Do you have an older model vehicle with an iphone accessory cable that doesn't work with newer generation phones like the iphone 4? We had the same issue with an iphone 4 in a 2007 model Honda Accord. The device would work from time to time but would never charge and prompt with a message stating that the accessory was not compatible with the phone. We found the Scosche Passport adapter that made our incompatible accessory cable work flawlessly to charge the phone and allow playback via the cars factory radio.

Before Scosche



After Scosche




The Scosche Passport is compatible with the iPod nano 4G, iPod touch 2G, iPhone 3G. In a nut shell it allows accessories that do not support USB charging to work with iPod and iPhone, it also allows car integration accessories that do not support charging to work with the iPhone 3G and September 2008-released iPods. The pass-through port allows for easy plug-and-play installation with mostly all older accessory devices. The Scosche Passport is compatible with several aftermarket auto head-units so it is not limited to Honda radios.


We didn't like the adapter being so big so we added an extension cable to our car unit and put the Scosche inline. The adapter still works great.



Get your Scosche Adapter on Amazon

If you are looking for a good quality stylus and pen combination, your search is over. We gave the Bamboo Duo stylus a try and were very happy with the results. The duo is a nice looking pen stylus combo, it has a nice solid feel to it and writes well on both sides. The pen is a fine tip black ink cartridge that is refillable.

The Bamboo Duo is about average thickness of a pen and also has an average length so you wont feel awkward holding this little guy. The stylus side of the duo is very accurate on the iPad 3 that we tested and also works well on iPhone devices although we didn't really think it was very useful on such a small screen. We tried notability, bamboo, and paper apps and are excited to report that this stylus was very responsive and allowed for great control and accuracy. We loved the preciseness we archived while using the stylus. The stylus tip can also be interchanged if necessary so you will never have to throw this stylus away. One thing to note is that since the stylus side of the tip is not protected, dropping it will more than likely cause you to dent the metal casing that goes around the stylus tip. (Unfortunately we dropped our and dented it but we are still happy with the results.)

PROS
- Sturdy construction
- Refillable ink
- Replaceable stylus tip
- Offered in various colors
- Works on most screens

CONS
- Pricey (They often go for half price on Amazon)
- The stylus tip does not have a protective cover

Get your Bamboo Duo Stylus on Amazon

So you probably got a great deal on that new 55 inch led tv, but noticed that you really couldn't do much but plug in the cable box, and maybe a video game console.

You probably want to play games, surf the web, or stream videos and music directly from your tv. Well, now you can with the iMito MX1. You can basically make your TV a giant tablet as long as it has a free HDMI port.

The iMito MX1 mini pc is a bout three times as large as a regular usb stick and has an aluminum housing. We were able to play with one for a little while and it works just like an android tablet, and does it really well. In fact it runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean so if you have played with any android device it will be super easy to use. The Google Play Store is installed by default which allows for download of many applications. The device has built in bluetooth, XBMC, and 802.11 b/g/n wifi support.

The iMito MX1 is powered by an included power supply. It doesn't come with a keyboard or mouse but any bluetooth keyboard or mouse should work. We didn't have any issues connecting ours and have sometimes seen them being sold as bundles together. We liked it so much that we would recommend this product over trying to buy a high end TV with the web features. For the super geek, the iMito can be flashed with the latest roms for the hottest features. We really like this device and for $60.00 you just can't go wrong.

Things to note are that you must connect it to some HID (human interface device) which will cost you a little more depending on how fancy you want to get.

Note that although the MX1 comes with 1GB internal RAM memory it has a slot for a micro SD card that supports up to 32 GB.



Here is the USB and power ports. Note the HDMI port on the other side.



Here is a screenshot of the iMito MX1. Note that this iMito was modified so your screens may vary.



Get Your iMito MX1 mini pc on Amazon

If you are looking for an entry level Heart Rate Monitor we highly recommend the Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor and Stopwatch. The watch is very comfortable to wear and has a nicely laid out display. The watch will help you track your personal heart rate target zones and features OwnZone technology that listens to your heart to set the correct heart zones that fit you. This will help you get the most out of your workouts.



