Schott Zwiesel Glassware

Schott Zwiesel is a German company known for glassware innovation since 1872. They create break-resistant, chip-resistant, and scratch-resistant stemware. The crystal glass has added titanium for strength and zirconium for crystal clarity, making it dishwasher safe.

I have their glassware at home — the pieces are versatile and can be used daily, yet they are elegant enough to use on special occasions. They are slightly expensive, but the investment is worth it.

Schott Zwiesel is available on Amazon.

Duralex Picardie Tumblers

Duralex has been manufacturing tempered glassware in France since 1929. Their Picardie Tumblers are known for lasting decades — they will bounce several times when dropped on the floor and survive without a crack. The tumblers can also withstand a sudden thermal shock — the temperate glass can go from -4° F to 212° F without breaking. This means they can be used to drink hot beverages. Duralex glasses are also lighter and more elegant than similar tempered glass products.

Duralex went into court-ordered liquidation bankruptcy in 2006 but has since partnered with Emile Henry, an old French manufacturer of cooking ware, to return to production.

Duralex doesn’t offer any product warranty beyond a 21-day return policy. However, we found no tempered glass tumblers with an extended warranty.

Durlaex Tumblers are available from Amazon for about $18 for a set of six.

Fortessa Fortaluxe Vitrified Dinnerware

Fortessa is a dinnerware company line created by the German company Schott Zwiesel. Fortessa specializes in vitrified china dinnerware. The china is reinforced with alumina or magnesium oxide for durability and thermal shock resistance. The dinnerware is called Fortaluxe SuperWhite, and it is used in many restaurants around the world and is reasonably priced.

You can find Fortessa dinnerware on Amazon.

Pyrex Bowls

Pyrex is another brand of tempered glass products renowned for their durability. The Pyrex brand was introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915. Today, Pyrex is owned by World Kitchen and Pyrex glass products are manufactured in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Recently, there have been rumors circulating about Pyrex products. The rumors suggest that Pyrex products are made with inferior materials, prone to breakage, and manufactured in China. However, this lengthy article on the myth-busting website Snopes.Com, concludes that the rumors are false. Here is an excerpt from the article:

While it is literally true that the material used in manufacturing Pyrex brand glass bakeware has changed from borosilicate glass to soda lime glass, the brand’s current owner, World Kitchen, claims that changeover began back in the 1940s and long antedates Corning’s 1998 sale of the brand, stating that “The Charleroi [Pennsylvania] plant has produced PYREX glass products out of a heat-strengthened (tempered) soda lime glass for about 60 years, first by our predecessor Corning Incorporated, and since 1998 by World Kitchen. In fact, since the 1980’s, most, if not all consumer glass bakeware manufactured in the U.S. for consumers has been made of soda lime glass. Consumers should know that soda lime glass, such as that used to make PYREX glass bakeware, is significantly more resistant to breaking on impact than borosilicate glass and comparably resistant to breakage caused by severe temperature changes.”

World Kitchen itself states that it has received complaints from only “a very small number of consumers” about unexpected breakage. It notes that the Consumer Safety Product Commission has found no safety issue with Pyrex glass bakeware.

Pyrex Bowls are available from Amazon.

Le Creuset French Ovens

Le Creuset has been producing handcrafted French Ovens in their foundry in Northern France since 1925. Their cookware is made with enameled cast iron and is known for lasting decades. The Le Creuset foundry uses standard sand-casting methods to produce its cookware. After hand finishing, items are sprayed with two coats of enamel, and each is fired at 800 °C. The enamel becomes resistant to damage during regular use.

Le Creuset cookware has a lifetime warranty that the products are free from defects in material and workmanship.

If you want an equivalent American-made product, see Lodge Dutch Ovens. We choose to feature the Le Creuset French ovens because, based on our research, they have an edge in quality.

Le Creuset French Ovens are available from Amazon for about $235.

The post A List Of Break-Resistent Glassware and Dinnerware appeared first on Reactual.

• The GermGuardian AC482522 is the best portable air filter available
• One of the air filters doctors recommend most, the Honeywell True HEPA Air Purifier is the best air filter for allergies
• The Holmes Desktop Purifier is the best value portable air filter

The Details

A portable air filter is a device that is used to purify the air in a room of impurities and pollutants. Air filter statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have shown that the air inside your home can be five to ten times dirtier than the air outside, and Americans spend an average of 90% of their lives indoors.

