Dyson DC41 Animal Ball Vacuum

The following is a guest post by Ashley:

A few days ago we purchase a Dyson DC41 Animal Ball vacuum. Living in an apartment complex with old carpeting and a dog who is shedding like crazy with it being Spring, we decided to run some tests just to see how much of a difference the vacuum actually makes. We sectioned off the living room and in the first section we used our old cheapo vacuum, the next section we used the Dyson, and in the third section we used no vacuum at all. Looking at the comparisons, you could see the difference the Dyson made. It actually pulls the carpet fibers back upright so the carpet is not matted down, not too mention the color difference. The feel of the carpet the Dyson was used on was different, too. It felt clean on bare feet, unlike the other two sections that still felt dirty. We emptied the Dyson bin and then ran the Dyson back over the carpeting that we used the cheapo on to see how much was missed. After doing so, the Dyson bin was filled 1/3 the way full of dirt and debris the cheapo had not picked up.

This vacuum is amazing! We cleaned the cealings, all the corners and edges of the rooms and hallways, and it even picks stuff up off the linoleum floors. The vacuum glides across the floor with ease, is SUPER light, and the lip is so flat it fits under all the furniture including the couches! We have used the vacuum every day since we purchased it and it's worth EVERY penny it cost us. I have not a bad thing to say about the Dyson other than it's so powerful we have lost a retraction cord from the blinds cleaning the windows (but even with that it was so easy to remove). They really did think of everything!

Dyson DC41 Animal Ball Vacuum passes The Trav Test with A+.

•Category: Products
•Location: Stores
•Cost: $599
•Ease of use:
 Easy
•The Trav Test grade: A+

Microsoft

I've said before that I'm a major Apple fan so you'd probably expect me to hate Microsoft off the bat. Well, that's partially true. I do hate their hardware (PCs, Zune, etc), but think their software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc) is quite good. In fact, I haven't used Apple's word processor since it was ClarisWorks! With that said, I have a bone to pick with Microsoft.


I own the Microsoft Office 2011 Mac Student version. I got it when I was a student. No longer a student, I now need access to Outlook, which is not part of the Student version. To use it, I need to purchase a product key, but It's impossible to purchase a product key for just Outlook. This is ridiculous! In order to use Outlook (which Microsoft already installed on my MacBook Pro!), I'd have to re-buy ALL of Office 2011. So I'd have to pay TWICE for 3/4 of the applications in order to pay ONCE for 1/4 of them! That is absolute bullshit and I refuse to do so.


This is why people refer to them at Micro$oft and pirate their products like crazy!

Microsoft fails The Trav Test with D-. 


• Category: Products
• Location: Computer
• Cost: Too damn much!
• Ease of use:
 Easy
• The Trav Test grade: D-

Money – The Fragrance of Success

If you watch The Shark Tank on ABC, you probably saw Money – The Fragrance of Success on the episode that aired Friday, February 3rd. Well, I do and I did and I had to have it! I won't lie, I LOVE money! Whoever said "money doesn't buy happiness" was 99% wrong. Does it directly buy happiness? No - but it buys security which leads to happiness - but I digress. I also love (and have a mild addiction to) cologne. My all-time hands down favorite is Essential by Lacoste. It's delicious. When I saw this product, I had to have it. I don't know if I'd want to actually smell like money. Does money smell good? I'd say that it doesn't really smell good per se, but it does have a distinct smell that most people enjoy. So I immediately purchased Money.

My bottle of Money arrived on Wednesday. My first impression was the packaging. The plastic wrap used to protect the box is very odd. When I tried it unwrap it, the plastic wrap broke off in pieces rather than unwrapping. Think of an old tortilla shell rather than Saran wrap. Not a great first impression. Upon opening the box, I found the shredded real US currency. I love that bit! Once I removed the shredded money, my impression went negative again. Talk about a roller coaster: Shitty plastic, then "Oh! Cool!", then "Really?". The box makes the cologne look like a similar size to my Lacoste Essential bottle (big enough to last a while, but small enough to throw in a messenger bag or car storage counsel), but it's pretty damn tiny. At 1.7oz (does anyone really bother to read that before ordering?), it's less than 1/2 the size of my Lacoste and almost the same price. I wasn't impressed.

Even though it was almost 7pm by the time I opened the box, I had to put the cologne on. It doesn't smell anything like money. At all. With that said, however, it does smell good. It's a familiar fragrance, but I haven't taken the time (and won't be doing so) to figure out what other cologne it reminds me of. I like it. I'm used to having strangers stop me to say how good I smell and ask what I'm wearing, which probably means I'm wearing way too much cologne, but I like to smell it! Strangely, no one at the office has ever mentioned my cologne so they either dislike it or just don't notice/care. I wear Essential pretty much every single work day so I thought that wearing Money on Thursday would make people notice. They didn't. So overall, I like Money, but I'm not blown away. They'll need to improve upon the packaging and double the bottle size to make me a repeat customer.

Money - The Fragrance of Success passes The Trav Test with a B-/C+. 


• Category: Products
• Location: Online
• Cost: $42.50
• Ease of use:
 Easy
• The Trav Test grade: B-/C+. I couldn't decide. It's not an F and it's not an A.

