You Gotta Have PowerBlocks

You Gotta Have PowerBlocks

     When I was in my small NY apartment I simply didn't have enough room to store the equipment that I wanted to use like dumbbells, an Olympic bench, a lat machine, a pull up tower and a leg press. I was working late everyday so going to a gym was limited. So I decided to do a little research on equipment.

     When I did some simple math I figured that I would need a room that was 14' x 20' and I would need to spend about $2700. That seemed like a lot of money and the room I was going to use was almost  8' x 11'. The benefit of having your own equipment is that you buy it once and its yours. The downside is that you need a place to store it. Since I am a larger fella, I can't do much with smaller weights (20- 50 Lb) I am used to working with heavier loads.The larger the weights are the more space they take up, natrually. I did a little more math and figured that a set of dumbbells that would work for my situation would take up a wall that is 14' long, utilizing 2 rows, and the cost would be over $1700. Yeesh. I was thinking that I was going to have to join a gym that I wouldn't have the time to go to ( at that time the gyms in my area closed at 8PM on weekdays and 2PM on weekends ). 

     Then I found what I was looking for. There was a bright light emanating from the section of the store where these were hiding. I found my PowerBlocks. This was exactly what I was looking for. This set went up to 90 Lbs, it only took up about 3 square feet of space and was totally within my budget. There was another set that utilized a different locking mechanism, but no matter what I did the weights seemed loose and uncomfortable. After a little more math I figured that a set of dumbbells up to 90 Lbs would be about $1400, so this was a no brainer. I purchased the PowerBlocks and a stand for less than $800 and the salesman cut me a nice deal on a lat machine with weights and an incline bench. My total came out to $1100 for a complete, yet compact gym. This was about the cost of a year and a half of membership at a nice gym. I was satisfied.

     The main feature that I liked about the PowerBlocks was the locking mechanism. When you lock in a  certain size, it stays locked in. Then there is the balance of the dumbbells. You might not think that balance is a big deal until you start heaving 85 Lbs above your head. Throughout my various workouts I found no issues to speak of. The price was right, the size was right and I was able to work on everything I wanted to when I wanted to. Of course you dont have to buy the Elite 5-90 Lb PowerBlocks. Unless you have the necessity for it. You can get the Classic 5 to 45 Lb or the SportBlock 3-24 Lb.  There is a set to fit your ability and budget. If you want get a weight set for the home or office that doesn't  take up a lot of space and is affordable the You Gotta Have PowerBlocks.

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 with 1080p Video

 

You Gotta Have This Webcam 

     About 3 weeks ago I setup a home office for a guy that spends most of his time on video conferences. He was using a 4 year old Logitech cam that looks like a golf ball. I think he got it from a golfing event. Since he is now using a newer and much beefier PC with Windows 7 he felt he could shelve the golf ball and get a better cam. 

     We tried out a couple of  models, but the C910 had the cleanest and clearest picture. We sat in his office and conferenced with each other (I had my trusty laptop) and he was using the new toys and we narrowed the choices down to 2 models the Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 and the C910. It was a close race but the C910 seemed to have a better processor and the picture clarity was crisp. The microphone was a big deal for this customer too. I can't blame him since it was his job to be clearly heard by others who are looking for his services. Both the Pro 9000 and the C910 had very good microphones and no matter what volume the user was speaking at there was no discernible crackle or squelch that you get with cheaper models. The Carl Zeiss lens isn't noticeable until you directly compare this cam with other brands, then the difference is clear (no pun intended).

     This was the best web cam I have ever used and my customer was happy with its performance. If you are looking for a good webcam then please don't cheap out on yourself and get the $17 P.O.S. from the liquidators around the corner. Get something that offers your viewer a better representation of you. $50 to $80 will get you a very good cam. While you are at it, try to stick with a good name brand like Logitech. They have been making high quality cams since before the term WebCam was invented. Other brands may have some driver compatibility issues and may also not work with the major communications packages out there. I have worked on peoples computers that had all kinds of strange software issues and it turned out that the Lifecam software was wreaking havoc on their system. If you are in the market for a good WebCam then You Gotta Have the Logictech C910

The Garmin Forerunner 305

You Gotta Have The Garmin Forerunner 305

     Yes, this looks like a serious watch. That's because it is a very serious watch. I first saw this on my neighbor's wrist when she was training for the NYC marathon. (she finished in just under 4 hours) I asked her what this watch did for her that others couldn't and she replied with "This is my training partner and my coach". Apparently this little device does almost everything you would need on a run, except play music.That's why you need an iPod Shuffle. After a run she would plug it into her computer and it would plot out on a Google map where she went, her speed, heart rate, distance, pace, calories burned and of course the time. It has a GPS receiver that monitors your position and sends the data to your computer when you dock it. She said that the battery life was pretty good since she only has to charge it up after 3 or 4 runs.

