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RainyDayMagazine's content can now be licensed for your print magazine or web site. Please contact us directly here. If you want to see something reviewed, then drop us a note with a link and we'll be happy to take a look.
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September 28,2012- Drill Doctor 750X... |
Making a hole is one of those tasks everybody needs to do once in a while. It is also a task anyone one can do with the proper tools. All anyone needs to make a nice, clean hole in any kind of material (metal, wood, masonry, etc.) is a drill and the right bit. A powerful drill will get the job done faster, but a sharp bit is essential to getting the job done well. A sharp bit will cut faster, cleaner, and put less stress on the motor of the drill and the bit. All of which translates to a better outcome. Many DIYers view drill bits as disposable items, something to toss when they became dull. As a result, most tend not to buy quality bits to use with their drills. That is understandable, as sharpening drill bits is skill which is beyond that of many craftsman and undoubtably most weekend DIYers. So imagine our excitment when we came upon the DAREX Drill Doctor.
DAREx has been making tool-sharpening systems for over forty years. They have heavy-duty units for industry, but they also cater to the smaller professional shops and craftsmen. The Drill Doctor line, while rugged enough for the pros, is also suitable for the home DIYers. Like their professional sharpeners, the Drill Doctor line is... [more] - Drill Doctor 750X FirstLook
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September 27,2012- New Kata Bags... |
While there is an LCD on the back of most digital cameras, its small size limits its usefulness. So when laptops got smaller and lighter, photographers began bringing them along on the road. Being able to immediately check the quality of the shot is reason enough for photographers to add seven more pounds to their take-along gear.
Photo bag makers such as Kata noticed the trend and began adding a padded pocket, sized for a laptop, to some of their bags. That was a big help as it meant photographers no longer had to have a separate bag just for the laptop. Today, laptops have pretty much became standard equipment for photographers in the field. So it should come as no surprise that every one of Kata's new... [more] - New Kata Bags
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September 26,2012- Lensbaby Composer Pro... |
The RainyDayPhotography folks have been Lensbaby enthusiats for years. Our first Lensbaby was the 3G. We added the Composer and the Scout lenses to our collection a few years later. We have used them extensively and have found that they offer creative options not available from anything else in our photographic bag of tricks. The only (small) quibble we have with our Lensbabies is with the manual "drop-in" process required to change apertures. It took us a while to get used to doing it, it interrupts the flow, and is not something we like doing in the field.
When Lensbaby announced that they had some new optics with adjustable apertures (Edge 80, Sweet 35), our ears peaked up. These new optics are part of the Lensbaby Optic Swap system. While our older Lensbaby 3G lens is not compatible with the system, newer lens like the Composer Pro are. The Composer Pro is based on the same ball and socket design as the... [more] - Lensbaby Composer Pro FirstLook
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September 25,2012- Board Refinishing... |
In July we posted a write-up of a butcher-block top DIY project for the IKEA FLYTTA stainless steel kitchen cart. We mentioned at the end of the article that we had a few more things to do to the top before it was ready for duty, in particular refinish the surface and trim the edges. We had the tools to do the rough work, but we needed access to a planer/jointer to square up the edges. So we pinged our fine-furniture maker friend Gary Barsomian and asked if he could help us out.
Gary has some heavy-duty woodworking gear at his workshop: industrial tablesaw, 6" jointer, etc. We trimmed of about a quarter of an inch around the edges, squared them off with the jointer/planer, and removed the majority of the... [more] - Board Refinishing
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September 24,2012- Cuisinart Slow Cooker... |
Fall is on its way and Winter won't be far behind. Many of us don't mind the different seasons because we like the cooler temperatures, seeing the leaves change, and cooking comfort foods like soups and stews. It was during a discussion about favorite soups and stews that gave us an idea for a Winter series of RainyDayKitchen articles on slow-cooker cooking.
Most of us who grew up in the 70's have used crock pots at one point or another. The ones most of us had back then were simple devices comprised of some kind of ceramic pot with an electric heating element at the bottom. They had an on/off switch but not much else. We thought it was time to... [more] - Cuisinart 4-Quart Slow Cooker FirstLook
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September 21,2012- Kenmore Dryer Repair... |
A few days ago, we noticed that the content of the dryer load was still damp after the cycle. So we reset the timer and pushed the Start button. The Kenmore dryer has provided close to twenty years of dependable service and has been so reliable that we had taken for granted that it would "just work" whenever we pushed Start. So when we did not hear the familiar "thud, thud, thud" of the contents tumbling about, we were momentarily confused.
