Buzzillions Blogs

Buzzillions & Steve Greenberg are hitting the small screen to update America on the must-have gadgets for Back to School. The Gadget Nation author will be highlighting Buzzillions users’ feedback on two sets of earbud headphones. Mark your calendar and set your TiVo!

Appearance Schedule

Syndicated “DayTime” –July 30th

NYC CW11 Morning News –Aug 4th

Philly WCAU NBC The 10! Show –Aug 5th

Wash DC WUSA CBS Morning News –Aug 6th

Miami WPLG ABC Morning News –Aug 8th

Chicago WGN Morning News –Aug 11th

Houston KHOU CBS Great Day Houston –Aug 12th

Atlanta CBS Morning News –Aug 13th

San Francisco KGO ABC A View From The Bay –Aug 18th

Seattle KING NBC Morning News –Aug 20th TBA

Generally when we think of gadgets we tend to think of techie types – certainly parents don’t often come to mind.  But taking a look at the products available to parents out there, it’s clear innovation loves parenthood.  Check out the DiaperBridge – it’s designed to turn any filthy public bathroom sink into clean changing table.  Its about $20.  The DiaperBridge folds up, so it will fit in any diaper bag–and unfolds to fit over most public bathroom sinks.  You can learn the back story on this product and the inventor behind it, in my book, “Gadget Nation: A Journey Through The Eccentric World of Invention” I’ve heard horror stories where mothers have had to spread their coat on the bathroom floor to find a clean spot to change a diaper.  Yuck.  DiaperBridge to the rescue.

Speaking of changing the little one’s diaper, have you seen the Pee-Pee Teepees— I actually found this product on the Buzzillions site.  If you’ve ever changed a little baby boy’s diaper you’ll immediately understand why the PeePee Teepee is a must have.  Baby boys are famous for spraying the person who is changing their diaper.  I have 3-nephews and I’ve experienced this first hand–chest–everywhere.  The PeePee Teepee is a terry cloth cone that you place on the offending body part while the diaper change is underway.  You stay dry and the PeePee Teepee stops the WeeWee.  A package of 5 costs $12.

We all know that being a Mom is a tough job and the folks at VieVu actually put being a Mom on par with law enforcement an the military.  They created a video recorder for law officers and the military that was tough enough to work in those worlds and now VieVu is launching the same video recorder for Mom’s everywhere.  The VieVue Extra-tough Video camera is an almost indestructible camcorder that clips onto anything and has NO buttons to push–just open it and you’re recording.  Perfect for playgroup.  Clip it to stroller, diaper bag, anything.  By the way this company is offering free video recorders by entering a contest “What’s the best Mommy application for VieVu?”  Send your ideas to contest@vievu.com and you could WIN A FREE VieVu video recorder!

When it comes to big ticket items, we all need help so that we don’t waste time and money buying the wrong product–and that’s certainly true of Mom’s everywhere.  Buzzillions.com can be a Mom’s best friend–check out these product face-offs:

Monitor Face-off: Summer Infant vs. Safety 1st

Both seemed like terrific Infant Monitors–both cost around the same price ($150), but real consumers who purchased both products had some strong opinions.

Summer Infant Day & Night Handheld Color Video Monitor 1.8″ Screen
Came in the top 1% on Buzzillions.com.  Consumers loved it.  It ’s small, lightweight size and  1.8″ color LCD screen did the trick.  Other features include 900 MHz technology for clarity and 350′ range and night vision so you can see the baby in dark room.  Also it has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours.

Safety 1st Sight & Sound Assurance Monitor System did not fare as well.  It showed up in the bottom 10%:.  Many consumers said that it stops working after about a year and a lot of others said that the quality of the screen is very poor, so much so that you often can’t even see the baby.  Other complaints included poor construction and that it was difficult to maintain

Baby Carrier Face-off: BabyBjorn vs. Maclaren

BabyBjörn Synergy Baby Carrier won this face off, showing up in the top 1% of Buzzillions.com
This carrier is the clear winner.  With close to 600 reviews and a near perfect rating, customers can’t say enough about this product.

Maclaren Kate Spade Carrier landed in the bottom 10% on Buzzillons.com. Many of the people reviewing this carrier bought it for the designer name and stylish design but soon realized that looks can be deceiving.  The number one complaint with this carrier is too many straps.

Baby Mobile Face-off: Tiny Love vs. Fisher Price

Tiny Love Symphony-in-Motion Mobile hit the top 1% on Buzzillions.com The winner—it combines 3 different movements and motions, not just the usual circular motion, to captivate and stimulate baby. Several real consumers loved this so much that they went as far as to say that it was the “best product they’d ever bought!”

