Brookstone Flip Calculator with World Clock Product Review

I bought Brookstone's Flip Calculator with World Clock because I lost the operating instructions for my Journey's Edge Robotic Calculator with World Time Clock. The 2 calculator/clocks are basically the same though slightly different. The instructions I received with my Brookstone device worked for my Journey's Edge device. The slight differences are with the front of the case that opens up and, how you access the compartment that holds the batteries. The front of the case has a different appearance i.e. one is smooth while the other has a button you can use to close the clock. The battery compartment is different in that with the Brookstone device, you can slide the cover with your fingers to open it while with the Journey's Edge, you have to use a small philips head screwdriver to unscrew a small screw to open the compartment - a small hassle. Both devices use AG13/LR44/357 batteries. Ironically, it may cost you almost as much to replace the batteries on the device as what it cost you to buy it. I bought a 3 pack of 357 batteries for $5.67 at Wal-Mart.

In terms of price, both are priced closed to each other. I bought the Brookstone model on sale for $6.99. Supposedly, it regularly sells for $9.99. Ebay lists the Journey's Edge model for $7.99. You shouldn't pay more than $10 for one of these calculator/clocks and, you may be able to pay less depending on the deal you might be able to find on Ebay.

Both devices can display the time and date for 16 different time zones. The device will be set for a base time example: New York and, you press one of the other 15 buttons to see the time and date for the other time zones which are listed by a single city example: Tokyo or Moscow. If you don't know what time zone your particular city is in or the one you'll be traveling to, you'll have to look up what time zone it shares with what city. One minor annoyance is that you can't keep the clock set on the time zone you're traveling in like you can with Tech Tools PI-810 Traveling World Time Clock (I'll be reviewing this another time).

As for the calculator function, it works fine but, I question how much you need a calculator barring figuring to determine what something costs in your local currency.

Both devices come with an alarm and a countdown timer though the alarm isn't super loud. Another plus of the device is its light weight. Also, it takes up very little space when folded up.

Overall, it's an ok travel clock but, I think the TI clock I mentioned is better and is only a little bit more expensive than this device. Brookstone has a Microbeam Travel Clock which comes with a built in flashlight which can be handy traveling but, it doesn't have the different times zones this calculator/clock has and, it costs over 4 times more than this device ($29.99 for the Microbeam clock). This device has 2 pluses over the TI clock in that the buttons for it are protected when it's closed and, it uses just 1 type of battery i.e. AG13's where as the TI clock uses 3 AG13's and 2 AAA batteries (I'll explain why in my review of this travel clock). Happy travels all!

Porthole Cruise Magazine Review

Here is the promised review on Porthole cruise magazine. As I said in my review on Cruise Travel magazine, I think the Porthole magazine has a more professional/higher quality look and feel to it though it also contains more advertising in it. The magazine like Cruise Travel offers useful information on ports and as well as telling about various cruises on offer. For example: the February 2014 issue had an insider's look at Marseille, France as well as what it's like to cruise on the Tere Moana and the Aranui 3. I thought the Aranui 3 was particularly interesting as it goes to places you'd never get to visit other wise like the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. Also, it had an article on tips for socializing at sea. One downside to cruising vice group land tours is you are very much on your own on a cruise unless a spouse/significant other, relation or friend comes along. For those curious what the future holds for cruising, it had an article on what might await future cruisers.

Price wise, the magazine is nearly half the price of Cruise Travel for a 1 year/6 issue subscription ($19.99 vice $38.95) and is less than half the price for a 2 year ($29.99 vice $68.90) with no extra charge for getting the digital version as well. If you want to buy just the digital version (an option not offered with Cruise Travel though it may be offered with the app (I plan to check on this)), it costs $15.99 for a 1 year subscription and $19.99 for a 2 year subscription (a real bargain).

Overall, this is a fine cruise magazine. It differs from Cruise Travel in that it doesn't technical details on some ships as well as offering a listing of what lines sail into what ports but, it does offer excellent (and potentially useful) articles with very good pictures. I'd say it's a more upscale cruise magazine compared to Cruise Travel. If you're into cruising, I think it's worth subscribing to especially with the cheaper subscription prices. Happy travels all!

