TNT Interactive Twin Turbo Vertical Cooling Stand for Playstation 4

 

Hubby isn’t much of a “gamer”, unless you count a few hours of playing Battlefield 4 every week. But even then, from time to time, the Playstation 4 can get pretty heated up, and heat + CPU’s = No bueno. So a little extra help in the cooling department is always appreciated, and TNT Interactive’s Vertical Cooling Stand is just what the doctor ordered!

It’s a simple thing most folks appreciate, a vertical stand for their shiny new PS4. Not only is it a space-saver, but the PS4’s internal fans cool more effectively that way as well. But, with heavy gaming, HD video streaming, or graphics-intense games, it can still tax the internals and they can overheat if not properly cooled, and TNT Interactive’s Twin Turbo Cooling Stand steps up to the plate and says “No worries, I got this”. Overheating is one of the leading causes of system failures in the Playstation 4, and no one wants their nearly $400 purchase fried when a simple, affordable $17.95 base can stave off so much unhappiness. And while mine was a tight fit for Hubby’s PS4, it did eventually settle in and stand comfortably. The TNTi fan base also acts as a USB hub, charging the controllers, or powering other USB peripherals. It’s a modest investment that pays huge dividends over the long run, and one I’m glad I got to try.

It’s not all wine and roses. The fans can be slightly on the noisy side, and unlike other units I’ve seen, there’s no way to toggle the fans manually off and on. It’s plugged in and on, or it’s not. Hubby doesn’t have the sound up very loud so as not to scare the bejesus out of me and the dog, so we hear the drone of the fan the entire time. The other is the bright, blue LED light on the front of the base. While Hubby sits slightly off-center from the TV and PS4, I’m usually directly right in front of the light, and it’s terribly, terribly bright and annoying. Minor quibbles overall, but valid ones for us. Your mileage may vary. And while there’s some base units out there with a few more bells and whistles, and some might even be slightly cheaper, in the end you need to select the one that’s best for your tastes, and this one suits us just fine.

Connect with TNT Interactive:

• Online
• On Amazon
• Buy yours right here!

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from TNT Interactive. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Velocity Boxing’s Deluxe Reflex Punching Bag and Gloves

When we were kids, we had inflatable bop bags, and beat them mercilessly until they sprung a leak and couldn’t be patched anymore. Depending on your ferocity, that meant it lasted anywhere from a day, to maybe a week. Much fun was had by all. Velocity Boxing has taken that time-honored concept and updated it to this day and age and given kids of all ages a new way to get some exercise and activity with their Deluxe Reflex Punching Bag and Gloves.

While this bag still inflates, it it heavy-duty stitched vinyl panels this time, and a chromed steel adjustable shaft that goes from 35″ all the way up to 53″, and a bottom to fill with 50lbs of sand or water to provide a sturdy, stable base for all your fun. Everything assembles quickly, easily, and with minimal effort and practically no tools. It can moved from room to room with ease and can be disassembled for storage just as easily. The set comes with some basic 6oz. protective gloves and an hand-pump inflation tool for the bag. And everything is made to last!

 

I would go so far as to label this product a piece of exercise equipment more than a toy. It’s so well constructed that it could conceivably outlive your child’s interest in it, and there’s not many “toys” today that you can say that about. My husband even gave the item a few whacks and was impressed at the quality. Sadly, the gloves didn’t fit him at all, as they are quite small (the Amazon listing says 10″) but I was able to get my hands in them and gave him a few whacks too, and they seem to provide adequate cushioning. A little wrist support can’t be a bad thing, so I would consider picking up the kids upgraded gloves along with this set. All in all, it’s a great way for kids to blow off some steam and get a little exercise in, and I think it’s worth every penny of $39.99 asking price on Amazon.

Connect with Velocity Toys:

• On the web
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Velocity Toys.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Sentey Flow Kid’s Foldable Over the Ear Headphones w/ Mic

I listen to plenty of music at night when I’m trying to unwind. In the day, too, when I need to take a break from my online duties. So when Sentey offered to put me in their “Power User” program to test some products, and offered these Flow Foldable Headphones…Oh, I was sooo game.

 

To start, they’ve now labeled these for “Kid’s”, and that makes sense, because they aren’t loud, or made with “premium” components. They might work with a handheld gaming device, or most .mp3 players, and even most tablets. But try as I might, my phone would just not recognize them. Both tablets (Asus) and laptops (Asus and Toshiba) did, though. So maybe LG is funky in how they recognize peripherals. My husbands Sansa Clip+ also picked it up with no issues. So we could not test if the mic works, because the phone wouldn’t play nice. So I can’t say it works with EVERY device, but almost all of them. It has an in-line control button for playing/pausing, but that is also dependent on your device being configured for that type of control, so it can be hit and miss as well.

The sound is passable. And they’re not labeled “L” or “R” like every other pair of headphones we’ve ever had, so that involves a bit of guesswork and possibly even switching them around mid-song or movie. They even fit over my hubby’s big ‘ol head, so they should fit over just about anyone’s. These Sentey Flow headphones come with a fully detachable 3.5mm audio, too. They make the claim that they’re gaming headphones, but our PS3 only connects with bluetooth headphones, and this has no bluetooth (I assume the PS4 is the same). So to make the claim that it’s good for either system is questionable at best. You can jerry-rig a connection with a two-into-one audio cable and the audio connections at the back of the console, but on their own, they can’t connect to the Playstation systems. I can’t speak for Xbox systems, either. It doesn’t have heavy bass, or “top rated sound”, as my husband’s $8 Skullcandy earbuds out-performed it in both categories. So Sentey is making so very dubious claims in their Amazon listing in an effort to get more search hits.