The watch not only displays your heart rate but will also track calories burned which was a feature we liked. The transmitter is to be worn on your chest and although at first we thought it would be uncomfortable, once you put it on, you wont even notice it is there.

The Heart Rate Sensor that is included with the watch is also compatible with gym equipment in fitness clubs (of course the equipment must be compatible with Polar products). According to Polar the transmitter has coded heart rate transmission to avoid cross-talk. We found the watch to be very accurate at tracking hear rate during our tests.


The Polar RS 100 retails for about $120 USD but we purchased our on Amazon for about half the price. It is well worth the price. We have linked the video from Polars website that will help you make a decision and help you get started once you purchase your watch.

Polar RS 100 Heart Rate Monitor Setup




THE GOOD
- Large Display
- Backlit
- Calorie Counter
- Works with Gym Equipment

THE BAD
- We really couldn't find anything we didn't like. The feature rich entry watch works well and is currently priced very low.

IN THE BOX
- One RS 100 Heart Rate Monitor Watch
- One Heart Rate Sensor Strap
- One Heart Rate Sensor
- One Manual

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
Polar USA

Get your Expo Dry Erase Markers ready, you are going to love this dry erase paint! We were looking to get a dry erase board for the office, but we were limited by the sizes that are available. While shopping around we came across Idea Paint that would let us cover an entire wall to bring all our ideas for the future into one big (REALLY BIG) Canvas. After some research, we decided to buy enough to cover a 450 sqft area and got to work. We were really impressed by the results and wanted to share this product with you.

Not only did the wall work as good as a dry erase board but we felt it erased better. Idea paint does not just lend itself to walls, you can let your imagination run wild and paint furniture, objects, or even your ceilings although we think it would be a little hard to use up there. Say goodbye to that plain old dry erase board!

We did find that there was lots of prep work to make sure your wall was perfectly smooth before applying but it was worth while. The other thing to note is that the smell of the chemicals will drive you crazy. We painted our wall over a weekend and the potent smell remained for almost 4-5 days although it did get less irritating towards the end. Once the wall was completely dry it no longer smells and makes an amazing dry erase board.

If you are doing this at home, I would probably take a week vacation to make sure you aren't breathing this stuff, or just close the air vents and open the windows in that room.

Idea paint is offered in many cool colors and we went with the plain old boring white, however the one that just recently caught our eye was the clear kit that will allow you to basically get any color you can dream up. The kit includes everything you need to get started, so what are you waiting for?

Go ahead and let your imagination run wild. This is truly an amazing product. The 50 sqft kit will run you about $225 so get ready to dig into your piggy bank! We love this product for kids rooms and we are certain they will too... Only thing is they might get crazy and paint on your not so dry erase marker walls so you will have to lay down some ground rules for the little ones.


THE IDEA PAINT VIDEO



THE IDEA PAINT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
Take a look at the installation video prior to purchasing your idea paint, this will give you an idea as to how much work it will be. Really the painting is easy, its the prep work that took us longer because our wall was not smooth.


THE GOOD
- Limits are endless, make anything a dry erase board

RECOMMENDED SURFACES
- Most sealed non-porous surfaces
- Stained wood
- Painted drywall
- Plastic
- Metal
- Aluminum
- Chalkboards
- Whiteboards


THE BAD
- Strong Odor during installation
- A bit expensive

IN THE BOX

- THIS can
- THAT can
- Recommended roller
- Stir stick
- Can opener
- HELP guide
- Wet Paint sign.


WHAT'S MISSING
- A strong will to go crazy and paint all over the place
- Dry Erase Markers (We use Expo Dry Erase Markers and they work great). Get Your Expo Dry Erase Markers Here.


WHERE TO BUY
- Amazon
- Idea Paint

MANUFACTURER
Idea Paint

There are different types of flavors for aquarium lighting, and depending on what you have in your tank you may need some pretty intense lighting to make sure the health of your inhabitants is always at it's best. While on our search for some aquarium lighting to purchase, we came across Aquaillumination's LED lighting system. LED's are the next best thing in aquarium lighting, they offer high PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation which is the spectral range of solar light that is needed by corals in order to grow) at lower wattage and heat levels. LED's have been growing in the aquarium field for quite some time, and now they are just getting smarter, better and longer lasting. One of the advantages to LED lighting is that you no longer need to change those bulbs out every 6 months. LED's are said to be able to last about 10 years before having to change them out.