LinkedIn DirectAds

I was recently looking for a new day job and, being a technophile, I used the internet to my advantage. At first, I solely used SEO (search engine optimization) so when you Googled my name, my LinkedIn profile would be in the search results and also appear as an ad.  I then received $100 in free LinkedIn DirectAds advertising through a promotional mailing, so I figured that was even better than the Google AdWords platform since folks are only on LinkedIn for professional things whereas they are on Google for many things. My experience with LinkedIn Ads was largely negative. The only good thing about it was that it was easy to set up. Since I had the free Ads to use, I set the maximum budget for my ad at $100, but it quickly used it somehow. When I noticed this, I immediately turned the ad off. The DirectAds platform reported that I caught it before any clicks sent me over budget, but soon after I was charged $79.56 because the system failed to turn my ad off. I spent approximately 2 months dealing with customer service trying to get a refund. The Ads Specialist I dealt with at first, Troy, was extremely rude and unhelpful. I told him I wanted to escalate to a supervisor and he said he was the person who made decisions about refunds. I went over his head and got my refund anyway.


This past Friday I received an email from a LinkedIn Product Manager asking me about my experience with LinkedIn DirectAds. I told him exactly what I wrote above. In fact, I copied most of the above from the email I sent back to him. Now last night I got an email from LinkedIn's "social media guy" asking if I'd like to participate in a social media ad campaign for LinkedIn DirectAds. Really? I mean, you obviously got my information from the Product Manager - the one that knows my experience was bad. You want to share that? Apparently he doesn't want to share it, so I'm doing it for him.


Don't get me wrong, I find LinkedIn to be a fantastic product, but LinkedIn DirectAds is like LinkedIn's step-child that the parents lock in a dog cage so they can go bar hopping every night. The Ads Specialist (read: customer service) was rude and unhelpful. Now, months later, they ask for my experience? Check your records and you'll have an answer. Then I sent the answer that they should already have had and they obviously didn't even bother to read it or else why would they pass it along so I could potentially participate in an ad campaign for them? Come on, LinkedIn DirectAds, and therefore LinkedIn, get your shit together! I'm so glad you chose not to hire me for the position I applied for! I guess they only want incompetent illiterate folks - that's not me!


PS - Google's AdWords ROCKS. If you want to do an SEO campaign, go with Google.

LinkedIn DirectAds fails The Trav Test with an F.


• Category: Products
• Location: Online
• Cost: Expensive since their shit doesn't work properly
• Ease of use:
 Easy
• The Trav Test grade: F

Bissell Little Green ProHeat Pet

As you can tell, I've been too busy to post lately. I do have reviews queued in my head, but they haven't been "exported" yet. So, here's a super fast review of a product I tried today.


 The Bissell Little Green ProHeat Pet. It's a piece of shit. Don't buy it. The end. :)

Bissell Little Green ProHeat Pet fails The Trav Test with an F. 


• Category: Products
• Location: Stores
• Cost: About $100
• Ease of use:
 Medium
 • The Trav Test grade: F

Thundershirt

Simon, my 8 year old Jack Russell Terrier, is a nut. EVERYTHING gives him anxiety. Everything. From the slightest raising of the volume of one's voice so someone can hear to the vacuum to thunder and everything in between, Simon gets freaked out. I've tried calming tablets and while they totally work, they take hours to kick in so if a bad storm is approaching, it's probably over before they kick in. For anxiety-causing things that are planned, such as fireworks on the 4th of July, I could give him a tablet early enough for it to work, but then I have a loopy dog for the other 22 hours that there aren't fireworks going off. The vet has recommended giving him something like Paxil, but that's really expensive. Finally, a few months ago, the vet recommended trying Thundershirt. I looked at it in the clinic and did some research and ordered it.

The basic science of Thundershirt is sound. Applying constant pressure helps relieve things like anxiety and is a treatment I am familiar with for special needs students. It's like a constant hug, except you can still function because you don't have a person attached to you. Thundershirt has great reviews all over the internet and is veterinarian approved - plus with the 45 day money-back guarantee, it has to be good, right? Well, not for Simon.

Thundershirt arrived on a Wednesday, which was perfect since he had surgery planned for 2 days later. The instructions said to put food on it so it creates a positive association - simple classic conditioning - so I  put the Thundershirt on the floor and put a treat on it. Simon wouldn't touch it. After 30 minutes, I was sick of waiting, so I decided I'd put it on him even though he hadn't eaten the treat. When I started to open it, the velcro freaked him out and he went to hide, but I caught him. This wasn't the ideal first try, but hey, now he's experiencing anxiety so we'll see if it works! I put it on him and he went upstairs to hide under the bed. He wouldn't come out until he finally smelled his dinner being served and came down. After he ate, I took it off and the velcro again scared him so he went to hide under my car in the garage. Great.

2 days later was his surgery. When I went to put Thundershirt on him, he wasn't as freaked out by the velcro, but he still didn't love it. When I said we were going in the car, he was so excited that I could have put a vacuum on his back and he wouldn't have cared. When we got to the vet, he was okay - not great, but not terrible either. I thought maybe it was working since the website does say that it may take a few tries for some dogs. The vets took Thundershirt off of Simon while he was put under and I didn't touch it for a week since he was doing a lot of sleeping anyway. For his 1-week follow-up, I put it on him. The velcro had little to no impact this time, but he was awful at the vet. He barked, growled, and snapped at the vet. Great. At his 2-week follow-up, he wasn't naughty, but he was very, very anxious.