     I don't run, but I am impressed with this little piece of technology. There is nothing like being able to see and analyze your progress. Rather than just guessing that you had a good workout, with this watch you can see and track your workouts to truly get a measure of improvement. If you run, bike, ski or walk You Gotta Have this watch to get the most out of your workouts.

Buddha Bar VI

You Gotta Have Buddha Bar VI

     If you are looking to broaden your musical horizons, obtain some loungy background music or if you have $20 and want a new CD then You Gotta Have this album. The Buddha Bar series is full of some of the greatest music that you will never hear on terrestrial radio. Why you ask? 1 reason is because the radio is the least diverse media outlet that we have. It is controlled by people that have lost their passion for music and can only think in terms of "what is popular" or "What 26 songs can I have in a daily rotation". I'm sure there are more reasons, but I'd rather not get into that right now since I'm trying to keep the rant level to a minimum.

     This dual CD set is part of a collection of music that is eye opening and refreshing. I believe that there are 12 Buddha Bar CDs and a bunch of Buddha related collections that are equally as interesting as this one. I chose # 6 partly because I own a copy and love it, but I also think this is one of the more audibly acceptable Buddha Bar CDs for the majority of people out there that have never heard this style/genre/flavor of music.

    If you look at the cover or think about the name of this set you think of meditation, peace, tranquility and possibly even going to sleep. In fact this is quite a lively collection of songs by artists that you might not have heard of, expertly mixed by DJ Ravin to create a musical flow that blends the lines between Lounge, Down tempo, Chillout and a great late night pool party. He has worked on numerous Buddha Bar CDs and some great club CDs like Clubbing With DJ Ravin-Best of Electro-Soul, which I also own.  I  found that both of these CDs work well playing in the background at a dinner parties and little get togethers.

     Some of the artists that were chosen for this compilation have works that appear on numerous albums in the wild. Here are a few of the artists of note Afterlife, Baul Dimension, Telepopmusik,Loopless and The Gotan Project just to name a few. You can hear artists like these on some great online radio stations such as Groove Salad and Di.FM. 

     If you need a change in your music library then do a little exploring at the channels above, you will surely find something that you like. When you do find an artist that you like, please buy the album. If you want to start you collection with a great album then You Gotta Have Buddha Bar 6.

The Magazines

     Everyone loves magazines. They are quick and easy. They work great just about everywhere like the bathroom, the bus, the library, the coffee shop, the train, an airplane, the kitchen and even at work. Just don't let the boss catch you. The only real problem I have is the price at the newsstand. Each magazine is between $4 and $8 a piece. I have seen some for $17 per copy. Yeeesh.
     You can either buy a Kindle and get the magazines sent to you over the air waves. Or stay with the more traditional route of letting the USPS deliver them to you. Either way you do it, you are going to have to pay for the subscription. So why not save a bunch of $$ on the subscription fees for the stuff you're going to buy and read anyway.
     Here are some huge savings on subscription fees on popular magazines. Some of the savings are so huge that you get the magazines delivered for about $.50 per issue whereas you would normally pay about  $5 per issue.  Hmmm.. $6 per year or $60 per year for the same thing. Let me think about that for a while.
     The following magazines are all via Amazon.com and represent some significant cost savings based on a 1 year subscription. 


     Wow that is a huge list, but if you take a look at the annual cost of each and then think about the newsstand price you can see that this is a no brainer. I'm sure we are all having to tighten our budgets a little nowadays, but that doesn't mean you should go without. It does mean that you should be smarter about how you spend. If You Gotta Have Magazines, Then buy them the right way.

The Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife

You Gotta Have This Knife

     Anyone who has done any camping or backpacking knows that you need a damn good knife to get you into and out of any situation. Sure there are the faux "Rambo" knives with the hollow handles that lets you store matches and gum, but these are (in my humble opinion) the crappiest knives out there. If you are serious about a knife and want a quality product you will want something thats full-tang like this Gerber. Meaning that the blade is a single piece of steel that begins at the tip and ends at the hilt or base. This makes the entire weapon stronger and more durable. Not to mention creating a better weight ratio between the tip and base, so that the entire weapon has better balance and is easier to handle

     Back in my scouting days some of the other troop members would have these very scary looking "Rambo" knives that were huge and shiny. One time when one of my fellow scouts was prepping some firewood with his Rambo knife, the knife's handle started to crack and almost broke before he stopped hacking at branches. To his surprise the blade of the knife ended just before the "Water tight survival compartment".  If this young man wasn't a little more careful the blade could have detached and caused some serious harm to himself or others.

