Paper DVD Credit Card Shredder

SimplyShred FHC512D is Level 3 security shredder. What is the difference between Level 3 and Level 4 security shredders?

This is best illustrated by looking at the output each shredder produces.

 

I am attaching a photo collage that shows the output of two shredders side by side so you can see how these different security levels compare.



The photo labelled L3-1 shows shredded CD, shredded paper, and shredded credit card from L3 level security shredder (this shredder). Photos labelled L4-1, L4-2, L4-3 show shredded CD, shredded paper, and shredded credit card from L4 level security shredder (SimplyShred PSC310D). You can see that the paper and credit card are shredded into much smaller pieces, CD shreds looks about the same.



I am also attaching a video which SimplyShred FHC512D in action. The video shows the shredder handling 10 sheets of paper, a CD, and a credit card.

FUNCTIONALITY



✔ SimplyShred FHC512D shredder easily handled 10 sheets of paper at once (it is rated up to 12 sheets of paper of 20 lb weight)

✔ It handles CDs and credit cards in addition to paper.

✔ The shredder's operation is fairly quiet and fast. The shredding speed is 8.5 feet per minute. The noise level and speed are best illustrated by the video.



SIZE INFO



✔ This shredder's size is 17" heigh x 13.75" wide x 9.5" front to back

✔ The bucket height is 13". Its capacity is 5 gallons.

✔ The opening of the entry for paper is 8.86". If the paper is wider than the opening the manual instructs the user to fold it, rather than have it crickle on the edges automatically.

✔ The size of shreds produced by this paper is 0.5" x 1.5"



The shredding mechanism of this shredder works as a cover for the bucket. To empty the bucket you need to lift off the shredding mechanism, put it aside, and empty the bucket. The shredding unit has a handle, which I found to be very comfortable and convenient. I own a similarly designed Fellows DM-6C shredder, which does not have a handle and it is much harder to empty. The bucket has a glass window in the front of the shredder so you can see when it is getting full. Photo L3-2 best shows this feature of the shredder.



Shredding starts automatically when you insert paper,credit card, or CD when the unit is set to 'on'. 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 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 FHC512D to my Fellows DM-6C Shredder.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

✔ The biggest difference is in easy of emptying the bucket. Because SimplyShred FHC512D has a handle, it is much easier to deal with it.

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

✔ Fellows Shredder has a lip around the top of the shredder so it is easier to move the entire container by putting my fingers under the lip. SimplyShred has no handles which allow to lift the bucket along with the shredding mechanism. But the entire unit is fairly light so this is not a big deal.



Comparing SimplyShred FHC512D to SimplyShred PSC310D:

----------------------------------------------------

✔ SimplyShred PSC310D is Security 4 level shredder, so it cuts the paper and credit cards into much smaller pieces.

Security level 3 produces shreds of 0.5" x 1.5" size, and severity level 4 produces shreads of 0.12" x 0.31" size.

✔ To empty the bucket in SimplyShred PSC310D you can remove the bucket while the shredding mechanism remains attached to the frame.

✔ SimplyShred FHC512D is easier move around than SimplyShred PSC310D due to PSC310D larger size

✔ SimplyShred PSC310D is more expensive than SimplyShred FHC512D



SimplyShred FHC512D does a good job at a reasonable price. SimplyShred PSC310D does a great job but at a higher cost.



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 ★★★★★

PowerGen PGMPP12000 12000mAh External Battery Pack High Capacity Power Bank Charger Triple USB 3Amps output for Apple and Android Nexus

I tested I 12000mAh PowerGen external battery pack with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone, and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player.





I am attaching a video and a photo that I will be referencing in this review.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package is that juice pack looks slick and well made. The photo shows a close up of the power pack on a gridded mat, next to a ruler and a pen for size reference. Its dimensions are 3.25" width x 3.75" by 0.88" thick. It weighs 8.9 oz (without cables).



The box contained two USB cords 7" and 27" and 5 adaptors to fit different devices (Nokia 2mm round, Playstation Portable 4mm round, mini USB, two micro USB). The adaptors are a weak point of the design, they feel a bit flimsy and it is easy to loose all the small pieces. The minimum number of adaptors needed for each of my devices is two: one that goes into the AC plug to charge the external battery and the second (mini USB) that goes into the devices for charging.



The blue lights on top of the battery pack indicate the level of power in the battery: 4 lights indicate full charge, 3 lights indicate 75% and so forth. To turn on the device you need to press the button on the side of the unit. To turn off the device you need to press and hold the button for a few seconds (this is not documented, I found it by experimenting).



