Reviews by shigadeyo

shigadeyo says "Rule #1: ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR DATA!" about Seagate 1TB USB 2.0 FREEAGENT EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE - SILVER

shigadeyo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:11:34 GMT

I purchased a Seagate FreeAgent 1TB Desktop External Hard Drive to serve as a backup drive. I have not been a big fan of Seagate hard drives in recent years due to quality issues, but the price was right and the 5-year limited warranty definitely helps (most external hard drives from other vendors have a 1-year or less warranty!). I addition to my regular backup schedule (RAID for real-time; daily off-site), I connect this drive weekly or bi-weekly, syncronize my data, and then store it locally to have on hand just in case I need to recover something from the last week or so. I purchased this drive in late May 2009 and have not had any issues with is so far. I don't leave it connected and running all of the time, but its speed and performance as an external backup drive fit my needs, even when the drive is encrypted. I don't use or recommend the included software, so I cannot comment on it but do use and recommend several free applications including DSyncronize. Also, the total...

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shigadeyo says "Great for steaming curtains..." about Conair Upright Garment Steamer With Hanger

shigadeyo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:43:16 GMT

My wife received a Conair GS10N Deluxe Fabric Steamer for her birthday. So far we have used it to steam the wrinkles out of our drapes/curtains as well as some shirts and pants. Overall this appliance is easy to use, but storing it is another problem. The support rod only collapses so far and the remaining hose, hanger, and other attachments end up creating a large, odd-shaped device that just doesn't seem to fit anywhere. It more difficult to find a place for it than the vacuum cleaner. Ultimately a spot had to be cleared in a close so that the steamer could be rolled in and easily stored full assembled (otherwise we probably wouldn't use it as much). Anyway, its rotating hanger and clothing clips are both useful and helpful. The hose seem to be a good compromise between function and storage considerations. I really wish that this had some sort of retractable cord rather than the two smallish plastic posts to wrap the cord around. Also, adding water involves removing...

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shigadeyo says "Bold and Beautiful!" about Kohler Forte Faucet

shigadeyo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:21:55 GMT

We purchased the Kohler Forté faucet in brushed nickel (K-10413-BN) to replace our kitchen faucet that was a Kohler Fairfax faucet that was polished chrome with polished brass accents (K-12171-CB). That faucet was very well-built, but we decided to update our kitchen and so the faucet with the brass accepts was removed and moved to the basement laundry tub. The look and design of the Forté is great and just replacing the faucet made a big difference in overall look and feel of the kitchen. Kohler faucets are well-built, heavy, and quite durable. However, it did start leaking around the 2.5 year mark, but Kohler made good on their Lifetime Warranty and sent out the replacement parts (ring kit and cartridge) right away. The repairs were easy and the faucet was fully operational again in no time. Kohler makes some really attractive products and stands behind its warranty.

We like the design of the Forté kitchen faucet so much that we also purchased Kohler Forté lavatory faucet...

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shigadeyo says "Cleans almost as well as the dentist!" about Sonicare FlexCare RS930 with Sanitizer

shigadeyo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:26:59 GMT

Previous dentists have recommended all sorts of dental products including Oral B electric toothbrushes and a WaterPik. I have always been an advocate of good oral hygiene and tried these products based on the recommendations. However, I have been somewhat disappointed with their performance and so I was very reluctant to try the Philips Sonicare Flexcare electric toothbrush when my latest dentist recommended it. Well, after several years I finally caved and bought one...

While pricy, the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Toothbrush RS930 with UV Sanitizer is an excellent product. It is unlike any toothbrush that I have every used. It cleans the teeth extremely well to the point that they feel super smooth and clean just like coming out of a cleaning at the dentist's office! I am extremely impressed with its performance and would never go back to using a regular oscillating Oral B toothbrush. For the cleanest teeth at home, get a Philips Sonicare FlexCare Toothbrush!

This particular...

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shigadeyo says "Excellent blender, but skip the chopping attachment..." about KitchenAid Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender KHB 300

shigadeyo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:05:15 GMT

I received a black KitchenAid KHB300OB Professional Immersion Blender for my birthday this year. This is my first immersion blender and wanted one in order to make liquifying things (e.g. soups) easier, quickier, and much less messier. The blender itself works like a charm and is like the Dremel tool of the kitchen. It is very easy to switch attachments and because only the attachment gets dirty when used, clean-up is a snap. I have found all sorts of uses for the immersion blender already, including: mashed potatoes, milkshakes right in the ice cream container, whisking egg whites, and more.

Kitchen Aid offers the Professional Imersion Blender in three models. Below are the differences between each one:

KHB300OB - Includes blender, 8" blending attachment, whisk, chopper attachment, 3-cup beaker, two lids and storage bag; MSRP = $129.99
KHB200OB (may no longer be available) - Includes blender, 8" blending attachment, whisk, 3-cup beaker with lid; MSRP = $??.??
KHB100OB -...