After checking that the fuse on the electrical panel had not been tripped and that power was indeed getting to the machine (we could hear the timer on the dryer humming), we concluded that the problem must lie with the machine. Since we had no warning signs that the machine was having problems, we hoped that it was something simple, something which we could fix ourselves. However, before we could get to fixing anything, we had to figure out how to... [more] - Kenmore Dryer Repair
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September 20,2012- Brando UFO Case... |
We took a FirstLook at the Brando U816 UFO quadcopter yesterday. The entire kit is very compact. It got us thinking that it would be great if we could pack everything up into one easy-to-carry package. For carrying gear, normally we would reach for an OtterBox, Pelican, or SKB case. However, using one of those cases was a little bit overkill for this application. After looking around, we found something that is exactly right for our needs.
ArtBin's QuickView cases are made with translucent polypropylene. They come in various sizes, have a carrying handle, are stackable, and have lockable latches. Best of all, our 12" case cost only $10! A larger 17" case is still under $20. While just putting everything in the ArtBin case would certainly work, we wanted to... [more] - Brando UFO U816 Case
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September 19,2012- Brando UFO FirstLook... |
When we took a FirstLook at the amazing DraganFlyer quadcopter back in 2005, we knew these devices would morph from hobbyist toys to something much, much, more. The pace of change in remote-controlled (RC) helicopters have been head spinning, specifically because of the interest in autonomous aerial drones. Universities such as UPenn have done a lot of research on computer-assisted flying of quadcopters. A lot of the work has been focused on controlling and flying the quadcopters with a precision not thought possible by human operators.
High end quadcopters can be costly. Our DraganFlyer retailed for over $1000 back in 2005. However, as expected, the cost for these RC units have dropped dramatically. Last month, a few readers pinged and told us about a little gem from Brando which is available for... [more] - Brando UFO U816 FirstLook
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September 18,2012- Polarie Setup Videos... |
At the start of the year we posted a few articles on Vixen's Polarie (FirstLook, Setup) and accessories. To make sure the Polarie was field-ready, we custom-fitted it with a waterproof carrying case. The first opportunity we got, we took the unit out for its FirstUse. It was out in the desert in Palm Springs and we got a few decent shots of Orion.
We learned a lot about the Polarie Star Tracker on that L.A. outing. Our main realization was that we could have used a bit more instruction on how to set up the Polarie. Setting up the Polarie wasn't difficult, but it has a few quirks and does require a bit of practice to get it right. It is best to... [more] - Polarie Setup Videos
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September 17,2012- Casio EFR-516 FirstUse... |
In June and July, we took a FirstLook at two watches in Casio's EDIFICE line. The line spans a broad range of prices, styles, and capabilities. The EFR-516 is on the less expensive end while the EQWT720 is representative of Casio's best for the EDIFICE line. After looking at both watches, we can confidently say, for these two at least, that price is reflective of the capability of the watch, not its quality. Today we will take you though our FirstUse impressions of the EFR-516.
The Casio EDIFICE EFR-516 is a no-nonsense chronograph. The face is clean, the numbers are big, and the dials are easy to read. The controls are located on the right side of the watch (crown and two push-buttons). They are big, easy to activate, and simple to operate (push on/push off). Date and time settings are accomplished via the two-position crown (1st click, date; 2nd click, time). The only thing that was unexpected was the... [more] - Casio EDIFICE : EFR-516 FirstUse
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September 14,2012- Back To School... |
Yesterday we posted a quick overview of the iPad cases for this Back-To-School series. Today we take a closer FirstLook at them and examine the features each has to offer the student.
The iPad case we think is well-suited for many students is the ZooGue BinderPad. The BinderPad will securely hold an iPad in any three-ring binder while giving access to all of the buttons, ports, and cameras. The case is light (3.5 oz) and thin (0.5") so it will add very little additional bulk to... [more] - Back To School: Up Close
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September 13,2012- Back To School... |
While computer tablets are not yet standard-issue for students, the technology/form factor is beginning to find its way into more and more school bags. Even though tablets are more than adequate to take on many school tasks, they are not yet powerful enough to replace a traditional laptop. However, what they have going for them is the all-day battery life, instant-on capability, and their lightness. Apple's iPad is clearly the tablet of choice at present, so we thought it fitting to take a look at a few cases for the iPad that may be appropriate for the "Back To School" crowd.
There are now literally hundreds of cases on the market for the iPad since it exploded onto the market in 2010. In deciding what cases made sense for the "Back To School" crowd, we filtered the choices with... [more] - Back To School: iPad Cases Preview
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September 12,2012- RDG Update... |
Looking back over the years we came to realize that we have not done updates of the RainyDayGarden during July and August. We are not quite sure why, but we thought we would post one this year as the garden is extra lovely this Summer.
