TV Top Ten

By now it's safe to say that the su doku puzzle has taken the world by storm. There is no disputing this fact: a whole industry has risen up to bring the consumer su doku in every shape and form, from books, to board games, to computer games. TVTopTen.com has already brought you the SuDokuGo! handheld game--now we're taking the next step and offering a Windows-based desktop computer game, Su Doku Go! Desktop.

For most people, pulling out the newspaper or your su doku book at work isn't exactly smiled upon by management (or your parents if you're the student-type). So for the desk jockies out there, TVTopTen offers Su Doku Go! for your Windows Desktop. TVTopTen created Su Doku Go! bearing in mind Windows' Solitaire and Minesweeper are two of the most played computer games of all time despite the fact that few people actually still enjoy playing hese games. Su Doku Go! sits in on the corner of your Desktop, leaving you able to see other programs running at the same time.

A lot of the downloadable su doku games out there may be pretty slick, but they take up your entire screen and require 100% of your valuable time and attention. Su Doku Go! wouldn't dare be so imposing. The program is free of confusing options such as ten different difficulty levels, ancient Japanese backgrounds and cute little sounds for everything. Hey, you've been doing su doku in black and white in the newspaper for months--who needs dacning animated numbers? We like our su doku and when we want to play, we want to play NOW with no load times or fancy intro screens.

Right now TVTopTen.com is offering free trials of Su Doku Go! Desktop. We let you play with it for a week and a half before we ask you decide you want to buy it. Not 120 minutes, not one day. Or, if you're in love at first sight, you can download it instantly for $9.95. Once you install it, you won't ever again have to jump on the internet and wade through the sea of gimmick-laden 'Free Su Doku puzzle' websites. Su Doku Go! Desktop has unlimited puzzles with three different difficulty levels. It will measure how long it takes to you to finish your puzzle. You can turn the sound on and off. It's all very straightforward and simple for those who don't need the major Hollywood production version.

Give Su Doku Go! Desktop a try and we promise that you'll appreciate the convenience and simplicity of being able to play computer su doku with no waiting. But you can't blame TVTopTen.com if you slack on your work because of your su doku playing.

SU DOKU GO! DESKTOP COMPUTER GAME
TVTopTen.com Price: FREE 10-day Trial or $9.95 for Full Version
Click here to download Free Trial Version Now

Posted by TV Top Ten at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're a pasta fan but lead a typically American life, then you might want to consider a cooking aid that's going to make life easier.  After all, isn't that what we're all after?  The beauty of the Pasta Express is that once you boil water, your commitment to your pasta ends. 

Using the Pasta Express tube is simple. There are four steps to making pasta with a Pasta Express:

1. Fill Pasta Express up with your pasta (whatever variety it may be--I tried some ricotta and chicken tortellini and then spaghetti);
   
2. Pour hot water into Pasta Express;
3. Go watch TV  or attend with your screaming children or prepare garlic bread/pasta sauce/salad;
4. Don't stir, don't watch your pasta boil, don't strain the water out of your pot and don't take the chance of scalding your hand and get a face full of steam while doing it.  But keep in mind that the water you're straining is still boiling hot.
   

Pasta Express claims to take seven minutes to completely cook pasta.  My recommendation is closer to about eight or nine minutes for most pasta and 15 minutes for spaghetti to be thoroughly cooked.  Your cooking time depends on your personal preference.  Once that amount of time has elapsed, screw off the top lid and pour the water out.  This makes life in the kitchen easier because you don't need to dig out your strainer or colander and eventually give your undivided attention to cleaning it later.  Next, pop off the bottom lid and pour pasta onto your plate.  Done and done.

We confess that there are a few shortcomings of the Pasta Express.  For those people considered vertically challenged, the 13-inch tall Pasta Express tube will prove to be somewhat of a challenge to put the lids on initially if the Pasta Express is set on a countertop.  The bottom lid takes a little work to properly put on.  We recommend using a dish cloth to apply even pressure on the bottom lid to snap it closed.  You don't want the lid to come off when you are straining your pasta.