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shigadeyo says "Goodbye Microsoft Outlook!" about Mozilla Thunderbird

shigadeyo — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:35:36 GMT

Out of the box, Thunderbird is an e-mail client with a basic address book. However, the functionality can be extended with add-ons much like Firefox:

Lighting for calendar and tasks.
MoreFunctionsForAddressBook adds fields for birthdays, anniversaries, categories, etc
ThunderNote adds notes.
and many, many others.

So far I am happy and am going to stay with Thunderbird. Its interface seems cleaner and everything seems to function quite well and very quickly. The base product is easily extensible through the use of add-ons and I feel like I can already do more that I could with Outlook. Also, the application even with the add-ons does not feel bulky or bloated and it is completely FREE! Everything is stored in a central profile folder on my server and data is either in cleartext or XML or can easily be exported. All data is easily imported/exported based on standard formats. I also like the blobal inbox feature to aggregate mail from various accounts. I highly recommend Thunderbird...

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shigadeyo says "This ventilation fan will [almost] blow you away!" about NuTone Ceiling Fan-Light (Model 763RLN)

shigadeyo — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:09:09 GMT

This ventilation fan with light was purchased to replace an existing one in the master bathroom toilet room. The previous fan still functioned, but had an out of date appearance and was louder/noisier than we would have liked. When we decided to paint the master suit (walls and ceiling), we also decided to replace this fan/light. This unit has a sleek design, a clean white color, and an integrated light that is well-fit into the overall design and accepts up to a 100W bulb. 2.5 Sones isn't the quietest of ventilation fans available, but the price was light and this noise level is nearly twice as quiet as the previous fan. 50 CFM also isn't that great and I definitely wouldn't install this as the main ventilation fan for the bathroom, but the toilet room is less than 20 square feet and this fan is mostly for odor rather than humidity. Therefore this fan is more than adequate. Installation is straight forward and quite easy since I had access through the attic. This unit is slightly larger...

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shigadeyo says "Nice sports bra, but not attractive" about Champion Powerback Wirefree Sports Bra (1693)

shigadeyo — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:03:37 GMT

This item was purchased in the color black and is used mostly for Jazzercise... This bra is very functional. It has bra-like styling with back clasp in addition to the elastic and no underwire which makes it a bit more flexible and comfortable. It is fully lined with a wicking layer which is also good while working out. This bra is not particularly attractive by itself and so it is best worn under a T-shirt. The seams are quite visible and overall the bra looks pieced together. The racerback is comfortable while working out. While this bra is not overly attractive, it does provide the necessary support and is worth the price if purchased on sale. This sports bra has been in use for over five months and is holding up well. Despite the weird mesh front, this sports bra seems to work the best and provide the best support of any of the sports bras currently owned. It has become a favorite and is generally worn more than any other for working out.

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shigadeyo says "Gem of a Jogbra" about Champion Jogbra Action-Shape Sports Bra (0721P)

shigadeyo — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:01:55 GMT

This sports bra is mainly used for exercising, primarily Jazzercise. It has "regular bra" styling, given that it has a back clasp in addition to being elastic all the way around. Also has plastic clips on the back straps, which seems like it intoduces the potential for breakage. The wide straps and wide elastic band at the base of the bra offer good support. The lining is double thick everywhere except at the top. The liner is moisture-wicking which definitely helps. In the birch heather color, which is light heather gray, this bra is not particularly cute, however, so it is best worn under a tee. Overall, this sports bra provides good support and motion control. It has been in use for over five months now and works, but is nothing special. However, the Champion Powerback Wirefree Sports Bra seems to provide the best support of the Champion products tried so far, so try that one instead of this particular one first since this is probably the least favorite so far.

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shigadeyo says "Tread on me!" about Gold's Gym Dual-Sided Exercise Mat (WGGDSM06)

shigadeyo — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:54:23 GMT

This mat is primarily used by my wife for Jazzercise. This mat has a color on both sides which makes its appearance very different than other mats. This is good since it can not be easily confused with another mat while at class. There is also a different texture on each side of the mat. The green side has a shell/leaf-like pattern and the blue side has a wavy/squiggly/sinuous pattern. The blue side seems to have a bit more grip than the green side, but in practice I'm not really sure how much difference each side really contributes to the exercise. Neither my wife nor I have yet to notice a difference and think that the "dual-sided" quality is more of a marketing gimmick more than anything. Regardless, the mat serves it's purpose, was a good price, and we are pleased overall so far.

Here are the specifications for this exercise mat (self-measured) since we were unable to find them anywhere on the Internet prior to ordering:

Length: 67.25"
Width: 23.75"
Thickness: 0.125"
Weight (with...

