http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/Cat Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:44:43 GMT Reviews by Cat http://www.viewpoints.com/TasteBook-review-b116 It all started when I saw a website that offered published books, just a few weeks ago. That got me to thinking: Wouldn't it be great if I could publish a cookbook that consisted of only our family recipes? My husband loves to cook, and he frequently finds new recipes in the dozens of cookbooks we have cluttering our kitchen, but when we find a great recipe, it's hard to keep track of it. And then there's the "recipe drawer" which is a drawer in the middle of our kitchen island that has printouts of all of our favorite recipes that we've found online. It's a total mess. And then there are the family recipes! Like Mom's Mac-n-Cheese, which I make every Christmas, but which are also in a binder that's about to fall apart. — — I wanted to publish all of these recipes in one place, but every site I found had limitations. I found a product called "Blurb" but the software kept crashing my computer. And a couple of other sites weren't much help either. Then I found TasteBook at... Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:44:43 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/TasteBook-review-b116 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dacor-MHD-3618-review-a7710 One of the main things that caused my husband and I to remodel our kitchen was our cooktop. Not just the cooktop itself, but the specific configuration of said cooking setup. We had a downdraft gas cooktop. Downdraft ventilation is fine - for electric cooktops. But for gas cooktops, it's a different matter. Whenever we cooked and had to use the vent, the air going down the center downdraft vent would actually pull the flame from the burners, resulting in lower heat output and uneven heating. In a sentence: downdraft gas cooktops are pretty much doomed. — — So we set about getting a real ventilation hood installed with our new cooktop. First we had to get our cabinets bumped up and then we had to get an HVAC contractor to install the ductwork. It was pricey, but the results helped our low-end kitchen become a more high-end kitchen so we figured it was worth it. My husband, the chef in our family, had free reign over anything fire-related in our remodel. He chose the Dacor... Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:12:11 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dacor-MHD-3618-review-a7710 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dacor-PGM365-review-ac943 My husband and I bought a lovely house in 2004, but it had a few problems. For one, the previous owners completely skimped on the kitchen. Unable to take fake granite formica and wheezing mediocre appliances any longer, we set out to remodel the kitchen this past summer. Because my husband is the true chef in our household, I left the choice of a new cooktop completely up to him. After visiting several high end appliance stores, Jay decided he wanted the Dacor PGM365 gas cooktop. We chose this cooktop over regular brands (GE, KitchenAid) and higher end brands such as Jenn-Air and Thermador for a couple of reasons: The appliance salesmen in multiple stores said it was a better buy and that it was more reliable. They also pointed out the sand-blasted stainless finish under the burners for its easy-clean finish, and the simmer burners on the Dacor were truly amazing in their capability to put out steady, even, very low heat. — — Installation and Issues — Our Dacor... Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:37:25 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dacor-PGM365-review-ac943 Cat 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Target-Faux-Amaryllis-Wreath-24-review-ee73 I am not an avid holiday decorator. I live in a neighborhood full of suburbanites who love to put out the big snowglobes with the faux snow, the lighted Santa brigade and just about everything else you can think of. (And to quote Seinfeld: "Not that there's anything wrong with that.") My neighbor actually does major decorations, with real pumpkins, just for Halloween every year. There's practically a pumpkin nativity scene going on there. But  my schedule and interests just don't allow me to decorate my house for any season in a big way. We don't have children, and I have other things I'd much rather be doing. Am I a Scrooge? Perhaps. But last year at Target I found a Faux Amaryllis 24" Wreath that just stopped me in my tracks as I walked down the aisle. It was so big, and lusciously vivid and red that I had to have it. And for about $35, I did. — — About the Faux Amaryllis 24" Wreath — The name pretty much says it all. The wreath is bright and vividly red,... Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:20:53 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Target-Faux-Amaryllis-Wreath-24-review-ee73 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/StarTech-StarView-2-port-USB-KVM-Switch-SV231USB-review-be65 My home office was getting out of hand. I had two LCD monitors, plus my laptop and its monitor, two keyboards, two mice, and absolutely no desk space left! There was simply no way to manage my work PC and my home PC on days when I worked from home. And not only that, but typing on my work PC was becoming painful. The additional monitor, mouse and keyboard weren't ergonomic at all. — — I finally decided I needed a KVM switch, and so I set about Googling just that. I found the StarTech StarView SV231USB KVM switch on Amazon.com for about $80. It had predominantly good reviews, with only a handful of reviewers giving it a thumbs down for poor monitor quality. I have a 22" LCD monitor, so I suspected that it might give me problems, but I decided to order it anyway, and hope for the best. I was pleasantly surprised. — — About the StarView SV231USB KVM Switch — StarTech sells a number of KVM switches, but for basic home office use to switch only two... Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:56:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/StarTech-StarView-2-port-USB-KVM-Switch-SV231USB-review-be65 Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Improv-Everywhere-review-deda Someone forwarded me a link. That's how it always happens. I rarely click on links that get forwarded to me, but this person was known for their high quality finds on the Internet. That link led me to Improv Everywhere  at http://improveverywhere.com. — — About Improv Everywhere — Improv Everywhere is a site run by a fellow named Charlie Todd, who also happens to perform with the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre in NYC. I once found myself outside UCB, and then later inside UCB, on a dark and bitterly cold New York night. It was my only experience witnessing a live improvisational show until I saw Second City perform in Chicago, and it was great. Todd is also a native of the Carolinas, where I live. The idea for staged improvisational performances came to Todd after he and two friends managed to convince a number of people that he was musician Ben Folds one evening. — — Improv Everywhere coordinates "missions" in which their "agents" participate.... Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:32:36 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Improv-Everywhere-review-deda Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Case-Mate-Signature-Series-for-the-Apple-iPhone-review-9157 I couldn't wait to accessorize my iPhone after I got it, but I found that the first case I ordered was a total bust, so I continued my search. I purchased the Case Mate Signature Series leather case for my iPhone, in black, from everythingiphone.com online. — — About the Case Mate Signature Series Case — This case is a hard shell wrapped in "premium Napa leather". It retails for $34.95 online and the pictures made it look as if it fit the iPhone like a second skin. The case came with a microfiber cloth and a thin screen protector for the front of the iPhone. — — The iPhone slips easily into and out of the Case Mate case. I was pleased when I received the case and began using it to see that it really does fit the iPhone wonderfully. The only disappointment with the case is that the screen protector that comes with it isn't a full-size screen protector. Unlike the full-sized screen protector that came with my Marware case, this one is only a rectangle... Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:08:41 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Case-Mate-Signature-Series-for-the-Apple-iPhone-review-9157 Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Bissell-SpotBot-Robotic-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-review-8eb9 My husband decided a few weeks ago that we needed a spot cleaner for our carpet. He settled on the Bissell SpotBot, but when we went to the store the only non-busted box available contained the Bissell SpotBot Pet cleaner. Reading back and forth across both labels, we discerned that the SpotBot Pet was identical in function to the original SpotBot. The only difference was the blue exterior (as opposed to the green), the cute pet logo (awww) and the fact that the cleaner it came with was a pet-specific cleaner instead of their regular carpet cleaner. — — Using the SpotBot — We set up the SpotBot as soon as we brought it home. Out of the box we simply filled it up per the instructions for the cleaner we were using (the Oxy cleaning solution has different water ratios) and took it upstairs to the latest spot where our dog had upchucked the cat food she snuck into a few weeks earlier. We had cleaned the surface area but the spot was still there and it looked horrible.... Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:56:16 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Bissell-SpotBot-Robotic-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-review-8eb9 Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dirt-Devil-Kone-review-a3c4 Our Black and Decker handheld vac finally decided to give up the ghost after something like fifteen years. It just stopped taking a charge. I was sick of the old beast anyway, so when I saw the Dirt Devil Kone at a local store, I started considering it. I purchased the champagne colored Dirt Devil Kone online for about $38. — — About the Dirt Devil Kone — These days it's all about the pretty. Karim Rashid is apparently a famous designer, and he designed the Dirt Devil Kone, the first hand vac I've seen that's pretty enough to leave out all the time. The design is simple and streamlined enough to make Martha Stewart happy. — — Using the Dirt Devil Kone — Getting started with the Kone is simple. Out of the box it had a strong enough charge to handle my initial dust-bunny chase over our hardwood floors. — — 1. Holding the thing: This vacuum is like our school's prom queen - awful pretty, but definitely not made for comfort. You have to... Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:39:07 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dirt-Devil-Kone-review-a3c4 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Swanstone-QULS-3322-Granite-Sink-review-d66b We finally made good on our committment many years ago to rip out our old, ugly laminate countertops and replace them with granite. Of course, a new sink was in order as well. I hated our old sink, a stainless steel Kohler. In fact, I hate stainless steel sinks in general because they always look scratched and trashy, no matter how much I worked to shine them. Ceramic sinks seemed to be our only alternative, but I wasn't fond of them either. Then someone suggested that we look at granite sinks. I had never heard of a granite sink, but as soon as I saw the Swanstone QULS-3322 Granite Sink I was hooked. — — About Swanstone's Granite Sinks — A "granite" sink from Swanstone is a composite sink that's made with 80% quartz stone. Swanstone advertises that their sinks are virtually indesctructible. The granite sink we purchased is a composite sink, in a matte black color that they call "nero". The specific model we chose is a double sink model, with a unique design.... Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:23:04 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Swanstone-QULS-3322-Granite-Sink-review-d66b Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cisco-Systems-7960-VoIP-Phone-review-571f About Cisco and the 7960 IP Phone — Cisco's 7960 IP phone is a mid-range Voice-Over-IP solution for desktop and ACD use. We chose the Cisco 7960 IP phone sets because they were preferred in our user testing head-to-head against Nortel sets. Cisco's 7960 phone is a part of their 7900 series of phones and accessories. — — The 7960 is a step above what most people are used to with a standard desk or ACD based phone. Cisco markets a variety of technologies to work with these phones, adding some serious capabilities, not seen with standard desk or ACD phones in the past. — — Cisco offers the following technologies that work with the 7960 series of phones: — - IPCC Express and Enterprise (Internet Protocol Contact Center): Express is the "light" version of the software. Major companies with ACD and recording needs would do well to pay extra for the more fully-featured IPCC Enterprise edition. — - Cisco CallManager: This is a must-buy if... Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:27:07 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cisco-Systems-7960-VoIP-Phone-review-571f Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Adobe-Photoshop-CS3-review-66d8 I've used Photoshop sporadically for nearly fifteen years. I've never been a power user, and more often than not I would borrow someone else's computer to use Photoshop, or take advantage of University discounts that brought the cost of the product more in-line with my wallet. I soon discovered interesting capabilities that I couldn't get out of Photoshop Elements, and after that, there was no turning back. When I purchased my new computer, I needed a strong image editing program, and decided that since I was now an adult with a savings account, I should just bite the bullet and buy a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS3 retail. About Adobe Photoshop CS3 — If you're not into digital imaging, the first thing you may think of when you hear "Photoshop" is Adobe Photoshop Elements, that "Photoshop-like" light program that comes with just about every digital camera or scanner sold today.  For most people, Photoshop Elements gets the job done, but for people who are seriously into digital... Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:07:18 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Adobe-Photoshop-CS3-review-66d8 Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Tell-Manufacturing-1000-Series-Residential-Door-Closer-review-fb35 One of my greatest fears is that our indoor-only cats will get out of our house through an open doorway. While it could be said that I'm neurotic, my cats are both stupid, adventurous types who always seek out trouble. Recently, two instances of our garage door being left open occurred so close together that I decided we needed to buy and install a door closer as soon as possible, so that I would never have to come home to an open door and a terrifying panic that our cats had gotten out again. We purchased the Residential Door Closer from Tell Manufacturing at Lowe's for under $30. — — About the Residential Door Closer — This product comes in ivory or black. It's very similar to the kinds of closers you see on commercial doors. It mounts to the door, and to the top of the door frame, and pulls the door shut automatically after it's opened. The door closer can be adjusted to speed up the closing of the door by increasing the tension on the pulling mechanism. It's... Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:21:22 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Tell-Manufacturing-1000-Series-Residential-Door-Closer-review-fb35 Cat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/House-Beautiful-review-0b53 I never considered flipping through the pages of House Beautiful until I found myself at the local YMCA with a thirty minute cardio session ahead of me and nothing to read but that or a men's magazine. I picked it up and was surprised at how much I liked it. Without a second thought, I subscribed a few days later. My husband also turned his nose up at the magazine, even though he's got a great sense of color and style and enjoys nice homes as much as I do. His attitude also changed as soon as he picked it up. — — About House Beautiful — I don't know the specifics of the market segment that House Beautiful is trying to cater to, but to me it seems to target a very upscale reader, someone who is beyond middle age and who has plenty of money. As a thirty-something wash and wear fanatic who is guilty of buying "bed in a bag" ensembles, I'm almost positive I'm not their target market. That said, I really enjoy getting House Beautiful and reading through it each month.... Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:42:51 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/House-Beautiful-review-0b53 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Marware-QuickVue-for-iPhone-review-f169 After receiving a new Apple iPhone as a birthday gift, one of my top priorities was finding a case to safely hold and protect my new prized possession. I was looking for something sleek and professional, and not finding anything at my local Apple store that fit the bill, I decided to look online. I ended up buying a Marware QuickVue hard case from everythingiphone.com and waited impatiently for two weeks because the product was new and wasn't in stock yet. — — About the Marware QuickVue Case — The QuickVue case is a hard case that has a rubberized finish, a belt clip holster and a snap open clasp on top. The case has a hole in one section so you can thread your head phones through it. The product images and description imply the with the QuickVue on your waist, you can simply flip open the case when your phone rings and easily answer the phone. It seemed like a professional looking product that would protect my phone and still make all of the phone capabilities easy... Sun, 26 Aug 2007 11:14:42 