Gadgets and gifts
Lens Wipes (disposable)
Bausch (Made-In-USA)
Buy these Made-In-USA disposable lens wipes at Costco(Price at time: $15 for 200 wipes. Price occasionally drops to $12.)
Also available at Amazon(Sold by Amazon) at $11.50 for only 100 wipes.
Arguably much easier in the long run than keeping a microfiber cloth clean.
Both Bausch and Zeiss wipes have a small learning curve as they are both like wet paper. When you wipe and a small amount of alcohol is left on but evaporates in around 1 second is when you are in the sweet spot. If you don't wait at all, wiping once without waiting, you will usually get water spots. If you wait too long, your wipe will dry out and leave streaks (Or worse, dirt/sand can damage your lens/screen. When in doubt, just open another wipe.).
For rare sticky substances like oil, you will need something more absorptive (a fingertip works fine after an initial wipe) and then re-wipe.
Larger, wetter tissue can clean multiple small screens. Or 1/4 of a large TV | Slower drying |
Good for messier cleanups or dry, hot environments |
Zeiss (made-in-china)
Buy these alternative disposable lens wipes at Costco(Price at time: $16 for 300 tissues.)
Also available at Amazon and Walmart in various denominations.
Quick drying, ideal for a single lens or screen | Made in China |
Easier for beginners | Many wipes needed to clean a TV |
Electric Fly Swatter
Quickly kill mosquitos, flies, and wasps.
Smaller bugs/nats may fly right through 50% of time. Big bugs generally stick to the screen where you can hold for a few seconds to kill (otherwise they will just be stunned).
Rotating Swatter
Amazon(Price at time: $26 for 1 or $40 for 2.Sold byGeckoMan)
Plain Black&Decker Swatter
Amazon(Price at time: $10Sold byWorld Wide Dist)
Known brand | Also made in China |
smart sleep cooling/heating pad
Updated June 2023.
*Warning* Out of date: See Pod 4.
Buy this expensive, temperature-controlling, sleeping pad (Pod 3 cover) or mattress with my $250 referral discount at EightSleep
(Price at time: $2050 for queen-size Pod 3 Cover with PerfectFit. Price has dropped to $1700 during Memorial Day. $250 referral coupon does not stack with other coupons.)
PROS: Membership is not required for main features. You can set your side to one temperature and your partner can set to a different temperature. This cover goes over your existing mattress with minimal difference to mattress feeling (older versions are more noticeable). You can set a schedule for temperature controls per day per side. You can manually override the schedule to set the temperature at any time. You can set vibration wake-up alarms per side with adjustable strength (Although light sleepers can still hear or feel the vibration from the other side). The accuracy is questionable but the app will try to wake you up in your desired time-frame, while maintaining REM sleep. Thirty days free return.
CONS: The device is noisy when changing temperature, although relatively quiet after temperature is reached and during the night. Initial setup/disassembly takes hours. Membership only required for heart rate tracking and other features (which is likely not accurate anyway).
This cover uses water so some precaution maybe needed with pets. Much cheaper alternative products use air instead. There may be some alternatives available that also use water, with varying comfort.
A smart phone is required for initial setup and for manual controls. There are no physical manual controls or remote controller.
Setex Eyeglass Nose Pads
Buy these Made-In-USA nosepads for your glasses at Amazon
(Price at time: $27 for 15 or $12 for 5.Sold by Setex Technologies)
ALTERNATIVE: Thinner, slightly more expensive, available at Amazon
(Price at time: $29 for 15 or $14 for 5.)
Sunglass clips
Buy these cheap, plastic, polarized sunglass clips that go over your existing glasses at Amazon(Price at time: $15 for 60*47mm.Sold byChaingo)
A cheap solution to protect your glasses when you go to the beach, trim grass, use a saw or other activities that may damage your regular glasses. Polarized glasses may also allow you to see slightly better through water when there is sun reflections.
cheap | Made in China |
(Relatively) Quiet Blender
Buy this quiet, Made-In-USA Vitamix blender at Amazon(Price at time: $1,135. Sold by Amazon.com)
Blendtec offers a similar product. There are other Made-in-China quiet alternatives that are much cheaper ($260) but may not last as long.
Home Pepper Spray
This pepper spray works at a longer range and better than typical pocket-sized sprays. For situations where you can't use a firearm. Buy at Amazon. (Price at time: $43. Sold by Amazon)
Made-In-USA. Shipping restrictions may apply depending on state.
Pet Filtered-Water Fountain
If you want to spoil your pet with clean water (and you have an electric outlet available), you might be interested in this stainless steel pet fountain at Amazon(Price at time: $50.Sold byONEISALL-Direct)
This fountain is the largest of its kind and designed better than most for easy cleaning. For a small dog, cat, or fat rabbit, it requires a refill every week.
Still, you may want a simpler gravity-fed larger water container that can be more easily cleaned and does not require an outlet. Or a smaller bowl.
Large | Pump is not able to reach low level water (similar to most others) |
auto-shutoff | Cable is not chew-proof |
Stainless steel | Made in China |
Replacement filters
Fountain comes with a few filters but you can save money after a few weeks when its time for replacement and purchase Made-In-USA, cut-to-fit water filter at Amazon(Price at time: $18 for 12x72.Sold byAquatic Experts)
Competition tested
Pioneer Pet Stainless Steel Fountain Raindrop Design: Too noisy because motor hum is audible.
Petilog Stainless Steel Cat Water Fountain, 3.2L: no auto shutoff, pump unable to reach low water
PETKIT Wireless Pump Pet Smart Water Fountain: expensive, plastic top, needs additional product to connect to wifi (wireless is only bluetooth)
Ormallano longer sells.
Foot Massager
Human Touch Foot Massager
Buy this high-end foot massager at Amazon(Price at time: $333. Sold by Amazon)
Best | Made in China |
Expensive |
KoolerThings Foot Massager
Buy this medium-cost foot massager at Amazon(Price at time: $190. Sold by KoolerThings Inc.)
Massages calves as well as feet | Heat takes 10 minutes to warm up and does not get very hot |
Massage areas can be turned off | No pressure settings (only speed). Some complain it is too strong. |
Made in China |