Brightech - BT Remote - Bluetooth Multi-Media & Camera Remote Control for iPhone iPad Nexus Samsung Galaxy

I tested this bluetooth remote with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2). All three devices worked very well. According to documentation the remote is also compatible with all iPhone devices and Laptops running Windows XP and Windows 7 if they have bluetooth capabilities.

I am attaching a collage of 4 photos that I will be referencing in this review.



The remote is 3 5/8 inches in length by 1 3/8 inches in width, it is 1/4 inches thick.



The bottom panel of the remote slides down to reveal a keyboard which is used for pairing the device with your mobile device. You can see the keyboard in photos 2,3,4. The keyboard keys are tiny and fairly difficult to press accurately. To activate the pairing mode you need to hit the right most key on the top row. The remote shows up as "UConnect" in the list of Bluetooth devices (see photo #2) for Nexus 7 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone. It shows upas "Bluetooth Media Control" on Samsun Galaxy 7.7 tab. When your mobile device detects the remote it will prompt you to enter the randomly generated security code displayed on the screen on the key pad of the remote (see photo #3 and photo #4). You only have to do this once, the next time you connect the device it remembers the security code.



The remote can control the volume level of of the mobile devices (tested with Pandora and TuneRadio apps). For MP3 players it can perform fast forward, reverse, pause/play operations.



I also tested the remote for activating the Camera/Video recorder and it worked smoothly.



Remote Presenter capability only works for Apple devices (it requires Mac Air, Mac Book Pro, iMac or Mac Mini). Siri capability is available for iPhone 4S and later.



I received this remote from the manufacture to share my experiences with it (positive and negative) with potential future buyers. I have no financial interest or business relationship with the manufacturer, and this review represents my independent opinion of the product.



Overall, I was impressed with this remote control. It looks sleek, it works well. My favorite use for the remote control is for controlling Grace Digital ECOXGEAR waterproof bluetooth speaker that has no volume control. I keep the speaker in the bathroom so I can listen to it while taking the shower. Brightech remote control allows me to change volume and pause the sound something I have not been able to do before.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

DB-Tech Compact Foldable Bread Slicer

This bread slicer helped me slice the bread into thin even slices and it packs away very compactly. I like it. I am attaching a video which demonstrates how I assemble the bread slice, cut the bread, and disassemble the bread slicer for storage.

The bread slicer fits breads up to 6 inches wide, 5 inches tall. The length of the cutting area is 11.75" inches, but the bread can be slid off one side, so there is no limit in length. The cutting slots come in three width 3/8 inches on one end (what I used in the demo), 1/4 inch in the middle, and 5/8 inch on the other end. When the bread slicer is closed up it measures 12" x 8" x 2". I found it is easy to pack and assemble, so I stored flat on a shelf, and pull out when I need to cut bread.



It is made out wood (bamboo), so when I need to wash it I do so by hand (not in the dishwasher).



I received a sample product from the manufacture to share my honest experience with the product. In the past there was a problem with assembling the bread slicer sides correctly (because the slats on one end are meant for thicker slices, and both sides need to be oriented the same), this problem has been corrected.



Overall, I am pleased with this bread slicer, I particular like the thin slices as making them even without the aid of the bread slicer is hard. I like storing bread in the freezer and taking it slice by slice (this allows me to eat bread yet not to worry about eating too much of it). Now I can buy artisan breads which are not pre-sliced, slice them in the bread slicer, freeze, and consume slowly.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Sleep Lavender Bath Salts

I have a bad back and after a couple of back surgeries I learned a number strategies that help my back feel better. One of them is a 10 minute hot bath every night - it really helps feel and sleep better.  Recently I included Sleep Lavender Bath Salts from San Francisco Bath Salt Company into my routine. I love it!  The Lavender salt bath smells really nice.  I don't like strong scents and this one was just right for me - not too strong yet noticeable.  It made my soak more luxurious and pleasant.



Note that if you don't like flowery scents, San Francisco Bath Salt Company offers other salts with different scents, for example this muscle soak salt which smells minty.

I am attaching a collage of three photos.  The first photo shows salt in my hand, you can see the size and texture of the salt grains. The second photo shows the bag the salts came in, the salt has a light purple color.  The third photo shows salt as it begins to melt in the tub.



I find that the hot soak reduces pain and relieve muscle cramps in my back. I also found that if I have a migraine a hot soak helps to ease the headache as well.



I usually use one or two hand fulls of salt per bath, so one 2 pound bag will last quite a long time.



