zBoost

If you’ve read my bio on Mom Gadget, you know that I live in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Beautiful on the eyes, soothing for the soul, but not so good for cell phone reception. With a recent switch in carriers from Verizon to AT&T we went from no service in the house to some service. Still, we rarely enjoy more than one bar of service and have frequent dropped calls, missed calls, and overall poor reception. Finding a spot to make or answer a call is hit or miss and once you find it, you stay put until you have completed your call.

The zBoost Dual Band cell phone signal booster promised to change all that. Everything you need for setting up the zBoost is in the box including a snazzy looking little base unit and base antenna, power supply, coaxial cable, and signal antenna. The setup directions are fairly simple to follow and provide installation instructions for three levels of boost from Easy to Better to Best with the Easy setup providing the least amount of boost and the Best setup providing the most. Of course, each boost level upgrade requires just a bit more effort on your part. For Easiest Set-Up: Place the Signal Antenna inside, by a window. For Better Performance: Place the Signal Antenna outside of a window. For Best Performance: Place the Signal Antenna in attic or on the roof. It may seem like a lot of effort to get the best performance, but what’s nice about the zBoost is that once it is setup and turned on, you don’t have to do anything else.

Designed to boost cell phone reception up to 2500 square feet, the zBoost performed exactly as promised even when performing the “Easiest Set-up.” My cell phone went from a single bar to three bars as soon as setup was complete. Both my daughter and I could make and receive calls simultaneously. There are no cumbersome cradles or connections between my phone and the base. I just use my phone as I normally would but without the annoying dropped calls.

Every month I pay out hundreds of dollars to my cell phone service provider and every month I feel just a little bit cheated that I can’t use my cell phone in my own home. Not anymore! zBoost gives my signal the boost it needs.

For more information visitzBoost online.

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Disclaimer - Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

The Full Plate Diet (& giveaway!)

When The Full Plate Diet book was offered as a review item for MomGadget, I had to think twice. I had been on Atkins for so long that I had started to regain some of the weight I’d lost due to flat out boredom. Now this diet gave me the freedom to enjoy brown rice and vegetables again? Inconceivable. It’s hard to wrap your head around the notion that a whole wheat sandwich with peanut butter and bananas won’t drive you straight into the grave after such a protein-rich diet. Now, I love Atkins but after trying to jumpstart back on Induction again after two years wasn’t panning out and I decided to make the switch to the Full Plate Diet to see what happened.

The book itself is awesome. Short and to the point with tons of great photos and diagrams, they stress a simple approach to losing weight. And simple it is. Fiber is the main ingredient in this lifestyle change; we’ve been hearing more and more about it on television and research is backing up the theory that increasing the fiber content in your food helps you feel fuller longer as well as having other health benefits.  The book’s layout is fun, low-key and quotes Yoda, “Try? There is no try. There is only do or not do” and Miss Piggy, “Never eat more than you can lift.” How can you not love it?

The authors of this book promote three key steps to health:

1. Eat more fiber foods

2. Drink more water

3. Stop eating when you’re no longer hungry

It can’t be that easy.

So I tried it. I packed away the expensive Atkins bars and shakes. Laughed at the eggs ready to once again darken my morning (I hate eggs) and looked forward to delicious oatmeal with berries for breakfast the next day. Then a banana for a snack — I was feeling almost decadent — a salad for lunch and brown rice with vegetables with a small piece of chicken for dinner.  I upped my water intake; I’ve always been a big fluid drinker though it was coffee in the morning and tea the rest of the day but now water was my main beverage and my skin glowed after a few days.  My innards felt, um, better, and I was ready to keep going another week.

So what happened? I lost three pounds in two weeks. Not the ten I’d lost within two weeks on Atkins induction phase but I knew I’d be happier in my diet since these were my natural food choices.  I can do this. You can do this.

Visit the The Full Plate Diet website for recipes, a community board and blog articles.

Giveaway! For your chance to win this great book, please visit my blog and say howdy.  Winner will be announced March 15, 2010, after 12p EST. Good luck!

The HP Photosmart Premium withTouchSmart Web Printer Winner

The winner of the Hp Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web chosen by Random.0rg is comment Jennifer with comment #254.

Congratulations Jennifer.

There were several entries after the end of the giveaway of 9pm CST on February 24th that were not included in the drawing.

HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web printer

How would you like to be able to go online and print coupons, movie tickets and recipes and much more without turning on your computer. The HP Photosmart Premium withTouchSmart Web is the first web-connected printer that offers one-touch, wireless, on-demand access utilizing an extra large LCD touch screen.   This is done through the use of  the HP App Studio.