Portable air filters are intended to target specific contaminants, decreasing the levels in which they are detected in the room. In order to do this, the air is passed through one of more filters to remove dust, lint, germs and other pollutants. In a stationary (non-portable) purifier, the filter is inserted into the air return vents in a home. These materials include foam, fiberglass, cotton and synthetic fibers. A portable air filter is more versatile, and the same materials and methods are used in many of the best portable filters.

Some of the most popular air filter types are HEPA air purifiers, air filters that use activated carbon filters and others that use charged media filters. When purchasing a portable air filter with HEPA technology, it is important to look for one with a genuine HEPA filter, or “true” HEPA filter. Some may be advertised as “HEPA-like,” but these do not meet the high standards of a true HEPA filter.

Here are three of the best portable air filters on the market today.

The Best Overall Portable Air Filter: Germ Guardian AC4825

The GermGuardian AC482522 is just 22” in height and weighs a tiny 7 pounds, making it easily transportable from room to room. It features three fan speeds, is ultra-quiet and is best suited for medium sized rooms. The CADR rating is 100+, meaning it can clean more than 100 cubic feet of air in one minute.

This tower-like product from Guardian Technologies is the best available portable air filter on the market. The AC4825 uses three different filters that screen out almost all undesirable particles from the air by using multiple filters and systems.

First, the pre-filter uses activated carbon to remove odors and gases from the home. It also captures larger pieces of dust and pollen. The second filter is a True HEPA system that removes pet dander, dust mites, mold spores and pollen. True HEPA filters must meet strict guidelines to be classified as such. Therefore, you can be assured that the HEPA system in the GermGuardian filters out almost 100% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. Lastly, the air is passed through short range UV light, also known as UV-C. This UV light is effective in killing germs and viruses such as E. coli and streptococcus.

The Best Portable Air Filter For Allergies: Honeywell Air Purifier

The post The Best Portable Air Filter appeared first on Reactual.

To use Binchotan, you simply place a piece of the charcoal into a water pitcher, and leave it to sit for 6-8 hours. After this time, the water in the pitcher will be purified and mineralized.

It is recommended that the Binchotan stick be boiled in a shallow pan of water for 10 minutes every month to keep the exterior pores open. After four months, boil the charcoal stick again. If you don’t see a profusion of bubbles circulating around the charcoal stick when it is returned to the pitcher and water is added, the stick has reached its capacity to absorb toxins. At that point it is ready to be composted in the garden or used as an odor absorber in your refrigerator.

You can get Binchotan on Amazon: 1 pound of Binchotan costs about $18. A single pound will last you 3-6 months depending on the amount of water you purify, and the amount of contaminants in your water. You can also get a portable Binchotan bottle for on-the-go filtration.

Binchotan: A Super-Adsorbent Charcoal

Binchō-tan is only made in the forests of Wakayama, a province in southern Japan. The branches of Holm Oak trees are sustainably harvested then slowly fired in traditional kiln ovens over many days.

The very dense wood of a Holm Oak has a multitude of open pores through which the tree breathes, nourishes itself, and redistributes chemicals back into the earth. The microorganisms (which are utterly harmless to humans) that live in these pores efficiently decompose toxic chemicals like chlorine, pesticides and herbicides. This phenomenon of adsorption (not to be confused with absorption) ensures that contaminants stick to the active charcoal until it is completely saturated. This is why it is necessary to reactivate the binchotan every three months by soaking it in boiling water.

The fineness and high quality of binchō-tan are attributed to steaming at high temperatures (about 1000 degrees Celsius). Although it is often thought that binchō-tan burns hot, it actually burns at a lower temperature than ordinary charcoal but for a longer period. It does not release smoke or other unpleasant odors. Binchō-tan or white charcoal is harder than black charcoal, and rings with a metallic sound when struck. Wind chimes and a musical instrument, the tankin (“charcoal-xylophone“) have been made from it.

A number of Binchotan-inflused products are now on the market: Binchotan pumice stones. Binchotan body scrubs, Binchotan eye masks and even Binchotan facial soap.