I received an evaluation bag of Lavender Salt for evaluation and an honest review. I have been using salt soaks for a couple of weeks now. In addition to making my bath soaks more pleasant I noticed another other benefit.  I noticed that the calluses on my feet are easier to treat after the soak in the bath with salts (compared to the soak in plain hot water).  It takes fewer strokes with a pumice sponge to get my feet totally smooth.



In addition to the use in the tub, I also enjoyed using a bit of salt as skin exfoliator. It works nicely providing a gentle scrub and massage.



Overall, I am very pleased with Lavender Salt and will continue to use it.





You can find Lavendar salt on Amazon by following this link.





You can find Musle soak salts on Amazon by following this link.









AshopZones review ★★★★★

Hipe Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Shower Speaker

This speaker looks like a toy, but don't let the looks fool you. It sounds really good. I am attaching a video which demonstrates the sound: first with the speaker on and then, for comparison, turning off the speaker so the sounds comes through the tablet speaker. I am also attaching a collage of three photos that I will be referencing in this review.

The speaker is 8 inches wide, 3.25 inches tall, and 1.75" thick. It weight 9.9 inches. It comes in two colors: black and white.



The front of the speaker (see photo #1 for reference) has controls that allow you to to turn the speaker on and off, change volume, skip forward and backwards, go to the end, and use the phone. The little port hole above the command dial is the microphone.



The back of the speaker (see photo #2 for reference) has a watertight seal covering the compartment that has a charging port (5V IN), on/off switch, and Power out DC 5V port. The difference between the front on/off switch and the back on/off switch is that the front switch leaves the unit in stand by mode. The switch in the back can be used when you don't want to drain the battery.



The speaker has built in handle that can be used to hang the speaker in the shower (see photo #3 for reference).

 

 

The speaker's sound is very good, it is very clear and crisp at all ranges. The volume can be made fairly loud (I put it to the max in the video). In a small room like the bathroom it sounded especially good. I was also glad that it had controls right on the speaker. When the reminder alarm went off on my tablet while I was in the shower and unable to turn it off, I was able to switch off the speaker so I did not have to listen to the ding of the reminder for 10 minutes until it would automatically shut off.



To pair the speaker with your device you need to turn the unit on and then hold the on button for a few seconds until the light on the front start flushing red and blue color. While it is flashing red and blue you can scan for bluetooth devices on your phone/tablet and it this speaker will appear as HIP400. Documentation says that if you are prompted for the password enter 1234. I was not prompted for the password.



I received this speaker from the manufacture for evaluation and an honest review. I hope the video will give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of the quality of the sound. I really like this speaker, I like it better than the bluetooth shower speaker I have been using previously. While both have good sound, Hipe speaker has controls right on the speaker and that makes it much more convenient.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Bolse® Dual Desktop Charger Cradle Dock with Spare Battery Charging Slot

The idea of having a dock which can charge the phone as well as an extra battery outside the phone at the same time was very appealing to me, as my husband uses the cell phone for business and it gets a lot of use. He uses Nexus Galaxy phone with Hyperion Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus 3800mAh Extended Battery which makes the phone extra thick.  I tested the dock with both regular slim battery and the extra thick extended battery.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos that I will be referencing in this review.



The first photo shows that the dock did not fit the phone when it had the thick extended battery installed. Photo #2 shows the bottom of the phone and extra thickness this battery forms.  The phone with the regular battery fit without problems.



Photo #3 shows the extended battery in the dock, the contacts of the battery did not line up with the contacts of the charger due to the thickness of the battery.  The green light on the dock indicates that the dock is plugged in, not that the charging is happening.



Photo #4 shows a regular battery in the dock, and it the charging of the regular size battery worked without a problem.



I received this item for an honest review and shared both positives and negatives aspects of my experience with this dock.



Overall, if you have a phone with a regular size battery this device works without problems.  If you use extended battery in your phone this charging dock is not for you. 





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Bolse 3.1 Amp Dual USB Car Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone

Review of Bolse 3.1 Amp Car charger

I tested Bolse 3.1 Amp Dual USB Car Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2).



I own several car chargers and ran the same set on tests on each of them to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of the unit.



To test Bolse car charger I ran my 10 minute test for each of my 3 devices on each of the 2 ports for a total of 6 tests. I repeated the same tests with a data cable and with a charging cable. The results of these 12 tests are included in the tables below.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos labeled with numbers 1 through 4 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review. You can locate this photo by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



Photo #1 shows the charger on a gridded mat next a pen for size reference. The car charger is 3.5" long. The charger's face is 1.25" by 1".