Print Apps are special print applications available exclusively to HP TouchSmart Web-enabled printers which connects your printer and the Web together with no PC needed.  Part of an entirely new Web-based printing platform, these apps enable easy printing of maps, coupons, movie tickets, recipes and more from partners including Disney, CBS Interactive, Google, DreamWorks Animation, Fandango and Coupons.com, among others.

Users can also connect to Snapfish and the HP Creative Studio directly from the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, which saves time and enables customers to archive or print photos and projects like never before… just touch, print and go.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day the new HP Creatve Studio App offers Valentine’s day printables from cards and crafts to stationary.  There are also great Valentine’s Day projects inclucing calendars, t-shirt decals, gift bags and kid friendly Valentine’s Day creations including stickers, coloring pages and finger puppets.  All for Free.

A versatile printing solution with print, fax, copy and scan functionality, the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web is perfect for multi-tasking households – meeting all their high-quality home printing needs in one premium product, from laser-quality text to lab-quality photos. With a full range of wired and wireless connectivity options, this printer provides the freedom and flexibility to print directly from Wi-Fi enabled PCs,  Bluetooth®-enabled devices, the iPhone™ and the iPod touch™ using HP iPrint Photo.
This ENERGY STAR-qualified all-in-one helps users save paper with automatic two-sided printing and reduces packaging waste by shipping in a reusable bag.

I’m excited to say the HP is offereing an HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web printer and a full set of original HP printing supplies to help them print and share their special memories (valued at $500) to one lucky MomGadget reader.

To enter  go to the Apps Studio then come back here and leave a comment telling us about your favorite App.

For extra entries:

• Become a fan of MomGadget on Facebook
• Subscribe to this blog
• Follow MomGadget on Twitter
• blog/tweet this giveaway  (one entry per day)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

This giveaway will end on February 24th at 9pm CST

Soirée: Wine Aeration with a Touch of Elegance

A Wine Connoisseur I am not. You might even say I am somewhat intimidated by wine and the wine culture. While I do enjoy a glass of wine now and again, I tend to rely heavily on the knowledge of my friends to choose the wine. I play it safe when purchasing wine for home and stay within my comfort zone gravitating toward the sweeter, lighter wines and sticking with a few tried and true favorites. My dining experiences with darker wines caused me to avoid them for fear I wouldn’t enjoy the stronger tasting flavors.

When I was given the opportunity to review the Soirée bottle top wine aerator, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to expand my horizons. The Soirée promised to help improve the aroma and flavor of any wine. Maybe it could help me develop a bit more confidence when selecting and enjoying a darker wine.

My first stop was the Soirée website to read a bit about the product and the importance of aerating wine. Two sections, Why Decant and Soirée Science, provided me with valuable information. I learned that oxygen actually stimulates wine bringing out flavors and smells that are lying dormant. Did you know the aroma of wine actually changes as it sits in your glass? The longer it sits, the more oxygen it is exposed to, the better it smells and tastes. A few swirls in the glass actually aerates the wine even more. The Soirée eliminates both the wait time and the need to swirl. Pouring wine through the Soirée aerates the wine and infuses it with oxygen as it pours into your glass.

Before addressing the actual testing of the Soirée, I want to talk a bit about the product itself. First, it is stunning. Elegant hand blown glass is not something that you would typically associate with the term “gadget.” While beautiful to look at, it is a fragile object and care must be taken in the use and cleaning of this product. An included stand doubles as a drying rack so this helps to avoid breakage while storing and drying your Soirée. Unlike traditional wine aerators where the wine is poured through the aerator, the Soirée actually fits directly into the opening of the wine bottle. It does come with two sizes of gaskets which fit most bottles, but it does not accommodate all bottle openings. A larger size or a more universal gasket would be a nice addition.

My experience has always been pour the wine, drink the wine. Perhaps this “from bottle to glass to lips” method contributed to my apprehension towards dark wines. The wine was never given the opportunity to win me over with its true flavors.

To test the Soirée, I selected a 2008 Alamos Malbec from Argentina. After reading up on the 100 point system for evaluating wine, I chose this wine as it consistently rated 87+ and earned a 90 from Wine Spectator. I also selected it because of its reasonable price and availability. Using my customary pour and drink method, my first sip was a little too bitter and aggressive for my liking. Despite the bite, I expected more taste and depth from such a dark wine.

I then fitted the bottle with the Soirée and slowly inverted the bottle above my glass. I loved watching the Soirée in action as the wine swirled within the glass ball and tumbled into my glass. Surprisingly enough, I did not experience any splash effect. Every drop went into my glass and when I finished pouring, the wine in the Soirée slid right back into the bottle. My second sip of the Malbec was much more satisfying than the first. No longer did I detect the bitterness from the first sampling and there was a lot more flavor and depth to the wine.

