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OVAL Sensor system review


Many people (myself included) like to use security cameras like the Nest Cam to keep an eye on our home and property from anywhere in the world. Cameras are great at catching visual problems, but how can you be alerted if the temperature in some part of your house goes too high or too low, or if there’s water on the floor in your basement? That’s where you need a sensor system like OVAL. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

OVAL is a system of sensors and a gateway that monitors temperature, motion, light, moisture, proximity, and flood conditions.

What’s in the box?

OVAL gateway
OVAL sensor
Sensor adapter housing
AC adapter
Ethernet cable
6 CR2477 Lithium sensor batteries
Mounting hardware
* I was also sent a flood detector which is an optional purchase ($39) not included with the system kit

Hardware design and features

The OVAL gateway is the brains between the OVAL sensors and your network.

It won’t come as a huge surprise that the gateway is an oval shaped plastic module. On top is the OVAL logo and a status LED that glows green when the gateway is powered on.

The gateway has an Ethernet jack on the back with a micro USB connection for power. The gateway has to be hardwired via the included Ethernet cable to your router, but it talks to the sensors wirelessly.

The OVAL system comes with one OVAL sensor (additional sensors are $79).  Like the gateway, the sensor is an oval shaped white plastic module.

The sensor has a cover that can be removed. It’s mainly needed if you use the optional flood sensor.

A cover on the back of the sensor protects the battery compartment.

The OVAL sensor is powered by a CR2477 Lithium battery which should last for about 2 months with moderate usage and with battery savings mode turned off. That’s not a long time, which explains why there are 6 batteries included in the package. That means you have enough batteries for a year. I did a quick search on Amazon for CR2477 batteries and found that they aren’t too expensive. You can buy them in packs of 5 for less than $12 if you go with a no-name brand.

The battery can last up to twice as long if the battery savings mode is turned on. However, while in this mode, you can’t monitor proximity or light and you can’t use the visual or sound alerts. More about that later.

I mentioned the optional flood sensor earlier. The sensor has a long cable that connects to the OVAL sensor.

The flood sensor connection is held in place by the OVAL housing cover.

Setup, installation, and daily use

Setup is really easy. You just install the iOS or Android OVAL app on your mobile device and follow the prompts which will lead you through the steps to connect the gateway to your router and then connect the sensor to the gateway.

I connected the gateway to my Amplfi wireless router which is connected to a CISCO router for my AT&T managed T1 line. I had a little trouble getting the gateway to talk to the sensor but after a few hours, it started working on its own and has been fine ever since.

FYI: Although the OVAL system only comes with one sensor, you can purchase additional sensors and connect up to 15 of them to the gateway.


After the gateway is setup and connected to the sensor, you can program the sensor to alert you when there is a change in temperature, humidity, motion, proximity, moisture, light, and flood if you have the flood sensor connected to the sensor.


You can choose to be notified one way or multiple ways when the sensor sends an alert. Notification types include text messages, or push message on your mobile device, to email, phone calls and more. You can also enable visual alerts which blinks the LED on top of the sensor or audible alerts which is chirping sound that’s not loud enough that you’ll hear it from another room or even across a large room.


OVAL is an all-in-one sensor that can monitor six different types criteria. You can monitor all six or only enable exactly what you want to monitor.


The OVAL monitoring system is really powerful because you can customize the criteria for an alert. If you want to know when the temperature in a room gets to 80 degrees, it will let you know.


There are also presets that you can choose that make it easy to use the OVAL sensor to monitor different events.

The sensor is really sensitive and sends alerts in rapid succession with almost no lag. Last week I had my roof replaced, and if you

Last week I had my roof replaced, and if you’ve ever had that done before, you’ll remember how noisy it is when there are a bunch of people on your roof banging away with hammers or nail guns. I had the OVAL sensor sitting on a shelf on the first floor of my house in a room with a cathedral ceiling, and it sent a LOT of alerts because it detected the vibration / motion from all the activity on the roof.

I tested the light detection, flood detection, humidity and proximity detection. Everything worked as expected, with alerts sent very quickly.

Some examples of ways to use the OVAL system include:

  • Put a sensor in your mailbox and know when the mailman opens the lid
  • Put a sensor with the flood detector in your basement, near a hot water heater, or washer to check for leaks
  • Put a sensor on a door or window to know when it is opened
  • Put a sensor in the case of your expensive guitar to make sure the humidity level doesn’t drop too low which can cause wood to crack

Final thoughts

I’ve been testing the OVAL system for several weeks. It’s worked very well and has never given me a false alarm.

The only complaint that I have is the price. $199 is expensive considering that the system only includes one sensor and additional sensors are $79 each. I think the system should include at least three sensors for the same price.