Fisher Price Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders: Mobile (with Remote Control) sank to the bottom 10% on Buzzillions.com.  Some real consumers said this mobile doesn’t fit their crib, has gears inside that make loud clanking noises.

“I’m tech challenged–I not only admit it, I embrace it.”

Steve Greenberg is the author of GADGET NATION: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE ECCENTRIC WORLD OF INVENTION www.gadgetnation.net.  Steve travels coast to coast showcasing innovative products.  Each month he can be seen in NYC, Philly, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Miami and other cities around the country.  He’s chronicled this journey in his book, Gadget Nation, which offers an amusing look at our nation’s obsession with gadgets.  From bird diapers to talking toilet paper dispensers, the man has seen it all.  Though Steve may work in the world of technology, “The Innovation Insider” is not ashamed to admit that he’s not a tech savvy guy:

“My brother is tech-charmed.  Everything he touches works–first time, every time.  Not me.  After talking to friends, TV viewers, fellow bloggers, and strangers in airports across America, I’ve come to the conclusion that most people are more like me than my brother.”

Back in October, this appreciation for the consumer voice inspired Steve to showcase a top-ranked Buzzillions product in one of his Halloween TV segments.  Seeing how informative it was to viewers, we felt it was only natural to team up with Steve, allowing him to feature Buzzillions rank along with his product picks in TV spots going forward.  Understanding that reading product reviews from “people like him” equals more meaningful reviews, Steve says, “That’s why Buzzillions works for me.  Sure, tech-pros like Walt Mossberg and Ed Baig test run lots of products–and I value their opinions, but ultimately the opinion that means the most to me is the one that comes from a “real” consumer.  Buzzillions is a one stop shop for a gadget reporter like me.  I get to see what real people think about real products.”

It’s undeniable, as a nation, we love gadgets, gizmos and inventive tools.  While Gadget Nation profiles some gadgets you probably aren’t likely to run out and buy, you might be surprised to find how many people have bought these unique items and liked them.  For example, the Panic Mouse (an interactive cat toy), has mixed reviews on Buzzillions, but fans of the device say their pets love the unpredictable movements it makes.  The talking Toilet Paper Spindle might just be a gag gift, but it’s a gag gift reviewers love!  That said, we admit a Talking Toilet Paper Spindle might not make it onto your personal gift list this year.  With that in mind, Steve has put together a list of gadgets he likes for their inventiveness and cool factor and will be showcasing in his December “Tech the Halls” tour:

1. Pure Digital Flip Video F160 Camcorder:  ”One of the products I showcased on this tour is the Pure Digital Flip Video F160 Camcorder.  It received high marks from consumers.  Buzzillions ranked it in the top 1% and I can see why.  It’s unbelievably easy to use.  Just three buttons to push–play, record and delete.  It holds 60-minutes of video and to load the video onto your computer, you just plug it into a computer’s USB port and it downloads the video.  No special software needs to be installed (I love that).”

2. EasyBloom: “EasyBloom is another product I fell for.  Looking sort of like a robotic flower, you stick it in the soil for 24-hours.  EasyBloom analyses the environment, the moisture, and the sunlight. You then plug the EasyBloom into the USB port of a computer and with the help of the EasyBloom website, it tells you what plants will do best in that environment.  It works in yards, planters, indoors and outdoors.  I knew I liked the concept, but does it really meet the hype?  According to Buzzillions, the answer is YES.  Real consumers have grown to love EasyBloom.”

3. Garmin Streetpilot c530 GPS:  I was trying to decide on a GPS for my “Tech The Halls” gadget segment.  My nephew was crazy about the Sony’s NV-U73T GPS.  It looks very sleek and it does have a very wide screen, more than 4-inches–BUT when I checked it out on Buzzillions, I learned that many consumers found the Sony GPS tough to use and one reviewer compared it to a pricey paper weight.  However, Buzzillions ranked the Garmin Streetpilot c530 GPS at the top of the GPS category.  It has a smaller screen and frankly it lacks the style of the Sony, but consumers loved it.  They said it worked and it was easy to use.  I decided to show both GPS’s on my recent In-Studio Tour.  I showcase gadgets in about 10 television markets each month.  I picked up both the Sony and Garmin GPS’s and after trying them out–I agree with consumers–the Garmin works better.

To see what else Steve showcased on “Tech the Halls” or find out when he’ll be appearing in a city near you, visit his blog at www.gadgetnation.net.  You can find his book, Gadget Nation: A Journey Through the Eccentric World of Invention, at Barnes & Nobles nationwide or online through the Gadget Nation website.

Look out for Steve guest blogging on Buzzillions Blogs with more of his product picks soon!