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Marware-QuickVue-for-iPhone-review-f169 Cat 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Booda-Dome-Clean-Step-Litter-Box-review-b08a I've owned a Booda Dome Clean Step Litterbox for about four years. I purchased the "Booda Box", as I call it, for several reasons. I liked the igloo-like shape of the box, and I thought that the ramp and steps on the box would do a good job of catching litter off our cat's feet as they went into and out of the litter box. — — Using the Booda Box — The box is easy to set up, consisting of only two main pieces. It came with a charcoal filter that you can insert in the top of the hood. The company claims that this filter is the magical secret to "superior odor control". I don't buy it. I used the filter, but when it came out a few months later, I never bothered to replace it. — — To get into the Booda box, cats must walk up the ramp at least a little before heading into the litter area, which is shaped with a curve (think of half of the yin-yang symbol) inside. The litter area is roomy and our cats never miss or hit the sides of the box. — —... Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:21:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Booda-Dome-Clean-Step-Litter-Box-review-b08a Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Apple-iPhone-4GB-Cell-Phone-review-fd3c0 At my age, I never expect anything great for my birthdays. I figure that if I want something, I can always buy it myself, and I frequently do. So for my birthday when my husband presented me with a small bag, I wasn't expecting much more than a card and a token gift. Imagine my surprise when I unwrapped a 4GB Apple iPhone Smartphone! My husband had cleverly thrown me off the scent of his intentions many weeks earlier by using the standard line, "Don't be silly, it's extravagant, you don't need it," in response to my drooling over the iPhone. — — Why We Purchased an iPhone — My husband's reason for purchasing an iPhone for me (for us, really) may be different from most people's. We travel a great deal and while we often have access to wireless Internet in hotels, we don't want to bring along a full-size laptop to browse the web. We do use the Internet a great deal on our trips: searching for restaurants, reviews of places and sending emails. After seeing how Safari... Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:51:29 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Apple-iPhone-4GB-Cell-Phone-review-fd3c0 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Americas-Test-Kitchen-2007-Season-review-5362 My husband and I discovered America's Test Kitchen on satellite TV last year thanks to our TiVo. We were drawn to the shows because the food looked great, the directions they gave on the show were always very specific (none of this Rachel Ray "palmful" measuring ****) and we really enjoyed Bridget & Julia, the two main cooks. So when I saw an advertised deal on the show's website for the entire season's worth of television shows, plus a cookbook for the season, all for $29.95 (plus shipping & handling) I thought it would be a great purchase. — About America's Test Kitchen — ATK is the television/cooking show equivalent of "Cook's Illustrated" magazine. I've received a few copies of Cook's Illustrated and it's a very slim magazine that has absolutely no advertisements in it. I call it the "Consumer Reports" of cooking magazines. They test kitchen gadgets and recipes and publish their findings. — The television show is hosted by Chris Kimball, the founder of the... Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:05:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Americas-Test-Kitchen-2007-Season-review-5362 Cat 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Real-Simple-Magazine-review-15c6 Many years ago I purchased a copy of Real Simple off the newsstand because it looked like an interesting read. Halfway through the magazine, something struck me: every other page was an advertisement. In disbelief I confirmed this, flipping from page to page to page. No two pages in a row were actual content. I decided not to purchase a subscription. Fast forward many years, and this time I found a subscription for a rock bottom rate, so figuring that the magazine must have changed a little, I subscribed to it. — — About Real Simple — The magazine's premise is enticing: "real simple" tips, ideas and articles to help you simplify your life, become more organized, and thereby hopefully achieve some form of lifestyle "enlightenment". Each issue includes a series of simple recipes, a section on "a-ha" (TM Oprah) uses for everyday things, fashion and buying information, a reader profile, and an interesting question posed to readers. — — What I Like About... Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:29:20 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Real-Simple-Magazine-review-15c6 Cat 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Picasa2-review-d3c00 Several years ago Google bought Picasa from the original team that developed the software. Since their purchase, the popularity of the program has grown exponentially and the capabilities of the program have expanded as well. The current version, Picasa2 is so useful that for amateur and new digital photographers, it's the only software I recommend. And best of all, it's still free! — About Picasa2 — Essentially, Picasa2 is a software program that allows you to store, organize, edit, print, share and archive your photographs. Picasa2 is what I refer to as a "jack of all trades" of software. If you have a digital camera and want to make your photos useful, Picasa2 is all you need. But there's more to the phrase: "Jack of all trades, master of none." Picasa2 does a good job of most things, but it's not the most robust program out there. — My favorite feature of Picasa2 is its ability to organize photos. When you install Picasa2 you can tell it where to find your... Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:02:22 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Picasa2-review-d3c00 Cat 4