All in all, the Pasta Express tube is a convenient way to make pasta.  If cooking a full meal for your family is a daily challenge, especially with younger children, then Pasta Express will give you back precious time to focus on other parts of your meal or other needs around the house.  But you still have to warm up sauce and add vegetables--Pasta Express never promises to do these things though.

If you consider yourself an Italian chef but are constrained by your American reality, Pasta Express is definitely worth the $19.95.  Italian cuisine has never been easier.

PASTA EXPRESS

TVTopTen.com Price: $19.95 + $9.95 S&H
Comes with: FREE Personal Size Pasta Express

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Posted by TV Top Ten at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In our society of having to look good all the time, cutting one's own hair might seem like a bit of a faux pas.  But you can't argue with the financial and time convenience of cutting your own hair. Salonists charge anywhere from $40 to hundreds of dollars and even barbers charge at least $14 plus a tip. And it's at the very least a half hour of your time, gone. Buying the Just A Trim isn't going to stop you from having to visit either the salon or the barber shop eventually, but like the TV commercial says, you can stay looking great for a "few more weeks".

Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive before trying out the Just A Trim on myself.  I didn't have anyone else around to help me with it and all I had to work with was a mirror in front of me and a mirror to the right of me (typical bathroom set up if you have a medicine cabinet).  Yet, I didn't do too bad a job with the Just A Trim.  It's a little more complicated than just 'combing it through your hair'--most of my hair, along with everyone else's that I know, flows down the side of my head. Just A Trim will require the user to brush against the grain to get the most effective use out of it.  Combing across hair that flows downwards will take a few extra passes, but your hair will come out even if you are patient enough.  I'm guessing that your hair is fairly important to you, so I'm sure you'll have the sufficient patience.

The Just A Trim comes with a couple of guides so you can choose different lengths for your hair. You're fairly limited with only the two guides, but like I said, "good for a few more weeks".  Just  A Trim is most effective when you keep in mind that it is meant primarily to hold you over until you have the time and opportunity to finally get to the barber shop.  When do you garner up the courage and finally start trimming, make sure you have a towel or sheet under you, 'cause all that hair has to go somewhere.  You'll be amazed at the mess you'll make.

Overall, the Just A Trim did a pretty good job on simply taking a 'little off the top and sides'.  I managed to walk around for exactly two weeks before I broke down and went to the barber.  I would recommend that guys have someone else that they trust help them out for the back side of your head, being that it's hard to trim what you can't see and still make it look good.  It's easy to manage, good for reaching the back of your neck or back.  It's a little noisy. But for less than the price of a haircut, Just A Trim is definitely worth the time and money.

JUST A TRIM
Current rank on TVTopTen.com: 9
Price: $14.95 with Free 10 piece Grooming Kit

Just a Trim

Posted by TV Top Ten at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Electronic handheld su doku games present a format in which the consumer can have a virtually unlimited amount of fresh su doku puzzles in a highly portable package.  Unfortunately, there are dozens of similar units out there.  We set out to answer the question: where is the consumer’s $20-$30 best spent on getting their su doku fix?

The vast majority of the su doku models out there are very similar: most companies like the multi-button unit that resembles a Nintendo Game Boy.  But the problem we found is that the labels on the buttons are impossibly small and hard to read.  We have to keep in mind that su doku appeals to people on both sides of the age spectrum.  Easy reading is important.  Also, getting from one side of the screen to another on these multi-button models requires pressing a button eight times.  That gets old fast.  After much deliberation, we decided we prefer the touch screen models.  The highest quality of these is SuDoku Go!, with a bright, backlit design and compact design.  It’s now featured on the Top Ten List on TVTopTen.com.

The SuDoku Go! unit is the highest quality unit that we have seen and played with.  We tested a number of samples from various factories in China, many of which can already be seen on TV, found on websites and on the shelves in toy stores.  Most of these were less enjoyable and made playing more like a chore.

