Product Review: Re-furbished LG BPM25 multi system all zone region-free blu ray player

 

This works for most discs. All that is required is plugging it in, and connecting the HDMI cable. I tested it on a Region 2 DVD which gave the region error in my Region 1 Blu-ray player and it was able to play just fine. It came with instructions for how to change regions through the remote if you get an error, but I did not have to do that at all as it was able to detect and play the disc immediately without me having to switch it. I recommend this for a lower-priced region-free player.

+++August 2019 update+++
Updating to say when it works, it works well. But I have come across some Blu-rays, specifically, the UK Northern Exposure blu-ray set that was put out a couple of years ago, that it just cannot play. I get a region code error and using the remote to change regions does not get it to play. I tried connecting it to the internet to see if I could update the firmware, and that did not work either ( I got a message saying there were no updates available). Of course, that is always tricky with region-free players because firmware updates can often remove the region-free hack.

I have used the player successfully on Region 2 DVDs and a Region 5 Blu-ray set without any issues and without having to manually change the region. It just detects the discs and plays them automatically. So when it works, it works great, but it does not work for everything so that knocks it down a couple stars for me.

Product Review: Helping Hands Soldering Station

 

This is a good inexpensive soldering station and is definitely worth the price. The soldering iron is fine but would have been better with an assortment of tips and being able to adjust the temp. The helping hand station is very helpful to identify resistor values by bands or read the value of capacitors if you do not have great eyesight. It is also very useful if you ever have to solder wires together.

Product Review: Samsung BD-FM57C Blu-Ray Player with Wi-Fi Streaming and HDMI Cable

 

I bought this as a new primary blu ray player since the Vizio player I was using is no longer doing firmware upgrades. I do not use the apps, but they are quite limited. Netflix, Pandora, and a couple others. Just as a player, however, it is fast loading for both DVDs and Blu Rays.

The initial firmware update that I had to do after set up (which is very quick and easy) took somewhere between 5-10 min total from download to install. I have played a range of older and newer blu rays on it, and I have no complaints. The blu ray discs that my Vizio player could not play, do just fine on this one. I have had no audio or video playback problems with the unit at all. The price on Amazon is a little high, so you may want to price shop, but overall I am very much satisfied with the purchase.

Product Review: Re-Fuel Power Bank

 

I purchased this a couple years ago, and use it for when my phone is low on power and I do not have access to a plug. Most recently I used it while driving with my phone in GPS mode (my car outlets are spotty on their ability to charge my phone when using the GPS). It took it from empty to about 50% charge after driving for about an hour to my destination and completely depleted the power bank. Since this is an older model the more recent versions of this probably will work better, but if you can get this at a good price, it charges quickly and does what it is supposed to do.

Product Review: Sensi ST55 Programmable Thermostat

 

I got this back in 2017 to replace my non-programmable thermostat. The installation was very easy, just download the Sensi app onto your smartphone (or you can print off the instructions from their website if you do not have a smartphone). If you use the app there is a selection to install and configure a new thermostat (for the DIYers) or to just set the thermostat up if you have it professionally installed. I did it myself and it was very easy. The advantage of using the app to install is you can enter the wiring configuration on your old thermostat and it tells you exactly how to label the wires in the new one, and you just connect the wires to the corresponding ports. It is an easy enough install that those who have limited DIY experience when it comes to home maintenance/repairs can install it. As long as your heating/cooling system is relatively modern you should not run into any issues. The thermostat is powered by 2 AA batteries, but you can use the C-wire to hardwire this if you have one.  It is also compatible with the Amazon Echo, although the skill only allows you to turn the temp on the thermostat up or down. It does not let you adjust or set a programmed schedule.

Once installed you can control and/or program a schedule for the thermostat through the app or via the Sensi website. I found it easier to set a schedule through the website than on the app itself. Either of those options seems easier than doing it on the thermostat itself. One thing I really love so far is that with my old thermostat once it reached the set temperature the heat or AC would turn on and off every few minutes, ultimately wasting a lot of money, so I found myself having to set it 5 degrees lower or higher once it reached the temperature I wanted so it was not constantly turning the furnace or AC on and off. With this, once it hits the desired temp, the thermostat turns the heat off and it stays off. Part of that can be attributed to the weather getting warmer (I live in MN which has had a very warm winter overall this year), but it seems to have a much better range that it allows for before turning the furnace back on. Since I am probably 2.5 to 3 months away from having to use the air conditioning, and a few weeks away from being able to not use the heat at all, I will update my review later should the need arise.

