September 2006 Archives

September 29, 2006

Weekend Purchases?
September 29, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Funny: Celebrity Scale
Interested in knowing which celebrity you weight most like? I dont.. but apparently Angry Retail think there's a market for it.. very much a novelty product.
Luxury: Table Top Fireplace
$350 for a faux fireplace on your desk.. now.. before people buy this I hope they'd call a buddy up and get some sense talked into them.
Got Our Eyes On It: Sirius Stiletto 100 SL100
About time! Sirius have released a portable satellite radio device. Portable as in slide it into your pocket and jam out.
Pet lovers: Pet Plus
A wine glass for pets! Apparently Alice Wang has come up with a tilted wine glass allowing human companions better access to sip on the finer things in life..
Say What!?: Snoop Dogg Celebriduck
Umm.. for the up 'n coming hip-hop/rapper in your life.. get yer kid on the right track with a duckie that looks like Snoop D O double G

September 28, 2006

Listerine Vanilla Mouthwash
September 28, 2006 | | TrackBacks

listerineBeing a long time mouthwash user right after flossing and brushing, I was rather relieved to know that a new vanilla (my favourite flavor) flavored Listerine was available on the market. Rushing to the store, buying one and rishing back home was a great joy, knowing that the burning sensation that I always experienced with this product may be coming to an end. I was further excited when I saw the label, in big letters 'Less Intense', that was just amazing! Less intense along with my favourite flavor? its like Baskin Robbins had just teamed up with Pfizer to create an amazing product! So how was it? Im not sure how they measure the intensity on this thing, but I definately didnt notice a change, and had I never seen the Vanilla flower on the bottle I would have never guessed that I had switched! Pure marketing.

September 27, 2006

Asics GEL-KAYANO® XI
September 27, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Kayano
Being a runner, and having done it for as long as I can remember, I know the importance of good running shoes, specially if you experience ankle pain or shin splints when you run (I dont get either). Rule of thumb dictates that shoes shouldnt be worn past 300 miles and thats why I change mine often. My current  ones are the Kayano XI, which is an amazing shoe in terms of cushioning, and support. They feel absolutely great, be it a 3 or 6 mile run (the only two distances that I run at any one time). They arent the lightest ones on the market, however if you have weaker joints that may give in and inhibit your optimal cardio workout, then this is definately a good shoe. Again, Its a little heavier than previous shoes Ive had, and the weight is probably due to the excessive support and padding, however if its about support versus joint pain, Id much rather carry the extra weight. The shoe can be had for in the US $120.00 range. This may be an overkill in terms of support for those of us who dont have weak joints.

September 26, 2006

Redi-Check Remote Smoker Thermometer
September 26, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Charcoal grillin.. and bein a newbie at that.. I'm always having a tough time figuring out what 'temperature mah fire's at'. There is apparently the 'professional' way to tell by placing the palm of your hand above the coals, at cooking height, and if you count the number of seconds before the heat forces yer hand away.. one can theoretically gauge the temperature (4 seconds is considered medium heat). Yeah, I'm not going to do that.. so thats where i looked into buyin a thermometer.. and apparently the salesperson at Barbeque's Galore, who looked like Jon Cryer, realized I was a techie to point me to the wireless versions. The Redi-Check ET-73 Remote Thermometer is perdy damn good. It comes with two probes, one for the meat and the other for the internal chamber. One can even set the receiver to buzz upon the temperature hitting a certain limit, so you dont have to harass your meat every 2 minutes.

September 25, 2006

HP PSC 1510 All-in-One (It’s a printer)
September 25, 2006 | | TrackBacks

HP%20PSC%201510%20All-in-One.jpgChallenge 1) Print letters 2) Scan family photos 3) Print quality photos from digital. Special challenge:  print and bind nine copies, two-sided, of an approx. 120 page story containing mostly text but also color pictures.   Kinko’s?  BRRRAAAAPPP.  Wrong answer.  About $200.00/copy.   Answer…HP’s All-in-One.   $99.00 at HP  – I bought mine at Target for about that (Amazon as low as $54.50).  To be honest, I compared them and couldn’t decide between Lexmark, HP, etc. so I made my decision based on the reasonable price of the ink cartridges AND – here was the clincher – I only had to remember three numbers.  92 Black, 93 Tri-Color and 99 Photo.  Scanning – great.  Printing photos – I forgot to put in 99 and ended up with great photos with only the 93!  Printed and bound story - some trial and error Embarassed , and don’t try more than 30 or so pages at a time, but 16 copies later the recipient is thrilled!  Kinko’s = $3,200.00.  Me = printer + binder & supplies + 1 black per copy (that’s about 120 pgs per cartridge, average) and two tri-colors + paper = (let’s round up to) $550.00.  Slower, but I still win.

