Myside's Spew - Blog of Spontaneous Combustible Spew

MR COFFEE CG Series (CGX9) 5 Cup Coffee Maker Reviewed

06 May, 2011 05:07 CST6CDT

The Mr. Coffee CG Series coffee makers includes a 5 cup glass or stainless steel pot unit.  My previous CG series coffee maker was glass.  This coffee maker worked beautifully for 5 years brewing tasty and robust coffee.  Most retail coffee makers on the market last only a couple of months unless you shop appropriately and are willing to invest a good chunk of cash.  Since I had such good luck with the glass MR. COFFEE CG series brewer, I decided to replace it with the same model, though this time I went with the stainless steel pot instead of the glass pot version in this series.

COFFEEMAKER FEATURES AND BENEFITS

  • Brewing Capacity - 5 cups
  • Brew Basket with Removable Filter Basket - Lifts out for fast and easy cleaning and filling.
  • Pause`n Serve - Allows you up to 30 seconds to pour a cup of coffee while the coffeemaker is still brewing.  Carefully remove the decanter and the Pause`n Serve feature will be automatically activated, temporarily stopping the flow of coffee into the decanter.
  • Dual Water Windows - Show amount of water in the reservoir for accurate filling.
  • Non-Stick Warming Plate - Allows you to keep your coffee hot after brewing.  The non-stick attribute prevents the decanter from sticking to the surface of the warming plate.
  • Cord Storage - Safely stores excess cord to keep your counter top neat.
  • On/Off Indicator Light - Lets you know when your coffeemaker is "on."
  • Additional Programming Control Features:
    • - Clock - Serves as a handy kitchen clock and allows you to set the Delay Brew feature.
    • - Delay Brew - Allows you to preset when you would like the coffeemaker to automatically brew your coffee, up to 24 hours in advance.
    • - One-Hour Auto Shut-Off - Keeps your coffee warm for 1 hour after you brew, then automatically turns off.

My 5-cup glass version of the CG series coffee maker from Mr. Coffee lasted over 5 years until I put extreme pressure on the handle attached to the glass.  I had put this amount of pressure, and more on the glass in the past, however its time had come and it was a no brain decision to which I would replace this unit with - the same unit with a stainless steal pot instead of glass, the CGX9.

I was able to find the Mr. Coffee CGX9 5-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black with Stainless Steel Carafe for $27.76 on amazon.com.

Day to Day  Technology  Article & Comments (1)

Hunter 30030 Microban (HEPAtech) HEPA Filteration Unit Reviewed

27 April, 2011 17:41 CST6CDT

The Hunter HEPA filter model 30030 was on sale at Menards in La Crosse Wisconsin for $28.  Because of allergies I grabbed what looked to be a bargain, though I am still considering its cost benefit.

The HEPAtech HEPA filter unit has an on or off selectable ionizer in addition to the HEPA filtration system fan controls selectable to off, low, medium, or high.

The 30030 comes with a starter filter that may last up to 3 months cleaning a 10x11' room in approximately 72 hours to remove allergens, mold, dust, and viruses in a reasonable amount considering the low cost of this unit.  Replacement HEPA filters are sold for a suggested retail price of $16.00 and may last 6 to 12 months.  There is a HEPA filter color table printed inside the unit to determine when the filter should be replaced.

The Hunter 30030 HEPAtech requires a pre-filter in addition to the HEPA filter, though also included in the box, it is suggested to be replaced every 3 months at SRP $22.00.  I plan on boiling the pre-filter at a low simmer releasing the internal silt and providing a longer odor removing life and increasing efficiency as the instructions point out its purpose.

The 30030 is loud!  On the low fan setting it releases an uneasy audible pitch to the ears.  On the medium fan setting, it is more adaptable to background noise.  On its highest fan setting, you are recommended to wear ear protection.

I have the unit placed in my apartment where it is appropriate to keep the HEPA filter fan on low while sleeping, medium fan speed during the day, and when I leave I set it to the highest fan speed.

While I do like the low profile size of the unit, and the Hunter made HEPA filter fits my needs and works well for my room space, I would place this model on the lowest of low end HEPA filtration systems.  While I am sure the HEPAtech line has many exceptional models, I would suggest not wasting your money on the Hunter HEPAtech 30030.

Technology  Article & Comments

RCA ANT806 Reviewed - High Performance Universal Amplified Indoor/Outdoor Antenna

08 March, 2011 08:37 CST6CDT

The RCA ANT806 is an high performance amplified indoor or outdoor antenna for your standard definition TV (SD), high definition TV (HDTV) full 1080, and FM receivers.

This RCA antenna is capable of receiving both VHF and UHF signals for a wide range of devices.  The VHF frequency range is 54-250 MHz and the UHF frequency range is 470-806 MHz.

The ANT806 includes a power injector boosting the VHF gain to 18 dB and the UHF gain to 15 dB.  The power injector uses an AC to DC transformer adapter.  The antenna has built in amplification technology in addition to the active decibel gain.

