Popular Shopping Review

The Original California Jelly Blade

2009-09-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

I originally bought this product for my car, but I didn't use it often, so I thought, Why not use it for the foggy bathroom mirror?

While towels can do an okay job, the The Original California Jelly Blade whisks away 100% of the foggy moisture on the mirror in seconds with no lint left sticking to your mirror and no streaks. Also, if you have a glass shower door, you can also use it there to prevent the buildup of soap scum and hard water deposits. Seconds a day can save your hours of scrubbing and purchasing of cleaners.

Pros: Streak-free, Lint-free, 100% dry
Cons: Water may drip down the mirror while you use it if you're not quick enough

Overall I am very satisfied with this product and the California line of products in general. I also recommend the The Original California Mini Duster.

Clean-Rite Microfiber Cleaning Towels 12-pack

2009-09-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Microfiber cleaning towels are the perfect solution to several annoying housekeeping problems. With a warm wet towel in one hand and a dry towel in the other, cleaning glass,walls, tile, just about any surface, becomes much easier. Toss the dirty ones in the laundry and they are like new. Things that spot, like glass and bathroom surfaces, get literally spotless in seconds. I also use them in combination with a disinfecting bathroom/kitchen cleaner (with bleach)to ensure that the surfaces are clean and sanitary. I don't know what I did without them.

California Car Duster 12" Water Blade

2009-09-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful, time-savig product. Usually it takes me about 20-30 minutues to dry my car thoroughly using a towel or shammy cloth. This car duster cut the time in half! If I ever have to purchase another one, I will not hesitate to do so. The only negative thing I have to say is about the stiff corner edges. This makes it hard to get around the rounded edges on the hood and door panels. Other than that, this product is great.

Turtle Wax T-468 Ice Liquid Polish, 16 ounces

2009-09-12T07:17:00.002-07:00

I've been a long steady purchaser of Meguiars products. This is the first "wax type" product I've found that rival's the Meguiars NXT results. While it doesn't last long,this product hides blemishes on a black vehicle very very well. Micro scratches, scratches, rock dents in the front bumper, metal, plastic, eveyrthing....

Very very easy to put on. You could probably apply to the whole car in 10-15 minutes max. Pretty easy to remove. Because it's great for plastic too, there is no time wasted trying to keep it off of your window rubber/trim or any other plastic on the vehicle. It is about the consistency of Rain X.

Goes on very easy, comes off decently, leaves astounding results. For those who detail frequently, dislike white powder in the cracks and want to use a product that won't build up, this is it. This is the first new wax type product I've been happy with in about nine years. Not sure if I'll quit using Meguiars NXT but definitely less frequently.

This stuff is a MUST for anyone that plans on trading in a black vehicle. You'll definitely make back the money and time you spend on "icing" the vehicle with an increased trade in value due to the dramatic hiding of scratches and blemishes. Only question pending is durability. I know it at least lasts two weeks because that's how long its been on the car.

If you detail at least every two weeks then you should be very happy to switch to this product from Meguiars NXT. If you are a "wax a couple times per year" this is not a product for you.

Meguiar's X2020 Supreme Shine Microfiber - Pack of 3

2009-09-12T07:17:00.001-07:00

That's right! A quote from Detective Eames on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She and Goren were in a garage and she pointed out a chamois cloth and smelled it and that's when she said, "Meguiar's, the good stuff. My father used to use it on his ..."
The first time I saw that episode I didn't know what she was talking about. But I saw it the other day (on Bravo) and I got it! That's because I have become an avid fan of Meguiar's products since I bought a Mercedes 7 months ago!
This product I mostly use on the interior. It is like a magnet for wiping the dash and wood trim. You hardly need the sprays but they are good too. Keep one handy in your glove comparment.
It gives a great shine on the outside whey you use it with Meguiar's Quik Detailer Spray. Enjoy!

