Posted by bassgiraffe in book, book-Movie, electronics, giveaway, review | 114 Comments
eChook review (CLOSED)
ABOUT-
“There is no better escape than into the written world of story. But it’s a time consuming voyage, as inhaling a book takes the speediest readers at least a few hours. Award-winning short story writer Tessa Smith McGovern has found the perfect solution to booklovers in need of a quick fix. She brings the overworked, under-rested and frazzled 10-minutes of transcendental bliss.
McGovern merged the world of story with technology, bringing readers the eChook. More than brain candy, eChook offers apps full of well-written short stories that soothe the soul. She has brought to life the tasty equivalent of the best dessert imaginable – 10-minutes of literary gourmet chocolate.”
My Thoughts-
I received a gift package (as seen at the Sundance Film Festival) that consisted of a mouse pad, coffee mug, 2 types of hot chocolate, a chocolate bar, tea, chapstick, a cloth bag AND most importantly a code to download “London Road: Linked Stories”. (which by the way you will have a chance to win all that here, see below)
Of course I loved all the little gifts that came in my gift package. But this review is about an eChook short story book, “London Road: Linked Stories”.
I love that all the stories are about the same person and the boarding house she lives in but in short story form. Meaning, you read what is like a chapter and a story is finished. It is so simple, you don’t have that urge to have to keep reading, but if you do keep reading it’s the same characters in each story. Each story does build off each other.
I enjoyed reading all the stories in “London Road: Linked Stories”. It’s about a lonely women who is released from jail after many years and her journey after. She struggles to fit back into society and we see her grow more and more. The stories also introduce us to the other people in the boarding house and how their lives are lived.
I do want to warn those who do not like swearing that the “F” word is used a bit. I know I’m not use to reading books like that so I wanted to make sure others were aware.
I can’t wait to read more stories from eChook.com. I love being able to read one story in a few minutes and put it down. I also love that you can download the eBooks in several differnt formats. I don’t have an eReader so I was able to download a PDF file and read it on my netbook.
Find it-
website
facebook
twitter
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THE GIVEAWAY
1 winner will a gift package from eChook (as seen at the Sundance Film Festival) that consists of a mouse pad, coffee mug, 2 types of hot chocolate, a chocolate bar, tea, chapstick, a cloth bag AND most importantly a code to download “London Road: Linked Stories”. (able to download in a format that fits your needs)
TO ENTER. REQUIRED before you do any extra entries!! (please leave a valid email so I can contact you if you win)
1. Visit eChook and tell me a name of an author and a title of their story.
EXTRA ENTRIES (please leave separate comments for each entry)-
-Join the eChook newsletter. (2 entries)
-Follow My Blog via GFC, link on the right-hand side (2 entries)
-Follow me, @bassgiraffe on Twitter (1 entry, please leave me your user name)
-Follow @eChookDigiPub on twitter (2 entries)
-Tweet this giveaway and leave a status link (1x daily)
“eChook prize pack- http://www.bassgiraffe.com/?p=5873 #GIVEAWAY #win @eChookDigiPub June 3rd @bassgiraffe”
-”Like” bassgiraffe’s Thoughts on Facebook-(1 entry, please leave me your first name and last initial in comment below)
-Like eChook® Digital Publishing on Facebook (3 entries)
-Subscribe to my daily email (1 entry)
-grab my button (2 entries, please leave a link)
-Vote for me on Picket Fence (left side-bar)- 1x daily
A HUGE thank you to the people at eChook for connecting with me and allowing me to do this review. And thank you all for joining.
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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
** OPEN TO US Only
*** Giveaway ends FRIDAY- June 3rd at 11:59PM EST
**** Please do not use more then one account to participate. It’s not fair to others who want to join it. Thank you.
*winning disclaimer- The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for shipping all winning items. bassgiraffe’s Thoughts can not be held liable for lost/unsent items.
Read MorePosted by bassgiraffe in electronics, giveaway, review | 14 Comments
KinKast- review (CLOSED)
ABOUT-
The KinKast App is the easiest way to privately share video clips. Record a moment and share it with two taps!