Out of 4 tries, none had any impact. With the 45 day window coming close, I washed it, plucked the hair off of it, and sent it back. I was really hoping it would work, but it didn't. Since the science makes sense and so many others have found it to be amazing, I can't say that Thundershirt is crap, I just think my dog is a freak of nature. If you have an anxious dog, I'd say give it a try, but make sure you're watching the calendar so you can return it if need be. Maybe it will work for your dog, maybe not.

A JRT wearing Thundershirt (not Simon)

Thundershirt fails The Trav Test with an Incomplete. 


• Category: Products

• Location: Online, Vet Clinics, Stores

• Cost: $39.95

• Ease of use: Easy

• The Trav Test grade: Incomplete (The first incomplete ever!)

Neato XV-11

Just about one month ago, I got the Neato XV-11 robotic vacuum for testing. I was interested in testing a robotic vacuum because the concept is awesome and, frankly, it is 2011 yet there is nothing Jetsons-like in my home. Also, with a Jack Russell Terrier who sheds more than you could imagine, daily vacuuming is a good way to keep the house clean between full weekly cleanings. Although I'm a "neat freak", I'm not lugging a full upright vacuum out every single day. Plus, my aforementioned dog is deathly afraid of the vacuum and daily anxiety for him would be even worse for me. So I went on the hunt for a robotic vacuum to test.

My search started with the product everyone is familiar with: Roomba. It's expensive, round, and the reviews aren't great. Plus, with 6 different models ranging in price from $300 to $600 and many different features, I didn't know which one to get. Roomba Pet Series sounds like it would make sense, but it doesn't have other necessary features. As I was reading other reviews, I kept reading comments saying to get Neato instead. I checked Neato out and understand why people were saying so. It's U-shaped, so it fits in corners, has "RPS" or room positioning system, and supposedly has the best suction for a small robotic vacuum. At $399, it's right in the middle of Roomba's prices, but many people say it's much better. Sold!

Having my Neato XV-11 for about a month now, I can tell you that it is awesome. It doesn't have the suction that a good upright has, but it has more than a cheap upright. For most of us, the atmospheric pressure suction rating means absolutely nothing so instead, here's a practical description: it picks up dust, dog hair, popcorn, crumbs, nail clippings, and even the occasional bug that sneaks into the house. Translation: it works very well. Instead of dragging a fairly heavy upright vacuum up and down the stairs, I can very easily pick up this small, 15 pound machine and take it anywhere. On the main floor where I have the base, all I need to do is push the main button twice and the entire level will be vacuumed while I do other things. When it's finished, it goes back to the base and charges. On the other 2 levels, I can set it down, push the button, and again that's all. When it's finished, it returns to where it started and shuts off. It's fantastic.

Ok, so how does it compare to a good upright, other than suction? One of the great things is the path it uses to clean if you have carpet that leaves those awesome vacuum marks. I really do love those! Other robotic vacuums (i.e. Roomba) take a completely random path. Neato first goes around the perimeter of the room, then cleans the rest of the room systematically so it leaves nice vacuum lines, THEN it leaves the room and starts the next one. It can detect doorways and stairs so it goes room-by-room and doesn't fall over any edges. As for noise, it's not exactly quiet, but it's not exactly loud either. You can hardly hear it if you're on a different level, but it's too loud to watch TV if you're in the same room. What's really great, however, is that it does not have that really loud, high pitched sound upright vacuums make. It is that sound that makes my dog go crazy. Without that sound, my dog isn't bothered by Neato at all. Now, Neato doesn't completely replace your upright. You'll still need to manually vacuum once per week if you're a neat freak like me. Why? Well, the extra suction of an upright gets any dirt that is deeper in the carpet and Neato obviously can't move things to vacuum under them. If you don't have a dog or kids, you probably could go 2 or more weeks easily.

All in all, I'd recommend Neato for everyone. If you're lazy, it does the work. If you're a slob, it picks up after you. If you're busy, you can set up a schedule and never think about it again. If you're a clean freak, you can be sure that the house is cleaned daily without any work on your part. It works on all floor types, too. I honestly can't think of a single situation where Neato wouldn't be a great purchase. And yes, I paid for my Neato myself, so you can be sure that the company isn't paying me to say these things! I wouldn't hesitate to purchase Neato again!

Neato XV-11 passes The Trav Test with an A+. 


• Category: Products
• Location: Online, Some stores
• Cost: $399
• Ease of use: Super easy
 
• The Trav Test grade: A+
• UPDATE: Click Here

Kensington

Ok, folks, this is a slightly different post than you're used to. It's about a product that I love and a company that I love even more! Ever since I purchased my first iPhone back in 2007, I've searched for the best way to store it and use it in the car. When I got my current car in 2008, I drove directly from the dealership to Best Buy to have a touchscreen and Bluetooth-enabled system installed. That solved the problem about using my iPhone in the car since I can play my iTunes library and take calls over Bluetooth, plus the radio display shows my battery level, signal strength, and connection status. What about storing it, though?