The video shows turning the juice pack on, charging the juice pack, charging a device, and turning the juice pack off.

The power pack also has an LED light, which generates a pretty good bright light and can be used a flashlight.



The 12000mAh PowerGen has three USB outlets: Out A 2 Amp(best for iPad or any Apple device), Out S (best for non Apple devices), Out 1 Amp (best for iPhone and iPod). I tested my four electronic devices using both my own USB cable as well as the manufacture cable + adapter. In the documentation booklet PowerGen states that PowerGen cables provide better performance for non-Apple devices on the 2Amp (Apple port) and I wanted to see the difference between the cables.



The manual says that non-Apple devices for which adaptors are provided will charge at full speed. The provided adaptors fit Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone, Nexus 7 tablet and Sansa Clip MP3 (as they take regular USB-to-micro USB cable) but none of the provided adaptors fit Galaxy Samsung 7.7 Tablet so my in my tests for Samsung Galaxy I used the cable that came with my tablet.



I used Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.



The key findings:

================

(1) 2 Amp and 1 Amp outlets is aimed at Apple devices but worked fine with Nexus devices, and did not charge Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet (but slowed its normal discharge rate).

(2) S outlet worked for all Android devices, including Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet

(3) Using PowerGen cables vs generic charging cables made a positive difference.



Difference between a power cable and a data cable:

Charging cables short the two data connections together (rendering them useless for data transfer), but this fools devices to see them as an AC power connection, and thus accept the higher current of the charging source. Both my generic cable and PowerGen cables used in my tests are charging cables.



Description of my tests:

-------------------------

I tested each devices by charging each unit for 10 minutes and noting how the charge % change.

Note that I have been running the same tests with several PowerGen Juice packs, so if you are interested in the difference between the juice packs you can compare these test relative to each other.

The tests were run with the following permutations:

--- on 2A Apple port, 1A Apple port, and S port

--- using PowerGen cable and using my own charging cable

--- For Samsung Galaxy that was discharging attached to PowerGen on two Apple ports, I compared the discharging rate attached to PowerGen and normal discharge without the juice pack



The table below summarizes my findings.



Nexus 7 Tablet

-----------------------------------

1Amp Apple port ..... generic cable .... AC source .... 2% charge in 10 minutes

1Amp Apple port ..... Powergen cable ... AC source .... 2% charge in 10 minutes

S port .............. generic cable .... AC source .... 3% charge in 10 minutes

S port .............. Powegen cable .... AC source .... 4% charge in 10 minutes

2Amp Apple port ..... generic cable .... AC source .... 2% charge in 10 minutes

2Amp Apple port ..... Powergen cable ... AC source .... 5% charge in 10 minutes



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

-----------------------------------

1Amp Apple port ..... generic cable .... AC source .... 3% charge in 10 minutes

1Amp Apple port ..... Powergen cable ... AC source .... 5% charge in 10 minutes

S port .............. generic cable .... AC source .... 5% charge in 10 minutes

S port .............. Powegen cable .... AC source .... 5% charge in 10 minutes

2Amp Apple port ..... generic cable .... AC source .... 5% charge in 10 minutes

2Amp Apple port ..... Powergen cable ... AC source .... 5% charge in 10 minutes



Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

-----------------------------------

1Amp Apple port ..... generic cable .... discharging .... 0% discharging in 10 minutes

S port .............. generic cable .... AC source ....... 5% charge in 10 minutes

2Amp Apple port ..... generic cable .... discharging .... 0% discharging in 10 minutes

not attached......... N/A................discharging..... -4% discharging in 10 minutes



SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player

-----------------------------------

1Amp Apple port ... works

S port ............ works

2Amp Apple port ....works



The MP3 player recognized the charger on both outlet, however it behaved differently than charging from the charger it came with the player itself. When I charge Sansa MP3 with a standard AC charger, the MP3 player goes into charging mode, displaying the charging animated icon. When it was plugged into the PowerGen external battery it continued to play the content. I listen to books on my MP3 player so this caused me to move forward in my book and I had to manually reset my position by a few chapters to get back to where I was when I started charging. The positive side of this, is that is possible to continue listening while MP3 is recharging. This is very handy for Sansa MP3 player since it has built-in battery that cannot be swapped for a charged one. I used to have to stop listening to have it recharged and now I can continue to listen while it re-charges. I was very happy to have this feature during hurricane Sandy when I lost power and my books on MP3 player were my only source of entertainment.



