Author Topic: What's Your Favorite Gadget? Here's mine with a Discount - A Seltzer Maker (Read 46667 times)

mouser · « **on:** October 03, 2006, 09:17 AM »

I'll bet we have some real gadget lovers here..
On my last trip home to New York City you can imagine my surprise when I saw this in my father's kitchen:

http://www.sodaclubusa.com/

I love making juice drinks and chocolate drinks with seltzer; much less sweet and chemically than soda!

Well I live in Urbana-Champaign in Illinois now and every time I go to the grocery store i curse them out because they don't sell seltzer (carbonated water). As soon as i saw this seltzer maker i fell in love with it, and i'ts my new favorite gadget. Works really well and super convenient, I *love* it and use it every day. Big thumbs up from me

Little video demo here: http://www.sodaclubu...demo/HowTo/HowTo.htm

I was so excited about it that i contacted them and arranged a 30% discount for anyone here who has an interest in it. As always i/we get no commission or affiliate fees or any other benefits at all, so buy it or not, it won't affect me.

Because this ships with a gas cannister they probably won't ship it outside the US but you may be able to find a similar company where you live.

Advice: i do not like the diet flavoring stuff they provide, you might not like it either so don't order much of that (it's all made with sucralose even the non-diet flavors), so i strongly suggest you just go to your super market and buy these non-frozen concentrated juice cans (i buy cranberry and grape mainly), and of course some chocolate for making NY Egg Creams (i'll post my recipe later). There are 3 models available but they are all the same except for look and bottle type - the most expensive one uses a bottle that seems inferior, so it seems to be the cheapest model is the best, imho.

If you want the 30% discount, use coupon RAD30 when ordering. Expires October 15th, and available to all donationcoder readers. Price before discount is from $80 to $130 depending on the kit.

ps. this is not an advert - i am just a huge fan of this thing

what's your favorite gadget that you own?

mukestar · « **Reply #1 on:** October 03, 2006, 09:45 AM »

Its just a SodaStream isnt it, i used to have one (well my parents used to have it) years ago. Problem them days was that you got these tiny bottles and really nasty syrup, in the end after faffing around with the syrup, trying to clean it from the rim of this minature bottle that held about 3 eggcups worth of drink, and trying to delude yourself the actual resulting drink was fizzylicious, we just put the damned think in the top cupboard to gather dust, along with the Toasted sandwhich machine and the Blender, oh them where the days.

Probably the ones you pointed out are better anyhow, as somehow britain in the 80`s usually got crap versions of american gadgets.

My favorite gadget is my IR remote control watch, as i just love annyoing the sales people at Dixons by turning all the T.V`s to full volume.

nudone · « **Reply #2 on:** October 03, 2006, 09:56 AM »

my favourite gadget is a hair grip.

i use it for cleaning out my filthy ear holes - try it, it gives immense pleasure.

(don't try it if you are so dumb you will poke your eardrum.)

mouser · « **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2006, 10:03 AM »

mukestar · « **Reply #4 on:** October 03, 2006, 10:05 AM »

I think its time you upgraded Nudone, i think in version 2.4b they`ve put a thing called "cotton wool" on the tips.

And i hope you tell the person who`s hairclip it is, especially it its a lady, as ive observe they often put the hair clips in there mouth whilst adjusting there hair, and they may be wondering why there getting this tangy taste sensation.

nudone · « **Reply #5 on:** October 03, 2006, 10:14 AM »

it's my very own hair grip - i bought a pack of them just for the job.

cotton wool tips are rubbish. with a hair grip you can use it like a shovel and do a really good scrape. ah, i love it.

mukestar · « **Reply #6 on:** October 03, 2006, 10:19 AM »

Dont suppose you`ve ever considered setting up on Ebay and selling Nudones all natural candles

superboyac · « **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2006, 04:03 PM »

Why is picking your ear considered less gross than picking your nose? I've often wondered...

nudone · « **Reply #8 on:** October 03, 2006, 04:13 PM »

yeah, ebay, it's worth a try. might take me quite a while to make one candle though. if you want to put an order in i'll make sure you get the first one - might be just in time for christmas.

picking your ears ain't so bad as it doesn't involve touching your face - something i assume is considered sacrosanct when it comes to prodding around - so it appears more disturbing.

maybe it's an evolutionary thing - more disease is spread through nasal pickings than ear pickings - i don't know.

zridling · « **Reply #9 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:19 AM »

Ah, can a ladder be a gadget? Perhaps it's too big, but I'm voting for the Little Giant ladder, which is better than its infomercial. A guy in Germany invented this in the 1970s and Hal Wing licensed and brought it to the US, and it's the most useful thing you will ever own. Give this as a wedding present and you will be beloved long after the marriage dissolves!

app103 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 04, 2006, 04:36 AM »

low tech gadget:

ribbons

Why? You can do so much with them. And they are stronger than string.

My favorite use of ribbon? Bookmarks.

Take a spandex book cover and stitch a bunch to the top center. Use the thinnest ribbon you can get. (embroidery ribbon is my favorite. see images below to understand what embroidery ribbon is)
Use a lot of different colors and make them long enough that they will hang out the bottom of whatever book you plan on using the cover with.
When you put the cover on the book, make sure the ribbons are on the inside and folded in half.
Now when you need to bookmark a section, just pull one out and drape it across the page, letting it hang out the bottom of the book, and continue reading.