September 22, 2006

Orbit Lemon-Lime
September 22, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Remember when you were twelve, and you used to chew on fruit stripe gum  ? Well, thats what Orbit's Lemon-Lime (12 pack - $18 / 1 pack - $1.30) mint is like! Lasts longer than fruit stripe but less than the other Orbit flavors (i.e. Orange mint). but that could just be me losing track of time while day-dreaming back to the those fruit-stripe days of big hair and gap teeth. I always have sugar-free gum on me (be true to your teeth!) as it helps me not to clinch/grind my teeth while I'm concentrating. Definitely a great addition to my rotation list along with INXS.

September 21, 2006

Jose Cuervo Tequila Family Reserve
September 21, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Reserva de la Familia---Bravo!!.  Sipping Tequila—an oxymoron?  Not anymore.  At a local pub one night someone was gracious enough to introduce me to such a thing.  And though I am not much of a tequila drinker, after just two shots (an extra one just to make sure) I rushed right out and bought a bottle.  Though the price ($89.95 in NC) did give me second thoughts, I still added a bottle to my collection.  And after a few drinks this will now become a permanent member.  Twice the price of Patron, and ten times as good, please do not make the mistake of mixing this with anything.  This is a drink best served chilled and straight.  And at the $14 a shot price, you should enjoy this sip by sip and not shoot it.  Though I recommend trying this as often as possible, do so responsibly…they go down like water, but it is still tequila and they will get you.

September 20, 2006

Exotic Coconut Body Lotion
September 20, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Usually I am a bit baffled when walking into Bath & Body Works.  I'm quite an indecisive person.  In fact, one time I was taking a personality test and it asked if I felt I was a decisive person.  I looked up at my mom and said, "Mom, am I decisive?".  She just laughed at me.  So walking into a store with 25 standard fragrances and about 10 products per fragrance plus whatever else they have is a bit overwhelming.  But last weekend at the mall I was in the mood to spend some money and I remembered a gift card I had from Christmas still so I let myself pick out whatever hit me without having to make a decision on picking just one thing to buy.  One thing I ended up with is body lotion scented with their new fragrance Exotic Coconut.  It's a creamy, sweet coconut smell that isn't overwhelming to everyone in a 50 foot radius but enough to know you put it on even several hours ago.  And even better?  They've got a Buy 3, Get 1 Free sale to help out with the $10 price tag.

September 19, 2006

Tom Tom 300
September 19, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Comes in handy on long-trips and around town,  unless my computer geek husband hasn’t updated it, in which case I might make a wrong turn into ‘Its Just Hair’ as opposed to the salon I usually go to. I don’t need to tell you how disastrous that mistake could be. Tom Tom 300 can be programmed for many different voices, my favorite is Ken from Australia because he seems to be so supportive of me when he’s telling me to ‘make a U-turn ahead’ when I’ve doubted him and gone the wrong way.  The 3D effects make it easy to read, and fun to watch. The fact that you can check it at the airport and put in your rental car makes it great, especially for the directionally challenged like me.

September 18, 2006

DeskJet 3920 Printer by Hewlett Packard.
September 18, 2006 | | TrackBacks

As with most HP printers, the setup and installation was simple enough and I was able to print a test page within a few minutes. Even though the HP Deskjet 3920 was marketed to me as a great solution for people running small businesses, I found it more suitable for home users. While the price is very reasonable at around $59.99, the cost of replacing the ink cartridges (black & tri-color) can get steep, running from $10 each and upwards. I’ve been using it every now and then to print letters, stories, and the like, but cringe every time anything color intensive is required. Careful monitoring of the ink levels and disciplined printing habits can prolong the life of the cartridges, but for those who’ll be printing regularly it’ll definitely be bulk purchases from your local or internet supplier.

September 17, 2006

Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar, Almond
September 17, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Nature Valley Sweet Salt Almond
Sweet and Salty Nut Granola Bars Dipped in Almond Butter Coating.  This is not your standard granola bar.  Simply stated, now that I’ve found them, I can’t live without them.  I lead you to the nutritional information, which isn’t all good news, but eating one of these will replace your need to eat something way worse, like that candy bar.  Momma says put that down and go get some of these!  About 69 cents each or $3.29 for a box of six at your local grocery.