If the OVAL system’s price isn’t a problem for you and security cameras don’t offer enough peace of mind that your home or property is protected when you’re not there, consider an all-in-one sensor system like OVAL. It’s quick and easy to setup, but powerful enough to alert you to almost any situation that you can think of.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by OVAL. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $199.00
Manufacturer: OVAL
Pros:
  • Easy to setup
  • Multiple monitor types
  • Multiple notification options
  • Comes with enough batteries to power the sensor for a year
Cons:
  • Only comes with one sensor
  • Additional sensors are expensive

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OVAL Sensor system review originally appeared on on June 6, 2017 at 12:36 pm.

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LG NeoChef adds precision power control to the kitchen microwave


I remember huddling with my family around the new Amana microwave oven we bought in the early 80’s and defrosting our first pound of meat. When we removed the specimen at the allotted time it was somewhat defrosted in some regions but thoroughly cooked in the corners and still solid in the center. More than 30 years later, people can expect the same sort of result when defrosting in most microwave ovens because the low power defrost setting is actually achieved by alternating blasts of full power and no power.

LG recently introduced the LG NeoChef line of microwaves which includes a new wave inverter technology, delivering variable power to customize the microwave intensity for different cooking modes. The power will vary between 300 and 1,200 watts to provide even defrosting and cooking. A built in humidity sensor can also be used to automatically adjust cooking cycles to the particular qualities of the food being cooked.

The NeoChef also includes a easy to clean exterior, heavy duty carousel base and LED lighting. Prices range between $129 to $219 based on oven capacity and peak wattage. Sure, this kitchen gadget doesn’t fit in a drawer, but it might be one you use everyday. Visit LG for more info.

 

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LG NeoChef adds precision power control to the kitchen microwave originally appeared on on May 21, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Make a small batch of ice cream almost instantly with the Chef’n Sweet Spot


I love ice cream but I don’t get to eat it nearly as often as I’d like because Jeanne can’t tolerate dairy and making non-dairy ice cream at home with our own ingredients can be a hassle to drag out an electric ice cream maker and all the necessary gear. When I saw the Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker my eyes lit up because it looks like it could be the holy grail of frozen treat makers.

The Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker doesn’t require electricity, batteries, a crank, or even ice. All it needs is space in a freezer and scraping action from you.

How does it work? It’s a flat metal bowl that you store in the freezer until you’re ready to make ice cream. Then you take it out and pour the ice cream mixture (the Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker comes with a recipe book) into the frozen metal bowl. After a very short time, the cold surface freezes the mixture and you then mix and scrape it into the consistency that you like using the provided tools.

The Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker makes small servings that you eat immediately, so you won’t overeat. You can read more about it at the Chef’n site and order one on Amazon for $43.51

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Make a small batch of ice cream almost instantly with the Chef’n Sweet Spot originally appeared on on May 15, 2017 at 7:50 am.

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This chicken tastes like an egg


To add another wrinkle to the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, I present the Fred & Friends EGG-A-MATIC Chick Egg Mold.

Start your day with a healthy breakfast and a smile by placing a hard-boiled egg into this mold to turn it into a chick with attachable feet.

The durable, food-safe polypropylene plastic mold reshapes a large hard-boiled egg into a chick shaped hard-boiled egg in just a few minutes.

Your kids will be eggcited for lunch each morning or to check their lunch box for one of these fun shaped eggs. Fred & Friends also sells skull and dinosaur hard-boiled egg molds as well.

You can read more about the eggscellent Egg-A-Matic Chick Egg Mold by heading over to the Fred & Friends site or Amazon where you can purchase one for $7.47

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This chicken tastes like an egg originally appeared on on May 14, 2017 at 2:57 pm.

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Vacuvita vacuum food storage system review


Do you ever feel like you waste money on food each week because it spoils before you eat it? One solution is to shop for only what you need each day, but that can be too time-consuming. Another solution is to try a food storage system like the Vacuvita. They sent me their complete kitchen package that includes the Vacuvita Home Base, several containers, and bags. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

You are probably familiar with other food storage systems like FoodSaver. We’ve used one for years to save leftovers in bags that we then store in the freezer. The Vacuvita food storage system can also vacuum pack food inside special bags, but in addition to that, it has a Home Base unit that sits on your counter to store food items that you need frequent access to and can vacuum pack food in containers that you can keep in the fridge or cabinet.

What comes with the complete kitchen package?

Vacuvita Home Base
AC adapter
1 large container
1 medium container
2 small containers
40 bags (20 large and 20 medium)
Vacuum adapter
Quick start guide
Manual

Design and features

The Home Base is a large storage chest that has been designed to be left out on the kitchen cabinet. You can buy it in a variety of colors from the green that you see here, to white, black and blue and orange.

The home base is 18.5 x 12 x 8.25 inches. That means you will need to devote significant space on your counter top for it and consider that it needs some clearance for the opening lid too.

Pressing the latch on the front of the Home Base will cause the lid to unlock and open by itself to reveal a roomy storage area.