Meguiar's G12711 NXT Tech Wax - Paste

2009-09-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a long time user of Turtle Wax Platinum Ultra Gloss Paste Wax for the past two years and thought I'd give this a try. I have a two-toned truck and its primary color is midnight blue. I gotta say that this Meguiar's Tech Wax penetrates the dark finish very well giving it a deep shine as well as excellent weather protection that's better than the Ultra Gloss. The Tech Wax is more expensive, but you can probably find it cheaper if you search the net which is what I did, but it wouldn't be fair to Amazon if I disclosed that info here. I'm a wax freak so I use this everytime after I wash the truck since I don't always have time to wash once a week like your suppose to. Even after two weeks of not washing, the Tech Wax still beads the surface of the hood, roof and tonneau cover.

The Original California Home and Auto Detailing Kit

2009-09-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

I order these for my husband because he had just got a new truck with dark paint so I thought these would be great to keep up with the dust since we live off a gravel road. He won't let me got near his pick-up with them (afraid it might scratch the paint) but I have used it on my silver jeep and it works great. I have also use them inside, since it says the dirtier they get the better they work. It's quick way to dust of the old tube and if you have company coming it makes quick work of dusting, if you don't have time to break out the polish.

Meguiar's G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit

2009-09-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

When I first read about claying your vehicles, several years ago, I was a bit skeptical. It seems strange and like a lot of work for you car, but both impressions were incorrect.

After washing your vehicle with a safe wash, Claying your vehicle is the next step and a vital step. Claying removes above surface contaminants on your paint's surface: bits of overspray, tar, etc. and lots of other things you can or more likely can't even see. After washing your car, rub your flat hand across the surface. It won't smooth as glass. Furthermore, listen! You'll hear your hand going back and forth over the surface as it rubs against the contaminants. This is a car that needs to be clayed and just about any car if it has never been clayed needs to be clayed. Even a brand new car on the lot often has contaminants. Furthermore, once clayed, it's usually recommend to do it again every 3 months to a year, depending on the environment your car is in. Honestly, claying your vehicle doesn't take a particularly long amount of time. I'd say it's possible to do it in just under thirty minutes.

The Smooth Surface Clay Kit from the wonderful folks at Meguiar's is the perfect kit to clay your vehicle. Again, after washing your vehicle, spray an area with the Quick Detailer, and then use the clay bar across the surface. You can search Youtube for Meguiar's Clay kit, to see demonstrations from users, but it isn't hard to do. Do a thorough job on your vehicle, and the way your hand then moves across the surface will impress you. I'm amazed every time.

After claying, you have several options. The clay kit includes a sample of cleaner wax, and you can certainly use that. It has some mild cleaners and some protection. However, if you use a cleaner wax, I'd recommend waxing the car more often as it isn't quite as durable as dedicated separate products. Once a month for example with the cleaner wax, would be good. Or, you could use the cleaner wax for its mild below surface cleaning properties followed by a more robust wax product such as Meguiar's Gold Class or NXT 2.0, and then you could potentially be set for a few months.

If you want to do even more after claying, you can use a paint cleaner from Meguiar's for below surface contaminants right after claying, and then optionally a Pure Polish after that. You'd top all that off with a wax such as Meguiar's Gold Class, or Meguiar's NXT 2.0.

Furthermore, pick up more of the Quick Detailer, and you can use it to remove light dust and contaminants to your paint on a regular basis, and you can actually find you won't have to wash your vehicle as often.

Whatever you choose, regular maintenance of your car's finish will keep you smiling for years to come. Meguiar's clay kit is a great way to start because not only does it make your finish smooth as glass, but it allows whatever wax you apply to adhere more evenly and properly to the surface, providing a better shine and longer lasting protection.

A great product. Highly recommended.

Linksys WVC54GCA Webcam 640x480 802.11G Wireless Internet Home Monitoring Camera

2009-04-23T13:58:00.002-07:00

While the camera seems to do a good job, the software included with it is some of the worst I've ever seen. I installed it on Vista and the setup utility for configuring the camera crashed repeatedly. On XP it didn't crash but I was never able to get it to find the Internet version of the camera after I configured it but I did get it to work on my wife's laptop. It allows you to configure the camera's name and IP into the setup screen but will give you an error and clear out the fields because you didn't first select an empty line in the table up above. It would be nice if it at least told you to select an empty line but would be even better if it just assumed you were adding to the table when you press the save button.