A few years ago I found the Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount for Smartphones at the Apple store. It is fantastic! I've always used the windshield mount rather than the vent mount simply because I don't want to block the airflow in my car, but I was nervous at first about using the windshield mount. It's just a small suction cup that holds the 12" flexible arm which holds the phone holder which holds my expensive iPhone, but it's perfect. The mount has adjustable side clamps that hold the phone steady and a button on its back that releases the grip. I loved this feature until one day, the button got stuck and the clamps no longer worked. I emailed Kensington immediately and they responded the next day offering to send me a new one. Since this issue occurred within a year of purchase, I thought this was great customer service - exactly how it should be. Somehow, the button became unstuck so I never had Kensington send me a new one.

A few weeks ago, my Kensington broke again. This time, the suction cup completely detached from the arm. Since it's at least 2-3 years old now, I didn't think this was a big problem. I just grabbed some super glue and reattached the suction cup. That didn't work. The rest of the mount is perfect fine, so I thought perhaps I could email Kensington again and see if I could buy a new arm only rather than paying for a whole new unit that I didn't need. They again responded within a day and offered to send me a brand new mount. I was happily shocked. My warranty has long expired and I didn't expect much help because of that and the fact that a brand new one is under $30. 6 days since they emailed me back, a brand new mount was at my doorstep. Kensington really knows how to make good products and have really happy customers. Needless to say, I highly recommend both the Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount for Smartphones and Kensington itself. I will be a loyal customer for the foreseeable future! And, if anyone at Kensington happens to see this, THANK YOU!

Broken :(

Brand new!

Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount for Smartphones & Kensington both pass The Trav Test with an A+.





• Category: Products, Accessories
 

• Location: Online and in many stores.
 

• Cost: $29.99
 

• Ease of use: Easy
 

• The Trav Test grade: A+

Spotify vs. Pandora

As promised, TheTravTest is back - relaunching alongside Spotify! Spotify is a successful music program that is now available in the United States. There are currently 2 approved methods of joining Spotify: get invited or pay! LifeHacker can tell you more about that. Whether you're in or not, you're probably like the many people wondering how Spotify is any different from Pandora, right?

Spotify and Pandora are similar, yet not. That totally makes sense... not! Pandora plays music similar to something you like and keeps suggesting music it thinks you'll like. Spotify is more like iTunes where you tell it want you want to hear, but everything is free and streaming, not downloaded. Let's say you wanted to listen to something like all of Ari Herstand's music, Spotify can do that. However, if you wanted to listen to Ari's music AND music similar to Ari's music that you may or may not know about, Pandora can do that.

I think it will get down to individual preferences and vary depending on your task. Right now, I'm listening to a Pandora station I created that plays music similar to Ari Herstand, Jay Brannan, Terra Naomi, Ellis, Pink, Alanis Morissette, and Adele (Listen here, if interested) because I just want some background music that I know I'll like. So far, every song it's served me has been great - exactly what I like. If I wanted to hear just Adele like now I do, I'd switch over to Spotify.

One last thing: Spotify has an application so you don't need the website, Pandora does not unless you pay for Pandora One. Since I do most of my work on a personal computer, I prefer having applications. Again, though, this is just a personal preference.

Spotify & Pandora both pass The Trav Test with a B.

 • Category: Products, Music
 • Location: N/A
 • Cost: Free - unless you chose to subscribe!
 • Ease of use: Easy
 • The Trav Test grade: B

Hello Again!

Well, it has certainly been a while since the last post! I have been working on other projects and, unfortunately, neglecting The Trav Test! There are a few reviews currently "simmering" including the Orville Redenbacher Pop Up Bowl, the new iOS 5 from Apple (currently in beta, final version planned for fall), the new OS X Lion from Apple (currently in beta, final version planned for July), and another television review since the last one was very well received focusing on The Nanny's Fran Drescher and her new show Happily Divorced.

Stay turned to The Trav Test for all of these and more!

Beauty Charade

One thing you won't find reviewed on The Trav Test is make up since I don't wear any! If you happen to be interested in make up tips and tricks, check out Beauty Charade. My friend Kayla recently started the site to blog about her finds. While I can't say I know anything about make up, she definitely does. It's not just make up, though, as she always has something to say about things from nail polish to false eyelashes and everything in between. Maybe I can even talk Kayla into doing some posts here if she does any product reviews!

Beauty Charade is promoted by The Trav Test with an A+.

• Category: Products, Beauty

• Location: BeautyCharade.com

• Cost: Free!

• Ease of use: Easy

• The Trav Test grade: A+

Google's CR-48... So far

Alright, here goes. This is my first review of Google's CR-48. I've had it for a month now and I pretty much hate it. I don't even know where to start. The only thing I like about it so far is the free Verizon service that comes with it, but I have yet to use it and it was a major pain in the ass to activate. So why I do I hate it? Well, first of all, it's nothing special. Want to know what the user experience is like? Ok! Take your computer, launch Chrome, and don't allow yourself to touch anything else outside of Chrome. Seriously. You can't use any other applications like Word or Skype or anything. Want to type a Word doc? Google Docs is your only choice. Want to look at your schedule? Google Cal is your only choice. Want to instant message with a friend? Google Talk is your only choice. Call me crazy, but I prefer Word for Mac 2011, iCal, and iChat.

