Oh, Shiny!

ShinyRed is a collection of awesome products we find from around the web. From Electronics to Furniture, Apple and Windows; We scour the web to bring you the best products.

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Whiskey by any other name...

Somehow, it seems completely appropriate to introduce you to one of my best friends, Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Canadian Whiskey. Not that the XR isn't great, given its history, but, thats an entirely different conversation. The Cask 16 is in my opinion the very best of the Crown Royal offerings.

The regular base Crown Royal is always the go-to when being money conscious, but if I gots it, I'm eyeing the Cask.

I'm pretty particular about my whiskeys, and I love the Crown Royal line, particularly the Cask, because well... Crown says it best:

A blend of fifty whiskies finished in rare cognac casks made out of oak from the Limousin forest in France, and marked “16” to represent their place of origin. The cask finishing imparts subtle hints of rich, dried fruit and creates the balanced yet complex taste of Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

(Seriously... who are we kidding, who's got the Wild Turkey?). 

If you haven't had the opportunity to try this, you really should purchase the liquor here.

[shinyredstuff-blog]

"QUIET" I say!

I think. I twirl.

I read. I tap.

I talk. I fidget.

Getting tangled in all the electronic cords I have in my over-the-top technical world is a serious hazard.

So is getting distracted by my neighbor mowing their lawn, the cars honking aggressively as they cut each other off, the laughter in the lobby as it floats up to my cubicle, the constant hum of the airplane taking me to dip my toes in the sand ...

Then I put on my Nokia BH-905i Headset and voila! I am in a serene, organized, concentrated place that always improves my mood ... and work output.

I'm not tripping over cords, hearing extracurricular noise, fighting to have the person I'm conversing with hear me in crowded places or having coworkers carrying on full one sided discussions with me when they don't see the tiny ear buds plugged into my brain.

They are sturdy without being bulky. Obvious without being obnoxious. Practical without being dull.

They appeal to me on so many levels. Go getcha some!

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Wash My Sins Away

The first time I saw this puppy I glared suspiciously.

The second time I heard about this gargoyle I turned away in disbelief.

The third time I touched laundry it'd "purified" I went to confession to beg forgiveness for my sins. I'm still working out my penance. Not true, I'm not religious. Ha!

The only way I can explain this contraption is heavenly.

I love everything about the pureWash. It's Eco-Friendly, uses cold water, eliminates the need for detergent, eradicates agents that cause irritation to sensitive skin ...

C'mon! Tell me you're not intrigued, I dare you ;)

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Vodka that tastes good!! Wait... What?!?

I've never been a fan of flavored vodka, but a buddy of mine and his fiance' told me to give Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka a try. As much as I hate the idea of combining whipped cream and vodka, I decided to say "sure... how bad can it be?". After getting home from the liquor store, we began to pour out shots of this supposedly delicious vodka, and all I could do was sigh as I stared down this predetermined shot of awfulness. We raised our shot glasses, made a toast, and slammed back the shot, and to be honest... it was pretty tasty.

It may not be for everyone, but I say you gotta try it at least once. One suggestion I will make though is to be sure to chill it before you take shots of it. Warm vodka NEVER sits well, unless you're into that kinda thing...

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Less Cause It's "Healthy" More Cause I Have "Issues"

Unless I'm swimming in it, water isn't one of my favorite things. I'm not even knocking rainy days as I love hydroplaning. I'm not saying I don't love me a nice peal-my-skin-off-its-so-hot shower. Drinking it though, UGH! Blech! Groody!

I hate the way it's so nothing. I suppose if I want to be generous I'd say it's refreshing, hydrating and healthy. But I'm generally not in a kind mood when it comes to drinking water because it's the Barry to my Archer (if it's illegal to want to get it on with a cartoon, slap me in handcuffs).

My achilles heel, however, has thwarted my devil may care attitude towards water consumption. What would this deadly weakness be? The need for Tactile Stimulation. And I found just that in the Camelbak Better Bottle and it's Bite N Sip silicon valve. Seriously, I mostly fill that puppy with ice, top off with cold water ... and I'm grabbing the bottle when I get bored while I'm driving just for fun. I easily almost get my "daily allotment" simply because it's FUN.

And it doesn't spill cause its' valve closes up as soon as you stop biting down.

Did I already mention I'm a klutz?

Oh and it has a lifetime guarantee just incase you chew too excessively or something. Don't judge!

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Protecting My Junk

I recently decided to take the plunge and upgrade my old iPhone 3GS to the new iPhone 4S. I had never used a case on my old 3GS because all the cases I had found were big, bulky, and weren't very form fitting. I knew the new 4S was going to be an upgrade to my previous 3GS, but when I finally put my hands on my newly acquired iPhone 4S, I was in for a big surprise.

My first impression of the new iPhone 4S was that it was significantly thinner, and although it had a heavy feeling, it still felt somewhat "fragile". I had kept replaying the scenario in my head over and over again of me dropping my new phone without a case, and it kept ending in me cursing the sky as I picked up the broken device I had previously referred to as my "new" iPhone.