Disclaimer: All views expressed here are my own. I didn't receive any compensation for writing this review and, I paid out of my own pocket for the February issue of Porthole magazine which I based my opinions of it on.

2014 Daylight Savings Time Begins March 9, 2014 In United States

A reminder to any readers I have in the United States (U.S.) that Daylight Savings Time goes into effect tomorrow morning at 2 a.m. except for areas in Arizona and Hawaii. The best thing to do for those affected is to set your clocks ahead 1 hour tonight before you go to sleep so, you'll have the right time tomorrow. That way you won't miss anything tomorrow that you have to do at a certain hour. Cheers all!

Cruise Travel Magazine Review

I know of 2 magazines that cover specifically travel on cruise ships. They are Cruise Travel and Porthole (will be reviewed by me later). I think Porthole is the more professional looking of the two magazines BUT, Cruise Travel magazine has its advantages in my opinion. One of them is some great and potentially useful articles. Example: the January/February 2014 issue tells readers what kind of wedding at sea packages are available on cruises as well as the rules on having the ship's captain marry would be newlyweds. The November/December 2013 issue has a cruise calendar that shows all the itineraries for different cruise lines for the winter/spring period. This can be handy in that it allows you to compare itineraries helping you find the one that best fulfills your travel desires.

Cost wise, the magazine sells for $5.99 (U.S. dollars). 1 year subscriptions sell for $38.95 and 2 year for $68.90. The magazine comes out bi-monthly (every other month).

The only down sides I've seen with the magazine is I wish there were more articles and, I think some of their reviews of various ships were a bit gushy. One reviewer of a Silversea cruise I think was a bit over the top on their praise of the ship and the things it had on board. Still, the magazine does give good information on what various ships and cruise lines have to offer.

Overall, I think the magazine is worth subscribing to if you like to go on cruises or are interested in doing it. It provides good information on different cruises, ports, ships and things to do in various ports. I was impressed enough with the magazine that I plan to subscribe to the magazine myself. Happy cruising all!

Garmin Nuvi 2797 LMT GPS Review

I've had a Garmin Nuvi 750 Global Positioning System (GPS) unit for a number of years. I've been very pleased with it BUT, I began to run into problems with its memory. The new map updates kept getting larger in size and, the unit didn't have enough memory built in to handle them. So, I had to cut out various updates. I tried to upgrade the memory on the unit but, it had problems with the new large memory mini-cards. So, I decided to buy a new GPS unit. I settled on the Garmin Nuvi 2797 LMT because of its 7 inch screen, the lifetime map and traffic updates and, you'll never have to upgrade the memory on it (I don't know why).

The unit sells for $269.99 at Best Buy (where I bought mine). It comes with a suction cup thingy as well as a car power cord you can plug into your car's cigarette lighter and a cable for hooking it up to your computer so you can download map updates.

The unit is very easy to use. I haven't had any problems trying to find addresses on it. I particularly like the split screens where it'll show the exit I want and what lane I should stay it. Also, it shows special warnings when you enter school zones. Bluetooth wise, it has a function where it can tie in to your bluetooth capable phone and enable you to talk on your phone through the unit (I haven't tried this function to see how well it works). The 7 inch screen comes in handy in that it's very easy to see various roads on it as well as what's coming up ahead of you.

Overall, I've been very pleased with this GPS. I don't use it all the time because I don't travel that much but, when I do need it, it works great. I would definitely recommend it to others. The unit gets a 4.6 out of 5 (164 reviews at the time of this post) on Best Buy's website by other units which to me means others think it's a pretty good unit too. Happy traveling all!

Update December 9, 2015: I tried out the Bluetooth phone link with this GPS this past October when I was driving down to Richmond to see my friend Harvey. The link proved handy as I was able to talk to my friend without having to hold my smart phone while driving. Later, after I got a map update, I found I had to re-link my smart phone with the GPS unit. Apparently, that information gets lost or wiped out during the map update. Overall, I am pretty pleased with this feature even though I doubt I'll use it much.