The storage area inside the Home Base is about  16 x 7 x 6 inches which is large enough to hold a loaf of bread and other items. It can be used to store items that you want to access frequently like bread, crackers, chips, cookies, cereal, and other dry food items that don’t require refrigeration.

An easy to clean filter is located on the back wall of the Home Base. Sometimes you will need to remove the filter to clean it.

According to the manual, the liner of the Home Base can be removed and washed either by hand or in a dishwasher. But I wasn’t able to remove it from the unit and didn’t want to try prying it out with a screwdriver.

On the back of the Home Base is the socket for the vacuum adapter.

This is where you plug in the adapter and hose that are included with the system. The adapter is used to vacuum pack food in the Vacuvita bags and the Vacuvita containers.

The containers are made of microwave and dishwasher safe BPA and BPS free plastic.

Notice the QR code on the side of the container? If you like, you can use the Vacuvita app to keep track of the food that you store in the containers and the app will alert you before the food expires.

Scanning containers with your phone might sound a little goofy, but since the containers are not see-through (except for the tiny frosted window on the front), it’s going to be tough to remember what’s in each container unless you label them or open them, which of course breaks the vacuum seal.

The containers can be used to hold dry or wet food items and can even be stored in the freezer.

The only thing I didn’t like about the containers were the ribs on the lid and hump on the bottom of the container which made washing wet foods a little more work than if the lid and bottom of the container had a smooth surface.

When you plug in the Home Base, the latch will light up and the air inside will automatically be sucked out. The vacuum process can take from a few seconds to about 45 seconds if the container is mainly empty. The Home Base continuously checks the vacuum inside the unit and will suck out air as it needs to as time goes by. The vacuum process does make some noise, but it’s not terribly loud.

When the vacuum adapter is plugged into the socket on the back of the Home Base, a LED capacitive button appears on the lid.

Pressing the capacitive button will initiate the vacuum process through the adapter. You use the adapter with the Vacuvita containers and the bags.

A rubber flap in the container’s lid can be lifted to release the vacuum so that you can remove the lid.

Unlike FoodSaver bags, the Vacuvita bags have a zip seal the top and can be resealed and reused several times.

You can freeze the BPA free bags and even use them to do sous-vide cooking. With sous-vide cooking, you place the food (usually meat) in the bag with spices and marinade. Then you vacuum out the air which rapidly infuses the food with the flavor of the marinade. You then cook the food right in the bag by placing it in hot water.

The vacuum adapter removes air from the Vacuvita bags when you hold the adapter over the designated area on the bag and press the button on the home base to start the vacuum process.

Just like with the Home Base and the Vacuvita containers, the vacuum process will (should) automatically stop when all the air has been removed from the bag.

Using the Vacuvita food storage system

Using the Vacuvita to store food in the Home Base, containers and bags is not difficult. But there were a few times when I had some issues with the vacuum adapter. The main issue that I had was either getting the vacuum process to automatically stop or actually suck the air out of a bag or container.

I also noticed that the vacuumed bags would not hold the vacuum for more than a day or so when leaving the bag out on the counter. But if I placed the bag in the freezer there was no problem. On the other hand, the containers seemed to hold the vacuum a lot longer than the bags.

Does the Vacuvita keep food fresh 5 times longer?

Does it keep frozen foods vacuum packed in the Vacuvita bags fresher 5 times longer than foods not in vacuum packed bags? I can’t say for sure because I’d need to check the foods in a few months, but since the bags feel similar to the FoodSaver bags that we’ve been using for years, I’m confident enough to say that yes, the bags do keep food fresh longer when you freeze them because the bags protect the foods from freezer burn.

Does the Vacuvita keep foods fresh longer in the bags when not frozen? From my limited testing, I would say no. The bags do not hold the vacuum longer than a day or so.

Does the Vacuvita keep dry foods fresh longer in the Home Base? Yes, from the limited amount of testing that I’ve done with loaves of bread, chips, cookies and even some fruits, I do believe that it does help keep those items fresh longer than when they are just sitting out on the counter.

Does the Vacuvita keep foods fresh longer in the containers either in the fridge or on the counter? Yes, I believe it does. I was able to store some deli meats, and homemade soup in the refrigerator longer than I typically would store them without using the Vacuvita. I was able to eat them days later than I ever would without the Vacuvita and since I’m still above ground, I didn’t succumb to food poisoning which is a good sign 🙂

See it in action

Final thoughts

The Vacuvita food storage system is well made and easy to use. If you don’t mind the price and the space that the Home Base requires on your counter, it is a handy way to keep food fresher for up to 5 times longer than normal.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Vacuvita. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $299
Manufacturer: Vacuvita
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Well made
  • Easy to use
  • 3 ways to store food: Home Base, bags, and containers
  • Resealable bags
Cons:
  • Bags didn't hold the vacuum for more than a day
  • Can't see what's in the container without labeling or opening it
  • Expensive
  • Takes up a lot of room on the counter

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Vacuvita vacuum food storage system review originally appeared on on May 10, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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