Sprenzy Shopping Blog

The average Thanksgiving meal contains 3,000 calories and if you snack all day it can reach up to 4,500 calories. I certainly did my share to raise the average calorie intake. I’m guesstimating I put down 5,000 calories easy.  Call me an over-achiever if you want. Now I’m on exercise kick to keep off the unwanted weight during the holiday season. One of my favorite new toys, which motivates me to run more often, is the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit.

If you already own an iPod Nano, the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit adds voice feedback (male or female) and visual display of your run/walk time, distance and pace. The Sport Kit consists of a small sensor (accelerometer) and a receiver that plugs into your Nano. The sensor is designed to fit into Nike+ running shoes but still works with any shoe if you can properly secure it.

Next you will find several Nike+ iPod Sport Kit reviews and a review of the Marware Sportsuit Sensor+, which attaches the sensor to any shoe.

• Playlistmag.com: Nike+ iPod Sport Kit Review - “When Lance Armstrong or Paula Radcliffe told me, through my nano, “Congratulations! You’ve just run your fastest mile.” I felt like they were talking directly to me—even though I knew they weren’t. The Nike + iPod Sport Kit is simple but ingenious, easy enough to use for beginning runners and technophobes alike, while reliable enough for even competitive runners.”

• PC Magazine: Nike+ iPod Sport Kit Review - “With its great community features, the Nike + iPod Sport Kit adds an extra element to running and walking that can actually inspire and motivate you more than simply listening to music and timing yourself.”

• The Adventure Blog: Nike+ iPod Review - “If you enjoy running, walking, or hiking, I highly recommend the Nike+iPod system. It’s a very well designed product that is easy to use, offers great value, and should be a benefit to anyone into fitness. It’s online portion should also help you track your data over time, set goals, and make progress in increasing your distance and speed.”

• iLounge: Nike+ iPod Sport Kit Review - “What Apple and Nike have achieved with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit is a nearly unqualified triumph: an expansion of the iPod nano into a digital sport running and walking partner, using add-on technology that works well and is easy enough for anyone to use. While we won’t go so far as to claim that it will replace the need for gyms or even just their treadmills, the Kit’s cool features - voice feedback, big on-screen text focused on your workout goal, PowerSongs, and Nikeplus.com - are generally so well-done for the reasonable price that you can easily look past the system’s few flaws.”

• The Final Sprint: Marware Sportsuit Sensor+ Review - “Marware’s Sportsuit Sensor + is a terrific adapter for runners who want the benefits of the new Nike+iPod Sport Kit, but don’t want to spend the extra cash on Nike+ Ready shoes. For only $9.99 it is an investment you won’t regret and we highly recommend it.”

Since I’m a Mizuno and New Balance fan, I haven’t purchased a pair of Nike+ running shoes. On my initial run with the Sport Kit, I placed the sensor between my shoe laces and tongue. It fell out 40 feet into my run but I didn’t realize it until three blocks later. Luckily, I was able to find the sensor before it was run over by a car.

After this initial blunder, I secured the sensor by placing it into a small Ziplock sandwich bag and then tucking the bag underneath the laces. An alternative and better solution is using Glad Press’n Seal wrap to make a pouch and tuck it under the shoe laces (shown top right). Both solutions are cheap, easy and waterproof. My only concern is the durability of the Press’n Seal, so I ordered the Marware Sportsuit Sensor+. Check out other sensor/shoe mods at theappleblog.com.

I’ve run with the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit eight times so far and I really enjoy using it. I’ve used it out of the box and uncalibrated. The distance accuracy is very good as I’ve only seen a 0.01 mile discrepancy on my known 1 mile and 3.25 mile markers. From my experience, if you keep the sensor flat or parallel to the foot bed, the distance and pace accuracy is pretty good uncalibrated. But if you attach the sensor on the top of the shoe tongue or on an angle, calibration is definitely required. I’ve also noticed total distance is less accurate on hilly running routes.

Overall, I still prefer running with the 2nd generation iPod Shuffle because it so small and lightweight. But getting distance and pace voice feedback is extremely useful during my runs. And it’s very helpful if you need to train at a certain pace. For its simplicity, run/mileage tracking, community features at Nikeplus.com and a low $30 cost, I highly recommend the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit to enhance your runs. It could also be great stocking stuffer for people who like to run with their Nano.

Other Nike+ Accessories:

Nike+ Clothing - the Nike+ clothing is expensive at $70+ per shirt. But it’s an option, if you don’t like carrying your Nano in your hand or using an armband. I have a short sleeve seamless top, which works well but you can’t see the Nano display. I prefer looking at the display every now and then during a run.

Nike+ Armband - I don’t like wearing armbands so this accessory is not for me. Similar to the Nike+ clothing issue, you can’t see the display while using the armband.

Do you like egg muffins or egg and bagel sandwiches in the morning? Well, here’s a kitchen gadget from Back to Basics, the Egg & Muffin Toaster, that can make an egg and sausage breakfast sandwich in four minutes.

I usually don’t like these infomercial type products. Ok, I admit that I bought a Flavorwave oven five years ago and it actually works pretty well. Anyway, the Egg & Muffin Toaster has received a lot of buzz and an average customer review of 4.5 out 5 from Amazon (139 reviewers). This toaster allows you to cook an egg, warm-up pre-cooked meat and make toast. From Back to Basics,

“The Egg & Muffin Toaster brings you the drive-thru breakfast without the drive! Simultaneously toasts and steam poaches an egg to create one of America’s favorite breakfast sandwiches in about four minutes. Meat-warming tray included and even boils up to four eggs! Wide toasting slots and a crumb tray too.”

