Tools 'N Gadgets

It’s being touted as some big service to consumers, but the fact is that yesterday’s announced $200 price cut for the iPhone is a sign of desperation. iPhone sales have been disappointing, the reviews weren’t much better, and the $600 price tag was just way too high for what is essentially an iPod phone with a touchscreen…Then Apple stepped in it twice, by trying to play hardball with their current iPhone customers by saying essentially “too bad” to those who grossly overpaid at the original $600 price.

Then the angry emails floodgates opened….and the infallible Steve Jobs is eating his words less than 24 hours later by way of offering $100 credits - essentially splitting the difference - with previous customers. Apple’s strength over the years has been its fanatical customer base, playing these kinds of games with their customers is just about a stupid a move as the company could make. The problem is the arrogance in taking their customers for granted. I guess we’ll see how much of that arrogance is deserved the next time they want to roll a high-end gizmo…

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Just received a good tip via Wood Magazine (in turn from Dan Jansen, Sigel, Ill) which will help anyone attempting to set the depth on a drill using a stop-collar.  In the article below it speaks of using it for a pocket-hole jig.  However, it will work equally well anytime you have to set the depth on a drill.  Thanks to Dan Jansen, via Wood Magazine, here it is:

Shop Tip: Pocket-size gauge for setting pocket-hole bits

After reading your review of pocket-hole jigs in issue 152, I bought a jig and was satisfied except for one small problem. I found that changing the depth of the stop collar was awkward because I had to hold the drill bit, a ruler, and the stop collar with one hand while I tightened the collar with the other. To simplify the task, I built this stop-collar gauge from scrap 3/4″ medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Because the stepped drill bit is 3/8″ diameter, I drilled the gauge holes slightly oversize with a 13/32″ bit. The drawing at right shows how deep to drill the holes to correctly set the bit for 1/2″, 3/4″, and 1-1/2″-thick materials. I then drilled a 3/16″ hole in the bottom of each gauge hole to make room for the pilot bit. To use the gauge, loosen the stop collar, drop the pocket hole bit into the gauge hole, and then retighten the collar. –Dan Jansen, Sigel, Ill.

Popularity: 100%

Finally getting a chance to devote more time to this blog!

Did you ever feel like the manufacturers have you caught in a trap - one only they can control! While working in the basement running a few more power circuits it hit me once more: We are caught in the manufacturer’s steel trap and are being forced to live, AND PAY, according to the tunes they produce. 

Did you ever notice there is very little competition working in the buyer’s favor? If your house is installed with a Square D box, or a CH box, or a GE box, or… you are forced to purchase only that manufacturer’s circuit breakers!  No competition!  Just pay!

Each manufacturer has its own standards (proprietary) for how the circuit breaker must be produced to fit into their boxes!  And you and I are not only stuck one time, but we are stuck there for as long as you own the house.  Yeah, you can buy another manufacturer’s box, but there you are AGAIN - STUCK.

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I remember when going for a run just meant changing into a pair of tennis shoes, running until I got tired, and then turning around and heading for home.

Nothing makes it clearer that those days are over than this new gadget from Garmin - the Forerunner 305. This thing not does the mundane stuff like monitoring your heart rate, speed and distance, it also tracks your every move so you can download your routes and compare times.

I don’t know if I take my running this seriously, but if you’re the type of person who does then this may be just the gadget you’re looking for to really take your runs to the next level.

Popularity: 80%

Since this is the first post on Tools ‘n Gadgets, this is probably your first visit to our site too: so welcome!

We’ll be talking about the latest tools, techniques, gadgets and pretty much everything in between we can think of. We invite you to partake in the discussions in our forums, shop in the tools and gadgets store, and just hang out with us.

Popularity: 88%