Product Reviews

Product Reviews

ecobee4 with Amazon Alexa Voice Service — Today is the official launch of the ecobee4 smart thermostat: the latest in what’s now a long(ish) line of WiFi thermostats from the eponymous Toronto-based ecobee Inc. Whenever ecobee releases an even “smarter” version of their smart thermostat, you can pretty much guarantee I’m gonna be all over that product […]

ecobee4 Smart Thermostat Review

This entry was posted in Home Theater & Automation Product Reviews Technology and tagged Alexa Amazon Amazon Alexa Apple ecobee ecobee 4 ecobee 4 review ecobee4 ecobee4 review home automation HomeKit IFTTT product review review SmartThings thermostat voice control on May 15, 2017 by Steve Jenkins (updated 2837 days ago)

AC Infinity S3 fan — If you’re like most homeowners, you probably keep your receiver, amplifier, router, network switch, or any other electronic equipment inside a cabinet… which means you have a heat problem. Heat is the enemy of electronics, and circulating air through and around anything electronic is vital to its performance and longevity. This is the cabinet […]

Review: AC Infinity Airplate Cabinet Fan

This entry was posted in DIY Product Reviews Technology and tagged AC Infinity cabinet fan computer fan cooling fan equipment cabinet product review review usb USB fan on July 11, 2016 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3147 days ago)

Close-up of Trex flaking — When it came time in 2006 to replace the deck at my log home in Eastern Washington, I wanted to go low maintenance. I already had plenty of maintenance tasks with the logs, the waterfront, the dock, and the teak furniture, so I decided to go with the most well-known and trusted […]

Follow My Trex Surface Flaking Class Action Claim

This entry was posted in Product Reviews Rants and Raves and tagged Trex Trex Class Action Trex Class Action Lawsuit Trex deck Trex decking Trex flaking Trex replacement Trex warranty on April 25, 2016 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3173 days ago)

SCOTTeVEST Enforcer internal features — A few years ago, a friend of mine who is a fellow fan of “tacti-cool” gear emailed me a link to the then-new Brad Thor Alpha Jacket by SCOTTeVEST. I couldn’t whip out my wallet fast enough. Founded in Chicago in 2000, SCOTTeVEST is now headquartered in Ketcham, Idaho and specializes […]

Review: SCOTTeVEST Enforcer vs Alpha Jacket

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews and tagged Alpha Brad Thor Enforcer guns jacket review SCOTTeVEST SeV tactical jacket tactical vest vest on March 15, 2016 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3264 days ago)

WOSS Titan Suspension Trainer Kit — Like most other people who’ve visited a commercial gym in the past couple of years, I’ve seen those bright yellow TRX suspension trainer setups, like this: Initially, I wondered if they were simply the latest fitness gimmick, or whether there was something to them. I played around with them a bit, but never […]

WOSS Titan Review: Affordable TRX Suspension Trainer Alternative

This entry was posted in Fitness Product Reviews and tagged AttacK fitness fitness products Hurricane product review review suspension trainer suspension training Titan Tough Mudder TRX TRX bands TRX straps TRX training workout WOSS WOSS suspension trainer on January 30, 2016 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3310 days ago)

Lux GEO WiFi Thermost — Thermostats have come a long way since the days of the gold-colored round Honeywell dial thermostats at your grandma’s house. Ecobee launched the first “smart” thermostat in 2007, but others like Google’s Nest and Honeywell’s Lyric weren’t far behind. But now even those manufacturers are shipping 2nd or 3rd generation hardware… meaning that […]

Review: Lux GEO WiFi Thermostat

This entry was posted in Home Theater & Automation Product Reviews Technology and tagged air conditioning ecobee Honeywell HVAC Lux Lux GEO Nest review smart thermostat thermostat WiFi WiFi thermostat on December 10, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3348 days ago)

After an unseasonably warm and dry Seattle summer this year, fall finally arrived. And with it, an abnormal amount of houseflies. In talking with my neighbors, I realized I wasn’t alone. I don’t know exactly why a warmer summer and later fall result in more houseflies (I’m sure there’s a […]

Review: Aspectek Electronic Indoor Fly Killer/Zapper

This entry was posted in Product Reviews and tagged bug killer bug zapper electronic flies fly fly trap fly zapper fruit flies insect mosquito review UV zapper on October 31, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

