tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38268908612579446992024-03-13T03:03:44.642-07:00My RecommendationsWhy My Recommendations? Sure, you can get reviews on Amazon. But these posts describe our reviews and experiences of businesses around the Ottawa area and beyond. You can easily switch between recommended and not recommended businesses through our tags and search. Check the business out before you use them. Welcome to My Recommendations!Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-37090201342733143032023-09-25T05:25:00.006-07:002023-09-25T05:37:53.273-07:00RECOMMENDED: Furiend: Your Companion for Pet Management and Training <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLy4rH36pUT3RHvxTfwfWxSqJWlXTVf_HZGkhYMf_SJbKD0F589viAE65SG15B83deFnmZ_jTNdbTN-xbaMiQYLI83PcwMxTINpDBSqmzzAGUd8zZ6AKQ2AhLHaRNZYqomOxqwW_zxv0JD5pKiokvyak_MbWrhLopqe-dPv5yI1TfjxOJUUMPomHwb4s/s2513/IMG_7503C1B84037-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2513" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLy4rH36pUT3RHvxTfwfWxSqJWlXTVf_HZGkhYMf_SJbKD0F589viAE65SG15B83deFnmZ_jTNdbTN-xbaMiQYLI83PcwMxTINpDBSqmzzAGUd8zZ6AKQ2AhLHaRNZYqomOxqwW_zxv0JD5pKiokvyak_MbWrhLopqe-dPv5yI1TfjxOJUUMPomHwb4s/s320/IMG_7503C1B84037-1.jpeg" width="149" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the bustling realm of pet care, discovering the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/furiend-pet-health-tracker/id1130176396" target="_blank">Furiend</a> app has been a game-changer for me and my rescue dog. Having used Furiend faithfully for the past year, I started by meticulously tracking my pets’ weight and food consumption, relishing the clarity and organization it brought into our lives. The recently released training tracking feature has lived up to the need. I’m excited to share my personal journey and insights using Furiend, an app that seamlessly blends user-friendliness with comprehensive pet management tools, making it a top app for pet owners and trainers alike. I haven't seen anything that covers its range. </span><div><br /></div><div><p></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-bold);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Navigating the Furiend App: Easy and Intuitive</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right from the onset, the Furiend app has a fun interface. Navigating through various features is fairly smooth and intuitive. You add your animal companion, put in key information (like species, age and breed) and you're off.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve_fbtxPu5MqMzR2gcpYF1NVh7kLd2K7To9XGvmO5D6A6CnpFQMlI1QTZJKzVeLgc4XCWb22IW0SFCyywP-PzhdLSiZ06rOfKJvtAq_Acnv1k_sVtZpGod3kmCYKfoMQl9aJtJ0-frNcQGglRkG4HBKyNbrwDpovnQZ40jDUP30ILfw1aGC-lgxD44SY/s1896/IMG_07DAF8E0DC3C-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1896" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve_fbtxPu5MqMzR2gcpYF1NVh7kLd2K7To9XGvmO5D6A6CnpFQMlI1QTZJKzVeLgc4XCWb22IW0SFCyywP-PzhdLSiZ06rOfKJvtAq_Acnv1k_sVtZpGod3kmCYKfoMQl9aJtJ0-frNcQGglRkG4HBKyNbrwDpovnQZ40jDUP30ILfw1aGC-lgxD44SY/s320/IMG_07DAF8E0DC3C-1.jpeg" width="197" /></a></div><br /><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-bold);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Training Activities Tracking: A Welcomed Update</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the standout features in the recent update is the ability to track training activities. You can track sessions either manually or by setting a timer. At the end of each session, mark it as a success or failure. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p8u0yWd2-DOZqjsB--FkaZuyweCQhxutzTrxTjQlZRcoYRNIFvHMtzltcIzb3gzDDWn4t-qShBS2QuMuGg4W2xJ1NVS6dyMN4vw07FhK7JhB_xSLorMJguHR3iw0BCsDpyKzUfBeGQIqRhdgRt3JhFNYk5uIWbLc2tYBaLviBdRZCoE5w3s13VUjfPk/s2098/IMG_108BC3167ADB-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p8u0yWd2-DOZqjsB--FkaZuyweCQhxutzTrxTjQlZRcoYRNIFvHMtzltcIzb3gzDDWn4t-qShBS2QuMuGg4W2xJ1NVS6dyMN4vw07FhK7JhB_xSLorMJguHR3iw0BCsDpyKzUfBeGQIqRhdgRt3JhFNYk5uIWbLc2tYBaLviBdRZCoE5w3s13VUjfPk/s320/IMG_108BC3167ADB-1.jpeg" width="178" /></a></div><br /><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This feature is particularly beneficial for those who are in the early stages of training their puppies or are grooming them for agile activities. <a href="https://spiritdogtraining.com/online-dog-training/">Online dog courses </a>recommend tracking their progress. Being able to view progress on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis provides clear and organized insight into your pet's development and learning curve. </span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMUNnVZmGYSClG2gPkl1Uh4zDFuLSqpjggiveK5lMu5Jvc9rG36XAs77Vo4QW7bzQU08OS-38PfpSw9v5WuC_AthwBw8wo_Nk3nrgpJly9FKX8VLq9CR9som78769XZKkpMbfQKNNIcGgUdg15c2nl5Qmz-ZMrR-Mtd-uZU57HC7HUlamqIpS7pOdBBU/s1841/Screenshot%202023-09-25%20at%207.57.00%E2%80%AFAM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1841" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMUNnVZmGYSClG2gPkl1Uh4zDFuLSqpjggiveK5lMu5Jvc9rG36XAs77Vo4QW7bzQU08OS-38PfpSw9v5WuC_AthwBw8wo_Nk3nrgpJly9FKX8VLq9CR9som78769XZKkpMbfQKNNIcGgUdg15c2nl5Qmz-ZMrR-Mtd-uZU57HC7HUlamqIpS7pOdBBU/s320/Screenshot%202023-09-25%20at%207.57.00%E2%80%AFAM.jpeg" width="203" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Definitely some improvement is needed here</div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While Furiend comes with a variety of standard training activities (sit, stay, come, give back), you can add your own. I'm using it specifically for seeing how our dog does with people as she can be somewhat reactive. I also use it for practicing her off-leash and long lead behaviour.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharing Moments</span></b></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Furiend also lets you upload those precious moments you want to remember. Sure you can add them to your phone library but do you really want to scroll through dog pictures when trying to show your latest selfies? </span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-bold);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Affordability: Great Value for the Price</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At 99 cents a month, the Furiend app is affordable for most pet owners. Considering that most training classes last just a few months, this minimal cost offers significant value, giving you access to comprehensive tracking and management features without breaking the bank. I actually think some online training companies should simply offer this as part of their "training" costs. </span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-bold);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Holistic Pet Management</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beyond training, Furiend is a complete pet management system. It allows you to track your pet’s medical history, weight, and food consumption. This all-encompassing feature ensures your pet's health and wellness are always in check, making it easier to notice any issues or changes that may need veterinary attention. </span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZttNTIdt4V2S-IxA34rhSI8vDyywnQBMLuwhpcpINjK8GPxGNsvhCjnFEISy-uqSlBwYDwxEWkFR7RDCLz1cBgP6XIsJHqd30IxIVfa5bQnU0SsXJr_CGeWMRmDv1FsfdSpbv_GB4oByEiD9YpWR13lZplvpC7Bxi8KgYkYN_iNjLJREtl6KdRfHc1S4/s2032/IMG_EB309C405D8E-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2032" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZttNTIdt4V2S-IxA34rhSI8vDyywnQBMLuwhpcpINjK8GPxGNsvhCjnFEISy-uqSlBwYDwxEWkFR7RDCLz1cBgP6XIsJHqd30IxIVfa5bQnU0SsXJr_CGeWMRmDv1FsfdSpbv_GB4oByEiD9YpWR13lZplvpC7Bxi8KgYkYN_iNjLJREtl6KdRfHc1S4/s320/IMG_EB309C405D8E-1.jpeg" width="184" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span><span style="color: #374151; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); white-space: pre-wrap;">As I said above, I've been using it for over a year (I'm a bit of a hoarder for tracking data - that's the database developer in me) and it's been great in managing her weight and what she eats. It breaks eating habits into meals, treats and supplements. I don't use supplements but knowing that I've been going overboard on treats (you're only supposed to give 10% of the daily intake - really?!?!?) is a bit of an eye-opener.</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XdmtDVNM8leepGRh5Jgg6rnN1WpmKxV-qExIzCMNEMgrIn15fLhQ9Sv3Lzze8Fjs2iI9fDrcmuOuBcX_wIhZK83F2wV0odRk3iXaKrWvdI6jXGc4BpQ-weZwyLC4D7PFNp6Kb8f2YIPrhuEoXXEEyPtc72qBadvgDb5gEa7U3sERP1OilDu3ie2SWF8/s1904/IMG_939E19618A92-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XdmtDVNM8leepGRh5Jgg6rnN1WpmKxV-qExIzCMNEMgrIn15fLhQ9Sv3Lzze8Fjs2iI9fDrcmuOuBcX_wIhZK83F2wV0odRk3iXaKrWvdI6jXGc4BpQ-weZwyLC4D7PFNp6Kb8f2YIPrhuEoXXEEyPtc72qBadvgDb5gEa7U3sERP1OilDu3ie2SWF8/s320/IMG_939E19618A92-1.jpeg" width="197" /></a></div><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now for the average pet owner, this might seem a bit much. Do you really want to track your dog's eating habits every day? Well, if your animal has been sick or recovering, it can definitely help.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-bold);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharing Information: Handy for Boarding and Pet-Sitting</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you need to board your pet, the Furiend app lets you seamlessly share your pet's vital information with others, ensuring they receive consistent care even in your absence. I'll admit - I don't use this that often but I can definitely see the benefit. Obvious this requires that both people have Furiend but why not? Your boarder can also share pictures while you're away.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Always Room for Improvement</span></b></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span><span style="color: #374151; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); white-space: pre-wrap;">As a software developer and dog-owner, there's always areas I can see opportunities for improvement. I would love the ability to add dog "friends" so I can tag them in pictures when our dog comes across her friends. If this sounds a little overboard, let's not forget that Facebook made an entire business around it and a lot of those "friends" are people you haven't seen in years. Your dog likely sees </span></span><span style="color: #374151;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); white-space: pre-wrap;">their friends much more often around the neighbourhood. </span></span></span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagine if they expanded the tracking for trainers. Trainers could keep track of their "students" and their pawgress, maybe even printing off a certificate.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-bold);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Definitely Recommended for Pet Owners</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the whole, the Furiend app is awesome for pet owners. Its extensive features, affordability, and easy-to-use interface make it a must-have app for managing and tracking all aspects of your pet's life and training progress. The recent addition of training activity tracking further solidifies its place as a comprehensive solution for all pet-related management needs.