Since they are different colors, it makes it easier to find the section you want by locating the color you used to mark it that is hanging out the bottom of the book.

You would be surprised what a great study aid this can be for a visual person. Thinking about the info you need to remember, and remembering what color ribbon you marked it with can often times enable you to see the page in your mind.

Combine that with highlighters in different colors and doodles made with multi-color ink pens in the margins and you can almost read the info with your eyes closed later when you need to recall it. (I have never studied for a test in my life and rarely ever missed a question)

a more high tech gadget:

My microwave oven.

I have no idea how I ever got along without one and can't remember what life was like before I got one.

And I don't just use mine for reheating leftovers and frozen convenience foods...I cook in mine. (and no, things don't come out tasting rubbery or weird, because I know how to do it right)

With the exception of baked goods, almost everything can be done in a microwave and cleanup is much easier.

Some things are even better when done in a microwave, such as rice and steamed vegetables....the 2 staples of my diet.

And as a bonus, my microwave has a clock! and a general purpose timer! (and we all know how obsessed with clocks & timers I am)

allen · « **Reply #11 on:** October 04, 2006, 06:10 AM »

My microwave oven.

I have no idea how I ever got along without one and can't remember what life was like before I got one.
-app103 (October 04, 2006, 04:36 AM)

Amen!

Does it count as a gadget, though, or is it an appliance? Since I don't know where to draw the line, I'm going to have to say my favorite gadget is my French press.

Mark0 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 04, 2006, 06:51 AM »

How about this DVD Rewinder?

Bye!

app103 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 04, 2006, 07:43 AM »

How about this DVD Rewinder?
-Mark0 (October 04, 2006, 06:51 AM)

hahahaha!!

Mizraim · « **Reply #14 on:** October 04, 2006, 12:54 PM »

Wow, does the DVD rewinder come in red?

nudone · « **Reply #15 on:** October 04, 2006, 02:34 PM »

i prefer to rewind a dvd back by hand. it takes a long time but at least you know it's done properly.

and i'd just like to say i've never had a problem with a dvd yet, so there.

Mizraim · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2006, 02:36 PM »

nudone, have you ever scratched it while rewinding? That was my problem... I am glad they have come up with something that helps that.

nudone · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2006, 02:41 PM »

i wear a special pair of super soft gloves i bought just for the job, so i've never had trouble with scratches.

Mizraim · « **Reply #18 on:** October 04, 2006, 02:44 PM »

Oooo do those come in red?

nudone · « **Reply #19 on:** October 04, 2006, 02:46 PM »

mouser · « **Reply #20 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:13 PM »

I think i better step in and clear this up before someone falls for this scam.
Please people, do not buy this thing.

While it does work, it consumes a lot of battery power and it's expensive.

You can rewind your dvds at home for free using a simple trick: get yourself a ziplock bag or a plastic airtight container (must be air tight). Fill it with cold water (between 50 and 60 degrees farenheight). Place dvd (only one per container) inside and let sit for 1 hour in the refridgerator. Due to the principle of thermodynamics, the cold temperature will cause the dvd data to contract and rewind itself, using no electricity at all (except of course the minor amount used by the refridgerator). While it's true this process takes a bit longer, it's a lot cheaper than buying a dvd rewinder!

Mizraim · « **Reply #21 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:15 PM »

Do the Ziplocks come in red?

And can I use the gloves mentioned my nudone, are they waterproof?

Deozaan · « **Reply #22 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:24 PM »

I think i better step in and clear this up before someone falls for this scam.
Please people, do not buy this thing.

While it does work, it consumes a lot of battery power and it's expensive.

You can rewind your dvds at home for free using a simple trick: get yourself a ziplock bag or a plastic airtight container (must be air tight). Fill it with cold water (between 50 and 60 degrees farenheight). Place dvd (only one per container) inside and let sit for 1 hour in the refridgerator. Due to the principle of thermodynamics, the cold temperature will cause the dvd data to contract and rewind itself, using no electricity at all (except of course the minor amount used by the refridgerator). While it's true this process takes a bit longer, it's a lot cheaper than buying a dvd rewinder!
-mouser (October 04, 2006, 03:13 PM)

nudone · « **Reply #23 on:** October 04, 2006, 04:07 PM »

mouser, that truly is an ingenious idea. i'll let you know how i get on after i've tried it on my box of unrewound disks (hehe, i've just invented a word).

when i started to read your tip about using a bag i thought you were going to describe the method of putting a load of unrewound disks in an old plastic carrier bag - you then swing the bag around your head - the faster the revolutions the quicker you'll wind back the dvds.

i've tried, and yes, it does work. i suppose it's good exercise too.

warning: the problem with the swinging bag method is that you don't know when to stop - this has the damaging effect of winding the dvds too far back. when they are played back there will be a period of empty screen until they reach the correct original starting point. i understand that if done too many times the dvd can become stuck in the too far wound back state, so be careful.

Mizraim · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2006, 05:44 PM »

But with that in mind, maybe you can ruin the warnings that always seem to popup after the english in french... I mean why french? I'll bet if you can get enough practice you can actually rewind it to the point just after the FBI warnings and being at the actual feature... I am going to try this!!!