I am still using this as of 2023, and it still works fine. If the battery power gets low enough (even if there is still plenty of power left in the batteries) it will lose the Wi-Fi connection. If you replace the batteries it will (most of the time) reconnect on its own without you having to do anything else. Sometimes, however, you will have to go through the steps in the app to get it connected, which is a pain. But, it has to be connected to the Wi-Fi in order to set up or change a heating or cooling schedule in the app. 

Overall I am very satisfied with it, although it is very early on. The installation could not have been easier, and as long as it does not die quickly it seems like it is a very good, less expensive alternative to some of the other WiFi-enabled thermostats out there.

Product Review: Fitbit Alta

 

This is an older model Fitbit and did not have all the bells and whistles of the higher-end models (especially the newer models), but it does the step and sleep tracking. You can also track food through the Fitbit app, or pair it with an app like My Fitness Pal to log your meals (which is what I do). It can also detect when you are doing a workout on an elliptical or something comparable. It has notifications you can set for inactivity alerts or when you reach your daily step goal. 

The display is turned off normally to save battery power, but you can turn it on by either tapping the fact of it twice or just turning your wrist. My only complaints are that the display turns off after a couple seconds, and the fasteners on the strap are a pain to close. It would be nice if they gave it a little longer on time for the display and a normal watch-like band. And, it does not use a regular USB-C charger. It has a charger with a clamp-like end that clips on to the back of the device. Of course, if you lose the charger you have to get a new one and you will have a non-functional device until you do. Overall, however, I am very satisfied with it.

Product Review: Amazon Echo (1st Generation)

 

I have one of these (which I ordered from another site that was offering them at a lower cost at the time) and one echo dot. I keep this one in my bedroom and mainly use it to play music since it has a better speaker than the Dot. It is not high-end Bose quality, but much better in quality than old-school low-end computer speakers, and some Bluetooth speakers.

This is (in my opinion) very handy, and has more and more functionality being added all the time. The Echo can do anything from playing music from Pandora, iHeart, Amazon music, etc, to updating a grocery list, turning lights on and off, ordering a pizza, accessing Wikipedia, getting weather and traffic updates, etc.

I see them as being as useful as you want them to be. Some of the skills that can be enabled are pretty useless or just for fun, but others like the alert my buddy app (which can alert a list of people if you need help, which can be great for seniors) can be very useful. I have found that it responds to and understands commands most of the time very well. It mainly only has problems when there is background noise like from a TV. Although it occasionally understands a question but does not know the answer. You can give it feedback through the app which you have to download to a phone or tablet to get it set up, by telling it whether the unit did what you wanted next to what it heard.

The setup is very easy, just plug it in, connect it to wifi via the app, and then read off a list of 25 commands so it can configure to your voice. It is definitely not something that everyone will find useful or see as a must-have, but if you have seen the commercials or looked into it and are intrigued by at least some of the things it can do then I definitely think it (especially at the reduced holiday price) is worth the expense. Even if you are looking for a reasonably priced Bluetooth speaker this will give you that functionality and a lot more.

Product Review: Kasa Smart (HS100 KIT) Plug 2-Pack

 

I bought a pair of these along with the Echo (not through Amazon). I found them to be fairly easy to set up. You do have to download an app to your phone or tablet and verify your email address when you register through the app. After that, it is a matter of plugging them in and walking through the steps on the app. Depending on your wireless connection, it may take a couple tries, but if you are in any way tech-savvy, it should take no more than about 10-15 min.

Once it is set up you can turn them on and off just by pressing an icon on the app or telling the Echo to do it if you have one. You can even schedule the lights to turn on and off at specific times, or set a timer to turn them off (helpful if you have a bedroom lamp plugged into it and you want to use it almost as a sleep timer). I am very happy with the purchase and will probably get more. My only gripe about it is it takes up a lot of room pm the outlet and makes it hard to plug anything else into the second plug of an outlet that the unit is not plugged into. That aside, they work great and I would highly recommend them.

Product Review: Epson Stylus CX4450 All-in-One Color Printer-Scanner

 

As a printer, this thing is pretty much useless. It goes through ink very fast, and when one of the colors goes out, it will not compensate with the other colors or print black only. Even if you only print in black and white it still goes through ink fast. The ink cartridges are a lot more expensive to replace than they are worth, and it is not like this does any better job printing photo quality than any other inkjet printer. 

It is however a good, and easy-to-use flatbed scanner. I only paid about $30 for it, and I really only use the scanner now. At that price it would be worth it, but certainly not for $300, or anywhere near that. You can get a flatbed scanner for far less than that, and there are far better multifunction printers out there.