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recommended.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOdcAdNmehQNwS82GtDv8iTYLeUgoAgYK4BNvtuJDNRKdvXQAm6-CRmPu1u9YZ19FcK3O4V4HSegPdXgL3tJH8u2BJutPc4zfM4O-hd2dffEre4C-5GDoptgTyjw3K-KTre9DeMYe8r-ZFvzMDt3g_D2K3OteOIyuHTUjyV0hzI__WWv0z4U75Wz8ovI/s902/furiend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="902" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOdcAdNmehQNwS82GtDv8iTYLeUgoAgYK4BNvtuJDNRKdvXQAm6-CRmPu1u9YZ19FcK3O4V4HSegPdXgL3tJH8u2BJutPc4zfM4O-hd2dffEre4C-5GDoptgTyjw3K-KTre9DeMYe8r-ZFvzMDt3g_D2K3OteOIyuHTUjyV0hzI__WWv0z4U75Wz8ovI/s320/furiend.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p></div>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-57560176260955494002021-12-26T06:36:00.000-08:002021-12-26T06:36:07.517-08:00Bissel Spinwave Plus Robotic Vacuum - mops and cleans<p> I had a Roomba when they were first introduced in the early 2000s. When it finally bit the dust, I wasn’t willing to give over the $299 (when I bought it was $199) to fix the battery or get a replacement unit (as a note, the original Roombas were not $599 as they are now). </p><p>I have held off on looking at other vacuums until recently. I liked the idea of the Scooba but wasn’t that sure about a dedicated mopping vac. I then saw the Bissell Spinwave that could do both and said “that’s something to look into.”</p><p>I’ve only had it a few days but am really enjoying it. It only has two modes : automatic and spot. It would have been nice if it had a way to manually redirect it but the app itself does work fairly well. Unlike the Roomba, it starts going in straight lines, wanting to move to the left (so always start it on the right wall). I say that with some trepidation, however, because when in mop mode, I just let it go and it made its way through our “open floor” main level which has lots of separate rooms and hit every room over a two hour period. I have seen it get stuck every now and then on bar stools with the feet on the bottom but it works very well. In mop mode, it also did a great job recognizing when there is a carpet and backs up so as not to mop the carpet.</p><p>As with most robotic vacuums, there is no real suction - it works by brushing and picking up the dirt. One of the things that is annoying is that the app (and web site) has these sections for help and support, and there is no real content there. So as a way to get by, I’m posting various troubleshooting tips (from the manual - which you would think would be in the app), so I can easily find them if I lose the manual.</p><p>Here’s a link to the vacuum</p><p><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 28px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-weight: bold;">Spinwave Plus Troubleshooting Tips</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing Red, One Beep - Robot is trapped / cliff sensors are dirty. Move it to <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>clear location. Turn it off and clean the three sensors.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing Red, Three Beeps - Front Caster Wheel Sensor is blocked. Turn it off and remove the front wheel assembly. Clean the debris and reinstall wheel.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing Red > Solid Red, One Beep. One of the wheels is stuck. Remove the debris from the wheel.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing Red > Solid Red, Two Beeps. Edge cleaning brushes are stuck. Remove the hair.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing Red > Solid Red, Three Beeps. Brush roll is stuck. Remove the brush roll and clean it.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing White, Two Beepers. Bumper is stuck/trapped. Move it to another area or tap the bumper several times to move it off.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Flashing White, Three Beeps. Low water. Refill the mop tank and refill within three minutes.</span></p>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-18943928484750019322019-10-04T01:56:00.000-07:002019-10-04T01:56:24.154-07:00RECOMMENDED: Tailored Living featuring Premier Garage (Ottawa)This was a great experience!<br />
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The Do-It-Yourselfers may groan at the idea of having someone do the garage for you and will point out that you can get floor cabinets but after looking online and going through our <a href="http://www.myrecommendations.ca/2019/08/recommended-garage-perfect-flooring.html" target="_blank">garage renovation</a>, there were two things I learned:<br />
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1. Garage floors aren't flat. That means you HAVE to put things on the wall if you want them straight.<br />
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2. Full on wall cabinetry is expensive, especially if you want to handle heavy loads. The ones you buy from Home Depot and the like can't handle heavy items - many top out at 25-50 lbs per shelf.<br />
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Enter <a href="https://www.tailoredliving.com/westottawa/" target="_blank">Tailored Living</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-allen-44379097/?originalSubdomain=ca" target="_blank">Jason Allen</a> met with us and went through several design iterations. His original proposal (a fully loaded garage) was a little on the expensive side but he worked with our budget, putting up with me asking for "try this, try that" and ensuring the finished garage work would meet our needs. As he said, "you can always expand later".<br />
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He had us scheduled in very quickly - within two weeks of deciding on a plan. On the day of the installation, Ian did the installation - he was EARLY and just fantastic. The work was done fast and he even helped put some of the heavier items into the cabinets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOVm_fFh04LFMLeFkqnc1y5jthB_piPwQamS6-BV60lYg-LZJW8MRn2dh8yX8mvQWHbjIBe9WgrCtTLh1hhOPzk4jBezQctuTbrhKbZJXSE7QO9aBTC35ChwnHjysAq9RPjVHMlicwfU/s1600/IMG_0162.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOVm_fFh04LFMLeFkqnc1y5jthB_piPwQamS6-BV60lYg-LZJW8MRn2dh8yX8mvQWHbjIBe9WgrCtTLh1hhOPzk4jBezQctuTbrhKbZJXSE7QO9aBTC35ChwnHjysAq9RPjVHMlicwfU/s320/IMG_0162.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We look forward to working with <a href="https://www.tailoredliving.com/westottawa/" target="_blank">Tailored Living </a>again for additional work!<br />
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Side note: I wish we had known they did inside closet work as well. While we are very happy with our <a href="http://www.myrecommendations.ca/2019/05/recommended-california-closets-ottawa.html" target="_blank">California Closets</a>, it was interesting that Tailored Living did not show up during a Google search.Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-31535909021262314252019-08-17T02:57:00.000-07:002019-08-17T03:02:06.715-07:00RECOMMENDED: Blinkist - excellent summaries of what you wish you could read<br />
I love audio - no big surprise there (I listen to a bunch of podcasts and despite sometimes questionable audio quality, I do have my <a href="http://thefoxproshow.com/" target="_blank">own</a>). And I love to read. But it's not easy to read a book when driving and when you're driving short distances, it's hard to get into a good book.<br />
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Enter <a href="http://blinki.st/4fb057ddcf8d" target="_blank">Blinkist</a>. I learned about this from the <a href="https://jamesaltucher.com/podcasts/" target="_blank">James Altucher </a>show and thought I would give it a try using the <a href="http://blinkist.com/james" target="_blank">free trial</a>. The annual subscription after that wasn't so bad, especially if I found I would use it a lot.<br />
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130 books in and I'm really enjoying it. I've covered a huge number of topics (everything from <a href="https://amzn.to/2KBiky2" target="_blank">food culture</a> to math and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399184414/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=akselsolution-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0399184414&linkId=14e12d19cdce3dccc15c5b795e12ebd5" target="_blank">physics</a>) and have gone back to read summaries of books I've already purchased as well as purchased books after having my curiosity piqued. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl5hG7A60aAgxa2uV1bwnjnboOz5S9hyphenhyphenTApGBRVR_e8jI8uGWjP-8b6jrzmQ3B9EXfUWeEC6m3pfoRL-radeVIo1I9DGeONno3I6CloBNe_jZJcID9cy5aTLat4pVutODXRB94D_KbEs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-08-17+at+5.53.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl5hG7A60aAgxa2uV1bwnjnboOz5S9hyphenhyphenTApGBRVR_e8jI8uGWjP-8b6jrzmQ3B9EXfUWeEC6m3pfoRL-radeVIo1I9DGeONno3I6CloBNe_jZJcID9cy5aTLat4pVutODXRB94D_KbEs/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-08-17+at+5.53.43+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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To be fair, I have <a href="https://support.blinkist.com/hc/en-us/articles/218524377-What-about-copyrights-Are-you-stealing-from-authors-" target="_blank">questioned</a> whether authors do get any benefit from summaries but much like other Executive Summaries, if a summary intrigues even 1% of its listeners to buy the book, it's much like having an author go on a one-hour podcast ( vs 4 authors in an hour) and definitely better than an author having a 2 minute segment on national TV, where the hosts usually just get one story which is hard to compress an entire book in.<br />
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What I love best is the ability to switch from listening to reading. So I start by listening in the car and then when I get out and am walking to another location or waiting for an elevator, I can finish the "blink" or book.<br />
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If you find it's hard these days to read everything that is out there, and are tired of reading just blurbs from blogs, consider <a href="http://blinki.st/4fb057ddcf8d" target="_blank">Blinkist</a>. Let me know if you enjoy it as well.<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-69096879206683979552019-08-01T11:48:00.000-07:002019-08-11T11:55:02.854-07:00RECOMMENDED: Garage Perfect FlooringAfter years of dealing with the standard "out of the box" garage flooring, we knew we needed to do something with it. We looked into painting or doing the work ourselves but then after looking at epoxy solutions, we found <a href="http://www.garageperfect.ca/" target="_blank">Garage Perfect</a>.<br />
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Yvon came out to our home and walked through the process. He identified some areas that were going to be more troublesome but the quote that came back was very reasonable.<br />
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We did have some initial scheduling hiccups in getting an install date and the "one day" did turn into a few days but that was mostly due to drying time. We left everything out of the area for a full 72 hours. But the actual "job" was done in just over a day.<br />