So what makes the Aquaillumination's Vega so cool? Well aside from looking like they were designed by apple computer with it's white shiny coat (also available in black), they are jam packed with features. The AI Vega LED's allow you to control each color independently. There are 4 LED pucks that carry Cree XM-L Cool White, Cree XP-E Royal Blue, Cree XP-E Blue, OSRAM OSLON Deep Blue, Cree XP-E Green, OSRAM OSLON Deep Red. This is one of the first LED systems to incorporate colors other that white and blue. We are not to sure what value that may bring to the table, but honestly the technology hasn't been out that long and these can take years to test, but we think it looks pretty cool anyways. Check out the demo video below.

Aqua Illumination Vega





Out of the box the Aquaillumination Vega is a solid LED, the construction is impeccable and feels sturdy. The unit is heavy and feels like a quality product. The While part of the LED fixture is made of plastic while the rest is a metal heatsink to dissipate the little heat that the unit puts out. The unit also features a fan that is only enabled when the unit is hot. There are no manuals in the box except for a small insert that tells you how to turn on your LED's and also how to put them in demo mode. The Vega can be run without a controller, but we do not recommend it as it is pretty annoying to hit the button and not know what intensity the lights are on. We feel this is only to really test the unit.

In order to test the unit we also purchased the new Aquailluminations controller. The controller allows for timer control of all the colors independently as well as allowing you to set weather controls ,and lunar cycle. We love this feature because it mimics clouds passing by at random times or even thunderstorms. honestly the thunderstorms are kinda funny looking so we turned them off pretty quickly but we did like the cloud cover options. The Lunar cycle is also pretty impressive, it will dim your lights at night to mimic the moon having a higher intensity at full moon. It did take a little while to figure out how to program the unit but once you figure it out its pretty easy. The manual did not come with the controller and had to be downloaded form the Aquallumination support website.

The controller looks decent but we feel they could have done a better job. We didn't like that you must always have the controller connected to power outlet or usb port on your computer (not so wireless after all) in order for it to send controls to the LED's. If you manage to bump the controller and disconnect it, your lights will stay at whatever intensity they were when the controller was knocked off. We feel AI could improve on this by having the controller dump the configuration on the LED's and have them run on their own. Only thing is that something like this will cost the consumer more so we can see why they probably opted out. The buttons are not very user friendly and take some getting used to, but once you play with it for a good 20 minutes you should be able to get around.




The setup between the controller and the Vega was fairly simple and straight forward, all you need to do is tell the controller that it is wireless and it goes out searching for the Vega. The default setting on the controller is for it to be wired.

The Vega's do not come with any way to install them so you must purchase a stand from them. There are a few options, we decided to go for the older style tank mount since we were going to hang it in a tank with a hood. We opted for the 24" mount and cut it in half to create two stands. Since we weren't sure if we were going to keep to stay with this configuration we only purchased one set. but after installing the unit we are very happy with it and will be placing the order for the second set very soon.








Aqua Illumination New Controller




Take a look at the new mounting options. If you have existing AI Sol Blue, you can use the same mounting brackets as they are backwards compatible.

Aqua Illumination EXT Hanging Kit




Aqua Illumination EXT Rail System




All in all we are very happy with the setup and would definitely recommend it. The Vega goes for $499 and the controller will set you back another $79. You will then need to pick a mounting option which typically ranges from around $25 -$100. The savings of not having to replace the bulbs every 6 months pay off very quickly.

THE GOOD
- Good construction.
- Cheap compared to other lighting sources

THE BAD
- You have to purchase stands and controller seperatley (this could also be a good thing as it alows for flexibility)

IN THE AI VEGA BOX
- One Vega LED Light
- One Power supply
- One page manual and warranty info

IN THE AI CONTROLLER BOX
- One controller
- One Power supply
- One USB cable
- One 10' x 3.5mm cable for wired control
- One mounting kit includes Velcro and screws

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
Aquaillumination

Are you still storing your dogs food in the standard dog or cat food bag it comes in? Having issues with everything in your house smelling like dog or cat food due to no good seal? Tired of lifting that heavy 50 Lb bag to feed your best friend?