• No waiting (video uploads in the background)
• Privately share with friends (they receive a link with no login required)
• Safely back-up your memories on KinKast servers
• Can also post to Facebook
You can also access your private video library at KinKast.com. Online, you can watch, share, download and delete videos. Plus, upload videos from other cameras.
Full list of features and iPhone App FAQs at kinkast.com.
Chris’s Thoughts-
I was given the opportunity to review the KinKast app for the iPhone. It is a very simple app to use that complements the built in video recording capabilities. The main focus of the application and the service behind it is to easily and privately share your video clips with only the people you want to see them. Once you shoot a video, either directly through the application (easiest) or by importing a video you have already recorded in your camera roll, you then have the ability to choose exactly who will see the video. You still have the ability to easily share your videos through Facebook or Youtube, but there are often videos that you only want specific people to see and this is a great way to be able to do this.
Other then the core purpose of privacy, there are a lot of cool features that I was really impressed with:
- Easy Upload – When you choose to upload your videos, it uploads in the background, so you don’t have to wait until the upload is complete to do something else or record another video.
- Smart data preserving features – There is a small feature on the app that allows you to only upload videos when you are connected to a WIFI signal. I don’t subscribe to a data plan currently because the cost is typically very high and because I have WIFI in most places that I need to have data access. Because of this setting, I can be sure that I am not incurring extra fees and will start uploading automatically as soon as a WIFI connection is made.
- Peace of Mind – KinKast safely backs-up your videos online, so if something happens to your phone and you don’t sync often to your computer you can have the peace of mind to know that you won’t lose your videos.
The app itself is free, and you 30 days of free online storage for each video with the free membership. When you upgrade to the premium membership you get unlimited storage and there is no limit to the amount of time a video can be hosted.
I think the KinKast Video sharing app is very well built, well designed and a great tool to people who use the video capabilities of their iPhones and would suggest that everyone download and give it a try today.
Here is a short video demonstration and a few screenshots I took of the app while I was using it.
Recording a Video:
Choosing a video from your Camera Roll:
Choosing videos to Share:
Selecting who to share the video with:
Video Demonstration:
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THE GIVEAWAY
1 reader will win a one-year premium membership to KinKast
TO ENTER. REQUIRED before you do any extra entries!! (please leave a valid email so I can contact you if you win)
1. Set-up an account at KinKast.com or download the free App
EXTRA ENTRIES (please leave separate comments for each entry)-
-Follow bassgiraffe’s Thoughts via GFC (2 entries)
-Follow me, @bassgiraffe on Twitter (1 entry, please leave me your user name)
-Follow @kinkast on twitter (3 entries)
-Tweet this giveaway and leave a status link (1x daily)
“WIN one-year premium membership to KinKast- http://www.bassgiraffe.com/?p=5328 #giveaway #win May 6th @kinkast @bassgiraffe”
-”Like” bassgiraffe’s Thoughts on Facebook-(1 entry, please leave me your first name and last initial in comment below)
-”Like” KinKast on facebook, to leave a comment on their wall would be nice but not required. (3 entries)
-Subscribe to my daily email (1 entry)
-grab my button (2 entries, please leave a link)
-Vote for me on Picket Fence (left side-bar)- 1x daily
A HUGE thank you to KinKast for sponsoring this giveaway. And thank you all for joining.
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* Disclaimer / Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate my review. This post reflects my honest, personal opinion and experience with the product which may differ from yours. Product information courtesy of the sponsor. No monetary compensation was provided for this post.
** OPEN TO US and Canada
*** Giveaway ends Friday May 6th at 11:59PM EST
**** Please do not use more then one account to participate. It’s not fair to others who want to join it. Thank you.
*winning disclaimer- The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for sending this product. bassgiraffe’s Thoughts can not be held liable for lost/damaged items.