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In the end, Yvon, Zack and the Garage Perfect team have rejuvenated our garage and it looks spectacular - our only problem is it looks so beautiful that we don't want to park our cars in it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGXfbTQ91L9o7eliXf6TrLUURlaaqpBA6EwkHel1Wdqka4UbSpEd6hMrZUVev3u_1cZUdAi0W9D-RQX9zMpc8USfPoBTCqZs2n_JhlWNDu56p3ce_C0AbjX6bTHiRCHPVYWNDvhrh5Co/s1600/R2LCf56WS%2525is6Ovm9LqNNg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGXfbTQ91L9o7eliXf6TrLUURlaaqpBA6EwkHel1Wdqka4UbSpEd6hMrZUVev3u_1cZUdAi0W9D-RQX9zMpc8USfPoBTCqZs2n_JhlWNDu56p3ce_C0AbjX6bTHiRCHPVYWNDvhrh5Co/s320/R2LCf56WS%2525is6Ovm9LqNNg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few weeks after the install and we're still loving the floor. It feels great on bare feet and cleanup is so easy. I just wish we had done this years ago.Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-7192789491265209892019-05-19T01:20:00.002-07:002019-08-11T12:19:11.735-07:00RECOMMENDED: California Closets (Ottawa)Our Bridlewood home is perfect in every way, except for closet space. The master bedroom has always suffered with barely enough space for two people. After twenty years, something had to be done. Unfortunately, the only possibility I ever saw was pushing the bedroom over the garage, something that would have been extremely expensive. Then my wife suggested we do something in the basement area.<br />
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I know you're thinking --- the basement? Well, we had already finished the basement. It had been used as an office for many years as well as a rec room but otherwise it was wasted space. Your basement is likely the same as well. You may have some recreational space but unless you've turned it into a proper bedroom and ensuite, it's likely an overgrown storage area. We also use the basement for other items such as our library and photo albums. So why not turn it into a proper closet or storage area? But what could we do? Do it ourselves? We wanted something that would look great and professional.<br />
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Enter <a href="https://www.californiaclosets.ca/en/designer/lianne-wallace/" target="_blank">Lianne Wallace and California Closets.</a><br />
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Our design consultation was quick and easy. It was also a bit of an eye opener as she went through our existing closets, cataloging everything in moments, highlighting that even as a guy, I had a huge number of clothes that I had completely forgotten about. Lianne also noted areas where there wasn't a lot of possible improvement. So it was obvious that something big was needed. She listened to our ideas and gave us the opportunity to simply identify ideas that we liked through her iPad.<br />
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Within a few days, we received an amazing two and 3-D proposed space design. Rather than turn the entire area into storage, Lianne's design included open white space that made maximum use of the space without overdoing it. Even if we had stopped there, the consultation process was better than what I thought it might be. It would have been nice if the 3-D walk-through files could be viewed on a Mac - but luckily we have both at home so we could view them on a PC. The only way they could be improved upon would be to have something like the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/ikea-place/id1279244498?mt=8" target="_blank">Ikea Place</a> application.<br />
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To be fair, improving closet space is not a cheap proposition. We're not talking adding a cupboard here and there - we wanted a full redesign. So we knew it would be on the expensive side. It was effectively the price of doing a basement remodel. After going through the pains of small-scale renovations, the advertised "<a href="https://www.californiaclosets.ca/en/how-we-work/installation-and-service/" target="_blank">white-glove treatment</a>" was going to be a breath of fresh air. The knowledge that their installers weren't just "hired hands" was also a relief. If anything was going to go wrong, it would be on them.<br />
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Major caveat here:<br />
<i>Now, </i><b style="font-style: italic;">California Closets does not DO structural design to the area</b><i> We were responsible for a number of things, such as the removal (and addition) of molding, wall updates and painting. They are there to put in the closets. If you want new walls or doors, you have to do them.</i><br />
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<i>If the area is NOT up to spec, they are not responsible. This was made clear to us by the installer, who told us some stories about installations in area where sub-standard renovations had been done. These things are explicitly NOT the responsibility of California Closets so it falls back to you. The scenario the installer gave was an installation where the closets were installed on a wall that wasn't a standard width. As a result, the holes went through the other side. It wasn't clear if he was referring to CC - but when the client said "what are you going to do about it?", the reply was "that's on you, not us." Luckily, we didn't have that problem - the installers were able to identify things up front - so that may have simply been a cautionary tale. </i><br />
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<i>Now let's get back to our experience....</i><br />
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Prior to the install, Lianne contacted us with a design improvement found by her installer BEFORE they had installed - saving us some money. During the install, they also identified a small problem in one of the areas but were able to find a workable solution.<br />
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The schedule was tailor-fit for us. The work was scheduled from morning until early afternoon and generally proceeded to that schedule. At first we weren't sure why the schedules are ended around 2pm. The CC business in Ottawa is managed by the Montreal location for the installers. While Lianne is local, the actual installation team is based in Montreal so they travel back and forth. Even with all that, their arrival times were exactly as promised. The final day went a bit longer into early evening than I would have liked. I had to rush them out as we had company coming that evening based on the original schedule. But again, the installer did the key cleanup and a walkthrough of the entire installation.<br />
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The results are wonderful and exactly what was shown in the plans. I wish I had taken true "before" pictures so I could properly show the progress but the results from the plan were great.<br />
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From the design</div>
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The structure of the actual closets is thicker than most "build it yourself" closets so they feel sturdier. The adjustable shelf clips fit it snugly so there's not a lot of movement. The doors and drawers use the soft-close hinge mechanism. I don't know if there's a way for anyone to completely hide adjustable holes without using the annoying hole clips (unless we did the closets in black). But the 3-D plans explicitly show these as well so it wasn't surprised. This would obviously not be the case if we didn't want adjustable shelves but those are absolutely needed. The hanger system is solid even when loaded heavier coats and we love the drawer handle design. These are things that can be customized during the design process.<br />
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As a consumer, I loved the consultation and installation process and highly recommend Lianne Wallace and the California Closet team.Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-49588570226712711802019-04-28T01:40:00.000-07:002019-05-19T01:51:30.900-07:00NOT RECOMMENDED: Eagleson Flooring In-Home Pre-Sales Consultation (Kanata)This is based on a single interaction so it may not be the case for getting actual work done but this one instance immediately took <a href="https://www.eaglesonflooring.com/" target="_blank">Eagleson Flooring</a> off the list.<br />
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We were looking for an in-home consultation for an existing kitchen floor tile replacement. I filled out the contact form on their site and waited. I was really surprised that I received an email THAT DAY (Saturday) and the discussion went really well. We were scheduling a time for the following week and I was really looking forward to it.<br />
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Then the phone call came. I explained what we were trying to do and rather than offer options, the project manager said "come into our store" (despite asking for an in-home consult) and actively discouraged us from doing the job because the tile was already there, citing higher expenses. If they were the only company we were looking at, we would have come away extremely disappointed. Luckily, we found <a href="https://ottawaeast.floorcoveringsinternational.com/" target="_blank">another company</a> that we decided to use - I will come back with a review once the job is done but our hopes and consultation experience was MUCH better).<br />
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Look - I appreciate that not every employee is aware of what their web site says or offers but if you are going to offer "in-home" consultations, then come with an open mind and try to address or evaluate the request.<br />
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Maybe Eagleson Flooring does a better job with "in-store" consultations and we didn't experience the installation process, which may be great, but that's because their "in-home" or initial sales consultation process turned us off and took them out of the running.Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-46837963708439342462019-04-01T01:29:00.000-07:002019-05-19T01:52:10.633-07:00RECOMMENDED: Gotcha Covered (Ottawa)After years of dealing with Blinds To Go, we had finally had enough. While the experience of going to a store and choosing from a variety, I wanted to try and use an in-house consultation and installation to avoid any further mishaps.<br />
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We contacted <a href="https://www.gotchacovered.com/central-ottawa/?L=true" target="_blank">GotchaCovered in Ottawa</a> to see what could be done in our bedroom. The consultation was fantastic. Cathleen looked at what we needed to do and offered a number of options. She provided her own opinion and design ideas but respected our overall designs.<br />
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I can't stress how valuable this is in the consultation. Many will say "well, that's what a consultation should be like" but if you've ever had contractors or bad experiences, you know that in many cases, the consultation is more of a "Ok, sign here" type approach. This was a really NICE experience, especially knowing there was no commitment required.<br />
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The blinds arrived as scheduled. There were some miscommunications with the installers that delayed the process by a few weeks. GotchaCovered relies on installers who do other companies as well (our initial installer also did work for Blinds To Go) but once scheduled, the process went super fast.<br />