ANT806 Features
RCA ANT806

The ANT806 Amplified Indoor Outdoor Antenna is packed with features that make it as functional as it is attractive:

  • VHF/UHF Antenna
  • Built-in amplifier
  • 18 dB average gain
  • Paintable housing
  • Multiple mounting methods, indoor and outdoor
  • Easy to mount and install
  • Terrestrial HDTV ready
  • Lightweight and compact

The RCA antenna is priced around $30.00.  I was able to purchase this device on sale and clearance for $14.00 at Menards.

RCA ANT806Mounting this unit can be a headache depending on your planned mounting location and the best reception of your TV or FM radio signals.  It can be mounted in a 'V' type position, or in a straight '--' direction as shown in the provided pictures.  Depending again on your mounting location, the specification of "Easy to mount and install" could easily get a boot.

I now receive all my local broadcast TV and FM stations.  My apartment has 4 unshielded power regulators, an unshielded battery backup for computer hardware, 4 heavily used bluetooth devices, WiFi, and I am surrounded by neighbors whom may have similar devices though I continue to receive a strong broadcast signal.  However, you may need to pick up a signal filter depending on your conditions for your HDTV/FM antenna.  The RCA ANT806 was definitely worth purchasing and you can not beat the price.

Technology  Article & Comments (1)

Verizon Admits iPhone Network Hiccups

11 January, 2011 11:55 CST6CDT

1. Me, 2. Verizon Representative

1. "it's official. Good luck with that Verizon. You talk the talk, now walk the walk..."

2. "Done...dick"

1. "You sound like an angry AT&T exec. I suppose that will have to wait for after the 10th to trickle down to your customers."

2. "You more along the lines sound like a pessimistic Apple nerd who is never satisfied because you can't beam to Halley's comet to play world of warcraft with your robot girlfriend from your glorious iPhone.....Anyways, we will have hiccups but nothing compared to ATT network failure...we've been planning this for over 2 years...plus, Androids better"

1. "Lovely."

2011-01-12

The representative above is an employee whom works in the Verizon corporate offices.

Technology  Article & Comments

Samsung Intercept (SPH-M910) Reviewed

10 December, 2010 00:48 CST6CDT

Samsung Intercept M910The Samsung Intercept is a mid-range Android OS phone for the Sprint network.  The boxed phone from Sprint includes a 1500 mAH capacity battery, 2 Gigabyte micro SD card, a micro USB cable, and an AC outlet to USB adapter.

The M910 ships with Android 2.1 Eclair, 256 Megabytes of RAM, 180 Megabytes of internal storage.  Samsung is quoted in saying that their will be an Android 2.2 update for the Intercept on Sprint's network.

Reviews of this device for functional ratings are mixed, and have a majority of discontent owners.  I believe this is related by its price range being affordable to users whom have not purchased or used a smartphone in the past or are identified as an entry level user that may not be familiar with general computer operations.

The included 1500 mAH battery will easily allow you to operate the device consistently throughout the day using moderate phone operations.  I can not keep my hands off the phone to browse the Internet or other data services, and the battery on many nights does not need to be re-charged.  The Intercept can be charged using a computer's USB port or the included AC adapter.

The Samsung Intercept screen size is 3.2 inches with a WQVGA screen and a dimension of 400x240 pixels.  The intercept has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that feels solid and responsive.  In addition to the touch sensitive screen and Android menu controls, a optical mouse is also embedded to the bottom of the front face between the call and end-call buttons.  Many have mentioned that the optical sensor is too sensitive.  These reviews of the optical controller have been announced by first time impressions of the unit.  While it does take a good week to learn the Samsung's intercedes, the productivity improvements of this addition outweighs any learning curve time-span.

The M910 boasts a 800 MHz ARM 11 processor.  Android 2.3 recommends a 1 GHz processor, so this hardware gives Samsung a strong excuse to not include this update in the future.  However, a Gingerbread update may not be out of the realm of possible upgrades.

The M910 has several communication radio technologies.  It operates on a CDMA 800/1900 spectrum with CDMA EVDO rev. 0.  This revision of EVDO is thought to be slower than the more common rev. A 3G connectivity.  The phone has integrated 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and an integrated GPS receiver.

The 3 megapixel camera and video recorder takes amazing photos for close up objects.  I would have liked to have seen at least a 5 megapixel sensor however.

The Samsung Intercept uses USB 2.0 for computer connectivity.  It uses a 3.5 mm jack for stereo headphones and hands free headsets.  An accelerometer is included standard in this Android device along with a magnetic compass for orientation changes.  The micro SDHC capacity is 32 Gigabytes.

I am overly pleased with my purchase of this phone and brush off all first impression reviews of this smartphone.  In addition I hope that readers will brush off inexperienced reviews of this product.  It is very responsive, feature rich, sturdy, and functional.  Cheers!

Technology  Software  Article & Comments (1)

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