To summarize:



I liked:

-----------------------------------

1. Good behavior with Nexus devices.

2. Galaxy tablet consistently works at AC rate on S port (some of the PowerGen packs I tested in the past did not give me consistent results)

3. Solution for MP3 player with built-in battery

4. Looks sleek, feels solid, is compact

5. Labels for the ports are now in black font so they are easier to read (Thank you PowerGen for listening to feedback!)



I did not like:

-----------------------------------

1. The multiple piece connectors are easy to loose. I prefer a one piece charging cable I bought as a replacement, even though its performance is slight slower



I received 12000mAh external battery pack for testing from the manufacturer to write an honest and unbiased review and I hope you found my tests useful.



Overall, I am pleased with this unit and recommend it.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

tant;" />





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Accessorise Executive Ballpoint Pen with Stylus and 8GB 2.0 USB Flash Drive

This pen combines three functions: in addition to a ball point pen, there is a memory stick in the cap of the pen, and a stylus at the tip of the cap. The pen comes with two additional ball point pen refills.



I am attaching a collage of three photos that I will be referencing in this review.

Photo #1 has Accesssorise Memory stick Pen next to a regular size pen and next to a regular Cruzer memory stick for relative size/thickness comparison. As you see this pen is a little thicker than a typical ball point pen. My pen wrote well with an even distribution of ink, however I found a thicker pen not very comfortable when I did a lot of writing. It is totally fine for a few quick notes. My husband has bigger hands and found this pen comfortable to write with.



Photo #2 has the memory stick part separated from the pen and next to the Cruzer memory stick for relative size. They are about the same in length, and then pen memory stick is a little thinner. As it serves as a cap the memory stick part has the clip. This is very handy! I tend to lose my memory sticks and the clip really keeps the memory stick in place so it is easy for me to find it every time I need it!



The third photo is the cap inserted into my computer. It fits and works perfectly.



The stylus works well on our two tablets (Nexus 7 and 7.7 Samsung Galaxy).



I have used this pen for a couple of weeks before writing this review and found that I use it a lot, mostly as a memory stick. Turns out the thing I like most about this gadget is the clip on memory stick, I always know where it is.



This pen makes a nifty 'Secret Santa' gift: it looks sleek and attractive while being a bit unique, not very expensive but does not look cheap. This is the type of thing I look for when getting a 'Secret Santa' gifts for my co-workers.



I was provided an evaluation copy of the Accessorise pen with stylus and memory for testing and review. I described both positives and negatives of my experience with the pen in this review. I hope you found my comments and photos useful. 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 ★★★★★

Accessorise Padded Neoprene 7 Inch Tablet Zip Sleeve Case Cover with Built-in Landscape / Portrait Viewing Stand

I tested Accessorise Neoprene Sleeve with our two tablets: 7" Nexus Galaxy tablet and 7.7" Samsung Galaxy tablet. I also compared this case with the cases that are currently in use with the tablets prior to this case. I am attaching a collage of 7 photos that I will be referencing in this review.

The first thing I noticed about this sleeve that it is well constructed: the zippers operated very smoothly, all seams are finished well, there are no loose threads or blemishes. The case comes with a wrist band which can be optionally attached with a spring lock.



The sleeve's size is 9" by 6.25". It is made out of neoprene. I typically think of neoprene sleeves as being soft and pliable, however this case is made out of two layers of neoprene with plastic insert between them, so it is fairly stiff with some flex it in. It provides more protection than a single layer of neoprene. The inside layer of neoprene has round bumps which provide a big of extra cushion. The inside of the case is best seen in photo #2.



The outside of the case has a 5.5" by 3.37" compartment with an opening which is a slit. The slit has no closure mechanism. This compartment is best to carry something that can be clipped to it (like a pen or a stylus), or perhaps a cord that would stretch it and thus stay in. This slit is visible in the photo #3, it looks like a blue line in the photo which shows the top of the case.



The dimensions of this sleeve are such that it fits both of our tablets: the smaller 7" Nexus tablet as well as the larger 7.7" Samsung Galaxy Tablet. In fact, I was able to fit 7.7 Samsung Galaxy not only "naked" but also while it was in its leather case Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Leather Folio Case . It fits quite nicely and snugly into the case either "naked" or with the case.



