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XACT XVP640: VoIP Phone

21-Nov-06

I bought this USB phone handset to work with Skype VoIP (Voice over IP - internet telephone) software. The phone works well, though simply using a USB headset works equally well. The handset provides three things that the USB headset doesn’t:

  1. It dials like a normal phone, instead of using the computer keyboard.
  2. It works when I’ve logged off by “switching user”. I can leave the phone working for my kid and not have to worry that important work will get deleted or corrupted, that spyware will get downloaded, etc.
  3. It seems more like talking on a normal phone, which some people may prefer.

It also features caller ID on the LCD display. (Using a headset, you can still see caller ID on the Skype software console on your computer screen.) The installation is relatively easy, the audio is good and the LCD display allows redialing and access to the Skype address book.

XACT USB VoIP phone handset for Skype

Now for the downsides.

  1. The driver has a tendency to crash occasionally, sometimes taking the Skype software down with it.
  2. It seriously interferes with listening to sound through the standard soundcard (speakers or headset). If the phone has been plugged in, the speakers will not work without unplugging the phone from the USB port and then manually shutting down the driver software.
  3. Driver software is necessary, so you won’t be able to use this phone on any computer where you don’t have administrator privileges to install software.
  4. Relatively minor: short cord and no cradle for the handset - If you’re buying a handset because a headset is too far from a real telephone, the lack of a cradle is not likely to fit the bill.

The vendor website FAQ says this:

Question:
When my phone is on can I listen to the radio?
Answer:
Yes, the phone software is separate from your sound card within your computer. If you are experiencing problems. Reconfigure your “sound and audio settings” under your control panel.

Well, yeah, you can listen to the radio, but instead of the sound coming out of the speakers or your regular headphone, the sound comes out of the phone. Not exactly a hi-fi listening experience. After quite a bit of tinkering, I found that the speakers/headphone and this phone simply don’t work together. So, I tried their directions to see if I was missing something:

Question:
Should my audio be set to something specific?
Answer:
Under your Start Menu access control panels. Under you control panel find “sounds and audio settings” on your computer, the computer should be set to its default settings under the “audio” tab and under the “voice” tab the settings should be USB Audio Device setting.

Yeah, not so much. That was no help. Not only does it reference nonexistent control panel settings, it’s terribly unclear what the settings under the “audio” and “voice” tabs should be. It looks like it might be possible to get the speakers to work when the phone is plugged in (though I haven’t managed it), but it’s not possible to use the headset microphone for dictation, voice recording, podcasting, voice command or voice chat on other software while the phone is plugged in.

Bottom line, if you want a phone for under $35 that you can plug in only when needed for use with Skype and that can be left up for others to use with access to your username on the computer otherwise blocked, this thing works fine. If you actually want a phone sitting on your desk, always on and still easily able to, this is not the way to go.

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Airborne Immune System Enhancer

10-Nov-06

I tried Airborne Effervescent Health Formula after work one day when I arrived to find the boss had the temperature up to 92 degrees trying to fend off fever chills. I was off work the next three days and didn’t want to spend them all in bed sick, so I headed to Wal-Mart after work for zinc lozenges, cayenne pepper and ginger root capsules. When I got there, I was confronted by Airborne’s display which informed me that it was all natural and “created by a former second-grade school teacher.” (That’s not important because teachers are all medical geniuses. It’s important because elementary teachers are constantly assaulted by the germs of runny nosed kids during cold and flu season. Anything that keeps a teacher healthy is worth a shot.)

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula Dietary Supplement, Orange, 10-Count Containers (Pack of 3)

I checked the ingredient label and of the ingredients I was familiar with, I had read accounts of research indicating some value for all of them either directly helping with colds or flu or generally supporting the immune system. So, I bought a tube for $5, went home and started it. I misread the label and took it every three hours for three days and didn’t get sick. (The instructions actually say to take it every three hours up to three times a day. I had no ill effect, but obviously it’s best to follow the label. I did also take the cayenne and ginger and a few of the zinc lozenges. That’s normally way too much zinc and probably not a good idea generally.)

ingredient label from original airborne effervescent health booster

For the rest of the flu season I took the product one or twice a day and three to four times a day when I was actually exposed to sick people. It was the first time in years that I didn’t have a cold or flu and I also escaped my usual late February allergy attack. Selenium, Vitamins A, C and E and Zinc are all reported to have some value in helping with allergies, so that was apparently an unexpected side benefit. For example, on its alternative allergy treatments page About.com says:

Selenium has a targeted role in allergic activity and is important for its help in utilizing vitamin E, another important immune system nutrient.