Read MorePosted by bassgiraffe in deals, electronics, family, giveaway, review | 197 Comments
budgetgadgets.com- review (CLOSED)
ABOUT-
“BudgetGadgets is dedicated in electronic gadgets and more!
Being located in Shenzhen, China, we’re able to provide our customers with quality products and great service at low price.
We’ve been in online retail/wholesale business since 2003, our experienced team will try our best to satisfy you and we believe the customers’ satisfactory is the most important thing to us. “
My Thoughts-
This is another WOW, review. I’m in love and impressed. I got the chance to review two Hello Kitty watches and a Hello Kitty camera case. There is so much more I can’t wait to buy from BudgetGadgets too and with FREE shipping I can’t go wrong. And I have to say the shipping was fast too.
The camera case I received was perfect for my tiny digital camera and is soft enough to protect of from bump in my purse. It also came with an extra matching camera strap that I can add to my camera or attach to the bag itself. The Hello Kitty design is really cute too.
I love both the watches I got too. One has a Stainless Steel band and the other a leather band. If I had to pick a favorite I would pick the metal watch one, only for the fact I love how cool it feels on my arm. Both have rinestones on them and both look very elegant yet fun with a cute Hello Kitty picture on them.
BudgetGadgets was also so kind to send me a free keychain with the bassgiraffe’s Thoughts logo on it. It was such a nice surprise and made my heart fill with so much pride seeing my logo on their product. And I must say the light on it is very bright. I carry it everywhere with me now.
I am very impressed with BudgetGadgets and hope to get to work with them again. I also know I will be going to them for my birthday and Christmas shopping. There is something for everyone there and all at an amazing price. I totally encourage you all to check them out and I hope you will shop with them and enjoy your experience as much as I have. Below is a discount code AND a great giveaway, plus you can get a bassigraffe’s thoughts flashlight keychain for yourself by ordering and using the code below.
BUY it-
Get 5% your order by using the code- bassgiraffe5off, you will also receive a free keychain with the bassgiraffe’s Thoughts logo on it, like the one pictured below. BudgetGadgets ships free worldwide.
The code above will only work for the first 50 orders, so hurry and order today. (offer ends end on June 30th, 2011)
As a bonus if we can get 10 orders using the code above in the first day BudgetGadgets will throw in another $20 to another reader of bassgiraffe’s Thoughts. So for the giveaway below we could have 2 winners of $20 IF we can get 10 orders TODAY- Friday, April 1st. WOW, cool.
(If you wish to not use the discount code or if the 50 uses have been used you can still purchase from BudgetGadgets and get a free small keychain with a $20 order or with a $50 you can get a flashlight keychain without the bassgiraffe logo on it.)
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THE GIVEAWAY
1 reader will win a $20 to http://www.budgetgadgets.com/, includes free shipping. (sponsored by bassgiraffe’s Thoughts)
TO ENTER. REQUIRED before you do any extra entries!! (please leave a valid email so I can contact you if you win)
1. “Like” BudgetGadgets on facebook, and leave a comment on their wall.
EXTRA ENTRIES (please leave separate comments for each entry)-
-purchase anything from budgetgadgets.com/ from now until close of giveaway (15 entries)
Use bassgiraffe5off for 5% off and get a free keychain, always free shipping.
-sign up for budgetgadgets.com/ newsletter (2 entries)
found at the bottom left.
-Follow bassgiraffe’s Thoughts via GFC (2 entries)
-Follow me, @bassgiraffe on Twitter (1 entry, please leave me your user name)
-Follow @budgetgadgets on twitter (3 entries)
-Tweet this giveaway and leave a status link (1x daily)
“$20 to budgetgadgets.com- http://www.bassgiraffe.com/?p=5345 #giveaway #win @budgetgadgets April 22nd @bassgiraffe”
-”Like” bassgiraffe’s Thoughts on Facebook-(1 entry, please leave me your first name and last initial in comment below)
-Subscribe to my daily email (1 entry)
-grab my button (2 entries, please leave a link)
-Vote for me on Picket Fence (left side-bar)- 1x daily
A HUGE thank you to budgetgadgets.com for sponsoring this giveaway. And thank you all for joining.
