Product Review: TP-Link N300 WiFi Extender(RE105)

 

My townhouse is split-level and has dead zones on the upper level (my router is in my office in the basement). I bought two of them, and they definitely boost the signal on the upper levels and eliminate or reduce the dead zones. This is very easy to set up. You just plug it in near your router, push the WPS button on the router and the WPS button on the extender, then wait for the blinking light on the extender to turn solid. Then you can unplug the extender and move it to where you want the signal boost. Now I am getting the same Wi-Fi signal strength on the upper floors of my townhouse as I can in the basement. Given that these are relatively inexpensive, I definitely recommend this if you have a house that has Wi-Fi dead zones.

Product Review: Umbra Venti Swing-Top 16.5-Gallon Kitchen Trash Lid– Large, 35-inch Tall Garbage Can

 

The first can I received was shipped in a huge Amazon box, with a smaller inner box (with old labels on it) indicating that it may have been a returned item. The inner box was all bent up, and when I opened it, the can had two huge cracks on each side of the cylinder, which basically caused the thing to fall apart. Needless to say, I returned that one. I just received the replacement which was shipped in a smaller box, was packaged much better, and was not damaged at all.

I use the SimpleHuman "P" type trash bags which were way too big for my 10-gallon garbage can. They fit perfectly in this, and I am definitely not wasting a portion of the bag now with the can filling up before the bag does. I like that there is a ring to hold the bag in place and keep it from slipping down into the interior of the can. I am not a huge fan of the swing-type lid, but as long as you do not have something that is too stinky in the can it is not a huge issue. But, one thing that would make it better is a lid that fully closes the interior.

Product Review: Dial Liquid Hand Soap, Himalayan Pink Salt & Water Lily

 

I ordered this as a replacement for a subscribe and save item I had set up on Amazon. Usually, the soap I order through that comes inside a ziplock bag, and the top is screwed on well. This one was just plopped in a box with another item, and the top was loose (it did not come off all the way) causing some of the soap to leak out. Definitely not packaged as well as usual. The packaging issue aside, it does smell very good and is akin to the other non-foaming dial soaps.

Product Review: HDMI Switch 4K HDMI Splitter-Techole Aluminum Bi-Directional HDMI Switcher 2 Input 1 Output

 

I mounted my TV on the wall, and the mount covers one of the HDMI ports, making it impossible to access. So, I bought this so I could have both my Firestick and my blu-ray player connected to the TV without having to unplug a cable every time. A couple of things should be noted about this. First, it is a switch, not a splitter. So it does not allow for multiple displays on a single screen. It just allows you to switch between two devices by pushing the button on top of the unit. Second, it does not have its own power supply. It gets power by having something like a FireStick or Roku plugged into it (which is likely preferrable to most people). So, with those provisos, it works very well for what it is intended, and I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: Trianium Tempered Glass Screen Protector Designed for Apple iPhone 11

 

This is a screen protector for the iPhone 11. You get three glass protectors, which fit perfectly over the iPhone 11 screen. The instructions are very straightforward, and it took me all of 5 minutes to get it on. It fits just over the viewable area of the screen and does not get too close to the sides, which can interfere with getting a case on. There is a guide plate that goes over the phone to help get the screen protector on, which definitely helps get it lined up. Then, once I got it on I was able to get my case back onto the phone without any problem. I hope to never actually need three of these, but I definitely recommend them.