Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Elysium


This movie was terrible. I'm a big fan of Matt Damon but this was a dud. It was the same director of District 9 so he copied a lot of same elements. Basically this movie is a bad, more Hollywood, bigger budget version of District 9. Instead of aliens it was a lower class of people.
You can tell the director was a Halo fan because he stole a lot of elements from the game from the Halo rings all the way to the personal bubble shield.


There was so much camera shaking that it was difficult to enjoy the movie sometimes. The characters were flat and one dimensional. There is not much else to say other that the movie was a waste of time and money. 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Hi Headrest insert for iPad

This is a review for a headrest insert for the iPad. It's made for an iPad but I'm using it for a touchpad which has exact same physical specs as the iPad. It was purchased from amazon.


They did not use high quality materials for this product. The plastic feels cheap and flimsy and probably won't last a few falls.



It has a strap that you can wrap around the headrest. You can do it vertically or horizontally which is nice to accommodate your head rest. All the ports for your iPad or Touchpad have openings.



It serves the purpose but it won't last long due to the poor quality materials. 


Fluval C4 & C2 filter

This is a review of the Fluval C4 and C2 hang on the back filter. I am using them for fresh water only. The C4 is going onto a 37gallon bow front tank and the C2 will go on a 5 gallon tank. The pictures of the filter is the smaller C2.



They are both identical in terms of mechanism for filtration the only difference being the amount of water they process. The C2 is rated for up to 10 gallon tank and the C4 up to 55 gallon . I believe over filtration is better because it will keep the tank cleaner and your changeable media will last longer. 
I have been using the C4 for 7 months before I had to clean out the bio screen pictured below.


Fluval has done a very good job designing the filter. Each section is compartmentalism for easy maintenance and changes. The bio screen section above pops out and can be easily cleaned.

A little red knob will pop up when the filter is dirty and needs to be cleaned. It comes up when there is enough resistance against the filter and the water level rises to float the indicator. Very smart design. I have owned penguins in the last and this is the only hanging over the back I will buy. 


The section in front of the bio filter holds the ceramic spikes for your wet/dry portion for optimal bacteria. 


This part comes put easily for maintenance. 


Under this section is a red plastic container that will hold your carbon. The filter comes with very small carbon pieces for maximum surface area. When I need to change the carbon, I will probably use larger carbon refills because they are cheaper.

After 7 months of use, I have had to clean the bio filter once and the carbon once. It is quiet but not completely quiet. The vibration from the impeller motor does make a small hum noise from the lid part of wet/dry media. If you tape it down it will decrease the noise. I have noticed this on both the C2 and C4. It's a small issue with their fit and finish of the plastic parts. 

                               

Another nice feature is the intake nozzle is a once piece adjustable. Other hang on the back comes in two pieces. Over time I have lost them and could not find them when switching to a new tank. 

                             

This to me is the best hang on the back filter you can get. 


Thursday, October 10, 2013

MAG-FLOAT floating aquarium cleaner

This is a small magnetic tank cleaner for an aquarium. I chose a small one because I would keep this in the tank and didn't want a big magnet hiding the view of the tank.


I bought it from Amazon for a good price and bought other items to get free shipping. 
The cleaner side (part in the tank) does a fair job or getting rid of the brown algae build-up. You do have to go over the same spot 3-4 times in order to remove it completely. The magnetic bond is strong and works well even with a curved tank. 
It's been in the tank for 4 months straight and still performs well for a 37 gallon tank. If you have a larger tank, I would recommend the larger size. 

Harbinger Lifting Gloves

These gloves were made for lifting that protects your palms but leaves your fingers open for better grip. I'm using these gloves to run in a tough mudder race in October.
The price is right and I got the closest fit. They only had three sizes so I chose the fit that was snug. 


Material quality is fair. Mostly canvas and some synthetic leather. It does seem like there is a bit too much padding on the palm. I think with repeated use this will be a nonfactor. 

The over hand strap has a solid feel and stays in place. We'll see how it holds up to the mud and water during a tough mudder race.



After Race update:
 These gloves worked well. I would recommend the open finger type. It will give you better grip and feel for when you are doing a Tough Mudder racer. There were just a tab big for my hands so they slipped around a little bit. I did not have the need to readjust them and they dried quickly. They cleaned well and are ready for another race.