———————————————–
* Disclaimer / Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate my review. This post reflects my honest, personal opinion and experience with the product which may differ from yours. Product information courtesy of the sponsor. No monetary compensation was provided for this post.
** OPEN TO US and Canada
*** Giveaway ends Friday April 22nd at 11:59PM EST
**** Please do not use more then one account to participate. It’s not fair to others who want to join it. Thank you.
*winning disclaimer- The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for sending this product. bassgiraffe’s Thoughts can not be held liable for lost/damaged items.
Read MorePosted by bassgiraffe in electronics, review | Comments Off
Scott’s Liquid Gold, Clean Screen review
ABOUT-
Scott’s Liquid Gold
“Got dirty electronics? Do you ever find yourself struggling to clean off all the smudges on your sunglasses? What about those finger prints on your ipods and phones? Have you wondered how to get the dust safely off of your dirty flastcreen? We’re here to help!
We’ve developed a way to clean your valuable electronics safely and effectively. Clean Screen uses reverse osmosis to give you a crystal clear clean. And our Little Clean Screens are portable, on-the-go wipes great for removing fingerprints, make-up, dirt, dust, oily residues and ink off of your delicate surfaces. Gives us a try and you’ll be amazed at how you ever lived without it!”
My Thoughts-
As a mommy blogger I use my netbook a lot. But being a mommy also means tiny finger prints and sticky stuff on the screen. Scott’s Liquid Gold sent me their Clean Screen product in Spray with cloth and Little Clean Screen wipes. I LOVE the Little Clean Screen wipes so much. They fit nicely into my purse. I have used them to clean my netbook, cell phone and glasses. I am very impressed, everything is also nice and crisp/clean. It didn’t leave smudges and didn’t scratch up my important electronics. A bonus about the Little wipes is you can take it anywhere with you.
The Screen Clean spray and cleaning cloth works amazing too. It’s perfect to keep in your office or family room to clean your computer screen and your TV. Again things come out nice and clean with no scratches or smudges.
I am so glad to have found Scott’s Liquid Gold and will continue to use their products. ALSO for the month of March there is free shipping in the USA and only $10 shipping to Canada. What a great bonus and time to be ordering from them.
FIND it-
website
facebook
twitter
———————–
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.
Posted by bassgiraffe in electronics | Comments Off
iPhone Pocket Sketchbooks- review
ABOUT-
iPhone Pocket Sketchbooks by Pocket Sketches
“We at Integrum do heavy duty web app, iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows7 mobile development.
Inspiration often strikes on the move and after years of drawing mock-ups on napkins, coasters, human appendages and anything one can dry ink on, we had a better idea. So we drew that idea on a napkin and handed it to Amy Lamp at Forty. She then drew her idea about our idea on some proper paper. Then it went into a computer and through a printing press. Now our idea can go with us (and YOU) wherever we go so that new ideas can be drawn up freely.”
Chris’ Thoughts-
I am a professional website developer and am trying in my spare time to learn more about mobile web as well as application development. I’m still far from an expert application developer, but from a design and organizational perspective, the iPhone Sketchbook is a great tool to draw out my ideas exactly how they could show up. In my development experience, I find it very important to plan out visually and theoretically in order to cover as many possibilities up front and leave less up to chance. This book is a great way to get your ideas down on paper and see how things will layout, especially when you are limited in space on smart phone screens.
The Sketch books are great because they are small, easy to use and great to take along with you. I think these would be great for people working on building mobile sites or applications and I look forward to using them as I learn to do that myself.
iPhone Sketchbook can be purchased on their website. Find them also on twitter @pocketsketches.
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.
Posted by bassgiraffe in electronics, giveaway, holiday-gift, review | 248 Comments
Smartfish Ergomotion Mouse- review (CLOSED)
Hi, I’m Chris, Erica’s husband. She asked me to review a new product ‘ErgoMotion Laser Mouse’ by Smartfish Technologies that was sent to her as I spend much more time using a mouse and on a computer.