Things which are in full bloom during the hot days of August in the RainyDayGarden are the Cone Flowers (Echinacea purpurea), Black Eye Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia davidii), and Passiflora (Passiflora incarnata). They do well because they are all very... [more] - RDG Update
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September 11,2012- Elizabeth The Queen... |
Queen Elizabeth got a lot of points for her appearance during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. One of the editors here at RainyDayMagazine has always known that that particular queen is way, way cooler than folks imagine her to be. To hear her go on and on about the woman, one would think she thinks they're related...which secretly, she hopes they are.
When the audio production of Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith came out, we got her a copy. We have rarely seen her so excited :-) We didn't realize it was a 17 CD set with over 21 hours of audio, which suited said editor just fine. She disappeared for two days and came back with... [more] - Elizabeth The Queen
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September 10,2012- UPS Battery Replacement... |
An alarm went off in the office recently. It took us a while to track down the source. After working silently for the past six years (so much so that we forgot we had it), our APC Smart-UPS 750 began beeping incessantly. The flashing red light on the front panel indicated the battery needed to be replaced.
We have a UPS because a power failure or surge/spike can happen any time. Besides the obvious inconvenience of data loss due to an unexpected power interruption, sensitive electronic equipment such as hard drives can suffer irreparable physical damage. In order to mitigate issues from power-related problems, we decided to use a battery backup system, and chose to go the UPS route. The UPS sits between the power from the wall and the... [more] - APC SmartUPS 750 Battery Replacement
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September 7,2012 Boxster Fall Prep |
While cooler weather is fast approaching, there are still plenty of top-down days left in the year. To ensure that our ride is always performing up to its potential, we like to do periodic maintenance at the beginning of Spring and Fall. The two preps are similar:
- Hardtop: Off in the Spring (as early as possible), on in the Fall (as late as possible)
- Tire swap: Summer tires on (typically by mid-May), Winter snow tires on (definitely before Thanksgiving)
- Brakes: pad check (Spring), rotor check (Fall)
- Filters: air, cabin (Fall)
- Wipers: check/replace (Fall)
When we swapped out the Winter tires last Spring, we checked the rear rotors and realized that they were getting close to the minimum acceptable thickness. While they would likely last at least through the Winter, changing the rotors now would be easier than next Spring, since we have to... [more] - Boxster Fall Maintenance Prep
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September 6,2012 Ceiva Photo Frame |
Digital photo frames have been around for a while. We love them because they are an easy way to both enjoy and share digital images. The photo frames we have around the office have been in constant operation for a few years. Recently, we noticed that the images on one of them looked a little "funny."
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that there was something wrong with the display. The images appeared to be heavily quantized (color, B&W, skin tone). The problem was especially prominent in sections where there should have been a smooth gradient of tones or color. The issue was clearly hardware related, as the original images retreived from the Ceiva server appeared clean. A support call to Ceiva did not resolve the problem (restarting/resetting the frame, reloading the photos, etc). However, as part of the annual Ceiva subscription, any... [more] - Ceiva Photo Frame
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September 5,2012 Tailgating TEC |
Tailgating and football go hand-in-hand. Cooking in the parking lot of a football stadium has evolved from an impromptu cookout to a full-fledged part of many a football game. Over the years, companies have caught on to the phenomenon and have created products specifically for the activity.
We have two portable grills that were designed for the tailgating crowd, a Coleman and a Thermos. However, we think our most recent addition, the TEC Cherokee,would be the best of the lot. The TEC Cherokee is an infrared grill. Infrared grilling is superior to other methods because it cooks faster, at a much higher temperature, and does not dry out the food as much. The Cherokee is also... [more] - Tailgating TEC
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September 4,2012 Patriots Training Camp |
NFL Football Season 2012 is starting! The first regular season game is tomorrow (Cowboy vs Giants). It couldn't come soon enough for the folks here at RainyDayMagazine. Besides the Olympics, football is the only sporting event we pay attention to. Yes, we watch the World Series if the Red Sox are playing, we may watch some tennis or basketball, maybe even golf, but not with the interest we have for football.
At the beginning of August, we—along with a few thousand other Patriot fans—stopped by Gillette Stadium to check out the Patriots during training camp. It was a pretty sweltering day, but the heat clearly had no effect on the enthusiasm of New England fans for their team, as the stands were full. Many folks turned out just to see their team go through drills, plays, and other practice routines. Some were hoping for the chance to snag an autograph from their favorite... [more] - Patriots Training Camp
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September 3,2012 IKEA Socker Greenhouse |
Every RainyDayMagazine reader knows that IKEA is the "go to" place for quality, inexpensive home funishings. Because IKEA designs its products to be "shipping-friendly," it also serves as a great resource for DIY-ers. We are constantly scouring its catalog for potential project ideas. One item in its new 2013 catalog that immediately caught our attention was the Socker countertop greenhouse.
The item is only available (as of this writing anyway) for in-store pick-up. At $20 a unit, we decided to pick up a few as they would be excellent for a lot of... [more] - IKEA Socker Greenhouse
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