Photo #1 and Photo #2 show the 7.7" Galaxy tablet on top and inside of the sleeve so you can see the fit.

Photo #3 and Photo #4 demonstrate the 7" Nexus tablet fit. The photos show the Kroo sleeve and Accessorise sleeve next to each other, with the tablet on top of each in turn. 



Kroo Neoprene Sleeve Case

by comparison is made out of one neoprene layer. The fit of the Kroo sleeve is snug, the fit of the Accessorise sleeve is a bit loose. This is generally not a problem, unless you want the tablet to fit into your pocket. My husband likes carrying Nexus 7 in his pockets (jacket pocket or even pants pocket). Photo #6 and photo #7 demonstrate how he inserts the sleeves into his pocket - Kroo sleeve goes in without any issues. Accessorise sleeve does not fit.

  

Photo #5 shows how the sleeve can be used as a stand. There was no documentation to explain how the sleeve can be used as a stand, it took a bit of guessing to figure out that the tabs were meant to be spread out and used to hold up the device. It worked, but I have to say that I did not feel secure about leaving the tablet under flexed tension of the sides for a long time. I would not want to risk to have the tablet pop out of it, and I was not sure how the case will hold up if it was flexed for a long time.



We decided that the sleeve is a better fit for the 7.7" tablet than the 7" tablet. I like using my tablet while it is in its leather folio case a bit of extra protection, so I have been using the neoprene case to carry the tablet (by its wrist band) while it is in its leather folio.



Overall, I liked the case but I did not like the stand mechanism. Double neoprene layer construction provides more protection than a typical one layer neoprene case at the cost of being slightly bigger and thicker.



I was provided an evaluation copy of the Accessorise Neoprene Sleeve Case for testing and review. I described both positives and negatives of my experience with the sleeve in this review. I hope you found my comments, measurements 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 ★★★★☆

2 DVD set Les Miserables: 10th Anniversary Dream Cast (2012)

I received this DVD a day after watching the movie "Les Miserable". While the movie was fresh in my mind I was eager to hear the the musical production. I can tell you that I enjoyed the signing on the DVD significantly more than the signing in the movie. This is not all that surprising since the 10th Anniversary Concert features the top stars from both the London and Broadway productions. The concert was performed on October 8, 1995 and brought together over 250 best performers from various worldwide productions. The finale features 17 'Valjeans' from productions around the world singing in their native languages.



This set includes two DVD disks (one with the concert, one with the extras about the process of making the concert), 12 page commemorative booklet which includes several photographs from the concert, and a replica of the ticket to the London after party. I am attaching a collage of two photos which show the DVD set opened with the entire content visible.



I'm very grateful to BBC Worldwide for sending me a sample copy of this DVD for review purposes. The timing of getting it was perfect, it allowed me to enjoy the cinematography of the movie and then to enjoy the music and singing of this DVD even more. I am not compelled to see the movie again, but I already listened to this DVD several times and undoubtedly will enjoy it again.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Evriholder IOM-FNL Iron on Mat with Funnel

In my spare time I am a quilter, so my ironing board in the study is always out with the iron is on it. I also use my ironing board for doing art layouts as it allows me to do so without bending down (important because of my back problems). Since I am around my ironing board a lot I have knocked down the iron to the floor quite a few times. Not good for the iron (had to replace at least one iron) and not good for the floor (have a gouge in the wood floor).



I have tried several iron rests, which improved things but did not totally resolve the problem until I bought this silicone iron rest pad.



Not only the silicone iron rest pad is heat resistant, it is non-slip. Since the iron sits on it with the business side down (not its end) it is very stable, it is pretty impossible to knock down. As an added bonus the pad is water proof, so when you use steam and iron has water in it, if a little of it leaks out it stays on the pad. I am attaching a collage of two photos. In the photos you can see the pad with my iron on it in two different orientations, so you can see how it fits.



The pad size is 14.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches. It weights 2.4 ounces



This iron pad is designed to resist hot temperatures for short periods of time only. The warning on the package says that it should not be used with temperatures of over 500 F (260 C) even for short period of times. It also warns not to use it if the pad gets cuts or pierced. The pad itself does get heated up with a hot iron on it, so let it cool off before handling. One of the pad ends has a funnel that is normally collapsed and flat. It can be used to make it easier to add water to the iron without spills. I have not found much use for this feature although the funnel does pop out nicely and does fit into the opening. This product is made in China.



Overall, I am very pleased - a very inexpensive solution to a really annoying problem.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★