“The Smartfish ErgoMotion Mouse features a patented pivot base that for the first time allows the mouse to move with your natural hand and wrist positions, adapting to your unique movements while you work.”
I thought that this mouse was very well packaged and looks very nice. Opening it up it had easy to read instructions and all the necessary parts, including batteries, ready to go quickly. It was a little difficult to open the battery compartment, but this is probably a good thing considering you don’t want them to fall out. The mouse and transceiver (the part you connect to your computer) are built to either work with a desktop or laptop computer and being wireless is very helpful for both applications. The transceiver is very small, which is great for people who use laptops and it is built to attach right to the bottom of the mouse itself for transporting.
It was very easy to connect the mouse to the computer and it was up and running very quickly without having to install any software or drivers. The response was very fast and smooth and the mouse itself moved very easily on most surfaces. It claims up to 10 month battery life, and one thing that helps that is an on/off switch on the back, which is not standard on most wireless mice and is a great feature for saving power when you aren’t using the mouse.
I found the mouse comfortable to use at first. The mouse worked exactly as promised, moving with the motion of your hand and arm, but after some time I started experiencing discomfort. Over the next week I tried using it for a few minutes a day as I thought I may have simply been too accustom to other mice. I adjusted my chair, desk and a number of other things and I still started having discomfort after some time. I compared the height of the mouse with my other mice I used and it was only slightly higher, but the main place where the mouse was highest was right at the front where my palm sits. I have shorter fingers, so my hand naturally sits higher up on a mouse, raising up my wrist and arm more than seems to be comfortable. One other thing I didn’t like about this mouse was that it was limited in buttons. Being someone who is on the computer almost constantly, I rely on additional mouse buttons to help simplify many tasks. This may not be an issues for many people, but if I were to be looking for a new mouse this is very critical for me.
The mouse does exactly what it promises regarding moving with your hand movements, so I think many people would find significant improvement over their regular mouse and there are some features that do make it stand out among even some higher end mice, but it simply does not seem to work for me.
You can find Smartfish Technologies at the following-
Website
facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Youtube
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THE GIVEAWAY
One winner will win a Smartfish Ergomotion Mouse of their own.
TO ENTER. REQUIRED before you do any extra entries!! (please leave a valid email so I can contact you if you win)
1. Visit Smartfish Technologies and tell me something you learned.
EXTRA ENTRIES (please leave separate comments for each entry)-
-Follow bassgiraffe’s Thoughts via GFC (1 entry)
-Follow me, @bassgiraffe on Twitter (1 entry, please leave me your user name)
-Follow @GetSmartfish on Twitter (2 entries)
-Tweet this giveaway and leave a status link (1x daily)
“Smartfish Ergomotion Mouse http://www.bassgiraffe.com/2010/11/smartfish-mouse-giveaway.html @GetSmartfish @bassgiraffe #giveaway”
-”Like” bassgiraffe’s Thoughts on Facebook-(1 entry, please leave me your name in comment below)
-”Like” Smartfish Technologies on Facebook-(2 entries)
-Subscribe to my daily email (1 entry)
-blog about this giveaway, please leave a link (1 entry)
-grab my button (2 entries, please leave a link)
-Vote for me on Picket Fence (left side-bar)- 1x daily
A HUGE thank you to Smartfish Technologies for sponsoring this giveaway. And thank you all for joining.
———————————————–
* Disclaimer / Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate my review. This post reflects my honest, personal opinion and experience with the product which may differ from yours. Product information courtesy of the sponsor. No monetary compensation was provided for this post.
** OPEN TO US & Canada
*** Giveaway ends Friday December 3rd at 11:59PM EST
**** Please do not use more then one account to participate. It’s not fair to others who want to join it. Thank you.
*winning disclaimer- The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for shipping all winning items. bassgiraffe’s Thoughts can not be held liable for lost/unsent items.
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