It’s also quite possible that the positive effects I’ve had are due at least partially to a strong dose of placebo effect. But the ingredients are safe for most people, have all shown promise in supporting the immune system and many of them, like the vitamins, are things we should be getting on a regular basis anyway.

I’ve tried Airborne Original, Lemon-Lime, Pink Grapefruit and Nighttime. The Nighttime version has chamomile and valerian and is drunk hot - it’s definitely a soothing drink that I’d recommend just for comfort and relaxation purposes anytime a cold or flu is coming on, with the vitamins, minerals and herbs as an added bonus.

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Luna Teapot: Microwaveable Glass Teapot with Glass Infuser

02-Nov-06

I bought my Luna Teapot in April and I’m very pleased. I purchased it from Amazon, but unfortunately they don’t have any in stock (though they have a few similar items from the same company). This little teapot is great for making two or three cups for one person. Four minutes in a microwave (more for a 700-watt microwave) and water is ready to go; a couple minutes to brew and you have hot fresh tea without the bag. The clear glass makes this fun to watch tea brew in and if you brew herbal teas with bright colors it’s really cool to look at as the colors spread through the water.

Luna Teapot

There are two downsides. No instructions, but I’ll solve that for you momentarily. Secondly, the glass infuser has very small holes to allow water to flow through without letting tea through. This doesn’t work as well as a metal mesh infuser, but the metal mesh infusers don’t work in the microwave. Well, I don’t put the glass infuser in the microwave any more either. Here’s my method:

  • Heat the water with the lid off and the infuser out.
  • While the water heats, put correct amount of tea in the infuser.
  • After heating, pour a cup of hot water.
  • Put infuser in the pot.
  • Pour cup of hot water in the top of the infuser.
  • Let it brew until done, then remove the infuser (carefully, it’s hot!) allowing the water to drain out into the pot.
  • Pour and drink tea.

Also note that the Amazon reviewers complained about an acrylic infuser. This has been replaced with a glass infuser, solving the problems they noted.

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Zen Nano Plus MP3 Player

01-Nov-06

I bought my Creative Zen Nano Plus 1 GB MP3 Player as a replacement for my first MP3 player, an Encross Enterprise WaveX TS300 256 MB MP3/WMA Player (FM, Voice Recorder). I bought both of these for similar reasons and both were excellent buys especially given the price. The Zen Nano Plus has more memory than the similarly priced 512 MB iPod Shuffle and added features the iPod lacks. All three products have a small size and lightweight, which is a plus. The Zen’s flat shape is an improvement over the odd round shape of the WaveX, which felt odd riding in a pocket, couldn’t clip easily to a belt and didn’t fit in spaces where the slimmer Zen fits fine. In the package I bought, the Zen came with both a belt (or pocket or belt loop) clip and an armband.

Some of the features of the Zen Nano Plus that attracted me were its easy use for non-music files and its wide compatibility with MP3,WMA and other audio formats. (It is compatible with the Windows PlaysforSure standard). Creative Zen Nano Plus 1 GB MP3 Player Red I was also interested in a player that functioned as a digital voice recorder, as I wanted to produce WAV files for use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred Speech Recognition. The WaveX and Zen Nano Plus both have a digital voice recorder with built in microphone. The Zen added an important feature with a Line-in port that I can attach to a cheaper digital voice recorder with no PC hookup to copy MP3 files indirectly to the PC. Unfortunately I will have to go that route for most purposes, as the Zen doesn’t have a microphone jack and I am mostly interested in recording notes using a clip-on mike while driving, working, etc. Anytime that I have time to go to the trouble of switching the Zen to record mode and holding it to my mouth, I have time to simply pop out my ever present Moleskine and jot a note.

Which leads me to the other negative shared by the Zen and the WaveX: navigation. Both these players feature the same combination button/switch for navigating through many menus and file folders. There’s a certain knack that I just can’t quite get for pressing the button then moving it side to side or moving it then pressing it or pressing, releasing and moving it to get a single button to perform a variety of functions. For the Gameboy generation this may work great, but I’m an elder of 36, used to multibutton combinations (remember the three finger salute?) and perfectly content with them. As it stands now, I mostly press play and occasionally fiddle with the button hoping I’ll happen onto what I want. Unfortunately this drawback seems very common with companies attempting to simplify the 1/2 ounce, multigigabyte MP3 player, so its not unique to the Zen by any means and the Zen is otherwise an excellent device.