Product Review: Samsung ML-2010 Laser Printer

 

I bought this printer for around $50-$60 years ago. It is most definitely NOT worth the $460 it is currently (as of August 2023) selling for on Amazon. It is still running, and I have never had any major issues with it, but there are some very irritating things about it. First, it loses connection to Wi-Fi a lot, and it can be a huge pain in the ass to get it reconnected. Sometimes, all you have to do to reconnect it is just unplug it and plug it back in, and other times you have to go through the Samsung utilities and fight with it for about 20 minutes to get it reconnected.

. It is definitely a get-what-you-pay-for kind of printer. It is not the fastest thing ever, and does make a lot of noise when printing (for those of you who care about that). And, it does jam every so often, usually on bigger print jobs. When it does jam it can be a pain in the ass to get the stuck papers out. On the other hand, the toner does last a long time, and if you are mainly printing word processing or text documents you will get a lot of mileage from one toner cartridge. It is not good for graphics-heavy documents. For example, I would use it to print off my physics teacher's lecture notes which he put online as PDF files. Some of the graphics printed off OK and you could actually see the pictures. Other times you would just get this dark blob where a picture or boxed-off equation was.

If you are looking for something that will give you high-quality print jobs, this is not it. But if you are looking for something to print a bunch of papers or text documents on, this is good if you can find it at the right price.

Product Review: VIZIO VBR210 Blu-Ray Player

 

It does fine for what it can do (play DVDs and older blu ray discs). The people at VIZIO however, in their infinite wisdom, were too stupid to make a player with hardware that could be upgraded. So, per their tech support, no firmware upgrades are being made for the player. Hence, when it comes to playing many of the newer blu ray discs it is absolutely worthless.

This model is not being sold new anymore, but if you are looking for a lower-cost reconditioned or used blu ray player skip this one and spend a little more on something that has firmware that can actually be upgraded. This will work if you just want something that can upscale DVDs a bit, but that is about all this is good for.

Product Review: YPbPr to HDMI Converter, Component to HDMI

 

This is a converter that allows you to connect an older device that has the YPbPr component cables (such as an X-Box 360) to an HDMI input. While many newer TVs still have ports available for these cables, they generally only have one, and if you still have more than one working device that uses the YPbPr cables, then this will allow you to still use them. It is powered via a supplied cable that can be plugged into a USB port or a power adapter that plugs into the wall. It will provide an okay, but not great picture as the output, but it does work.

Product Review: PIONEER 43-inch Class LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

 

This is a very nice, relatively inexpensive, 4K tv. At 43 inches it is a perfect size for a bedroom, a workout room, a garage, etc. It has three HDMI inputs, a coaxial input, an optical cable input, and component cable inputs. And, the inputs are located in a way that they should not be blocked if you put the TV on a wall mount. It also does have feet that screw onto the bottom to allow you to put it on a counter or a TV stand.

The TV does have Amazon Fire TV built-in. You can do a basic setup or a full setup. The basic setup is the one you would pick if you are not an Amazon Prime member, and essentially just allows you to switch the inputs, download apps, etc. The full setup is what you would pick if you are a Prime member and will allow for easier access to all of the Prime Video content. The full setup is very easy, especially if you are even relatively tech-savvy. It will put a QR code on the screen that you can scan with your phone that will allow you to log into your Amazon account with your phone and then the TV sets itself up. You will have to wait for the firmware to upload, but the TV does that automatically and there is really nothing you need to do while the TV is downloading and installing the update.

The TV itself is great. The resolution is wonderful, and finding what you want is relatively easy. It does have a Firestick remote, which has an Alexa button that allows you to do voice searching. The only thing I do not like about the remote is that it does not allow you to easily change the TV inputs via a button on the remote. You have to go to the home screen and change the inputs from there. And, when you are on the page that shows the inputs, the screen does not automatically show you what is hooked up to what input (I did figure out you can set this up manually, but it should be something that the TV can detect on its own). Those are, of course, bigger issues if you have something like a Roku (which you really do not need since you can download almost every App you can get on a Roku on this), a video game system, or a blu-ray player hooked up to this, than it is if you are just going to be streaming. Aside from those issues, however, I think it is a great TV and definitely worth the price.

Product Review: Power Strip, SUPERDANNY Surge Protector with 22 AC Outlets and 6 USB Charging Ports

 

This is a very nice, heavy-duty power strip. It has 22 AC outlets, including 10 along the sides to accommodate more oddly shaped power packs. It also has 6 USB ports so you can plug in a phone charger (without taking up one of the outlets) or a converter that is powered via USB. It also offers surge protection, so you do not have to worry as much about plugging multiple things into it. Even if you are unlikely to use all 22 outlets (and that is not really a good idea anyway), it is definitely worth the pickup.

