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seeQuix — Amazon Picks
This Daffodil is about the simplest tablet stand I’ve found. It’s also flat as a
pancake when folded, so it slips into practically any tablet case. Or you can
just stick it in your pocket or pocketbook. Works very well with any size
tablet, although I haven’t tried it with the giant Samsung 12-incher, which is
probably too tall to balance. It’s nicely made, too, and cheap. I’d post the
price here, but they’re always changing.
Another winning Case Logic carrying case for gear. This one is designed for
a 10” tablet, but I use it with my 8.4” Samsung Galaxy S because it’s tall
enough to hold my Perixx Bluetooth keyboard (elsewhere on this page). It
has a soft pocket for the tablet, and plenty of room for accessories. I like the
shoulder strap and the handles. There are more pockets inside the front
flap, and a small zipper pocket at the top in back, where I stash my phone.
Made of heavy canvas-like nylon.
The Perixx Bluetooth keyboard is one of the few with all the keys in the right
place. Especially the right SHIFT key! It has a great feel, and links to
everything I’ve used with it. The case has changed a little since I bought it,
but the layout is the same, and it’s sturdy and compact, with almost normal-
sized keys. I can touch type full speed on it easily, and I’m very fussy about
key position and size. Goes great with my 8.4” tablet and the Daffodil stand
(on this page).
A beautiful minimalist LED desklamp with bright light and long, flexible
gooseneck. I use several of these, for accent lighting, for working inside
computers, for lighting under the sewing machine arm, and a dozen other
purposes. It’s well made (though like all Ikea products you have to screw it
together) and very stable. The neck is unusually long, which turns out to be
handy as heck. Two or three in a cluster make a great art lamp, too. It has
an in-line flip switch and only one brightness level. The price is amazingly
low if you compare it to most quality desklamps.
I’ll admit I’m into keyboards, but this Logitech is unique. Although it’s
relatively compact, it’s explicitly designed as a desktop keyboard. With full-
sized keys and solid action, it’s heavy and stable, and I could type on it all
day. What’s unique is that round knob on the left—it’s Bluetooth (no cables)
and stores three pairings, for a desktop, a phone, and a tablet. The yellow
slot is lined with soft grippy cushioining and holds a phone or tablet at a
convenient angle. Keys and assignments are preset for Wintel or Apple. It
runs for ages on two AAA batteries, like most Logitech products.
Routers and switches and WiFi get updated frequently. This is my pick for a
WiFi router in early 2015. It’s moderately priced, excellent performance, has
the latest 802.11ac protocol, and good browser-based system
administration features. It’s 2.4 and 5.0 GHz, and it connects quickly with
every WiFi device anyone has brought into my house. For a lot more money
you can go a little faster. For a little less money you can go a lot slower.
ROKU is the best internet TV gizmo out there. The latest is the 3, so don’t
get the cheaper older models unless you’re OK with everything running
slower with a slightly funkier interface. The 3 is just the most convenient
way to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime (although the Amazon Fire TV or Stick
are a close second). The remote is wonderfully simple, and uses radio
instead of infra-red, so you don’t have to point it at the box. The box itself is
so small there’s barely enough room for the power, HDMI, and LAN
connections (it uses WiFi, too, if you don’t have a wired LAN).
This Ozeri frying pan is the first low-cost non-stick pan I’ve found that
actually works. It’s not Teflon—they use some exotic ceramic coating that I
haven’t found out much about yet, but it works for me. The reviews show that
some people had bad luck with it, but frying is a violent process and every
cook’s approach is different. I have had no issues at all, after three months of
regular use. Like Teflon pans, though, you do have to avoid scratching up the
surface. Unlike my last “Swiss Army” Teflon pan, though, this one looks like it
will work for a long time. There’s also a nice matching glass cover.
Here’s a compact, all-metal 5-port gigabit switch (1,000 Mbps), great for
adding a few more ports in a room that’s already wired. The picture makes it
look a lot bigger than it actually is. It’s hard to say how long this kind of thing
will last, but from the feel of it I expect many years of service. Switches are
really appliances nowadays, but this one gets high ratings, and works like a
champ. When people ask what kind of switch to get, this is the one I’m now
recommending. It was $30 when I bought it in 2014, and Netgear has a
100Mbps version for $20. (Tech note: This is an unmanaged switch.)
When I went looking for an occasional-use, rugged sewing machine for case
building and mending, I found hundreds of models with extensive reviews
from beginners to advanced professionals. Eventually, I boiled it down to this
$125 Singer 4411 Heavy Duty model. It’s not for factory work, but it’s also not
one of those hobby models with plastic machinery inside. The feature range
is reasonable for most home uses, and it’s very nicely thought out. I’m not a
pro, so my opinion on this item is of limited use, especially since sewing
machines can be very specialized, and are easily mis-matched to the task.
This desk lamp is rechargeable, with three brightness levels. I use it for
working on the kitchen table, and sometimes I put it on my piano. Having no
cord is a huge advantage for that kind of use. The light is moderately bright,
and the battery lasts several hours, depending on the brightness setting, of
course. Very nicely made, with a widely diffused fairly cool LED light. The
power adapter is USB, but the cable into the lamp uses a round coax plug,
so you can’t use any old USB cable for charging. There’s no charging light,
but it’s Lithium-Polymer and fully charges after an overnight.
Three USB-3 jacks and Gigabit LAN in a tiny box. My laptop has WiFi only,
and only one USB-3 port (+ one USB-2). When I need to plug into a LAN and
not lose access to my fast USB-3 portable drive, this solves the problem.
The LAN goes in the RJ-45 jack on one end, up to three USB-2/3 gizmos in
the jacks on top, and any standard USB-2/3 cable from the other end into
your laptop. Anker makes great gear, and this is no exception. It comes with
a short USB-3 cable, and sells for around $20 or so, depending on the
weather at Amazon.
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