When you use your smart phone, iPad, Galaxy Pad, or other touch-sensitive device, a stylus can be much more accurate than a fat finger tip. There are many styli and pen/styli available. This review examines the Hand retractable tip stylus.
First impressions. I first encountered the Hand stylus at the Consumer Electronics Show, where it was being demonstrated as a brush to use with a drawing program on an iPad. I was given one to review. My first impression after beginning to use the Hand stylus was its heft. Generally, I like heavy items, because my brain somehow associates weight with quality. So, just holding the Hand produces the satisfying sensation that I'm holding a quality object, However, in use, the weight causes the stylus to slip frequently out of hand out of my hand.
Here is a comparison chart to show how weighty by comparison the Hand stylus is:
Item Weight in Grams Length in Millimeters
Typical stylus-pen combo 8 147
Another typical stylus-pen 9 150
Pocket stylus 4 114
Mini stylus 3 51
Hand retractable stylus 26 130 (retracted)
Bic stick ballpoint pen w/o cap 5 144
Bic stick ballpoint pen with cap 6 150
Bic B3 Grip retractable ballpoint 10 145
Bic highlighter, cap on 10 140
Stainless steel gel pen cap on 25 137
Stainless steel pen cap off 19 124
The Hand stylus is the heaviest of the examined items. Note that the stainless steel pen is close in weight. In use, however, I do not experience the slipping out of my hand that I do with the Hand stylus. The weight of the Hand might not be a problem, but shoppers should be aware of it.
For Men? I don't want to appear sexist, but my sense is that the Hand stylus will appeal to men especially. The weight, the hexagonal barrel (hexagons are my favorite shape) and knurled tip (reminds me of a metal file) all say "manly man."
Rotating Retractable Tip. The 4 millimeter tip retracts like an ordinary ballpoint pen, thus protecting it from damage. The retraction-extension cycle also rotates the tip a quarter of a turn, so that wear will be even. Tips are replaceable, too.
Performance. The Hand stylus works well on my Android phone (Galaxy S4) and a bit less well on my Galaxy Tab 2 (as all the other styli work less well on it). I installed a drawing app on the tablet and the Hand worked very well following the assignments from thin pencil line to thick brush line. The overall performance of the stylus is fine. The 4 mm tip makes using tiny keyboards much easier.
Customer Service. The original Hand stylus given to me for review at CES stopped retracting after only few uses. I emailed the company and they replied immediately with apologies and sent a replacement in just a couple of days.
When I disassembled the broken unit, I noticed that at least one internal part is made of plastic--nylon would be my guess. This may limit longevity.
Recommendation. Especially for men--and most especially for men who like to show off their techno toys--the Hand stylus will make a great gift. And at a price of about $20, it bears the cachet of costliness.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Monday, February 1, 2016
LED Light Bulbs Review Continued
Here's some advice on purchasing LED light bulbs.
1. Shop wisely. The technology, manufacturing costs, and retail prices are all changing rapidly. Bulbs that used to be $10 each are now $2.50 each, and soon we will likely see $1 for those same items.
2. Dimmable LED bulbs require a bit more circuitry than nondimmable bulbs, so as a consequence you (a) pay more for them and (b) get less light from them at the same rating. That is, a nondimmable bulb rated at a 60 or 65-watt "equivalent" will put out 800 lumens and use 8.5 or 9 watts. The dimmable version will put out 650 lumens and use 10 or 11 watts.
3. Life span of the bulb is given in hours. If years are listed, that's usually based on 3 hours per day. So a bulb claiming 22,000 hours of life might also claim that it will last 20 years (365 days per year times 3 hours a day is 1095 hours per year. 22,000 divided by 1095 is 20.) Today I noticed some nondimmable 60-watt equivalent bulbs claiming a life of only 10,000 hours. It's difficult to say how this compares to what you will actually experience. I know that with CFL fluorescent bulbs I've never gotten the seven years claimed from them.