Photo #2 and #3 show how the charger fits into our two cars. It has a relatively log neck and fits very well in both car configurations. It goes in firmly, forms a good contact, and stays plugged in well even over rough roads. The charger has two outlets labelled 1.0 AMP and 2.1 AMP.



Photo #3 shows one of the tables during the testing. I use 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.



My methodology is to charge each mobile device on each port of the unit for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charge in that 10 minute period. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test



The key findings:

(1) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 cannot be charged with this car charger with either port

(2) Both Nexus phone and Nexus 7 tablet running Jelly Bean 4.21 charged at AC rate on both ports.



The table below summarizes my findings:



Nexus 7 Tablet

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

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....1% charge increase (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....2% charge increase (charging cable)



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

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

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....2% charge increase (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....3% charge increase (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....4% charge increase (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....3% charge increase (charging cable)



Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

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

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....discharging (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....discharging (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....discharging (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....discharging (charging cable)



I received this car charger from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. Running the same set of test on all the chargers I own allows me to provide an unbiased review. By comparing the results of the tests for chis charger to the other car chargers I tested, this car charger earned a 5 star rating. The only thing this charger did not do well is handle my Samsung tablet. However neither did other generic car chargers, Samsung tablet only works well with the car charger made by Samsung.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Memory Card with SD Adapter

I bought Sandsik 4G MicroSDHC card for LG 800G. The card worked well in the phone. I also tested the card and the SD adapter in my PC and the adapter worked well as well.



The card and adapter came in bulk packaging as mentioned in title of the listing, this means in came in the plastic case enclosed in a plastic zip lock baggy. No blister pack.



Overall, I am pleased with the memory card: good price and it works.



Inserting memory into LG 800G had a couple tricky spots, so for other LG 800G owners I am including steps for inserting the SD Memory card into the phone.



1. SD memory card slot is located under the battery. This means that you first need to remove the cover by sliding it down. The first time I had to remove the cover it was a bit difficult, as the cover is very slippery and has no groves to hang on to. I finally was able to do it by using the grippy material used to open cans. The grippy material generated enough friction that the cover finally slid off. After removing the cover, you need to remove the battery.



2. The memory card slot is on the left side of the white SIM card. The gold bars on the card should face down towards the gold bars on the phone. The memory card goes under a metal holder. You need to lift the metal holder, place the memory card, and then lower the card holder, and push it down until it snaps in place. Note that lifting the holder for the first time requires some force. I used a tiny screwdriver to give me leverage to push it up. I am attaching a photo  which shows the holder in the up position, so you can see what you need to do to insert the memory card.



3. After the memory card is in place, you need to replace the battery and the phone cover, and power up the phone.



4. Now, you need to set your default memory to external, and tell the camera, the video recorder, and the voice recorder to use the external memory rather than the internal memory like before.



5. To set the default memory:

- Tap the following sequence MENU - Settings - Phone - Memory Info - Primary storage settings

- Tap on External memory (red check will appear)

- There will be a FORMAT button at the bottom of the screen, tap on it

- The phone will ask for a security code, enter 0000. Once you enter the security code, OK button will appear on the bottom of the screen. Click ok. Format takes about 1 second.



6. To set the camera:

- Tap Camera icon on the main screen holding the phone vertically, turn the phone to horizontal position, as you turn you will see camera control setting appear on the screen.

- Tap the gear icon which is on the lower left side of the screen.

- The memory setting is on the second screen of camera settings, so you need to tap the slider on the right hand side (it will say 1/3, first page out of three) once you tap it will change to 2/3.

- On the top row you will see a square called 'select storage'. By default it will look like a cell phone, once you tap it will look like a memory card.

- Hit OK to save your change



7. To change the video camera:

- Tap Camera icon on the main screen holding the phone vertically, turn the phone to horizon position, as you turn the camera controls will appear

- Tap the gear looking icon on the bottom left

- Now you need to switch from camera to video, which is done by sliding your finger from camera to video camera icon on the right hand side slider

- If you do it correctly, you will see a red button appear where the video camera is. If you do it incorrectly, you will take a photo. It took me a few tries to get the pressure and location of where my finger slides correctly.

- The storage setting is on the second page of the video camera, so you need to page down on the slider by tapping on 1/2.

- Tap on 'Select storage' icon, and make sure you see a memory card, rather than the cell phone icon.

- Click OK to save your change



8. To change the voice recorder

- Voice recorder is on the second page of Settings. To get there select Menu - slide you finger right to left to page - tap on Voice recorder.

- The top option is 'Storage', tap on it to change cell phone icon to memory card icon.

- Click ok to save your change



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★