Fabric Braided Micro USB Cable (1 meter/3 feet) by Pvendor

Micro USB cables. 5 years ago I had one just one cable - it charged my 2nd generation Kindle. Now, I am charging all sorts of stuff all over the place with them. They have gone from a curiosity to a necessity.

Sadly, the ones provided by the manufacturers to charge Bluetooth headsets or portable speakers are often very flimsy and in my household we have had a half dozen or more fail in the last two or three months. Plus, the cords provided by the manufacturers are not very long and sometimes they don't even allow you to transfer data to your phone or tablet - they just charge and then they die an early death.

These 5 1 meter / 3 foot long cords by Pvendor are an excellent choice to replace your dead cords. They are not only long enough to let you use your device while it is plugged in (try to have a passenger use her smart phone to consult Google maps in the car while it is charging on one of those little cords!) but they also transfer data. The bright colors and the thread wrapping are a fun plus. I have also noticed that the micro USB head makes a very snug and very secure fit into my phones and tablet - you don't have to worry about it bouncing loose as you are driving.

They come in 5 different colors: green, blue, pink, orange and grey/silver.

I rate this product 5 stars out of 5.

Note: I received a free set of these cords so that I could evaluate them in order to write a review. For the last month I have used them in two different cars, two different indoor chargers and on one desktop computer and have been very happy with them

As of the time of this review this multi-pack set cost $9.99 on Amazon. Click here to check current pricing: Micro USB Cable, Pvendor 1M 3FT 5 Pack 5 Colors Premium High-speed USB Fabric Braided 2.0 A Male to Micro B Sync/Charging Cables for Android, Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, Nokia, Nexus and More Devices.

Voix Enhanced Bass Music Wired Ear Buds - Grey

As I am writing this review I am listening to Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor being played on a pipe organ. I know that most people would use hard rock music to test the bass, but I have found that this song tells you all that you need to know. The version I was listening to was played on a massive pipe organ and if you have never sat next to a very large pipe organ you have no idea of the depth of the bass and the strength it sends out across the sanctuary. Listen to what I was listening to here. 

The extraordinary bass of the Voix Enhanced Bass Ear Buds conveys that overwhelming bass amazingly well. My head feels like I am listening to it live - the song just permeates by entire range of hearing and, no, I am not listening to it with the sound all jacked up (just sort of jacked up because this is a great version of this song).

So, here's what you get with these earbuds: 

-a metal carrying case not unlike an Altoids case but without the hinged lid.

-three sets of earbud tips to customize your fit.

-An amazing set of metal (not plastic) ear buds for the price.

-Instructions with clear illustrations.

-Plus, almost as a bonus these ear buds can also be used to talk on your smart phone. Just plug them in and talk away. I used the phone controls on my phone and I was told that I sounded great - just like I was using my phone normally.

I rate these earbuds 5 stars out of 5.

Note: I received a set of these ear buds in order that I may evaluate them and give an honest review. Honestly, these things will rock your musical world and won't empty your wallet.

At the time of this review the Voix Enhanced Bass Ear Buds cost $16.99 on Amazon. Click here for current pricing: Voix Enhanced Bass Ear Buds Grey

Glasstic Shatterproof Glass Water Bottle - 16oz - Double Walled - Flip Cap Sports Water Bottle

We are all told to drink more water. But, if you buy a case of bottled water from the store you are not only wasting money but you are filling a lot of garbage bags with empty bottles. 

If you use a re-usable plastic bottle you have the specter of BPA and those very tough "shatterproof" hard plastic bottles are actually freakishly easy to crack. Plus, if you leave something in it too long that goes bad (like milk) the plastic can absorb the smell and it always smells bad.

Metal water bottles are hard to break, but they sure can dent. More importantly, it is hard to guarantee that a metal bottle is completely clean because you cannot see through the metal to check.

The water bottle and two replace end pieces.

Glass bottles don't absorb the bad smells if something goes bad inside and you can see if they are clean. But, they are so easy to break.

The Glasstic water bottle solves this problem by having a plastic sleeve surround a 16 ounce glass bottle, secured by two screwed on ends. The sleeve serves as a bit of a shock absorber in case you drop the water bottle. But, more importantly, this sleeve should easily contain any pieces of glass.  When it is time to wash out the water bottle, just unscrew the lid and the bottom of the bottle and wash out the glass.

