Gadgets

Hate it when someone uses says the trigger word "Alexa" when you don't want your Echo device to do anything? The Mute+ is from Smartē could be for you. The idea is to place this device on top of an Amazon Echo, Echo Plus or Echo Dot smart speaker, so you can mute it when you don't want it to react to the trigger words. The company says their proprietary technology temporarily blocks any noise near or far from the smart speakers’ microphones and the lighted privacy timer can be set for up to an hour at a time. Each time you push a button at the top it adds ten minutes.

Here are Dick's three favorite gadgets from 2018.

This week's gadget is designed mainly for women. EZ Makeup glasses. These specially designed makeup glasses are said to magnify for perfect makeup application. They have built-in LEDs to provide light to see every detail. A rotating lens allows you to easily switch eyes. The provide 3x magnification! $14.99 at a CVS drug store. The first set had one LED light that didn't work. Dick exchanged them for a second set and the rotating lens broke off. Watch the video to see how poorly these glasses are made - at least to my eyes!

This week's gadget is the Tech Neck mobile device holder. Who could come up with such a weird gadget? You want me wear that crazy thing around my neck? Well, relax, it's not a real product. It's true, the Tech Neck Device Holder does not exist. It's a Prank Pack designed to fool the receiver into having to thank you for a really stupid gift. But, the box is empty so you can put your real small-sized gift inside. There's also a “You've been pranked note” inside the box.

If you collect a lot of business cards you need a central place to keep them. Enter the miniature business card file cabinet. It provides storage for 800 business cards. It's made of sturdy plastic and available in silver or brown color. A-Z card index dividers are included. Dimensions: 6.5" x 4.5" x 6.5". It's a bit pricey considering it's just made of plastic, but it should help you save time finding business cards you need - assuming you take the time to file them as you get them. Under $16.

Dick resisted buying anything on Black Friday until around 10 PM, when he bought an Amazon Fire HD8 with Special Offers (and that means ads on your tablet) for $49.99. And ebates had an 8% cash back offer which dropped the price even further. But wait, there's more. Even at that price there was free one day shipping for Prime Members. It was amazing. As you'll see in the video, that low price includes ads, tons of ads! But you can pay $15 + taxes to remove them on Amazon. The new Show Mode is nice since it lets you see notices from pretty far away.

BRILLIANT PAD - World First Self-Cleaning puppy pad & dog potty. This could be perfect for seniors with dogs who are paper-trained, or anyone who can't get out of the house on a terrible winter day. Designed to handle #1 and #2, the highly absorbent BrilliantPad soaks up liquids and dries out solids. It wraps and seals waste to keep your home clean and odor free. A built-in timer replaces the pad automatically or you can refresh anytime at the touch of a button. A sensor won't let the machine start until the pad is clear of your pet.

The Heatworks Tetra, an internet-connected compact countertop dishwasher requires no plumbing and can be placed and used anywhere with a standard electrical outlet. With a smaller capacity than the average dishwasher, Tetra holds two full place settings, 10 plates, or 12 pint glasses. There are no faucet connections required and water is loaded by hand so users know exactly how much water is being used - about a half a gallon per load. Tetra is transparent so you can see exactly where in the dishwashing cycle it is. It's powered by Heatworks' patented Ohmic Array Technology.

A new technology, developed by Watergen, is an atmospheric water generator called Genny, which takes in ambient air through a filter, and cools at its dew point, extracting water through condensation. The water is then purified, mineralized, and is ready and safe to drink. The prototype unit was producing five gallons of clean drinking water per day, but the company expected the final production unit would produce eight gallons a day. It comes with a built-in reservoir and a water treatment system.

The Virtuali-Tee offers a guided tour inside your body! It's easy. Put the Virtuali-Tee shirt on, open the app and point your device’s camera at the Virtuali-Tee. The app scans the Virtuali-Tee and you'll see an image of the internal body system. Then you can – and kids will love this part – virtually dissect the organs in gross detail! Tap anywhere on the screen to peel back the layers of the body and interact with the different systems and organs by clicking on the hotspots.