     Gerber has been making great knives for about 70 years and they know what they are doing. For this fine piece of weaponry Gerber teamed up with Bear Grylls, the British survival guy that you see on Man vs Wild. Together they have come up with a sweet survival tool. This knife has a 4.75" blade, full-tang construction, an ergonomic non-slip rubber grip, an emergency whistle, a fire starter, a diamond blade sharpener and a military grade nylon sheath. Bear and Gerber even had the foresight to put 2 holes in the handle so that you can lash the knife to a stick. Sweet.

     If you know somebody that is a Scout, Hunter, Camper, Hiker, Park Ranger, Survivalist or just a regular  guy that likes a good solid knife then this might be the perfect gift for them. I'm thinking of picking one up for my dad since he falls into the "regular guy who likes knives" category. Either way, You Gotta Have This Knife.

The Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener

You Gotta Have The Smith's PP1

     Never use a dull knife again. Unless of course if you never sharpen it, but that can be easily resolved with the PP1. This little knife sharpener will fit in any toolbox, drawer, pocket, survival bag or where ever you would keep a tiny knife sharpener. 

      Lets face it, we have all used dull knives and wished that the blade was in better shape. Most accidents with knives occur because the blade is in poor condition. There is nothing like butchering a tomato with a dull knife. Mmmm squishy. If you took the time to make sure that the blade had the optimum angle, you would be cutting through veggies as if they were butter. Mmmm paper thin slices. If you haven't experienced a very sharp knife and what to see what all the hoopla is about then this is the tool for you. Sharp knives are not overrated.

     Remember this "The lump loves the worry inside the resident food." I don't know what that means exactly but I needed to let you all know. Now go and buy a Smith's PP1 and sharpen all of your knifes and you will be the happiest little butcher on your block. You  Gotta Have The Smith's PP1.

 

The HP Officejet Pro 8500A

You Gotta Have The HP Officejet Pro 8500

     Being an tech guy, I get to do all kinds of interesting and not so interesting things. One of the more interesting things I get to do is set up new offices for people. Not all offices are the same and not all people have the same needs. I enjoy the change in scenery and embrace the possible challenges that may be lurking out there.

     I had a job in a small office this past week that for some reason went way too smooth. I can't think of anything that didn't go well. All 4 computers worked, the printers worked, Telco had installed the fiber and the POTS lines, I didn't have to re-run any cabling, the phones worked, all the misc parts I ordered came in,  it was sunny outside and the birds were chirping.

     The thing that usually takes up the largest chunk of time is installing the silly printer software. Please don't get me wrong, its not at hard thing to do by any stretch, it just takes time. This install was incredibly short and smooth. Now maybe it was because I had done my job and fitted these folks with some serious workstations that made the owner of the company giddy when we started to take them out of the packing. Its not that these are the biggest machines out there, but they are big enough to be relevant for a good 3-5 years or more. Most people who are sending emails all day don't need this kind of machine, but the owner saw them and wanted them since they matched the decor. Who am I to argue with decor. I think it was a combination of good workstations and better HP software, if I can actually say that. 

     Basically these printers installed in a snap on Windows 7 machines with 8GB of RAM. No issues at all. Not even an errant ding sound. Smoooooth. The end users in this office were tickled when I gave them a guided tour of what they can do and how easy it is with the HP Solution Center. A few customizations on the default buttons and these people were scanning away and turning everything they could into PDFs. It was beautiful.

     Not only are these printers nice and shiny, but they are fast too. 34ppm. Sweet. The wireless was set up in no time at all and 1 of the users was shocked to see how easy it was to print a preview of the pics on her SD card. I think it took about 14 seconds. We used some of the free paper and printed out some of the pics and even I was impressed. There is nothing like a high-res pic from a Canon PowerShot SD1400IS printed out on the correct paper. This camera has a 14MP sensor. Yeeesh. I think I will have to retire my 4MP Canon SD300 (which is about 6 years old) and drop $180 on the SD1400IS.

     The last thing I did for this office was install a fax broadcasting software called COMMUNICATE! DELUXE. This nice little package lets you send literally hundreds of faxes a day from pretty much any application. The HP 8500 only stores like 170 #'s in the memory, but these users have a list with about 5000 #s in it. I thought e-mail killed the fax, but i was wrong. Apparently this company makes most of its $$ by faxing offers to people. I'm glad I don't have a fax machine.