Ok, so you now know what it's like to be stuck with nothing but the web. What else? Well, the machine itself is SLOW. When both are on WiFi, my iPhone loads webpages about twice as fast as the CR-48. One thing Google talked a lot about when they introduced the CR-48 was that it turns on instantly. Well, actually, my MacBook Pro turns on almost as fast - it only takes about 20 seconds longer. I'd much rather "wait" an additional 20 seconds and have a complete, powerful computer over a bad netbook. Another issue I have with it is the trackpad. I can't even put into words how awful it is!  

So far, going from my MacBook Pro to the CR-48 feels like I'm stepping back into 1995. It is slow, unresponsive, and basic. Don't get me wrong, I love that it was free and the free Verizon service is nice to have when I don't have access to Wifi (which is incredibly rare). I also like that I can toss the CR-48 into the awesome case I got and let it sit in my car in 20º weather and not worry. I probably could do that with my MacBook Pro, but it's such a beautiful machine that I wouldn't even want to try.

I'll post again as time goes on, but one month in, the only thing I like is the price. Oh, and that a group of probably 15 year olds approached me at Chipotle to ask if it was a CR-48 and drool. It took me back to high school momentarily... and I had something that the other kids wanted! Damn, I should have offered to sell it to them... oh well.

My old Black MacBook (left) & My CR-48 (Right) on my bed

Google's CR-48 fails The Trav Test with an F (so far).

 • Category: Products

 • Location: N/A

 • Cost: Free!

 • Ease of use: N/A

 • The Trav Test grade: F

Quick Tip: Twitter Followers

I am addicted to Twitter!  I definitely over-share and love the ability to Tweet friends, companies, and celebrities... sometimes they even reply (friends included in this "they").  I don't like having random followers, though.  One option would be to "protect" my account so people would have to ask for my permission before being able to follow me.  This, however, prevents people who aren't following me from seeing my Tweets even if I mention them.  Since many of the companies and celebrities don't follow me back, they wouldn't see my Tweets to them at all.  The other option takes a few steps and may not be around forever.  First, if you're using the "new" Twitter, you need to switch back to "old" Twitter (you can switch back and fourth freely).  Next, go to your settings page and check "Protect my account."  You'll only leave it protected while you're removing followers.  You see, this is the only way to get the "Remove follower" option.  Next, go to your followers page.  Use the "Remove follower" action to remove the followers you want to remove.  Now, go back to your settings page and uncheck "Protect my account."  You can also switch back to "new" Twitter at this point if you'd like.  Hopefully Twitter will give us a less complicated way to remove unwanted followers in the future, but for now, this works.  Happy Tweeting!


By the way, are you following @TheTravTest?

This is a quick tip from The Trav Test to make every day an A!

Quick Tip: Oral B Pulsar

The Oral B Pulsar is an inexpensive battery-powered toothbrush that is supposed to help break up plaque between teeth.  It is powered by a AAA battery which usually dies before the bristles are worn and in need of being tossed.  One would assume that it would be easy to pop a new AAA battery in and go.  It's not.  Save yourself the hassle and buy a nicer toothbrush that advertises the ability to replace batteries!

This is a quick tip from The Trav Test to make every day an A!

Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator

While I have only had the Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator for just under 1 week, I am already a huge fan!  As I noted in the review preview, I was rather nervous to use it.  Many of the reviews on Amazon.com and other similar sites said that there were issues with water leaking into the battery housing and to avoid the product until those issues were resolved.  I'm not sure if the manufacturer changed the product or not, but I have not had any problems.  Knowing how the product is assembled, I have to assume that the problems are caused by user error.

With the aforementioned problem not posing an issue for me, I am happy to report that the Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator is a great product.  I have had sinus issues for years.  I had polyps removed and my sinus openings enlarged almost 10 years ago.  I've had intense sinus pressure and infections consistently over the last 2 years and was beginning to think that the polyps were back.  Since the polypectomy was the absolute worst pain I could imagine, I was not rushing to have it again.

In the last week, I have used the Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator daily before bed.  My sinus pressure and most recent infection are gone.  I also cannot remember the last time I was able to breathe as well as I can today.  My ability to breathe freely is most likely a combination of the effects of the Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator alone as well as the Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator allowing my Nasonex nasal spray to work more effectively.  If these results continue, I think I will be using this product every day for the foreseeable future.  While the cost of the WaterPik Sinusense Soothing Saline Easy-Pour Packs adds up, at about 12¢ per day (120 for $15 on Amazon), it's certainly worth it.  It's even cheaper through Walgreens using the manufacturer coupon and Walgreens rewards.

Using the Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator isn't the most comfortable thing, but it's definitely not painful either.  The sensation is similar to getting water up your nose while swimming.  I have found that using warmer water is more comfortable as colder water more closely resembles drowning.  It's difficult to describe - not unpleasant, but also not pleasant.  10 seconds (per nostril) of an awkward feeling is certainly worth the benefits, though!  If by some chance my results disappear or the battery housing begins to leak, I will post an update. As of today, however, I'd say this product is one of my new favorite things!

Waterpik SWI 615 Sinusense Water Pulsator passes The Trav Test with an A+.

 • Category: Products, Sinuses, Medical, Health

 • Location: Online or in stores nationwide

 • Cost: Varies.  $35.20 on Amazon.  $34.99 from Waterpik.  I got mine on sale for $29.99 at Walgreens plus I had a $10 coupon from Waterpik's website!  $19.99 cannot be beat!