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What makes the recommendation, however, is the after-sales process. One of the blinds came with ropes that weren't very attractive (obviously not shown with samples) and when it fell off, we contacted Cathleen to get it fixed. At the same time, we weren't happy with one of the blinds. Cathleen went all out and let us get the custom blinds re-ordered with a revised design (it was a minor change). The new blinds came in quickly and the install process was even better than the last time.<br />
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Many may say "blinds - do them yourself" but there is a hassle factor with the choosing and while many companies are now offering "in-house consultations", we found that Cathleen and the GotchaCovered process a wonderful experience.<br />
<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-42751662913012503532018-10-07T05:10:00.002-07:002019-08-11T10:31:33.045-07:00RECOMMENDED: Masterchef AustraliaDon't be fooled by cheap imitations. By that, I am explicitly calling out Masterchef USA and Masterchef Canada, which is based pretty much on the same premise as Masterchef USA.<br />
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After ten seasons, <a href="https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/masterchef" target="_blank">Masterchef Australia </a>is a comprehensive cooking contest with a real focus on the contestants. It feels like a throwback to earlier episodes of Top Chef moreso than Masterchef. They did expand at one time to Junior, All Stars and Professionals but scaled back to focus on the quality for one show and it shows.<br />
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We came across the Australian version thanks to <a href="https://www.gustotv.com/" target="_blank">Gusto</a>, a lifestyle channel in Canada that was introduced as a competitor to the ubiquitous Food Network. The first season we saw was six but after that we were completely hooked. Why?<br />
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1. As noted above, it's <b>comprehensive</b>. It's a three month competition with challenges every day. But the kicker? Each day is broadcast. So when they say "get ready for tomorrow"", the next show IS tomorrow. When it airs on <a href="https://tenplay.com.au/" target="_blank">TenPlay</a> in Australia, it is shown every night. None of this "fit into a typical 24 episode season" crap. This was shocking to get into but wow, what a difference it makes.<br />
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2. The judges are NICE. They are fair but hard but they aren't about tearing down the contestants but building them up. Their pedigree is also closer to Top Chef's approach, where you have a high quality chef who isn't an abrasive TV showboat and a critic. Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris are the chefs. Matt Preston is the critic. I'm sure Ramsay isn't the total ass he portrays but that he lets himself get shown that way is depressing. Even super critical chefs like Marco-Pierre White ( who <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5026897/Matt-Preston-discusses-feud-Marco-Pierre-White.html" target="_blank">no longer appears on the show</a>) come off as inspiring and mentoring to the contestants.<br />
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3. The contestants get along. Maybe it's a North American thing - people just want to screw everyone else. But in the Australian, and even in the others, the contestants seem to genuinely want everyone else to do well. They live in a house and compete but are friends and support each other. Sometimes, it can even get downright annoying, all the hugs and pats on the back, but to me, it's proof that not every person on TV is simply showboating but actually want to learn and respect each other.<br />
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4. They actually teach the contestants. If you only watched North American versions, you might be wondering "where are they learning anything?" (yes <a href="https://www.mashed.com/73956/untold-truth-masterchef/" target="_blank">they do on other shows </a>- but it's never allude to) In MCA, they broadcast the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvi8lk4w-uw" target="_blank">Masterclass</a>" where the judges show them techniques and ideas. You can definitely see why other Masterchef incarnations are starting to borrow this concept.<br />
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5. The quality of the dishes are astounding. What do I mean? Even the auditions show a quality of food presentation that would make a professional chef blush. You may get some nice comfort food dishes but the quality bar is so high you might be thinking "these people cannot be home cooks". It makes me wonder what they are doing in Australia to encourage this level of wow.<br />
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6. The format is awesome. Mystery box is standard for most shows and the format of each week is generally the same. Maybe because it's broadcast every day or just the production method - it feels like a real challenge. Mystery Box, Invention Test/Team Challenge, Elimination, Winner for Immunity (more on that) and then Pressure Test. Complete and Repeat.<br />
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7. The guest chefs or challenges are amazing. Bring your best dish and challenge the chefs to make it. Learn your trade by working in a professional kitchen directed by the professional chef. Heston Blumenthal Curtis Stone are among the more internationally recognizable chefs but the calibre of the chefs presented make you want to visit and taste some of these great dishes.<br />
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8. But it's fair. You need to make a chef's dish, you get the recipe to work from. At least you can understand how they learn these processes. You're not given unreasonable times.<br />
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9. The immunity process makes sense. You win a challenge and then you have to prove your mettle by competing against a professional chef. Blind taste test (sure, when watching you may not understand how the judges don't know which is which).<br />
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10. Scoring is clear and understandable. Judges score a dish out of ten. The finale is made up of three challenges showcasing different aspects of their journey.<br />
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I could go on but you need to go find whichever network is showing Masterchef Australia or watch it on YouTube and see how a good cooking show is really done.<br />
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If you haven't watched MasterChef Australia, you could be forgiven to think all of these cooking contest shows are more like the Bachelor or Survivor than actual cooking.<br />
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Do yourself a favour and watch MCS - wherever you can.<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-45511476399526109372018-09-24T03:40:00.002-07:002018-09-24T03:40:58.906-07:00RECOMMENDED - Google Inbox Replacement - light a Spark right away!With the announcement that Google would be <a href="https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2018/09/inbox-by-gmail-shutdown.html" target="_blank">shuttering</a> Inbox, there's been a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwizx_nTrdPdAhUT24MKHZXGDU4QFjAAegQIDBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.producthunt.com%2Falternatives%2Finbox-by-google&usg=AOvVaw0zzUruOLSMj9xdctxZbK0S" target="_blank">lot</a> of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwizx_nTrdPdAhUT24MKHZXGDU4QFjABegQICBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slant.co%2Foptions%2F2883%2Falternatives%2F~google-inbox-alternatives&usg=AOvVaw2BFbne05eWEfpyG9Eh9kBg" target="_blank">articles</a> about what to use as its replacement. I've pretty much been living in web mail for the past few years - but on my iPhone and iPad, it's been a bit of a toss-up. Mail on my MacBook Pro hasn't worked properly for months now (and <a href="https://appletoolbox.com/2018/01/mail-keeps-crashing-on-macos-high-sierra-fix/" target="_blank">solutions</a> never worked properly) so I figured I would use this as an opportunity to find a better solution overall.<br />
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<a href="https://sparkmailapp.com/" target="_blank">Spark</a> is an email client for iPhone, iPad and Mac OS from <a href="https://readdle.com/" target="_blank">Readdle</a>. I started with it on my iPhone, evaluating a few other alternatives but what sealed the deal for me was its clients for the Mac and iPad.<br />
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Spark has a "Smart Inbox" which combines multiple accounts into a single inbox, making it easier to stay on top of all your mail. Since the feature was offered, I've been using Gmail with its support for multiple email addresses but some mail clients don't support it easily. Spark handled it without a problem.<br />
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Mails can be pinned as well as snoozed ( a feature I used often in Inbox) and all of your existing Gmail filters (rules) are still left intact. It felt like an awesome mail client but then I discovered its other great features.<br />
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When sending an email, there's an option to remind you if you need to follow up on it later. There's also an option to "Send Later" which is great for scheduled emails.<br />
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An email can be "exported" to other services including Reminders and Trello. When a message is exported to Trello, it can be added to any of your boards.<br />
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I don't use many of the services listed but with support for Evernote and OneNote, Spark should cover many favourites. I hope they add Pocket soon.<br />
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Emails can also be generated as a PDF and stored to popular cloud services including Dropbox and Apple Files. Files from these services can also be attached easily.<br />
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One of the features I've enjoyed recently in email clients are automatic replies. Spark's Smart Replies let you add your own and easily insert them when needed as well as Signatures.<br />
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When moving to a new client, it's often frustrating to learn new keyboard shortcuts. Spark has that covered with separate keyboard maps depending on which Account you are using. From the list, an Active set can be chosen. While I don't use gmail's keyboard shortcuts, it's certainly popular for some and it's nice that you won't lose them.<br />
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So it's a mail client...and it's free. Great deal but where Spark adds surprising functionality is with its Teams functionality. Team functionality does require a subscription but makes collaboration part of your email experience. Shared draft emails is such a cool feature, especially when responding to proposals or important marketing messages.<br />