4. Should you replace most or all of your incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs? Yes. The energy savings will be well worth it. Lower electric bills. And you'll feel comfortable leaving a bright porch light on all night because it uses only 9 watts.
5. Should you replace most or all of your CFL bulbs with LED bulbs? That's a more difficult question. CFL bulbs already are well down the scale on energy use and they likely cost a couple of dollars each. So you might use LEDs as your replacements when the CFLs go out. The exception is that most CFL bulbs create radio interference. (When I drive into my garage containing CFLs on the garage door opener motor box) my AM radio goes to a loud buzz.)
6. You might want to avoid yesterday's and the awkward new LED bulbs. Some of those are flat, some are too directional. Just buy the bulbs that look like traditional incandescent bulbs.
7. Once again, you have your choice of color temperature. The 2700K are the soft-white equivalents. I've noticed that they seem to run whiter than incandescents. (Some are labeled 3000K, which might be more accurate.) Daylight bulbs are about 5000K and up.
8. You can put brighter bulbs in sockets that were limited before. That is, you might have a lamp that is labeled, "Do not exceed maximum bulb wattage of 60 watts." That was because of the heat created by incandescent bulbs. But LEDs of 85-watt equivalence (1100 lumens), use only about 14 watts. So feel free to go large.
1. Shop wisely. The technology, manufacturing costs, and retail prices are all changing rapidly. Bulbs that used to be $10 each are now $2.50 each, and soon we will likely see $1 for those same items.
2. Dimmable LED bulbs require a bit more circuitry than nondimmable bulbs, so as a consequence you (a) pay more for them and (b) get less light from them at the same rating. That is, a nondimmable bulb rated at a 60 or 65-watt "equivalent" will put out 800 lumens and use 8.5 or 9 watts. The dimmable version will put out 650 lumens and use 10 or 11 watts.
3. Life span of the bulb is given in hours. If years are listed, that's usually based on 3 hours per day. So a bulb claiming 22,000 hours of life might also claim that it will last 20 years (365 days per year times 3 hours a day is 1095 hours per year. 22,000 divided by 1095 is 20.) Today I noticed some nondimmable 60-watt equivalent bulbs claiming a life of only 10,000 hours. It's difficult to say how this compares to what you will actually experience. I know that with CFL fluorescent bulbs I've never gotten the seven years claimed from them.
4. Should you replace most or all of your incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs? Yes. The energy savings will be well worth it. Lower electric bills. And you'll feel comfortable leaving a bright porch light on all night because it uses only 9 watts.
5. Should you replace most or all of your CFL bulbs with LED bulbs? That's a more difficult question. CFL bulbs already are well down the scale on energy use and they likely cost a couple of dollars each. So you might use LEDs as your replacements when the CFLs go out. The exception is that most CFL bulbs create radio interference. (When I drive into my garage containing CFLs on the garage door opener motor box) my AM radio goes to a loud buzz.)
6. You might want to avoid yesterday's and the awkward new LED bulbs. Some of those are flat, some are too directional. Just buy the bulbs that look like traditional incandescent bulbs.
7. Once again, you have your choice of color temperature. The 2700K are the soft-white equivalents. I've noticed that they seem to run whiter than incandescents. (Some are labeled 3000K, which might be more accurate.) Daylight bulbs are about 5000K and up.
8. You can put brighter bulbs in sockets that were limited before. That is, you might have a lamp that is labeled, "Do not exceed maximum bulb wattage of 60 watts." That was because of the heat created by incandescent bulbs. But LEDs of 85-watt equivalence (1100 lumens), use only about 14 watts. So feel free to go large.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
LED Light Bulbs--Things to Consider
Ever since CFL (compact fluorescent lightbulb) bulbs became available, there has been the issue of equivalency. Since a 13-watt CFL bulb can produce the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, the bulb makers put "60 Watt" on the CFL package in larger type than the actual wattage used by the bulb.