The absolute worst part about it was that it was so inconsistent about recording. I set up a scheduled time and it worked OK the first two times I tried to record but I had to convert the raw files to .avi format before I could get sound. Other times it recorded video but I never got any sound. Sometimes while watching it live I couldn't get any sound and then 5 min later it started to work.

Sometimes the instant record button worked on Internet configuration where I used a dynamic DNS to see it from outside of my router's firewall. However, it rarely worked on the local (inside the firewall) configuration. Pressing the button simply did nothing and there are no error messages to help you.

With respect to the wireless there were evenings that I could hardly get any network throughput to my laptop until I got the bright idea to unplug the camera. It worked just find as soon as I did that and so I disabled the wireless by giving it a bogus network name and used it via a cat5 cable. They don't give you a way to just turn off the wireless if you don't want it. I also had some luck by adjusting the antenna on my router.

If I wrote code this bad in college I never would have graduated and I find it really discouraging that Linksys would actually release something this bad. Did you guys do ANY testing??? All I can say for them is that I'm glad they built their reputation with their routers first. If this camera was my first experience with Linksys I would never have purchased another item from them. It doesn't say much for Cisco either.

Caselogic UP-2 Universal Pockets¿ Medium (Black)

2009-04-23T13:58:00.001-07:00

I ordered a carrying case with pockets in the beginning but later I realized that its a pain opening the zipped and flap and then that case would'nt accomodate the charger either...so went ahead and bought this one...
wow!what a trendy yet simple design. My Canon SD1100 IS fits into it perfectly..... fits into your pocket ...a small inner compartment for a memory card would have been a good idea... nevertheless great buy

Bon-Aire Original Ultimate Hose Nozzle (Aluminum)

2009-04-23T13:57:00.002-07:00

I had this, and used it, for about a month, mainly to hose down my pool filter and to clean off my deck, which is made up of pavers. Both activities require a lot of pressure to do a good job. As it turned out, my "cheap-o" nozzle from Wal-Mart applied much more water pressure than this thing. As a positive, it does appear to be well made, but the spray options are limited and I was never able to get the type of power spray I can get with my $5 device. With the cheaper nozle, I can turn a dial and get about 10 different spray pattens, from power wash to bucket fill to mist. Bottom line is I like it better, although it will undoubtedly have to be replaced more quickly than this one. Having said that, though, I have had it for about two years and it is still going strong. Again, this one is better made out of better materials, but that is somewhat irrelevant considering I now have it sitting on a shelf in my garage.

SIMRAN 200 WATTS STEP DOWN CONVERTER MODEL SMF-200 FOR TRAVELLING OVERSEAS

2009-04-23T13:57:00.001-07:00

This transformer has worked admirably so far. I used it on a trip to India, and it worked well. It doesn't make any noise while in use, and it seems to stay reasonably cool. Not like I'm drawing all that much wattage through it, but it seems to be just fine.

Just a few quibbles:

1. The 110-volt North American plug offered on the front of the unit has a spot for a grounding prong, but the unit itself is not grounded. I still cannot fathom the logic of that design choice. Especially in India, where European plugs are *required* to have a grounding prong. You can't get a plug like this one into the outlet without one; the outlets have an internal safety device that only opens when a grounding prong is inserted into the outlet. Sadly, the only way I could get this to work in India was to insert a pen in the grounding prong hole to release the safety and then insert the plug into the power holes.

2. The only justification I could find for not having a grounded unit is that the unit is fuse-protected. But they don't tell you what kind of fuse is required, and the fuse is located *inside* the unit, such that you would need a screwdriver to open the unit to replace the fuse. If it is going to be fuse-protected, the fuses must be user-replaceable, and need to be easily accessible without the use of tools, which I'd rather not carry around with me when I'm traveling internationally.