It includes an FM tuner and you can record from FM. I wish it was AM so I could record my favorite talk radio shows, but no one is offering that, probably because MP3 players are so geared to music fans.

Here is a partial feature list:

  • PlaysforSure
  • Compatible with:
    • MTV’s Urge
    • Rhapsody
    • Yahoo!
    • MSN Music
    • MusicMatch
    • MusicNow
    • Napster
    • Wal-Mart Music Downloads
  • FM tuner
  • voice recording
  • FM recording
  • line-in encoding
  • high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity
  • Drive mode
  • 1.32 x 2.58 x 0.51 inches
  • weighs 0.8 ounces (without battery)

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Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment and Oil Stabilizer

30-Oct-06

My 95 Saturn has 170,000 miles on it and for the last several months has burned increasingly more oil. When I got it at 70,000 miles, it burned about a quart every 3,000 miles. By July it was up to a quart every 200 miles. I also had a noticeable loss of power. I tried several oil additives and stop leak formulas by the more common brand names and had no noticeable effect. I’d heard Lucas Oil Oil Stabilizer recommended by several people, including a couple of mechanics, so I decided to give it a shot. It’s more expensive than the other additives, but instead of a few ounces you get a full quart. I added a quart to the oil when the engine was a quart low and I went an extra day before it hit the add line. (60 mile daily commute round trip.) When it hit the add line, I added a second quart. Since that I’ve alternated Lucas Oil with regular motor oil (Valvoline High Mileage 10W30) and the engine is now burning a quart about every 350 miles and the power has improved. Still an awful lot of oil to burn, but a 75% improvement and I’m not using the maximum amount of the additive recommended for badly worn engines.

Lucas Oil Products 10001-1: Motor Oil Additive, Heavy-Duty Stabilizer, 1 qt. Bottle, Each

Since the luck was good there, when I had a bad knocking problem, I decided to give the Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment a try. It reduced the knocking considerably and I noticed that when I next added a quart of the oil stabilizer the problem was virtually eliminated. The combination of the two has the engine running like it was at 100,000 miles in terms of smoothness, noise and power. The gas mileage on this car has never really suffered as long as I use Texaco or Shell gasoline, but with the additives it is up a bit over 5% consistently.

The downside, as noted, is that these additives cost more than other brands. STP oil treatment is about 1/3 the price of the Lucas Oil Stabilizer, but you get about 1/3 the amount. If you used an equal amount of STP you might get an equal effect, but you’d be using more than recommended so there might be some danger of engine damage and the cost would be the same. The fuel treatment is also more expensive than most others and in this case you actually get less - but the effect is substantially greater. The only fuel treatment that helped with the knocking problem at all was Heet, at about 1/3 the cost of the Lucas Oil product, but where Heet cut the problem by about 1/3, the Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment virtually eliminated it.

Lucas Oil Products 10013-1: Fuel Additive, Fuel Treatment, Upper Cylinder Lubricant and Injector Cleaner, 1 Gallon, Each

For a car in good condition, the judicious application of these products should help the problems even starting in the first place and with gas over $2/gallon the mileage improvement may pay for the additives.

Fuel Treatment Spec Sheet [PDF file]

Oil Stabilizer Spec Sheet

Lucas Oil,oil treatment,fuel treatment,gas mileage

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Olympus FE-115 5MP Digital Camera

24-Oct-06

Olympus FE-115 5MP Digital Camera with 2.8x Optical Zoom

I’ve owned several digital cameras including a few Olympus models and my latest is an Olympus FE-115 5MP Digital Camera with 2.8x Optical Zoom (11x seamless zoom with digital and optical combined). The FE-115 is the smallest digital camera with decent optics and memory that I’ve owned. It has a 5 megapixel sensor with resolution up to 2,560-by-1,920-pixels, capable of producing good quality 8×10 prints and excellent quality 6×8 prints. The movie mode works fine and the setup, which is similar to previous Olympus models, is very user friendly.

On the downside, I don’t like that it doesn’t have a conventional viewfinder, only the LCD screen. I know for a lot of users this won’t be a drawback at all, but for folks like me who grew up on conventional photography (I still own a Brownie and I’ve built pinhole cameras and made my own prints in a darkroom), the lack of a viewfinder takes some getting used to. I’m also a little put off that Olympus switched from Smart Media Cards to xD-Picture Cards, making the Smart Media Cards I already own essentially obsolete (outside using them with my old backup camera).

The camera has a “night mode”, which takes pictures with the greenish cast to the light that you’re used to seeing in night vision battlefield photos. I think this is more a special effect feature than something intended to be useful for night photography.