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I get frustrated when I receive an email from a company where the actual response is in an attachment, obviously crafted by a team of people. I don't care who wrote it - just put it in the email. With Spark Teams, there's really no excuse for it.<br />
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Emails can also be linked to in external documents. Click the link and Spark opens the email directly. This works across devices as well.<br />
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Speaking of devices, I've never been a big fan of Apple's Mail support on the Apple Watch. Spark's implementation is super clean, showing counts of types of emails at a glance.<br />
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While Teams is a subscription based tool, it does require that everyone buy into Spark as a solution. This can be tricky, unless you can enforce it top-down. ReAddle offers a number of other products, that individuals may find useful as well - a PDF editor, improved calendar and Scanner.<br />
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So with any company offering a free product, my concern immediately jumps to how they make money. Why is that important? Google offers free email - imagine what would happen if they decided to shutter Gmail. That could never happen, right? Well, they just shuttered Inbox. In fact, Google could be cited for the number of its own products or concepts that it has shut down over the years.<br />
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ReAddle doesn't have a great record either but rather than hide it, they advertise <a href="https://readdle.com/blog/readdle-apps-reach-100M-downloads" target="_blank">it</a>. It's an interesting approach but it also shows that they do recognize what has gone well and what hasn't. The fact that they've been around since the iPhone launch in 2007 DOES say a lot about the company.<br />
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If you are looking for a replacement for Inbox or even just looking for a better email client, take a look at <a href="https://sparkmailapp.com/features" target="_blank">Spark</a> - I think you'll love it. If you do use it, what features do you like?<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-45138447824504922482018-06-03T05:37:00.000-07:002019-08-10T02:25:23.872-07:00RECOMMENDED: iDevices --- the Smart Home RealizedThere are lots of devices available for a Smart Home. The Nest thermostat was one of the first that truly ushered in the current batch of tools. Sure, before that, you could use X-10 to automate as much of the house as possible and there were always custom solutions but the current idea of the automated home made it feel so much closer to reality than ever before.<br />
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I have a Nest thermostat as well as a Nest Protect. When Nest was purchased by Google, I was excited about the possibilities but then discouraged by the <a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/90132364/nest-founder-i-wake-up-in-cold-sweats-thinking-what-did-we-bring-to-the-world" target="_blank">founder</a> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/7/11874670/nest-founder-tony-fadell-leaving-google-alphabet" target="_blank">leaving</a>. But still there was a lot of promise in other areas.<br />
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I purchased an outlet switch at the Apple Store for an <a href="http://www.idevicesinc.com/" target="_blank">iDevices</a> switch. It worked as a HomeKit device. We used it for patio lights and they worked amazing.<br />
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They offer an Foundation Kit which includes two plugs and an <a href="https://amzn.to/2sBMJCh" target="_blank">outside adapter</a>. ALMOST a perfect fit. I did have some troubles with the outside adapter communicating with our at home network. Company sent a new one after a number of troubleshooting episodes. End result? Outside adapter for the win! Christmas lights are no longer an issue.<br />
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WAIT - surely, we could have been using one of those dusk-to-dawn dimmers for outside lights and in fact, we have. They work great - but when they get buried in the snow and you want to change them, the trouble isn't really worth it. Cue the stories of how spoiled the current generation is. It's not enough to have to turn on lights, you have to turn them on from inside. Don't want to put up lights? Buy one of those outside laser light shows. But seriously, it's not just a geek thing - if you can do it and it makes your life better, why wouldn't you?<br />
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So when iDevices introduced their new wall switches, I knew I had to try them out. At $99, they aren't cheap. I was able to purchase several during various sale periods, reducing the price to about $75 but dealing with duties, it brings it back up. The competition is getting fierce as well. Non-HomeKit devices can be fifty dollars cheaper and even the <a href="https://amzn.to/2J8hz0n" target="_blank">Eve</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2JreyHE" target="_blank">Koogeek</a> switches are cheaper.<br />
<br />
I don't know if there are problems with mixing and matching switch devices but I do know consistency in a home is important. While we may use other devices for different parts, I would like the overall home to look the same. The other thing I really like about the iDevices switches is the nightlight feature. They have a small strip in the middle of the switch that can change colour as you choose to fit in with the wall colours or other decor. They are also close to flush against the wall.<br />
<br />
iDevices aren't strictly HomeKit either. While they have their own app, they are also Google and Alexa compatible. Of course, it now sounds like we have a full house ("Siri, turn on downstairs", "Alexa turn on the backyard") - but unless Apple figures out how to offer an affordable HomePod in Canada, Alexa is the best go to (disclosure - I haven't tried a Google device yet). Cross system compatibility is really nice while the entire home automation market tries to establish clear winners.<br />
<br />
So there are some gotchas with the switches:<br />
<br />
1) they don't work well with certain mesh devices (I have an Orbi). A firmware update caused my lights to turn on and off sporadically so I reset it back to the older version - problem solved. Before buying, check the <a href="https://idevicesinc.com/compatibility/network-setup/" target="_blank">compatibility list.</a><br />
<br />
2) the dimmer and single switch aren't compatible. When you have a three way switch (two switches that control the same light), you have to have the same type of switch for both switches.<br />
<br />
What makes this troubling is that they recently introduced a new "child" device called the <a href="https://store.idevicesinc.com/idevices-instant-switch/" target="_blank">Instant switch</a> which links to existing plugs. That switch doesn't have the nightlight feature - so you can't really use it with the same look as the others. They should offer an option on this that doesn't have the nightlight to address the complaint as well as a nightlight option.<br />
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The iDevice family is pretty close to all encompassing: wall outlets, wall switches, wall plugs (indoor and outdoor) and thermostats (at one point, they offered a Shower and Grill piece but they weren't really HomeKit devices). My wish list includes USB switches or perhaps an extension strip. By focusing on the key home areas, rather than trying to deal with the whole health aspect, I feel very comfortable in using iDevices as a base for my home automation framework.<br />
<br />
I hope their prices do come down a bit so I can finish off the rest of the house but I can still wait for the sales or better combination packs.<br />
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iDevices - definitely recommended.Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-8942908238223614252017-12-22T03:40:00.000-08:002017-12-22T03:40:01.683-08:00RECOMMENDED: Heat Trak mats - snow shovelling NOT requiredAfter going through so many winters and paying for snow removal, I had had enough. I had slipped on the patio steps more than once - even once laying right on my back.<br />
<br />
I searched Amazon for some heated mats and initially only found products that had really bad reviews.<br />
<br />
Then I searched outside of Amazon and found Heat Trak. The reviews looked promising and while the return policy included a 15% restocking fee, I ordered a few just to try them out. If they worked, great - if not, I would only use one and return the others.<br />
<br />
Well, no need. Check this out:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0sxb4oCSr1quB4jqCeBV34WK6yaGC78vt1jA61Z7cKe2940qSl71iTJwrigZSKmEZgryXknS9g4PQMi7hyn6oeTqRdfeSjlmtiLbewPM8b-PJoC55djMWcjtsl3cpc4XUem2jkFCMjE/s1600/IMG_1708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0sxb4oCSr1quB4jqCeBV34WK6yaGC78vt1jA61Z7cKe2940qSl71iTJwrigZSKmEZgryXknS9g4PQMi7hyn6oeTqRdfeSjlmtiLbewPM8b-PJoC55djMWcjtsl3cpc4XUem2jkFCMjE/s320/IMG_1708.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
First time we used them, there was no snow but it was cold. We had people over and when they went outside in their socks, they were loving it - no boots needed!!<br />
<br />
Then the snow came - sure enough - the mats worked perfectly. It's not instant - 2 inches of snow melts every hour but that's more than enough to get the job down. They aren't THAT expensive either (under $200 for a 5' mat)<br />
<br />
Here are some links for Canada:<br />
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5' x 30'" long mat: <a href="http://amzn.to/2zeYbVJ">http://amzn.to/2zeYbVJ</a><br />
<br />
One caveat, if you buy the mat on its own, it doesn't come with a power supply. So here's the link for the power supply:<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2BwOoA6">http://amzn.to/2BwOoA6</a><br />
<br />
<br />
We also bought a smaller mat which is perfect for steps or smaller areas -<a href="http://amzn.to/2BkCq8A">http://amzn.to/2BkCq8A</a><br />
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<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/search?ie=UTF8&tag=akselsoft-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=b4553bbec560696208d581c452526f6a&camp=15121&creative=330641&index=kitchen&keywords=heat%20trak" target="_blank">HeatTrak</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-ca.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=akselsoft-20&l=ur2&o=15" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<br />
Here's a <a href="https://heattrak.com/collections/residential-mats" target="_blank">link</a> to the company web site - definitely worth checking out. They also have some more industrial mats that are better for driveways but they are a tad expensive (>$1000).<br />
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<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0";
amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true";
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "akselsolution-20";
amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = "bottom";
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search";
amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
amzn_assoc_region = "US";
amzn_assoc_title = "Shop Related Products";
amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = "heattrak";
amzn_assoc_default_category = "All";
amzn_assoc_linkid = "e5b32555e014c48c96e6603d8a2c4ed4";
</script>
<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-43672623923938605922016-08-13T03:28:00.000-07:002016-08-13T03:28:22.811-07:00RECOMMENDED: Puffin Mobile BrowserIf you're looking for <b>speed</b> in a web browser, most people immediately go to Chrome. But between Chrome, Safari, Firefox, most don't really find a big difference between browsers on your mobile device (phone or tablet).<br />
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When testing a web site, I tried to grab as many different browsers and devices as possible. And that's where I found <a href="https://www.puffinbrowser.com/" target="_blank">Puffin</a>. In a word,<br />
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WOW!!<br />
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Our web site was operating behind a separate firewall but even then, Puffin delivered pages at least 2-5x faster than Chrome or Safari and this was on an iPhone 5C. Even on an iPad 2, Puffin's speed is incredible.<br />
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It also supports Flash if you need it. Maybe more so - it's download mechanism is powerful too. On your phone, the chances that you are downloading something directly to your phone for use on your phone is unlikely. Instead, you likely want to refer to it later. Puffin has cloud-to-cloud drive support so when you want to download a file, it will send the link to your cloud drive (like Dropbox) and download it behind the scenes there. The result? Instant download.<br />
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It works for both Android and iOS. There is a free version but the full value of the Download is found in the Pro version (all of 0.99$ in the App store).<br />
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https://www.puffinbrowser.com/index.php<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-35980538714834782412016-08-13T00:33:00.003-07:002016-08-13T00:33:39.840-07:00RECOMMENDED: Torch Browser for Media<br />
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http://torchbrowser.com<br />
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If you consume media through your desktop web browser, you should consider using Torch. Torch is based on Google Chrome (<a href="https://www.chromium.org/" target="_blank">Chromium</a>, Google's open source version, to be exact) so it feels very similar. It is based on an OLDER version of Chrome (since Chrome updates on Google's schedule and Chromium not so much) however, it really works well.<br />
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They have both Windows and Mac versions - although the Mac version isn't being supported anymore, it's still super functional.<br />
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Why Torch? If you are watching a video and want to keep it for later, you can simply click the "Video" button and it downloads it for future use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5CmLLVKpfvsrJzfyLFyY19kOR-HzWKCsBZrE6exZPAt36FZ_KF9v3Fje_RiFVGSi30h7LEkRPRUvAuUFMWywfR85Flz6K5XtDSqR8xyoTkSG3LqstRbA86jl4mjgwO-XzY7vGOI_SUU/s1600/Screenshot+2016-08-13+03.29.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5CmLLVKpfvsrJzfyLFyY19kOR-HzWKCsBZrE6exZPAt36FZ_KF9v3Fje_RiFVGSi30h7LEkRPRUvAuUFMWywfR85Flz6K5XtDSqR8xyoTkSG3LqstRbA86jl4mjgwO-XzY7vGOI_SUU/s1600/Screenshot+2016-08-13+03.29.07.png" /></a></div>
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<br />
Myself, I'm not that big on video. I don't mind watching it but what I really care about is listening to it - it's easier when driving (also a lot safer).<br />
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When you click the Video button, it attempts (since it would be site-specific) to find the original source and downloads it. If it's successful, it will also convert the video into an audio file.<br />
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If you've ever gone through the joy of using tools such as Vid2Mp3 or the others, this Torch feature is worth the use alone. You can likely find similar plug-ins directly for Chrome and the like, but if it's all in one browser, it's easier and you don't need to worry about upgrading on a regular basis.<br />
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Torch also has support for Torrents, media sharing and more.<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-91132459537904545362016-06-29T01:06:00.000-07:002016-06-29T01:06:50.305-07:00Recommended: Roger Varette (Ottawa - home siding)We recently worked with Roger Varette on a small siding job at our home. We had previously been delayed by a contractor who kept us waiting for 5 weeks.<br />
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We found Roger on Kijiji. Instead of having to come out for a prolonged estimate process, he sped up the entire task asking for pictures to get a general idea as to what was required.<br />
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This was over a weekend where we weren't expecting responses until the Monday. He requested a deposit for materials and was ready to get the work done on the Tuesday - so only 48 hours notice, which was great for us!<br />
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He had some transportation issues so we were concerned the delays would immediately start (we're used to that with contractors) Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by a call saying "I'm here". He checked the colours of siding and his eye for the color was extremely good, especially just from two pictures.<br />
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Our big concern was getting the job done. He had both walls done in less than 6 hours and the results were perfect to what we needed. He was great. He offered suggestions on other areas, gave us time if we wanted to replace lighting, cleaned up after himself and his pricing was great.<br />
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For some readers, this may seem like "well, shouldn't all contractors be like that" - Truth is, after working with a lot of contractors, we've had some that leave the mess for us to cleanup, start a job and then prolong it with half finished work. Those who have dealt with contractors can likely relate.<br />
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I've read some negative reviews of Roger's work but all I can say he delivered exactly what he promised, fast , easy and proactive! I would not hesitate to recommend him for this type of work!<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-56578563842247783572016-06-24T01:08:00.000-07:002016-06-29T01:29:58.891-07:00NOT RECOMMENDED (for dogs): AzaleasFor those with pets who have gone through this before or for those who are proactively searching for potential problems, I can appreciate a "duh!" response but if we did it, others may as well.<br />
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The wonderful spring and summer and many people look to improving their outdoor landscaping. After going through a lot of deck work, we wanted to add a shrub to our garden. From the local gardening store, we picked a shrub thinking it would be a good addition - an azalea.<br />
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Our dog loves to play in the backyard and every now and then may nip at some grass. A week after planting the bush, he had a bad day. We came home and found he had thrown up a fair bit (and the other way as well). As long-time dog owners, we thought "ok, he may have eaten something , we'll see how it goes". His attitude was great and didn't seem that distressed by it.<br />
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The NEXT night, however, was a different story. His attitude was great coming home but overnight the vomiting started and then got worse. Two hours later, he was discharging brown blood and his legs started to tremble.<br />
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Our next stop was the closest emergency vet (it was 2am)- we then had to go to another one, <a href="http://avah.on.ca/" target="_blank">Alta Vista Animal Hospital</a> one that we had used before (long story).<br />
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His sugar level had dropped to a dangerously low level and was kept for two nights for monitoring. The diagnosis was varying --- since we didn't know what could have changed (we hadn't thought of the bush). Vets often err on the side of caution - it could be a new allergy, it could be cancer. While our dog is prone to allergies, nothing made a huge amount of sense. Since he had just had a regular check-up two months earlier, we would have thought some of those ideas would have shown themselves earlier. Still we didn't think of the bush.<br />
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While he was being monitored at the vet, my wife thought of the bush. We did some research and all of the symptoms matched. Our dog would routinely walk over around that area and since we knew he would pick at grass, it was plausible that he had eaten a flower from the bush or the leaves had fallen during some recent pruning. The azalea was immediately dug up and out of the garden. Azaleas are extremely toxic to dogs - and if not caught early enough, can bring on a coma or even death.<br />
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We were lucky - even with our older dog, we were able to put him on a regiment to get him back to normal. The vets still have him on a possible list for other causes but seeing how he's bounced back, we're pretty sure of the cause.<br />
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Now- if you look for poisonous plants, the azalea is often grouped with the rhodedendron, which makes it hard to find on toxic lists.<br />
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Considering how many people have pets, it would be something that garden centres should consider - noting potential effects of plants. flowers and bushes on pets. If we had known in advance, we never would have even thought about it.<br />
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Obviously, we'll be more cautious in the future - a rock garden is a pretty safe bet, if extreme. We're just happy to have our little guy getting better.<br />