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shigadeyo says "Great flavor and spice without too much burn!" about TABASCO Chipotle Pepper Sauce

shigadeyo — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:46:56 GMT

I first encountered TABASCO Chipotle Pepper Sauce at Chipotle restaurant. They offer it as well ast the original TABASCO Pepper Sauce, TABASCO Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce, and other sauces to put on your burrito, tacos, etc. Typically I shy away from hot sauces because they are typically way too hot and spicy, but I decided to try a little bit of the TABASCO Chipotle Pepper Sauce on a burrito one day and it was excellent. I like just enough that it is spicy, but not so much that my mouth is on fire. The TABASCO Chipotle Pepper Sauce is very flavorful with a nice smoky quality. It is also adds the perfect level of spice for me without going over the top or burning my mouth. After my first experience with it at the restuarant, I quickly purchased a bottle for home and use in on lots of things on a regular basis. I think it tastes great and just about anything, including: any Mexican dishes, eggs, chips, sandwiches, soup, etc. I highly recommend this product....

shigadeyo says "A fresh breath of cool air..." about KitchenAid Architect® II KBFS25ET (24.8 cu. ft.) Compact Wine Cooler Side by Side Bottom Freezer French Door

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:29:48 GMT

This is a really nice refrigerator. The french doors make access easy and let out less conditioned air than conventional refrigerator. Filtered water is available through a dispenser inside on the left side wall. This adds additinal door storage space since regular through the door dispensing uses up so much space. However the water filer at the top prohibits taller items from being put there even if the shelf is otherwise adjusted to allow them to fit since the finter hangs down a few extra inches. Four (4) adjustable are included of which two (2) slide in and out. I may ultimately need to remove one shelf to better accomodate taller items. The freezer is located on the bottom which prevents the need for stooping all of the time to look into the refrigerator compartment. The freezer has two drawers which is really nice since most refrigerators like this only have only one big drawer. The control panel at the top tells current freezer and refrigerator temperature and offers other options...

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shigadeyo says "Very impressive range; highly recommended!" about KitchenAid KESS907SSS Electric Range

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:26:55 GMT

Wow, this range is such a massive upgrade and improvement from my previous KitchenAid drop-in range that I'd don't know where to begin! I guess I'll start with what was wrong with the old unit: cast iron burners that take FOREVER to heat up and cool down that are crammed too closely together and an oven that seemed smalled and definitely did not bake evenly. Unlike the previous range that was a drop-in unit, this one is a slide-in freestanding unit so some alterations to the surrounding cabinets and countertop were necessary. That was fine by me though because this unit has a larger cook surface with the controls in the front rather on the top which result in larger burners that can be placed further apart. In addition, the space between the oven and floor can be utilized now and this model offers a warming drawer which will be much more useful than the dead space created by a drop-in or the typical storage drawer. Unlike a regular freestanding range, a slide-in range does not have a backspash......

shigadeyo says "Good backup device" about Edge Technology DiskGO! External 160GB Hard Drive PE201913

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:23:26 GMT

I purchased the Edge DiskGO! External 160GB Hard Drive to use as a backup device for my computer. Even though this drive is portable, bit is a bit bulkier than a 2.5" external drive, plus it requires a power card and power brick. Those items together take up a lot of space and aren't very light. However, this drive works really well as a backup device for the important files (documents, pictures, music, etc.) on my computer. I leave it connected to my computer nearly all of the time and use backup/syncronization software such as Microsoft SyncToy to automatically copy new and changed documents from my computer to the external drive. Then, because it is external and can be easily disconnected, I can throw the drive into a safe or whatever when I am away from home. 160GB is adequate to back up nearly all of my really important stuff and since this drive is USB 2.0 and 7200 RPM, it is quite fast and does not affect the overall performance of my computer very much. My Edge DiskGO! has a Western......

shigadeyo says "40GB in the palm of your hand! " about I/OMagic GigaBank Elite External 40GB Hard Drive IUSB40HD25TG

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:21:09 GMT

I purchased this I/O Magic 40GB external hard drive (IUSB40HD25TG) just before Thanksgiving last year so that I could make a backup of the digital photographs on my parents' computer over the holidays. For the price at the time, this item was a great deal considering its capacity and physical size. It is smaller than 5" x 3" x 0.5" in size and only weighs 5.6 oz! Besides the drive, all you need to carry with you to use it is the USB cable (no separate power cord is necessary since it gets its power from the USB port). The aluminum case is sturdy, has sleek, rounded corners, and can easily fit into a pocket. The USB port on the drive is a little snug at first, but it gets easier to connect and disconnect after a few uses. The only thing unflattering about this drive is its speed. Although it is USB 2.0, the drive only spins at 4200 RPM. This really kills performance and is quite noticeable if you are trying to read or write large amounts of data at once. If you are only going to access one......

