SELFIE WORLD™ Easy Selfie Stick/Monopod For Non-Techies

If you have ever wanted to take a group selfie or just wanted to get you and a

The selfie stick with an older
android phone in the clamp to
show how it would look.

whole lot of the background in a selfie, a selfie stick is the thing you want. This particular selfie stick stretches out to 40 inches - that doesn't sound like much but it can really add a lot to your picture.

The set up is easy. Your phone locks in to a spring-loaded clamp and you screw the clamp onto the end of the stick (like you would to a tripod). Large devices such as a tablet will not fit into this clamp. 

A picture taken with this selfie stick

and a Samsung Galaxy 3 phone.

The camera can swivel left and right and up and down and so you can pick the best angle and then tighten everything down. The extension works like an old-fashioned radio or TV antenna and it is very sturdy. 

On a newer Apple phone the white cord plugs into the earphone plug and makes the camera snap pictures. Now you can take pictures with a button in the handle of the selfie stick. Aim it at yourself or maybe turn on the video and stick your camera up into your very scary attic.

But, if you have an Android or another operating system you will have trouble. There is a free download available in the Google store to make the Android work properly (detailed in the instructions). Other operating systems will have to use the workaround I came up with - I skipped the download and just used the 5 second delay feature and held the stick up. Worked just as well and I was pleased with the way it worked.

As of the time of this review this selfie stick cost $15.95 on Amazon.com. Check here for current pricing: SELFIE WORLD™ Easy Selfie Stick/Monopod For Non-Techies

Note: I received a sample selfie stick in order to make an honest review.

I rate this selfie stick 5 out of 5 stars. 

SELFIE WORLD™ Pro Bluetooth Selfie Stick/Monopod

The Selfie Stick attached to a sample
phone. It includes a USB cord to
charge the stick,

If you have ever wanted to take a group selfie or just wanted to get you and a whole lot of the background in a selfie, a selfie stick is the thing you want. This particular selfie stick stretches out to 40 inches - that doesn't sound like much but it can really add a lot to your picture.

The set up is easy. Your phone locks in to a spring-loaded clamp and you screw the clamp onto the end of the stick (like you would to a tripod). Large devices such as a tablet will not fit into this clamp. 

A picture taken with this selfie stick
and a Samsung Galaxy 3 phone.

The camera can swivel left and right and up and down and so you can pick the best angle and then tighten everything down. The extension works like an old-fashioned radio or TV antenna and it is very sturdy. 

Sync up the Bluetooth and now you can take pictures with a button in the handle of the selfie stick. Aim it at yourself or maybe turn on the video and stick your camera up into your very scary attic.

The instructions are very easy to understand and a USB cord is included to charge the selfie stick.

Note: I received a sample selfie stick in order to make an honest review.

As of the time of this review this product cost $19.97 on Amazon.com. Click here to check current pricing: SELFIE WORLD™ Pro Bluetooth Selfie Stick/Monopod

I rate this selfie stick 5 out of 5 stars. 

Soundpeats Q8 Aptz Wireless Sport Stereo Ear Buds by Soundpeats Audio

The SoundPEATS Q8 Aptx Bluetooth ear buds come with a USB cord to plug into a charger or a computer, three ear bud tips and three different-sized ear stabilizers so you can customize how they fit. Even though those ear stabilizers look horribly uncomfortable, they really are quite comfortable and very stable once you get them all screwed in (and I do mean screwed in - you think it has to be in all the way and then you twist a little bit more and then it all fits perfect!).

The instruction book is clear and easy-to-read with great graphics and the text is large enough that you don't have to squint. It also comes with a carry case that easily holds everything in the box, including the instruction book

Everything that comes with the
SoundPEATS Q8, including the box

The SoundPEATS Q8 Aptx syncs easily with my Samsung Galaxy 3 and my Chromebook and the sound is very good. On top of that, the device comes with a built-in phone so what's not to like?

Note: I received a free sample of this set of ear buds in exchange for an honest review.

As of the time of this review, the SoundPEATS Q8 Aptx ear buds cost $39.99. Check for current pricing here: Soundpeats Q8 Aptx Wireless Sport Stereo Earbuds .

I rate these ear buds 5 stars out of 5.

LG Electronics Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Black

I am currently listening to the LG Electronics Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth headset. I have reviewed a number of Bluetooth headsets in the last few months and this one has one big thing going for it - its design. 

The problem with Bluetooth headsets is what do you do with the things when you are out and about but you are not actually listening to them and you still want them handy? You could dangle them around your neck, but they could slip off and get lost. If you put them away, they're not very handy. 

