I recieved a delivery of several whiskeys from the great folks at Caskers the other day, and among them was this interesting bottle. The front label shows all the right markings for a legacy Kentucky brand, but the back tells an interesting story:
Read moreReview: LyveHome Photo and Video Manager
I received an advanced edition of the LyveHome Photo and Video Manager a week ago, and have been putting it through it's paces for the last few days. It is a local network connected appliance that serves as a backup for all of your pictures and home video files. Rather than your data being in the cloud where it can be hacked, it resides in your home on your local network giving you security and only uses the cloud to authenticate and locate the device to send your pictures to it. When you have the application running on your iOS, Android, Mac, or PC device it uploads any new picture and home video to the internal 2TB HDD. This allows you to access the data files from any other authorized device.
Hardware
The appliance itself is quite slick. The device has a 5 inch touch screen display with an SD card slot on the side and USB port on the rear for data transfer from portable media. It also has an HDMI port and audio out jack for connection to your entertainment center for picture or video playback. It will connect wirelessly via 802.11 b/g/n, and also has Gigabit ethernet for connection directly to your router if you need it.
The rear of the LyveHome has the ethernet, HDMI, USB, Headphone, and power ports
Software
The LyveHome has very basic software built in, managing it's connection to the network and the LyveHome server for authentication. It also keeps track of the amount of space used my pictures and video on the internal drive.
Screen 1 of 4: The default display can show either sample pictures or scroll through your uploaded images.Screen 2 of 4: The status screen displays the amount of space remaining and number of pictures and videos stored on the device.Screen 3 of 4: The device screen shows you all of the devices authorized to transfer to and from the LyveHomeScreen 4 of 4: The final screen is the settings screen, where you control brightness, which images are displayed on the main screen, and your network and other settings.
The software for iOS is also very basic. When you first open it you are asked to either create or sign into an existing Lyve account. Once that is accomplished the software asks for permission to access your camera roll. If given access it starts processing your pictures and uploading them to the LyveHome. The settings screen gives you the ability to toggle auto-import, upload over cellular data, and a power upload feature which prevents your device from going to sleep while transferring (transfer stops when the iOS device goes into standby).
Top of settings pageBottom of settings pageThe software for the Mac is pretty similar. The software will automatically detect iPhoto and Aperture libraries and copy them, and then allows you to specify other folders to have pictures automatically copied from when the software detects they are added.
The Lyve Desktop software for MacSummary
In all the software makes it easy and the device is great if you have a large quantity of photos and videos to keep a-hold of. The idea of having everything local instead of in the cloud I'm of mixed opinion about. While for my family, with multiple iPhones taking pictures and photos and videos for the web sites on multiple computers and cameras, I don't know that it makes as much sense for most families. Cloud storage is more convenient for most people, and doesn't require connection to a local device. While intended for the home, I really see this as being of more value to home office and small business customers with multiple users and content they need to keep secure. The only value it has to the average family is as a way for everyone to share photos without them being uploaded to the web where photos can be accessed by others.
Memorial Day Special Treat: Preview of the first 8 songs from Miranda Lambert's upcoming album "Platinum"
As those of you that know me are aware, one of the first things I started reviewing online was music. I still listen to and write about music quite a bit, and was just passed a link to this preview of Miranda Lambert's upcoming album. Have a safe Memorial Day, and please remember to take time to keep our men and women in uniform, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom in your thoughts and prayers as you spend time with family and friends.
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Review: Headphones - Are Beats worth the cash?
For quite some time now, the most popular brand of over-the-ear headphones has been Beats by Dre, a brand built mainly on the reputation of hip-hop legend Dr. Dre. They have been called the best headphones in the world. They have worn the tagline "Listen to music as the artist intended". However much like BOSE in the home speaker world, there have been many who have claimed that Beats are over hyped and severely over rated. I decided to put them to the test, so I compared them to headphones significantly cheaper but well rated in two different categories: Skullcandy Crushers, respected as great headphones by those who love strong bass; and V-Moda's crossfade LP2 Voice limited edition headphones, highly rated as among the most durable and best sounding headphones in the world. Both are more than $100 less than the Beats Studio Over-Ear Headphones I compared them to, with the V-Moda's coming in at $199.99 and the Skullcandy's coming in at just $99.99 compared to the Beats at $299.99.
Read moreLoot Crate: May unboxing
This months Loot Crate arrived today, here are the unboxing pictures.
Dinner Review: Thirsty Lion Pub & Grill - Tanasbourne
With my wife and son out of town for the Holiday weekend I had the chance to take our daughter out to dinner tonight. We decided to try something new and settled on The Thirsty Lion's newest addition to the Streets of Tanasbourne.