But that's not the actual equivalency, especially with LED (Light-Emitting Diode) bulbs. The correct way to compare light bulbs (incandescent, CFL, and LED) is by (1) lumens, which measures light output and (2) color temperature, which measures how much like daylight the hue or color of the light is. The lumen measure is especially important with LED bulbs because some of them claiming a 60-watt equivalence are not nearly as bright as an incandescent bulb.
Compare bulbs, all described as 60-watt equivalent:
Standard 60 Watt Incandescent Bulb 60 watts 800 lumens 2700-5500 degree color
Utilitech LED bulb 9 watts 750 lumens 3000 degree color
Sylvania LED bulb 8.5 watts 800 lumens 2700 degree color
Feit Electric bulb 4.2 watts 466 lumens 2200 degree color
GE Brite Stik 10 watts 760 lumens 2700 degree color
CREE LED flood 9 watts 655 lumens 2700 degree color
I noticed this discrepancy when shopping for LED flood light bulbs. Many said "60-watt equivalent," but few produced the full 800 lumens that a 60-watt incandescent bulb produces. So be careful out there. Check the light output in lumens before you buy.
Regardless of the actual watts drawn by either a CFL or an LED bulb, to be equivalent the bulb must produce the output listed here:
40-watt or equivalent = 450 lumens
60-watt or equivalent = 800 lumens
75-watt or equivalent = 1100 lumens
100-watt or equivalent = 1600 lumens
150-watt or equivalent = 2600 lumens
Final word: LED bulb technology is still in transition, and some of the older bulbs have a shorter life or produce a lot of heat. So be wise when you see a super bargain on LED bulbs.
But that's not the actual equivalency, especially with LED (Light-Emitting Diode) bulbs. The correct way to compare light bulbs (incandescent, CFL, and LED) is by (1) lumens, which measures light output and (2) color temperature, which measures how much like daylight the hue or color of the light is. The lumen measure is especially important with LED bulbs because some of them claiming a 60-watt equivalence are not nearly as bright as an incandescent bulb.
Compare bulbs, all described as 60-watt equivalent:
Standard 60 Watt Incandescent Bulb 60 watts 800 lumens 2700-5500 degree color
Utilitech LED bulb 9 watts 750 lumens 3000 degree color
Sylvania LED bulb 8.5 watts 800 lumens 2700 degree color
Feit Electric bulb 4.2 watts 466 lumens 2200 degree color
GE Brite Stik 10 watts 760 lumens 2700 degree color
CREE LED flood 9 watts 655 lumens 2700 degree color
I noticed this discrepancy when shopping for LED flood light bulbs. Many said "60-watt equivalent," but few produced the full 800 lumens that a 60-watt incandescent bulb produces. So be careful out there. Check the light output in lumens before you buy.
Regardless of the actual watts drawn by either a CFL or an LED bulb, to be equivalent the bulb must produce the output listed here:
40-watt or equivalent = 450 lumens
60-watt or equivalent = 800 lumens
75-watt or equivalent = 1100 lumens
100-watt or equivalent = 1600 lumens
150-watt or equivalent = 2600 lumens
Final word: LED bulb technology is still in transition, and some of the older bulbs have a shorter life or produce a lot of heat. So be wise when you see a super bargain on LED bulbs.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Plano Model 620130 One Tray Tackle Box Review
I hope my search for a small, sturdy toolbox with a genuinely reliable latch is over, now that I've found the Plano One Tray Box. But first, let me ask you a question. What's just about the worst-case scenario a handyman can have with his toolbox? Right. He picks it up by the handle, the latch slips open, and the entire set of tools, sockets, screws, and so on spills out all over the ground--or maybe even into the mud or water.
Having said this, what is the worst designed, weakest part of most small toolboxes? Right again. It's the latch. Many, if not most, small boxes have questionable latches that seem to threaten failure even when the box is new. It's a plastic on plastic over lip sort of thing that barely engages. With a little wear and tear or a bit of inadvertence, pop goes the toolbox.