    If you are looking for a great All-in-One for the home or office,You Gotta Have the HP Officejet 8500.

Greenies Pill Pockets

You Gotta Have Greenies Pill Pockets

     Why you ask ? How many dog owners out there give their lovable little friends medications that get spit out, nosed over and walked away from? I'll bet that a good 60% of dogs wont willingly take the meds we have to give them in order to keep them as healthy as possible. Lets face it, some meds taste like poop to us and you would think that a dog would go for this flavor. We have all tried to disguise the pills in all kinds messy concoctions and others of us have to wrestle out friends into submission before they give in to the routine of medicating. 

     Thankfully some Veterinarians have come up with a tasty treat that is also good for dogs too. They are enriched with vitamin C and E and come in Chicken and Beef as well as 2 sizes, small and large. My dogs love the beef flavor, but i haven't really tried the chickin flavor on them yet since the beef is such a hit. Would you believe that my little guys almost beg for their meds now that I disguise them so cleverly. If only they really knew. I'm sure they understand that I am feeding them the same gross poop tasting pills that I have been for years, but I'll bet they are glad that I hide them in such a tasty treat.You can also pick up a 6 pack of small or large and save yourself some cash in the long run.

    OMG Cats!! Since I don't have one anymore I tend to forget about their little nuances, thankfully the fine folks at Greenies didn't forget. They are in the business and I'm sure they understand how finicky some cats can be. Some cats go nuts for Salmon and some will only eat Chicken. If you aren't sure then grab a variety pack for cats and see which flavor is a hit.

     While visiting the Greenies Web site I came across these Bones and will most likely have to pick them up and see what my pals think of them. For cats they also have these little treats.

     Either way you look at it, you need your pets to be healthy and happy and if that means disguising yuchy pills in tasty treats then I'm all for it. You Gotta Have Greenies.

The Kindle Wireless Reading Device with 3G and WiFi

You Gotta Have This Kindle.

     I was in the airport last week and while waiting to board, I was sitting next to a guy named Jay who was staring intently at his Kindle. I had the latest TIME ( Which is only $20/y through Amazon, Not the newsstand price of like $5 per copy, if you click on the link and subscribe. Think about it, if you buy 4 magazines @ a bookstore or newsstand you could have purchased a subscription for an entire year) and was flipping through the short articles in the front pages when I noticed that he was reading the same articles as I was. I was dumbfounded. This guy had the same TIME magazine that I had but in digital form. Wow.

     We started to talk and I asked him a flurry of questions about his Kindle and he was so happy with this gift from his wife that he freely told me everything I wanted to know.  He had the Kindle for about 3 weeks and was in love with it. Since he travels 2 weeks out of every month this was the perfect tool for him to catch up on all his reading. He did stress ALL. I asked him what he likes to read and he gave me this list of magazines: TIME, Newsweek, Foreign Affairs, PC Magazine, Barron's Slate and Fortune. Then came his list of newspapers: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily and the Philadelphia Daily News. And if that wasn't enough he also had these books: Sh*t My Dad Says, They Call Me Baba Booey, The Last Boy, Dark Mission, Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book, Assorted Sudoku Puzzles for Kindle, Vol. 1, 8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This was quite a diverse list of literature if i do say so. I was amazed that all of that can fit on such a small device. Jay said that his Kindle wasn't even anywhere near half full. He also said that he spends about 40 hours a month traveling and he needs to combat some severe boredom and you can't spend all that time on a laptop doing work, at least not if you want to keep your sanity.

     Jay seemed like a really down too earth guy who is making the best out of his situation. He's not the power traveler in the $900 suit that thinks he owns the place. He just had some golf wear on that looked extremely comfortable. He mentioned that he saves a ton of time and money by not going to the Newsstands to satisfy his need for amusement. Since most Kindle eBooks are almost half off the cover price and magazine and newspaper subscriptions are a fraction of their regular pricing it is a no brainer for him. Jay has the 3G version and said that it made more sense for him to be able to download content from just about anywhere, rather than waiting to get home or at work. If he feels the need to read something different, he just types it in the search and within a couple of minutes he has it.

     One thing that Jay suggested was that since this is still a fragile piece of technology one might want to protect it with a cover like the Kindle Lighted Leather Cover that he has. Of course these come in many colors and styles so you can feel free to personalize your Kindle experience. Take a look at some of these covers: Skinit Protective Kindle Skin, Diane von Furstenberg Kayley Canvas Clutch, Cole Haan Hand-Stained Pebble Grain, Belkin Pleated Kindle Sleeve.

