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Gadget WEEKENDS

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mouser:
My gadget today is a soda can (beverage) chiller.

Along with tea, I drink quite a bit of soda (i know, bad habit) -- which i drink out of standard 12oz cans.  I usually have them refrigerated but sometimes not -- especially when guests arrived who want a flavor i don't keep in the fridge.

So this device can take a can from room temperature to very cold in only a few minutes.  They do work.

The best known one seems to be this "Cooper Cooler" brand -- they make quite a few models and they also work to chill wine and beer bottles:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooper-Cooler-HC01-A-Beverage-Chiller/dp/B0007LJNB4


That one above is about $60 -- you can get more expensive models and cheaper ones on ebay too.


The way this device works is that you fill up the container with ice, and it rapidly SPINS the can or bottle for a few minutes.  By keeping the surface of the can/bottle exposed to ice while insuring the liquid inside circulates at the surface, the liquid inside is rapidly and evenly cooled.


Now, those models clearly look like the best performers, but I am a stickler for minimizing clutter and i didn't like the idea of having to fill this thing up with ice and plug it in, and store it, etc.  And i didn't think I had much use for cooling bottles.

So instead I bought a super low tech cheapie version of this on ebay, called the Frost Boss, which can be found for about $20:
http://www.amazon.com/Frost-Boss-1C3/dp/B008CQN3IA/


This one is battery powered and the spinning device is only a little larger than the size of a coffee mug.

So what I do with it is i threw away the container that you are supposed to fill with ice, and kept the coffee mug size spinner.  I always keep a bag of ice in my freezer, so if i ever want to use this i simply take it out of cabinet, attach a can to it, turn it on, and place the pair in my freezer IN my bag of ice, close the freezer, and come back in 5 minutes to a cold can of soda.  No muss no fuss, no cords no wasted cabinet space, no ice water to clean up.

mouser:
Bonus gadget:

I really like these snap on can covers.  There are a ton of different brands but the screw-cap-type ones are the only ones I have found work well:

http://www.amazon.com/6pk-SNAP-TOP-LID-COVER~SODA~TOPPER~GUZZLE~BOTTLE/dp/B003L2A4K0

KynloStephen66515:
Bonus gadget:

I really like these snap on can covers.  There are a ton of different brands but the screw-cap-type ones are the only ones I have found work well:

http://www.amazon.com/6pk-SNAP-TOP-LID-COVER~SODA~TOPPER~GUZZLE~BOTTLE/dp/B003L2A4K0
(see attachment in previous post)
-mouser (January 18, 2013, 05:50 PM)
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Ha, I own these....Didn't consider them to be a gadget though...Great for driving situations, or even walking, so you can put it in your pocket.

Renegade:
While less "gadgety" than some of the above, my headphones have a couple nice features.

Gadget WEEKENDS

http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,1063,pid,1063,nodeid,2,_language,EN,view,specs.html

The top headband really makes them feel a lot lighter. This is especially noticeable when you're wearing them for a long time.

While not in the picture, they come with cloth covers for the over-ear-pads. This is much more comfortable than plastic, as plastic makes you sweat. In fact, this is one of the most important feature that I look for in headphones.

The detachable cord is also nice, but I don't really use that. It's more or less for transportation purposes.

The sound quality is great. When I do audio work, I only use headphones - not speakers (except for speaker testing), so great sound and comfort are important to me.

They have very good dynamic range at 15 to 25,000 Hz, so they're ideal for pretty much any use, though you clearly can't do LFE with them, but nobody expects to slap sub-woofers onto the sides of their head.

KynloStephen66515:
but nobody expects to slap sub-woofers onto the sides of their head.
-Renegade (January 18, 2013, 07:41 PM)
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