The Best Low-Profile 25L Travel Backpack for Your Carry-On | Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable 25L Packable Backpack Review

This 25L Packable Travel Backpack Folds to Fit in Your Carry-On | Best Travel Accessory - Eddie Bauer Stowaway 25L Pack

What I like about a packable backpack is that you can put them in your carry-on bag without taking up much space and once you arrive at the destination you can unfold it to use as a day pack. That doesn’t mean you have to travel to use it – you can also use it daily as a low-profile backpack that won’t weigh you down like a regular backpack.

The Eddie Bauer 25L Pack is lightweight (11 oz) and folds down into its own pocket, measuring only 17"H x 12"W x 6"D or 8" x 8" x 2.5" when stowed. I like that its side pockets (for water bottles or other accessories) are made of fabric, not mesh.

In the front, you will find one front pocket with a key ring attachment and one zip mesh pocket. The main compartment is surprisingly spacious. There even is another sleeve inside that can be used for a laptop or anything else.

The pocket the bag folds into is also a usable pocket on top of the bag with 2 hooks. You can attach a carabiner here as well.

This pack is made of durable, 200-denier ripstop fabric with water repellant coating. The shoulder straps are lightly padded.

Although it can hold a lot of stuff, the downside of the Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable 25L Packable Backpack is that it might get uncomfortable and slips off your shoulder if you pack too much or put heavy stuff in it.

For light items, it should be good enough and I will use this especially when I travel as my daypack or a secondary bag. I find it hard to complain about this bag due to its price. Although the price tag says $50 CAD, Eddie Bauer usually has it on sale for 50% off.

FinTech EQ Bank High Interest Savings Account Worth Taking A Look

FinTech Financial Institutions Are Shaking Big Banks

First Published Date: January 15, 2017

FinTech financial institutions use technology to offer financial services that keep costs lower and it’s no wonder Internet-only operators like EQ Bank can offer to pay high interest rates on its savings account.

The EQ Bank high interest savings account just works like a regular checking account that can do all the necessary jobs of a checking account, but it gives you high interest on your deposits plus additional features for free.

Let’s take a look at some of the features available for free:

– High interest, which is currently at 2 percent

– No fees whatsoever

– No minimum balance required

– Unlimited transactions

– 5 free Interac e-Transfers® each month

– Neat smartphone app

A CBA (Canadian Bankers Association) survey shows that only 13 percent of Canadians are using branches as their main banking method and 55 percent are doing the majority of their banking online. FinTech financial services such as Borrowell, MOGO, EQ Bank, and so on are putting a dent in traditional banking services and all big banks are keeping a close eye on the market.

Instead of just researching and collecting data, some big banks have already refused to sit idly doing nothing and started taking action. For example, TD started a partnership with Moven for mobile money management tools and CIBC started a partnership with Borrowell to deliver digital borrowing experience. Other big banks are also working on similar projects.

As the Internet and technology are making lives easier with lowering costs, you will see more and more Uber-like entrants in the financial sector, disrupting big banks and the way they provide services and collect fees. Consumers are on a solid path to benefit from these disruptions.

Tiny Cam Records 4K Video and Goes Underwater

Akaso EK7000 Action Camera Review

First Published Date : December 10, 2016

If you are familiar with the A Dawn Journal Youtube channel, you may have noticed me posting videos of the places I travel and the hotels I stay in. One of my friends recently suggested that an action camera would be perfect for me (along with my other camera or smartphone camera), as they are small and unobtrusive. But when I started searching for it, I found out that brand name action cameras like Nikon or Go Pro can cost $400/$500 and that’s a lot to spend on something I have no idea about for the first time.

Author/Copyright: Ahmed Dawn www.adawnjournal.com

So I decided to go for a cheaper brand on Amazon and after reading all the reviews and ratings, I decided to give the Akaso action camera a try. If it happens to be a waste, I would not feel bad losing around $100 (instead of $400/$500).

When I received my package and opened it, I was amazed by the miniature size of this high-tech 4K camera and all the features that many expensive cameras will not be able to offer. For example, it can go underwater, you can mount it to your chest, wrist, or head with the accessories provided, and you can see the cam screen on your smartphone.

I did a full box opening and review video of this cam. I will provide a link to the YouTube video on top of this post and don’t forget to check it out.

A funny thing I must mention is that in Toronto if people see crews are filming movie or TV scenes, they will not pay much attention. However, when people saw me recording holding my tiny camera, I got lots of curious stares, as this tiny camera looks very cute and eye-catching. Someone even asked me if this is the world’s smallest camera.

Next Book: Credit Card Hacks

Credit Card Hacks: What Credit Card Companies Don’t Want You to Know

First Published Date: April 23, 2015

These days, we all know that credit cards have become a necessity, rather than a luxury. Take off credit cards from your daily living and you will not be able to perform your daily activities as you normally would. However, for many of us the convenience and functionality of credit cards have become burdens because we lose control of them. This is where my next book Credit Card Hacks: What Credit Card Companies Don’t Want You to Know comes in.

Instead of credit cards taking over your life, Credit Card Hacks reveals the techniques that will let you take control of your credit cards (and your life) and not just that – the information you will learn will take you beyond the scenes (that credit card companies don’t want you to know) of ordinary credit cards, so you can use credit cards to your advantage and even make money.

I am working on the last 2 chapters of Credit Card Hacks. So you are probably looking at another 5-6 months before you will be able to get your hands on it. Like my last book, Money Hacks, Credit Card Hacks will be published on the Amazon Kindle platform.

Once my work is done on Credit Card Hacks, the next stages of editing, cover designing, and format designing will begin. However, I will keep you updated once we are close. Keep an eye on A Dawn Journal for further announcements.

Samsung 32 Inch 1080P LED Smart TD Review

Samsung Full HD 32 Inch Smart TV

First Published Date: September 17, 2014

The reason I wanted to upgrade to a smart TV was not because of how smart it was or anything else, but its incredible low electricity consumption. For example, my old 23-inch LED 1080P HD TV consumed about 100 Watts of electricity. However, even with a bigger screen and much more features, the Samsung 32-Inch LED consumes only 40 watts. That’s a lot of savings if you look at in terms of years or its lifetime.

Some of the features:

– 32-Inch Full HD 1080P 1920×1080 resolution

– Samsung Smart Hub features apps that let you stream content including YouTube and Netflix.

– You can stream content from your smart phone or table. You can even cast your device’s screen on TV.

– Surf web on TV using Samsung web browser, or you can browse web on laptop and cast screen on TV using Chromecast.

What I Like

The price is very low in terms of what you are getting. Stunning crisp clear picture quality will grab your attention right away once you turn this on. You will be paying $100 to $200 more for similar smart TVs from other manufacturers. Also, I noticed that those from other manufacturers consume more electricity as well. Audio quality is also good with its Dolby Digital Plus/Dolby Pulse sound. There is no need to use a separate sound system.

What I Don’t Like

At times, the Samsung 32-Inch 1080P LED Smart TD can be a little slow, if you try to access its apps via the Internet, or if you try to load up its built-in TV guide. The reason model UN32H5203 is a little slow is because it uses a standard processor. However, there is another model UN32H5500 that uses quad-code processor and it’s a lot faster (and pricier as well).

Another thing to mention it’s not super slim as it has a 0.5 inch bezel. Same here with model UN32H5500 – which comes with a thinner 0.3 inch bezel and it is very thin.

Last Word

Even with some minor flaws, the Samsung 32-Inch 1080P LED Smart TD is definitely a smart buy and you can’t go wrong due to its reasonable price.