What’s cool about SuDoku Go! is the fact that you can actually read the numbers on the screen and not have to constantly adjust yourself to see the screen.  This would seem trivial, right?  After reviewing a number of models, believe us when we say it’s not.  With SuDoku Go!, reading the screen was easy and painless.  This unit has the largest, clearest numbers and offers a white back-lit LED screen (a blue-lit version is also available) that is crystal clear.  You have to turn on the light most of the time, but that’s the case with every model we tested. 

The look of the SuDoku Go! is also unique.  It looks just like a Palm PDA with its silver casing and size.  This fact will make SuDoku Go! a hit with kids because it kids look like they are cool enough to have a PDA when they’re really playing a game.  For the professionals, well, let’s be honest…it looks like you’re working while you’re really sneaking in a few numbers on a su doku puzzle. The dimensions are 4.5 x 3 x .5 inches, making it small enough to fit in the bottom of a purse or a small pocket in a backpack.  Beats carrying around a pencil, eraser and a newspaper….

At just under $20 ($29.90 including shipping), we couldn’t find a better unit than the SuDoku Go!.  It’s the best looking, the best working and the best value for an electronic su doku on the market.  For these reasons, in addition to the fact that SuDoku Go! is already more popular than anything else on TVTopTen.com, we have ranked it #1 on the Top Ten List.

We spent our time looking for the best electronic su doku so you don’t have to.  Check out #1 on our March and April Top Ten Lists the SuDoku Go! at www.tvtopten.com/sudoku.

SUDOKU GO!
Price on TVTopTen.com: $19.95
Current rank on Top Ten List: #1

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Posted by TV Top Ten at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Living in California as I do means having to deal with the inconvenience of "rolling blackouts" every couple of years.  This voluntary shutting down of power across large swathes of the state doesn't happen often enough to justify keeping a large stash of backup flashlight batteries on hand.  So when this happens, much like when a tornado or hurricane roars through your town elsewhere in the US, you often are left wondering why you didn't replace the batteries in your emergency kit's flashlight.

The Faraday Flashlight, currently #2 in among our Top Ten Lists, is ideal for people in these situations.  Never having to worry about replacing batteries is a nice convenience for those of us faced with only occassionally having to use a flashlight.  The Faraday is ideal for power outages, flat tires, camping and the like.  Shake it for 30 seconds and you'll be rewarded with an intense white light (from an LED bulb) for about five minutes, just like the TV spot says.  The constant motion of jogging will provide enough kinetic energy to keep the light lit and because of the power of the LED, will be excellent for visibility in dark places.

What the Faraday is not for is constant use.  Police officers, movie ushers and those who work in attics a lot probably won't enjoy shaking this flashlight every five minutes.  I recommend that if you purchase the Faraday that you buy it for any application that doesn't require the light constantly being on.  The light isn't dense enough to replace industrial flashlights that can also be used for self-defense.

Like the As Seen on TV spot says, the Faraday does float, it can be driven over by a car.  A 30 second shaking will hold its charge for months if the light is turned off.  The LED will take about 100 years to burn out. 

The Mini Faraday that comes with the order takes a lot of shaking to get it to work.  Probably twice to three time as much shaking as does the regular Faraday.  It will work, it just requires a little more attention.  It comes as the As Seen on TV 'upsell'; it's included with every order.

Overall, the Faraday is a great value for the money.  This light will do everything it says it will do in the TV spot.  Just expect to develop upper body strength if you are using it in everyday situations.

FARADAY FLASHLIGHT
Produced by: Cricket Products, Inc.
Price on TVTopTen.com: $19.95
Comes FREE with Mini Faraday Flashlight

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Posted by TV Top Ten at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks for visiting TVTopTen.com.  We know that there are a lot of places online that you can go to do your shopping.  We know that since you're here, you're one of those smart consumers who does your homework before buying.  We also appreciate that your time and money is valuable.  That's why we built TVTopTen.com.

Just about everyone has seen infomercials on TV at some point and the vast majority of those people saw something during one of those infomercials that they thought was pretty cool.  Whether it was a workout machine proven to make them thinner in just one week or a blender that can make everything from apple juice to pasta sauce, most people have been impressed with what they saw on TV.