The manufacturer says that it will replace the bottle for free once in the first year in the case of breakage.

All parts are top-shelf dishwasher safe.

I rate this water bottle 5 stars out of 5.

Note: I received a free water bottle for testing purposes so that I could write an honest review.
                                    
 At the time of this review this water bottle cost $19.99 on Amazon. Click here to check for current pricing: Glasstic Shatterproof Glass Water Bottle - Green

iDeaUSA® Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones, Sweatproof Running Earbuds (black)

The iDeaUSA® Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones, Sweatproof Running Earbuds come with a little bag to put everything in, a micro-USB cord to plug into a charger or a computer, three sets of ear bud tips and three sets of 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 has plenty of good graphics but the text is pretty small so you have to squint a little to read it. The English is clearly written and easy to understand - much better than what is normally found in instruction booklets for electronics.

The iDeaUSA® Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones, Sweatproof Running Earbuds syncs very easily with my Samsung Galaxy 3 and my Chromebook. The phone quickly and easily re-pairs with a device once you have paired with it - it is surprisingly quick. 

The sound is very good. The bass is good but not great. It is not the best stereo sound I have ever heard - but this is not a top end head set that can set you back hundreds of dollars, either. Considering the price and the convenience of Bluetooth it is a pretty good deal. 

This set of Bluetooth earphones has excellent range. I had no problem going 25-30 feet from my Chromebook with no skipping out.

The device comes with an excellent built-in phone.  I did not use the headset's phone features (the buttons on the headset). When I use Bluetooth to talk on my phone I always use the phone itself rather than the headset features to interact (meaning I answer using the phone and hang up using the phone, etc.) because I just find it easier than blindly pushing buttons.

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

I rate these earbuds 5 stars out of 5.

As of the time of this review, the iDeaUSA® Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones, Sweatproof Running Earbuds cost $39.99. Check for current pricing here: iDeaUSA® Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones, Sweatproof Running Earbuds(Black)

AngLink S015 Universal Mini Wireless Hands Free Bluetooth Headset (Golden)

This is Anglink's version of an old classic - the Bluetooth earpiece. This unit, however, does modify the classic Bluetooth earpiece design - and not necessarily for the better.

This single ear bluetooth headset is gold-colored (the instruction book shows three colors but Amazon only features two colors - black and golden) and sports two ear stabilizers for what should be a very good fit. 

Unfortunately, because of the over-the-ear stabilizer I could not actually get the device into my ear all of the way. That stabilizer held the earpiece just short of being fully inserted in my ear. But, if I did not have the stabilizer on the device it would not stay in my ear, especially if I was moving. By moving, I am not talking about anything more strenuous than walking around. So, the entire time that I used the device I was pushing it into my ear and holding it there so I could actually hear the conversation I was having. I felt like Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek TV series who seemed to always be shoving her earpiece into her ear. But, all of this pushing caused another problem as well. The entire outer shell of the device is a button and as I pushed the device into my ear it pushed the button and caused all sorts of things to happen.

When I used the device inside people I called said they could hear my voice very clearly. But, when I was outside the sensitive microphone picked up traffic, birds and everything else and people said that it sounded like I was driving in a car.

I did not use the headset's phone buttons. When I use Bluetooth to talk on my phone I always use the phone's buttons rather than the headset features to interact (meaning I answer using the phone and hang up using the phone, etc.) because I just find it easier than blindly pushing buttons, especially when I was already having a problem with random button-pushing at it was (see the comments two paragraphs above). 

The earpiece comes with two different-sized pieces that go into the ear and a short micro-USB charger cord. I used both earpieces and I still could not get the headset to fit snugly in my ear.

The instruction booklet was clearly written by someone who does not speak English as their first language - but it is perfectly understandable. 

At the time of this review this Bluetooth headset cost $19.99 on Amazon.com You can check here for current pricing: 
AngLink S015 Universal Mini Wireless Hands Free Bluetooth Headset(Golden)

I rate this Bluetooth earpiece 2 stars out of 5.

Note: I received an earpiece for evaluation purposes in exchange for an honest review.