In order to get rid of this unwanted anxiety, I scoured the Internet to find a case that was not only thin and sleek, but would also help protect my phone at the same time. I ended up picking the Incipio feather Ultralight Case, and immediately realized I had found the case for me. With a little over 1mm of thickness and constructed of rigid polycarbonate, it was easy to see why my search for the perfect case was over.

With a multitude of color and texture combinations, there is undoubtably something for everyone. If you're like me and want a case that doesn't sacrifice the thin nature of the iPhone 4/4S, yet still provides good protection, this may well be the case for you.

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Ima Klutz (or How I saved my iPad 2)

... that's how I'd often like to introduce myself to preface any impending doom that may accompany my presence.  The more comfortable I am in a situation the more likely disaster is to find me; I SWEAR that's the way it happens!  I don't go courting it or anything but it certainly finds me no matter how I disguise myself.

Perversely I also enjoy "nice" things.  Cars, TVs, Shoes, Cameras ... Which can be a HUGE problem when you're 80% sure you're going to wreck the thing you love so much.  This "issue" presented itself in the form of an iPad I bought recently for fun work.  I take this thing everywhere with me, you never know when you'll need to entertain yourself work. As a precaution I bought the iPad's Smart Cover which made me feel very self satisfied in protecting myself from MYSELF; until I happened.

I dropped my iPad and shattered the bottom corner.  Even in retrospect I can't clearly say how it happened; I got bumped?  My hold got loose? I figured I had an extra $700 floating around in my pocket that I was just dying to waste? I hated myself.

Turns out shattering a corner doesn't render the unit unusable, however I did badly need a more protective solution.  Forget pretty and serviceable, I needed a gettin'-down-n-durty-protect-me-from-myself wear.  So I turned to a product that just plain ol' sounds tough; the Kensington BlackBelt Protection Band.

This bad boy is thick, durable and almost Klutz proof. I approve.

[shinyredstuff-blog]

Slap Me Fresh

I'm a Dental Whore.  

There, I said it!  Don't judge before you smell my breath, it's fresher than Clark Kellogg.

I would go to the dentist once a month if my insurance or wallet would allow it.  I take pride in my flossing, I have a specialty toothbrush, I'm a toothpaste snob and a mouthwash connoisseur so you can imagine my delight when Colgate came out with Wisps.  A sterile toothbrush I can carry with me and dispose of after use on the go?  

Dental Orgasm.  

[shinyredstuff-blog]

The umbrellas' umbrella.

In Texas, umbrellas are rarely needed. Umbrellas tho are like a winter coat around here, when you need one... You need it now (and for an hour)! I ran into one of those moments a few months ago heading to see Anthony Bourdain Live. Needless to say no umbrella = sick.

I had seen what at a cursory glance on Fab.com months previously looked to be an awesome umbrella. After doing some research, I found Blunt Umbrellas and after really vetting the market for umbrellas, I had to go with the Blunt. 

For more information and supplemental information, please also view Blunts site.

[shinyredstuff-blog]

THE Remote Control.

I am constantly surprised when visiting other peoples houses to see 3 or 4 remote controls laying around that each control a particular device. You guys know its 2012 yeah? Theres technology to solve that! Logitech makes an entire line of remote controls that are all in one. Before you say "I don't even want to bother with setting up ANOTHER universal remote!" These Remotes are unlike any I've seen in the market so keep an open mind. 

They connect to your computer via USB and come with software that all you need to know is the model and the software does the rest. All you end up having to do is select an activity, press the button, and voila... Everything needed is turned on for that task. So for instance, you have a Samsung 64" Plasma TV, an Xbox 360, and a Home Theater System and you want to play a game... Select the activity for Play Game, and BOOM. Everything turns on to the correct settings and you're ready to play...

[shinyredstuff-blog]

RockSmith - Learning guitar made fun.

Over the years... Ive played instruments like the Cello, and the Bass Guitar... I'm a god on Rock Band & Guitar Hero! So... I must be talented right?. Unfortunately, my memory left me years ago and I have forgotten far more than I remember.

Being a part-time gamer... I came across the Rocksmith Guitar Bundle which seems like that would totally marry the idea of learning a new instrument AND still sit in my house, warming my couch, and not having to deal with some hippie guitar instructor smelling of patchouli. The Rocksmith Guitar Bundle comes with everything needed; guitar, game, mojo.

This game seems like it would be great for kids too. You know who you are parents... Dreams of rock 'n roll growing up, that band you were in when you were 16 playing out of your parents garage. Now you're all grown up and have children... PUSH them towards the light. Make them the Tiger Woods of Guitar. I'd do it. Everyone else is doing it. 

If you're still doubting it... Check out this explanation of the learning process:

Also, the official site has a lot of teaser information to get your mouth salivating. You can visit Ubisoft Here.

Its also available on Playstation 3 AND Xbox 360.