The Giz Wiz

If your Chromebook has a wifi only connection because of a lack of ports, Dick has a gadget for you! The OWC USB-C Travel Dock plugs it into a Chromebook to not only give it a wired connection, but also a 100 watt power pass through, so you plug it into your USB-C powered notebook or Chromebook, and then you'll add six ports, one of which is the USB-C power pass-through. You don't even need to remember to bring a cable because one is built into the bottom of the unit.

Dickie D is here with a "really useful travel gadget." It's the Anker PowerExtend USB-C 3 Cube, a plug adapter that offers high-speed charging: with a 30W USB-C port equipped with Power Delivery to charge phones, tablets, and even some laptops at high speed. In total, the cube has 3 AC outlets, 2 USB-A ports, and 1 USB-C port. That's enough to deliver power and charging for up to 6 devices. At less than 2 ½ cubic inches, this compact power strip is perfect for your travel bag or even on your nightstand at home.

Here's an easy way to keep cool and to light up a tent at night this summer. It's the X10 Portable Camping Fan/LED Lantern with 7800mAh rechargeable battery. It has a racketing 180° head rotation that stays in place where you set it. A fold-out hook makes it easy to hang in a tent, on a branch, beam, etc. The entire device is small enough to pack. It has USB-C charging in, plus a 2A quick charging out function. That means the 7800 mAh battery can also be used as emergency power to charge your phone, GPS, iPod, etc.

Popular with coffee enthusiasts worldwide including the Giz Wiz and Leo is the AeroPress coffee maker. It uses a fast brewing process (similar to French Press) to make a smooth, full-flavored cup of coffee. With the AeroPress & the newer AeroPress Go paper microfilter, there's no grit in your cup, and clean-up takes seconds. Plus, you get 350 filters in the box with the Go! Also with the "Go", the company says you can make 1 to 3 cups of American coffee per pressing in about a minute.

This week's gadget is a $6 universal microphone that you can pick up from 5 Below Stores. The irony is, it's the same mic that you can buy on Amazon for $25. It's a Bluetooth karaoke studio wireless mic w/ speaker. The built-in speaker also lights up. Just connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, queue up ur fave song & sing away! Mic & volume controls, plus dancing LED lights! No matter what for $5.95s this can provide a lot of fun family entertainment!) There's $5.95 shipping if you buy it online, so look for it at the Five Below store if you have one nearby.

This week's gadget promises fast coffee in the morning. The Hamilton Beach 5 Cup small coffee maker (48136) is great for small kitchens, dorm rooms, boats, and small offices. Amazon says “even travel”, but yes, for an RV, perfect.

Dickie D joins Leo to talk about how you can protect your Vaccination card after you get the shot. Here are a few ideas:

Here are two options from Amazon:

This 4" x 3" Inch Record Cards Protector comes with a clip that can be used without any additional accessories. Simple to use and small, it allows you to easily show your CDC records Card at airlines and travel ports for quick entry. This badge holder is 0.8mm thick, thicker than others I've seen. 5/$9.00 approx $1.80. This price can change at any time! Actually, on 5/1/21 it's dropped $2.00 to $6.99.

This week's gadget is the ZoVox AccuVoice, which makes the dialogue in old movies understandable again. It's different from other voice boosting systems that focus on equalization. AccuVoice combines compression, consonant-range boost, formant enhancement, minimization of bass output -- plus other proprietary techniques they prefer not to divulge. The AV157 uses 12 levels of dialogue boost – 6 stages of AccuVoice boost plus 6 stages of their new SuperVoice technology.

This week's gadget is Quake Hold! Museum Putty. It secures antiques, collectibles, figurines, and more from falling and breaking. It can be used on most surfaces, including ceramics, porcelains, and laminates, as well as on walls to help stabilize pictures. It comes ready to use in a two-and-a-half-ounce flat sleeve, just pull off what you need. Roll the putty into small balls (about the size of a pea), or strips, and apply to the base of an item. Press down lightly and twist into position. It sets within 30-minutes and comes off cleanly with no mess.

This week's gadget from the Giz Wiz is the HydraLight Flashlight, a water-powered flashlight. Its operation was not great. Here's what the company says about them: NO POWER NO PROBLEM: Activates in 15 seconds by wetting the base; no batteries, plug-in, or power source required; Flashlights run for 72 hours total; Switch off to extend time with hand light. Perfect for power outages, blackouts, flashlight emergency preparedness. Compact size ideal for pocket, pack, first-aid kit; Take camping, hiking, in the auto glovebox, travel flashlight survival flashlight.