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Here's a good <a href="http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list" target="_blank">list</a> from the ASPCA.Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-44183665283837158822013-05-22T01:10:00.001-07:002013-05-22T01:10:09.557-07:00Not Recommended - Electrical & Plumbing Store (Nepean)<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><a href="https://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&cid=4909403320138869025&q=The+Electrical+%26+Plumbing+Store&iwloc=A&gl=CA&hl=en">The Electrical & Plumbing Store</a> specializes in (surprise) lighting and plumbing with a large focus on bathrooms. They've been around for several years and have a fairly large inventory of lights and other accessories. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">We've bought lights and fixtures from them in the past. They've never had everything in stock but it usually arrived from their East-end store in under a week.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">Recently, in the middle of renovations, we ordered a fairly large light and were told by the salesman (Brian), it would take possibly 2-3 weeks because it had to be shipped. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">After 3 weeks, it still hadn't arrived in. All of the renovations are done so we want to finish this off. We were told to speak to Paul. He tells us that they placed the order but it wouldn't ship it until they had more orders. It might take 12-18 weeks. Huh? He didn't want to pay the extra money ($100) for shipping. Fine - why not add it to the cost of the order or give the customer the option? This is crazy! Don't sell something you won't order.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">Whoever runs the actual store should learn some customer service. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">To allow your sales people to sell products that won't ship is just bizarre. Some <a href="https://plus.google.com/100698554258031958895/about?gl=ca&hl=en" target="_blank">reviews</a> have noted that the store's staff are just rude - while we have encountered a few friendly sales people (Linda, Tony, Brian), the majority have been aloof and not helpful at all.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">Can't wait to be cancelling our order. Almost wish we could take back the take-away items we've bought in the past. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-line;">Electrical & Plumbing Store (Nepean): NOT RECOMMENDED</span>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-89854555044149750452013-05-16T01:52:00.000-07:002013-05-16T01:52:50.337-07:00RECOMMENDED: Century Roofing & SidingRoofing....everyone needs a roof over their heads. After 18 years, it was time to replace ours. Neighbours in the area were getting it done and there were lots of signs all over the neighbourhood for different companies. Who to choose?<br />
<br />
We saw their work at another home and had them come in for an estimate. How long does it take to do a roof?<br />
<br />
With <a href="http://www.centuryroofingandsiding.ca/">Century Roofing & Siding</a>, our home in Kanata, Ontario (Ottawa area) was done in less than 9 hours!! They were fast, respectful of the environment (with tarps covering the area), efficient and friendly.<br />
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John Barresi came in to provide an estimate. After measuring extensively, he sat and went through all of the details of the work that would be done. Some companies like to give options - Century doesn't - they say what the job will be and deliver it. They don't skimp on things and in our area, where we get a lot of ice build up and windy weather, this has to be taken into account. He said right up front, we aren't the cheapest - but they are competitively priced.<br />
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At the end of the day, when it comes to home repairs, I really like one thing: minimal interference or inconvenience. After having gone through a number of renovations, losing access to various areas of your home over a prolonged period of time can get frustrating very quickly.<br />
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Roofing can take a few days so we were expecting at least 2 days with stuff all over the place. Imagine my surprise when I came back home from work to find several workers on the roof and then two hours later, everything was packed up and gone. At one point, I looked at the roof and thought they would have to be back to do one particular item. When I got up the following morning, it had already been done. They were like magic elves!!<br />
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The result looks spectacular!<br />
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So once again, <a href="http://www.centuryroofingandsiding.ca/">Century Roofing & Siding</a> --- HIGHLY recommended!Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-82519091570943919022012-05-01T01:59:00.000-07:002013-05-16T01:59:24.978-07:00Ziinga : Not Recommended and here's whyScenario: You buy a product at a Best Buy and the clerk tells you "give us your email and you may win xxxx, we're giving away one a month" - sounds good so you give away your email or phone or whatever.<br />
<br />
Months go by and eventually you get an email or text message saying "you've won our prize for this month...click here" and it actually refers to Best Buy.<br />
<br />
<b>Then</b> you get redirected to Ziinga which offers "7 day free registration".<br />
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Ziinga's offer is very deceptive - here's why.<br />
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To use Ziinga, you have to buy "bid credits" - which sounds like a great day - $1 a bid but for $50, they'll give you 40 free. Awesome, right? No. When you purchase the credits, you are also signing into their terms of service which says (but only on the receipt AFTER you purchase).<br />
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"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Please be informed that the 7 days free Platinum membership included with this offer gives you exclusive Bid-for-Free auctions, an additional 10% on all bid package purchases, Daily Bid Agent, FREE shipping on all products, 7 free bid added to your account daily and another 8 free bid on each calendar day you log on to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.ziinga.com/uk" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffcc; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">Ziinga</span>.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. The subscription cost is $ 89.99 per month. You can choose to cancel your subscription at any time by contacting our Customer Service by email at</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="mailto:info@ziinga.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">info@<span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffcc; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">ziinga</span>.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. Platinum membership is binding for the first 3 months.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> "</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The cancellation on a Platinum membership is $49.99. So regardless, when you have to cancel, you will be charged $49.99. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How can they afford to give away an iPad for $29? 100 subscribers means over $4900 just in cancellation fees. Easy money.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Can you win something with Zinga? Absolutely but it requires a lot of effort. An auction will be open for "10 days" so you wait for the very last day to bid, if it's still in your price range. EXCEPT that at the end of the countdown, someone else can bid and that gives the auction a few more minutes, that time goes down, then someone else bids higher. While you only pay for what you win, you can easily go through your bid credits in no time at all (because every time you BID, you give up a credit). So it's easy to burn through all of your bid credits and still not win anything.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Definitely, NOT recommended unless you have a good eye for auctions and don't mind waiting around for a possible discount.</span>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-71494416749080206002012-04-23T01:54:00.000-07:002012-04-23T01:58:16.734-07:00Titanic 3-D: WowWhen James Cameron's <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=titanic3d.htm">Titanic</a> first came out in December 1997, my wife and I joked to our daughter "why are you going to see this movie? it sinks!!!!". Then we finally went to see it in a theatre in May of 1998 (yes, the movie was in theatres that long) and loved it.<br />
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Since then, of course, the movie has been the subject of Oscars, adoration, commentary and criticism, much of which was directed at James Cameron's dialog and story-telling ability. This is likely because any other faults are just too minor to be serious. Cameron, known for the Terminator franchise, simply can't write good movies, so the argument goes. The same criticism was put to him when he released Avatar. That may be true but he can write a movie people want to see. Cameron's writing is similar to those movies that are cliched, predictable, cheesy but are so well done it makes people want to see movies. This is the reason why Michael Bay may make movies that makes several million dollars with cheesier dialog but they come nowhere close to Cameron's successes. The man knows how to make a movie. This is why, perhaps, he has the two top movies of all time (in money made) by a huge margin. He also knows how to do 3-D well. Given an estimated budget of $200 million, Avatar made good 3-D possible - incredible for a technology that was cheesy at best in the 1980's. The rush of movies that were converted into 3-D after being shot started with most results being fairly lacklustre (Clash of the Titans, etc). Most of those movies are fantasy-based.<br />
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I was slightly concerned about how Cameron could add 3-D to a movie that is 15 years old, let alone a movie that isn't fantasy but tied to the real world. I shouldn't have worried. While many critics have said he did 3-D right with Titanic, I still wanted to see it for myself. This is similar to a film-maker adding colour to a black and white movie. Could it really measure up?<br />
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It does. For an estimated budget of $18 million, all I can say is wow. It makes this movie feel like it was just made for 3-D. Certain scenes such as the actual Titanic going over the ocean don't need 3-D; other scenes are typical (subtitles appear floating over movie itself); but the overall impact is just tremendous. Can a love story benefit from 3-D? It can, when done right and those individual scenes were done subtly enough, they were near perfect. When the camera moves through the water, looking at remnants of the ship, the depth contrast is amazing. But as expected, the real fun comes with the action sequences.<br />
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I saw this movie in one of Cineplex's new AVX theatres with bouncy chairs. It was a great experience but I'm glad I didn't see it in a full IMAX 3-D. At the end of the movie, I left the theatre actually feeling queasy, not just because I sat through a full hour of watching a ship sink, but because I felt like I was actually in the water, bobbing up and down while waiting for lifeboats. During scenes where depth is important, such as when looking over the rails at the water, you actually feel the grandeur of this ship, much like being at the Grand Canyon - it's simply incredible.<br />