Look at it like this: These are disposable headphones. They wouldn’t stand up to the rigors of workouts, running or jogging, but they’re light enough and compact enough for travel. They’re not in-the-ear buds so you won’t have the worries of hearing damage, like you would with earbuds, but conversely you can hear them if you’re in the same room or in a vehicle as someone wearing them, so you’ll know if they’re too loud. At under $13.00, you could do worse, but I’d be very surprised if they lasted long. And if they do get lost, or broken, thankfully no one will lose much sleep over them at this price point#senteyflow. Go into this with open eyes and buy them for what they are: Economical, disposable kids headphones that might last the summer.

Connect with Sentey:

• On the web
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• on Flickr
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Sentey.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Liztek: PSS-100 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker #Review #PortableWirelessBluetoothSpeaker

Liztek PSS-100 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with Built in Speakerphone, 8 Hour Rechargeable Battery (Black)

So lest you think that my blog is all about cooking and beauty, a girl’s gotta stay on top of tech these days too. And bluetooth speakers are all the rage these days. Because, even though they’re convenient, mostly earbuds suck. At least the cheapies I’m use to. There are some very high end ones out there that can reproduce fantastic sound. And while my phone and laptop have passable speakers, they’re not winning any awards for sound quality either. Hubby’s tablet is passable in a pinch, but speakers as thin as a nickel aren’t really cutting it for us.

Enter Liztek’s awesome little bluetooth speaker, the PSS-100. I got to try this little guy for a bit now and for our devices, there’s no going back to the stock speakers for media. With play, pause, skip and back buttons on the speaker, it’s a cinch to control your music. Even watching a movie in bed on Hubby’s Nexus is a treat. Streamed music? Tinny no more! YouTube videos? Dy-no-mite! We can even stream TV shows, again, snuggled in bed, and the days of sharing ear-buds are no more.

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Retail Price Point: $36.95 via Amazon. Liztek products are carried at Costco, Fry’s and BestBuy too!

But hold on, did I mention this little guy has a mic? Yup, it’s also a hands free speakerphone. No more having the phone on the counter, no more wired earbuds and mic that rubs against your shirt and muffles every word. With the bluetooth 3.0 technology, we’re good up to 33 feet away. I have yet to break out Hubby’s tape measure to see, but we’re good with my purse and phone down the hall in another room. Answer and end buttons right there on the speak too. Snazzy. I think I’m in love. Normally, gadgets are strictly hubby domain. I think he’s been yoinked.

At less than 13 ounces, and less than seven inches long, and just under 2 inches wide it feels tiny, but the twin 40mm speakers will fill an average size room with full, rich sound. It has a slightly rubberized feel so there’s no fear it’ll slip and fall and die a horrible death on the tile floor either. It’s rechargeable lithium ion battery is charged in 4 hours and is good for about 8-10 hours in optimal conditions. It also comes with a 3.5mm audio jack for those devices lacking bluetooth. There are audible notifications on connection, and while Liztek lists those as benefits, it’s the one single thing I don’t love about this device. It’s quite jarring to hear a loud female voice saying “Connecting!”. I could do without it, but it’s a minor quibble overall.

The Liztek PSS-100 comes in a host of colors and has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. It also has universal connectivity with Apple, Android, and just about any devices with Bluetooth capabilities. I’ve so far successfully paired it with our LG phone, HTC phone, Asus laptop and Nexus tablet. That’s 4 different manufacturers and zero problems. It comes packaged with a charging cable, the audio jack, and instructions. And it just looks cool too. Yup. Definitely yoinking this one. Sorry, hubby.

Connect with Liztek at:

• Amazon
• On-line
• Twitter
• #Liztek  #PortableWirelessBluetoothSpeaker

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Liztek.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

BzzAgent: Nothing like the feel of a real Board Game! Hasbro’s My Monopoly #Review

I know a while back it was thought that board games were dead and we would just play them via whatever game system replaced the actual board. I am guilty of purchasing Monopoly to play but as much as it was easy to just turn off the system and not need to clean up after playing, something was missing. Unsure if it is the setting-up process, not feeling or touching anything……but something about just staring at a TV screen is just so anti what a board game is suppose to be. I later just bought a Monopoly set that was some ultra-edition where all the pieces were gold in color. I think I was trying to make up for something!

When BzzAgent offered to send Hasbro’s new “My Monopoly” game, I glanced at the campaign and when I saw “App Store”, Google play and the words “download”, I was about to pass…..I then saw that “My Monopoly” is a way to personalize your board game experience! Yup, the board is still there as is everything else.

What comes with “My Monopoly”:

• Gameboard
• 4 Tokens
• 30 Blank Tiles
• 4 Sticker Sheets (30 stickers per sheet)
• 28 Deed cards
• 16 Chance cards
• 16 Community Chest cards
• 32 Houses and 12 Hotels
• A set of Dice
• Money Pack and the Game Guide

Making My Monopoly:

You simply just access the app or you can go on-line by visiting http://www.mymonopoly.com. Then simply upload your pictures and customize your playing experience, print and label your game. Then you are ready to play and have some family fun!

Retail Price Point: $19.99 and can be purchased on Amazon, Target, KMart, Walmart, to Toys r’ Us.

Hasbro provides you with the same quality game board, you get to engage and hone your competitive skills, get some math, and let us not forget how it feels to have a stack of Monopoly money and everyone’s properties! The best part is the customization and with the amount of stickers they provide, you can change your mind and update the board. Great family fun and no TV needed 🙂 The board also game with a bonus of a free $10 off code at Shutterfly!

You can visit Hasbro and see the “My Monopoly” game board, plus the other gaming experiences they offer at:

• On-line
• Facebook
• Monopoly on FB
• Twitter
• #MyMonopoly

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Hasbro and BzzAgent. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.