Review Archives

Stowaway Folding Bluetooth Keyboard Review

To solve the problem of mobile text entry, I am using a Think Outside Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard with my iPod Touch. This one is model number XTBT01 and I bought it used, because unfortunately these have been discontinued.

This keyboard on Amazon

The pairing process used to connect the keyboad wirelessly to the iPod is not shown in the video. To pair them you hold down the Control key and both Function keys at the same time to put the keyboard in “discover mode”. Verify they are connected by opening Settings app on the iPod touch, then tap General and Bluetooth. I did this a while ago so I don’t remember the next step, but you might have to type a phrase that displays on the iPod – but just follow what it says on the screen.

In the video I show a couple ways that you can type using the on-screen keyboard in both portrait and landscape modes. The fastest way to type in my experience was to hold the iPod vertically in my left hand and type with my right index finger. Still, typing this way was too slow for me. I can enter something on a to-do list or make a quick notation, but couldn’t do long-form typing sessions.

The ThinkOutside keyboard has been working well! It folds up so I can take it with me in a jacket pocket along with the iPod touch – no need to bring a briefcase. It has real laptop-style keys with scissor switches, not the cheap rubber dome style keys. There’s no number key row, but you can type numbers and symbols using the function keys, and this actually makes the whole keyboard smaller when folded.

The only negative things are the Y key sticks when I open it, and the stand doesn’t stay closed when you fold it up. The stand is removable.

Pay It Backward – Five Channels to Check Out

Pay it backward – making a video to recommend five YouTube channels that have fewer subscribers than I do. This is a contest that you can enter too, with a prize of $50.00! Upload yours before the end of September if you want to participate.

Buck Redbuck – Travel Dude

Craftchest’s Nation of Truth

Quite Decent – Name That Snack

Nora Dunn – The Professional Hobo

Tara Talk – Comedy for grownups

Tell them Carl Blemming sent you!

Bumper-Grams

My friend “Number 6” who lives in The Villages created this as a product to sell, around the year 1980. Bumper-Grams are blank bumper stickers on high quality white vinyl with a red border that you can write on yourself with a permanent marker. Create your own slogan! Yes, well doesn’t that sound like a fun afternoon activity.

Seriously though, I do have a few of these and will mail you one if you send me a dollar through Paypal at this link.





Dark Island Scottish Ale

Here is a beer tasting featuring Dark Island, an authentic orcadian dark ale brewed at the Orkney Brewery in Quoyloo, Scotland. This is my first beer review, so please let me know if you want to see more of this kind of video.

In the video I mistakenly say it’s Dark Island Reserve, which is a limited edition premium beer with 10% ABV. This is actually the regular non-premuim Dark Island in the smaller bottle, which has 4.6% ABV.

Action Movie FX App Review

Search the App Store for “Action Movie” to find this App for your iPhone or iPod Touch. It lets you records short video clips and add special effects, most of which are things crashing or blowing up. Check it out, the first few effects are free, the rest will cost ya. If you have any idea for a video, let me know and I’ll buy the effects and record something for you.

Convert Cassette Tape to Digital MP3 file

Ion Audio USB Portable Tape-to-MP3 Player with Headphones

The ION Tape Express Tape-To-MP3 Converter/Player appears to be just what I need to transfer my old audio recordings off cassette tape into a modern digital format, so I can finally get rid of my dusty box of old tapes. Will it work? Who knows? Seriously, who gives a crap. I’ll try it and see what happens.

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