shigadeyo says "Just what I was looking for! " about Pleasant Hearth Edinburg Series Fireplace Glass Doors

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:17:55 GMT

When we purchased our house, everything (lights, hardware, switch covers, etc.) was polished brass. I am not a big fan of polished brass, but it does have its place and uses. It looked okay in the house, but after a few years we have tired of the traditional look and have decided to update things to be more transitional/contemporary by painting, replacing lighting and hardware, etc. One of the biggest things left to replace was the polished brass fireplace doors in the family room. We had been looking for replacement doors, but didn't have much luck. Then toward the end of this Spring I was walking through Home Depot to get some more paint and just happened to find one set of these doors left. I wasn't looking for them, but everything about them seemed to jump out at me - the color, the design, and the size. I snatched them up, took them home and installed them that day before my wife bot home. She didn't quite notice the change, but when she did she really liked this doors (score one for......

shigadeyo says "Easy document cloning at home " about Canon PC-160 Black and White Copier

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:10:30 GMT

Even though I have several computers, scanners, and printers around the house, having a Canon PC160 Personal Copier is surprisingly nice. It is really convenient to be able to just turn the copier on, put the paper on the glass, hit the button, and out comes the copy. In comparison, it takes a lot of time to turn on the computer, scanner, and printer, wait for the computer to boot, login, load the necessary software, wait for the printer to warm up, etc., etc. The personal copier can be a definite time saver and is really easy for anyone to use. In addition, when not in use the input and output trays fold up over the top to create a slim and tidy package. However, there are definitely some disadvantages to this type of personal copier. On larger, expensive, and full-featured copiers, the scan head moves underneath the glass surface to capture the image to then print. In this small, personal-sized, inexpensive copier, the glass top actually moves from side to side and the scan head stays......

shigadeyo says ""Pik" your teeth and make the dentist happy!" about Water Pik pik Family Oral Irrigator Model No. Wp 70

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:08:54 GMT

My primary motivation for purchasing the Waterpik WP-70W was that the dentist kept telling me that I needed to floss more. Flossing may actually take less time than using a Waterpik, but I have found that the Waterpik seems to actually do a better, more thorough job than regular flossing. I like to mix a some mouthwash in with the water to blast out the bad stuff between the teeth and gum line. The mouthwash provides some antiseptic benefits...

The Waterpik WP-70/WP-70W comes with two heads as well as two tongue attachments. The various heads can be stored right in the base of the unit and are different colors so that one can determine which head belongs to which person in the household. I believe that there are other attachments available, but I don't have any of them as I primarily use the regular get head. The water reservoir on top doubles as a cover for everything if flipped over. The water pulse can be controlled by a sliding button on the end. There is also a suppression button to...

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shigadeyo says "It "sucks", but in a GOOD way! " about Ridgid 12-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum WD1245 Vacuum

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:02:26 GMT

I purchased a Ridgid 12-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum (WD1245) is preparation for some home projects that I had lined up. The project list is never ending, of course, and this shop vac was invaluable to have around. It had no problems cleaning up just about any kind of mess I made. Most of the time it was being used to suck up drywall dust. It did a pretty good job at this, but the fine dust really clogged up the air filter. Also, this vac does not have a filter on the exhaust, so if not careful it is possible to blow bad stuff back out. Regardless, this vac has good suction power and works equally well with wet and dry messes.

Several accessories are included with this vacuum including the hose, two extension tubes, a wide squeegie-like nozzle, regular narrow nozzle, and regular wide nozzle. In addition, a standard Ridgid VF4000 (Ridgid Wet/Dry Vac Standard Filter) air filter is included. There are storage spots on the vacuum for all of these accessories so they can be close at hand when needed....

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shigadeyo says "Serves the purpose, but not worth the price!" about Qingdao Hutian Green Thumb Garden Hose Reel Cart #TC4706

shigadeyo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:51:43 GMT

I have been on the lookout for a metal hose reel cart for the past three years. There are many available, but they typically cost around $80 and/or are overly large. I stumbled upon this particulat hose reel cart at True Value one weekend. It was on sale for ~$39.99 from the regular price of $83.99. In addition to being a good price, it had a 2-wheel design which helped make it a little smaller in size overall from the usually 4-wheel ones that I had typically seen. This slightly smaller size makes it easier to maneuver (especially since it is typically pulled around the yard rather than being pushed like many of the 4-wheel designs are meant for) and store. I wanted a metal hose reel cart with large pneumatic (blow-up) tires because my yard is hilly and pretty rough. The typcial plastic hose reel carts widely available and cheaply priced wouldn't even make it one season in my yard! This hose reel cart is both metal and has the big tires, but some assembly is required. Assembly never bothers...

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