Read moreKickstarted: EVAK Food Storage Container
In November of 2013 a design firm in New York called Pollen Designs launched a project on Kickstarter.com for a new type of storage container they called EVAK, which was designed to remove air from the container while the lid was put in place, creating a vacuum seal and helping to keep dry goods fresh longer.
Read moreDinner Tonight: Classic Beef Stew
When you aren't sure what you feel like for dinner, beef stew is usually the answer you were looking for
Sometimes I just don't know what I want to make for dinner. I love to cook, but especially when my wife is out of town for extended periods of time (she has been gone since last Wednesday at this point) and I know the kids would be just as happy with Hot Pockets or McDonalds as they are with anything fancy I decide to make for dinner it is difficult to find inspiration. It is times like this that have brought me to an interesting realization. No matter what mood I am in, if I can't decide what to make for dinner beef stew or corned beef hash always work and never disappoint. Really. A big bowl of a thick beef stew made from scratch and cooked the right way for hours in the oven with a good whole wheat roll is NEVER the wrong answer.
Click the link to see my recipe and understand why it is easy enough to make this anytime you aren't sure what to make for dinner.
Read moreReview: HydroFlask Insulated Bottles
The HydroFlask 40oz and 64oz bottles keep liquids cold up to 24 hours and warm for up to 12!
About a year ago I came across a great 18oz coffee flask from a local Oregon company called Hydro Flask that was insulated well enough to keep coffee hot for up to 12 hours. I looked into the company and found that they had an expanded line of products ranging up to 64oz Growlers for the MicroBrew Market. All are insulated to keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours as well as keeping them warm for up to 12.
All Hydro Flask products carry a lifetime warranty
From an idea born out of frustration on the beaches of Hawaii with sweaty water bottles that held tepid water and were caked with sand came one of the best insulated beverage container designs I have ever used. The result was the first Hydro Flask, incorporating double-wall vacuum insulation, BPA-free materials, food grade stainless steel, a range of fun, durable colors and a charitable arm called 5% Back. And with great quality comes great commitment, so Hydro Flask created its lifetime warranty to stand behind its products.
Available in a wide range of sizes and styles, the one thing the larger bottles have in common is a large flat wide-mouth lid which screws on and off. While this is normal for large beverage bottles, it makes it harder to drink from because you need both hands to open and close the bottle. In addition, because of the volume of these bottles many will find them hard to hold with one hand. A common fix for many is to purchase the optional HydroFlip lid. While this solves the ease of use problem it introduces another....carrying such a large bottle. An enterprising gentleman from Hawaii designed a solution and ran a successful KickStarter campaign earlier this year to solve this problem. Called the JugLug, his product is a hard plastic handle which is held in place by the lid, giving you a safe and easy way to carry your bottle with you wherever you go.
The JugLug solves the problem of how to carry your HydroFlask after replacing the standard flat-cap lid with the HydroFlip lid to make drinking easier.
Now ranging in size from 12oz to the 64oz growlers, Hydro Flask has a product for everyone. I use the 18oz Coffee and Tea Flask almost every day, as well as the 40oz and 64oz flasks for water. Some days I even have been known to use the 40oz for coffee if I have had a hard time sleeping the night before. I love that they never sweat with condensation in addition to the great insulation. This week I recieved the latest versions of their 40oz and 64oz flasks, and am just as impressed as I have been with the other products I already owned.
Previously I had the stainless steel version of the 40oz, and I recieved the matte black variation of the newest version. Aside from color you would be hard pressed to notice a difference between the bottles, but there is a minor change. They added a small lip at the bottom of the cap. It appears that this change was made to help improve the seal (although my old one never leaked). Otherwise the bottle is unchanged. I must say that I prefer the pebbly texture of the matte finish over the smooth stainless of my old flask. It feels like I have a better grip and it is less likely to slip out oft hands, especially if it were to get wet.
The other flask I recieved this week was the largest in Hydro Flask's lineup, the 64oz "growler" pictured above. This thing is HUGE! The same height as the 40oz, it's larger volume is all accounted for in width. While I have pretty large hands and can get ahold of this (barely) with one hand, it will clearly be too large for most people to do this. Bend, Oregon is the corporate home of Hydro Flask, and like any other city of moderate size in Oregon is home to several Micro Breweries. Part of the Micro Brew culture here is the "Growler", allowing visitors to the tasting rooms or restaurants of smaller brewers to take the beers that they often become passionate about home with them. The traditional size for these "Growlers" is 64oz, or four imperial pints, hence the sizing of this particular flask. At this point I have only used it to keep larger amounts of water cold when away from the house, but I plan to test it for it's intended purpose soon and will update this review when I do.
64oz Hydro Flask with HydroFlip lid and JugLug handle added.
If you are in the market for a hot or cold beverage container, you can't go wrong with anything in the Hydro Flask lineup.
