Sunday, May 12, 2013

Gurin Precision Digital Bathroom Scale, transparent design

Gurin precision digital bathroom scale is made out of tempered glass. More than half of it is made transparent glass, so it fits nicely into any decor.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos, photo #1 shows the scale in my bathroom and you see that the tile of my bathroom is visible through the scale and so the scale fits right in. I looks a lot nicer than the white scale this Gurin scale replaced.



The glass platform is 12" by 12" and is raised 1" from the floor.



The display is 1.5" inches in size and lights up when you step on the scale. My old scale did not light up, so I had to move it into the light every time I used it to see the reading. Gurin scale allowed me to hop on the scale in the corner where it is stored, since the display is clearly visible even in the dark. The display is shown in photo #2. The display stays on a couple of seconds after you step off the scale and then automatically turns off.





  The third photo shows the scale upside down. You can see the scale has feet with traction pads so it does not slide on my tile floor. The feet contain the sensor which turns on the display. The "unit" button allows one to change the units in which the weight is displayed on the scale: kg, lb, or st.



The forth photo shows the battery compartment, the scale runs on four AAA batteries (included).



The glass of the scale look very pretty, but does have some down sides: (1) It is slippery if it gets wet. (2) The surface gets pretty cold in the winter. To solve both problems I keep my socks on when I weigh myself.



I like how this scale looks, I like how the display lights up so I can weigh myself in a dark(ish) corner of the bathroom. I cross checked my weight with my old scale and it is accurate. Thumbs up overall!





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★





Friday, May 10, 2013

Instapark YT1008 Solar-powered Dusk-to-Dawn Outdoor Motion Sensor LED Light, Weather-proof

Instapark YT1008 solar light is 5" x 3.35" in size. When it is mounted on a vertical surface the top part of the light that faces up and the entire surface facing up is the solar panel. This light is both motion and photo sensitive. The light turn on at dusk and shines dimly when noone is around. When the light detects motion it turns on the brighter setting. At the brightest setting Instapark Solar light is not very bright but sufficient to light the area so you can see. After a full day of charging in the sun the light stay on for approximately 6 hours.



To activate the light you need to turn on it with a provided pin by inserting into small hole on the under side (white) of the light. You only need to activate the light once. I suggest you do it before installation as to find a spot where to push inside the light is a little tricky. Just keep poking inside at different angle until it clicks and turns off. The light is water tight and this on/off mechanism provides a way to save the battery when you don't need it operating without compromising the water proof aspect of the light.



The attached video shows a close-up of the light, how to turn it on with a pin, then I turn off the lights so you can see the amount of light it generates after a full charge.



I am also attaching a collage of three photos.



Photo #1: show both sides of the light: the top with the solar panel, and the bottom with the light.

Photo #2: shows the lights in the two states: the left light shows the bright state (when motion is detected), and the left light shows the dim state (no motion detected).

Photo #3: shows both lights on bright setting in total darkness. All the light you see is generated by the two solar lights.



I mounted the light on the deck near the rear entrance of the house. The light detected me approaching from any direction (180 degrees) from about 10 feet away. After the movement stopped it went back to dim setting in about 2 minutes.







I received this solar light from Intapark for providing an honest review be it positive or negative. I have no financial interest or business relationship with the manufacturer, and this review represents my independent opinion of the product.



Overall, the light worked well. It detected motion in a good range and turned on to the brighter setting. However it does not light a large area so I recommend using at least a couple of these lights together.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

FRIEQ® Universal Waterproof Case With Waterproof External Earphone

My husband uses his Nexus Galaxy phone with Hyperion Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus 3800mAh. In the past we have tried several waterproof cases that do not fit this phone as the extended battery makes it significantly fatter than a typical smart phone. This waterproof case fits!



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



 Photo #1 is showing the thickness of the phone with its extended battery for size reference.



The waterproof case is 7" by 4" (not counting the hard closure mechanism) in size. Photo #3 shows the Nexus phone being inserted into the case.



Photo #2 shows the audio plug built into the case.



Photo #4 shows ear buds attached to the audio port playing music. My husband was able to turn on the phone and start Pandora app through the plastic case without any problems. The audio port worked very well.

The case is also has a clear section in the back, so it is possible to take photos while the camera is in the case.



This case is rated for 100 feet submersion. However, we are more likely to use this case in the rain. My husband has damaged one of his previous smart phones by using it in a downpour, having a case like this would have prevented the damage. I tested the case by putting it under the faucet first without the phone and then with the phone in the case. The content remained dry.



I was provided a sample case for testing and for writing a fair and unbiased review. Thumbs up! Finally a case that fits even this fat phone.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★





Monday, May 6, 2013

i-Ecko 'Ecko Stylz' Aqua Zen Mousepad with Gel Wrist Rest

This mousepad is very bright and pretty. The mousepad is 10" top to bottom, 8.5" wide. The area above the wrist rest is 7", the wrist rest is 3" wide and 1" high. The wrist rest is made out of gel, which is firm yet has some give so it fits the wrist well.





I am attaching a photo collage of three photos for reference. Photo #3 has the mousepad on 1" gridded mat if you are interested in dimensions I have not mentioned. Photo #1 shows it on my desk. Photo #2 shows how my hand fits the mousepad. I found the mousepad to be comfortable, and it fits my hand well.



However, the mousepad straight out of the package had a very strong ordor. It was so strong that after using the mousepad for several hours the odor transferred to my hand and it took several washings to remove the scent from my wrist.