Our family has a cat and two indoor dogs (Japanese Chins). And on most days, we love them. OK, so we love them every day. But when you’re training a new puppy to “wait to go outside,” or dealing with a cat that believes she owns the house and can cough up […]

Best Products for Dog or Cat Stains and Odors

This entry was posted in Product Reviews Reference and tagged best pet odor remover best pet stain remover carpet cleaner cat cat urine do enzyme cleaners really work dog dog stain dog urine enzymatic enzymatic cleaner enzyme pet odor remover pet stain remover on September 18, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3444 days ago)

I’m not as hard-core as the “preppers” who are ready to lock themselves in a basement for 2 years while nuclear winter rages overhead, but I was a Boy Scout, and so the motto “Be Prepared” was imprinted on me from a young age. I like the comfort that comes […]

Review: Eton Blackout Buddy Emergency LED Flashlight / Nightlight

This entry was posted in Product Reviews and tagged American Red Cross backup light blackout buddy emergency flashlight emergency LED light eton LED night light rechargable on July 21, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

Becker Micarta Knife Scales — I love my KA-BAR / Becker knives. They look good, they feel good, but most importantly they work good (OK, I know it’s technically “work well,” but that would have thrown off the pattern). But if I have any complaint at all about these excellent knives, it’s the black plastic […]

Review: KA-BAR Becker Micarta Scales / Handles for BK Series ...

This entry was posted in Knives Product Reviews and tagged Becker Becker Necker BK10 BK2 BK3 BK4 BK5 BK7 BK9 G10 handles KA-BAR kabar Micarta product review review scales Upgrade on July 17, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3507 days ago)

Last year, when the ecobee3 smart thermostat was announced, I published a preview, then a “first look” and unboxing video, followed soon after by the very first review of the ecobee3. I followed those up with an ecobee3 installation guide for new users, along with an ecobee Smart to ecobee3 upgrade guide for owners migrating […]

Review: ecobee3 HomeKit-enabled Thermostat

This entry was posted in Home Theater & Automation iPhone Product Reviews Technology and tagged Apple automation ecobee ecobee3 Home Kit HomeKit HomeKit-enabled HomeKit-Enabled ecobee3 iOS iPad iPhone Nest product review review Siri smart home smart thermostat thermostat WiFi thermostat on July 15, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3508 days ago)

“Smart” home devices don’t only make your life easier, but in many cases can also save you money. Readers of my blog already know I’m a big fan of ecobee’s smart thermostat products. They’re WiFi enabled controllers that use weather data available via the Internet to predicatively (and reactively) minimize HVAC system […]

WiFi Sprinker Controller Review: Rachio Iro vs. RainMachine vs. IrrigationCaddy

This entry was posted in DIY iPhone Linux Product Reviews Technology and tagged irrigation IrrigationCaddy product review Rachio Iro Rachio Iro review Rain Machine RainMachine RainMachine review smart controller smart home sprinkler WiFi on July 15, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3508 days ago)

GunVault SpeedVault SV500 — The first responsibility of gun ownership is safety. Providing a good balance between quickly accessing your firearm when needed vs. keeping it out of the hands of those who shouldn’t touch it what GunVault Inc, makers of “personal sized” gun safes, are offering with their SpeedVault SV500 and SpeedVault SVB500. The SpeedVault’s design […]

GunVault SpeedVault SV500 Review

This entry was posted in Fitness Product Reviews and tagged biometric desk safe gun safe Gun Vault GunVault nightstand safe product review review safe Speed Vault SpeedVault SV500 SVB500 on June 23, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3413 days ago)

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I write lots of product reviews for “geeky” tech stuff (like smart thermostats, automatic toilet flushers, surge protectors, etc.). But when I get a chance to review some tech that also involves one of my other interests (karate in this case), I’m all over it. As a part-time karate instructor at Fairwood Martial Arts, one […]

Product Review: StrikeMeter by Martial Arts Instruments

This entry was posted in Fitness Karate Product Reviews Technology and tagged impact force Karate kick martial arts measure force meter product review punch review StrikeMeter tae kwon do on May 30, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3555 days ago)

Want to make your Ruger Mark III or 22/45 LITE magazine drop free? The TANDEMKROSS Hammer Bushing for Magazine Disconnect might be the best $10 you spend on your gun.