      I will have to look into the Kindle a little deeper before I take the next step. But if I was commuting anywhere, had a nice lunch hour, had a porch with a rocking chair or some free time I would buy 1 of these and say goodbye to killing trees for amusement. The Digital age is here so why don't we all take a look at the Kindle and consider what its like to be paperless. You Gotta Have A Kindle.

The Pink Floyd Box Set: Oh, by the Way

You Gotta Have this Pink Floyd Box Set.

     If you are a Pink Floyd fan then you gotta have the box set "Oh, by the Way". It contains all 14 Studio albums, most of which some people have never heard of. You get everything, yes everything that the boys from Cambridge produced in the studio. You also get 2 collectors posters and some nice coasters. All the great tunes everyone has heard before and a whole bunch of music that the radio stations wouldn't dare to play, but they should have. If you were to purchase all the albums separately they could cost you almost $400. If you are like me and started buying Floyd albums on cassette and then again on CD, because the cassettes wore out, then you might want to buy this box set and rip the albums to mp3s. And yes, you can even get all 14 albums onto 1 CD-R. This will make a great gift for anyone who has an appreciation for listening to and understanding the progression of a rock band that has left such a huge mark on music.

     Other than the obvious Albums in this set, Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall and Wish You Were Here. Here are some thoughts on a few of the not so known albums that are noteworthy and should be listened to if only to hear the progression and maturation of the band.

     Atom Heart Mother is one of my favorite albums that the average listener wouldn't think was a Floyd Album, but it was the 1st album to be specially mixed for 4-channel Quadraphonic Sound. Quadraphonic is a very early version of what we now know as that modern marvel called Surround Sound. Surround sound has revolutionized the way we watch movies in the theater, our living rooms and the way we play games on the computer and consoles. Just think what kind of a breakthrough it was back in 1970 on some progressive rock bands album. Quadraphonic Sound would be utilized at concerts to create some seriously trippy sound effects. The 1st Song is the Atom Heart Mother suite. It is about 24 minutes long and can seem bizarre at 1st. But when you give it a 2nd chance you can hear the instrumental experimentation paying off.

     A Saucer Full of Secrets was a major turning  point for Pink Floyd since founding member Syd Barrett started to become too hard to deal with, due to LSD usage, and David Gilmour was brought in to finish the album. You can start to hear Syd's influence mixing with David's melodic guitar.

     Animals is a fantastic example of Pink Floyd's ability to change their musical style. This thematic album is  based on the Orwell book Animal Farm and the social-political condition that was affecting Britain in the 70's. This entire album has a darker undertone than previous releases that could be perceived as a precursor to the bands turbulent times to come. If you listen closely you can hear every member of the band adding their own touches to the songs complementing each others strengths.

     Not included in this box set is Pulse which includes the entire Dark Side of the Moon album performed live and Astronomy Domine which hasn't been performed live since about 1972. The rest of the album is a nice mix of tracks from The Division Bell and the more popular hits like Hey You, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Learning To Fly and many more.You Gotta have the Pink Floyd Box set Oh, by the Way.

    

The Aluratek AIRMM01 Internet Radio Alarm Clock

You Gotta have the Aluratek AIRMM01 Internet Radio

     If you like to listen to Internet Radio and want a device that is super easy to setup then this is the radio for you. The Aluratek AIRMM01 is fantastically easy to setup. I think that from the time that I started to take it out of the packaging and started listening to Groove Salad, a full 3 minutes had passed. It was that easy. It scans your airwaves and you go through a simple setup for wireless (be sure to have your security credentials at hand) and before you know it you are good to go.

     I purchased this radio for my father who likes to listen to BBC world radio in the morning and he couldn't be happier. This radio sits on a shelf in the kitchen and does its job beautifully. The sound is very good for such a small device, of course this depends on its position and the size of the room it is in.There are some other radios out there but I felt that this was the best bang for the buck. 

     You can stick a USB thumb drive into the USB port on the front and play music right form that. Just make sure that you don't have a ton of folders with music in them since it will scan the folders for audio files and will take longer to start playing. You can even have it connect to a Windows Media Center computer and stream your music collection to where ever the radio is. ( I'm building a beater computer for this purpose and will let you know how it comes out )

     If you are looking for a small internet radio that is  very easy to setup and has great sound then this is the radio for you. You gotta have the Aluratek AIRMM01 Internet Radio.