Review: Stickmen Brewery and Skewery
I was looking for a place to meet up with an old friend for a beer and was intrigued by Stickmen's website so we decided to give it a try. Located right on the East side of the lake in Lake Oswego, in a historic building next door to the Lake Theatre Stickmen is a brewpub that features a full menu, but specializes in Japanese skewers called Yakitori.
Read moreDinner Tonight: Fat Boy Heaven's Soda glazed short-ribs
One of my favorite things in the world is a nice thick beef short rib, and I'm always trying new ways to prepare them. I decided to cut the normally long cooking time by doing them in my pressure cooker tonight. Using a sugar based soda as the foundation of this braising liquid not only caramelizes onto the outside of the meat but also helps break through the salt and work with the spices to make an amazing pan sauce.
Read moreReview: JugLug - The handle for your HydroFlask water bottle
The JugLug looks like a pretty simple invention, but it actually solves an issue many owners of larger HydroFlask insulated bottles. The bottles are shipped with a large-mouthed screw-on lid that is tethered to the bottle, providing an easy way to carry it. Those of us who have added the optional flip-top lid to make it easier to drink from lose a convenient way to carry the large (and when full, heavy) bottles. The JugLug quickly and easily gives us back a convenient way to carry our bottles while on the go. Click below for more information on this great new product.
Read moreReview: Concealable Entertainment Flask by InkWhiskey.com
We get a lot of cool products in the mailbox here at Fat Boy Heaven, but this is one of the coolest in a long time. Sure to illicit a sense of nostalgia in any old-school gamer geek is the Concealable Entertainment Flask from InkWhiskey.com, a Portland company with an interesting idea.
Read moreDinner Tonight: Fat Boy Heaven's Perfect Meatballs
There is nothing more comforting to many than spaghetti and meatballs, and many spend years working to perfect their meatball recipe. I have spent years working on my recipe, and finally have it right. Give this one a try, you'll love it.
Read moreFatboy Heaven's Cuatro Chile Coloreado
I love a good chili, and love pork even more. I was trying to decide what to do for dinner tonight and decided my own variation on a Chile Verde might be fun. Instead of just green chiles I also added some sweet yellow, red, and orange chiles to the dish for some flavor balance and color.
Read moreReview: Amazon FireTV
Amazon delivered my FireTV today, and I just have had a chance to hook it up and run through the welcome before watching a show I left off watching on my ROKU a few minutes ago.
The first thing you will notice when you inbox the unit is how basic it looks. Much like the other network streaming boxes on the market there is not much to connect. Since I am on a wireless network and not hooking up to surround sound on this TV it was two cables, power and HDMI.
Once connected to the wireless network the FireTV wanted to update it's software, which took 3 minutes and then the system restarted. Boot up was amazingly quick. It shows the benefits of the quad-core 1.7GHz processor right away.
Playback is smooth and quick, and the voice search which seemed to be just a gimmick actually works very well. The system just like all other Amazon electronic products shipped linked to my account, so there was no need to sign in to Amazon for access to Amazon instant video and Prime video content.
I'll have more after I try more apps and the interaction with the Fire HDX tablet as a second screen.
Pressure smoked Bourbon Cola Pork Loin Roast
I received an interesting new kitchen appliance from the folks at WOOT yesterday, and decided to give it a try tonight. They sent me an Indoor BBQ Pressure Smoker, something that I had no idea even existed before they told me it was on it's way. It promises to smoke and cook a piece of meat in 1/4 the normal time or less, and if it works as advertised it will change much about the way I barbecue.
Read moreThrillist Strikes Again: Portland's 8 Best Whisky Bars
Thrillist today posted their choices for the eight best whiskey bars in Portland, and they took the easy way out in a town known for great food and drink by naming their favorites in eight categories instead of ranking the top eight.
From the article:
You can drink whiskey pretty much anywhere... except in your car, or at work, or in public, or at the library (unless it's Multnomah Whiskey Library!), but literally almost ANYWHERE else. Portland's best places though, are right here...
Preview: Taco Bell Breakfast is coming March 27th
In February, Taco Bell announced that they would once again be rolling out a breakfast menu nationwide beginning March 27th, 2014. Among the items tested at select locations prior to the announcement, and the one that received the most attention on social media outlets was the Waffle Taco. One of my neighborhood Taco Bell restaurants jumped the gun and launched the menu early, so I was able to get ahold of some of the new breakfast items this morning, and of course I took one for the team to bring my thoughts to you.
Read moreThrillist Rate's Portland's Best Mac & Cheese options
Woke up today to find a great article in my inbox rating the best Mac & Cheese dishes in PDX. Some great choices here, but my favorite Lobster Mac & Cheese from Ringside Fish House missed the cut. You can see how your favorite ranked at the link below.