I wandered the hardware aisles of Walmart recently, looking for a nice, small toolbox to replace a broken one. Most of the boxes were way too large. A few of them had good latches, but others had metal versions of the easy-pop design found so commonly. Those boxes in the size I wanted all had the easy-pop design.
Undaunted, I left hardware for the sporting goods aisles, where I found the Plano 620130 tackle box. It has a failproof latch with a metal bail that makes a very solid closure. The hinges will probably fail before the latch.
Pro
Having said this, what is the worst designed, weakest part of most small toolboxes? Right again. It's the latch. Many, if not most, small boxes have questionable latches that seem to threaten failure even when the box is new. It's a plastic on plastic over lip sort of thing that barely engages. With a little wear and tear or a bit of inadvertence, pop goes the toolbox.
I wandered the hardware aisles of Walmart recently, looking for a nice, small toolbox to replace a broken one. Most of the boxes were way too large. A few of them had good latches, but others had metal versions of the easy-pop design found so commonly. Those boxes in the size I wanted all had the easy-pop design.
Undaunted, I left hardware for the sporting goods aisles, where I found the Plano 620130 tackle box. It has a failproof latch with a metal bail that makes a very solid closure. The hinges will probably fail before the latch.
Pro
- Light weight empty. It's amazing how many toolboxes are heavy when empty.
- Rust proof plastic
- Two lid compartments for small parts. Get access without the need to open the box.
- One hinged tray rotates up and back with the lid. Extra dividers for custom sizing of compartments
Con
- Handle and hinge connections appear to be all plastic without metal reinforcement.
I will put this box into service immediately and will report use experience in an update soon.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Cuisinart DGB-900BC Burr Grind and Brew 12-Cup Coffeemaker Review
We set up this coffee maker to brew two cups of coffee by setting the Grind Control to 2, the Strength setting to Medium, using a paper filter, and using Sumatra coffee beans from Sprouts. We added 16 ounces of water, even though the coffee maker considers a cup to be 5 ounces (so we should have added 10 ounces of water).
The result was fabulous. The coffee was excellent. We look forward to many great cups of coffee.
Pros:
+ Set it up and it's automatic, grinding the beans just before it makes the coffee.
+ Use beans (which it will grind) or ground coffee (just set the grinder off).
+ During brewing, the coffee maker turns on a hot plate under the carafe.
Cons:
- The carafe design requires turning the carafe almost completely upside down in order to pour out the last coffee. If you make just two cups, you must turn the carafe unusually far over to pour the coffee.
Notes:
* When brewing is finished, the machine turns itself off completely, including the hot plate. The carafe is insulated, so the coffee is expected to stay hot for hours.
* The instructions recommend quite a bit of cleaning to keep the maker in its best working order.
* Regardless of how many cups you set the dial for (which controls the amount of beans ground), the maker will run all the water you put into the reservoir through the brew cycle. So the amount of water should match the number of cups you want to make.
Bottom Line:
Except for the coffee pouring contortion, we are delighted with this product. The three-year warranty is an encouragement, too.
Get this great machine from Amazon:
The result was fabulous. The coffee was excellent. We look forward to many great cups of coffee.
Pros:
+ Set it up and it's automatic, grinding the beans just before it makes the coffee.
+ Use beans (which it will grind) or ground coffee (just set the grinder off).
+ During brewing, the coffee maker turns on a hot plate under the carafe.
Cons:
- The carafe design requires turning the carafe almost completely upside down in order to pour out the last coffee. If you make just two cups, you must turn the carafe unusually far over to pour the coffee.
Notes:
* When brewing is finished, the machine turns itself off completely, including the hot plate. The carafe is insulated, so the coffee is expected to stay hot for hours.
