My Product Reviews and Thoughts: November 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Peak Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler with a Lid-Powder Coated 20 oz Review

The Peak 20oz stainless steel tumbler is one of many tumblers that are taking the market by storm but, this one is a third of the price of a lot of them. It comes with a plastic lid and a free tea infuser that looks like a little person as a gift.

The tumbler itself looks and feels pretty sturdy and seems to be made very well. Same with the tea infuser. The lid, on the other hand, is a thin plastic lid with a rubber gasket around the bottom of it. It does fit pretty snug and doesn’t leak, but I would see this as the weak point of the tumbler. That explains why I see replacement lids all over the internet. It would also be nice if it included the handle in this bundle as well.

This did keep my drink colder for longer than a normal cup or bottle, but my ice didn’t last the four hours I played golf with it being about 70 degrees out, so I am not sure about that 24-hour claim of keeping things ice cold. I have had other people tell me their tumbler has kept the ice overnight in their cars when they left it, so is it the tumbler or the circumstances and surroundings?

This thing is a little on the big size at 8 inches tall and 4 inches wide at the top and 3 at the bottom, but it is a 20-ounce tumbler after all. I see those plastic handles on the internet for these and I think those will make carrying this and using it a lot easier in the long run. The bottom of this cup does fit in my car cup holder with no problems and the lid does have a slider on it to stop spills, so overall this is a great cup for traveling with.

So is this tumbler worth the price? I am not sure any cup is worth 30-50 bucks, but this one at $25 at the time of this review, maybe worth it. Even if it only does half of what it claims. You can also get replacement lids, straws and handle for under $12 for all three. They also make silicone straws for these as well if you don’t like that feeling of the straw always being hot or cold while you use it.

The rose gold is pretty good looking on this cup and not too girly that a man wouldn’t mind using it and I haven’t used the tea infuser but it looks pretty cool and just hands on the side by its arms and I would be sure it works very well as well if needed.

Overall, a great tumbler that is the right size and works very well for both hot and cold drinks.

DISCLAIMER: This was offered at a discounted rate in exchange for an honest review. I rely on reviews from the community when making purchases, so I believe in giving honest and unbiased reviews to help others. I am not obligated to leave positive feedback and receive no compensation for doing so. I am not associated with the seller in any way.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Insulated-Lid-Powder-hours-Exquisite-Color-Free/dp/B01J0BALGC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Pink handle cup for 30 oz. YETI Rambler Tumbler by ZAPA Review

What can I say? It’s a bright pink handle for any 30-ounce tumbler. It says in the description it is for a YETI tumbler, but it will fit about any 30-ounce tumbler as they should all be the same size and shape.

Worse case scenario, you have to heat the handle up in hot water and freeze the tumbler for about 10-15 minutes each and then fit the handle over the tumbler, pushing the handle down with the tumble upside down using a wooden spoon handle or something similar. Don’t overdo it and break the handle, but you should be able to get it nice, tight and secure if needed.

This is a nice handle and comes in very handy when using this 30 oz. tumblers nowadays. These types of handles make using the big tumblers much easier to carry and drink from. This handle also includes a bonus and also comes with a carabiner clip that you can attach to the handle than to a bag or anything else you may be carrying for the day on your travels.

With the bright pink, ZAPA company name and logo on it and a white trip down the handle itself, this is very stylish and stands out and gets noticed. This works out great for my wife and daughter and not so much for me, so this is more my wife’s tumbler cup handle than mine. Wish this came in assorted colors that I could choose from.

Overall, a great handle that anyone with a 30-ounce tumbler would be happy to have and use and if taken care of, should last.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I7YUUAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Infina AK01 USB Voice Recorder / MP3 Player - Spy USB Flash Drive Review

The Infina AK01 USB Voice Recorder / MP3 Player - Spy USB Flash Drive is different than anything else I have seen on the market to this point. Very inventive and nice idea. No one would even guess this was a recording device unless they saw the on/off switch in this. Thought they could have hidden that as well, but it works as is.

This looks and acts just like any other 8GB USB flash drive, but can record audio or be an MP3 player and play what you recorded or any audio files you put on it. Nice touch to add a headphone port to this so you can listen straight from it when needed or plug it into another device to listen to it or copy it over to something else if needed.

Make sure you click on the “Set Digital Recorder” app under the “Settime” folder in order to get the timestamp on your saves audio files correct before using this or if you totally drain the battery.

This couldn’t be any easier to use and the recording and playback times are ridiculous on this small device with 20 hours of recording and 15 hours of playback. The files are saved as a WAV file and should playback on any computer and if not, download and install the VLC player and it will play them.

As a voice recorder, two thumbs up. It picks up every little sound and records it and plays it back with very good audio. There is something in the playback, not sure what it is, but it’s a whit noise or mechanical sound that you can hear. Doesn’t really hurt anything but there is something.

As an MP3 player. It’s ok. It plays what you want, you can navigate thru different folders and find what you want to play and the sound is load but it’s not a music headphone and is made more for recording than listening to music. There just isn’t a lot of depth or richness in the mids and highs and the bass doesn’t thump.