The post Binchotan Charcoal: An Inexpensive Way To Mineralize and Filter Water appeared first on Reactual.

Note that you won’t find a new Apple laptop for under $500. If you want a new Mac laptop — the least expensive option is to purchase a Apple MacBook Air MC506LL/A, which was released in 2010, and currently sells for $849 at Amazon.

The Best Apple Laptops Under $500

Let’s take a look at the used Apple laptops you can get for under $500.

When buying a used or refurbished laptop, pay attention to the seller’s rating and return policy. In most cases you’ll want to avoid “newly launched” sellers, or sellers with ratings under 90%. When your used laptop arrives, you’ll know pretty soon if it works as advertised. If it doesn’t, you’ll want to be able to return the machine within 30 days. I’d also try to find a buyer who mentions that the laptop has a battery that “still holds a charge”. Many laptop batteries need to be replaced after 4-5 years. If you do find the battery unacceptable, it’s possible to buy a replacement Macbook batteries separately for about $40.

Apple MacBook MB403LL/A ($470-$500)

For just under $500, the best Macbook you can buy is an Apple MacBook MB403LL/A. This Macbook came out in Late 2008, and it has 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a 13.3 inch screen. Although it was released 4 years ago, this is a perfectly acceptable laptop for 2012. It can run Apple’s latest operating system, OS X 10.7 “Lion”. I’d advise you to try to get this Macbook with 2 GB of memory installed — there’s not much price difference between a 1GB and 2GB machine, but the extra memory makes a difference.

The Apple MacBook MB403LL/A is available on Amazon for about $500.

Apple G4 iBook M9627LL/A  ($250-$300)

If you really looking to save some money, you can get an Apple G4 iBook for under $300. These machines came out between 2003 and 2004. They have 1.33 gHZ processors and can run the OS X 10.5 “Leopard” operating system. While they are not speedy by today’s standards, these laptops work fine for web browsing and running other applications, though watching videos online can be frustrating. But overall, a quality computer from Apple.

The Apple G4 iBook is available from Amazon for $250-$300.

Apple G4 Powerbook M9110LL ($470-$500)

If you’re looking for laptop with a 17″ screen, you can get a used Powerbook  G4 M9110LL for under $500. Note, however that this machine was released in 2003, and only has an 1.33-GHz PowerPC G4 processor. The  MacBook mention above is an faster Intel processor and more memory for the same price.

The post How To Find Apple Laptops Under $500 appeared first on Reactual.

Alexander offers a 30 day warranty on his goods (they pay for return shipping), and they will repair their products for free.

The Bedford Overnight Bag, featured here, is available for $395.

The post Buy It For Life: Bedford Overnight Bag By Ernest Alexander appeared first on Reactual.

DODOcase puts a lot attention to detail into the design of their iPad cases. DODOcases have a hand-machined bamboo interior that fits the shape of iPad precisely, holding it place. The outer layer of the case is similar to large moleskin notebook — the material is Moroccan cloth and constructed using traditional book binding technique. The cases sell for $59.95 from Amazon.

Blackbox iPad Case

Blackbox Case  is a company in Golden, Colorado that makes bamboo iPad cases that are “precision cut, hand sanded, hand rubbed” (you can see the whole process here). They also offer a lifetime guarantee that allows you to return the case if you have any issue with it. It sells for $99 from Blackbox Case. They also offer a range of cases for MacBook Pros.

The post iPad Cases That Are Handcrafted In The U.S. appeared first on Reactual.

Safari-Beans PR5 Bag by RedOxx

Pros:

• Very durable construction
• Lifetime warranty
• Designed and made in the U.S.

Cons:

• Utilitarian design might limit business use
• Clunky zippers and fasteners may not please some

RedOxx, a company based in Billings, Montana, specializes in constructing very practical and durable luggage. The company was founded by two former military parachute riggers. Their bags are built with tough canvas (1,000-denier Cordura), huge zippers and strong handles. The company offers a lifetime guarantee on all their products. RedOxx states that they expect their products to be “included in your will”. More specifically, if your bag ever needs repair, the company says:

Simply ship the product back to us and we will either repair or replace the item at no charge. The item will be returned to you “return shipping paid”.

