Product Review: Amazon Basics Upholstered Storage Rectangular Ottoman and Entryway Bench

 

This is a storage bench that is about the size of one and a half of those mid-sized plastic storage bins that you can get from any store. I use mine in my front entryway to store off-season coats, hats, gloves, etc. It is the perfect size for that. It is also something that you can easily put in a living room to store things like kid's toys, pet toys, or anything that you just want to keep out of the way and use as a footrest in front of a couch. 

The best thing about it is that you do not have to assemble anything. It is put together (including the legs) right out of the box. So, the hardest part will actually be getting it out of the shipping box. It is a great value for the money (as long as it is still in the $75-$95 range). If it is being sold for higher than that, then you may want to look for something else because I do not think it is worth more than $100. I definitely recommend it if you are looking for some kind of "hidden" storage solution.

Product Review: Energizer CR1632 3V Lithium Coin Battery (5-Pack)

 

These are the coin-sized batteries that are used in at least some of the tile trackers. You get 5 for a reasonable price and, at least so far, I have not had issues with them draining too fast. They are definitely worth the pickup if you have some device that requires them.

Product Review: CAP Barbell Coated Dumbbell Weight

 

This is a 12-pound hex dumbbell. These are gym-quality dumbbells, with a rubber coating on the ends. It appears that sometimes the page on Amazon offers just one dumbbell (making it necessary to purchase two at a time to get a set), and other times they are sold in pairs. So, pay particular attention when you are ordering if it just adds one to your cart or a pair, and order accordingly. I ordered the 12-lb dumbells (they were being sold as a pair when I purchased them) and they arrived in time and did not appear to be used at all, and were exactly as I expected them.

Product Review: MATCC Crampons Ice Snow Traction Cleats

 

I live in the upper Midwest, which is known for its horrible winters (from time to time anyway). My townhouse association does a crappy job at clearing off the ice that forms after the snow in the driveway is plowed, which can make it treacherous (to say the least) to bring the dog out, or walk down to the mailboxes in the winter. I have used these for a couple of years now and they do a great job of providing traction. I have found that they fit over a pair of sneakers a lot better than they do over a pair of boots, even relatively small boots. Putting them on sneakers is actually fine since it is really only when there is no snow on the ground to provide traction that makes it really hard to walk. Meaning, when there is a layer of ice, you are not walking through deep snow so wearing sneakers is doable.  The one pair of boots that I have that these do fit on has little to no grip when it is very icy out and it does work well on those. So, they can fit over a shoe or a pair of hiking boots pretty easily without the straps that come with them. If you have a pair of large boots (like Sorel boots) then you will need to get this a size or two larger than what your actual shoe size would indicate you need. I definitely recommend them if you live in a place that gets a lot of snow and/or ice in the winter, especially if you go hiking in the winter.

Product Review: Ring Indoor Cam (1st Gen)

 

This is a set of two indoor Ring Cameras. I got them mainly to be able to keep an eye on and communicate with, a disabled parent, aimed at the staircases so I can be alerted of motion on the stairs and monitor for falls. They are very easy to set up (basically you download the ring app, select the option to add a new device, scan the QR code on the back of the camera, and follow the instructions). If you are familiar with setting up devices like Amazon Echo, smart speakers, or the like, you can easily set these up. The App has a free tier and a paid monthly subscription tier. The big difference between the paid tier and the free version is that movement activity will not be recorded on the free tier, so you cannot see what happened earlier. You can only get a live view.

Once you set them up, you can customize zones in the camera's view to detect motion, and you can turn the motion detection schedule on and off, for example, if you only want to detect motion from a camera overnight, or when you are out of the house, at work, or something like that, you can. That will keep you from getting notifications when you do not need them. You can also snooze notifications for a period of time. You can also, under the privacy settings, set up zones in the camera's field of view that will not be recorded. So, yes are some privacy options, although it does not appear that you can totally turn off the camera for a duration without unplugging it. You can also set the motion detection to alert only when a person is moving, so it does not chime every time a pet moves around (during the free trial and then if you pay for the subscription after that).

The video is very good. Even at night with all the lights off, you can see very well. Much better than old grainy security cameras where everything looks like pixelated blobs. The only con is that they do lose connection to the wireless signal from time to time. Sometimes it is very easy to get them reconnected just using the app, and sometimes you have to unplug the cameras and plug them back in to get them to reconnect. Overall, however, I am very happy with the purchase and definitely recommend these.