 • Ease of use: Easy!

 • The Trav Test grade: A+

Sinusense Waterpik

Review Preview!

I'm going to finally be getting my hands on the Sinusense Waterpik Pulsator and I am slightly nervous.  If it works as intended, I will be extremely impressed.  The idea of water shooting through my nose, however, does not sound pleasant!  Also, many other reviews have mentioned issues with the battery housing leaking.  We'll see!  Expect the review before next Wednesday!

Agloves

If you use a touchscreen device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Droid, Evo, etc) and live someplace with winter, Agloves are for you.  They are a revolutionary new way to use winter gloves and a touchscreen device at the same time.  Other companies have made other products that tried to solve this problem.  They all failed.  Dots Gloves, for example, have some nickel or brass on the fingertips.  The problem with this is that if the gloves don't fit perfectly (actually, they need to be on the tight side), they don't do a damn thing.  They also don't work if you use the pad of your finger to scroll since the nickel or brass is only on the tips.

Agloves, however, work because they have silver nylon throughout.  Silver is the most electrically conductive element so your capacitive touchscreens LOVE silver.  Or, rather, they (g)love it.  You know, I'm typing this thinking I need to find something else to say because 2 relatively short paragraphs doesn't do Agloves justice, but they're simply so great there's nothing more to say.  If you have a touchscreen device, do yourself a favor and order Agloves.  You won't regret it.  Plus, for a limited time, you can enter "Free Shipping" in the coupon code and save the $3 shipping fee!  Actually, if I had to come up with 1 complaint to be my usual cynical self, I'd complain that I paid $3 for shipping when the shipping label clearly says they only paid a little over $1!  That's kind of annoying, but the gloves are still damn good!  Since the CEO, Jennifer Spencer, personally wrote "Thank you" and signed the packaging insert, I'll even give Agloves a few extra brownie points!

Agloves.  Conduct yourself.™

Agloves passes The Trav Test with an A+.

• Category: Winter Accessory

• Location: Agloves

• Cost: $17.99 + $3 shipping when the Free Shipping code expires

• Ease of use: Beyond Easy!

• The Trav Test grade: A+(++++++++++++++)

Apple's iPhone 4 + Launch

It's no secret that I'm a major Apple fanboy.  I'm one of the people that camp overnight at the Apple store just to be one of the first to get my hands on new products.  June 24, 2010 was my 3rd time camping out for an iPhone launch.  I've owned all 4 iPhones so far, but had last year's 3GS model delivered to my doorstep on launch day 2009.  This year, thanks to a combination of server errors and line nostalgia, I camped out again.

The aforementioned combination of server errors is my first of many issues with this year's iPhone launch.  By now, it's well known that new iPhone models are announced at WWDC, the Worldwide Developers Conference, in San Francisco, California every June.  The iPhone is then available for purchase as quickly as one week later, which was the case for the 3GS last year, or as long as 4 weeks later, which was the case for the 3G in 2008.  Last year, Apple added the ability to pre-order the iPhone and gave the choice to reserve a unit for in-store pick up or home delivery, both on launch day.  The pre-order model was extremely successful last year.  I was able to pre-order my phone and it arrived on launch day as planned, no hiccups at all.  This year was another story.  The time at which the pre-order site goes live is never provided, but rumors were flying that it would go live at Midnight Alaskan time, or 3am for me (Central).  I stayed up.  I tried to pre-order countless times, but it was impossible to do so.  After about 2 hours, I gave up and went to bed.  I got up about 4 hours later to try again with still no luck.  I had pretty much given up, but I tried once more around 9pm that day and got through... for a July 16th delivery, which was unacceptable for an early adopter like myself.

Since my friend and I were unable to pre-order our iPhones, we decided we would camp out.  We had gone back and fourth about what time we wanted to get in line.  At first, I suggested 2am since that was 5 hours before the store opened and, after reading the launch forums at MacRumors.com, I was confident that this was early enough.  Launch day eve came and I called my preferred Apple store (at Bayshore Town Center in Milwaukee).  I was informed that mall security prevented lines from forming prior to 3am.  My friend and I decided to still go at 2am because we could wait in the car for an hour if need be.  Around 10pm or so, however, my friend got a text message saying that a line had already formed and about 30 people were waiting.  The sourced seemed pretty unreliable and considering the 3am line time was confirmed, I mostly shrugged it off.  My friend and I decided to get there by midnight, though, just in case.  We figured that if the source was indeed wrong, we could have a drink at Bar Louie, a nice bar that overlooks the Apple store area.  When we arrived, however, the source was unfortunately correct.  Arriving just after midnight, we were 51st and 52nd in line, respectively.  We were slightly annoyed, but I was still confident that Apple would have more than 52 units available.

The launch line was pretty fun - which is why I had launch line nostalgia from missing it in 2009.  I began talking to #50, a young male who was buying the iPhone for his mother, not himself.  Once I learned that, I asked him the questions that Apple employees would be asking a few hours later.  I pretty much saved his iPhone life since, had I not told him he needed to be an authorized user on the AT&T account, he would have been turned away after 12 hours of waiting.  I also began talking to #53, Matt, and #54, Ericka, whose names I actually didn't learn until after about 10 hours.  I've met up with both of them since the launch and am happy to have met them so I guess I will wait in line next year, too, just to meet cool Apple-minded folks!