I really liked how the mousepad felt and looked so I decided to air it out in the basement.  I am writing this review after airing  out the mousepad for 2 months.  The ordor became lighter, but I can still smell it and it still transfers to my wrist when I attempted to use it for a short period of time.  It went back to the basement, I am not quite ready to toss it but I can't recommend it.



I received this mousepad from the manufacturer for testing and a fair and honest review.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.









AshopZones review ★★☆☆☆



Saturday, May 4, 2013

Expandable Ideative power strip



Before I purchased Ideative power strip I had three power strips sitting next to each other charging various batteries and gadgets, it was a mess! The reason I had so many strips is that many of my chargers take up more than one slot, so it took a lot of strips to house them all. I am attaching a photo collage of 2 photos that will illustrate how I use this strip to hold 2 AA battery chargers, one AAA charger, one camera charger, hand held vacuum charge and a two slot USB charger. The photo can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



The first photo shows the empty strip: it has 6 outlets. The strip has 5 movable segments, which can be adjusted to fit your various devices. The 5 segments with outlets are 1.5" wide each and the width of the moving segment can be changed from 0" to 1.25". The plugs holes are oriented on an angle. Ideally another 0.25" of the inch between the segments would have made it possible to fit all my charges next to each other in any order, as it stands now finding the optimal configuration is a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. This is a thick power strip, the raised part of the strip near the cord is 2.25" from the surface. The power cord on this charger is a fairly short, it is 34 inches.



The second photo shows how I plugged in my chargers. Luckily some of my chargers are not polarized, so I could orient them in different ways making the long USB charger hang over the edge where there was room.



Overall, I am very pleased with this strip. It is a space saver!





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★



Thursday, May 2, 2013

Gurin Massage Roller Stick

Gurin Massage Rollers come in two different sizes. One is 18.75" long and the second one is 24 inches. I own both and noticed that the official size on both rollers is incorrect by about an inch. One inch does not make a big difference, so it is not a big deal. For your reference I am including a collage of two photos: one shows this roller next to a measuring tape and you can see that it is 18 and 3/4 inches long, and the second photo shows a close up of the rollers and how far they can move relative to each other.



 I use the longer Gurin massage stick for doing stretching exercises and working my back. This shorter roller stick works better (i.e. more comfortable to hold) on my head and on the back of the legs. Using the roller to reduce headache pain was a great discovery for me. When I have a headache putting pressure on the point of paint has always been helpful to me, and using the roller puts pressure on a bigger area than I can achieve with my fingers. A shorter stick feels more comfortable working the head.



Gurin massage roller is a stiff sick. Each individual roller is 1 inch long and is made out plastic. They move relative to each other, in the photo I pushed it out as far is it would go to the side. The massage is provided by the pressure of rolling the stick against your body (not by individual rollers extending relative to each other).



When I first took this roller out of the plastic bag it (mostly the handles) had a smell that some new plastic items have. After airing it out for about a week the scent was barely noticeable, and it two weeks the smell was totally gone.



I received Gurin Massage Rollers from the manufacture to share my experiences (be it positive or negative) with it 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.



You can find the shorter roller on Amazon by following this link.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★









Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Santamedical Pro Series Wrist Digital Blood pressure Monitor with Case - Large Display Santamedical Pro Series Wrist Digital Blood pressure Monitor with Case

Santamedical BW-210 blood pressure monitor is wrist blood pressure monitor. I have an arm blood pressure monitor at home, and I found that this wrist monitor gave me similar reading while was easier to put and quicker to give me a reading.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos that I will be referencing in this review. The first photo shows the entire content of the package. The monitor itself, the white plastic case for storage of the monitor, instruction manual. The monitor runs on two AAA batteries (included). The battery compartment is shown in photo 3. It has a plastic tongue that goes under the batteries and makes it easy to remove the batteries. The plastic container is very handy, the cuff rolled up and easily fit into the case.



The 4h photo shows me taking the measurement. The position of the monitor on your hand as well as position of the hand relative to your heart are very important to get accurate measurements. Once you find the hand position that is comfortable use the same position every day to get measurements that can be accurately compared to each other. The key to home monitoring is to notice a change. If you measure the blood pressure in different position one after another you will notice that the reading are not the same, that's why it is important to use the same position every day. The monitor should be at the same level as your heart. The manual shows extending the hand with the monitor in front of you. Another position that works is to place your hand on your chest with monitor at your heart level. I find that putting my hand on my chest is easier, and it gave me the same reading as when extending my hand in front of me.



The monitor has two buttons. The one with a circle is that on/off button. As soon as you turn on the monitor it starts measuring. It takes approximately one minute to get a reading. The second button is a memory button which will store the results. The unit has automatic power-off function if you forget to turn it off manually.



The screen displays you blood pressure and pulse. It also has a low battery indicator.



The entire wrist band (measured on the inside) is 11.25", you need to allow a minimum of 2" for Velcro closure to secure. That means it can accommodate wrists up to 9.25" in circumference.



I cross-referenced the performance of this wrist monitor with the arm blood pressure cuff I own and they showed fairly close reading. The wrist monitor however was a lot easier to put on, and thus more likely to be used regularly. Measuring Range: Pressure: 30mmHg~280mmHg; Pulse: 40 to 199 times/min; Measuring Accuracy: Pressure: ±3mmHg; Pulse: ±4% of reading.



I received Santamedical Wrist Blood pressure Monitor from the manufacture to share my experiences (be it positive or negative) with it 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 found it to be fairly accurate, compact, and simple-to-use. For someone who needs to monitor their blood pressure every day this unit makes it easy and quick.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.









AshopZones review ★★★★★