Overall, a very nice well-built finger size audio recorder that can also be used to playback your recordings or other audio. You can also use this as a flash drive to copy, carry and transport other data as well if needed.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M4RJJM8

iPhone 7 Plus Battery Case by Oldboy Review

Color: Black

The Oldboy iPhone 7 Plus Battery Charging Case is just great. I was looking for a new somewhat cheap case for my wife’s new iPhone 7 plus cell phone when I came across this case that actually has a built in 7500 mAh capacity battery charger. This is about half the price of even just some normal cases and you can recharge your phone with this one as well.

This is also perfect because she likes to play games and do a lot of Facebook on her cell phone and both drain the battery pretty fast. So with this charger, she is set. She won’t need any of my power banks anymore to charge her phone anymore.

There is a LED light indicator/power button on the back that shows you how charged this case is and whether or not you need to charge it or not. You can actually charge the phone and the case at the same time with the case left on the phone, so no problems there. Just remember, to charge the phone while it’s in the case, turn the on/off button on the case on first. The phone will charge and once done, the case will charge.

This is a small and lightweight case and battery pack that will give you that extended time you need if you are traveling, in a meeting or anything else that you can’t charge your phone while doing it. I say small and light weight, but in the overall scheme of it all, this case adds a lot of extra weight to the phone compared to just using the phone without a case or with some other very thin cases.

This case also doesn’t protect your phone very well at all on the sides and top of the phone either. If you drop this on the bottom, you are good, but the front, top and sides are not. Thinking they could have added a little more case for these areas and taken this case to the next level. So minus one star for this, as this is more of a charger than a case and I think I would use it at different times when I thought I might need more battery than an everyday case that needs to stop breakage if I drop it.

So with this, you have everything you need to charge your new shiny iPhone 7 Plus and give it a little bit of protection if you are somewhat safe and reasonable with your cell phones like I am. So if you need a something like this, pull the trigger and buy this one. You won’t be disappointed.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Charging-Rechargeable-Portable-External-Extended/dp/B01N3LMVW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=iPhone+7+Plus+Battery+Case

AcTopp Folding Silicone Water Sport Bottle Review

Color: Black

The AcTopp folding silicone water sports bottle is something different on the market and I like it. I just got the 32 oz. stainless steel water bottle and it’s nice but too big for when I am in my car or traveling. This will work perfectly for filling that gap for me.

I always take a water bottle with me everywhere I go in my car or when I travel on a plane out of state for work. It’s such a pain to empty the bottle and shove it in something to get thru security and now I can just collapse this down and shove it in my laptop with no problems and fill it back up on the other side. This is also small enough to fit in my cup holders in my car as well so I can use it there now also.

This has a hard plastic top and lid, that is attached to a soft medical-grade silicone bottle that can be collapsed down when not in use or used more like a normal squeeze bottle than those other bottles that have a hard shell bottle.

This bottle does take a little getting used to with its soft-sided bottle. It does bend and give a little when you pick it up or it wobbles a little when you sit it down and it’s a little weird, but it does work, as is. You do have to either suck the fluids out or squeeze the bottle to get it to come out. You think you can just tilt the bottle and it will just pour out, but it doesn’t. There is a small plastic/rubber seal that covers the outlet to stop the fluids from just spilling out when you don’t want them to come out.

When you roll this bottle up, there is a rubber strap that stretches over the rolled bottle and attaches to the other side of the lid to keep it in place and rolled up. There is a metal clip that is on the button that opens the lip that will keep it locked in place so it doesn’t accidently open when not needed. There is also a plastic loop on the backside of the lid that you can use to hold this with, lift it or to attach to something to hold it in place.

Overall, a very nice bottle that has all the right extra features that someone spent a good deal of time thinking about and adding the design of this bottle. Very well done. I would recommend this to anyone in the market for a bottle that can be collapsed if needed.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Meidele-Silicone-Folding-Bottle-fl-oz/dp/B01E8MCIQY

HOCO BS3 Sport Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Outdoor IP67 Waterproof Review

Color: Blue

The HOCO waterproof BS3 outdoor sports Bluetooth is what I wanted and did have when it comes to Bluetooth speakers. I have a lot of other Bluetooth speakers and some are smaller and some are bigger but none are waterproof and this one is.

I have been on the vacation where people had their $300 Big Jambox next to the pool only to see it get fried and become a paperweight after someone splashed water on it. That same weekend in Cancun we had 26.5 inches of rain in 3 days when a tropical storm went over us, so no music for us while we were outside in the rain. I have been looking for a decent waterproof Bluetooth speaker that didn’t cost an arm and a leg to buy and I finally found it.

This has your standard buttons and ports for both as a speaker and as a receiver to make hands-free calling, but this one also has a TF card (32GB max) slot that a lot of other speakers don’t have. This is a nice added feature as well as the carabiner clip on the one corner so you can hang this on things or your belt loop, so it is up and away if needed.