* The instructions recommend quite a bit of cleaning to keep the maker in its best working order.
* Regardless of how many cups you set the dial for (which controls the amount of beans ground), the maker will run all the water you put into the reservoir through the brew cycle. So the amount of water should match the number of cups you want to make.
Bottom Line:
Except for the coffee pouring contortion, we are delighted with this product. The three-year warranty is an encouragement, too.
Get this great machine from Amazon:
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Harbor Freight 7" Variable Speed Polisher Sander Buffer 60626 Review
My wife's car had some scratches in the paint, so I bought Harbor Freight's 7-inch polisher, sander, buffer advertises a variable speed from 200 to 3350 rpm. Unfortunately, the first one out of the box ran only at high speed. The speed selector knob had no effect. Fortunately, Harbor Freight was excellent in allowing me to do a no-questioins-asked swap for another of the same item (60626 is the item number). The second one works very well, with a large speed range (which could be the advertised 200-3350).
Do note the fine print on the box: "Polishing bonnet sold separately." So, in addition to the buffer itself, I got a 5-pack of fleece polishing bonnets and a bottle of the needed polish. Costs: Buffer, $30 (with super coupon); bonnets, $16; and polish ("fine cut cleaner") $15. Thus, an investment of $61 for the entire system.
The modestly helpful manual recommended using about two tablespoons of polish and starting the polisher flat on the surface at low speed. I followed these instructions and was amazed to see the scratches on the door and on the trunk lid disappear in just seconds. A little wipe up of the surrounding area and the job was done. The buffer did throw tiny droplets of polishing compound all over the car, so I had a bit of wiping up to do.
Included in the box are
The polisher will accept a common extension handle in lieu of the D-handle.
For the first, light use, this polisher and associated items worked actually better than I expected. It certainly was faster, and I didn't leave swirl marks or do any damage to the paint. The key is to be gentle and not put very much pressure on the polisher.
Except for the need to make another trip to Harbor Freight to exchange the defective one, the experience was very good and I would recommend this solution to others.
Do note the fine print on the box: "Polishing bonnet sold separately." So, in addition to the buffer itself, I got a 5-pack of fleece polishing bonnets and a bottle of the needed polish. Costs: Buffer, $30 (with super coupon); bonnets, $16; and polish ("fine cut cleaner") $15. Thus, an investment of $61 for the entire system.
The modestly helpful manual recommended using about two tablespoons of polish and starting the polisher flat on the surface at low speed. I followed these instructions and was amazed to see the scratches on the door and on the trunk lid disappear in just seconds. A little wipe up of the surrounding area and the job was done. The buffer did throw tiny droplets of polishing compound all over the car, so I had a bit of wiping up to do.
Included in the box are
- a backing pad (that the bonnet stretches over),
- tools (a backing pad wrench and an Allen wrench to install the optional (but you really need it) D-handle,
- the D-handle itself,
- and an extra set of motor brushes.
The polisher will accept a common extension handle in lieu of the D-handle.
For the first, light use, this polisher and associated items worked actually better than I expected. It certainly was faster, and I didn't leave swirl marks or do any damage to the paint. The key is to be gentle and not put very much pressure on the polisher.
Except for the need to make another trip to Harbor Freight to exchange the defective one, the experience was very good and I would recommend this solution to others.
Monday, September 7, 2015
TaoTronics TT-BA01 Wireless Stereo Transmitter Review
My wife wanted to listen to the TV (in the family room) while she worked in the kitchen. I had set up a wired speaker system that worked but left ugly wires hanging around. So, at her request, I hunted around for a wireless setup. The solution was the TaoTronics Wireless Stereo Transmitter and a Bluetooth speaker (see the review of the Venstar Taco Bluetooth speaker).
The TaoTronics TT-BA01 transmitter is a small unit, about two inches by one inch by a quarter of an inch. The transmitter has an attached dongle with a 3.5mm stereo plug. Also included in the package are a male USB to male micro USB cable, and a cable for adapting the 3.5mm male plug to a 3.5mm female stereo plug to dual RCA male plugs.
