My Excellent Choices

Perfect for hard surface floors, every chair at our house has one on each chair leg. These snack tables needed floor protectors too. Try the square-leg version for the snack tables. This 32-piece package has enough for 8 chairs.

The felt tips are firmly bonded to the plastic cups, and you will want to match the size and shape of these little “boots” to the items. Check out the shape and size information on the linked page above.

You can install these in just a couple of minutes. Just gently stretch open and slide over the end of the chair leg.

This is a huge improvement over those “stick-on” adhesive felt protectors from the hardware store.

UPDATE:

I have been using this gadget in the KITCHEN! It has a “dual mode” switch that allows it to check surface temperatures of food pulled from the freezer or the microwave. It also will check “room temperature” as well.

Check it out!

July 20, 2020

Dad bought one of these non-contact thermometers, and I was surprised how easy it was to use! I was curious about their accuracy, so I “googled” reviews from medical institutions on the web.

The “Gold Standard” according to some web sites is till the old fashioned inserted thermometer, but there was a consensus among the site I visited that if used correctly, these new non-contact thermometers are accurate.

You see these in use at the entrance to doctors offices everywhere, thanks to COVID virus; so I was able to confirm Dad’s idea that if his doctor was using it to screen for fever, it would be good for him to use as well.

Most instructions advise taking a reading of the forehead and to be aware of any clothing, cream, or prescription that might interfere with an accurate reading.

UPDATE:

Still using ROKU streaming sticks at home and while traveling, and we have added a couple of streaming apps for ROKU that may be hard to obtain through some other devices. MeritMedia (By Dr. Phil) is available on ROKU. Also known as Merit+, it hosts shows by Dr. Phil, a US history TV series, a series by Mike Rowe, and more. If you have ROKU, check this new streaming source out. If you don’t have ROKU and it is not available on your streaming hardware – you may still be able to get these videos on your laptop or desktop computer, tablet or cell phone.

June 3, 2020

For years, television content has been delivered in expensive bundles via cable or satellite. Then, Netflix, Sling, Hulu, YouTube and others offered alternatives that streamed shows on demand over your internet connection to your PC.

ROKU devices are attached thru the HDMI video and audio available on most connectors. (Some ROKU models still support older TVs with last generation TV signal connections.)

I actually prefer the ROKU add-on device to the “built-in” streamig capabilities of large flat screen systems, even when the excellent ROKU software is included inside your TV!

Streaming TV is made possible by special purpose computers dedicated to doing one thing very well. But, how often does the demand on these devices change? How often should we consider a faster processor, more memory, and a move from 1080P to 4k Video and beyond?

I won’t replace my large screen TV every two year, but ROKU devices are relatively inexpensive and updated frequently with newer and more capable models. It is not unreasonable to update the ROKU on the main screen every couple of years and gift the older device or move it to a second screen.

Eventually, the oldest devices won’t be capable of running the most robust streaming services, as some Netflix users found out last December. An ROKU upgrade can bring new life to an older TV at a bargain price.

ROKU is also “screen-casting” friendly. The convenience of projecting the video and audio from a personal device is supported by most ROKU devices and I have used ROKU to present from Windows PCs as well as Android and Apple mobile devices. In fact, I can set up an instant slide show on my smart phone and project wirelessly to a large TV screen by attaching my little ROKU to the TV’s HDMI connector!

One other thought about the advantage of having the power to stream large screen television in a pocket-sized device… Our ROKU traveled with us on our last “away from home” family vacation. One quick connection to the television where we stayed and a couple of clicks to set up connection to WIFI, and our complete streaming library was available for evening entertainment!

Since we are US residents, there are some countries and markets where our streaming subscriptions are not allowed, but trips to the beach, the mountains or another US location with a reliable WIFI connection has never been a problem.

Yes. We have one, and we use it! The tough part with some jar lids is simply getting a really good grip. This handy kitchen tool latches on to small and large lids by turning the “dial” on top.

Once it is securely gripping the lid, the handle provides the extra leverage you need to open a really stubborn lid.

Once or twice a week there is the brief “blink” in electric power. The lights may dim and some digital clocks may need to be reset, but…

The most annoying thing is the confusion that these power transients cause in the brains of internet modems and routers.

Nothing is foolproof, but a small battery backup just for the internet modem and home wireless has eliminated most of the interruptions we have experienced at our home.

Your laptop computer has a battery and, except for internet and WIFI connections will typically keep on keeping on if the power to your home pauses for an instant. A battery backup dedicated to the internet connetion provides the same stability for that equipment and adds additional surge protection as well.

A couple of small battery backups are often more functional than a single large unit as they can be placed separately and moved to where they are needed.

If you still have a desktop computer instead of a laptop, you may want that second unit.

For a desktop computer, monitor and printer; be sure to check the wattage of everything you intend to protect. The larger units are sold for heavier loads with printers typically being the heaviest users of electricity.

Internet modems and WIFI are relatively light loads. While a smaller unit than this one featured might be adequate, this model supports the common three prong outlet which many devices require.

Very small battery backup devices sometimes only support two pronged pwoer cords (“lamp cords”) and are designed for very small devices such as cell phone chargers.