My overall impression of the Soirée is that it lives up to its claims and delivers on its promises. While I may not be completely in tune with the science of wine and what makes one wine rate higher than another, as a novice wine drinker, I can truly appreciate the fact that wine tastes better when aerating with the Soirée.

To learn more about the Soirée, please visit the Soirée website.
Or to purchase a Soirée for yourself or as a gift, visit the Soirée online personal shopping cart.
This reviewer is not compensated for purchases made from links in this review.

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Disclaimer - Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

Newcastle DraughtKeg: A Smart Choice

Newcastle DraughtKeg

Back in 1928, in Northeast England, if you heard a man say he was “Going to see a man about a dog,” you could be fairly certain he was off to the pub to have a pint of Newcastle Brown Ale. Known by Newcastle locals as “Dog” or “Broon,” Newcastle Brown Ale is America’s No. 1 imported ale. Now with the Newcastle DraughtKeg, you don’t have to leave your own kitchen to enjoy the deep bodied, crisp taste of this fine draught ale.

If you are a stranger to Newcastle Brown Ale or if you aren’t a fan of darker beers, you should really give this ale a try. I thoroughly enjoy the refreshing taste with no bitterness or unpleasant aftertaste. You will be pleasantly surprised by the unique flavor. With just a hint of sweetness, Newcastle Brown Ale offers a smooth drinking experience and it goes perfect with your favorite pub fare.

The Newcastle DraughtKeg brings home the pub experience by dispensing a cool draught beer. Easy to follow directions allow you to tap the recyclable steel keg in just two easy steps. It’s small enough to carry to a neighborhood party or over to a friend’s house to watch the Super Bowl. Holding five liters of ale, the DraughtKeg is just the right size for a small group gathering or the perfect size for one. Of course, I am not going to drink five liters of ale in one sitting, but with DraughtKeg’s patented technology, I don’t have to. Once tapped, the DraughtKeg keeps beer fresh for up to thirty days, giving me a cool draught beer anytime I want one.

The Newcastle DraughtKeg fits nicely on the shelf inside the door of my refrigerator and I don’t have to remove it until it’s empty. I just open the door, place my glass under the spout, and pour. After pouring, I make sure to give the dispensing spout a couple taps with the glass to catch any ale remaining in the spout. I also keep a folded paper towel under the spout to catch drips and avoid a sticky mess on the shelf. I have heard if you pair the DraughtKeg with the Beertender by Krups, you no longer have to store the DraughtKeg in the refrigerator. Although I have not tested the Beertender myself, I would be interested in hearing from my readers who have tried it. The thought of enjoying a cool draught beer right from my kitchen countertop is intriguing!

Overall, the pairing of Newcastle Brown Ale and the DraughtKeg is a smart choice. It allows you to enjoy a superb draught ale while drinking responsibly from the comfort of your own home. Off to the kitchen to see a man about a dog!

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Disclaimer - Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

Nikon Coolpix S630 Digital Camera

When my old digital camera starting turning itself off whenever it wanted to,I decided it was time to get a new one.  I had had the old one since 2003–it was a decent camera but it had its problems.  The zoom feature has always been lacking, and I never could get the colors to come out looking like the real thing, especially yellows and purples.

As a food blogger, I wanted a camera capable of taking good, clear close-ups.  And as a person who lives fulltime in an RV, I wanted to be able to take good shots of the scenery, both regular and zoom. I found those features in my new camera, the  Nikon Coolpix S630.   The S630 is 12 megapixles, with 7X optical zoom, ISO 6400, and a 2.7 inch LCD display. It has 44 mb of photo storage built in, enough for about 55 medium sized photos.  Memory is expandable using an SD card.

Included with the camera is a rechargeable li-ion battery and the charger for it; a USB cable; and  an audio video cable so you can play your movies on a TV directly from the camera.  There are way more functions than I may ever use, but it was very easy to learn to use them.

One of the first things I did was go out into  my world and try out different settings. I am especially pleased with the macro:

I had to lay down on the ground to get this shot, but you can clearly see the gills in this mushroom.  Next, I walked down the road to the lake where my husband was fishing. The first photo was taken with no zoom. You can barely see him over there:

The next one was taken at full zoom, which produced a somewhat blurred picture, but it does demonstrate how powerful the zoom function can be:

I wanted to check was how true to color my pictures would be of things that are yellow. You’ll just have to take my word for it that this fabric is really this color:

My last test was the “Food” pre-set feature. Those noodles look pretty good:

When I bought this camera in November 2009, I paid $229 for it. I also bought a 4 GB SD card, and an extra battery. If you are someone who only occasionally takes pictures, you should be fine with just one battery. I use my camera every day, and take lots of pictures. My battery usually lasts more than a week before needing to be recharged.  The battery costs $39, but for me it was worth that, as I was spending about $10 a week for AA batteries for my old camera.