September 16, 2006

Nokia 8801
September 16, 2006 | | TrackBacks

After breaking my Treo 650, I decided that I was done with the brick look and that it was time I got myself a phone that resembled more of my personality / image that I wanted to portray... that in turn lead me to the Nokia 8801. Its very simple in functionality, yet the sliding and clicking is absolutely unique (it slides from the top/screen). Ive gotten a few 'WOW's and 'what phone is that?' from others, and thats quite pleasing along with the fact that very very few people actually have this phone. Its hefty price (MSRP is around $800.00, although anything in the $500.00-$600.00 is a steal) along with the fact that it has to be bought unlocked takes away from the practicality of owning this phone, yet to be unique and to stand out this phone simply is worlds apart from your regular store variety thats supported by the local networks. The phone is a quad band and thus works with all frequencies. Like all other things in life, it costs to be set apart and this phone is no exception to that rule, I for one absolutely love it.nokia8801.jpg

September 15, 2006

Purina One - Sensitive Systems
September 15, 2006 | | TrackBacks

For the longest time we were always getting Purina's Beneful line, which though they loved it just wasn’t friendly on their systems. If your dog has garbage disposal-like abilities and you want him/her to have something decent... go for Beneful! Unfortunately ours just couldn’t handle it.  Being as picky as they are about everything... it was great to find Purina's new Sensitive System which they can attack, reap all the benefits of a healthy meal and not have caused any irritating after-effects. Though the food smells fishy (it does have Salmon in it) it does also consist of rice, yogurt and oat meal which helps keep Bijou / Moose / Magilla's tummies in order. This is for adult dogs, and runs $19 for the 20lb bag.

September 14, 2006

Rockport Borrego Springs Sandals
September 14, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Not really wanting to spend full shoe price on half a shoe, I finally broke down and bought a pair of Rockport sandals.  Having several pair (4) of Rockport shoes, I have grown accustomed to a certain level of comfort that is usually unattainable in a sandal.  But to my surprise, the Borrego Springs sandals (Rack Room Shoes $49.99) lived up to the Rockport name.  Lightweight, complete leather, and extremely comfortable have made these my first option when available.  After a few hours of wear, the foam has molded into a “Just for Me” feel that makes it tough to take off.   And though for me a little high for sandals, they are still better than most on the market.  A good deal for people who like sandals or those looking to break into the sandal-lifestyle.

September 13, 2006

Starbucks Barista Aroma™ 8-cup Thermal Coffee Maker
September 13, 2006 | | TrackBacks

This is my favorite so far in a long line of home coffee brewing contraptions.  It swivels, and the water reservoir is a handled, removable bucket that keeps you from refilling the water using the barely-rinsed-out carafe (come on, you know you do it!).  The coffee brews quickly, getting you from Point A (“Where’s my coffee?!?”) to Point B (“Ahhhhh!”) in great time.  When the coffee’s done, the digital clock times the life of your precious life fluid.  The thermal carafe maintains a tight vacuum, keeping your coffee nice and hot for a good long time; so no hot plate, no evaporation to a syrupy sludge, and you can take the carafe off of the station for mobile coffee drinking.  It has a couple of minor idiosyncrasies related to carafe rinsing and pouring, but I love it anyway.  Ahhhhhhhhhh! OH NO!, MY COFFEEPOT HAS BEEN RECALLED! BLAST and CURSES!.  lg_ssBarista8c.jpg

September 12, 2006

Canon EOS Digital Rebel 8.0 SLR
September 12, 2006 | | TrackBacks

canon.jpgYou must remember what I am and what I am not. I am a mother of two small children who never stop moving. I am not a photographer on any professional or even amateur level. But I do take lots of photographs of those two fast-moving children. And my Kodak Easyshare was just not cutting it. I almost broke several ten commandments when I borrowed my uncle's Canon EOS Digital Rebel 8.0 SLR. I had to have one! I finally was able to afford the $900 price tag after a rebate offer at Best Buy. I have to admit it was a little harder than I thought to make the transition. Things weren't quite as easy as my point and shoot Kodak but when I got it right, it was worth it. Those funny faces my kids make and the silly things they do actually got frozen in time in a clear, high quality 8MP picture. And hey, being able to slap on my dad's (yes he HAD to have one too) telescopic lens was fantastic for taking great pictures of certain bald men at certain American Idol concerts I might have attended.

September 10, 2006

Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor by ACON Labs Inc.
September 10, 2006 | | TrackBacks

A worthwhile purchase ($89.99) for those who suffer from hypertension and need to regularly monitor their blood pressure. I purchased this for my mother who battled high blood pressure for a long time and it brought a lot of peace of mind and is a real timesaver. The whole process takes less than a minute and its large display accurately reports systolic & diastolic pressures, along with the pulse rate.  The standard upper-arm cuff included with the Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor will be comfortable for the majority of users. A large cuff is available for purchase directly from ACON, along with an AC adaptor.  The kit comes with a very well-prepared manual, a carrying case, and 4 "AA" alkaline batteries. The battery life of the unit is about 300 uses, and its lightweight and carrying case makes it a complete package which can be taken anywhere comfortably.