Once Apple opened at 7am, madness ensued.  They were processing 30 pre-orders for every 1 non-pre-order.  The pre-order line was zipping by while we sat, sweating and waiting.  Once the sun rose, it was extremely hot outside.  Apple employees were nice enough to pass out bottled water, coffee, umbrellas to create some shade, and eventually even some snacks.  Thankfully, no one passed out at my store, but 80º and direct sun made that a possibility.  Approximately 5 1/2 hours later, I finally got inside.  Completing the sale was effortless and I was evan able to cancel my mother's July pre-order and snag her one that day, something she was very pleased with.

For the most part, I love my iPhone 4.  I definitely prefer the industrial design over the former "pretty" plastic shell.  I wanted a white phone like I had for the 3G and 3GS, and was pretty pissed off that Apple didn't speak up about it's disappearance until too late, but I'm fine with having black.  I purchased a Bumper as well - in black since colors are not yet available - and hate it.  It is ill fitting and just ugly.  After a few days, I ditched the Bumper to see how it would handle being naked.  So far, so good.  I have noticed the reception issues that people have been talking about (see this lawsuit for more on that), but have not experienced any screen yellowing or broken glass - and yes, I have dropped it already, from about 3 1/2 feet onto hardwood.

If I was just reviewing the iPhone 4 itself, I'd give it an A-.  It's definitely the best iPhone yet except for the signal issues.  If I make sure to hold it differently, I get the best signal AT&T can deliver.  The 5MP camera with flash, Apple's A4 chip, and 512MB of RAM are really nice additions.  I'm also reviewing the launch, however, so the grade is going down.  The fact that Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, told us that White iPhones would be available on June 24th and they weren't is more than just annoying, it seems like intentional and negligent misrepresentation as the lawsuit claims.  If Apple had come clean earlier, I would have been slightly less upset, but the fact that Walt Mossberg got a white one and I didn't really pisses me off.  Second, misrepresenting line formation information is unacceptable.  If I had waited until 3am and then not gotten an iPhone, I may have been uncontrollable.  While this may not be Apple's fault entirely, they know lines will form and as such, should communicate with the various store locations' security.  Third, if you're going to take pre-orders, make sure the system works and if it doesn't, nullify those that did get through so launch day is fair.  Fourth, do not allow pre-orders and non-pre-orders into the store unequally.  They know they have a phone waiting, they can wait or come back later.  Fifth, set up some tents along the line.  Protecting your loyal customers from rain or direct sun should be a priority. Sixth, do not allow customers into the store for other products.  I know, it sounds like bad business to turn away people who might want to buy a $1000 laptop, but they can do so any other day or online without taking away employees from launch activities.  Seventh, be honest about your supplies and tell those people in line that will not be able to get a phone.  I was told that when I was in the store, only about 10 phones were left.  If this is true, the 100+ people still in line would be turned away.  I'm surprised a mob didn't break out with 100 tired people being told to go away.  All in all, the launch was a mess.  I had fun, but it was a big mess and gets a F.  Averaging the launch grade and the actual iPhone 4 grade results in a D.  D's are passing, but I expect better from Apple.

Apple's iPhone 4 and Launch barely passes The Trav Test with a D.

• Category: Products, Wireless, AT&T, Apple, iPhone, launch

• Location: Apple (specifically at Bayshore Town Center, Milwaukee)

• Cost: $199 or $299, plus 12 hours of my time and 3 gallons of sweat.

• Ease of use: iPhone-easy. Launch-difficult

• The Trav Test grade: D

AT&T 3G MicroCell

Despite all the back and fourth gibberish between wireless providers, I find AT&T to be pretty damn good.  Since I am a fan of full disclosure, I want you to know that I have never used any other provider.  I've been an AT&T customer since the Cingular days.  The only time I had an issue with the service was my first semester of college at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota.  Winona is located between a bunch of bluffs and only one service provider had a tower in or on the bluffs.  I was, however, able to pick up Cingular signal in certain places so I fared better than others, but I digress.

According to the AT&T Coverage Viewer, my house is located in the "best" service area with complete 3G coverage.  Outside, service isn't an issue, but problems exist inside of my house.  On the 1st and 2nd floors, I usually registered about 3 bars.  This is fine for SMS or MMS.  If I have a call, though, the call is either going to be less than clear or totally drop out.  Worse yet is that my office is in the finished basement.  Down here I usually had 1 bar, enough for SMS and MMS to work, about 75% of the time.  Calls don't work at all - sometimes the phone will ring, but often calls will be routed directly to voicemail.  The other 25% of the time my iPhone read "No Service" or "Searching."  To get around this, I gave people my Google Voice number and then routed the call to my home landline, but this is less than ideal.

The 3G MicroCell itself was first available almost a year ago.  It was released in Charlotte, NC which served as the trial market.  Apparently the trial went well and it was next released in Raleigh, NC in late September and in Atlanta, GA in early October.  Continuing the gradual rollout, Arizona launched in late March, California, Nevada, and New Mexico in early April, and it launched in Wisconsin and Illinois earlier this week.  Interestingly, I never received the availability email from AT&T that I signed up for, but got an inside tip that it was available.