There is a video demonstration at eggandmuffintoaster.com. Click on “How To” at the top. The Egg & Muffin Toaster is pretty cool from a gadget standpoint. However, I still prefer making my eggs and breakfast meats in a nice All-Clad frying pan. But, I can definitely see this toaster as a good present for a college/grad student or someone who wants a quick breakfast sammy without pulling out a fry pan. For under $40, the Egg & Muffin Toaster could be a great gift for this holiday season.

Faster than you know it, Black Friday will be upon us. Or for us online shopping fanatics, Cyber Monday is quickly approaching. In preparation for the holiday shopping season, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss some online shopping tips to prevent holiday shopping headaches.

PC World posted a good article on how to “Avoid the Biggest Web Shopping Annoyances”. Let me highlight a few annoyances from the article.

• “Product cycles for tech gear have gotten shorter over the years as companies seek to stay competitive by quickly incorporating new features, says Jenny Pareti, spokesperson for the Consumer Electronics Association. Canon, for example, has cranked out more than 24 new digital camera models in the past 12 months.

  An unfortunate side effect of accelerated product rollouts is that they increase the odds of accessories not working with older gear. Apple, for example, has introduced on average a new iPod model every two months for the past year, and people who have bought older iPod accessories such as speakers or docks can’t always use them with the newer iPods.” Buying a product when the next generation is released a week later can be very frustrating. If you are caught up in the tech gear arms race, then I recommend reading Engadget or Gizmodo gadget blogs for the latest product news and rumors. Otherwise, check the manufacturer’s site to verify the product “freshness” you plan on buying.

• “In the hypercompetitive world of online commerce, sites for comparison shopping have unfortunately become popular destinations for rip-off artists seeking to lure customers with fake merchant and product reviews. The problem of bogus reviews has arisen even at well-known sites such as Amazon.com.” In the web world where user generated content rules the day, fake reviews are a major concern. On Sprenzy, we offer reviews through our partnerships with Epinions.com and Amazon.com, so you can read multiple sources of reviews. I would still caution you to be wary of new products or new stores with a glowing review from a single source, particularly if the source is new to the review community. Remember, there’s always strength in numbers, good or bad.

• “Depending on the merchant you’re dealing with, online overnight shipping can mean several things. Dell charges $109 for “next business day” delivery of new desktop computers. However, when I ordered a PC over the phone from Dell and added that I wanted to pay for next-business-day delivery, I learned that to Dell this means the system ships the day after it’s actually built–which might take up to a week.” Just because you picked next day shipping, don’t expect your new product to be there tomorrow. Most online merchants have a 24 or 48 hour processing time delay before shipping your package. So read the fine print or the merchants’ shipping FAQs to avoid unmet delivery expectations.

• “As for obtaining refunds from retailers, even when you regain your cash from reputable companies such as Best Buy, Sears, or Staples, you may get stuck with restocking fees of 10 to 15 percent of the purchase price.

  What can you do to avoid the money-back guarantee runaround? Ask retailers about (or check their Web site carefully for) their refund policy. And if a product comes with its own money-back guarantee, make sure you read it closely, too.” Don’t be fooled by money-back guarantees. Read the fine print on restocking fees, return shipping fees, money back or store credit.

• More annoyances from PC World.

Top 5 Online Shopping Tips

Now, let’s turn to the top 5 online shopping tips that will help prevent any holiday headaches. Here are my top tips:

1. Check the online store’s return and refund policy - I always prefer shopping at online stores with free shipping and free return policies, such as Zappos.com, Altrec.com and Amazon.com, or stores such as REI.com or LLBean.com with no hassle return policies. You may not get the lowest price at these stores, but the peace of mind of easy returns and a full refund is worth the extra money most of the times.

2. Purchase products from a trusted store - This is an obvious tip, but when can you trust a store? The easiest way is to check merchant or store reviews. When you are reading store reviews on Sprenzy or another comparison shopping site, be wary of glowing reviews from newly created user profiles for a new store. Additionally, each comparison shopping site has criteria for awarding a trusted or certified store rating. Make sure you read and understand the criteria. Just because a store receives the “trusted store” moniker, it doesn’t guarantee a good experience with the merchant. Read the store reviews and check for common issues, good and bad.

3. Buy early from a new store - If you have to buy a product from a store with which you have no experience or reviews, don’t wait until the last second, ship next day and expect a happy ending. I’m not saying it won’t happen, but I wouldn’t risk it. If you are going to purchase from a new store, do it early in case of any hiccups in service or delivery. If you can’t overcome your holiday gift buying procrastination, then buy from a trusted store or dare I say, pick it up from a brick and mortar store.

4. Use a credit card  - Never use a debit card to make online purchases. Debit cards and ATM cards are not protected by federal law as well as credit cards are. Find a credit card that offers fraud protection, extends the manufacturer’s warranty and allows you to generate a temporary card number with a set spending limit and expiration date. During transactions with a new online store, use a temporary card number to avoid giving away a real credit card number to the online store or during data transmission.

5. Create an online shopping email address - Get an email address and create a password that is used solely for online purchases. This allows you to keep a “paper” trail of order confirmation, invoices, shipping confirmation and product updates (if you sign up for them). And if someone violates your privacy policy and puts you on an unwanted newsletter or spam list, your personal email address won’t be compromised.  

Online shopping can save you precious time and money. But before you make a web purchase, do your due diligence and take the above precautions. I’m sure you’ll have a happy and rewarding online holiday shopping experience.

Additional Online Shopping Resources:

Online Shopping Tips - Privacy Rights Clearinghouse 

Better Business Bureau Online

A Guide for E-Consumers - FTC online shopping guide

Online Shopping - Federal government online shopping tips