So, LG figured out this collar-like device that weighs just 1/5 of a pound. If you are not using the ear buds, just attach them to the collar with the built-in magnets and the they are tucked out of the way.

So far, so good.  But, there are problems.

1) The magnets are not very strong and the ear buds come loose and dangle around a lot.

2) This device is not very loud. The sound quality is quite good but it is just not very loud. I listen to audiobooks while I walk the dog and I had a very difficult time listening to my audiobook with this headset. My Samsung Galaxy 3 always plays audiobooks at a lower volume than music so this is an ongoing issue but this LG headset could not get it loud enough for me to comfortably listen to the narration. However, when I switched to a no-name brand of Bluetooth ear buds that lists at half of the price of the LG headset I found that I actually had to turn my phone down - I was blasted out.

This headset comes with 2 extra sets of covers for the
ear buds and a charging cord to plug into a computer.
It is shown with my Bic pen for purposes of size comparison.

3) The noise-cancelling feature is pretty ineffective. In fact, I just turned it off because I found that I could hear it's hissing sound when I was listening to music. 

4) The phone feature is much louder than the device is just playing music. While using the same device to to talk on the phone and listen to music, I found I had to turn the volume down while talking on my phone.

So, to sum it all up, this is a clever idea with inferior follow-through. Considering its starting price is above the average price of an entry level Bluetooth headset and its actual performance is worse you have to consider if the convenience of the neck collar. 

You can get this headset in two colors: Black and white.

At the time of this writing, this headset costs $67.25 on Amazon.com. Click here to check on current pricing: LG Electronics Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth Stereo Headset.

I rate this Bluetooth headset 3 stars out of 5.

Note: I received a free headset in exchange for an honest review through the Amazon Vine program.

DANCEOUT BLUETOOTH SPEAKER by Brightech.

                              Fantastic!

I hope that I can express how impressed I am with this speaker. I've had several mini-speakers, wired and Bluetooth and this one is hands down the best. It has the best sound, one of the easiest to use and the most versatile speakers that I have owned.

The back of the DanceOut speaker with my Bic pen for
size comparison.

Positives:

1) Great sound (I am toying with using it as a sound bar for a small TV with so-so sound).

2) Very loud for its size.

3) The Bluetooth hooks up very easily. 

4) It is not just a Bluetooth device - you can also hook it with with a wire (provided).

5) You can charge and play at the same time.

6) It can also be a rechargeable portable battery. It is a heck of a battery, too. Much quicker than my little battery that I have to re-charge my phone in a pinch.

7) It has an old-fashioned on/off switch. I am officially tired of holding on to switches that blink on and off because my fingers are always blocking the indicator lights.

8) The rubberized shell keeps it from sliding around and probably provides a tiny amount of protection in case it get dropped.

The DanceOut speaker with its case, the charger cord and
aux in cable.

9) The speaker has a Bluetooth phone feature. The phone sounds very good - good enough to use as a speaker phone.

Negatives:

none (yes, I am that happy with this product)

At the time of this review, this product was $29.95 at Amazon.com. For current pricing check here: Brightech - DanceOut Portable Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker

Note: I received a sample speaker so that I could write a proper review in exchange for an honest review.

SABRE RED Pepper Gel - Police Strength Pepper Spray

So, in brief, this is why I got this pepper gel for my wife.

1) Small size. It fits easily in a purse or a jacket pocket.

2) Convenience. It easily attaches to a set of keys if she needs to keep it even handier.

3) The key rings detach easily, if needed.

4) This is not a pepper spray, it is a pepper gel. Why does this matter? She is less likely to spray herself in a cloud of spray that goes everywhere and if you hit the bad guy on the face the gel holds that pepper right to his face. In addition, this gel has a tint to it so that when the bad guy cleans his face off he will still be marked.

5) A flip top so that it won't accidentally go off in your pocket, purse or whatever.

Negatives:

1) The flip top lid. It's kind of clunky and if you had to flip it up in an emergency it might be tricky.(Yes, I did just say that the flip top lid is good and bad)

2) The finger guard is a little too small - if you grab the pepper gel sprayer too fast your finger could easily slide up and block the hole that the gel comes out of. But, if the trigger guard was any larger, it could easily snag on something.

So, like all self-defense tools, this has good things and bad things, a series of compromises. But, those compromises are probably the right choices in this case.

As of the time of this review, this product was selling on Amazon.com for $11.99. Click here for current pricing:  SABRE RED Pepper Gel - Police Strength Pepper Spray

Note: I received a free pepper gel sprayer in exchange for an honest review through the Amazon Vine Program.