The sound on this is really nice and crisp and actually has a lot more bass than I thought it would have. The loudness of this speaker is also surprising for a speaker that is only a little over seven inches long by two and a half wide and tall. I won’t say it out does my big jam box, but not too far off either.

I was a little scared to actually put this in water, but they claim it can be submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and it will be fine and if not, it has a 100% replacement for the first 3 months and an 18-month warranty on quality issues. So I put it in water and it survived and still works. Just make sure all the port covers are in place and correctly in place before attempting this.

It has an 1800 mAh battery (not real big) and they claim it should last 9 hours at 50% volume when playing music. So in real life that means about 4 hours at 100% volume. I have tested this and I did get just over 4.5 hours at about 90% volume. I am worried a little about the 3-4 hours it takes to recharge this battery and that is using fast charging. I have power banks that are 10,000 mAh, that take less time to charge than this speaker.

Overall, this is a great waterproof speaker that will do what it is made for and at a decent price compared to what is out there that isn’t even waterproof. Need a waterproof speaker like I did? This one will work very well for you can you won’t be disappointed.

Special Note for my fans and followers: If you really like this speaker, you can get a $12 off coupons by emailing a request for it to: jennifer@hococase.com.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://ww w.amazon.com/BS3-Waterproof-Shockproof-Microphone-Speakerphone/dp/B01M7Y7KOV/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479786879&sr=8-2&keywords=HOCO+BS3+Bluetooth+Speaker+IPX7

Syma X5HC WIFI FPV Quadcopter with 2.0MP Camera Review

When you first open the Syma X5HCW Quadcopter box, this quadcopter looks awesome with its shiny black paint job, black blades and red name and logo. Just an FYI, all the other parts they say are in the box, are on the underside of the Styrofoam that the quadcopter and controller are in (turn it over). This thing is a lot bigger than the pictures make it look. Measures 15 inches wide with the blade guards on or 11 inches without them.

This takes 5 minutes to put together, attach the landing legs, blade protectors, installing the batteries in the controller (that you have to supply) and connecting the battery in the quadcopter. It takes longer to read the instructions on how to operate this then it does to put together. So for the beginners, take your time and read the instructions. For anyone that has flown one before, maybe you just have to do the batteries.

This is not ready to fly out of the box without having to charge the quadcopter battery before the first use. There may be some charge left in the battery but it doesn’t last as long as if you fully charge it, but who can wait? I did get a good five minutes out of it the first time, which is pretty good, so it passes the RTF test for me. Just remember, the lights on the bottom flash when it’s about out of power. That means you have about 1 minute left before it lands itself or crashes, so get it back closer to you before it does.

The instructions are in English and cover all aspects of controlling and adjusting this and the two modes (slow/fast) you can use, based on how you like to fly or how experienced you are. I would recommend slowly until you get good enough to pilot this without crashing it.

The camera is really good HD camera at this price point. It’s not a high-quality HD camera that you would find on the higher priced models, but it works well for the everyday person that wants to play with it and see what it’s all about. This drone doesn’t have an app and cannot be flown using your phone or tablet and you cannot see what the camera sees while you are capturing video. I know it says FPV in the description on Amazon, but I don’t see it with no app or phone holder on the transmitter.

The recorded video and pictures are captured on the 4GB TF card that came with the camera and should be inserted into the camera before takeoff. There is a button for video and pictures on the transmitter. It does reduce your flying time by about half, using the camera. I bought 5 extra 1200 mAh batteries to use with this, that should last for about 15 minutes of flight time without the camera or 7 minutes with it on.

It flies great, and the altitude hold is very helpful for beginners to prevent any flyaway. I have seen some people say it’s a little sluggish on the turns, but I haven’t noticed that. I did have a problem getting the fine tuning down when I first used it. It kept flying backward and away from me at a pretty fast pace and I struggle getting it under control and had to turn it around or land it before it got away. Once I got it adjusted (keep holding the trim button and watch the LCD screen to get it back to the middle, takes longer than you think), it should stay at the same altitude and just kind of sway with the wind (really nice feature).

The prop guards are a must for beginners I would say. I crash landed and flipped this a few times in the grass before getting the hang of it. Didn’t take that long and another reason I bought this. I read it was an easy one to learn and fly and very good for beginners. I figured, start off with this before

spending a lot more money on something bigger and better. It did struggle with a slight breeze the last time out. I was kind of surprised by that and how such a small breeze almost stopped it cold from moving forward and against the breeze. So be careful on any type of windy day.

So if you want something to start with, that doesn’t break the bank and is easy to learn and fly, this is it. I have heard that Syma makes great drones and this is one of them.

This is a decent flier in slow mode, but in fast mode, you can really see the difference in the pitch and awe of this drone compared to the slow mode. Things go much faster in this mode and you need to be careful if you are inexperienced. Give yourself room and plenty of height until you get used to this.

I weighed this and it came in at 4.5 Ounces (with everything attached to it) and you only need to register it with the U.S. FAA if it’s .55 pounds (8.8 Ounces) or more. So no registering needed for this one. Another bonus.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Barometer-Altitude-Quadcopter-Floureon-Propeller/dp/B01EQRV7XG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8