Setup was straightforward and easy. Just plug the transmitter into a USB port (on my cable company's box) for power and plug the RCA cables into the audio out plugs on the cable box. (The TT-BA01 has an internal battery for battery operation, but you can leave it plugged into the USB port and not need to worry about charging.)
Pairing with the Bluetooth speaker was easy. Just follow the instructions and be patient. The pairing required about 30 seconds (instead of the 6 seconds mentioned in the user guide). The TV sound is fine.
Pros:
+ Listen to an audio source such as your TV either via TV audio out or cable box audio out or amplifier/receiver audio out.
+The unit did not interfere with my WiFi network extender or with the Netflix programming. (I had read that a problem is sometimes encountered with Bluetooth and WiFi components interfering with each other because of a frequency conflict.)
Cons:
+ If you turn the Bluetooth speaker off, it will automatically re-pair with the transmitter when you turn it back on. However, re-pairing requires about 30 seconds, so you need to be patient.
+ There is a slight transmission lag with the audio, so that the Bluetooth speaker sound is just slightly behind the TV or source sound. Turning the TV down helps a lot. Otherwise, you'll have "stadium announcement" sound effects.s
In Sum:
So far this is a very good solution to the problem. The transmitter is compact, can run on an internal battery, and is advertised to work up to 33 feet. In my installation, it is about 20 feet from the speaker.
The TT-BA01 will turn any audio device with an audio out plug into a Bluetooth-compatible source.
Get it from Amazon.com
Bluetooth Transmitter, TaoTronics Wireless Portable Transmitter (Connected to 3.5mm Audio Devices, Paired with Bluetooth Receiver. TV Ears, Bluetooth Dongle, A2DP Stereo Music Transmission)
The TaoTronics TT-BA01 transmitter is a small unit, about two inches by one inch by a quarter of an inch. The transmitter has an attached dongle with a 3.5mm stereo plug. Also included in the package are a male USB to male micro USB cable, and a cable for adapting the 3.5mm male plug to a 3.5mm female stereo plug to dual RCA male plugs.
Setup was straightforward and easy. Just plug the transmitter into a USB port (on my cable company's box) for power and plug the RCA cables into the audio out plugs on the cable box. (The TT-BA01 has an internal battery for battery operation, but you can leave it plugged into the USB port and not need to worry about charging.)
Pairing with the Bluetooth speaker was easy. Just follow the instructions and be patient. The pairing required about 30 seconds (instead of the 6 seconds mentioned in the user guide). The TV sound is fine.
Pros:
+ Listen to an audio source such as your TV either via TV audio out or cable box audio out or amplifier/receiver audio out.
+The unit did not interfere with my WiFi network extender or with the Netflix programming. (I had read that a problem is sometimes encountered with Bluetooth and WiFi components interfering with each other because of a frequency conflict.)
Cons:
+ If you turn the Bluetooth speaker off, it will automatically re-pair with the transmitter when you turn it back on. However, re-pairing requires about 30 seconds, so you need to be patient.
+ There is a slight transmission lag with the audio, so that the Bluetooth speaker sound is just slightly behind the TV or source sound. Turning the TV down helps a lot. Otherwise, you'll have "stadium announcement" sound effects.s
In Sum:
So far this is a very good solution to the problem. The transmitter is compact, can run on an internal battery, and is advertised to work up to 33 feet. In my installation, it is about 20 feet from the speaker.
The TT-BA01 will turn any audio device with an audio out plug into a Bluetooth-compatible source.
Get it from Amazon.com
Bluetooth Transmitter, TaoTronics Wireless Portable Transmitter (Connected to 3.5mm Audio Devices, Paired with Bluetooth Receiver. TV Ears, Bluetooth Dongle, A2DP Stereo Music Transmission)
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