Why Choose Garmin Vivoactive HR (Over Fitbit Blaze)?

Garmin Vivoactive HR or Fitbit Blaze Smartwatch?

First Published Date : January 9, 2017 ADawnJournal.com

I have been contemplating buying an activity tracker or a smart watch for a while. However, I put it off because I did not want to pay full price and I kept an eye on them whenever they were on sale. However, this 2016 Black Friday sale presented me with an opportunity to buy a smart watch at 40 percent discount. The two major options I had were the Garmin or Fitbit smart watch. Today, I will talk about why I picked Garmin Vivoactive HR over its competitor, the Fitbit Blaze.

Author/Copyright: Ahmed Dawn www.adawnjournal.com

Here are my 2 most important reasons:

Bluetooth Concern – Smart watches or activity trackers send or sync information to a computer or smart phone via Bluetooth. Bluetooth does the job via low-level radio frequency waves. These waves are non-ionizing waves similar to those used by cell phones, which have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although Bluetooth EMF radiation is much lower than a cell phone’s, there is not enough information or research on the long-term health effects of activity trackers.

Lack of information does not translate to evidence of safety and I wouldn’t be comfortable wearing something with Bluetooth always on. Here is where Garmin comes in handy, as it gives the option to turn off Bluetooth as I wish, which Fitbit is lacking. With Fitbit, Bluetooth has to be always on and there is no option to turn it off. For that reason, Garmin is my choice.

Waterproof – Garmin is waterproof to 50 meters. I can swim or shower wearing my Vivoactive HR and it’s no problem. On the other hand, Fitbit is only water resistant, not waterproof. You cannot swim or shower with Fitbit but it’s OK to splash slight water on it like in the rain or washing hands, etc.

There are other aspects where Garmin does better than Fitbit, such as having a GPS, better notifications, and so on. But the above two factors I described are more important and they are the deciding factors for me buying the Garmin.

Harry’s Razors – Are They Worth It?

Harry’s VS. Schick Hydro 5

Comparatively new company Harry’s is getting popular as its razors are drawing attention for its low price and quality. However, can these razors surpass some well-known brands such as Schick in quality?

I have been using the 5-blade razor Schick Hydro 5 for a while and wanted to give Harry’s a try. Harry’s offers a shaving program that lets you try its products for free. Canadians have to pay $6 shipping, though. The trial package comes with a shave gel, blade, and travel blade cover. You will have to cancel the next razor shipment early­—if you’re not interested—because the shave plan will automatically keep sending you new blades based on your choice.

Individual blades cost $2 US for up to 8 cartridges. If you buy 16 together, it will bring down the cost to $1.75 US each, which is slightly over $2 Canadian.

Schick Hydro 5 also has a 5-blade razor and each blade cartridge can cost $3 to $4 depending on where you buy them. But if you get them on sale, you can get lower prices and it can come very close the Harry’s blade cost.

I tested both, shaving one side of my face with Harry’s and the other side with Hydro 5. Both gave me a very close shave, but I felt that the Hydro 5 glides smoother than Harry’s on my face. And I had this feeling that Harry’s might cut my face while I was shaving.

Harry’s blades are definitely a quality product, but I will not the switch from my Hydro 5. Pricewise, you can save money with Harry’s, even after paying shipping and the Canadian dollar conversion if you are buying a lot. But if you buy Schick on sale, you can get it at much lower prices.

Watch my video for more details: | Harry's Razor | Can It Stand Up To Schick Hydro 5? |

Saying Goodbye To MS Word And Excel

Months ago, I used Google Docs, and I thought it was pretty neat. However, I discontinued using it because it did not offer offline feature back then. Couple of days ago I tried Google Docs again and found out that it is fully equipped to work both online and offline. I like the fact that with Google Docs you can work on your documents whenever, wherever. I have had enough of Microsoft, and it is time to say goodbye to MS Word and Excel.