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It's only in theatres for a few more days (having grossed an additional $50 million since its re-release - not bad for a 15 year old movie) - but if you have the opportunity, see it.<br />
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<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-28092270743325536502012-04-20T01:03:00.001-07:002012-04-20T01:03:59.504-07:00Gmail Meter - email pattern statistics - definitely recommendedIf you are using gMail and ever wondered what your usage is really like, check out gMail Meter.<br />
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What does this do? Well, it may help you change your email habits by showing your patterns.<br />
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The link from LifeHacker is <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5903456/gmail-meter-analyzes-how-you-use-your-email-effectively-or-not">here</a><br />
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You create a new spreadsheet in Google Docs, name it Gmail Meter and then run a script from the Script Gallery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqOKTMjTdVHJvB3Yez0nsndPUmMeU6hHHR_ageKFYiRNm7H-fG485_F8JeteDTXCT4xNboQjMp3Yid6jJn3xJomr1wNHd8KATG4F_E33KDvKv-ScL-m8XH1QNti2SspihPSKBeaGPJ7bq/s1600/2012-04-20_0356.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqOKTMjTdVHJvB3Yez0nsndPUmMeU6hHHR_ageKFYiRNm7H-fG485_F8JeteDTXCT4xNboQjMp3Yid6jJn3xJomr1wNHd8KATG4F_E33KDvKv-ScL-m8XH1QNti2SspihPSKBeaGPJ7bq/s320/2012-04-20_0356.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3ARRM3s8NArIPEUBsxJ4Np06f3tt7SMprwcApxuKftV0c_xZKS7uVe3rLGMfcbmG_rB4AQQPrnyEEljBIdQujEJwlEqP1nVmQWgdqVBPwn8H3uZQUGjFAukHYhVhtFGgUlEvVKTCK-Xx/s1600/2012-04-20_0356a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3ARRM3s8NArIPEUBsxJ4Np06f3tt7SMprwcApxuKftV0c_xZKS7uVe3rLGMfcbmG_rB4AQQPrnyEEljBIdQujEJwlEqP1nVmQWgdqVBPwn8H3uZQUGjFAukHYhVhtFGgUlEvVKTCK-Xx/s320/2012-04-20_0356a.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then let the script run. It can take a while to run but you can just let it go, it will send you an email when it's done with all of the stats. What kind of stats? Here's just a smattering of the stats:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oLjvjgWewvncFhRWFML7qoWLi4zNl70ucL9vMB2on-ysj_S42738i7s2dAV-_89_2lNeipOWMzha1BfySDFXW56jdyRgY19EMlRkkwVXWsApQZrRVOAgdYoSJDmqViEVbBaENuQGTv9E/s1600/2012-04-20_0353.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oLjvjgWewvncFhRWFML7qoWLi4zNl70ucL9vMB2on-ysj_S42738i7s2dAV-_89_2lNeipOWMzha1BfySDFXW56jdyRgY19EMlRkkwVXWsApQZrRVOAgdYoSJDmqViEVbBaENuQGTv9E/s320/2012-04-20_0353.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9f2TcAVDBbuv0NzGQHKHY3HkrVleKiNJspegP3yoDz3p_eNoaghrJuZPL6m_CiRAax9sJ3_yaMXNxImZXDoam69NYkaiczPQSlWn08Tic3Hl0kkGqtDMUNJmUdY-OV-L-r3M1P5aT69u/s1600/2012-04-20_0353a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9f2TcAVDBbuv0NzGQHKHY3HkrVleKiNJspegP3yoDz3p_eNoaghrJuZPL6m_CiRAax9sJ3_yaMXNxImZXDoam69NYkaiczPQSlWn08Tic3Hl0kkGqtDMUNJmUdY-OV-L-r3M1P5aT69u/s320/2012-04-20_0353a.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MQFsKaxLNp1ot6pa1y7tW9XltqtD-9FbbVvziAGVHak6PrTPTAvuLD7-OcZM6nDRHZmihhV10D8-Qgy2hEvCCK3rHvJ9PuJDWfm1gxXB_KNmdmIL5WreOrQ2nOmpEY199c4dqU2J2jVh/s1600/2012-04-20_0353b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MQFsKaxLNp1ot6pa1y7tW9XltqtD-9FbbVvziAGVHak6PrTPTAvuLD7-OcZM6nDRHZmihhV10D8-Qgy2hEvCCK3rHvJ9PuJDWfm1gxXB_KNmdmIL5WreOrQ2nOmpEY199c4dqU2J2jVh/s320/2012-04-20_0353b.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Very cool!<br />
<br />Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-50938253835126160302012-04-19T03:05:00.000-07:002014-07-12T04:15:52.852-07:00Jason Mraz: Love Is A Four Letter Word<br />
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<a href="http://jasonmraz.com/wp-content/files_mf/cover_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jasonmraz.com/wp-content/files_mf/cover_2.png" height="280" width="320" /></a></div>
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After trying different songs and styles over the past 4 years, Jason Mraz comes up with an album that is very different from his previous offerings yet still succeeds in delivering a satisfying sound.<br />
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If you're looking for the upbeat and fast-paced funk of We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, you won't find it here. That may be the biggest problem for his thousands of fans. This album is definitely more subdued than his other efforts. The risqué lyrics and fun wordplay that many fans have come to love aren't on this album - yet the song writing on this album seems more focused on its goal.<br />
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The production on Love Is a Four Letter Word is very smooth - lush strings come in to add those touches, the horns are not in your face (with the exception of The Freedom Song) and the harmonies are light and airy. With the exception of voice, guitar and drums, every instrument comes and goes very discreetly, adding their touches when needed but without fanfare. This can both be a blessing and a curse, as it sometimes sounds like the soul of a song has been smothered by the production. Here we find an album about Love that talks about love but never quite hits the emotional peaks and lows that love brings about.<br />
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This is typical of most Mraz albums however - songs on a Mraz album rarely sound like they do when performed live. This is perhaps the curse of being an artist who can pull lyrics out of thin air with a melody that lingers - a produced album never sounds "live".<br />
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Fans who want to know that Jason hasn't lost his fun live style should buy the Deluxe version which features live tracks of songs that didn't make the album: You F*cking Did It, a song reminiscent of Dynamo of Volition and Like I Never Knew You. That version also includes a demo version of "I Won't Give Up", the first single.<br />
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Certain songs do feel like they were "required" by the label: Living In The Moment sounds like a throw-away to I'm Yours, Mraz' biggest hit from the last album; Everything Is Sound also sounds like it was based on some of his earlier music, yet toned down. The songs all carry a positive message - it's better to write about love and positivity than hate and negativity - yet a lot of the lyrics show a sincere earnestness that comes with knowing, getting and losing love.<br />
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At some times, the album takes on a country feel (Living in the Moment and Frank D Fixer); at other times, it sounds like the roots-rock of the 70s (Who's Thinking About You Now, Be Honest) and sometimes like jazz (5/6). A hidden track "I'm Coming Over" sounds like Paul Simon. Rather than a "party" album, it's a "cruising" album, the kind of album you want to put on for a relaxing afternoon or a dinner party. In fact, the album may garner more fans from the over-30 audience than from the younger generation.<br />
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This album doesn't have hits written all over it. While most songs can stand on their own, none sound like break-away hits.<br />
This is a more mature-sounding Mraz, grappling with a universal topic, expressed in a harmless, uneventful way. Yet the album grows stronger and stronger on every listen, with something for everyone. In the end, to borrow a phrase from I Won't Give Up, the album knows "it's worth it".Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-88576764461038693992011-11-29T12:57:00.001-08:002017-12-22T03:41:46.577-08:00Recommended: Colicchio and Sons Tap Room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/colicchio-and-sons/wp-content/themes/colicchio-and-sons/images/gfx-home-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/colicchio-and-sons/wp-content/themes/colicchio-and-sons/images/gfx-home-logo.jpg" height="79" width="320" /></a></div>
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My review on <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/colicchio-and-sons-new-york#hrid:4VbKLUf-4uymh9ja8I2OZA">Yelp</a><br />
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Update: SADLY - the Tap room closed earlier this year. Now, we have to find another place for our New York visits.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , "lucida grande" , "bitstream vera sans" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">We had a late lunch at the Tap Room the day after Thanksgiving. My wife's comment says it all - "Judge away, Tom, judge away" - a reference to the fact that many people complain about the way Tom judges on Top Chef. The entire experience (service, food, everything) is exactly what a restaurant should be.<br /><br />A 25$ prix-fixe for lunch (two courses) is a STEAL for a restaurant of this quality.<br /><br />I had a frise fig and walnut salad (I typically wouldn't enjoy frise) and it was amazing. My wife had the bean soup and fell in love with it. Then I had the ricotta cavaletti with oyster mushrooms. Delicious. My wife had a flat-iron steak (something she doesn't usually eat) and loved it.<br /><br />The service was spot-on - dishes arrived as soon as we were ready for them, impeccable timing and perfectly casual. Wine was expensive but well worth it. Saw lots of pizza and burgers being eaten which made me very excited to come back.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , "lucida grande" , "bitstream vera sans" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-50107465952949914412011-11-29T12:51:00.001-08:002011-11-29T12:52:35.520-08:00Mesa Grill (Thanksgiving) - Not RecommendedCheck out my full review on <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mesa-grill-new-york#hrid:ZX6h5smu1aEMZKLe6w_WtQ">Yelp</a> and Open Table but the Thanksgiving prix fixe was so disappointing that I wonder if I would go back to another Bobby Flay restaurant.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">They promoted it as Southwestern Thanksgiving Bobby Flay-style and my wife was crushed.<br /><br />Service was indifferent (I don't care how busy you are for that) - and the initial course was surprising. The pumpkin soup tasted like overdone pumpkin pie before it was put in the shell. The shrimp and couscous was dry after the sauce disappeared.<br /><br />Worse, my prawns weren't cooked --- to the point where I had to spit it out. The server even noted it (we were comp'd one prix fixe which we didn't expect) - it was inedible and unfortunately made the entire meal disappointing enough we didn't want to finish it. There were only 6 items on the entire menu - that one of the them was completely undercooked still amazes me. </span>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3826890861257944699.post-8928357083761352482011-03-16T14:22:00.000-07:002011-03-16T14:22:42.868-07:00Tom Colicchio Interview<div>If you like Top Chef, you will definitely want to read this interview with Tom Colicchio.</div><div><br /></div><div>Great interview - full of insight on the Top Chef All Stars Season.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/tom-colicchio,53253/">Tom Colicchio | TV | Interview | The A.V. Club</a>Andrew MacNeillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888444225785506598noreply@blogger.com0