The product we are featuring here is RedOxx’s Safari-Beans PR5 Bag. The bag is constructed in Montana, with some parts coming from Colorado and California.

Outside Magazine recognized the Safari Beanos PR5 Safari bag as one of 2004’s 15 best outdoor products. James Glave, editor for Outside Buyer’s Guide, said:

Winning products must offer cutting-edge design and be really rugged. Our testers dragged it with a car down the sidewalk and threw it off the second-story balcony and tried to destroy it. We really place enormous emphasis on rigorous testing.

Note that this bag is built primarily for adventure travel. With its utilitarian design, some people may find that all the zippers and fasteners to be too clunky and noisy for their tastes.

The Safari-Beans PR5 Bag bag is available directly from RedOxx for $220.

The post Buy It For Life: Safari-Beans PR5 Bag by RedOxx appeared first on Reactual.

By reviewing sources such as Maximum PC, PC World, About.com, Recovery-Review.com, Download.com, and CNET, these are the top rated data recovery software for PCs:

Recuva (Free)

Pros:

• Good results
• Friendly, step-by-step recovery wizard
• Free

Cons:

• Not as full-featured as some paid programs

Top Review Sources:

• Maximum PC: 7/10 “We have no trouble recommending Recuva as our favorite free file recovery app”
• PC World: “If you just want a good un-delete program with a small disk footprint at no charge, then Recuva is what you’re looking for”
• About.com: 5.0/5.0 “Recuva is, without a doubt, the very best free file recovery software available today”

Piriform’s Recuva guides you through the recovery process in a simple, non-intimidating fashion. It does a good job recovering files when you use the step-by-step wizard, and a great job recovering files when you explore the program’s advanced options. Nice features include a preview pane and the ability to re-establish a file’s folder structure. Recuva provides plenty of detail about the files it recovers so you can quickly find the one you are looking for. Recuva also includes a sector-based recovery tool, useful when you’ve had a serious crash and can’t boot your operating system. Recuva’s file shredding tool allows you to delete a file beyond recovery.

Recuva is available for free on Piriform’s website.

Quetek File Scavenger 3.2 ($50)

Pros:

• Superior scanning
• Preserves original file names

Cons:

• Cost

Top Review Sources:

• Recovery-Review.com: “Quetek…managed to create a program that is easy to navigate, even for beginners.”
• Download.com User Reviews: 4.0/5.0 (170+ reviews)
• Maximum PC: 9/10 “If you’re willing to pay for file recovery, this is your program”

Reviewers are impressed by File Scavenger 3.2’s huge list of file types from which you can select to narrow your search. This element is just one example of the program’s robust feature set. You can search very specifically for files in certain areas of the drive, plus you can choose from different scan types—from the instantaneous Quick to the time-consuming and very thorough Long. Its recovery performance is top-notch. You can view results in a convenient tree structure as well as sort them by common attributes like type, date, location, etc. Unlike many file recovery programs, Quetek File Scavenger 3.2 reconstructs original file names, rather than return results that still have the additional characters added by the Recycle Bin.

Quetek File Scavenger 3.2 is available for purchase on the manufacturer’s product page.

Pandora Recovery (Free)

Pros:

• Straightforward interface
• Great performance
• Free

Cons:

• Beginners may be confused by advanced options

Top Review Sources:

• CNET: 4.5/5.0 “File recovery has never been easier thanks to Pandora Recovery”
• PC World: 3.5/5.0 “For restoring files that you’ve deleted from your hard drive, Pandora Recovery is one solid option”
• About.com: 4.0/5.0 “The wizard included with the program is the easiest to use and understand wizard that I’ve seen in an undelete program”

Pandora Recovery’s interface is exceptionally clean and straightforward, yet reviewers are even more impressed with the program’s file recovery wizard. This intuitive, step-by-step guide leads you through the recovery process, anticipating your needs along the way. As you proceed, its interface changes to accommodate your selections. You’ll be able to narrow the search down as best you can before initiating a scan. Once a scan starts, you won’t have to wait long for results. Pandora’s speed is not at the expense of its accuracy, however; the program impresses with its successful restoration of deleted files.

Download Pandora Recovery for free on the official site.

The post The Best Data Recovery Software For PCs appeared first on Reactual.