The 3G MicroCell costs $150.  There is no monthly cost, unless the user adds on unlimited MicroCell calls for $20 per month.  I barely touch my 500 minutes, so I opted not to add it on.  The 3G MicroCell can be discounted if you have a corporate discount through school or work AND the discount applies to accessories.  Unfortunately, my corporate discount is service only so I had to pay full price.  The AT&T employee offered to register the device for me in-store, but I opted to do it myself so I didn't have to spend any extra time in a store full of gadgets when there's room on my credit cards.  Registering it online was extremely simple.  The device initially took 34 minutes to activate, much shorter than the 90 minutes the set-up guide says it takes.  I then moved the device to a different location (since my kitchen countertop isn't a very good spot) and it took 14 minutes to re-activate.  I received a text message and email from AT&T when the initial activation was complete, but not on the re-activation.

Thanks to the 3G MicroCell, I now have 5 bars everywhere in my house.  I ran a few tests to make sure everything was working and found nothing wrong.  I was even able to place a call from inside of a walk-in closest in my basement.  SMS and MMS now completely work and I have 3G service in the basement, too (although I connect to my wifi inside).  I do think it's kind of ridiculous to pay $150 to AT&T because their service isn't strong enough to reach my basement, but I guess I'm willing to do so in order to fully use my $500 phone!  I definitely recommend the 3G MicroCell based on my experience with it in the last few hours.  It's been great to be able to take calls in the basement!  I would give it an A+, but I'm downgrading it since I think it should be provided to those of us with service issues for free.


Side note: For those of you looking into AT&T U-Verse, I was told that wireless U-Verse boxes are coming soon.  I'd love to switch to U-Verse, but am unwilling to have a new RJ45 cable installed everyplace I want a TV, especially since I already have coaxial cables in those places!  Wireless boxes will allow me to have U-Verse service anywhere with a power outlet which means I'll probably be switching in a few months!  Sweet!

AT&T 3G MicroCell passes The Trav Test with a B+.

• Category: Products, Wireless, AT&T

• Location: AT&T Stores (Check for local availability here)

• Cost: $150 (plus $20/month if you want unlimited calling added)

• Ease of use: Easy

• The Trav Test grade: B+

Increasing Shoes

As a male, being only 5'6" can be quite difficult.  With the average male in the US at about 5'10 1/2" (according to Wikipedia), measuring up is a challenge.  Height (and weight) are probably 2 characteristics that potential employers can use against you without facing impending litigation.  Now, I am not suggesting that companies have a secret policy to only hire tall people, but studies show that there may be some implicit negative attitudes towards shorter people.  In China, some have gone to the extreme by undergoing leg lengthening surgery.  While I am certainly not willing to endure that pain (or the associated costs), I am interested in ways to increase my height.


Females have it easy as they can get away with 7" stilettos!  One solution for us guys is called Increasing Shoes.  These shoes come in a variety of styles and can increase your height from 2" to 5.5" depending on the style.  The shoes work by using a thick sole (similar to those found on Doc Martins) and a "hidden" insole inside the shoe itself.  For the test, I tried 2 styles: one at 5" and one at 5.5".  Both styles were represented accurately on the website and actually looked better in person.  The shoes also definitely did what they claim.  While wearing them, I did appear taller.  After adding a longer pair of Gap jeans, it was impossible to tell that I was wearing anything out of the ordinary.


My positive experience, however, ended there.  The shoes are extremely uncomfortable.  I expected the shoes to be slightly uncomfortable due to the "hidden" insole, but I did not expect the insole to cause a lack of ankle support.  Since the insole placed my heel at the top of the shoe, I felt like I was wearing backless slip-on hiking boots: a bad combination!  The lack of a back and ankle support made walking even harder.  With these points in mind, I would have given the shoes a C+ since they look good, do what they say, but are more uncomfortable than expected. The company itself, however, caused a huge loss of points.  First, the company doesn't seem to have a formal location.  The shoes shipped from Hong Kong, the return department is in Michigan, and the sales address is in Brooklyn.  Shipping takes quite a while and the customer must pay for return shipping costs.  I had no problem exchanging my 1st style and received  my exchange quickly because they shipped my new order once I provided a tracking number for my return.  Returning my exchange, however, has been a hassle at best.  In order to complete a return, the customer must email customer service and get a return number.  When I emailed customer service, this was their response:


"Please be informed that replacement items cannot be returned for a refund as exchange transactions cannot be converted to refunds.

We can only let you exchange the shoes for a second time. However, there will be a $19.99 shipping and handling fee for the second and other succeeding exchanges."

I responded indicating that this was unacceptable and to escalate the matter to a supervisor if needed.  Since the website does not say that exchanges cannot be returned, I will not accept that as the final answer.  After 2 weeks, I still had no reply.  Sick of waiting, I called the number listed on the website.  The lady I spoke with rudely informed me that she only takes new orders, is not customer service, and that customer service is only reachable by email.  I emailed customer service again and am waiting for their reply.  Even if the product itself would have earned an A+ from TheTravTest, bad customer service overrides everything.  The matter is still unresolved.

Increasing Shoes fails The Trav Test with an F.

• Category: Products, Shoes

• Location: Online

• Cost: $49.99 to $179.99

• Ease of use: Difficult

• The Trav Test grade: F