In my opinion, the  Nikon Coolpix S630 is a very good camera for the amateur photographer.

Vholdr ContourHD Camcorder

I recently had the opportunity to review the VholdR Contour HD Wearable Camcorder by Twenty20.

This Contour HD is the first and lightest HD Helmet Camera.  It’s made for the active lifestyle but I wasn’t going skiing, snowboarding or biking so I used it as a handheld in the backyard with my puppies.

Since this is made to be mounted on a helmet, automobile or worn on goggles there’s no viewfinder so I just aimed in the general direction of my puppies and it worked great.  You can shoot in HD or SD mode but I used HD to get the full benefits.

To get the video to your computer you can install the Vholdr desktop from the Micro SD Card included with the camcorder or download it from their website.  Once you import the clip you can edit, save, email or share on the Contour HD Video Community.

The VholdR Contour HD Camcorder comes with a flat surface mount for helmets and automobiles, a goggle mount, Micro SD Card, USB adapter and battery.

The VholdR Contour HD retails for $249.99 but I did see it on Amazon for less.

Dremel Multi-Max – The Must Have Tool of 2010

Now that Christmas is almost over and we begin to look forward to 2010 - many of us are making our wish list for household projects we would like to complete before the onset of Spring. As a longtime fan of Dremel, I was excited to be introduced to the Dremel Multi-Max.

Dremel Multi-Max makes multitasking easier and more productive with a complete Oscillating Tool Kit. Ideal for do-it-yourselfers, this tool can tackle a wide range of repair, remodeling, and restoration projects with optimal control, safe operation, and high precision. It creates minimal dust - is ideal for cutting, grinding, sanding, scraping, and much more.

Ladies, I’ve even used Dremel to help repair my own acrylic nails! How’s that for precision?

It’s lightweight and compact design makes it easy to tackle those tight corners. The design helps minimize wrist and hand fatigue, even during more prolonged work.

You’ll find multiple sanding options for sanding both bare and painted wood, which is an ideal practice for restoring worn surfaces. I love it for restoring furniture.

Multi-Max can be used to remove sections of drywall, install hardwood flooring, and trim door jambs. You’ll endure low-noise so your personal projects don’t become a nuisance to others in the house.

Dremel was founded in 1932 in Racine, Wisconsin, Dremel is the industry leader in rotary tools. This company has stood the test of time because they posses a loyal customer base and have a trusted name in tools.

What you get — Oscillating tool; MM440 3/4-inch wood flush cut blade; MM450 wood and drywall saw blade; MM11 hook and loop sanding pad; M70W 60, 120, and 240 grit paper; storage case; and Getting Started booklet

Dremel 6300-03 120-Volt Multi-Max Oscillating Kit is Available on Amazon.com

World of Warcraft Gaming Gear by SteelSeries

I received three items for gamers from SteelSeries to review. QCK Mousepad for World of Warcraft, Kinzu Optical Mouse and Zboard gaming keyboard. My initial reaction for each was they were OK. Then they were given the ultimate test, Don.

If you’ve read any of my other reviews you’ll know Don is a PC gamer so he was the logical choice to test these products.

OCK Mousepad for World of Warcraft. $14.99 

Pros:

• Large surface area
• Grips well, doesn’t slide on the table or desktop
• Soft -to me it had a satin feel
• Thin and flexible for portability
• Mouse tends to track well
• Not as grainy as a regular cloth mousepad

Cons:

• Couldn’t find anything he didn’t like

Kinzu Optical Mouse $34.99  

Pros:

• Solid, good construction
• Response time is good
• Small, fits well in your hand
• Skates well
• Braided cord is a nice feature

Cons:

• Missing side buttons which are fairly common on gaming mice
• Sensitivity controls for mouse is adjustable only by installing their software

Zboard gaming keyboard $50.00 Additional keysets $24.99

Pros:

• Well constructed
• Responsive
• Keys are fairly tight
• Interchangeable keysets is a novel idea. Can have keysets which are game specific as well as a standard QWERTY keyset for everyday use
• Multimedia buttons which are unusual for a gaming keyboard
• 2 USB ports on the keyboard

Cons:

• Couldn’t find anything he didn’t like

All in all he was very impressed with this gaming gear and felt they were well worth the money.

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