Most of the time however, the first thought that crosses someone's mind is 'what's the catch' or 'how could a $20 product possibly do all that'.  Without having the product in front of them to see with their own eyes, most people shrug off these As Seen on TV products assuming that there is always some sort of gimmick.  At TVTopTen.com, we say the same things.  Yet here we are, selling these very products.  Why?  Honestly, we want to be able to sell you some of these products, but we also want to be able to provide you with some accurate idea of what you're buying.

There are a hundred websites out there selling the same products we are.  What sets us apart is that we want to be your "one-stop-shop" for As Seen on TV products.  We have been selling these products all over the world for five years now.  Our staff researches, tests, and reviews every product we put in the 'Top Ten'.  When we see a hot new product come out, we check it out, explain what it does, what it doesn't do and what you should realistically expect from it.  After a rigorous testing process, we put together our Top Ten Lists.  We update these If we think something is a piece of junk, we won't list it on our site.  It's that simple.

Feel free to comment on this post with any questions or suggestions.  TVTopTen.com was built to be your website.  We like using blogs because everyone can see your questions and everyone can benefit from our answers.  If you would rather email us, please don't hesitate.  You can click here to email us.

We will be posting product reviews about other As Seen on TV products on this blog in the future.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned. 

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Posted by TV Top Ten at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the most popular products out there right now is the Magic Bullet blender, currently listed  #3 on the Top Ten Lists for January and February on TVTopTen.com .  What the Magic Bullet claims to be is a quick and dirty solution to mincing, dicing, frapping, mixing.  You simply press down on the lid and the blade at the base spins.  Let's look at what the Magic Bullet says it can do and what it really and truly is capable of.

Does ANY job in ten seconds or less
Homeland Housewares, the maker of Magic Bullet, says that the Bullet can make any recipe you want in a fraction of the time it would take a normal blender.  And indeed, like the infomercial claims, it usually takes no more than ten seconds for the Bullet to do any one job.  If you're trying to turn lots of ice cubes into a fine powdery snow for margaritas, then it might take a little longer than ten seconds.  But the ten second claim is pretty much right on the money.  The recipe book will often give the amount of seconds it should take to whip up any one meal.  Every type of recipe is in that book-- things from omelettes and sauce to cheesecake and cocktails.  The book is upfront about how much time and effort a recipe will take, so there is little controversy involved.

Comes with 4 Party Mugs with Colored Lip Rings
While there is no disputing this simple fact that is written all over the infomercial and the box, the term party mug is a slight misnomer.  I use this claim as an example.  This is a one woman (or man) blender.  It serves really one person at a time.  This is the only real complaint that I have witnessed about the Magic Bullet.  People say, "The quality is good and it's fun but it doesn't make very much."   The Bullet never promises to feed an army, but it's a bit of a stretch calling the mugs party mugs.  These mugs are about 14 fluid ounces (a little bigger than can of soda).  Not enough to feed a family of four, but it could be ideal for the college kid who doesn't have space for a blender or her empty nest parents trying to count calories.  So don't plan on mixing an Irish coffee for everyone at your party all at once.

Overall, this is one of the better As Seen on TV products.  It can't make lots of food at once, but you can mix up enough protein shake to get you through the entire day in a single ten second blend session.  Expect the Bullet to last for three years if you clean it regularly and never run it more than one minute solid, per the instructions.  The recipe book is helpful and easy-to-read.  It's definitely worth the price for those in parties of two or less.

MAGIC BULLET EXPRESS
Produced by: Homeland Housewares
Price on TVTopTen.com: $79.95
Includes:

• Power Base
• Cross blade for blending and mixing
• Flat blade for grinding and whipping
• Tall cup (about 14 oz.)
• Short cup (about 10 oz.)
• 4 party mugs with color lip rings (about 14 oz. each)
• 2 shaker-steamer tops
• 2 lids
• 100 page recipe book
  

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Posted by TV Top Ten at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)