Product Review: ABLEWE RCA to HDMI,AV to HDMI Converter, 1080P Mini RCA Composite CVBS Video Audio Converter Adapter

 

This is a device that allows you to connect older electronic devices with old yellow, red, and white audio-video connections (like an older DVD player or a VHS player) to a modern TV that only has HDMI inputs.  It is powered via USB, which you can either plug into a USB connection on your TV, into a power strip with a USB port, a charging plug, or the like. And, you can set it to output at 720p or 1080p, depending on your television's capabilities, but the setup is very easy and can be done by most people.

The market for this is probably relatively small, especially since more and more people are moving over to streaming and away from physical media. But, if you are one of the handful of people left that have older devices that are still working, this is definitely a good pickup. 

Product Review: Computer Speakers, Bluetooth Computer Soundbar, HiFi Stereo, 3.5mm Aux-in Connection, USB Powered Computer Speakers

 

This is basically a soundbar that can connect to a computer (desktop or laptop) or a tablet (assuming it has an AUX port). It powers via a USB connection, so it definitely has fewer wires than the old-school computer speakers that had to be connected together via a wire and had to be plugged into a wall outlet and it is definitely a major upgrade in sound quality over the PC speakers on my laptop. 

The sound through the speaker is very good (in my opinion anyway, but I am not exactly an A/V wonk), and the big feature for me is that it can be connected to devices via Bluetooth, so I can play things from the apps on my phone through the speaker, and do not have to wear headphones to get better sound than what is emitted through the speakers on my phone. I definitely recommend this.

Product Review: HDMI Switch 3 Port, avedio links 4K@60Hz HDMI Splitter 3 in 1 Out

 

This is a good three-way HDMI splitter that will allow you to run three devices to one HDMI port. My living room TV is mounted above my fireplace and I have a high-speed HDMI cable running through the wall so that I can put the devices connected to the TV (in my case, a blu-ray player, a Roku, and a PS4) to the TV without having cables running up the wall. Plus, my TV mount partially blocks some of the HDMI ports on the TV itself, so this was the best solution.

The splitter is powered through the HDMI cables and does not have (or need) a separate power source. I have not noticed any issue with lag or latency through any of the devices hooked into it, aside from one time when one of my PS4 games was loading. But, aside from that, the audio and video from all three devices has been fine.

The only thing that would make this better is that if it came with a remote that would allow you to switch between the channels without having to push the button on the box every time. That is not, however, a big issue, just something that would be a slight improvement. Otherwise, it works as advertised.

Product Review: Amazon Basics Ultra Thin Indoor TV Antenna

 

I have this connected to the TV in my basement for the handful of times when I am not streaming something or watching a DVD or blu-ray. I live in a townhouse that is at a fairly low elevation, and even with this in my basement, it can pick up all of the local broadcast channels and some of the over-the-air HD channels. Some channels come in better than others, and the feed does get interrupted from time to time. I think that is more about placement, however than the performance of the antenna. So, if you use a streaming service that does not have your local channels, this is a good option for the times when you want to watch something that you cannot otherwise. 

Product Review: SainSmart IIC/I2C/TWI Serial 2004 20x4 LCD Module Shield For Arduino UNO

 

The meager instructions that came with this (at least when I purchased it back in 2017) are pretty useless and incorrect. If you dig around online or look at the Amazon reviews you can find the correct instructions to get it to work. Basically, you have to check the l2C address (which is wrong in the instructions), check that you are using the correct l2C address, if your Arduino has more than one, and make sure you are giving it 5V of power.  Once you get it working, it works as it should. I used it for a build for an independent study project, and once I got everything set up correctly, it worked as expected to display a message based on the amount of vibration detected from a piezoelectric sensor. 

Book Review: Arduino For Dummies 1st Edition

 

The Arduino is a microcontroller that can be used to do anything from something as simple as causing an LED to illuminate to controlling a robot. However, if you are not all that adept at programming and/or building circuits, it can be somewhat daunting to use. I used one to build a vibration-sensing device for a class in my electrical engineering curriculum, and since I only knew the basics of programming, I got this to help figure out how to program the device. The book has a lot of good information in it and presents the information in an easily understandable way. If you have some experience and programming and know the basics of circuit design the book is easy to understand and use.  The material may go over the head of a total novice, but you can definitely have beginner to intermediate skills/knowledge and easily follow along with the material.