With new FE-115s available for just over $100, this camera is a great buy and more than capable of taking great pictures for holidays, vacations, family occasions of all sorts. It will fit a tripod for “serious” photography. One professional photographer I know said that despite the good quality he has to have a bigger camera, because his models don’t take a tiny camera seriously and sitting on a tripod this camera would look tiny.

Photo taken with the FE-115

photo taken at Silver Dollar City with Olympus FE-115

(There are smaller camera phones, but they typically max out at a resolution around 320×240. I owned a smaller “credit-card” sized camera that produced really blurry no matter the distance or the resolution and I’ve got a “pen” camera with a 640×480 resolution, no zoom and only enough memory for a dozen pictures).

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Orca Bay Foods

24-Oct-06

Orca Bay is a line of flash frozen, vacuum packed seafood that offers top quality at budget prices. The seafood includes both farmed and wild seafood, including wild Alaskan salmon which is one of the healthiest foods on the planet, one of the SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life. I’ve found the product quality to be consistently good and the prices consistently reasonable with two six-ounce (or three four-ounce) servings of most fish costing less than $4. The one exception is Orange Roughy which runs over $9 for a 12-ounce package and which I have not tried. So far I’ve tried:

  • Ahi Tuna - I’ve prepared these tuna steaks blackened with my own recipe and with italian seasoning. If you’ve never had a tuna steak, you’re missing out and these are great steaks. The flavor is less “fishy” than canned tuna, but more flavorful. These are best prepared by a quick searing in a skillet with some olive oil that is just below the temperature where it starts to smoke. About 2 minutes on each side, reduce the temperature for a couple more minutes and its done. I’ve served these over wild rice and over a bed of mixed greens.
  • Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon - I’ve done these blackened and with a ginger-garlic glaze. The fish is excellent quality. I have one minor complaint, that’s a matter of personal taste. I don’t like to cook fish with the skin on and these have the skin left on one side. It’s easy enough to cut off, but it means the weight is actually about 2 ounces to the heavy side plus I probably lose another ounce or two because I don’t have a proper filet knife and it takes a few extra minutes prep time compared to their other fish which is already cut in easy to use portions. The cat’s happy about it though. Regardless this is a regular on my table.
  • Mahi mahi - Mahi mahi is the Hawaiian name for a whitefish that also goes by the name dolphin (due to the shape of its head which is similar to the mammal, but this is a fish). The Mahi Mahi from Orca Bay is caught off the coasts of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Taiwan, Peru and Columbia. No Omega-3s, but this is a very lean fish with 1 gram of unsaturated fat, 0 saturated fat and 21 grams of protein per serving. The texture is firm, almost like chicken, but the fish still flakes properly. I’ve only made these once, baked with a lemon-pepper mustard sauce. The sauce was ok, but the fish would have been great with just a squeeze of lemon. Mahi mahi is a regular ingredient in fish tacos and I’m planning to give those a try next.

I have two other types thawing in the fridge now that I plan to use for supper tomorrow (along with some Mahi mahi):

  • Alaskan cod - Orca Bay says that cod is “the world’s most popular whitefish.” Baked cod is one of my wife’s favorite meals to order when in doubt at a restaurant. If the quality of this cod lives up to the rest of their products, I’m sure it will be a winner at supper tomorrow. It’s a fairly lean fish with no saturated fat and about 1/3 the Omega-3s of the Alaskan salmon.
  • Pacific Perch - I’ve never had ocean perch before. I’ve had perch out of Missouri ponds, creeks and rivers, but I doubt they’re related. This fish is a pinkish color and is a little fattier than most of the other fish, though still no saturated fat. The extra oil should make for a bit moister fish and the pink color says “flavor” - I’m looking forward to this one.

The rest of their line, which I have yet to try, includes:

  • Catfish - farmed
  • Chilean Red Kingklip - Sea bass alternative
  • Chilean Sea Bass
  • Cioppino - Italian-American seafood stew
  • Coldwater Shrimp
  • Flounder
  • Halibut
  • Mixed Grill - Salmon, Halibut and Swordfish sampler
  • Orange Roughy - fatty fish, expensive
  • Red King Crab - Alaskan and Russian
  • Scallops - Sea scallops
  • Shrimp Pad Thai - shrimp, vegetables, noodles, sauce and red pepper packet
  • Sockeye - a variety of salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska
  • Sole
  • Swordfish
  • Tilapia- farmed in Taiwan, China, Ecuador, USA

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