Do a search and you’ll find a lot of articles about WaterField’s Finn wallets as they have evolved – and been reviewed – by The Gadgeteer over the years. There’s a new evolution in the Finn design to discuss today. WaterField has kept the same shape, materials, and functionality you love in the Finn and added RFID-blocking to the Finn Access wallet to protect your cards and even your passport.
There are three sizes of the new Finn Access. The Compact Size (#25) is 4.5″ x 3″ and weighs 1.5 oz; it holds about 20+ credit cards plus a wad of U.S. dollars. The Classic(#26) is 4.75” x 3.5” and weighs 2.6 oz; it holds 20+ credit cards plus a wad of US or foreign currency. The Passport (#42) is 5.75″ x 4.25″ and weighs 1.9 oz; it holds a U.S. Passport, US or foreign currency, 20+ credit cards, and a small pen.
The Finn Access is made of full-grain leather, certified RFID-blocking material, and has a YKK self-locking zipper. There’s an outside pocket to keep travel docs or even an iPhone X readily available. All three sizes are available in your choice of grizzly, gray, black, or crimson leather. The Compact and Classic sizes are $79.00; the Passport is $89.00. Learn more and purchase the Finn Access wallet at WaterField Designs.
The Apple Pencil is perhaps a perfect stylus for drawing and writing on the iPad Pro, but some people (like me) may find its slim, slippery shape uncomfortable to hold for any length of time. I like writing with markers and with pens with thick barrels, so I find that holding the Apple Pencil can feel like I’m pinching a chopstick between my fingers. Adding the Apple Pencil Case from Ztylus gives the Pencil a thicker profile and adds some nice features that make using the Pencil easier.
The Case protects the Pencil, and the thick barrel makes it easier to grip, almost like writing with a marker. The built-in clip stops the Pencil from rolling away, and it secures the Pencil inside your pocket. The top of the clip is designed to hold the Pencil’s cap while it’s being charged. Twist the barrel, and the tip of the Pencil is pulled inside the barrel for protection when you aren’t using it. As Ztylus says: “Same Pencil. More benefits.”
When I was in high school, my dad asked me to detail his Bronco. It took me all day, but his truck looked better than the day he bought it. I remember having to really work at it to loosen up the grime, grease and brake dust. I still love the sense of satisfaction from really cleaning my cars, so the Brush Hero detail brush looked like it might make getting into the nooks and crannies easier.
What is it?
The Brush Hero uses water pressure from a typical garden hose to spin a cleaning head, making loosening dirt easier and more fun. It’s intended for cars, patios and grills, gutters, garden tools, pools, pets and even people (with some caveats.)
Hardware Specs
Heavy-duty plastic construction
Approximately 13-1/2” long, with cleaning brush attached
2-1/2” at its widest
8.1 ounces
What’s in the box?
Brush Hero wand
Two removable brush heads, one firmer for “serious muck”, and one softer for “sensitive surfaces.”
User manual
Card inviting persons having trouble with the Brush Hero to call “customer service rock Star Julie.”
Design and features
Brush Hero comes in a transparent plastic box, adorned with their logo, a list of objects suggested to be cleaned and several usage photos including a happy dog being washed.
The user manual is fun to read. I got several chuckles and appreciated the humor, particularly the “Brush Hero is for external use only” comment (use your imagination here ).
The Brush hero feels tough. I started by attaching a brush head. It goes on with a hefty push and stays on quite securely. The handle is ergonomic, with a grooved surface that will help prevent dropping it when one’s hands are soapy. A thumb-operated off switch/pressure control allows the Brush hero to be turned off without having to return to the water valve. I gave the wand a number of twists and bends and determined it should hold up reasonably well under normal circumstances.
The middle of winter in upstate New York’s snow-belt isn’t a great time of year to give the Brush Hero a proper shakedown, but I gave it the old college try. Firing up a 50,000 BTU kerosene heater and performing a bit of plumbing to give me hot water in my garage, I made an attempt to give my 2008 Smart Car a much-needed bath.
The Brush Hero started spinning as soon as water was flowing. Out of the box, the brush head spins freely, but when in operation, there is a surprising amount of torque, even with my home’s moderate water pressure. Concentrating first on my rims, the Brush Hero cut through brake dust, road salt, and mud effortlessly, fitting into the tightest places, even behind the valve stems. The brush spins relatively slowly, but with ample force to dislodge stubborn dirt. Three nozzles at the base of the brush it clean and prevents the brush from trapping debris that might damage my precious vehicle’s paint. Water flow is well controlled so I didn’t get soaked in my 45-degree garage.
The brush head fits into places that would have been challenging. I was able to clean the openings around the wiper arms, the air intakes and under the gas door without mucking about finding different brushes. Cleaning the door frames without spraying water all over the interior of my car was a bonus.
The pressure/shutoff switch worked flawlessly, completely cutting off the water flow. I noticed little difference in rotation speed, but this may be more pronounced with higher water pressure than my house can provide.