My family was struggling with all of these and came across the Iris Airtight Pet Food Container. We have had the container for at least two years now and it is still proving to be one of the best purchases we have ever made for our four legged friend. The IRIS container not only keeps your food fresh but it is capable of storing an entire 50 Lb bag of food. For some time we used to keep the dog food in the utility room outside and it would always get full of ants and creepy crawlers. After we purchased the IRIS we haven't had any issues with our dog food being contaminated and having to be thrown away. The IRIS features a rubber seal that keeps your food away from harm and maintains that freshness that Fido deserves.

We recently moved our IRIS indoors after making some space in a closet and are super happy with it. The Casters are smooth and sturdy helping you push the dog food anywhere you want it to go. It even doubles as a toy for our two year old, he likes to push it around for some reason.

We highly recommend this product and are pretty sure you will love it. You can purchase your Iris Airtight Pet Food Container on Amazon for about 24.99.

So you want to get a good start on a workout program?

We gave the Ultimate Reset By Beach Body the makers of P90X a try and were amazed at the results.

I personally did the reset for 21 days. I have to admit that it was not easy getting used to the foods as I am a meat lover and this diet quickly gets you off of meat, but the results are so amazing that I must share it with you. I lost a total of 20 lbs in 21 days. That is almost 1lb per day. The best thing is how much more energy I felt and how people who didn't know I was doing the reset would ask me what I was doing.

The reset was a little pricey and the foods that you must purchase have to be purchased at stores like whole foods or the Fresh Market , but when you are done you will see that it is well worth it. I am pretty sure that you would want to continue eating the foods as many of them are actually quite tasty and satisfying. It worked out so well for me that I became a coach to promote the reset.

You can try the ultimate reset for yourself at Beach Bodys website.

I have always been a handyman around the house and I often get calls from people who need some sort of help -- whether it's installing a microwave, getting a PC built, or building a deck outside the house. I guess you can call me a jack of all trades, master of none.

I often found myself without the right tool when someone would call me to do something silly like tighten a screw. I started carrying a Swiss Army Pocket Knife Swiss Champ but lost it. After some time I found myself needing something to replace it and felt that the Swiss Army was good, but it lacked ruggedness. I then went for the Leatherman Wave Multitool, which I also lost after a couple of years of use. I finally decided I needed to replace it, but didn't go for the Wave because all my pants would get holes in the pockets since it was so heavy. So, the end result was something small and manageable.

Enter the Leatherman Micra Multitool. I wish I had gone with this one first as it has proved to be a very rugged tool for its small size. It features a nice set of scissors, a sharp small blade, tweezers, a nail file/cleaner, flat Phillips screwdriver, extra small and medium screwdriver, bottle opener, and a ruler. Best of all it fits easily in your pocket and if you attach it to your keys, you will never leave home without it.

THE GOOD
- Good construction.
- Great assortment of tools in such a small tool.
- Easy to carry anywhere you go.

THE BAD
- A bit expensive.

IN THE BOX
- One Leatherman Micra Tool.

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
Leatherman

Looking for a small, yet decent set of speakers for your laptop, iPod or portable device? We recently tested the Diamond MSP100B Mini Rockers Mobile Speakers at our labs and were very impressed with the sound quality.

The speakers are shaped like a little capsule with all the cables retracting inside the unit. The capsule breaks apart and delivers a pretty crisp sound with a nice hint of bass. We were pleasantly impressed at the audio that came out of these little guys.

The unit has a universal 3.5mm audio plug. Its power output is 4W and has an internal Li-Polymer battery that will give you about 6 hours of playtime on a single charge. The speakers measure 4" x 2" and fit snugly in the included carrying case.


The Diamond Mini Rockers in Action

For around $29.99 we feel the speakers are a good buy.

THE GOOD
- Loud with good bass
- Great price

THE BAD
- Cables do not retract well
- Battery does not seem to be consumer replaceable
- Cables could be a little longer. The cable that connects the left to the right speakers are a little short for comfort.

IN THE BOX
- One set of Diamond Rockers Speakers
- USB Y-Cable for charge while listening
- User Manual
- Pouch

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
Diamond