September 8, 2006

Digital Camera Magazine
September 8, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Sometimes, you need something to look forward to on a constant basis. Digital Camera Magazine ($15.99) is my addiction. The magazine consists of the following sections: Technique, Photo Ideas, In-depth/Features, Essentials and Kit Reviews (I prob missed one or two but you get the gist of it). The 'Technique' section for me is always something I focus on... it's great how they constantly provide new perspectives and/or techniques on the entire workflow (ideas-scope-snap-process) of a picture. The magazine is biased towards D-SLR's but then again the best pictures require that calibre of a camera. Everything is top-notch about the magazine, even how it sits on the Barnes & Nobles shelf waiting to be picked up. So pick it up!.

September 6, 2006

Just Wireless Mobile Swivel Charger
September 6, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Ok—Just when you think they have this wireless thing all tapped out, someone surprises you with another great idea.  As a cell phone junkie, I occasionally switch between my cell phones week to week, and after purchasing a new cell phone (Treo 650) I was looking to buy yet another set of accessories.  Stopping by Target to pick up a memory card for my phone I perused through the car chargers and as I was about to spend another $30 on a PalmOne Treo specific phone charger I happened to see the answer to the Middle East crisis (see ratings scale).   A phone charger which can accommodate more than one type of cell phone!!!  To my delight, I found a charger that would fit the Blackberry (6200-7700 series), Treo (650), and Motorola Razor (the latter two I own).  And what would I pay for such a great invention?...$12.99!!!  Though I have yet to find where I can buy just the extra phone connections, I have confidence it must be out there.  For those of us that have multiple brands of cell phones, this is a must have.  And at only $12.99 it gives you a reason to buy another cell phone.

September 5, 2006

Venus Vibrance Razor Blades
September 5, 2006 | | TrackBacks

venus2.jpgAs a twenty-something American female, shaving is an unfortunate daily chore and unless you have found some Nair product that actually works (please let me know) or have resorted to laser hair removal on your entire legs, you are always searching for a great razor blade. On my last trip to find such razor blade, the Venus Vibrance razor blade caught my eye. With it's pretty hot pink wrapper and promising name, I bought a pack. I could tell it was not good on it's first try. After two sessions, I changed the blade to another refill in the pack hoping something was wrong. It was the same. What I now know as the "exfoliating feature" felt like sandpaper on my legs. It may have done its job of "exfoliating" and actually shaving, but it was not a good experience. You can find a pack at CVS for $11.39 but I would recommend continuing your search for that perfect blade with another product.

September 4, 2006

Nikkor 80 - 200 F2.8 ED AF Lens
September 4, 2006 | | TrackBacks



I'll start by stating that I am an amateur Nikon-biased photographer, but I will not hesitate to look over my shoulder to see what the other brands are doing. One thing I've always been told was that when it came to lens, Nikon was always top notch. I now understand. When this Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 ($899) ($75/week rental) barrel spent it's first days in my hands, all my worries about this being too heavy were gone. Yes it does weigh 3-4lbs, but have you seen the pictures this thing can take?! It doesnt do too well at low-light, and if you are still shooting in auto mode then dont bother.. this lens requires a learned owner. My best pix have been taken with this, producing wonderful brokeh and sharp/contrasty results.

September 2, 2006

Palm Treo 650
September 2, 2006 | | TrackBacks

treo650Breaking my previous cell phone (story of all my cell phones) this past April,  I decided to go with a company recommended and sold phone from Cingular. Not being very web savvy with phones in the past, I decided to change that and get the Treo 650. A full set keyboard, a large touch screen(2.6 inches), and somewhat compact considering the features, got me sold on this phone. Now, 4 months into using it and finally breaking it (ok, dropping it) this past weekend, I think the features I found somewhat prohibiting at first have become absolutely annoying. The phone is a mini-brick, not very cool if you have to hold it to your ear, even a bluetooth did little to help the image with a mini brick on your belt. So for who is this phone best designed? Its absolutely great if you spend more time surfing and text messaging than you do actual talking… definitely not for me. The Palm Treo 650 is available at Cingular for $199.00 after discounts and rebates.

Jansport Altpack Livewire
September 2, 2006 | | TrackBacks

Being a techie, and involved in a lot of projects, I require a backpack capable of storing my gear / devices / you-name-it efficiently. Jansport Altpage (Livewire series) ($299) can be trusted with my laptops, Nikon D70s D-SLR, portable hard-drives and all the million adapters/cords that go along with them. Besides the shockshield feature which sold me was the fact that the backpack has integrated headphones which are lead out through the shoulder straps which also house a volume/operations control panel. Now you can keep your phone/mp3 player hidden in the backpack which controlling it through the integrated controls on the shoulder strap.

About Us

Providing insight to products everyone will probably face a decision on as to whether to buy it or not. Let us help, follow our select panel of reviewers on their own take of a product and how they felt about it.
Home
The Staff
Rating Scale
Screeners - DVD Competition
Contact Us
Subscribe to this site

Search


About September 2006

This page contains all entries posted to We Called It! in September 2006. They are listed from oldest to newest.

August 2006 is the previous archive.

October 2006 is the next archive.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Categories