Here’s the before and after of my little chariot.
What I like
Well-constructed
Brushes clean well
Excellent torque
Doesn’t leak
The valve cuts water flow completely
The brush head fits into places fingers can’t
The user manual is a hoot!
What needs to be improved?
The manual says a hose quick connect is included, but it wasn’t in the box
Add an extra external shut-off valve and a few additional quick connect couplings allowing the Brush Hero to be removed and other tools to be installed without the need to turn the water off at the spigot.
Final thoughts
I was initially thinking this was going to be one of those “as seen on TV” type gimmicks. Pleasantly, I found it’s well-constructed works as described, and genuinely fun. I’m looking forward to warmer weather when the Brush Hero will definitely be used more often.
When I was in high school, my dad asked me to detail his Bronco. It took me all day, but his truck looked better than the day he bought it. I remember having to really work at it to loosen up the grime, grease and brake dust. I still love the sense of satisfaction from really cleaning my cars, so the Brush Hero detail brush looked like it might make getting into the nooks and crannies easier.
What is it?
The Brush Hero uses water pressure from a typical garden hose to spin a cleaning head, making loosening dirt easier and more fun. It’s intended for cars, patios and grills, gutters, garden tools, pools, pets and even people (with some caveats.)
Hardware Specs
Heavy-duty plastic construction
Approximately 13-1/2” long, with cleaning brush attached
2-1/2” at its widest
8.1 ounces
What’s in the box?
Brush Hero wand
Two removable brush heads, one firmer for “serious muck”, and one softer for “sensitive surfaces.”
User manual
Card inviting persons having trouble with the Brush Hero to call “customer service rock Star Julie.”
Design and features
Brush Hero comes in a transparent plastic box, adorned with their logo, a list of objects suggested to be cleaned and several usage photos including a happy dog being washed.
The user manual is fun to read. I got several chuckles and appreciated the humor, particularly the “Brush Hero is for external use only” comment (use your imagination here ).
The Brush hero feels tough. I started by attaching a brush head. It goes on with a hefty push and stays on quite securely. The handle is ergonomic, with a grooved surface that will help prevent dropping it when one’s hands are soapy. A thumb-operated off switch/pressure control allows the Brush hero to be turned off without having to return to the water valve. I gave the wand a number of twists and bends and determined it should hold up reasonably well under normal circumstances.
The middle of winter in upstate New York’s snow-belt isn’t a great time of year to give the Brush Hero a proper shakedown, but I gave it the old college try. Firing up a 50,000 BTU kerosene heater and performing a bit of plumbing to give me hot water in my garage, I made an attempt to give my 2008 Smart Car a much-needed bath.
The Brush Hero started spinning as soon as water was flowing. Out of the box, the brush head spins freely, but when in operation, there is a surprising amount of torque, even with my home’s moderate water pressure. Concentrating first on my rims, the Brush Hero cut through brake dust, road salt, and mud effortlessly, fitting into the tightest places, even behind the valve stems. The brush spins relatively slowly, but with ample force to dislodge stubborn dirt. Three nozzles at the base of the brush it clean and prevents the brush from trapping debris that might damage my precious vehicle’s paint. Water flow is well controlled so I didn’t get soaked in my 45-degree garage.
The brush head fits into places that would have been challenging. I was able to clean the openings around the wiper arms, the air intakes and under the gas door without mucking about finding different brushes. Cleaning the door frames without spraying water all over the interior of my car was a bonus.
The pressure/shutoff switch worked flawlessly, completely cutting off the water flow. I noticed little difference in rotation speed, but this may be more pronounced with higher water pressure than my house can provide.
Here’s the before and after of my little chariot.
What I like
Well-constructed
Brushes clean well
Excellent torque
Doesn’t leak
The valve cuts water flow completely
The brush head fits into places fingers can’t
The user manual is a hoot!
What needs to be improved?
The manual says a hose quick connect is included, but it wasn’t in the box
Add an extra external shut-off valve and a few additional quick connect couplings allowing the Brush Hero to be removed and other tools to be installed without the need to turn the water off at the spigot.
Final thoughts
I was initially thinking this was going to be one of those “as seen on TV” type gimmicks. Pleasantly, I found it’s well-constructed works as described, and genuinely fun. I’m looking forward to warmer weather when the Brush Hero will definitely be used more often.
Your Apple Watch charger won’t take up an inch of desk or nightstand space when you use the Wiplabs Apple Watch Wall Stand. You’ll still have to use the charging puck that came with your Watch; just connect the USB plug on the cable into the power supply inside the Wall Stand, then plug the Wall Stand into a wall socket.
The Wall Stand is compatible with all series of the Watch, and it will work with any band. And unlike some charging stands I’ve tried in the past, the Wall Stand works with either the metal or the plastic charging puck. The Wiplabs Apple Watch Wall Stand is $19.99 at Amazon.
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