Video: Installing a TANDEMKROSS Hammer Bushing in a Ruger Mark ...

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged 22/45 22/45 Lite bushing Mark III Ruger Ruger MK III TANDEMKROSS Upgrade on April 26, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

Re-inserting a magazing into a Ruger Mark III can sometimes be a bit tricky. But the Plus 1 PRO Magazine Bumper from TANDEMKROSS not only fixed that issue, but also gives you one more round in the magazine.

Video: Installing TANDEMKROSS Plus 1 PRO Magazine Bumper: Ruger Mark ...

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged 22/45 22/45 Lite magazine Mark III Ruger Ruger MK III TANDEMKROSS Upgrade on April 26, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

The stock sights on the Ruger Mark III 22/45 aren’t anything to write home about. But the dual-color fiber-optic Fire Sights from Williams are a great upgrade.

Video: Installing Williams Fire Sights – Ruger Mark III 22/45 ...

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged 22/45 22/45 Lite Install Ruger Ruger MK III sights Upgrade on April 26, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

One of the cool features of the Ruger Mark III 22/45 is the ability to upgrade the grips with pretty much any 1911 grips. But TANDEMKROSS has made their aluminum Super Grips especially for the Ruger Mark III 22/45… and they’re awesome.

Video: Installing TANDEMKROSS Super Grips on a Ruger Mark III ...

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged 1911 22/45 22/45 Lite grips Mark III Ruger Ruger MK III TANDEMKROSS Upgrade on April 26, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3589 days ago)

Yes, I know… the .22LR cartridge isn’t exactly known for its recoil-generating properties. But if you’re target shooting, and want as flat a gun as possible, I recommend the TANDEMKROSS “Game Changer” Compensator.

Video: Ruger Mark III 22/45 Upgrade – TANDEMKROSS “Game Changer” ...

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged 22/45 22/45 Lite compensator Mark III product review Ruger Ruger MK III TANDEMKROSS on April 26, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3589 days ago)

This unique knife from Benchmade is designed for rapid deployment and “creating” space” in a self-defense situation. It’s small, light, and very easy to conceal.

Benchmade SOCP Skeletonized Dagger

This entry was posted in Knives Product Reviews Videos and tagged Benchmade dagger Greg Thompson knife review SOCP video on April 4, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

Not all Glocks are guns. Here’s a brief review of a couple of Glocks you may not have even known existed: the Glock 81 Survival Knife and Glock Entrenching Tool!

Review: Glock Survival Knife and Entrenching Tool

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged e-tool entrenching tool Glock knife review saw shovel on April 4, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

My initial review of the KOHLER Touchless Toilet Flush Kit was positive… except for the part where the unit started to magically flush the toilet all by itself in the middle of the night. I called it the “phantom flush.” If you recall from my review, KOHLER promised to send me […]

Product Update: KOHLER Touchless Toilet Flush Kit Parts Upgrade

This entry was posted in DIY Home Theater & Automation Product Reviews Technology and tagged automatic flush Kohler phantom flush plumbing review toilet touchless toilet flush kit on March 29, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3617 days ago)

Like I say in the video, if you own a Ruger MK I, MK II, or MK III but don’t spend $15 on a Gunsmither Tools Pistol Pal… you need to get your head checked. This tool will save your finish, as well as your sanity.

Video: Field stripping a Ruger Mark I with the GunsmitherTools ...

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews Videos and tagged field strip Gunsmither Tools MK I MK II MK III Pistol Pal Ruger on March 16, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3630 days ago)

standard MeteoBridge hardware configuration — I’ve been a weather geek (or as weather geeks would write it: “Wx geek”) since 2001, when I bought an Oregon Scientific WMR968 weather station. Within a couple of years, I’d connected my weather station’s console via a serial cable to a dedicated computer in my basement running Windows 95 and Ambient’s Virtual Weather Station (VWS) software, which […]

Product Review & How-To: Using MeteoBridge to Connect your Weather ...

This entry was posted in Home Theater & Automation Linux Product Reviews Technology and tagged Belfryboy data-logger Davis MeteoBridge MeteoBridge review product review review upload weather station Weather Underground on February 3, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3403 days ago)