As far as the usability goes, it works as designed: it takes 230-240V power and steps it down to 110V power, offering you a North American power outlet. It's reasonably small and lightweight in comparison to some other transformers, but that's because it handles a much lower wattage. You have to be careful about the application that this will be used for: works well for laptops, phone chargers, electric razors, etc, but don't plug anything into it that draws over 200W, like your curling iron or hairdryer, as you'll fry the transformer instantly. And the lack of a grounded power plug and the internal fuse are poor design choices which nearly limits the functionality of the unit to the point where it's almost worth it to pay a little more for a better-designed unit.

For the price, it was worth it for me. Just make sure you understand the application for which it will be used before you buy it.

Quixx Paint Scratch Remover

2009-04-23T13:56:00.002-07:00

I decided to purchased this product because I saw the majority of people had good results on it. I applied the step 1 tube in a circle motion for about 5 minutes, not noticing any results I continue applying the circular motion for about another 5 minutes and the very small scratch, the size of 1/10 of a cent continued to be the same. I tried applying step 2 and the same results were acquired, I was so upset. I finally decided to return this product which didn't work and purchased a paint stick at Autozone which did a great job in the small scratch, do not get too excited about the reviews of amazon, once you tried this product you are very likely to be disappointed at the results.

Deltran SuperSmart Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt 1.25 AMP Battery Charger

2009-04-23T13:56:00.001-07:00

Deltran SuperSmart Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt 1.25 AMP Battery Charger

This battery tender is great. Not only will it keep your car or motorcycle batteries from sulfating, they will always be fully charged and ready to go with no worries about overcharging. Theoretically,a vehicle battery can last practically forever if it is properly maintained and doesn't sulfate. Using a "smart" charger is the only way to do this. I have two, a .75 amp unit for my Harley and the 1.25 amp unit for my 2 cars and I "top off" the batteries weekly on all of my vehicles. The bike stays plugged in all winter while it's in storage and it never fails to fire up immediately in the spring just like I had been riding it all Winter. I'll be using battery tenders on all my future vehicles for the rest of my life, that's for sure.

Peltor H10A Professional Noise Canceling Earmuff

2009-04-23T13:55:00.002-07:00

My old earmuffs were recycled to a charity yesterday -- they were servicable, but the new Peltor H10A is so much better, I didn't want to be tempted to use the old one. My lawn mower and new blower are not as loud as my neighbors' but I am not as tired after mowing and blowing. My 6 HP shredder/chipper and my other 2 cycle machines (chain saw, combo trimmer/tiller and hedge trimmer) wear me out -- not just by the weight but by the high DB levels. The hedge trimmer is as dangerous as the chain saw -- and I never want to use either when I am fatigued. Take it from a safety professional, earmuffs are not "Nice To Have". If you can't afford excellent ear protection like the H10A, don't buy the tool.
BTW: Shipped and received Fast.

Black & Decker CPI20XB 20 Watt Power To Go Cordless AC/USB Power Supply

2009-04-23T13:55:00.001-07:00

Looking at the three versions of this: 10W, 20W, 100W, I found the technical details on the B+D site helpful:

The 10W has a 700mAh battery, This Model # CPI20XB (the 20W) has a 2Ah battery, and the 100W a 4Ah battery. It looks like they are progressively heavier, but I can't find accurate figures on weight or dimensions.

Input - 8.4 VDC, 5.0A
Output - 115V AC 60Hz-20W for 5 minutes, 16W continuous
Battery - 2Ah, NiMH
USB - 5V DC (350 mA)
- *Approximate talk time based on average results using commonly used cell phones. Results may vary depending on features/cell phone used.

November update - I ordered the product. One negative is that the power adapter provided to charge it is only for 120V countries (the US, basically)... I wasn't able to put it through any significant use so far, but I will try to test out how well it recharges electronics and how well the battery holds.