Google Docs is a free, hosted service where you can create and share documents such as word process, spreadsheet etc. The feature I like most is that you are not tied up to your own computer. Also, users can share and collaborate in real time. This is very useful if a group of students or a team of Internet Entrepreneurs are working on a project and would like to share and edit as they go along.

Recently, Google added limited PDF functionality to Google Docs. It can now upload, share, “copy and paste text” and “save as PDF”. Although Edit feature is not yet available, Google is expected to implement it shortly.

I have never been a fan of Microsoft Word and Excel. In this digital age, users are looking for a simple product with an emphasis on sharing ability. MS office failed to meet customer demand and ignored to address customer’s needs. Until now, I had no other choice but using MS Office. But now that there is an alternative , I am not going back to MS, and it is time to say goodbye.

First Published on: Jun 23, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

Portable Selfie LED Ring Light for Video or Smartphone

SOGOCOOL Selfie LED USB Light Review

Today, I will do a short review of a rechargeable selfie light that you can use for your lighting needs to take pictures or video. I have a video review of this product as well, which you can watch by clicking the picture on the top left. To clarify, like my other reviews, this is not a paid review and opinions are unbiased and honest. However, Canadian visitors can buy this by visiting my Amazon link mentioned here (SOGOCOOL LED Selfie Ring Light) and I will collect a small commission if you do so.

This LED ring light is very lightweight, portable, and made of 36 white LED lights. It’s very easy to carry and would fit in a small bag or carry-on luggage. My purpose for buying this was not for selfie pictures, but for video recording for my YouTube channel.

I have done several test clips of this LED ring light (see the video) and it works best when you need a light source in complete darkness. However, if you are outdoors and need a light source for your video or pictures or even when you are in indoors and need to brighten up your face, it does not seem to make any significant difference.

However, considering the low price of the SOGOCOOL Led Ring Light, you can’t go wrong buying it. When you need a light source for video or pictures in complete or semi-darkness, it really works and your face will be clearly visible when it otherwise wouldn’t. If you watch my video review, you will see how it’s performing in the dark and it’s easy to conclude that it works.

It can easily fit on top of any smartphone, laptop edge, or camera’s LCD flip screen and will provide the light when you need it. However, don’t expect it to provide heavy bright light like on a movie shooting because that’s not what it is.

Alternative to iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaner

ILIFE A4 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Review

I’ve been contemplating buying a robotic vacuum cleaner for some time. Especially seeing my nephew grabbing one and talking highly about how it saves lots of time and does a good job cleaning. However, the steep price tag (around $1000) has always refrained me from getting one of these modern day marvels.

My curiosity remained, however, and I thought to myself that there must be some cheaper versions of Roomba that would work just fine. After searching for months and going through lots of reviews, finally I decided on ILIFE A4.

The main difference I can see is that ILIFE does not follow a mapped pattern or advanced navigation system to program its movement, so it does not keep repeating same spots. Rather, it cleans randomly going here and there. In my condo, I found out that there are some places it keeps going back again and again and again. Also, it does not have Wi-Fi or smart phone connection.

At the end of the day, ILIFE does its job, possibly taking longer and repeating some places more than others. However, these are minor flaws and I don’t mind, considering the fraction of a price I paid. And I don’t really need Wi-Fi or a fancy smartphone app to track its movement or obtaining a cleaning report.

The quality of cleaning is something I cannot complain about as well. It does the same level of cleaning I would do with a hand-held vacuum. So the precious time it’s saving me is sweet and I can even program it to clean my condo when I am at work; one less thing to worry about in life.

After finishing its job, ILIFE goes back to its home (or docking station) and sleeps there quietly until it’s next shift. I have made 2 videos on ILIFE where you can see me unboxing and following ILIFE all around my condo. I will provide you with those links here for you to watch.

The only regret I have at this point is that I did not buy this modern-day marvel before; it would have saved me so much time and hassle. If you are planning to buy a low-cost robot vacuum, research well before buying anything so you don’t regret it later. They exist and you don’t have to break your bank to enjoy one.