Tag Archives: car

Gadgets, Travel

After Market Cargo Covers

https://youtu.be/qGpJoyBx19I
https://youtu.be/8D0Wniik6DU

I bought a cargo cover for both my 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander and my 2019 Kia Sorrento. Both covers came in generic brown boxes from Amazon without any branding or instructions. By external appearance and function, they were essentially identical despite being sold by to “different” companies on Amazon. They are primarily black sheet metal tubular pillars with spring-loaded ends, allowing them to pop into the square indents inside the front of my SUV’s cargo compartment walls just behind the rear seat.

Once in place, it’s a simple matter to pull on the cover and notch it into the J grooves in the rear pillars of the cargo compartment near the cargo hatch. These cargo covers come in a variety of sizes for various car brands and models, including hatchbacks. Time will tell if these are durable but by all appearances, they are identical to the “factory” model at less than half the price.

Car break-ins and petty crime have exploded in cities around the country since the 2020 Summer of Love. Driven by souring economic prospects, lefty soft-on-crime laws such as California’s Proposition 47, progressive prosecutors not charging criminals, and Defund The Police Movements. San Francisco is notorious for this.

“Don’t leave valuables in the car” is a mantra I live by. When liberal laws also require you to carry reusable shopping bags, at a bare minimum, I store a couple of empty shopping bags in my SUV. These bags, first aid kits, emergency water supplies, etc. could be easily mistaken for tempting store-bought products to petty thieves and addicts.

Both of my cars have been broken into and burglarized, some multiple times. This is why I finally decided to buy a retractable cargo cover for my SUVs to obscure these empty shopping bags and whatever ends up in the back of my vehicle. These cargo covers are similar to retractable window blinds that you can pull back to cover over your entire cargo compartment or be retracted quickly when the full space is required.

The cargo covers often come with luxury or upgraded models of vehicles but alas, I am a miser and bought the basic model of both of my SUVs. As a dealer upgrade part, these covers easily cost over $200. However, when purchased as an aftermarket car accessory, they cost a fraction of that.

BUY

Mitsubishi Outlander
Powerty https://amzn.to/48oKg3i

Kia Sorrento
Motoforti https://amzn.to/48oKg3i

Gadgets, Product Reviews

HiHHY Cordless Handvac

I recently reviewed a HiHHY corded stick vacuum. Much of my impression of that stick vacuum are repeated in this handheld cordless model: it looks and feels a bit cheap but despite appearances, it performs as well as my Dyson whilst being much quieter and costing hundreds less.

The overall design of this handvac is conventional. It features a cone-like clear collection canister with accessory brush and crevice nozzle attachments. Unlike the stick model is cordless, with an internal rechargeable battery. What makes this model particularly appealing and innovative is that it is recharged via a ubiquitous USB-C port.

The HiHHY comes with a USB-C cable but does not ship with an AC power adapter. Regardless, USB-C is now the standard with all new phones, one simply needs to borrow a phone charger and Bob’s your uncle, you can recharge this little handvac anywhere.

Moreover, this USB-C compatibility makes the HiHHY the perfect vacuum for a car. It is small enough to keep in a trunk or under a seat. When you need to, you can simply recharge it using your car’s phone USB-C cable.

This handvac is available on Amazon through my Affiliate link https://amzn.to/3IMHUxT

Gadgets, Travel

Norshire Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

I needed a new tire gauge when my car was ransacked and my emergency tool bag was stolen from my car in front of our home in San Francisco. While surfing through Amazon, the Norshire caught my eye. This digital tire gauge is as thin as a pen.

When I got it, the package was scarcely larger than the product itself. The instructions were printed in minuscule lettering outside of the box obscured by a stuck-on UPC inventory label. Fortunately it proved easy to figure out.

The Norshire looks a 2000’s minimalist modern, black-on-black, squared plastic tube, reminiscent of a fancy fountain-pen or draftsman ruling-pen. It has a circular black button next to a black LCD screen. Pressing the button activates the system and tapping cycles through metric, Bar, and PSI settings. The unit also displays ambient temperature and air pressure.

It has powered by a single AAA NiMH battery which can be recharged through a USB-C port. One end of the gauge has black raised nub to use as a tire deflater. The other end, with a red rubber washer, pushes into a tires Schrader valve to measure the pressure.

The Norshire proved to be accurate. Comparing it against my car’s onboard tire sensors and to the analogue gauge of my tire inflator, the Norshire returned consistent readings which aligned with my other sources. And unlike any other pressure gauge I’ve ever used, the Norshire had such a good seal that I scarcely heard the hiss of any leaking air while pressing onto the tire’s valve.

The Norshire hovers around $15-19 on Amazon and I plan to purchase a few more when the price dips, as a backup and they would make great holiday stocking stuffers.

This is available on Amazon through my Affiliate link https://amzn.to/3oKh2Yh